Incoherent Scribblings

Carnivore Heaven

At least something good came out of my sleepless night. When A. got home yesterday he decided that I was too tired to cook and offered to take me out to dinner.

At first I didn’t think it was too special of an offer. After all, we go out to dinner about once a week. But since we live in a small “suburb” north of Munich-proper, we normally just eat around here and either visit the Italian restaurant next door or the Greek restaurant near where A. works. There is also a very tasty Indian restaurant that we love that is in downtown Munich, but we usually only go there on the weekend.

So, last night when A. mentioned that he would take me out to eat I was already deciding what to get at the Greek restaurant when he announced that he had made reservations at a steakhouse downtown! Mmm… Steak! I hadn’t had a really good steak since we had left America nearly three years ago.

Wow! Nearly three years since I had had a good steak and I claim to be a carnivore? Well, yes and let me tell you why: Because, over all, beef in Germany sucks!

As we all know, I come from an area in the United States where we raise beef cattle and I assure you, I know what proper beef is supposed to taste like… and believe you me, German beef just doesn’t taste right!

I think the problem with German beef is that they don’t raise the proper cattle here. They mostly raise dairy cows and the offspring of those dairy cattle that can’t produce milk (a.k.a. the males) are sent off to become the hamburger or steaks on your table. Now, I don’t know a lot about farming, and even less about beef cattle farming, but I think I can say with a fair amount of certainty that dairy cows are meant for milk, not hamburger.

In Germany if you go to a restaurant that offers beef, it is important to make sure that the menu specifies that the beef comes from South America (usually Argentina); otherwise a true beef aficionado will be sorely disappointed. Though A. had lived in Germany most of his life, he never ate much beef before coming to America and therefore when we first came to Germany we did not know that “proper” beef in Germany is imported from South America.

We had been in Germany for about a month and were really craving a juicy steak. We decided to try out a “steak”house recommended by his mother and ended up being quite disappointed. (I know now that the fact that his mother recommended it should have been the first sign of trouble, but I didn’t know his mother so well then.) Both steaks were quite small and overcooked; we had to order our French fries extra, request our ketchup, and didn’t even get a salad.

Of course part of the problem was since we were expecting an American-style steakhouse, we didn’t think that those little things would be such a big deal. Now we are used to the small portions, the lack of condiments on the table, and the outrageously priced drinks. But at the time, we weren’t and so the fact that the steaks themselves were overcooked, stringy, and too fatty just made for an overall bad dining experience. As in America, steakhouses in Germany are not exactly the cheapest places to eat, so after our initial disappointment we steered clear of them, preferring to spend our money elsewhere.

And even in America where I could get “proper” beef at any supermarket, I have never really been able to suitably cook steak. Therefore, the result of this was that even though I can count the vegetables I like on one hand, am very proud of being a carnivore, and have always been a big fan of beef, I had not had a proper steak for nearly three years.

I was a little skeptical last night when A. told me about this steakhouse, but when he showed me the website where they proudly stated that their beef came from South America, I decided I was game. And let me tell you, I am so glad we went there!

First off, they had a non-smoking section. And as those of you who have eaten in restaurants in Germany know, that is a true rarity. In true European fashion the portions weren’t “American-style” large, but since I have come here my appetite has shrunk considerably and I honestly wondered if I would be able to eat all of that 180 gram (about 1/3 lb) steak. (I did!) Though our steaks didn’t come with a salad, they did come with a side dish and though I still use ketchup at home, I have gotten used to going without it at restaurants here. The steaks were cooked to perfection and didn’t have a gram of fat on them. We ate and drank so much that I was afraid A. would have to roll me home! But it was just SO damn good and I couldn’t get enough!

We will definitely be going back there when we need a tasty carnivorous fix!

(Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, the steakhouse is a chain here called Maredo Steak and I highly recommend it!)