culinary adventures

[CreamyGoodness]

As a home cook, I have come to the realization that if you braise any tough meat long enough it will be wonderful.

1) Buy cheap anything
2) Braise the hell out of it with spices
3)???
4) Profit!

 

[Subsailor]

Definitely braising, herbs and spices but not to overpower the flavor of the meat, of course.

 

[passedpawn]

Hearing about camel and other meats and how to prepare them... and drooling.... then wondering if it's normal to drool over cooked animals of odd variety... made me think of a funny thing Homer Simpson said:

If God didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?​

Mmmm, meat...

 

[Obliviousbrew]

Yep the problem is they are tasty, sometimes I witnessed some terrible things, well anyone that have seen a pig slaughter can have an idea...(I´ve seen a few myself but never participated to much) I don´t enjoy hunting or killing things... and I have to admit that sometimes I felt moraly challenged For instance when I was like 15 yo or so I went to a friends "estancia" to spend the weekend, they had a lot of animals but I noticed one put aside: a cow that was pregnant and I told it was ready to deliver so they ask us if we wanted to watch, of course I said yes and we stood aside watching, it was shorter then I expected one of the guys had to stick his hands in to help the veal out -that was kind of disgusting- the thing is that inmediatly they take the just born veal to a corner and slaughter him... I wasn´t expecting that and I was kind of shocked. I was told that it was dinner "no-nato" they called it and it that translates litterally to "unborn". I wasn´t sure to have it or not at dinner but I suposed to be an absolute delicacy that you can´t buy at any place, so I tried it and I got to tell you guys, the first bite was a piece of heaven mealting in my mouth, that was the tenderest, best wood fire grilled meat that I ever had. After that I only had "no-nato" one more time over 10 years ago, I don´t know if this is exotic or a common practice for farmers in the US, it was quite an experience for me.. and I´ve try a lot of stuff.

 

[Joeywhat]

Sea Urchin (uni). It wasn't so much the taste as the consistency and texture. It filled my mouth immediately upon insertion, and just overpowered my senses. I almost didn't keep it down.

 

[TNGabe]

(I´ve seen a few myself but never participated to much) I don´t enjoy hunting or killing things...

Wait a minute, you'll eat a damn monkey and you've never slaughtered your own meat?

I'm obviuosly in the rookie league of gross foods. I used to enjoy eel intestines at a Japanese restaurant I went to a lot. Definitely 'stuffed' as it were, but pretty tasty and the owner/chef would almost always make time to bring them out to the the table and pretend to whisper very loudly 'Japanese Viagra!' Had some fish gut/brain/assorted left over bit soup there once, too. Worst thing I ever tried to eat were these slimy, stinky fermented soybeans. I think it's called Natto. Not to my liking in the slightest.

 

[neosapien]

oi. natto......

that is also a supremely wrong food. I have problems keeping that one down.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

I said didn´t enjoy it it´s messy and you have to do it rigth, I can´t kill a cow or a pig but I did kill a few chickens and armadillos. Killing an animal it´s harder than you may think if you don´t know a thing about it. I don´t enjoy hunting or slaughtering I do love the meat and I´m willing to help but I´m not skilled enough to do more than the little I have done when it´s slaughter time: help preparing and mixing the blood for blood sausage, packing sausages and salting hams, and moving things around, the job is not nice specialy the blood sausage: it smells horrible and disgusting when you are making it but tastes like heaven.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Now, I like all kinds of foods from all over the world. There isn't much I won't try. Durian, balut, heart, blood, suckling pig face, whatever.

But I think I just met my match.

surströmming. oh my angry $deity.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!! This is the most unholy thing to ever touch my tastebuds.


What's the most fearful food you've run across?

I'm curious to know where you found susstroming in the USA, I'd like to get some. Regards, GF.

 

[TNGabe]

I said didn´t enjoy it it´s messy and you have to do it rigth, I can´t kill a cow or a pig but I did kill a few chickens and armadillos. Killing an animal it´s harder than you may think if you don´t know a thing about it. I don´t enjoy hunting or slaughtering I do love the meat and I´m willing to help but I´m not skilled enough to do more than the little I have done when it´s slaughter time: help preparing and mixing the blood for blood sausage, packing sausages and salting hams, and moving things around, the job is not nice specialy the blood sausage: it smells horrible and disgusting when you are making it but tastes like heaven.

We've raised broilers twice now - after months of the little bastards waking me up, the killing wasn't so unpleasant. Now the plucking is another matter.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

The human mind (mine in particular) is really an odd device. I'm not a very good shot, but if I were to go hunting I know I could tell my finger to pull the trigger. Beheading a chicken? Forget it. Too up close and personal. Butcher the chicken? No problem! Fun even!

And I can dispatch a fish to the great beyond without a second thought other than "mmmm this fish will be delicious."

Speaking of which... can you/would you make sushi out of walleye on the boat? What could be fresher?


Edit: Maybe this is liberal hippie dippy stuff (maybe I have said it before here) but I have a strict rule that I will not be a part of killing any mammal or sea creature if I am not planning on eating it. The only exception to this rule is mice and rats that are pests in the house, and even then I feel like I owe it to the poor critter to do the dispatching myself. Antiseptic killing makes men into monsters... /rant over.

 

[Subsailor]

The human mind (mine in particular) is really an odd device. I'm not a very good shot, but if I were to go hunting I know I could tell my finger to pull the trigger. Beheading a chicken? Forget it. Too up close and personal. Butcher the chicken? No problem! Fun even!

