Show x 4D Tuesday January 26 1 Food 999 Standard-Examine- r Scottish treat sheep’s misfortune Haggis made of ground organ meat may simply be glorified meat loaf By BILL DURYEA St Petersburg Times aggis the dish of ground organ meat and oats boiled in a sheep's stomach is a subject of perverse national pride for the Scots They have sustained its popularity over 600 years One haggis purveyor in Edinburgh finds a ready market for five tons of haggis each day around this time of year Haggis ingredients are simple: sheep's heart sheep's liver or rolled sheep's lungs steel-cu- t oats onion salt and pepper all packed inside a sheep’s stomach Locating the heart and soul of the recipe - those nasty meaty bits - would take sleuthing My first calls were to meat markets were unsuccessful One butcher acted upset that I might think him capable of selling such items I sought advice from the only expert I know Bob Mellis the Scotsman turned American newspaperman who had served me my only haggis a decade ago He said he had used beef casings as a viable substitute for the sheep's paunch Don’t use pig stomach he said it doesn't hold well ’ I had no luck though when went to a packing house where I cattle are slaughtered (I realize that I've probably long since lost any vegetarian readers but my search however grisly was done in the pure spirit of inquiry) I finally bought an oven bag the kind of roomy plastic pouch you can cook a turkey in One recipe on the Internet included ground lamb but all d else was - boneless brisket calfs liver beef heart and beef suet (the fat that surrounds the kidneys) I abandoned the search for the heart and settled for what I could lay my hands on When chopped them and simmered together these meats leave an overwhelmingly gray and lifeless effect But with a load of onion and salt and pepper mixed in it has some punch The recipe I followed had me reserve the fatty juice then mix in the oats and suet before returning some of the juice and packing it into the cooking bag Some instinct of told me to use a third of the fat and move on As I filled the bag the haggis’ consistency resembled the grainy texture of a Power Bar No doubt haggis served a similar purpose for Scottish farmers who needed a little energy boost before hurling stones out of their fields I left ample room in the bag to accommodate the expanding oats Just to be safe I pricked a few holes in it to prevent an explosion “It will be an ugly beef-derive- thing should that occur” Bob had told me As I waited for the haggis to cook I boiled some turnips and potatoes the “neeps and tatties” that along with Scotch whisky are served at a haggis dinner My wife Alliston insisted on holding a salad in reserve just in case our guests bridled I told her she had to keep the bowl on another table We dimmed the lights cued the bagpipe music and brought the haggis out on a pillow which is a part of the tradition I don’t understand My haggis could have walked out on its own I read Robert Bums’ poem “Address to a Haggis” butchering the dialect as vigorously as I had hacked at the meat earlier I slashed open the bag at the moment where the poet exclaims: “His knife see rustic labour dight An cut you up wi’ ready sleight trenching your gushing entrails bright” Bums who could not have been a bigger fan of haggis wrote "Oh what a glorious rich” Our sight warm-reekiguests were somewhat less awed but they liked the Scotch Everyone tasted the haggis (I learned that there is no such thing as too small a portion) and no one seemed visibly repulsed I was the only one who had seconds To me haggis is a heartier version of American meat loaf Later clearing the dishes I noticed haggis remnants on every plate Nobody had left any salad This recipe is a variation of one I found on the Internet: Haggis 1 pound boneless beef brisket 1 1 12 pounds ground lamb I pound calves liver 13 pound beef suet minced 1 large onion 3 12 cups steel-c- ut Energy Saving oats natural gas NATURAL 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons pepper 1 large oven bag Coarsely chop brisket and onion Add to ground lamb and place in large saucepan Cover with water Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes While it is simmering coarsely chop the liver Add the liver and simmer an additional 30 minutes Pour off liquid and reserve Mince the cooked meat as finely as possible and place in a large bowl Mix in one at a time the oats the minced suet salt and pepper Pour in reserved liquid until the mixture is moist but still firm Spoon the mixture into the bag leaving room for the oats to expand Tie off the bag and prick several holes in the top just as you would do to the sheep’s stomach to prevent it bursting You can either put the bag in the top of a steamer or place it directly in the boiling water Cook it for about 1 12 hours Depending on appetites this recipe could serve dozens FURNACES low interest bTdesign FINANCING! With the only LENNOX Five Star Dealer offering plumbing heating air conditioning & electrical jONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT With These Two Men Working For You Can Count On Quality & Value You Local 5 Dealer OGDEN 771-885- DAVIS COUNTY 6 544-448- 0 For 24 Hour Service Call Convenience the main key in today’s food industry The Washington Post Low cholesterol? mind This year it comes to new' product development three of the most important words to the food industry will be convenient convenient and convenient Yogurt that comes in a squeezable tube With Yoplait’s new yogurt there’s no need for a spoon Just squeeze eat and drive Cold cereal already in the bowl with boxed milk and spoon included With Kellogg's Breakfast Mates kids can “make” their own morning meal while Mom puts on her pantyhose Soup-to-g- o at kiosks in airports currently in development by Campbell Soup Co No word yet on the logistics (wide-mout- h straws?) but it’s all elTort to part of a make branded processed foods available “any time anywhere” “There isn’t a major food manufacturer out there who isn’t concentrating on convenience” says Gene Grabowski spokesman for the of America “Fat was a temporary diversion” says Harry Balzcr vice president of the NPD Group a market research firm “The flash point for the industry is 'How can I make it easy for people to eat my food?' ” Of course making food easier to eat is nothing new In 1876 when Henry Heinz introduced bottled ketchup an ad declared it to be “for the blessed relief of Mother and other women of the ? Low-fat- T test-mark- et food-indust- Grocery-Manufacturer- s household” So while the types of foods we’re eating haven't really changed over the years their form and preparation have Balzer likes to point out Think tea (now Think pancakes (now frozen and microwavable) Think salad (in bags) Practically every food version category has a short-cu- t Philosophical conclusions aside it says something very simple to marketers “Consumers will respond to anything that helps save them a little time” says John Barrows spokesman for Nabisco In the coming year that will translate to a few kinds of o products Among them: More foods you can eat with one hand or buy in single servings Iynn Dornbiaser editor and publisher of New Product News predicts even more "hand-hel- d breakfast things” such as Pillsbury's Toaster Strudels and Chef America's Toaster Melts Even milk is making a rcady-to-drin- There s never been a better time to get with U S WESTnet Because right now when you order we’ll boxes even your first month of service Absolutely free give you a 56k modem (a $149 value) two And if you need any help we have friendly knowledgeable staff available 24 hours a day 7 days a week So what are you waiting for? Call today and let us put you on the Internet Hurry Offer ends 31 1999 on-li- ne ail January or order Call on-lin- e at wwwuswestcomordernow grab-and-g- hand-hel- d life's better here single-serv- e comeback Cream O'Weber s Chugs - milk in small sporty plastic bottles with twist-to- p caps - easily fit into car says the company No wonder the snack market is growing at twice the rate of the overall US food industry cup-holde- rs -- - Td ( - c r v Tyt prw— T zf’ bj i V 3 1 JC: tm r i T r T’l j S WIST POOR |