Nose to tail eating is not a new concept, in fact it was a way of life a generation or two ago. Now it is a catchphrase we often hear from chefs, those culinary creatives that can make eating brains appetizing.
If we are to embrace this way of eating again, butchers are essential. This dying fixture of the high street has slowly been replaced by supermarkets, where sides of sirloin are sliced, but whole beasts being butchered is rare and thus so is the offal and secondary cuts.
Nick Thomson from Marrow is one of the few old-fashioned butchers, a skilled craftsman. Marrow opened just three years ago and has grown to three stores throughout Auckland in that time.
“I look at the generations who came before you and me,” Nick says. “The ones who grew up when liver and kidneys were seen as a treat. When tripe soup or lamb’s fry and bacon were the staples in living rooms across the country.
“I strongly believe that food is medicine, and returning to the eating habits of those who came before us can only lead to a more sustainable and beneficial approach to cooking and eating.”
Nick’s first book, also called Marrow, reflects his commitment to mindful meat preparation, offering home cooks a chance to explore the art of whole animal eating with confidence and creativity.
The book is broken into sections that reflect those of the animal, starting at the head and ending at the hindquarter. Ingenious tips are dotted throughout to ease you into eating some of the more confronting parts of the animal – like grating frozen liver into your bolognaise.
Listen to our full interview with Nick on The Sauce podcast (thesaucenz.com) or grab the book from your favourite retailer. RRP $59.99
MOROCCAN LAMB NECK FILLET SKEWERS W/ CUCUMBER & DILL YOGHURT
Recipe by Nick Thomson Image by Tony Nyberg
You return home after a day spent at the beach. You know those summer days when the heat starts melting the tar on the back streets. Sand and salt water tucked into every nook and cranny. Rinsing your feet under the outside tap before taking any more sand inside as you grab the ingredients to make this summer classic.
For a long time, the kebab has been a crowd favourite, a real people pleaser. While we tend to stick with the conventional satay or honey soy chicken skewers, and they have their place, these neck fillet skewers will elevate that summer hosting to a new level. Let’s dive in.
The neck fillet of lamb is the scotch fillet of lamb. We all like scotch fillet, right? With fat tucked inside the muscle we eliminate any chance of drying out these skewers.
3 lamb neck fillets, cubed
½ cup of canola oil
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp of ground cumin
1 Tbsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of ground turmeric
1 Tbsp of smoked paprika
½ tsp of cayenne pepper
1 cup of Greek natural yoghurt
bunch of dill, finely chopped
¼ of a cucumber, diced into small pieces
flaky salt
For this recipe I have diced the neck fillets into 2 cm cubes. I like to place 3 or 4 pieces on each skewer.
In a bowl add the canola oil, a touch of salt, sprinkle of pepper, the cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Whisk and mix well. Add the cubed lamb and get your hands dirty. If you’re an organized person you would have done this a few hours earlier to let those flavours dance! If you are not that organized, then that’s ok too. There’s no judging here. Put the cubed lamb onto the skewers.
Over a high heat (flames if you can) place the skewers and constantly rotate for 4-5 minutes. That’s it! You can eat these served slightly pink. While the skewers are resting, place a dollop of yoghurt in a bowl, add a few sprigs of chopped dill, the cucumber, a touch of flaky salt and mix.
Plate the kebabs, spoon over the yoghurt, and finish with a few more dill leaves.
Serve with rice and enjoy!
If whole animal eating is something you want to do more of, perhaps try Kathy Paterson’s Chicken Liver Pate