Before I even ordered it, I knew somebody would say
something. I’ll admit, the thought of being scorned did cause a bit of
apprehension. But I’ve never been one to care too much about what other people think.
So, when the server asked what I would be having for dinner, for the first time
in my life, I said, “I’ll have the veal.”
“Excellent
choice,” the server replied, with a smile, which seemed to signal a slight hint
of affirmation that my decision didn’t immediately make me a horrible human
being. But then, as soon as he was out of ear shot…
“I
can’t believe you ordered that. Those poor baby cows; in those tiny little
crates.”
I
knew the comment was justified. But I had to defend my decision. So, I used the
first argument that came to mind. “But they’re already dead,” I said. “They’re
already in the refrigerator, ready to be cooked. My decision to order veal isn’t
going to change that fact.” I know, it was a weak argument.
And
then the others at the table caught wind of what I had just done. And now they
felt the need to tell their own personal stories about why they refuse to order
veal. I didn’t know if I was supposed to feel guilty or ashamed or both. But
they didn’t understand! I had to do it! I needed to know!
I
was with my writing group. We meet every other Thursday at an Italian
restaurant to critique our work. It just so happened that one of the members of
the group had a company Christmas party at the same restaurant, a party that
went well under budget, leaving enough leftover money to provide each of us
with a free dinner. As a self-proclaimed “cheeseburger and pizza kind of guy,”
I had already decided that 2017 would be the year that I would try new foods.
And as someone who has been walking the poverty line like a tightrope since the
day I was born, this might be the only opportunity where I could possibly
afford the veal parmesan.
So
what exactly is veal? And why do so many people despise it? Plain and simple,
veal is baby cow. They typically slaughter the animals before they are twenty
weeks old. While they are alive it is customary in many regions to house the calves
in small crates, which restricts their movement, which keeps the meat extra
tender. It’s a horrible practice, but there is good news: Ten years ago, the American Veal
Association passed a resolution encouraging the entire industry to phase out
crate confinement by 2017. But on the other hand, I don’t find the use
of the word “encouraging” very encouraging, because after all, when there’s
money to be made…
So, how was it? To be perfectly
honest—extremely disappointing. You’d think something that was so controversial
to create would taste out of this world. But it didn’t. It tasted like beef
trying to do its best impersonation of chicken. It was pink, like beef, but
tender like a bird. With every bite I took, (on top of being filled with guilt)
I couldn’t help but think: What the hell is the big deal? Why is veal even a
thing? Seriously, why don’t people just order chicken? You know, those animals
that are often confined to tiny cages, which restricts their movement…
That was the first time I ate veal.
And the last. I don’t know if the controversial meat will go out of style any
time soon, but I do believe that in the future, when scientists perfect the
growth of artificial meat in laboratories, future generations will look back at
ours and truly believe we were barbarians for the ways we treated our animals.
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