The other night at dinner we sat down as a family over some delectable, juicy pork loin, stuffing and vegetables.
We talk of the days events, life, or whatever the kids want to talk about.
As we're sitting there, Julius (who is our science guy and avid learner) asks, "Is pork a pig?"
"Mmmhmm," I said as I stuffed more in my mouth.
"What part of the pig is the pork chop?"
I glanced over at Rob, not being up on my pig anatomy and all. He looks back at me for a minute. I can see the wheels turning.
I ventured a guess. "Shoulder?"
He nodded. "Pretty sure."
Julius stuffs another piece of food in his mouth. "This is really good pig shoulder, Mom. It's very juicy."
My mouth suddenly dried up.
Julius chewed a while. "What part of the pig is bacon?"
"His belly, I think." I glanced over at Rob who nodded.
"What about ham?"
"Oh, well, that one I think is his hip, kind of right here..." I motioned from my waist down around to the bottom of my, well, bottom.
Julius put down his fork and laughed and laughed. "Ham is pig butt, ham is pig butt!"
"Pig BOTTOM," I corrected, pushing my plate away. My appetite was decidedly diminished.
Rob eyeballed my plate. "Are you gonna finish that pig shoulder?"
"Um, no, definitely not."
I went thru this recently with my grandson, about chickens. He wanted to know what part of the chicken that the chicken nuggets came from. It was not a comfortable conversation!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to make sure he enjoys his cooked chicken menstruations in the morning, along with his crispy strips of fried pig belly and a great big glass of milk that's been freshly squeezed from the teat of a lactating cow's mammary.
ReplyDeleteBreakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Kristian
Coquetting Tarradiddles
Oh man, now I am feeling bad about that Breakfast Jack I just wolfed down. Pig butt, egg, cheese. From butt to butt in my case. LOL!
ReplyDelete:) Debi
Oh dear...personally, I confess to being a carnivore, and pork is my favorite meat, but I sure wouldn't want to discuss body parts over dinner! LOL! Kids say the darnedest things and ask the most discomfiting questions, don't they?
ReplyDeleteCould be worse, I s'pose...imagine if dinner was squid...or (shudder) fried scorpion...okay, I'll stop.
Your kids sound like they have awesome personalities!
Blessings to you and yours. :)
b.
LOL! I've had this same conversation at our dinner table! Although it takes a lot to take away my appetite. lol.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is oink (Did I spell that right)
ReplyDeleteThe curiosity of children is highly overrated.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad how many kids don't know where their food comes from. Glad to see your's asking, sorry it ruined your appetite. You ought to buy a whole chicken and have him help cut it up.
ReplyDeleteOh man. I don't look forward to the day these questions come. I don't eat pork, but do eat chicken. Although I suppose once the questions start I might drop that, too!
ReplyDeleteDamn and I'm such a bacon lover!!! I'll make sure to try and erase this post from memory ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious. I remember having these conversations when my children were younger. Yep, it can really mess with your appetite.
ReplyDeleteToo funny. I try not to think about it when I'm consuming a formerly living creature. LOL
ReplyDeleteI love the way kids think! lol
ReplyDeleteI am a veggie so can totally relate to this conversation! I stopped at a friends house one morning and while sitting on the porch, she ran into the house saying she was hungry. She came out holding a chunk of cold beef dipped in gravy. After looking at me she made the comment, "Nothing like a good hunk of muscle to start your day!". I almost lost it right then and there!
ReplyDeleteMy kids have to help with transforming the animal into the product so they try to find other inappropriate things to discuss while we're eating. Once you've plucked a few chickens or made sausage, the thrill is gone, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI rarely eat beef, I eat chicken because it's a "good" meat, I eat fish because I like it but I eat pork because I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteThis is especially hard because I grew up on a farm in Canada and the pigs were my personal favorites. I named them all and would bring them treats and scratch their backs.
I have managed to push those thoughts to the nether regions of my mind though as I happily cook and eat my favorite meat.
Yeah I always feel vaguely evil when I have these conversations with my kids.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should introduce him to haggis. I never believed what was in it, but still love it and can't eat it often enough.
ReplyDeleteLast week we were eating chicken and my 5 year old daughter started referring to hers as 'the carcass'. Too much animal planet, I think. It is nasty though - when you think about it. I've been reading about how bad all meat is for people, and thinking meat is on its way out in our house.
ReplyDeleteWe raise almost all our own meat and process (my husband does the dirty work) quite a bit of it. We are pretty well over the squeamishness, but have commented that if people had to raise their own meat the world would be full of vegetarians.
ReplyDeleteI lived through a similar dinner conversation with my child, who when faced with delectable spice-cured Italian porchetta, said "you mean this is de-boned Babe?!"
ReplyDeleteEnd of meal.
I have been accused of being responsible for my daughter's aversion to eggs. Apparently, it was something I said about her consuming baby chickens.
ReplyDeleteHAH ! I had a good laugh just now.
