“When you’ve got a proper hunger you can’t top a Triple Whopper®.”
At least that’s what the folks at Burger King would like you to think. Who’s so famished that they need to stuff ¾ of a pound of beef into their mouths to satisfy their hunger, proper or otherwise? It borders on obscene.
Fast food has had an unhealthy reputation for some time, as has red meat, but did you know that the risk of dying prematurely rises with red meat consumption? In other words, the more red meat you eat (especially processed red meat), the more likely you are to die young. So what is it about red meat that makes it so potentially harmful? Well, along with the high saturated fat content which can contribute to heart disease, charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface – and carcinogens cause cancer. The good news is that you don’t have to give up red meat entirely to cut the risk; just eat less of it.
I signed up for Chef Antonio Cerullo’s cooking class, The New Carnivore, at Choices Market, hoping to learn more about how to enjoy red meat as part of a (mostly) healthy diet.
Chef Antonio Cerullo, Choices Markets
The first recipe Chef Antonio demonstrated was Beef Salmonato; a riff on the classic Italian dish Vitello Tonnato. Instead of searing or grilling the beef, he chose to safeguard against carcinogens by simmering it in stock. Once the meat had chilled, he sliced it very thin and topped it with a heart-healthy salmon sauce.
Chef Antonio told us that he focuses entirely on taste without worrying about presentation. I’ve never heard a chef say that before. *
Next, he used some of the leftover stock to make a delicious soup.
The main course, Ginger and Tamari Marinated Rack of Lamb, highlighted several healthy cooking techniques. First, Chef Antonio marinated the racks of lamb overnight before he seared them over high heat. Studies have shown that the right marinade can reduce HCAs by as much as 96%. He also chose to load the marinade with powerful antioxidants - ginger, sesame oil, tamari soy sauce, lime juice, mint, and cilantro. These antioxidants help counteract any carbon that might form during cooking. Finally, he chose to cook with responsibly raised meat, Ovation Free Range New Zealand Lamb. For the healthiest option, look for terms like grass-fed-and-finished, certified organic, free range, certified humane, and natural on the package.
For dessert, Chef Antonio taught us how to make Bacon Rosemary Chocolate Fudge; a sweet and salty little slice of heaven. The crust is made from bacon, rice puffs and bacon fat. The top is a rosemary-scented ganache made with the standard 1:1 ratio of milk chocolate to whipping cream. The idea here is to use a small amount of intensely flavoured meat (like bacon, prosciutto, or pancetta) to deliver a huge hit of happiness.
The New Carnivores eat meat less often and in smaller portions, and are willing to spend more to get the best available. They also choose cooking methods that reduce carcinogens and deliver powerful antioxidants. Oh, and they don’t eat the sandwich Burger King describes as “the best threesome you’ve ever had”, the Triple Whopper®, for lunch.
* I confess I was really surprised to hear Chef Antonio say that as long as a dish tastes great, presentation doesn’t matter. What do you think? Do you agree?
- 250 g bacon (all-natural if possible)
- 1-1/2 cups rice puffs
- 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat
- 400 g milk chocolate
- 400 ml whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
- Cook bacon on medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the fat and place on a paper towel to cool. Reserve the bacon fat and keep warm (not hot).
- Once bacon has fully cooled, place in a food processor and chop finely. Add in rice puffs and sugar and process on high until everything is well combined. Remove mixture from processor and place in a medium mixing bowl. Pour in the warm bacon fat and mix until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line six 3-inch or one 8-inch cake ring cake molds with parchment paper. Divide bacon mixture between the rings and press down evenly. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from oven.
- Place the chocolate and rosemary in a double boiler. When chocolate is completely melted, add whipping cream and stir until well blended. Divide chocolate mixture between the rings and spread evenly. Set overnight in the fridge.
- Enjoy this treat simply as is or serve it with a side of custard or vanilla ice cream.
Choices Markets 1937 Harvey Avenue Kelowna, British Columbia Canada V1Y 6G5 The New Carnivore Date: January 29, 2013 Cost: $25.00 CDN Style: Demonstration, Dinner with Wine Pairing Duration: 2 hours Chef Instructor: Antonio Cerullo Highlights: At only $25 per person, this class is a steal! Registration fee includes an informative cooking demo, recipes, generous portions of appetizer, soup, entrée, and dessert paired with three exquisite wines from Summerhill Pyramid Organic Winery. Improvement Opportunities: Add tables to the room setup so that students don't need to juggle their plate, drink, utensils, napkins, recipes, pen, purses, and in some instances, cameras all in their laps.
