<< DINOSAUR BLAMED ~ MAIN ~ ORDER PRESERVED >>
MUTTON IN THE BALANCE
It’s edible Al:
Even without the current climate change fervour, “The Al Gore” looks set to become a culinary curio when the latest expo juggernaut rolls into town next month.
The takeaway mutton dish - named after the former US vice-president - will be on the menu at the 2007 Organic Expo at Carlton’s Royal Exhibition Building from September 7-9.
Mutton? Mutton? They couldn’t find any non-endangered endangered Chilean sea bass?
It’s an organic mix of mutton and aromatic root vegetables to be sold at the expo’s humble kiosk near a life-sized cutout of climate change crusader, Al Gore, mouthing the words “conveniently good for you and the environment”.
Could’ve been worse. Instead of Al mouthing the words, it might have been an Al pal - “Did some grilling last night with my friend Jon Bon Jovi. His new record is great” - singing them. (By the way; a cut-out version of Al Gore? Who could tell the difference?)
As an additional enticement for more serious greenies, Kinnear and Thomas say no ingredient will have travelled more than 100 kilometres from production to plate.
And if Al’s speedy son is in charge of delivery, you’ll have those ingredients in about 20 minutes.
(Via Luke, who emails: “One thing about Gore: he doesn’t look much like he goes for the greenie starvation chic.”)
UPDATE. Gore’s meatiness draws fire:
Ever since “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore has been the darling of environmentalists, but that movie hardly endeared him to the animal rights folks. According to them, the most inconvenient truth of all is that raising animals for meat contributes more to global warming than all the sport utility vehicles combined.
The biggest animal rights groups do not always overlap in their missions, but now they have coalesced around a message that eating meat is worse for the environment than driving.
Depends on how you drive. Some of us can eat four steaks a day and still do more damage by driving; it’s simply a matter of determination.
I think this has been done before.
Calling it new is a bit of a liberty.
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 08 29 at 04:34 AM • permalinkFascinating, since sheepmeat is hardly ever eaten by normal people in the US. A US friend of mine says he never has it from one year to the next. It’s generally only popular, he says, with the middle-eastern community in Detroit.
Mutton here is a poor man’s dish, even if you can get it these days. We ate mutton and hogget back in the 50s & 60s, but only because lamb was a luxury dish. Even now lamb is not especially popular as it’s too fatty and bony. Lamb dripping on toast—that’s another thing. Yum.
Posted by walterplinge on 2007 08 29 at 04:59 AM • permalinkIf Al is seriously concerned about reducing or even just limiting greenhouse gas emissions, he should encourage people to stop eating livestock flesh since the burps and farts from cattle and sheep amount to 20% of total greenhouse gas output. I’m sure he will therefore distance himself from any mutton/lamb/beef dish…
Dinner Buffet Menu at the 2007 Organic Expo
Aperitif:
Warmed Gin and Inconvenient VermouthAppetizers:
Chilean Sea Bass Bisque
Polar Bear Poppers (spicy)
Deforested SaladEntrée (Your choice):
Big Al’s Global Burger (5lb)
Glacier Patty Melt
Ox Hide de CarbonDessert:
Vanilla Sea-level Rise
Climate Change CompoteDigestif:
Louisiana HurricaneMutton? But that’s cannibalism!
And Tim, I think you’ve become infatuated by the words ‘Chilean sea bass’, working them repetitively, perhaps even a little obscurely, into the posts. On the bright side, I’m sure whatever it is you’ve got is quite harmless and not easily contagious, and if anyone can find a suitable long and amusing Latin diagnosis I’d
pay plentybe grateful to hear it.Nobody. Eats. Mutton.
In Australia it gets eaten before it becomes mutton! Way before that.
Walterplinge, if your lamb is too fatty you aren’t cooking it properly. And if it’s too bony you’re cooking the wrong bits!
But I suppose that Mutton qualifies as not an endangered species… If you can find any mutton!
I figured Gore’s dish would be bloated tripe.
