Where to Find Offal and Other Incomprehensible Meat and Why They Should Be Eaten
It is not uncommon in many parts of the world to have other pieces of the animal, such as ears, belly, feet, liver, tail, or intestines. Of course, it helps that they are cheaper and easier to get in other countries, but if you want to try something new, watch out for these delicious and varied sources of vitamins and protein.
It will be difficult for you to find a beef heart or fish head in a regular grocery store. You will have to broaden your search to include butchers, farmers markets, and ethnic supermarkets and restaurants. Some of these options can be costly, but they don’t have to be:
- At the butcher’s shop, ask if they can save you and sell parts (liver, stomach, heart, feet, head, neck, kidneys, intestines, tail, etc.) that they would throw away at a lower price. Parts such as the spleen and stomach (high in selenium) can be cheaper than the liver and kidneys.
- In Asian supermarkets, you can easily get a whole fish, including a fish head of your choice. My mom loves to eat fish eyes and cheeks. (She thinks these are the best parts, and I tell her she might have them.) They also sell chicken feet, pork feet, pig blood, beef tendons, beef tripe, and animal tails more often.
- In Chinese dim sum, you can taste delicious chicken and duck legs and beef tripe. Vietnamese noodle soups called pho also contain beef tripe and beef tendons.
- Many takerias have meat from a cow’s head (cabeza) and tongue (lengua).
- Poultry liver is often served in French restaurants in the form of pâté or foie gras.
Steak is good and all, but once you start exploring the many other parts of the animal, you can incorporate a wider range of nutrients, textures, and flavors into your overall diet. Plus they are delicious. Personally, I would eat a piece of beef heart stew instead of ribeye any day.
Ponytails, Tendons and Scar: A Guide to Finding Odd Pieces | Daily Apple brand