Here we could argue at length with all the vegetarians about the raising and killing of animals, but as meat eaters we at least make sure our food is dead, on the other hand vegetarians will eat living things while they are still alive.

So the question is do they hear their food scream out in pain every time they bite into it?

Here is an old bumper sticker which used to hang in my store:

Besides all the essential amino acids meat also is a source for zinc, B₁₂, selenium, phosphorus, niacin, B₆, choline, riboflavin and iron. It is also very high in Protein. This is enough of the science behind it, so let’s go on.

Meat keeps my hunger pains at bay for a longer period of time. For me eating only vegetables and fruits would mean that I have to eat all day long and would not have enough time for all the other great stuff I plan to do and enjoy in my life. Picture cows, all they do is graze and then in the evening they actually lay down and have to rework their food to get the nutrition they need out of it.

I probably could survive without meat but I am not sure that I would want to. To me it would be like

• go on a vacation and not relax
• visit the Grand Canyon and not look at it
• or have the best glass of beer in front of me and pour it out.

But on the other hand I am a stickler about purity. There are foods you can combine and others should not touch, no, it is not a religious thing but only has to do with the taste. A good Pot Roast needs potatoes and gravy, a good Polish Kielbasa needs horseradish and a Hot Dog needs a bun, but a good steak should not be spoiled with steak sauce.

Why put sugar or any other sweet stuff on a good piece of meat, if I want dessert I will eat and enjoy a piece of Prince Regent Torte or Cheese Cream Torte. By the way, the addition of sweet fillers is one of my pet peeves and I will handle this in another post.

Going back to the steak and steak sauce. When I go and buy a steak I will first look at the Rib Steaks or Delmonicos (rib eye) as these are my absolute preference. Next I will look at the quality, they have to be well marbled and with this a grain fed USDA Choice or higher rated piece of meat. Now a piece in this quality section should have enough natural taste to savour without adding BBQ sauces and the like, let us leave those for a piece of pork on the BBQ.

Yes, I expect a sweet Teriyaki seasoning when I hit a Chinese restaurant but if all their food would be sweet you would not see me there again. Why put all the glaze on a nice smoked ham? Why even add orange juice to a duck?

There is a little room for some sweetness in some dishes, but just to add to the flavor, not to take it over.

To summarize my thoughts, a piece of meat, in my humble opinion, should taste like a piece of meat and not like your favorite dessert!