Gross Food

We all have our ideas of food that we refuse to eat. There is just so far we'll go before we'll say "absolutely not, no way no how, I will not eat that." Even the most daring of foodies surely have their drawbacks, though it may be found in another culture or on Survivor. My food no-no's usually are anything I can't recognize or are slimy. I had an incident once where the rice with an entree was black rice, but it resembled a bug on the island I was on, so I just could not eat the rice, though I love rice. I have eaten some things that other people think sound gross. Most people don't think anything bad about. Like Squirrel, rabbit, squid, even tried escargot. They weren't nasty. However I draw the line with parts of animals that are just sickening to look at, much less think about eating, such as brains.

My husband recently bought a recipe book called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It says it is "the cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats." (Dictocrats being HER word as it doesn't come up in the dictionary anywhere.) As we were flipping through the pages looking at the recipes we noticed that the recipes were mostly old fashioned recipes and basics. They seemed a little complicated to me since I don't like the kind you have to prepare some ingredients overnight and then cook the meal the next day.

Well, in that book I came along a recipe that included, yep, brains. It seriously grossed me out. Plus it even mentioned making it and not telling your kids what was in it! How mean is that! Then Ken has to go and tell me about the Ponshaus (also called Scrapple) he use to eat as a kid. It uses a whole pig head. I just could not fathom why anyone would do that stuff. So, In honor of these nasty foods I decided to copy the recipes down and let you see how they worked. If you think they sound good, by all means feel free to make them.

Original Ponhaws - Pannhas - Ponhaus - Scrapple

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/original-ponhaws-pannhas-ponhaus-scrapple-265164?oc=linkback

1 pig head

5 quarts water

4 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon sage

3 cups cornmeal (amount is approximate)

Directions:

1 Separate pig head into halves.

2 Remove eyes and brains.

3 Scrape head and clean thoroughly.

4 Place in a large kettle, cover with water and simmer gently for 2 or 3 hours (or until meat falls off the bone). 

5 Skim grease from the surface; remove meat, chop finely and return to broth.

6 Season with salt, pepper and sage to taste.

7 Sift in corn meal, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of soft mush.

8 Cook very slowly for one hour over low heat.

9 When sufficiently cooked, pour into greased loaf pans and store in a cool place until ready to use.

10 To serve, cut into 1/2" slices and fry until crisp and brown.

Nutritional Value:

Serving Size: 1 (5140 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving% Daily ValueCalories 224.7 Calories from Fat 2096%Total Fat 2.2 g3%Saturated Fat 0.3 g1%Cholesterol 0.0 mg0%Sodium 1588.1 mg66%Total Carbohydrate 47.8 g15%Dietary Fiber 4.8 g19%Sugars 0.4 g1%Protein 5.1 g10%

OFFAL Burritos (takes overnight to make)

Makes about 18 burritos

Recipe from Nourishing Traditions

3lbs brisket of beef or game

2 pounds sweetbreads or brains or combination 

Prepare brains:

Brains must be very fresh. Wash brains, cover with cold filtered water to which you have added a little vinegar and soak for about two hours, changing the water once or twice. This extracts the blood and helps remove any impurities. Remove, rinse and place in saucepan. Cover with water or chicken stock. add 1 tsp salt and juice of 1/2 lemon. Bring to a boil, simmer for about 15 min. Remove and allow to cool. Using sharp knife carefully remove all loose tissue, skin, fat and membranes. Place on plate or platter, cover with parchment paper and place weighted flat plate or cookie sheet on top. Let brains flatten or in refrigerator several hours or overnight.

2 cups beefstock

1 small can tomato paste

2 onions finely chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp cumin

4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

about 18 sprouted whole wheat tortillas

about 1/2 cup melted butter

about 3 cups melted enchilada sauce

sauerkraut for garnish

sliced avocados for garnish

They’re not awful, they’re good! This is a great way to get organ meats into your children without them knowing it. In this recipe, brains or sweetbreads need no special preparation. Place all ingredients (except garnishes tortillas and butter) into a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover and place in a 300 degree oven overnight or all day until meat is falling apart. Remove top for last hour or so of cooking til sauce thickens. 

Remove brains or sweetbreads and chop finely. Add sauce from the pan to moisten but the mixture should not be runny. Meanwhile heat tortillas briefly in a heavy skillet and brush one side with melted butter. Place about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in the center of each buttered side. Fold in sides before rolling up and brush outside with butter. May be individually wrapped and frozen. (Remove foil before heating). Heat at 325 degrees in an oiled pyrex dish until steaming. Serve with choice of garnishes.