Eating the whole animal

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Posted at 12:05PM, 18 February 2008 by Gregg Wallace - TV presenter, greengrocer

Instead of a nation of animal lovers, are we becoming a nation that's actually scared of animals? What I mean is, are we scared of whole animals? Does the whole beast fill us with terror?

I look at the packets of meat in the supermarkets and I see loads of legs of lamb and the odd shoulder. Where is the rest of the beast? The same is true of the pigs. Where do the ears and the tail go? Are we seriously just eating loads of pig belly and chucking the rest away? If so, this is definitely a sign of complete disrespect for the animal.

I'm a big fan of offal, kidneys, hearts and brains. I realise I'm in a minority. Many is the time I've discussed my love of offal with people to find them wincing or screwing up their face with distaste. It really amazes me, who many people swear they could never eat offal, then happily tuck in to a plate of sausages or a hamburger.

Again, I have to ask, is it because neither the burger, nor the sausage, reminds them of an animal?

Comments

Tessa

20 February, 7:48AM
Tessa

We have it too good in this country, food is too plentiful. If we were starving we would eat all of the animal. Supermarkets are also to blame, when was the last time you saw tongue or brain in the meat section? Waitrose don't even sell chicken wings.

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Pat

20 February, 10:16PM
Pat

If an animal has to die to feed humans, every tiny bit of it should be used. Nothing should be wasted, life is precious, whether it be animal or human. Our meat eating habits are now totally out of line, meat production is sanitised, slaughter houses are hidden away from the public and the practices carried out inside those places is purposely kept away from consumers.....or perhaps they would no longer be cosumers of meat. Back in the days of the cave man and even later, every bit of the animal was used...its skin, its meat, its fats, its hooves and horns, nothing was wasted. If we were meant to eat meat, as I am constantly told we are, then we should not be squeamish about the bits which "offend" our civilised minds. Life is life. Incidentally, I am a vegetarian......perhaps you guessed that before I told you, lol. Pat.

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Nicola

22 February, 1:01PM
Nicola

In Spain not one bit of the pig is wasted. It is killed on the family farm and sliced up into various cuts. The blood is used to make the best type of black pudding ever, there are also different types of sausage. Bones and whatever are left are used to make stock and broth.

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Gregg

24 February, 8:41AM
Gregg

as you can tell I'm no vegetarian, I love veg, In fact only the Southern Italiansa and Hindus love veg as much as me. I have to say though,well said Pat.

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Richard Irvine

24 February, 7:49PM
Richard Irvine

Excellent. Here in Greece, no part of the animal is left to waste. And some of the best Greek specialities are made with offal. Seeing a Greek butcher's is to remember what the whole animal is made of, as everything is on display (and sometimes despite EU rulings to the contrary).

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queen bee

25 February, 11:44AM
queen bee

I live in Italy, where you can go into any large supermarket and find every single part of the animal for sale, tail included.

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Gaya

25 February, 11:49AM
Gaya

I totally agree!. Its the same in India, though a high conservative Hindu nation, when they kill a goat or lamb no part is wasted. They make excellent dishes with offals such as kidneys, livers, intestines and brains. Lambs brains are a delicacy in India and quite expensive to buy. I have somehow managed to find a asian shop in Bury, Lancashire that sell frozen lambs brains, but again you have to book well in advance.

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Naomibrook

4 March, 11:57PM
Naomibrook

In total agreement aswell. When i cook a whole chicken many of my housemates get very squeemish about all the parts i pick off. As students i would have thought they would appreciate it as we're often strapped for cash, i just don't understand!

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kiwi

19 March, 9:25AM
kiwi

im a vegetarian

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Fliss on Food

29 April, 10:53AM
Fliss on Food

If you are a meat eater as I and my family are then it does make sense to use the whole animal. Trying to be organized and econimical I ordered half a pig from a local farm for my freezer. It arrived in a bin liner but all nicely cut into different joints i.e. belly, shoulder, leg, ribs and chops and labelled. There were no trotters, head etc. However, I will never order one again as I was sick of looking at it each time I opened my freezer and always felt guilty for not having pork on the table for Sunday lunch. I hate to admit this but now I continue to look on the meat counter in Waitrose at the joints which don,t look like animals. I think I may shortly become a vegetarian!

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