The Swamp

Anyone here a non-red meat eater? My oldest has started questioning eating animals, something I've always kept just out of my mind, so we've decided as a family to go pollo/pesca for February and see what happens. Thoughts?

I rarely eat it.

Not really a political thing, more of a health thing - I just feel gross after eating it.

My wife is vegetarian (and bordering on pescatarian recently). We don't cook together a ton but I will say it has dramatically cut my red meat consumption. By probably 90%. It's just not worth it to fire up the grill or get out all the stuff to make 1 steak or 1-2 burgers. Sometimes I'll do it for company or get a burger when we go out to eat, but I'm probably down to 6-12 times per year? I don't really miss it. A good ribeye or flank steak tacos are still great, but poultry and pork gets me by fine (which is probably an 80/20 split there).

I'd wager that 90% of my red meat consumption is hamburger(s). A steak is a treat - I'm not very good at cooking them so I don't like to spend the money to buy and maybe mess it up. And I don't order it at any middle of the road places. Has to be a high-end steakhouse anymore.

Is pork considered red meat?

If red meat is beef only, then I probably have it for dinner at least once a week. If you add pork, it's probably three or four times a week.

For the record, pork counts as red meat. Beef, pork, lamb, bison, any other mammal I'm forgetting.

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:22 am Anyone here a non-red meat eater? My oldest has started questioning eating animals, something I've always kept just out of my mind, so we've decided as a family to go pollo/pesca for February and see what happens. Thoughts?

I've gone the other way on red meat. In my early years, my mom cooked a lot of red meat, and I didn't like it much, but ate it because I didn't have a choice. Then when I was around 10, my father had early signs of numerous health problems, and he went off red meat almost entirely, so I never ate it. Now that the health studies of the 1980s and 90s (red meat bad, fat bad, carbs/sugar not yet demonized) are turning out to be fraudulent or not accurate, I've been eating more red meat. Not all that much, but more often than I used to. Fraudulent health studies aside, my father turned around all the bad blood work, but there was a lot more than just red meat removed from his diet.

8 or 9 years ago I posted something about my son deciding to go vegetarian. He was 3 or 4 and realized meat came from animals. It lasted about a day when he realized chicken nuggets came from an animal. He paused for 10 seconds with a look of deep concentration, concern and maybe fear, then said he won't eat meat, but chicken nuggets were OK. That was the end of it, except for Scottie going on a tirade attacking my parenting abilities for having the audacity to entertain my child's distaste for eating slaughtered animals.

Scottie's criticism aside, I think it's great you are supporting your daughter's exploration into choosing her belief system. Chicken and fish are probably healthier for you, and probably better environmentally (assuming you are eating sustainably caught fish that isn't polluted with heavy metals).

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:37 am For the record, pork counts as red meat. Beef, pork, lamb, bison, any other mammal I'm forgetting.

If pork counts as red meat, I'm out. Pork is too good to pass up. Fuck your daughter and her hippy-dippy flower power bullshit. Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste good!

Prior to college, I don't think I ever tasted ham or pork chops. My father had some weird aversion to ham and pork chops. He would definitely eat pork in Chinese food or pork spiedies, not sure about bacon or sausage. The mere mention of the word ham would cause him to gag.

But my TV used to tell me Pork was the other white meat!

The Sybian wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:46 am

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:37 am For the record, pork counts as red meat. Beef, pork, lamb, bison, any other mammal I'm forgetting.

If pork counts as red meat, I'm out. Pork is too good to pass up. Fuck your daughter and her hippy-dippy flower power bullshit. Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste good!

Prior to college, I don't think I ever tasted ham or pork chops. My father had some weird aversion to ham and pork chops. He would definitely eat pork in Chinese food or pork spiedies, not sure about bacon or sausage. The mere mention of the word ham would cause him to gag.

Yea I do whole pork tenderloin at least once every month or two. Also love pulled pork when I'm out. Crock pot carnitas make a regular showing here too. I'm still 80% poultry or veggies.

We've cut back on our red meat intake. I'd say my wife makes a pork loin once every 1-2 weeks, and I probably have about 6 oz. of that. Most of the other meals we cook at the house are meat free.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:46 am The mere mention of the word ham would cause him to gag.

Ya, I don't eat ham. Pork chops/loin/etc. I don't eat all that much. Bacon is a gift from the gods.

We eat a lot of chicken and elk (thanks to the mother-in-law.) Hamburgers a couple times a month, steaks a couple times a year, pork chops every once in a while.

So what kinds of non-fish/poultry proteins or mains do you guys go with?

Every so often I'll make meatballs with ground beef. That's about in the house. Will occasionally order a burger or steak out.

Tacos and burgers in house are always ground turkey. Hot dogs are usually turkey or chicken. Bacon (if store bought and not the local butcher with the holy shit good bacon) is usually turkey. Sausage (Italian style or breakfast) = turkey.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:41 am That was the end of it, except for Scottie going on a tirade attacking my parenting abilities for having the audacity to entertain my child's distaste for eating slaughtered animals.