And Tim missed Al Gore’s Traveling Globe Warming Show.
Hi Janice,
the only way to get good mutton these days, is to grow it yourself.
We’re going to hold back a lamb this year and let it grow on. Can’t beat the flavour of mutton for a terrific slow cooked stew or casserole.
For all the doubters, or never-trieds before, lamb chops, or cutlets, marinated in lemon and oregano or rosemary, then flash fried, CANNOT be beaten.
And, SLOW roast your lamb leg, don’t roast it the traditional way.
Oh, and just to keep on thread,
FUCK Al Gore!!!
I had a meal of lamb shanks on 3-vege mash in a cafe on the main street of Bridgetown (West. Aus.) a couple of weeks back. Super delicious and, despite what I wrote earlier, not fatty.
Posted by walterplinge on 2007 08 29 at 06:32 AM • permalink#5 He has to be reminded that a man is only as good as his word
hopefully he’ll reflect on his character and reputation and then post it anyways.
If anyone else wishes toembarrass yourselfshow off your neonatal adorable cuteness then send your baby pic to col.milquetoast at kevovek.com and I’ll collect them herePosted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 29 at 06:37 AM • permalinkI can’t wait for the cold dish of humble pie served cold to global warmenistas…
However, I fear that they will take credit when global warming doesn’t happen, after all, it was all that ‘doing something’ to raise awareness that worked to forstall global warming…Yeah, that’ll be the explanation. For sure.
#30, walter,
Of course it wasn’t fatty; lamb shanks being nothing but meat, tendon and bone.
Hot lamb fat is pretty good though. Cold, not so good. Actually, I think it’s awful.
My mother put roast lamb left-overs on our school lunches for years. With tomato. Soggy and fatty. Erk. But she did it with love so I appreciate her efforts.
You can almost always find hogget or mutton at butchers in large wool-growing areas.
For our USA mates. If you should find mutton buy a couple of big legs, get the butcher to fillet the bone out, tie and pump with brine. Leave hanging for a few days in the coll room then, in your Weber, with the red hot charcoal coals on either side and topped with damp hickory you’ll produce the best ‘mutton ham’ you will ever taste.
I can’t wait for the cold dish of humble pie served cold to global warmenistas…
Let’s fatten them up and add them to the menu at this splendid establishment.May cause difficulties for those intending to sleep tonight.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 08 29 at 06:55 AM • permalink#31, Col.,
My scanner has gone bung so I’m waiting for the cartridges in my current printer to die before I hook up the new, super-duper, scanner, printer, photocopier thingy. How long are you willing to wait for baby photos? If it’s long enough you can have one of mine because I’m confident that I will be completely unrecognisable.
Lamb is the meat from the ovine that is less than one year old. It has a mild flavour and low in internal and external fat. Requires short cooking times
Hogget is the meat from the ovine that is one to two years old. It has a more intense flavour than lamb, low to medium in internal and external fat. Requires longer cooking times than lamb and more suited to roasting, stewing and braising
Mutton is the meat from the ovine that is more than two years old. It has a very strong flavour, is high in internal and external fat. Requires extended cooking times and more suited to curing, 2nd class roasting (slow and low heat), stewing and braising. These cooking methods will render the excess fat which may be spooned or scooped and discarded, they will also ensure the meat is nice and tender.
#47 Pumped hogget or mutton is good!
So, you like it even after CB is done with it?
Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 29 at 07:28 AM • permalinkCol, thank you for your timely reminder to
the slackerour esteemed Mr. Wronwright for his promised photo. I will send mine to your website when I get it scanned.back O/T
I love lamb and eat it whenever I can. Just don’t give me that horrible mint jelly crap with it. The recipes sound lovely, Janice.#41 Swinish, it is far to early in the day here on the east coast of the usa for such a story. Put me off me brekky, you did!
