introduction to meat recipes
Meat is referred to as the edible parts of an animal, usually alluding to cattle. In this category I will present meat dishes, not exclusively beef, steers or veal but will include pork, lamb, goat, fowl, rabbits, and some game.
All over the world beef is a preferred food because it tastes good, it has a good nutritional value and it is the best fuel for our body. All meat is rich with protein, minerals and vitamins. Today’s cattle, pork, chickens and other edible meats are raised following scientific procedures to obtain tender and quality food.
Years back in Sicily cows were used to work the field and were butchered when they were too old to plow the ground, resulting in a tough and muscular meat that could be eaten boiled or chopped. This is the reason that Sicilian Cuisine is loaded with meat loafs, meat balls and stews.
In the big cities, the chickens were hardly eaten because they were very expensive and consumed mostly by the very wealthy. In Sicily, pig meat was delicious, and still is because of the variety of fodder, but when I lived there pork was eaten only in the winter months, contrary to now which it is available all year around.
American beef is very tasty and the best in the world and a preferred course in any formal, informal, daily and occasional dinner or for a backyard barbecue.
At the Focacceria Palermitana on Avenue U in Brooklyn, NY we cooked a lot of veal, some chicken and very little pork, except for sausages. The beef was used in making meat balls, meat loafs, also we cooked tripe and a lot of spleen that we prepared for the vasteddi (or guastelle), our specialty and signature sandwich which we sold in large quantities.