FOOD & DRINK

Save money, environment by eating less meat

By Addie Broyles
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, May 06, 2009

My name is Addie, and I'm a meat-eater.

Nothing against my vegetarian and vegan friends, but meat and I go way back, from the chicken fingers and burgers (ketchup only, please) of my youth to pâté and lamb steaks of my adulthood.

But about five years ago, my relationship with meat started to change when I started learning about the inner workings of the meat industry: pigs raised shoulder-to-shoulder in confined animal feeding operations, growth hormones in dairy cows, beakless chickens, corn- and grain-based feed that grass-fed animals such as cows and lamb weren't designed to eat. My concern about the quality of meat I consumed made me vow to buy only local meat and eggs. The problem? Local meat tends to cost $1 to $5 more per pound than regular meat, and eggs run about $2 more per dozen. So if I'd already blown my college student budget one week on craft beer (another hobby I was forming at the time), I just didn't buy meat.

But fast forward to 2009: I'm cooking for three now, and for my husband, meat is as essential to dinner as a fork. We do our best to eat locally raised meat, but with a kid, our budget is stretched as it is.

So what's the solution? Eating locally raised meat, just less of it.

We're not the only family cutting back on our meat consumption. For decades, cooks have been coming up with recipes to make a pound of meat go further. Wartime rations, for example, popularized a slew of dishes, such as beef Stroganoff and meatloaf, dishes we still think of an inexpensive. But for many nowadays, eating less meat is as much about helping the environment as it is saving money or eating healthier.

Austinite Ana Wolken, 26, says she's been cutting back on her meat consumption for about a year. "It seems like there are cheaper, more healthy sources of protein," says Wolken, a music editor for InSite magazine. But reducing the environmental impact of meat is the biggest motivation. "Less meat consumed means less meat produced," she says. "It makes sense on a lot of fronts."

Americans eat just more than a half a pound of meat a day, which contains more than twice the recommended daily allowance of protein, which is 56 grams per day for an adult man, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. A recent National Cancer Institute study found that diets high in red meat and processed meat can shorten life spans not just from cancer and heart disease but also from Alzheimer's, stomach ulcers and a number of other conditions.

As for meat's affect on the environment, a United Nations report in 2006 found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — than automobiles, planes and ships combined. Livestock is the No. 1 source in the world of methane emissions from human-related activities and Methane emissions are 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. When you put it all together, scientists have figured out that eating a pound of meat has the same environmental impact as driving an SUV 40 miles.

Philadelphia recipe developer Tara Mataraza Desmond, who along with Philadelphia magazine restaurant critic Joy Manning recently published "Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet," says the health and environmental impacts of eating so much meat prompted her and Manning to create a guide to eating less meat. "We've read an alarming number of alarming reports on what's happening," Mataraza Desmond says.

Historically, meat was a splurge in America, Mataraza Desmond says. "Other cultures have been very focused on vegetables and greens and food that are indigenous to their land."

Manning says other ethnic cuisines that don't have a meat-centric diet helped inspire some of the dishes in the book. "Many of them are much better than us at cooking with a moderate amount of meat," says Manning, a former vegetarian. "It is so limiting to think about cooking from a perspective of a giant slab of meat and a few vegetables on the side."

For meals that contain meat, the recommended serving is 4 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards, far less than just about any serving of meat you'll find in a restaurant or on an average American dining table. Many of the recipes in "Almost Meatless" contain about 2 ounces of meat.

It's not just the amount of meat people eat, it's the type of meat, too. Studies have shown that grass-fed red meat is a leaner protein with higher levels of the beneficial fatty acids found in wild salmon. (Farm-raised salmon, however, are often fed a corn-based diet and antibiotics to combat the illnesses they develop when confined with millions of other fish.) There is also growing amount of research to support that eggs from free-range or pastured chickens have more vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids than factory-raised chickens.

Meat isn't the enemy, Mataraza Desmond says. "It's not about tricking people into thinking it has more meat ... It's about making meat a team player instead of the leader of the pack."

abroyles@statesman.com; 912-2504

Tips for using less meat

Don't build meals around meat. Start from vegetables and work toward your protein. 'The important thing is pairing meat with other spectacular ingredients,' says 'Almost Meatless' author Tara Mataraza Desmond.

Swap out some of the meat with other ingredients, such as tofu, mushrooms, beans and grains, that absorb flavors.

In 'Almost Meatless,' the authors list so-called 'power players,' or ingredients that pack a punch of flavors in a little amount. Their list includes tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, Gouda cheese, caramelized onions, chilies, chipotles in adobo sauce, lemon, avocado, vinegars, dark sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, miso, cured and smoked meats, stocks made of meat and bones, dashi (fish broth), kombu (seaweed), anchovies, fish or oyster sauce.

Make your own stocks and broths. Besides utilizing every part of the animal and reducing waste, homemade stocks and broths are more flavorful than store-bought. Even without a lot of meat, you use a liquid that is full of natural flavor, Manning says.

Use cheaper cuts of meats such as chicken thighs, ox tail and pork shoulder, which often have more flavor than their more expensive counterparts.

Rethink salad. Instead of serving a few pieces of lettuce as a side dish, slice a steak or chicken and serve it over a big bowl of greens. Top with a homemade vinaigrette (3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar, mixed with garlic, salt, pepper, mustard or any other flavors you like).

Buy less meat and you'll be forced to work with what you have.

When eating out with someone, share one meat-heavy entrée and one dinner salad.

