...whose fleece was shaved off, skin peeled off, and bones and meat masterfully cut into a dozen pieces.
Yesterday a butcher was invited to Le Cordon Bleu to demonstrate how to butcher a lamb. It was like watching a sculptor chip away at a marble boulder, finding his way to the human form beneath the rock. Only this butcher was not an artist creating a piece of art, but rather an artist of destruction.
Butchers in France are very important people. Beef, veal, lamb, pork, and all kinds of charcuterie, including sausages, hams, bacons, etc., etc., etc., are incredibly important aspects of French meals. People go to their butcher for advice on how to prepare their evening meals, and very strong relationships are created between a butcher and his customers. It's all about loyalty, quality, and expert advice.
At our cuisine demonstration yesterday, it was all about hacking, chopping, and sawing. Vegetarians are probably up in arms while reading this right now, but believe me when I tell you that what this man was doing was not butchery. It was art.
He was a master manipulator of the knife, the cleaver, and the saw. He had the hands of a surgeon, and is probably as knowledgeable about mammal anatomy as the best physician. He didn't have to use force, just his knowledge of the terrain was enough to guide the tip of a small knife around muscle, joints, and skin.
After the demonstration, we turned this part of the lamb:
Into this:
This is a delicious recipe influenced by North African and Middle Eastern flavors, but a la French style. It'll be interesting to compare it to the lamb and couscous that awaits me in Morocco, which is where I'm headed at the end of this month. Will be sure to tell you about it.
Yesterday a butcher was invited to Le Cordon Bleu to demonstrate how to butcher a lamb. It was like watching a sculptor chip away at a marble boulder, finding his way to the human form beneath the rock. Only this butcher was not an artist creating a piece of art, but rather an artist of destruction.
Butchers in France are very important people. Beef, veal, lamb, pork, and all kinds of charcuterie, including sausages, hams, bacons, etc., etc., etc., are incredibly important aspects of French meals. People go to their butcher for advice on how to prepare their evening meals, and very strong relationships are created between a butcher and his customers. It's all about loyalty, quality, and expert advice.
At our cuisine demonstration yesterday, it was all about hacking, chopping, and sawing. Vegetarians are probably up in arms while reading this right now, but believe me when I tell you that what this man was doing was not butchery. It was art.
He was a master manipulator of the knife, the cleaver, and the saw. He had the hands of a surgeon, and is probably as knowledgeable about mammal anatomy as the best physician. He didn't have to use force, just his knowledge of the terrain was enough to guide the tip of a small knife around muscle, joints, and skin.
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| chef's lamb with couscous |
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| my version |
do the French cook much with goat meat? i couldn't get enough of it in Pakistan! so tender, juicy, flavorful.... can't find it easily in the States.
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