Earlier this week I received a newsletter from PaleolithicDiet.com that included the challenge to write a blog post about what you would cook if you were selected to receive a copy of Jennifer McLagan’s book Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal. In all fairness, I don’t need a copy of McLagan’s book (I already own one), but I like having a topic that I’m enthusiastic about and that doesn’t require I pull any scholarly papers and reference my sources! I like to write, but I haven’t had time to really research some of the more academic topics I’m interested in recently. I accept Patrik’s challenge, and if he wants to send me another copy, I’ll make sure to share it with someone that will love, appreciate, and use it!
Perhaps more important that what I would (or do) cook from Odd Bits, is why I cook offal. To me there are three main reasons (in no specific order).
1: It’s the right thing to do, in respect for the animal you are eating.
As I mentioned in my post on the ethics of eating meat, I have raised (and slaughtered) my own chickens for a number of years. When I learned to “process” chickens, I was taught to save the heart and liver, both organs that I knew I should eat, but ones I’d never eaten before. My parents are British, and while it may have deeply pained them, I’d never been one for steak and kidney pie, nor had I been one to eat other ‘odd’ bits of animal. I, like so many, fell victim to the ‘eww’ factor of eating odd bits and stuck to the traditional muscle meats. This changed when I started killing my own chickens. First- I knew how much time and effort went into raising and butchering these animals, and throwing away edible bits just seemed wrong. Second- and more importantly, I was taking an animals life, and while I had done my best to make their life (and death) as pleasant as possible, it only seemed right that when I killed them, I used all the bits I could. Third- at that point I was well on the slippery slope to “evolutionary wellness”, and had been reading up on the nutritional benefits of eating organs.
I’ll admit that the first time I cooked chicken livers and hearts I needed a bit of Dutch courage. After imbibing a couple glasses of a delicious Marlborough region Sauvignon Blanc (my weakness when it comes to white wine), I briefly sautéed fresh livers (cut into bite sized pieces) and hearts (halved) in a generous portion of butter and then topped them with salt and fresh pepper. With my Dutch (or perhaps I should say Kiwi?) courage, I took my first bites and was hooked. While I rarely eat chicken these days, if I spot hearts and livers from pastured chickens for sale at the farmers market I usually nab a couple pounds. Not only are they delicious, but it seems only right that if we kill an animal, we should make the most of that sacrifice.
The same concept applies to the cattle that my family raises. I think the old guy that runs the slaughter house we go to gets a kick out of me and my enthusiasm for odd bits (or at least he’s good natured about humoring me- I can imagine him telling his friends about some ‘young woman with a hankering for weird cow parts’), and it seems like each year my list of ‘bits to save’ gets longer. Along with the cut sheets for our animals I include a cover sheet that includes all the extra bits I want to make sure he saves for us. Usually this butcher will return the heart, liver, tail, and tongue, but I’ve added sweet breads, kidneys, marrow bones, and fat to the list. This generally adds a couple extra boxes to my pickup run, and he had a funny smile last time he handed over a 40+ lb box of suet, but he complies (and I think I might need to start making soap- I probably already have a lifetime supply of tallow!). Much like with the chickens, I feel it is important to get the most out of the animals that my family has cared for that have died to feed us.
2: Offal is darn nutritious!
Not only do I think it is morally appropriate to eat ‘nose to tail’, it’s also an excellent nutritional choice. Organ meats are rich in compounds that are lacking (or low) in other parts of the animal. Liver, for example, is very rich in vitamin A (although you should never eat Polar Bear liver- it is so rich in Vitamin A it is toxic!), many of the B vitamins, and iron (to only list a few). Heart, kidney, marrow, and sweet breads all offer different nutritional profiles. I’m generally not joking (nor am I alone) when I refer to liver as “Nature’s multivitamin”.
3- Odd bits are tasty!
Once you get over the ‘weird’ factor of eating different bits of animals, you’ll start to realize they’re really not so odd and that they can be VERY tasty. Tongue tacos, grilled heart, sautéed liver (+/- bacon), steak and kidney… these are all very cookable dishes that can be very delicious. Just like anything else in the kitchen, you can mess them up, but cooked right, these dishes are a delicacy! There’s a reason that some of the fanciest restaurants serve offal, and it’s not just the ‘wow’ factor of serving something unique- offal is delicious!
