Horse Meat: Sourcing, Preparing, Eating

[torakris]

Rather then continue to digress the mahi mahi thread, we can discuss horse meat here.

It is quite popular in Japan served sashimi style (raw) and it actually quite tender.

I have never eaten it in a cooked form as it seems to be used mostly in the raw state.

How is it served in other areas?

[hollywood]

Somebody--probably the beef lobby combined with PETA--got horse meat declared illegal for human consumption in California. Amazing.

[torakris]

Somebody--probably the beef lobby combined with PETA--got horse meat declared illegal for human consumption in California.  Amazing.

why would they do that?

what is wrong with eating horse?

[hollywood]

Somebody--probably the beef lobby combined with PETA--got horse meat declared illegal for human consumption in California.  Amazing.

why would they do that?

what is wrong with eating horse?

Money.

Nothing.

[guajolote]

Have you ever had the horse meat fat from behind the mane? I saw this in an Iron Chef episode where Korn (the Japanese dancehall reggae star, not the California metal band) was a judge.

Happy Birthday Torakris

[Craig Camp]

Some of the finest salami in Italy comes from horse and what would a bollito be in Verona without several choice pieces of horse. There are even butchers that specialize in horse - macelleria aquina.

Edited March 28, 2003 by Craig Camp (log)

[torakris]

Have you ever had the horse meat fat from behind the mane? I saw this in an Iron Chef episode where Korn (the Japanese dancehall reggae star, not the California metal band) was a judge.

Happy Birthday Torakris 

Thank you!

I actually have no idea what part of the horse I have actually eaten, unlike other meats that specify the cut the labels just read horse meat.

[Jon Tseng]

steak tartare was originally prepared with dobbin, i believe

J

[wingding]

The first time that I visited Paris,in the early 70s',I remember that there were butchers that specialized in horsemeat-they had beautiful neon horse head shapes hung outside their shops.I was told that this was mainly for people who bought horsemeat for their dogs.True?Most of those shops have disappeared,as far as I know.Any more information on horsemeat in French cooking?

[torakris]

Here is a picture of basashi (raw horse meat) served in Japan:

http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/food.html

[Simon Majumdar]

On a recent trip to perdiguier, I stopped off at the market and they had the most amazing chevalier there

I bought

sausage with rosemary and garlic

blood sausage

flank steaks

ground meat both loose and in burger form ( with garlic and lemon thyme )

We cooked them up on my friends Weber that evening while drinking a bottle of the local Pastis.

have to say, all worked very well

S

[balex]

I work some of the time at the University of Geneva and in the cafeteria there they often have horse meat -- either steack de cheval (ok) or emince de cheval (which is rather disgusting).

I think at that price point the horse steak is better than the corresponding beef steak. It's kind of funny to compare the food there with corresponding menus at English academic insitutions.

[Ron Johnson]

Given what horses sell for around these parts I imagine a steak from one of those critters would cost a couple thousand dollars. Horse prices

In Kentucky horses are for racing or breeding, not eating.

[Simon Majumdar]

In Kentucky horses are for racing or breeding, not eating.

Unless they lose

[Aix]

Horse meat is amazing....

In Belgium we cure it and slice it like prociutto. It has a distinct salty sweeet flavour.

Until recently there were still a few boucheries chevalines in Montreal. Restaurants like Le Witloof served tartare de cheval and bavette de cheval.

Interestingly, (now that we all eat or pork medium), someone died of trichinosis in the 90's from eating raw horse in Paris. The horse came from Canada.

[fifi]

Being illegal in California doesn't surprise me. Here is an amazing factoid...

In the Federal Register, Export Administration Regulations, the list of stuff that is restricted for export in an attempt to control proliferation of bad weapons, there is a classification in the middle of the nuclear technology that is called "Horses by Sea". It seems that when the regulation was written, there was a concern that all of those cute horsies and noble wild mustangs would end up on those barbaric European menus. (You can't eat Trigger!)

"...by Sea"? Must be legal to FedEx 'em.

[Blue Heron]

I'm not a PETA person, but psychologically, I don't think I could eat horse meat. It's in the pet category, like cat & dog.

I also didn't know that horse meat was legal to eat anywhere in the US. um, is it?

[Simon Majumdar]

I'm not a PETA person, but psychologically, I don't think I could eat horse meat.  It's in the pet category, like cat & dog.

I also didn't know that horse meat was legal to eat anywhere in the US.  um, is it? 

Dog and cat is pretty good eating too

S

[Blue Heron]

I'm not a PETA person, but psychologically, I don't think I could eat horse meat.  It's in the pet category, like cat & dog.

I also didn't know that horse meat was legal to eat anywhere in the US.  um, is it? 

Dog and cat is pretty good eating too

S

OMG Simon. You ate Fluffy and Fido??

edit: even Bourdain wouldn't eat Fluffy.

Edited March 28, 2003 by Blue Heron (log)

[Charlene Leonard]

are the horses breed especially for their meat? how expensive is horsemeat compared to beef? do you think that when thoroughbred race horses are put down that they end up on the dinner table, like the kobe of the horse world...

edited: appalling spelling.

Edited March 28, 2003 by Charlene Leonard (log)

[Miss J]

I'd have to imagine the thoroughbreds would require some serious braising.

[Vanessa]

Like, stews

v

[Wilfrid]

One drawback with horse meat is that it can be very tough. At it's best, it's fairly chewy. As I mentioned elsewhere, I have eaten it raw (tartare) in Barcelona, where - as in France and Belgium - they have specialist horse butchers.

Aix, do you know a little family-owned restaurant in Brussels which specializes in horse meat - Au Brabancon? Curious little place, decorated with oil paintings of jolly-looking horses, which serves many different cuts. The owner looked about ninety-nine years old, and very unwell, when I was last there, and I was concerned it might not survive her passing.

[Aix]

Wilfrid, I'm not familiar with it but the country is peppers with such places. You may be right about the place not surviving her passing.

About the cute and cudly factor: these particular horses are fat and ugly. ;)

[bigbear]

..... The owner looked about ninety-nine years old, .....

..... would require some serious braising.