A Beef Virgin
Not in the sense that I’ve never consumed beef. I did as a child, but I haven’t really had any for 10 years till recently. I’ve discovered that I’m not a big burger fan, but I’m very happy with a steak. I think it’s because I know I’m eating a cow, and a steak is a clear representation of that. I’m clearly eating a slab of muscle from a dead animal. Burgers on the other hand? Ground beef is some strange flesh mush – and it freaks me out.
Maybe one day I’ll eat burgers again, but I’m just not there. I was very nervous to try cooking red meat. It’s something I’ve never done, or even attempted! I have absolutely no frame of reference for how it should be done. What I know about cooking red meat can be summed up as follows:
It’s kind of like when you go for a hair cut, and the stylist is very careful not to cut off too much hair. They keep telling you, “I can always take more off, but I can’t put more back on”. That’s how I feel about red meat. I only purchase high quality, grass-fed, pastured beef directly from the farmer. I can always add more heat but I don’t want to ruin it by over doing it.
This philosophy has served me well, because I made Pioneer Woman’s Steak Bites (using wine at the end) for my cooking with red meat debut. They were delicious. At first, I couldn’t tell if my friends and family were just being polite because they all knew how nervous I was to cook with red meat. After they disappeared quickly, I was pretty sure they were telling the truth.
So, the moral of the story is, don’t be afraid to try something new. What have you tried recently?
ps. Sorry I don’t have any of my own pics, I was too worried about the steak to take them!