Crap, I thought that was this Swamp, but I think you're right. Damn.

rass wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:25 am Every so often I'll make meatballs with ground beef. That's about in the house. Will occasionally order a burger or steak out.

Tacos and burgers in house are always ground turkey. Hot dogs are usually turkey or chicken. Bacon (if store bought and not the local butcher with the holy shit good bacon) is usually turkey. Sausage (Italian style or breakfast) = turkey.

This is us with the occassional beef stew mixed in. I haven't had more than 3 steak dishes in the last 10 years.

Ryan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:29 am

rass wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:25 am Every so often I'll make meatballs with ground beef. That's about in the house. Will occasionally order a burger or steak out.

Tacos and burgers in house are always ground turkey. Hot dogs are usually turkey or chicken. Bacon (if store bought and not the local butcher with the holy shit good bacon) is usually turkey. Sausage (Italian style or breakfast) = turkey.

This is us with the occassional beef stew mixed in. I haven't had more than 3 steak dishes in the last 10 years.

Good call on beef stew. Maybe once or twice a year. Don't make chili as often as I used to, but if I was to do that for guests it would be beef also.

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:21 am So what kinds of non-fish/poultry proteins or mains do you guys go with?

Quinoa, fried rice, risottos

BSF21 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:09 am

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:21 am So what kinds of non-fish/poultry proteins or mains do you guys go with?

Quinoa, fried rice, risottos

There are some decent things you can do with tofu as well.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:19 am

BSF21 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:09 am

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:21 am So what kinds of non-fish/poultry proteins or mains do you guys go with?

Quinoa, fried rice, risottos

There are some decent things you can do with tofu as well.

I eat a lot of beans as well. Mostly black beans. Little beans/rice/hot sauce goes a long way.

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:21 am So what kinds of non-fish/poultry proteins or mains do you guys go with?

We had veggie quesadillas last night (artichokes, black beans, spinach (?), whole wheat tortillas, enchilada sauce and cheese). Another weekly regular is chickpeas (roasted?) with sliced bell peppers and broccoli, sesame seeds and an Asian sauce of some sort. Kimchee fried rice with a poached or over easy egg on top.

Since my health incident last April, I've cut back on my red meat, and especially on my cured meats. But, I still love a bloody steak.

A few years ago, my daughter decided to become a vegetarian. Well, a pescatarian, since she still ate fish. She kept it up for the better part of a year, but it was hard getting enough protein into her, as she didn't really like beans or protein bars, and you can only eat so much fish. Finally, my wife came up with a diabolical plan - we had bacon - which she had loved - and my wife said maybe it would be ok for her to just cheat a bit. Then we had ribs - which she had loved - and my wife said maybe it would be ok for her to just cheat a bit. Then her previously favorite chicken dish... pretty soon she was a carnivore again. She still doesn't eat a lot of meat, but at least we don't have to worry about her protein intake.

I love to grill and I love steaks.

I grew up in a vegetarian household and I've been making up for that the minute I moved out. I mean, actually, mom was cool with me ordering whatever, so when we went out I'd get beef.

My wife is an amazing cook, and we try to mix up our intake of meat, poultry, pork and fish. I'm not a huge fan of how much cooking fish indoors can stink up the house and it's by far my least favorite type of animal-meat.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:19 am
There are some decent things you can do with tofu as well.

Saw a CBC link earlier stating there's a tofu shortage in eastern Canada.

My wife makes a pretty mean sesame tofu.

Non-zero chance this thread was a setup by misterd for prime ... opportunities.

"Best Dice Rolling Technique" please post your videos.

Hilarious.

But, given the thread, I thought maybe that'd be the scene at the beginning of the movie, where he is talking to her on the phone while eating the enormous bowl of cereal, and answers her question of what he's eating by saying, "Salad".

Rarely do steaks (maybe twice a year)...do burgers a bit more frequently. But still do beef in stir-fry or stews.

I made a KILLER beef and barley soup last week. It was fantastic.

I gave up pork as a New Year’s Resolution at the end of 2017 and haven’t had it since. I used to love making a good slow-cooked pork shoulder but I couldn’t reconcile being an animal lover with eating pigs. I still eat beef and lamb occasionally, but largely because my favorite local pub has great burgers. I may give those up at some point but I’m not there yet. Don’t think I’ll ever give up poultry.

My father-in-law was a hog farmer, and my wife grew up on a small family farm, like in Wizard of Oz. My father-in-law loved his pigs, treated them very well, spoke of them with affection. And, ate pork at least three times a week. He said, "I can't afford to be sentimental. This is my job."

I don’t eat beef because of gout. I eat pork, chicken and fish.

I would eat red meat every day if I could. I love lamb, beef, pork, even goat. Chicken and fish are great too, but I really love the bad stuff for me.

It’s probably largely from where I grew up, in a cattle town where meat was great and cheap.

Pretty sure I have an iron deficiency.

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:07 pm Pretty sure I have an iron deficiency.