My beef with beef cheeks

In spite of plethora of research on the horrors of carnivorism, I must admit that I do indeed eat meat. I admire my vegetarian friends more than you could imagine, and I envision that one day maybe I, too, will be able to go meat-free. But until then, I will continue to savor hamburgers, ribs and the occasional steak, grilled to perfection by my Texan boyfriend.

However, I feel that I have to draw the line at some of the beastly animal parts I have been asked to eat at fancy winemaker dinners as of late.

Over the last three months, I have been lucky enough to attend winemaker dinners at two great establishments in town: Seghesio, L’Aventure and Leal at The Wine Vault, and Saxon Brown at The Wine Sellar & Brasserie. These dinners are a great opportunity to meet the people behind your favorite wines, learn about their production and distribution, and try a variety of varietals that you might not otherwise have had access to.

The real joy in these dinners is that the chefs prepare a menu that is, in theory, perfectly paired with the wine they are serving. However, every single one of these dinners has included at least three meat products that I cannot touch no matter how hard I try. The offending fare?

• Duck Confit: Granted, a duck leg is not the grossest thing I can imagine (that comes later), but consider the preparation listed on Wikipedia: “The confit is prepared in a centuries-old process of preservation that consists of salt curing a piece of meat (generally goose, duck, or pork) and then poaching it in its own fat.” Yum. Sign me up. Really, nothing could sound more appetizing than a piece of poultry boiled in its own fat.

• Pork Belly: Many people, especially in other parts of the world, consider this to be a delicacy. I do not count myself among them. It looks like a casserole layered with fat, skin and rubber. While I can admit that it tastes alright, and that it pairs well with both Pinot and Chardonnay, I just can’t stomach it (pun fully intended). Plus, it is sometimes served crispy – can any of you jump that mental hurdle?

• Beef cheeks: I spent a good deal of my rural upbringing admiring cows and their elaborate seven-stomach system, but I was especially enamored of their patience and fortitude as they chewed the same piece of cud for hours and hours on end. Fast forward to my first healthy portion of beef cheek, and all I can think about is how happy those cheeks once were munching that grass to a pulp…

For whatever reason, I don’t have the same mental checks over the rest of my meat-eating experiences. And I am somewhat disappointed in myself that I don’t love these things at all, because until the first encounter I was sort of convinced that I was Anthony Bourdain in another lifetime, and that guy will eat anything. I guess that everyone has to learn to accept their faults, so I will have to accept mine – by requesting the vegetarian menu at all future winemaker dinners.