I think Catherine Deveney of the Age has been studying at the knee (or perhaps a bit higher up) of our resident sage Habib. This snippet from Deveney (having a distinctly Habibian structure) about Howard was highlighted by Bolt today:
YOU can shove your citizenship test up your poxy date.
Why employ a pale shadow in the form of Deveny when you could probably have the original - and very best - Habib himself (if the price is right!)Our first
foolparticipant is up!#42 Ash, you weren’t hideous. You had a goofy cuteness. Use my excuse : don’t photograph well.
#43 Janice, I am a patient man.
Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 29 at 07:41 AM • permalinkColonel - that pseudo-wronwright:
Spawn. Of. Satan.Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 08 29 at 07:58 AM • permalinkAnd er, sorry about the brekky spoiler missred.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 08 29 at 07:59 AM • permalinkLess than 100 kilometers from production to plate. What if somebody buys the thing and takes it on the plane back home? Does the world end?
Posted by dean martin on 2007 08 29 at 08:14 AM • permalinkThe family has split up, both parents gone in different directions, and the childhood home was lost in the Great Brick Fatigue of 1977, when houses all across Melbourne collapsed for no obvious reason.
No kiddy pics.
You’ll live.Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 08 29 at 08:20 AM • permalinkNot really OT:
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/3771/
Just
Fecking
AwesomeRead the whole thing.
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 08 29 at 08:32 AM • permalinkThe mutton will be soaked in sour lemon, so that everyone who buys it will pucker up to show their willingness to plant a big wet one on their insufferable messiah’s big behind.
Posted by dean martin on 2007 08 29 at 08:33 AM • permalinkBy the way; a cut-out version of Al Gore? Who could tell the difference?
The cut-out version is more life-like.
How is mutton on the fat and calories? Given Al’s gothic dimensions, I would have thought that a more suitable food tribute would have been something like a piano crate full of powdered donuts, or a cauldron brimming with baked beans and fatback.
It’s edible Al
That line almost made me NOT want to view this thread. Especially after a Corona Night.
But then, depending on elocution, enunciation and intonation (or some other 3 dollar word(s), known by Lonie, Floss and a host of others here)...such as….It’s edible Al!...OR It’s edible Al!
I took the chance and viewed. You see, I was so bored by English grammar, (beside the fact, mine were Sicilian) That I slept through my grammar days.
I mean I don’t give a damn about dangling participles. I don’t care what they are, or where they are located.
Diagramming sentences…Sure yep, next to women and women THAT was the most important thing in my life. I always carried a chalk board around, just so I could, when needed.
#58
Okay. Fine. Hmmmm. But I just want to let 1.618 know that I don’t photograph well and I was probably cute in person. In baby pictures I look… not quite right.Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 29 at 09:11 AM • permalink#1 Col. Milquetoast -
Hells bells Milquetoast. Between you and Crittenden, my cloak of anonymity is being ripped to shreds. I’m worried that Karl will find that out.
But anyhoo, bad news. I did go to Mumsie’s this past weekend. Unfortunately, she had me handling “important mattters” so my mind completely forgotten about the baby photo. Which is a loss for the people here and those that frequent your blog. Because I was a very fetching young lad, I can tell you that.
So I will have to delay sending Tim a baby photo. For a while. (like years).
Posted by wronwright on 2007 08 29 at 09:16 AM • permalink#65 Thank you, T&B. Anyone who hasn’t read that link, you are hereby ordered to do so now.
My inner disquiet over foreign aid agencies and environmentalists, has, not for the first time, flared into anger and, worse, frustration. These bastards will have to held accountable for their murderous actions one day. I also say be damned to anyone holding up dumb pig ignorance as their excuse, those kind are just as bad - and dangerous.This anti-human philosophy has to stop. The world’s gone mad, Western society needs an urgent reality check before it goes down in a bloody screaming mess.
Grimmy, gotta drink there, mate? I think I need one.
#74 my cloak of anonymity is being ripped to shreds. I’m worried that Karl will find that out
fine, email it to me & I’ll photoshop a black bar over your eyes. Who needs a cloak when you have a bird of prey?
Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 29 at 09:34 AM • permalinkPaco’s original list :
Paco
Rbj1
Brett_1
Old Tanker
KC
Ash_
Wronwright
Sonetka’s Mom
Crossie
Zoe
Skeeter
JorgXMckie
Pickles
Calliope
Reese
Blue State Sil
Wimpy Canadian
Kae
Pogria
El Cid
SomeOseppo
Elizabeth Imperial Keeper
Mythusmage
Rebecca
Saltydog
Dylan Kissane
Missred
SteveHPosted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 29 at 10:07 AM • permalinkMutton is greatly under-rated, Id rather eat sheep every day than any other single type of meat. That might be something to do with spending years on shearing teams.
I have killed and butchered hundreds of sheep, got it down to about 15 minutes from neck to dressed, and about another 20 the next morning to break it up into its bits and pieces.
The competition between me and the station owner,
SO ” How about that one “, points to 4000 year old leprous troll of a sheep,
ME ” How about that one”, points to $4000 dollar prize merino.
Usually ended up with one or two which had been “accidentally” hamstrung during the run.
Funny how they seemed often to be the best eating ones.I might also add the toughest sheep I ever did saw me separating one of my own ribs trying to remove its skin. The bloody thing took me about an hour just to butcher and I found an undescended testicle when I finally got its guts out.
Mutton is good eating when its treated right though, lots of flavour.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 08 29 at 10:10 AM • permalinkSHEEP?! Good for the environment? Sheep are notoriously destructive grazers. They rip the grasses out by the roots and leave nothing for other herbivores.
Another inconvenient truth for Gorebles.
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 08 29 at 10:36 AM • permalinkI went to a county agricultural extension office meeting a couple years ago on how to improve your pastures. I walked right in and sat down amongst the cow growers. The extension agent was showing pictures of weeds and recommending different herbicides pre and post emergent to spray with to get rid of different pasture and hay field offenders. The cattlemen were murmuring with each other about the cost. I chuckled. “Y’all PAY that much to get rid of that? My sheep eat that up for free.” Conversation died down. At the end of the presentation, the agent asked if there were any questions. “Yeah, how can I get rid of that damn grass in my pastures? The sheep HATE that sh**.
Of course, I already knew that the answer to the pesky grass problem was to co-graze with sheep or horses. Sheep prefer forbs, not grasses, although they have completely killed my shrubberies when they got into the yard, and will eat grass if nothing weedier is available.
Posted by SwampWoman on 2007 08 29 at 11:15 AM • permalinkWhoops, that was supposed to be co-graze with cattle and horses.
Yeah, Swamp denizens do not preview. Ever.
Posted by SwampWoman on 2007 08 29 at 11:18 AM • permalinkI have had sheep for years, co-grazed them with horses and cattle, and have never seen them “ruin” grazing for anything or pull up grass by the roots. They eat what horses and cattle do not, and the rule of thumb is that you can run 4 sheep for every cow with no adverse economic impact on the cow’s intake because the sheep and cattle are not competitive grazers. Continous single species grazing is bad for the land; rotational grazing is good, particularly rotational grazing with multiple species.
Posted by SwampWoman on 2007 08 29 at 11:33 AM • permalink#74 I was a very fetching young lad, I can tell you that.
You can tell us, but until you can show us you will be assumed to look like the creepy eyed evil baby in a dress (btw an unretouched photo)
wronwright in a dress! Ha ha!
Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 29 at 01:08 PM • permalink72 missred
I take it you are an artist, El Campeador?
Why yes, yes I am. I draw flies.
———————82 yojimbo
This would appear to be the perfect thread to dangle your participle-if you are so inclined.
My friend, I would but today is another day for me to work my frail body outside in the blast furnace weather we have….and I wouldn’t want my participle to get red and sweaty…NOT that way…:).
#97, El Cid
I can certainly sympathize with that!