RECIPES

Eggplant and Chicken Puttanesca Stacks

2 eggplants (about 1 lb. each), cut into 1/2-inch slices

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup (2 oz.) panko bread crumbs

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 to 6 oz. each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour (use the flour that remains after breading the eggplant)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

For sauce and filling

1/2 cup white wine

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp.)

3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, chopped, or 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste

1/4 tsp. dried chile flakes

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives (about 10 olives or 1.5 oz.), chopped

1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes, or 1 lb. plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss eggplant with 2 tsp. salt and let sit in a colander placed over a bowl for about 20 minutes. Pat each piece dry, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. pepper, and proceed with breading.

Put flour, eggs and panko in separate shallow bowls. First, dip an eggplant slice in the flour, shaking off the excess. Next, coat the floured slice with egg, letting the extra run off. Finally, dredge the eggplant slice in the panko. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, fry the eggplant slices for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer the eggplant to the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the slices over and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.

Prepare the chicken while the eggplant is in the oven. Pound each breast to 1/4-inch thickness with the smooth side of a meat mallet. Cut each breast into thirds and season the pieces with salt and pepper. Coat each piece in flour and shake off any excess. Wipe the sauté pan clean of remaining breadcrumbs and heat the olive oil in it over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté the chicken pieces for about 1 minute on each side, or until lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover to keep warm.

To prepare the sauce, pour wine into pan to deglaze, scraping the bits from the bottom. Add garlic, anchovies and chile flakes and sauté for 30 seconds.

Stir in the stock, olives, tomatoes, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of the parsley, and add the chicken back into the pan. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer while the eggplant finishes baking. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

To prepare filling, mix cheese, remaining 1/4 cup parsley, lemon zest, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper together in a small bowl. When eggplant is done, create stacks. Start with one slice of eggplant, top with a dollop of cheese and then one piece of chicken. Top each stack with a piece of eggplant. If desired, spoon some remaining sauce and cheese on top of each stack and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

— 'Almost Meatless' by Tara Mataraza Desmond and Joy Manning

The B4 (Beef Bulghur Bean Burger)

1 cup dried black beans, cooked, or 1 (15-oz.) can, drained and rinsed

1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

3 scallions, white and green parts, minced

1 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard

1 cup chicken stock or water

1/2 cup coarse- or medium-grind bulghur wheat

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

8 oz. ground beef

6 hamburger buns (whole grain recommended)

Fixings of your choice, such as lettuce, sliced tomato and sliced onion

Preheat the grill to medium-high and lightly oil the grates. Pulse beans, garlic paste, scallions and mustard several times in a food processor until a chunky paste forms. (Alternatively, mash the beans and the other ingredients well with a fork or potato masher.) Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in bulgur wheat, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, or to taste, and let cool slightly. Add egg, bulghur wheat and beef to bean mixture and stir to combine ingredients. Form into 6 equal patties, about 4 ounces and 1/2 inch thick each. You can make 4 jumbo burgers (6 ounces each) or 10 sliders (2.5 ounces each).

Grill burgers over a medium-high flame for about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer from grill to hamburger buns and top with your favorite fixings. Alternatively, burgers can be pan-fried over medium-high heat in a lightly oiled nonstick pan. Serves 6.

Note: There are myriad ways to cut down on the beef in your burger. Our burger incorporates bulghur to boost fiber and cut some beef. A half turkey, half beef sandwich would likely fool your dinner guests. Tofu also would mesh well with all but the leanest ground beef. Minced mushrooms and even shredded beets have an earthy quality that's a natural fit in burgers. Moisture from vegetables also can keep patties from drying out on the grill. Some swear by surprise secret ingredients like cherries, nuts or grated apples. Experiment, and you just might discover a new mix that is not only better for you but tastier, too.

— 'Almost Meatless' by Tara Mataraza Desmond and Joy Manning

Shepherd's Pie

1 1-lb. lamb shank

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 large shallots, sliced into 1/8-inch rings

1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

11/2 cups dry red wine

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)

1 cup frozen lima beans

13/4 cups beef stock

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

3 large russet potatoes (2 lb. total)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare stew, season lamb shank with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lamb shank, browning on all sides, for a total of about 10 minutes. Remove shank and set aside.

Add shallots, onion and garlic to pot and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of wine and simmer until most of the liquid is gone. Stir in carrots and lima beans and then return shank to the pot. Add remaining 1 cup wine and stock along with thyme and bay leaf. Cover pot, tilting lid up just a crack, and transfer to the middle rack in the oven for 11/2 hours.

To prepare potato topping, poke steam holes all over each potato and bake for 1 hour in the same oven while the lamb braises. After 1 hour, remove potatoes from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Cut each in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add the sour cream and milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mash potatoes by hand, or use a mixer for a smoother consistency. Set aside.

Remove the pot from oven and transfer shank to a plate. When cool enough to handle, shred meat from the bone with two forks. Return meat to the sauce and vegetables in the pot and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

To assemble, pour lamb and vegetable mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Spread mashed potatoes over the top. Bake pie for 20 minutes, or until top begins to turn golden brown. Let pie sit for 5 minutes and then scoop servings onto plates or wide shallow bowls.

Note: Potato skins are full of good flavor and are perfect for sopping up the thick, hearty sauce from the stew of this pie. After scraping the potato from the skins, put them on a rimmed baking sheet alongside the pie for the last 15-20 minutes in the oven. Serve pieces of the crispy skins underneath a helping of the stew or on the side for mopping up what's left on the plate when you're through. Serves 4 to 6.

— 'Almost Meatless' by Tara Mataraza Desmond and Joy Manning