Bruce Cole has a charming piece at his Saute Wednesday site about offal. What is offal? “Offal = viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal often considered inedible by humans.”
Bruce waxes lyrical over offal: “I don’t eat out that often, but when I do, I pick my spots. First priority, usually, is offal on the menu. You know, sweetbreads, kidneys, tripe, tongue and cheeks, the good stuff (I would have included brains too, but didn’t want to gross some of you out – oops – sorry).”
My feelings about offal? I haven’t really had enough to comment. It doesn’t gross me out. I see little difference between eating a kidney, a tongue or a cheek and eating whatever it is you eat when you eat a hamburger. It all comes from the same place.
As long as there’s not a pig’s head on the table, I’m happy.
Pig’s head is a fine thing, my friend. Sometimes a whole roast pig is too much, my family will just order the roasted pig head.
offal is, in fact, awful (for your health – or can be, at least). Have you ever heard of the prion theory, or BSE? Eating brains is a bad idea. Urgh.