rock the kitchen*
To meat or not to
MEAT?
F
THAT IS THE QUESTION, BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT PERSONAL PREFERENCE, SAYS DURBAN FOODIE ANT ELLIS AS HE SAVOURS A MOUTHFUL OF TENDER, JUICY STEAK
orget the drippy universal language of love for a moment. If you ask me – and even if you don’t – the one thing we all have in common is food. We need it. We think about it. We delight in it, chat about it, and plan important occasions around it. So why then has the topic “to meat or not to meat” entered the dreaded no-go zone of religion and politics at the dinner table? Come on dudes, we’re entitled to eat whatever suits our preferred taste, diet and budget, and we aren’t required to qualify that to anyone. We like to think we’re liberal and respectful of the choices of others, but omnivores and herbivores just don’t seem to agree. As a meat lover, I confess to being a culprit of the funpokery perpetuated against vegetarians, vegans and those with alternative dietary narratives to my own – and it’s
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based products, including chickpeas, quinoa, soybeans and many leafy greens, are also excellent sources of protein and other top-notch health benefits we should be eating. So, apart from personal choice and the protein debate, can’t we all just get along? Yes, of course we can. Plantbased food isn’t a fad, a trend, or for tree-hugging hippies. In 2020, it’s a vibrant and exciting way to eat, packed with opportunity, versatility
not just me. Is it because I think a juicy, tender-as-butter prime fillet of beef, magnificently chargrilled to medium, is the greatest thing since sliced other meat, and I can’t understand why anyone would disagree? Yeah! But maybe it’s also because I don’t like being repeatedly – and sneerily – “advised” that my food choices are cruel and inhumane. But like a rapidly growing number of us, I choose sustainable and ethically-sourced meat. Newsflash: Snide commentary notwithstanding, we’re all kinda correct. Dieticians – including my friend Sharks rugby dietician and all-round good-gal Danielle Roberts – and doctors generally agree that animal products, including eggs and dairy, provide the highest quality “complete” protein and essential amino acids the body needs, due to high levels of bioavailability. That’s a fact. But plenty of truly delicious plant-
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and exceptional health value – there are enough vegan markets and events, plantbased restaurants and menu items, and veggie cookbooks around to prove it. Best of all, it’s absolutely compatible with your favourite meat. A delicious way to respect everyone at the table is with an amazing risotto. Not the daunting, labour-intensive project you’ve heard about, a killer risotto is as easy to make as it is satisfying to eat.
