Michael Symon - Michael Symons Carnivore

Copyright 2012 by Michael Symon
Photographs copyright 2012 by Jennifer May

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com

CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Symon, Michael
Michael Symons carnivore / Michael Symon. 1st ed.
p. cm.
1. Cooking (Meat) I. Title. II. Title: Carnivore
TX749.S96 2012
641.66dc23 2011052363

eISBN: 978-0-7704-3342-0

Cover design by Steven Attardo
Cover photographs by Jennifer May

v3.1

To Lizzie

Meat can play the starring role, as in the case of a show-stopping roast of prime rib, which I think about for special occasions, or it can play the supporting role, as with a mess o bacon-studded Southern greens, which is more how I eat every day. Regardless, meat always has a way of elevating a dish, a meal, even an entire celebration.

I hope as you read through this book youll learn not only some great techniques for cooking meatand how to pick the right one for the right cut of meat, from braising for pork shoulder to pan-frying for chicken liversbut also some appreciation for where it comes from. The sourceand rearingof an animal is as important as any single recipe. Happy animals make better-tasting animals, I swear. Quality never comes cheaply, I know. But if we just trim down our portion sizes, we might discover that a small but intensely flavored dry-aged rib eye is better than a cheap and tasteless chop twice the size. So, first things first: Lets agree to eat lessbut better meat.

It is such a crazy time for food in America. On the one hand, we are making tremendous strides in sustainable food, with wonderful farmers markets springing up all over the place selling fresh, local, wholesome, and compassionately raised foods. It seems easier now than ever to track down goodand I mean good in the most humane sense of the wordbeef, chicken, lamb, pork, and game. On the other hand, fast-food restaurants continue replicating with alarming speed, bringing with them a rise in obesity, diabetes, and general ill health. Grocery stores are no better, with shelves bulging beneath the weight of processed foods manufactured with ingredients known only to chemists in white lab coats rather than farmers in overalls. While I would love it if we all bought only local, organic, humanely raised meats, I know that is neither practical nor realisticeven for me. Instead, lets just agree to do a better job when it comes to shopping for, cooking, and consuming meat (see ).

I also hope to inspire you to cook with not just the popular cuts of popular meatsthe beef steaks, pork loins, lamb chops, and chicken breastsbut also meats like rabbit and goat, and the so-called off cuts or fifth quarters, the bits and pieces many home cooks find intimidating (and many diners call weird, which breaks my heart, no pun intended), from trotters and livers to tripe and sweetbreads. Rather than just living high on the hog, as the saying goes, lets be more adventurousand resourcefulwhen it comes to meat cookery. We should all be eating more rabbit: It is such a sustainable meat that takes on other flavors so well. Goat is delightfully gamy. And there is absolutely no reason to waste any good and usable parts of an animalespecially when they happen to be incredibly delicious (and often less expensive)!

Meat is rarely the only item on a plate, platter, or dinner table, and Id love to shake things up a bit in terms of how we think about its traditional dance partners. Order a chop at a steak house and youll most likely be served a filet of beef with a side of mashed potatoes and some rich, buttery gravy. Wrong, wrong, wrong! First off, filet is the saddest cut of beef on the whole steer, saddled as it is with little flavor and even less texture. Then pairing that limp, insipid filet with baby-food-like mashed spuds is a double whammy: Soft-on-soft texture is never a good thing. And that heavy, fatty sauce concealing the whole affair? I assure you that it does nothing to improve the taste, texture, or visual interest of the dish.

In my kitchensboth at home and at the shopsI strive to counter meats inherent richness, fattiness, and intenseness (all the things we love about it!) with an equal and appropriate measure of acid, salinity, and texture. This formula is what makes a dish a glorious symphony as opposed to a sad one-note song. Only on occasion will I pair a piece of meat with a rich sauce or a starchy side (unless its pasta). More likely, the centerpiece of my dishes will be matched with a tart green salad, a spicy pickled vegetable, or a citrusy fruit garnish that will enhance rather than muddy the flavors. Heres an example of perfection in my opinion: a deeply marbled, intensely flavored, slightly charred, grilled dry-aged rib eye paired with a salad of spicy radishes, peppery arugula, and zippy lemon dressing. To help give you some new pairing ideas, Ive included some of my favorite sides (and a couple of sauces) to round out your meat dinners.

Whether youre cooking a weeknight meal for the family or pulling out all the stops for a celebratory dinner party, youll find some great options in these pages. Theres the simple but always satisfying Veal Sirloin Minute Steakstopped with a refreshing Tomato Salad with Red Onion & Dillthats perfect any night of the week. Or, when the occasion is special and time allows, make the festive and fantastic Pork Pie. In fact, make two, because leftovers are almost as good as the first slice.

Finally, from one meat lover to another: May your steaks always be crusty on the outside and medium-rare in the center, may your potatoes be crispy and duck-fat fried, may you always have bacon in the fridge, and may your side dishes be fresh, seasonal, and brimming with flavor.