Back on the Beef Train

If you're a dedicated reader, you know that I spent the month of February omitting red meat from my diet. Though at first I thought this would be a hard task, I found it to be quite easy and very rewarding.

I found myself buying more grains and vegetables when I went to the farmers market or grocery store. I even cooked quinoa for the first time (though, I've eating it many times). I only ate tofu a couple of times, opting for chicken or turkey instead. I also found beans to be an essential source of protein for my diet, as well as eggs. I added kale and Swiss chard to vegetable stir-fry dishes, and tried lots of different kinds of salads.

Though I tried to avoid it most times, I ate pork 3 or 4 times throughout the month. I was really good about it in the beginning; I even declined bacon multiple times. But about half way through the month my friend made a delicious pozole dish with pork, and I just couldn't say no - though I did cut down on the amount of pork I put into the bowl. A couple weeks later he made a Moroccan dish with couscous, chickpeas, veggies and tri-tip. I simply ate everything but the tri-tip and it was filling and so tasty (also because my friend is a fantastic chef). My mother visited and we went out to some very nice dinners at Slanted Door and Absinthe. We just HAD to order the pork crispy imperial rolls at Slanted Door, and there was some bacon in the frisee salad that we had at Absinthe. In the end, I didn't feel as bad for eating the pork and I was more impressed with myself that I turned down steak when everyone around me was enjoying it.

I broke my red meat fast a little early (as did my parents, who were part of the friendly challenge). My friend from wine class invited me over to dinner on Saturday because he was planning to open a 1996 Barolo that he had been holding for a while. Paired with the Barolo was slow-roasted beef ribs, goat cheese polenta, Brussels sprouts with bacon, broccoli and a salad with feta, strawberries and pine nuts - certainly a feast, and definitely the appropriate way to break my fast.

Truth be told, my diet really didn't change all that much. I realized the only times I eat red meat is when I go out to eat or someone cooks it for me (or the occasional roast beef sandwich). So it would be pretty easy for me to continue eating in this fashion. Some of my vegetarian friends jokingly criticized me for eating poultry and fish, and encouraged me to go veggie all together. But that's one thing I don't think I'll ever be able to do, not even for a month.

So all in all, a pretty successful dietary experiment. Now, if only I could stop drinking alcohol for a month.