Ever since Elizabeth Minchelli posted a photo on Facebook taken one night while having dinner at St. John restaurant in London, of what the table next to theirs had ordered; a whole roasted suckling pig and the comments the photo engendered, I wanted to respond.
We are not vegetarians, although we eat a lot of vegetarian meals and enjoy a variety of vegetables. Having a farmer’s market is a huge eye-opener to produce that one would not find in grocery stores.
However, we do eat meat, poultry and seafood.
Some of the folks who responded to the photo of the suckling pig seemed pretty “put-off”. Then I remembered a quote I’d read that I would like to share with my fellow meat eaters and perhaps vegetarians may understand a bit of the philosophy of the nose to tail eating too. The quote is from Dario Cecchini, of Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano, Chianti, Italy:
An old Tuscan proverb passed down by Dario’s father:
Four Things An Animal Must Have:
- A good Life (a healthy life with natural feed; ample, clean space to move around, just like for people.)
- A good death (no trauma when being transported, which often leads to shock.)
- A good butcher (someone who knows how to select the right parts and cut them in a way that brings out its’ best qualities.)
- A good cook (someone who can dignify the animal and all those whose labours led it to this table).
I think that about says it all. I find that these days more and more chefs and home cooks are trying to use products that adhere to those principles.
P.S. The bistecca in the photo came from Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano, Chianti, aka Dario’s place in Panzano and was expertly cooked by my husband.