And I can dispatch a fish to the great beyond without a second thought other than "mmmm this fish will be delicious."

Speaking of which... can you/would you make sushi out of walleye on the boat? What could be fresher?


Edit: Maybe this is liberal hippie dippy stuff (maybe I have said it before here) but I have a strict rule that I will not be a part of killing any mammal or sea creature if I am not planning on eating it. The only exception to this rule is mice and rats that are pests in the house, and even then I feel like I owe it to the poor critter to do the dispatching myself. Antiseptic killing makes men into monsters... /rant over.

Being raised the way I was and where I'm living now, dispatching/hunting creatures has been pretty much my whole life. I will not kill what I will not eat and I try to utilize the entire animal as much as possible.

My Wife jokes that when I look at an animal, fowl or fish, I am picturing the dotted lines that show me how to separate it into its best, choicest cuts!

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I've often said that I'd be a great guy to bring on a hunting trip. I'll sleep in and have lunch ready when you get to the cabin, and then Ill tie on an apron and get the butcher's table ready. Once the animal is dead, it is now "meat." If it was snowing, however, I would be drinking scotch the whole time (nothing keeps out the cold like cold scotch). Keep my glass full and tell me the story of how you got him and I'll break down the sumbitch for you.

My only problem with taxidermy, btw, is that some animals are preserved without the majority of their bodies butchered and eaten. I'd prefer one make venison head-cheese than mount the head on the wall. Horns, however, I couldnt care less. Not being preachy, just a "how things would be if I had my druthers".

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Utilizing the whole animal reminds me... if one were to cure fish entrails (other than eggs, which I like to deepfry! :-D) in salt, would it make good bait?

Can Walleye be eaten raw? Would one want to do so?

 

[Subsailor]

Many artificial soft bait makers add salt to their baits (I'm do for some of my baits)

I don't see why walleye couldn't be eaten raw as long as it is clean and healthy at the time of processing and yes, I would be willing to try it.

My first taste of raw fish was a still wriggling Bonito that a Samoan friend of mine convinced me to taste, by eating some of it himself, first.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Thats some fresh fish right there! . My first taste of raw fish was a california roll at a shopping mall at age 13. Hehe.

I was thinking we'd catch a walleye, have sashimi on the boat, and throw the entrails in a ziplock bag full of salt for the next outing... sound like a good plan? (Obviously the bones and head go in the stock pot for fish chowder...)

 

[Subsailor]

I think it'd be worth a try. I haven't had walleye since visiting my Dad in Michigan last May.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

This thread is making me hungry

 

[Subsailor]

Damn right, Its lunchtime here and I have a swordfish steak to eat! (unfortunately, previously frozen not fresh)

 

[Dutch218]

On my honeymoon in Thailand I tried durian. I bought it from a road side stand in Phuket and brought it into our taxi. Within seconds I was sticking it out the window until we got where we were going. It had the consistency of rotten mushy bananas and tasted horrible. I was about to toss it when our taxi driver took it from me and took it home to his kids.

In Dubai I had camel nachos at the fairmont hotel. When diced up and on nachos it tasted just like beef.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Camel is definitely an animal I could eat without a twinge of guilt. I am intrigued.

I recently bought a can of jackfruit in light syrup. First, I chortled at the words jack and fruit, and then I got a fork. It was ok. I dont know what I can do with it other than nosh out of the can on a fork though....

My pastry chef friend suggested a sauce, but he didnt seem to excited about the idea.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

kangaroo is another one, he have a few aussies here in HBT I bet they can chime in, of course is not very exotic to eat kangaroo if you are australian.
Does people around texas eat armadillos? I got the admit is one of the best meats I had.

 

[neosapien]

kangaroo is another one, he have a few aussies here in HBT I bet they can chime in, of course is not very exotic to eat kangaroo if you are australian.
Does people around texas eat armadillos? I got the admit is one of the best meats I had.

*high5* kangaroo is epic. I got shipped off to australia when i was 12-13 for the better portion of a year. Kangaroo patties are one of my favourite memories of that trip.

I've never had armadillo, but I can't imagine it'd be good. It looks greasy and dirty. I think maybe I've seen it done on Bordain in Uruguay or something like that. I'm wanting to say it did not leave a good impression.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

You can certainly have seen it in Uruguay they make it a lot there and also in Argentina where I´m originally from. Looks a lot worst that what it taste like.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I'm told that in parts of China "mountain rat" commands a higher price than pork or poultry. I am intrigued.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

I´ll probably go to China next year and I know I´ll have weird things to eat there...snake blood mmm yummy ¿will they make bood sausages with snake blood?

 

[passedpawn]

I've never had armadillo, but I can't imagine it'd be good.

I consider them vermin. Blech.

 

[Subsailor]

When I was last down in Texas, a friend referred to armadillos as 'moving speed bumps'.

 

[neosapien]

When I was last down in Texas, a friend referred to armadillos as 'moving speed bumps'.

yeah, they make a helluva racket when they hit the underside of your car though...AND they'll still usually get up and walk away from it.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

When I was last down in Texas, a friend referred to armadillos as 'moving speed bumps'.

MMMM charcoal grilled road kill I doesn´t gets any more redneck than that doesn´t it?

Not very exotic but I enjoy haggis a lot I dont understand why people think it´s disgusting: