Existential Veal Crisis
how I made peace with the Mr. Rare Meats of the world
At 16 I watched a documentary. This was not something I did often, hardly ever. I had a lot of responsibility on my mind and gravitated toward comedic escapist films instead.
But on this Sunday afternoon I found myself flipping channels and landing on a documentary. It was about our system of meat and how it is made. “Young cows are held in a create so small they can’t move. This is how veal comes to us. How it is so soft in texture.” The cruelty in the images made me feel faint. I watched as much as I could of it.
I decided right then and there that I’d never eat veal and I’d complain if anyone at the table with me ever tried to eat it. Mom walked in with grocery bags and I boldly told her veal would never again be allowed in this house and she better throw it out if she bought it! “OK dear” is all she said.
I stared at those white plastic bags she was carrying with horror and pulled my dog close to me for a hug. She yelped and backed away. I was having a full blown existential crisis, a veal crisis, and she was more concerned with seeing what food was coming into the house.
“What are we doing? That’s animals in pieces in those bags! Why do we have to eat? What cruel god designed things this way?” Mom didn’t hear me and the dog ran to follow her into the kitchen. “Animals eat animals too. What is it all for? This is such a cruel world.” I sat on the couch for an hour, everyone running around playing and eating. “What’s wrong with Vickie?” they asked each other. I ignored them all.
I am proud to say I never ate veal in all of my years, no one ever ordered it at my table, and my mom never cooked it again. I think there were two times when out with a large party at a restaurant where I spoke up about it. I did so preemptively. “Oh my god veal is on the menu! It is so cruel what they do to the cow” It was a covert dare I threw on the table - go ahead and order veal now. Enjoy the guilt for the next two hours with every bite.
No one ever did.
I didn’t feel righteous at all. I was genuinely empathic toward those poor cows. Imagine not being able to stand or move 24/7/365….. seriously IMAGINE IT!
Since I wasn’t making the food choices back then, from the school cafeteria to teen hangouts to home, I managed to train myself to look at meat as something far removed from an animal being. There were no ‘humane pasture raised’ options to choose from back then and we probably couldn’t afford it for a large family anyway.
Since then I gave up beef as well. I tried to eat lamb once and it felt so much like muscle flesh to me I couldn’t eat it.
On one occasion six of my friends and I were at a restaurant when the waiter came over and said “The specials tonight include a rack of lamb with mint jelly prepared expertly by our master chef; and a veal served with a decadent and creamy white sauce which is all the rage this week.”
“Rage? I find it cruel sir.” I said calmly.
The waiter was confused “The chef?”
“No the veal. It is cruel.”
Then my ex stepped in “I think we need a few more minutes to decide and maybe a bottle of wine.”
Then a woman at the table across from us smiled at me as she put. a. bite. of. veal. in her mouth and made a “yum” face.
I was like Tyler Perry’s Madea, clutching my chest. “Ohhhh".
The waiter walked up to another waiter and whispered with him as they both looked at me. I think they said something about adults eating from the children’s menu.
I looked at my ex “I’m not saying don’t eat meat, I’m just saying to be more conscious about your choices.”
The waiter came back to take our orders. He left me for last. Everyone ordered. Mostly pasta dishes. One man, a newbie who was with us only via recently dating a friend, ordered ‘a rare steak but he wanted the veal’. With all of the pasta orders I had no choice but to abstain from the free pasture raised chicken I wanted and order a pasta primavera instead.
Midway through the meal Mr. Rare Steak made some comment I can’t remember but I blurted out “It is made from the MALE calf you know. They are seen as trash.” But appealing to his sense of manhood didn’t do a thing. Note: Mr. Rare Steak was never seen again, obviously a confrontational person.
“Veal is the meat from a calf or young beef animal. A veal calf is raised until about 16 to 18 weeks of age, weighing up to 450 pounds. Male dairy calves are used in the veal industry. Dairy cows must give birth to continue producing milk, but male dairy calves are of little or no value to the dairy farmer.”1
My existential veal crisis ended when I came upon a Native American view of meat. It was then that I realized there wasn’t a cruel god that designed the world poorly, but cruel humans who choose to see things poorly. So I would just like us all to adopt a Native American view of meat.
“The natural world or environment was not viewed as separate or separable entities but as a whole that included humans and the other animals. As intelligent, thoughtful beings, they felt a moral responsibility to respect and care for the other elements of the natural world—including other animals. Many indigenous people believed and continue to believe that animals have spirits and that animals give their bodies to provide food, fur, and other materials for humans. The taking of an animal’s life was and is a sacred act (Indigenous Corporate Training, Inc., 2016)”2
Into each life a little existential crisis must rain. This is how we change our perspective and make new choices that save our souls from ‘the way things have always been done’. If you never clutch your chest like Tyler Perry in Madea then what are you doing with your life? So what if you offend a waiter or the Mr. Rare Meats out there? ©
Recipe: Eggplant "Veal" with Mushroom Gravy
Nutritional Highlights:
Rich in fiber
Low in calories
Packed with antioxidants
Ingredients:
Eggplant: 1 medium (cut into 1-inch thick slices)
Olive oil: 2 tbsp
Mushrooms (sliced): 1 cup
Onion (finely chopped): 1 small
Garlic (minced): 2 cloves
Vegetable broth: 1 cup
Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
Cornstarch: 1 tsp (mixed with 1 tbsp water)
Fresh parsley: For garnish
Steps:
Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pan-fry or grill until tender and slightly golden on both sides. Remove and set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until softened.
Add vegetable broth and soy sauce, stirring well. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Mix in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy, cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
Spoon the mushroom gravy over the cooked eggplant slices and garnish with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread for a comforting meal.
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/veal-farm-table
https://www.globalfoodjustice.org/equity/indigenous-wisdom-and-the-sovereignty-to-eat-meat
Thanks for reading Zen Gal And The City! My name is D.r. Victoria Schmidt. In my books, I write about life, soul philosophy, and feminine enlightenment. Please consider subscribing today in order to support this witty exploration of being an awakened female in a modern city.