Re: Christmas came early at casa holymadness -- UPDATED with photos

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by iammatt

IIRC, they are classified as red and white offal, but I don't remember which is which. I like some, not others. I know what you mean, BTW, I was just arguing to argue.

FWIW, the only two I really like are sweetbreads and pigs feet. Tongue can be alright. My parents both ******* loved tongue sandwiches when I was growing up, so I am used to it, if not in love.

yeah, I don't want to **** up this thread as the ham is beautiful and obviously something that you don't see everyday, I am just squeamish when it comes to food.

 

[Piobaire]

I've posted my theories on cuts of meat here before. Great cuts require little time to cook and little skill. Formerly "peasant" cuts take time and skill. It therefore makes sense that these things are now the domain of enthusiasts and/or the affluent.

 

[itsstillmatt]

I don't know if I buy that. I think braising is easier than roasting or grilling. Time, yes.

 

[Piobaire]

It is. With a little skill (and planning). However, grilling is seen as the "everyman" thing. Roasting is what Anglo fat wives learn to do.

I don't think this is 100% explanatory but I think I'm on the right track.

 

[CBrown85]

You know, typing that out I had a feeling that it would be used by you. You're just as predictable as I am.

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by Mr Herbert

FWIW, i know alot of chinese living in first world countries who eat offal. do they prefer it to a T-Bone? probably not, but they still enjoy it.
fwiw offal is so ingrained in chinese culture that, at least in my experience, there are certain offals and organs traditionally cooked and served/force fed on us. also, the old tale of some foods having some kind of medicinal or therapeutic value contributes to this. and sorry if this wonderful thread's been hijacked.

 

[KJT]

Originally Posted by acidboy

and sorry if this wonderful thread's been hijacked.

Yeah. get this debate outta here. more pics of JAMON

 

[holymadness]

**** I lost a giant post.

Here is the abridged version.

Originally Posted by KJT

Yeah. get this debate outta here. more pics of JAMON

lol I'm not sure what else you want pictures of, but if you have any requests let me know. There's is now a deep gouge in the side of my ham that resembles a lunar crater. We've been busy here. Also I have no problem with the 'hijacking', this debate is interesting. Ed: somehow you managed to write a refutation to my point while essentially agreeing with my arguments. I acknowledge that offal isn't on offer because it's unpopular, the question is why? There are several things at work: - Seen as disgusting, gross, unclean, etc. - Unfamiliarity with sweet meats (which is both a cause and consequence of their unavailability) - Longer to cook/prepare (or at least believed to be) - No widespread cultural traditions/recipes using offal (the Chinese, for example, devour it) - Seen as 'peasant food' or food for poor people - Some of it just plain not liked (I am not a huge fan of tripe, for instance). Still, as matt pointed out, we have to distinguish between bas-de-gamme and real delicacies. For example, American stew meat is generally tough, stringy, and bland; it's what can't be sold as steak. Something like beef tail, which when boiled becomes tender and delicious, would be an ideal replacement, but good luck finding it. The first two reasons, at least, have everything to do with my point about the santization of meat. You couldn't find a more perfect example than your reaction to the hoof and hairs of the pig leg. As for SF's point about offal being a foodie pretension, that may be the case in the States but not here. Veal head, veal kidneys, os à la moelle (sort of like ossobuco) and gizzard salad are probably among the top 20 most popular dishes in Parisian bistros, followed further behind by pig hooves. They're probably even more popular in the provinces. Of course, I would bet that entrecôte (rib steak) is the most popular cut of all, but I'm not saying sweet meats are necessarily the best or the most appropriate for all occasions. Just that the absence of choice is sad because it reduces the diversity of dishes in general, and because it leads to cuts of meat being used for many recipes where something else would be much more appropriate.

 

[D Yizz]

Originally Posted by holymadness

The first two reasons, at least, have everything to do with my point about the santization of meat. You couldn't find a more perfect example than your reaction to the hoof and hairs of the pig leg.

As for SF's point about offal being a foodie pretension, that may be the case in the States but not here.

Completely agreed.

If anyone is interested in delicious blood sausages (morcillas), stewed sweetbreads with green bananas (mollejas con guineitos), stewed tripe (mondongo and cuajo), gandinga (kidney, liver and gizzard stew), just book a plane to these parts.

 

[itsstillmatt]

^^ Interestingly, just about every store in my area, other than Safeway, has oxtail. A few years ago this was not the case. I don't really think of it as offal, but it is delicious. I don't even know where you could find veal head in the US. I'm not sure it is sold. Pig head certainly is. The big annoyance for me is that veal kidney, which I like very much, is barely sold, and when it is, USDA regulations require it to be processed in a certain way, the fat casing has to be removed, and it ends up losing some of its best parts. This was the case some years ago, at least. Anyway, it is hard enough to find that I didn't list it as one of the things I like because it is so far out of mind.

 

[SField]

Holy,

In the US, outside of ethnic communities (mostly Latin,) it is only eaten by "foodies." Having lived and worked in france, I know that they're seen as any other sort of product, but that is not the case here.

 

[D Yizz]

I think it is time to open a new thread to discuss these delicacies.

 

[SField]

im ordering myself some Jamon from La Tienda. Am considering getting a leg of their bellota but want to try it first.

 

[acidboy]

why do they call it "sweet meats"?

 

[holymadness]

Turns out there are lots of goodies hiding further up. Shame about that bone in the middle, though. Makes it a ***** to slice.