My Red Meat Compromise

So lately I've been getting a decent amount of weird feelings about eating red meat. So far I've sworn off veal (veal seems wrong) and lamb (too cute and friendly). I've done my best to avoid pork because pigs are as smart as dogs. And I just don't trust meat industry as a whole. The cruelty of the whole industry for the both the animals and people who work there. All the crazy amounts of drugs they give the cattle. The whole system gives off a totally negative vibe and I don't really trust the government enough to mind the store properly. Just the fact most of the meat we'll be eating in the coming years will be cloned beef that's loaded with antibiotics and crap makes me seriously doubt that it could possibly good for us at this point.

The problem I have is...

It's way delicious!! I love a good steak! Chomp! A good burger is freaking way good! I like brisket! I love pastrami! Bacon! Meatloaf! All that stuff! Chompidy chomp!

I've tried in the past to go cold turkey on meat (so to speak) but I always give it up. I know I love eating meat too much to get 100% serious about it. If I'm at a barbecue and someone is cooking up steaks am I really going to settle for the 'grilled vegetables' and pretend I have no interest in steak? What if it's a shiskebobby situation? Am I gonna pass on that? I love shiskees! Could I wrap myself in my more evolved moral fiber while I drool for a yummy steak and gnaw on tofu? I wish I could. I wish I was that strong and commited.

I've tried to control my meat eating into chicken and turkey. To be honest, I'm just not overly bothered about eating those guys (even though I should be). Plus, in terms of chickens and turkeys I a-holishly blame their stupid evolutionary choices sometimes. Flightless birds that taste yummy? Get a clue dopey birds? Evolve some spikes or shells or something? Get some poison running through your veins! Don't just stand around waiting to get chomped!

But I keep coming back to meat. If someone makes horsdeevoores with pigs in a blanket I know I'm gonna chomp them up! Too delicious! I simply don't have the strength to resist it and I know as much as I'd like to stop with meat. I won't. I probably never will.

So what to do?

Here's my compromise on red meat:

Never buy it. Never order it.
(unless it's like grass-fed organic good or whatever)

Here's why I think this compromise might work for me.

1. There's always something else at a restaurant I can order and be perfectly fine. I can avoid meat that way easy.
2. If I'm ever in a situation where meat is in my face and I want to chomp it up. I can chomp it all I want.
3. It will help me cut down on red meat in general by default-- which is probably a good idea.
4. It will relieve some of the guilt about the meat industry-- because I will never directly financially support it.
5. It's a realistic starting point for me if I ever want to consider going further with stopping with red meat.

So that's where I'm at. I'll eat chicken and fish all I want. Never eat veal or lamb (avoid pork as much as possible). And glom off other people's meat to get my meat fix.

I realize that this is a moral cheat but I feel like I need to do something-- so for now I'll take the easy way out. And that's that.

Off to my parents tonight for some delicious meat loaf!

ok bye!

tOdd

PS. Apologies if my jerky remarks offend any non-meat eaters. I'm trying....