While we’re at it, how about the Gorebot and his many lawyer minions doing a search and destroy mission on military overseas ballots. They had to be taken to court to get them to stop. They had a four page memo on how to disenfranchise military people. That frosts me as much, and maybe more, than the other aspects of Florida 2000.
#91 El Cid: At least this time they are trying to change the law BEFORE the election, unlike in 2000.
#98 yojimbo: I remember when one of Gore’s lawyers was confronted about the strategy of tossing military ballots, he shrugged and said, “a win is a win.”
Democrats want to toss military ballots and let convicted felons vote. Bastards.#70 ErnieG;
There is a restaurant in Boston, Durgin-Park, that serves a great broiled lamb steak.
Their pot roast and schrod are pretty good, too. Long commute from the Left Coast, but the company I work for has a major site just outside Boston, and given any chance to fly out there again, I know I have a safe place to eat.
And the wait staff abuse their customers, which somehow seems appropriate for a business that’s been around since about the 1840s.
Seeing as how I grew up on a cattle farm, I guess that makes me a super-duper Gaia destroyer.
Thanks. I appreciate the medal of honor.
Posted by rightwingprof on 2007 08 29 at 03:39 PM • permalinkFollowing the theme of T&B’s link at 65,
Out of Africa, by Keith Richburg.
The book is about fifteen years old but this quote from a reader review added 18 months ago isn’t encouraging:
I read Mr. Richburg’s book out of curiosity. I have been living in N. Africa for nearly 5 years and am absolutely stunned by the limitless corruption in societies here.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 08 29 at 05:11 PM • permalinkIt’s been years since I have had proper mutton, and I only know of one sure fire way to get it.
I worked on quite a few farms when I was a youngster and all of them did a bit of home slaughtering to provide for the table.
The farmer did the butchering. As the youngest, it was my job to catch a sheep for dinner.
It was always the oldest and slowest that ended up on the table. No lamb for us in those days.
Posted by mr creosote on 2007 08 29 at 05:47 PM • permalink#65 T&B
An excellent link. That story encapsulates most of the utter rot that the so caled green left bang on about and applies the blowtorch of reality to it.
The movie should be compulsory viewing at all schools where an inconvenient truth has been foisted upon kiddies.
Surely the fundamental message “our lives are shit cause we are poor and we don’t want to be poor any more” is not that hard to digest ?
All you drunkards and sheep-meat-fanciers, here’s one for you: My sister made limoncello with the lemons from our lemon tree. When making limoncello, you wind up with alcoholic sugar-soaked strips of lemon rind. In a moment of culinary inspiration, I put lamb chops in the bottom of a baking dish, covered them with the said saturated lemon rinds, drizzled a bit of extra limoncello on top, and baked them.
Food of the gods, I’m telling you.
Basic technique for limoncello is as follows:
Ethanol (vodka, Everclear or any pure grain alcohol, or a combination of the above)
Sugar
Water
LemonsWash the lemons (get all the wax off, if using store-bought lemons) and pare away the rinds in strips, trying to get as much of the yellow zest and as little of the bitter white stuff (the pith or albedo) as possible. (The rest of the lemon can be squeezed for juice, but is not used in making the limoncello.)
Steep the lemon peels in the alcohol for two weeks or longer. The longer, the better.
Combine sugar and water and boil to a syrup. Let the syrup cool.
Now at this point I can’t remember if my sister added the syrup to the alcohol at the beginning of the steeping period—I think she did—but apparently it’s not canonical to do it that way. Usually the syrup is added at the end.
Anyway, at the end of the steeping period, strain the limoncello, reserving peels for another batch, or for Limoncello Lamb, as noted above. Combine it with the sugar syrup and bottle it. Drink.
My sister was working from an Italian recipe. This
Limoncello recipe was the first one I Googled up.This one looks good, too, and has a detailed explanation of technique.
Oh, and Al Gore is a crazed evil megalomaniac cleverly disguised as a boring hypocritical blowhard.
