Written by butchers, The Ethical Omnivore has been produced to allay the concerns of customers who consume meat.
Many people want to know where their meat originates and pose questions to the authors such as, “How the animal live, die, did and what impact may it have had on climate change”. Grant and Laura hear these concerns being raised and feel it is because people have become disengaged with the source of our food.
It has been shown that there is a direct correlation between the health of microbial life in the human gut, and to that in the soil in which our food grows. The more diverse our diet is, the more diverse our gut microbiomes become. With this knowledge and by recognising the accountability of butchers versus pre-packaged food, we need to shop wisely.
Laura Dalrymple and Grand Hilliard had some knowledge of sustainable farming, and decided to branch out into butchery, using only animals and chickens whose growth they had followed. They only purchased animals which were raised in a healthy environment, not given hormones and given a peaceful death. The quality and flavour of their meat is second to none. There is an amazing photo of a pig; eyes alight, spotting a juicy apple on the floor. It will be the last thing he sees and smells before a swift death. No other animals will witness his death, and there is no time for fear.
The final chapters of The Ethical Omnivore are devoted to recipes from customers using all parts of the carcass, with no waste. There are recipes for Bahn Mi using crispy pigs’ ears, ox tongues and pigs head terrine. Various ways are shown to cook liver, heart and kidneys.
This is a wonderful way to explore ethical and sustainable eating, and to show modern trends in farming.
Review by Trish Palmer.
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