A Well Kept Man

In the past I have lamented about the selection of meat (loads of pork, not so much beef) as well as the prices (20 bucks for a couple chicken breasts? 40 bucks for a steak? It's not even cooked!). Today, while picking up groceries for dinner on this wonderful Autumn evening (Fall has started here, not sure about the States, but it is cool, crisp, and beautiful!!!) I noticed something different on my grocer's shelves...

Having gone to the grocery store nearly every day since I've been here (I know, how European...shopping for the day and not much more), I can distinguish what is in the cooler without having to get too close (I don't want to get frostbite). A yellow package indicates poultry (sometimes lapin, which Alli won't let me purchase), white packages contain pork, poisson are in blue packages (how appropriate), while a red package is usually beef (sometimes cheval, or agneau...look them up, I'm trying to protect the innocence of my younger viewers). Today something caught my eye, so I went to investigate.

A black package. What could this wonderful new package contain might you ask? Exotic meat, that's what! One package simply labeled "cerf", so I just had to buy it as it was much cheaper than beef but similar in appearance, except leaner (here's a clue...it has antlers and also is the last name of a popular green brand of tractors). Thankfully they put playful little pictures on the package in case your vocabulary isn't extensive enough to make an in-store dinner decision. I also picked up a second package, this one was labeled "austruch" (it's the creature that likes to stick its head in the sand). There was a third, which I didn't get labeled "chevreuil" (I figured it was too close to cheval and didn't want to take a chance, turns out I would have been ok as it's just a different ethnicity of cerf). I will be cooking the austruch for dinner tonight along with some mushroom gnocchi, the cerf will have to wait until Alli is not here (I think she's ok with eating it, but since she's leaving me for a week I figured I could eat something fun that wouldn't cause a ruckus in the house if she didn't).

I guess I am amused mostly by the fact that the only way you can acquire such meat in the States is either through a specialty butcher, mail order catalog for outdoor enthusiasts, or utilizing a firearm (well, maybe not so much the flightless bird). In Europe, these things are normal and don't cause the locals to giggle when they look at the package and instead of dinner think Bambi or Thumper. Hopefully I will be cultured enough to someday sit at the big kid's table, but for now I will enjoy my culinary expedition with fervor.

UPDATE - Alli liked the austruch, the gnocchi wasn't as exciting. More austruch for everyone!!!!