In conclusion…
It’s only in our modern society that ‘nose to tail’ eating is not the norm. I’d wager that for most of our evolutionary past, humans have taken advantage of all the edible bits an animal had to offer. While many still find ‘odd bits’ off-putting, the interest in them is growing. That’s not only obvious by the publication of books such as Odd Bits, but also by observing changes in the people around me. When my family sold our first beef cattle, few (if any) customers wanted ‘odd bits’. As I find customers that are interested in evolutionary eating, my stash of unclaimed offal diminishes (I think I miss the extra tongues the most!). I’m happy, however, if others start to embrace offal, in it’s many forms. Eating offal is delicious, nutritious, and shows respect to the animal you’re eating. If you’re intimidated by the idea of cooking offal at home, order out (Korean BBQ is a great way to have tongue (and if you’re brave, intestines-yum!)) or you can go the route I travelled and obtain a bit of liquid courage*!
*attempt at your own risk!
Victoria,
Too few are promoting the benefit of eating “around the flesh” and I am pleased to see you are a convert. The ridiculous part is that so many who, from a health perspective, could be including it in their diet, seem to prefer to spend their precious dollars on rubbish.
Bang for buck, offal is so nutritionally dense. Ox heart, so ridiculously cheap, sliced thickly and bbq’d, lavished in pastured butter is truly devine.
Definitely, bring on the odd bits.
I’m definitely a convert, though there are still parts I need to try my hand at (I have some sweet breads and pork jowls that I need to attack!)! You’re right that offal is one of the best ‘bang for your buck’ options. Not only is offal nutritionally dense, but it’s frequently VERY affordable. In fact, I’ve found that if one shows a bit of interest, it’s amazing what kind of offal will come your way free of charge. Sadly, most deer hunters in my area discard the liver, but many are happy to save it if there’s someone interested. Also- many farmers find themselves with more offal than they know what to do with because their normal customers ‘opt out’ of the tasty bits. There is a change in the tides, however. I saw ‘grass-fed beef liver’ for $10/lb at one farm store, though I can’t honestly imagine they get the asking price!
BBQ’d heart is a treat. I’ve had it marinated and grilled… will have to try it with butter soon!
Well, I guess it is time to get another package of liver out of the freezer as we are planning dinners this week……
I had liver, bacon, onion, and pepper for dinner tonight. Mmmm…
Third- at that point I was on well on the slippery slope to “evolutionary wellness”
Ha, great line!
And a good reminder to dig the kidneys and tongue out of the bottom of my freezer.
Tongue is one of my most treasured ‘bits’!
But I thought the challenge was to tell us what recipe you would use…. I’m hoping its steak and kidney pudding – perhaps without the steak… and the pudding?
Well- there’s a tasty looking sweetbread and morel recipe. It’s the right time of year for morels, if only I could find some! Maybe this weekend…
Yes, I am waiting for the sweetbreads. Regarding “bang for buck” on offal, when Shoprite had calf sweetbreads for sale earlier this year these were $8.99/lb. Steak was cheaper!
My fave is ox tail – so delcious!
Oxtail is absolutely deliceous and the bones make incredibly rich stock. We never regarded oxtail as an “odd bit” since in England cans of Heinz oxtail soup are in every standard supermaket.
I love odd bit, I was brought up on them – tripe in white sauce, tongue with chutney, liver, steak and kidneys, stuffed heart. My grandmother simply drooled over pigs trotters. We went fishing with her and filleted our little fish and ate them cooked on a fire on the side of the estuary. We helped her defeather ducks, pheasants, and chooks that she was given by friendly locals who shot one for her.
Fond memories.
I still buy a lot of odd bits from the Chinese market. Sadly the family doesn’t feel the same way as I do.
I have been reading your blog and I really like it. I just wanted to stop by and nominate you for my NEW Food Stories Award for Excellence in Storytelling. You can check out the details at my site … http://foodstoriesblog.com/food-stories-award/ … Have a great foodie day!
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