Today I will not get into the debate over whether eating meat is good for humans, or the soil, or the air, or the nation, or the world economy, or even the Democratic Party. Maybe another day.
What I do want to get into is the stridency of vegans and vegetarians whenever someone writes an article or recipe on HuffPo that involves meat. This week there's an article about Reuben dip and sure enough, right on cue, there's the vegan telling us how grossed out she is by the concept.
Listen, people, you have a point, I get it, but you are doing your case no good by sounding like a Beck or Limbaugh who cannot go five minutes without yelling "socialism".
Lookit, this new food section is going to have a lot of articles about meat. And vegetables. Get used to it. You cannot do a driveby "meat is murder" strafing every time you see a recipe with muscle protein in it.
So do us both a favor: If the article is about hot dogs, just pass it up. Don't click on it. You are not obligated to drop in, scroll right past my bloody prose, and head straight for the comments to tell me and everyone else about your religion and how meat is murder and how the picture grosses you out and how healthy you are and how much better you feel since you gave up meat and how much weight you have lost and how few cavities you have.
You wouldn't go into a Jewish Synagogue and yell "Jesus Saves!" would you? And that's not a flippant analogy, because to some people, the choice to skip meat is religious. God knows, vegans and vegetarians often speak with the zeal and fervor of an evangelist.
In my case, I have read everything from Pollan to Foer, and given my decision to eat meat serious thought. I don't eat it every day, and I am as horrified by the inhumane conditions under which some factory farms operate as you are. I know the health risks and the benefits. And believe it or not, so have a lot of other carnivores.
So stop preaching. Stop proselytizing. Stop moralizing. You are giving the many intelligent quiet meatless community a bad name.You're only undermining your cause.
In the spirit of something for everyone, click here for a great Bourbon Baked Beans recipe. Vegans/vegetarians can leave out the bacon and it's still delish and healthy. Just remember to take your Beano before you come back to the Food section.
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All text and photos are Copyright (c) 2010 By Meathead, and all rights are reserved. For more of his writing, photos, and recipes, please visit him at AmazingRibs.com.