Eating Animals

Deer. I ate little steakettes, which may or may not be a made-up word. Marinated in beer, barbequed to the definitely done stage, but still delicious. Not too gamey, but just enough. In my freezer I have the gift of ground deer (good for burgers), home-grown spare ribs (tonight's supper), and some pork chops and bacon. A visit to a long-lost friend and her life in the country yielded these gems. And I will eat them. Guilt-free.

I pose as a pseudo vegetarian from time to time, it's true. Rarely do I buy meat (fish is the most common, though still rare, and never beef, pork, or poultry) as my compromise to eating meat when it's served to me. My wish to reduce my meat intake for primarily sustainability reasons has worked out quite well so far. Although sometimes I get concerned looks when I say, "I eat meat - I just don't cook it," it's an easy compromise, and I remain a low maintenance dinner guest. I also simply like meat from time to time, and am glad that I've found this balance.

Now, I love lamb. It's definitely my favorite meat, but I know it gives some people the willies. "How can you eat those cute little creatures?!" I'm told, however, that they are one of those fail-safe sustainably raised animals and that I shouldn't worry. For myself I haven't looked into this, but it comes from a source I trust. So I bought some stew meat a couple of weeks ago, and for the first time in five years, actually cooked meat for myself! Wow - melt in your mouth! I've been itching to take another go at it, but I had forgotten how much cheaper it is not to buy meat. I think I'll slowly work some of it back into my diet. Until then, I've got a few days worth of yummy animal delight waiting for me in the ice-box...