In The Kitchen - March 24th

By Chef Moreno & Cinzia Miotto

I’m so hungry I can eat a horse!

Ever wonder where that phrase came from?

Horse meat was a staple in many households in Europe 50 or more years ago and still is very popular in many parts of the worl.

It was often brought home when someone needed more iron in their diet (you may have heard your grandmother talk about a shot of cod liver oil-that was also used as an iron supplement.)

Horse meat is very tender and buttery in texture, if I prepared horse, most people wouldn’t know the difference between it and beef. It does however have a slight sweetness to it.

You can pretty much butcher a horse like a cow with many of the same cuts but the most popular are the tenderloin, rib-eye, flank, stew and liver.

You may be surprised to know that Canada is the largest supplier of horse meat for human consumption in the world. We export all over the world. Most of the horses for human consumption are raised in Manitoba. Ideal age for butchering is 9-12 years old. The largest consumers of horse meat are Japan, Italy and France. If you happen to be in one of those countries I recommend trying horse, but it’s worth your while to do your research and locate a restaurant that specializes in horse.

In Japan you’ll find horse sashimi. In Italy and France you’re more likely to find grilled steaks or braised stew. When you order steak make sure it’s rare or medium rare, if it’s overcooked the meat is very dry because it’s so lean.

In April 2005 I cooked a 10 course dinner at Bis Moreno Restaurant in Vancouver in conjunction with the Vancouver Playhouse wine festival and I featured horse tenderloin as the main course. The restaurant was sold out for the dinner months in advance and I intentionally kept the menu a surprise.

I thought there was going to be more of a backlash when the horse came out but to my delight everybody was very receptive with the exception of one person (I later found out that she had horses for pets all of her life-I assured her that probably tonight’s horse was not one of those.)

Alex Gill the food writer for the Globe and Mail was also in attendance that evening and praised the dinner and was quoted as saying that Bis Moreno Restaurant was one of the most progressive Italian restaurants in the country.

That evening I felt I had achieved everything a chef should-

1) cooking with no boundaries

2) introducing a new dish to a captive audience that they may have not tried

3) making no excuses for your passion in the kitchen.

Today’s recipe is Grilled Horse Tenderloin.

Recipe:

-marinate horse tenderloin or rib-eye in red wine, add cut celery, carrots and onion let sit over night in cooler

-remove from marinade, season with salt, pepper and a little fresh rosemary

-place on hot grill and cook until rare or medium rare. Do not over cook or it will be dry and unpleasant.

-serve with your favorite vegetable

-I wouldn’t serve a sauce because you won’t taste the horse (it has a very delicate flavor.)

Your local butcher should be able to procure horse meat for you.

Buon Appetito.

Cinzia’s wine suggestion: A B.C. reserve Merlot or an Amarone from the Veneto, Italy.

Chef Moreno and Cinzia Miotto are owners of the award winning White Goose Bistro in Prince George, offering fine Italian and French food in a casual setting.

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