Who would have thought – bacon in fudge! Thanks for the posting.
Thanks Mary. The bacon was just in the crust so it was quite subtle. I was quite surprised by the addition of rosemary (also very subtle). It was definitely a fun taste combination to try.
Yuck (on the burger). And you know that the burger doesn’t even look anywhere near that “good” in real life. It’ll be all smashed, dripping grease, and will stink like their phony char flavoring. Ew.
Your comment made me laugh Traci. It’s so true. I’ve often wondered if every fast food chain has an employee whose sole responsibility is to sit on each burger before sending it out to the customers. Thanks for stopping by
Gimme that lamb already!!!! yum!
Thanks Tracy! It was sooooo good and even better paired with an interesting wine from Summerhill, a Zweigelt. Definitely the star of the show
The lamb looks so yummy! And the Burger King looks so yucky! I keep meaning to take in one of the classes at Choices. Have you ever done the Mission Hill classes? They have a Julia Child one coming up. (But I’m sure that you already know that :-))
Hi Colleen,
This was my first class at Choices. I think they have one class a month and they usually sell out.
You can’t go wrong with a cooking class at Mission Hill. I can’t say enough good things about them. I went to the Julia Child tribute class last year and loved it. Here’s a link to the post I wrote about it: https://anuneducatedpalate.com/2012/03/03/a-tribute-to-julia-child/
Cheers,
Laura
Anyone who says presentation doesn’t matter hasn’t eaten in France, where even the humblest housewife goes to some trouble to make her meal appealing to the eye. Last night I cooked red salmon and creamy pasta and around it on the plate I unwittingly placed curly lettuce, deep pink figs and chopped red red tomatoes. And we all said, wow, this looks so inviting! At that moment, I thought of your question about presentation.
I like your writing, Laura. And the photo of the lamb rack. Looks yum!
Thanks Trish! How are you?
I agree with you that there’s more to flavour than just what we perceive with our mouths. Of course the taste, texture and temperature of food are important, but I believe the visual presentation of a dish (as well as the aroma) can greatly enhance the pleasure of eating. The salmon and pasta dish your shared with your family is a perfect example, and it sounds delicious!
Laura
Hello Laura,
Great post, Thank you. I have a few doctor friends who go on about not using the barbecue or not over heating it! So, I am really liking the counterbalancing the chef has used with the marinades, also adding in the antioxidants as well, which make a lot of sense. I enjoy dressing my plates too much not to and I know, I eat with my eyes first…
Best wishes,
Ivan
Thanks so much Ivan. Hope you’re well
Since I love red meat (and would hate to have to give it up), I was delighted that the Chef shared those tips to reduce/eliminate the dangers of grilling or cooking it over high heat. As you well know, those little brown bits stuck to the bottom of the saute pan are where all the flavour is, and I can’t imagine wanting to eat a steak that come off the barbecue without those beautiful grill marks.
Cheers,
Laura
To me eating is a combination of many elements – textures, colours, layering, aroma, temperature – a touch of parsley or a light clipping of fresh herbs does so much to, say, poached eggs on toast – to me presentation is a stimulant, a way to stir my appetite and increase my anticipation about what I am about to enjoy.
Nicely said Chris! I also think eating is a multi-sensory experience – that includes the visual.
On an unrelated note, Rebel Mouse looks like a very interesting platform. I’ll be looking at it more closely now that I’ve seen your site.
Thanks for stopping by,
Laura
I am surprised as well about his comment regarding the non-importance of presentation.
Even when I dine alone I try to make things look nice, wether it be as simple as dividing the plate and making sure sauces don’t run into the salad, to serving poached fish upon a bed of quinoa – Granted, they don’t always appear restaurant worthy but it’s a way of treating yourself and those around you.
Maybe it’s a man thing? My boyfriend doesn’t take care in his day to day plating but then again he isn’t a chef.
I agree Murissa. There’s just something about a nicely presented plate of food that makes you feel cared for – like the person who prepared it (even if it was you!) wants you to feel special. It elevates the whole experience of eating. I think the different point of view may be rooted in the person’s philosophy about food – whether they believe in eating to live, living to eat, or somewhere in the middle.