Wally you asked about meat cuts.......frankly I have not got a clue! They are (from cows and sheep and pigs) leg shaped, have bits of rib in them, no bones at all with names like "rolled sirloin". there are also names such as... Brisket, chump chops, back chops, scrag end, skirt, BEst end of Neck (scrag end being the bad end I assume) ...Oh then there are things like trotters, tails and then the offal stuff!!
The best laugh I had on a very dire holiday in Spain was finding a can of some unidentifiable meat something or other... in the local "supermercardo" run by two very charming "hey senorita you want to marry me or by brother" Spanish guys not a day under 70...and I was 24 at the time.....anyway.....I digress....... the label read...... "Various pig bits, boneless paws, jellied varietous scrapings, brain parts, sockets, marrow jelly, gelatinous liquid, water, colouring additions, pig flavourings. Cattle." The label showed a happy pig lying on its back rubbing its tummy!!! It was so wonderful I bought the tin to see what it was... I opened the tin and it seemed to have in it exactly what it said on the can!!! I assujme it was BRAWN... which consists of the above mentioned ingredients.... Could not bring myself to eat it though..... gave it to a hungry local dog who, I have to say hesitated before eating it a bit carefully.... never saw the dog again! Spotted dick....... Is a fruit pudding made using suet..... Suet is traditionally refined and grated beef fat but you can now get vegetable suet... It includes flour, suet (or butter) milk, eggs, raisins and lemon zest. mix it all together, put it in a very greased bowl, put greasproof paper on the top, tie it all up and then boil the whole thing in a pan for about an hour and a half... My grandmother used to make it and the secret, she said, was to have cold hands!!! You eat it traditionally with custard.... I hate custard so that is one of the reasons I don't eat it I suppose!! The best pastry for traditional pork pies is Suet crust pastry and you make it with hot water and suet and it is sort of gooey but bakes rock hard with a sort of bready inside..... MMMMM. any one would think reading this that I must be the size of a house and live with nothing but the thought of food ...I have lost my sense of smell, so taste exists as a memory at the moment... Have listened to C and S today again and again..... NO... just cannot choose the track I like best...... same with BLUE which was my first album..... its a cold cold night here now and my kids will be coming home soon..... they have phoned to say they have eaten at their father's so we will no be having stri fry after all......... Gosh, now you are on tenterhooks arn't you..... by the way I talk like I write!!! Bye for now Lucy N.P. Nuit d'ivresse... Les Rita Mitsoukou
