Eating at Various Elevations of the Hog

How high off the hog are you eating?

Creative Commons: stu_spivack

I’m not a great one for fancy foods. I’m pretty much a meat and potatoes guy, but the meat I’ve eaten over the years isn’t exactly prime cut. To be specific, I’ve eaten a lot of tripe meats. Some are definitely better than others.

When I was growing up, I saw my dad ate certain low-grade food, and I would try to imitate him. In part, because I wanted to be like dad, and also because there wasn’t anything else in the house to eat. Let me share my experiences with you. That way you can make the best use of your food stamp dollar.

Eating low off the hog

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Eating high off the hog.” That phrase originates from the rich being able to eat the choice parts of hogs, which are located higher on the animal. As for the Lamberts, we were eating pretty much at the ground level of the hog.

My dad loved pigs feet. I tried it and didn’t share his enthusiasm. It seemed like I was eating pure fat, but I’m not quite sure what that substance was. I didn’t think pigs would have fat around their feet, but I’m not sure. There might have been a miniscule amount of meat there somewhere, but the effort vs. reward just didn’t work for me.

I do believe that pigs feet could be used in lieu of super glue. I was amazed at how sticky my hands and face were after attempting to eat pigs feet.

Then there is pickled pigs feet. They sure look appetizing in that jar, but not enough to make me try them. The combination of pigs feet and vinegar just didn’t appeal to me.

Then there is eating too high on the hog

In addition to eating at ground level on the hog, there is such a thing as eating too high on the hog. Head cheese is an example of that. My dad also liked head cheese, but it looked so nasty, I couldn’t even give it a chance. It basically looked like chunks of a meat like substance bound together by gelatin. Yum yum.

I’m not a meat snob

I’ve eaten many a tripe meat. I’ve even eaten potted me on various occasions. Usually when I’m really broke, but with enough mayo, it was doable.

However, I consider Vienna Sausages the Cadillac of the tripe meats. I have about 12 cans in my pantry right now. Besides, with the name Vienna in the name, that immediately classes them.

How do you feel about tripe meats?

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