Posted by Mary in LA on 2007 08 29 at 07:35 PM • permalinkDitto those who proclaim “Fuck AlGore” - he’s a sorry excuse for a human, he’s dreck - the arrogance & self-righteousness of him & his disciples just chaps my butt & makes me sick at my stomach. A two-faced whining liar. <gag>
A list? Who knew? I’d forgotten! I am late to the party, Ash - been out of town & kinda off then with jet lag & sadness & hubby’s been home & well, actually I have no reason, only excuses, sorry I didn’t say CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME BABY EMBER before.
Oh, man, I don’t have any idea where baby pics are…how ‘bout one of Lovely Daughter with grandchild (due Oct 23)? She’s MUCH prettier than I was, I guarantee that.
It’s been an awful coupla days for a sensitive little broad like me, I think I’ll go to bed.
#109, Hi Mary in LA,
that is a brilliant use of the leftover lemon peel. I love using lemon with lamb.
I also make my own Limoncello and the peel is great for making marmalade. If you’ve kept the juice from the lemons, just add the juice of two big oranges, measure the amount of liquid you have, and add half that amount in sugar. Bring it to the boil slowly and simmer until it’s at the jelling stage, then bottle it.
mmmmmmmmm#86, Hi Swampwoman,
I thought that old furphy about sheep versus cattle grazing had died out years ago.
Happy to hear you’d set them straight.
Paco and Pogria, glad you liked it! Yes, limoncello is definitely good enough to wallow in… although it benefits from aging first, if you have the patience for it. ;-) It’s also delicious over vanilla ice cream.
KC, welcome back! Try a sip of limoncello and some of Pogria’s marmalade on a fresh-baked scone—you’re sure to feel better. Seriously, I’m sorry to hear that life is treating you roughly. For what it’s worth, I find that hanging around Tim’s place always lifts my mood!
Posted by Mary in LA on 2007 08 29 at 09:10 PM • permalinkOnly rbj1 has to submit a baby picture, because he (or is it she?) was chosen by Missred, who was the winner of the Ash baby pool. The winner of that pool, as most will recall, got to pick one of the other entrants, who would have to submit his or her baby picture to this blog for publication. I had fiendishly suggested the pool because I believed there would be an excellent chance that wronwright would get picked - as he was, in fact; but I’m informed that all of his family photos disappeared during the eruption of a volcano in Ohio (an explanation that I find highly dubious). So, Misred got to pick another entrant.
#117 Only rbj1 has to submit a baby picture
Of course, if you want to submit a baby picture then feel free to email it to me at col.milquetoast(at)kevovek.com or post a link to it in the comments on this page
So far, it is only Ash_, myself and fake wronwright. Step up!
Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 08 30 at 06:07 AM • permalinkMary in LA, thanks for the kind words. Life isn’t actually treating me badly, it’s just Life. Which includes the death of a cat who is dear to us. He was never very healthy, he went fast & mostly painlessly - & he had a pretty fine 2 years with our family.
I’ll find a picture for you, Col. Milquetoast. Might take me a couple days, but there are few more shameless about what we looked like as babies! I was kinda funny-lookin’ but hey, I was a baby! And my mother made my clothes, so that part is something to be proud of.
Page 1 of 1 pages
Members:
Login | Register
| Member List
***ATTENTION*** a gentle reminder for wronwright
(reposted where someone might see it)
On 2007 08 15 at 10:09 AM wronwright said : “At some point in the next two weeks I shall journey to Mumsie’s and look through them for a suitable one”
That makes the deadline 2007 08 29 at 10:09 AM EST.
One would think that 2 weeks would be plenty of time for him to hire some Belgian mercenaries to storm mumsie’s house and retrieve the prize. I can’t imagine the reason why he would delay.
As I recall, missred said she wanted one with you naked on a bear skin rug.
If you have already submitted your picture to TimB and he is taking his time having the black bars put over your nakedness then please keep in mind that I am not doing this out of meanness or to shame you, but to win miss 1.618’s affections.