ReplyDeleteI like your blog, it is very interesting.
ps; I was a vegetarian for 9 months
:)
That was funny :) I personally don't mind talking about that kind of stuff while I eat. Here in Japan we eat shrimps with the head still on, whole fish (with the head) and sashimi served on the fish they just cut up; sometimes, it's still moving.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was five he asked if it was true that hamburger was cow, to which I responded "Yes, it sure is." At that moment, he calmly re-wrapped his McDonald's burger and pushed it to the side and went about enjoying his fries and iced tea. He didn't eat meat for a long, long time. I'm a vegetarian, but I still cook meat for him if he wants it, he just never seems to want it. He remembers finding out what it was like it was yesterday too. It's interesting how affected he was by it and yet I have friends who were raised on a farm and it never bothered them one bit. Just depends on your personality, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteOy. When I saw your post title, I thought the one easy step might be, "Go see the movie Food, Inc."
ReplyDeleteI saw it on Saturday night, and I've decided we can no longer eat food.
Love pork chops. When you get your appetite back for pork chops here's a recipe I think you'll like.
ReplyDelete1 pkg of pork loin chops thinly sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 yellow squash
1 cup cooked instant white rice
Fry pork chops till browned
While you're frying the chops cook your rice.
In big bowl stir together cream of chicken soup with 1 can of water then cut squash in slices and add to soup. When rice finishes cooking add this to your bowl of squash and soup.
After pork chops are done frying drain oil away except for 1 or 2 tbsp then add other ingredients w/pork chops and cook until squash is tender. This is a great meal. If you try it let me know. Have a great night.
I can so relate. Though this time I can't blame it on the kid.
ReplyDeleteMy mom and I and Mr. M went to lunch last week at an Italian restaurant and I ordered calimari.
They brought it to the table and my mom said, "that's squid, right?" Right, I said, digging in. "Is it good?" my mom asked. "Oh yeah. This is just about the best calimari I've ever had," I said. "But it's squid? It's squid? It's so chewey, so tendony," she said, disgusted. As I chewed the last bite of my life.
HAHA! Wendy, ur post will work as a potent stimulus to ensure that i stick to my diet (control).
ReplyDeleteBut i hope yu get ur appitite back soon. :)
I love discussing food with our 3 yr old! Super fun story. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteClassic! Gotta love it!
ReplyDeleteI feel ya. I am constantly thinking in my mind that I should just give up meat altogether considering that when I really think about what I'm eating, it makes me sick.
ReplyDeleteThen I remember that I live on a farm where we RAISE meat and come from a long line of meat raising people and that I would probably be disowned. I'm like the little kid hiding his vegetables except it's easier for me because the dog has no problem quietly eating the meat I sneak to him...
I tagged you, M'Lady! Visit my little corner of the blogosphere. And try not to hate me too much. :) xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteToo funny. Myself, I try not to think about the previous location of my food. It makes it much more tasty. Now off to have some big belly...Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI just became your 777th follower. I expect my prize to be delivered promptly and with great urgency!
ReplyDeleteKristian
Coquetting Tarradiddles
My son, you know, is also sciency and loves to wonder aloud about which anatomical sections of dead animals we eat. He finds chicken boobs fascinating, and he still drinks milk even though he knows it's nearly the same thing as breast-feeding from a cow. But he does find breast-feeding from a goat mildly repulsive (?). He actually likes to eat off-the-beaten path organs and parts like livers, stomachs, and feet because--well--just because. Has your son ever sucked the marrow out of a chicken bone? Maybe that activity could be for a future dinner. I LOVE THIS POST!
ReplyDeleteMy father ruined eggs for me for a while when I was a child ... every time I would take a bite he would whisper "peep peep peep" ...
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your awesome comments. I read every single one and to respond to those I can! (I wish there were two of me.)
ReplyDeleteTo any of you who added gross stories (and you know who you are...) thanks a heckuva lot. You are now officially on my "don't invite those people for dinner" list. :D
Countryfriedmama: Were it not for the curiosity of children I might not have anything to blog about. :D
Madame DeFarge: You can introduce haggis to him when we come to visit.
Noelle: I would like to see what would happen if your daughter and my son had a play date. I think that would give us both a lot to blog about.
Kanmuri: At the risk of me sounding culturally discriminatory... that's just wrong. :-P
Becky: I'm just wondering what you're living on now. Maybe you're like a little air fern. Or perhaps you're only eating red licorice ropes which, technically, is more of a plastic rather than a food.
Michelle: I'll have to try your recipe. Thank you!
Tati: I will have to discuss the matter with your father. Hmph!
Morbid little devils, children, aren't they? LOL!
ReplyDeleteMy son-in-kaw worked at a meat processing plant for a year. He has never been able to eat meat since.
ReplyDeleteYou just reminded me of my wife. She cooks bacon but she can't stand the talk about where it comes from. Many thanks for another fab post.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
that is TOOO funny!!!
ReplyDeletei became a vegetarian after my dog died in december 08. everytime i'd look at meat and think about her and how it could be her. since then i haven't eaten meat.
ReplyDelete