You're gonna eat THAT?

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 Warning. This blog will disturb some people A LOT.

Well, yeah.

Before you decide to rail at me, lemme point this out. That, in this case, is something the United States President approved for human consumption. While I'm here lemme also remind you this same POTUS dined on something far more familiar to the average US resident.

The French, famous for eating snails, collaborating with the enemy and having snooty attitudes eat it. OK, forget the French. The fact is, beyond the scene in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" there's a history of eating this in the US too.

My order.

Yeah. Horse jerky. When I saw the package this morning on the counter at the office, I was seriously excited. Still am. One more critter to mark off my "To Be Eaten" list, a list which no longer includes beluga whale and ants, IOW, I've eaten those. Never mind the accidental and incident consumption of the occasional insect. Seriously. If you live in the Deep South, sooner or later you're going to swallow a gnat.

In case you are about to hurl the remains of meals you've eaten for the past few weeks, lemme also point out you probably have no issue eating moldy milk. Some people may not like cheese or are lactose intolerant, but by and large it's not disgusting. Except it is.

My friend Danwen, a local, gave it to me straight:

“I can’t eat cheese. It’s not the flavor; it’s psychological.”
 
Curdled, moldy milk just doesn’t appeal to many Chinese.

Yep. Eyeballs. For the Explorer's Club

Ah so. In South America, giant guinea pigs are raised for meat. Dogs and cats continue to be raised for meat in many places in the world. Back when I watched TV, I'd see Andrew Zimmern eat all kinds of things. The Explorers Club holds an annual dinner with critters from around the world, tarantulas, mealworms, crickets, scorpions and more. Pity I'll never be invited to that dinner.

Cultural taboos about eating things are often just that, cultural.

As I tell people, "If it ain't gonna hurt you and it's good, eat it."

Willie Turner told me he was at the fire department one day smoking some goat. A gent came along and inquired. Willie served him up a plate of the meat and the man said it was delicious. He asked what it was. Willie told him. The man went and lost his meal in the bushes.

Yanno, our brain will make us do things that are not good for us.

Would you eat leather? Ok then, would you eat pork rinds? Cracklins? Tell me what is the difference between naturally treated leather and a slice of rind-on country bacon.

Would you eat an unhatched fowl embryo cooked on a sheet of oil-coated steel? Would you eat a serving of chicken eggs? The difference?

Perception matters. Like in this one.

Sweet Thai Rat

Not really. This is just Martin having fun with shapes. The "Sweet Thai Rat" meat is minced then blended with herbs, balsamic vinegar, red wine with a dash of Soy sauce and cracked black pepper, its then coated in our homemade sweet thai dipping sauce before being air dried to create and unusual and fairly plague free snack, we are 70% sure of this. If you look hard enough you see disclaimers that the meat is beef.

Some years ago I got into a brief discussion with an animal rights activist who gave me a hard time for eating deer. I told him I picked up road kill deer and ate that. I asked if there was anything morally objectional  to that. He replied, "No, if you don't have a problem with being a disgusting cannibal" or something similar. My memory has faded. In other words, his true colors came out and his true objection to was meat consumption. I'm cool with that, but not with his disingenuous way of hatin' on me cause I hunt.

Really though, what's your nutritional objection to eating horse if you eat meat?

When I offered to share my horse jerky with the office crew, I was met with mild rejections. Linda said “You are a carnivore.” Indeed. Will be sharing my horse jerky today with people brave enough to try it.

I plan to order some kangaroo jerky soon. I've looked for elephant meat which could be shipped to the US, but so far no luck. I have found a source for other meats I'd like to try. But at the prices for some of those meats, I'll just have to wonder what it's like.

In case you missed the link at the top and wish to order some horse jerky of your own, cowleysfinefood.com. Tell Martin that Ben sent ya.

In case you wonder, my jerky is slightly smoky, sweet and has the merest hint of chili pepper. Very good. Reminds me of my coon jerky.