Give Me My Man Meat

meat

This weekend I was flipping through the channels and stopped at Next Food Network Star. I’d never seen the show, never really wanted to, but since people seem to be talking about it I figured why the hell not. On this particular episode, the nine finalists were to create a recipe for Esquire magazine’s “Recipe for Men” section. Seems normal. But here’s my beef:

Most of the contestants went off on these rants about how “manly meals”= big slabs of meat. Apparently to some of these people, men only like meat and in a “man” recipe the main focus has to be a huge piece of meat. Hello, I’m a woman, and I like meat just as much as any guy out there. Now I don’t go walking around every day munching on giant turkey legs (well, I did  just that one time) , and some days I even go meatless. However, I often eat entire bags of beef jerkey in one sitting, and I’d die without sausage on my Dunkin Donuts sandwiches.  I know I cannot be some woman anomaly.  One of my grandmother’s favorite meals was rack of lamb, and she was a woman so feminine she never even wore pants.

Why the hell do “man” recipes even exist anyway? I mean, I eat the same things as my boyfriend and my father, although sometimes they eat larger quantities. If meat is a manly meal, what is a womanly meal? Vegetables?

(Pic: Steak with Red Wine Reduction)

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7 comments

  • Harmony June 24, 2009  

    Your article title conjured up a very NSFW image in my mind. I don’t know if that is more my fault or yours!

  • Gee June 24, 2009  

    Really. The should call it Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Recipes. When are they going to create a TV show that shows you how to grow you’re own tobacco, roll your own cigarettes, and give them to your children.

  • BS June 24, 2009  

    this is an excellent point. although for the record, I stared lovingly at that raw bacon-wrapped steak for a good ten minutes before getting to your point. so much for dispelling stereotypes.

  • Harmony June 24, 2009  

    BS, the picture does look tasty indeed but it needs more bacon I think.

  • Mary Lou aka ML's Mom June 24, 2009  

    Your so feminine grandmother also always ordered a triple order of crispy bacon with her breakfast for all to share.
    Nice article, I love meat – the apple doesnt fall far from the tree. Go Meat

  • Catfish June 25, 2009  

    Word…our family’s attempt at vegetarianism failed because of my wife’s inability to live without meat. Gender roles in foods is so 1950’s.

  • erica June 26, 2009  

    great post title!

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