All along the roadside, there were sheep and goats penned, dreading Tuesday. They were not the only ones. Even though I am an complete and utter carnivore, I just like to see the meat on the plate. I don't like the very obvious reminders of where it came from. I guess the horses are the only ones that are safe.
Mum and I resolved to stay indoors for the morning when most of the killing is done, only venturing out into the garden in the afternoon.
Our caretaker went home to his village to see his parents and wish them "Iyi Bayramlar, Happy Holidays" He was away overnight. When he returned, the car was full to the gills with eggs, tomatoes, onions aubergines, peppers, watermelons, melons, honey, olive oil and two shoulders of lamb. I was presented with these and told to cook them. Just to be sure I checked...." This is lamb?" . "No, no it is even better it is goat!" "Dear God in Heaven, what am i going to do?" Why does my head have a problem with the idea of eating goat! why should it be any different to eating lamb or veal or chicken? But everything in me is resistant to eating goat. How will I cook it? Thinking I might escape I pleaded no room in my fridge.
It seemed I was expected to empty the car and sort out all the vegetables. While I knew I wouldn't have to buy much for the next couple of weeks he was told I was not a Turkish woman and most certainly wasn't his wife!
He pleaded extreme tiredness was after his trip. He had gone home and visited all his family and friends and got very little sleep. And when you know the Turks, you will know that if they are tired or have a cold, they usually seem like they are one step from the grave. Major drama queens! So I relented.....a little.....and helped him with what needed to be put away immediately. He could haul the enormous watermelons the next day. The goat went to his house. The sooner this man finds a wife the better.
The next day, he arrived at my door with a very pleased look on his face. "Look what I've done," he exclaimed, and handed me a huge bag of mince. There must have been 3 kilos of it. "Oh oh, the goat is back," I thought. But at least this time it is minced.
He told me it was beef and lamb and goat mixed together. Now if have often made köfte, Turkish meatballs using a mixture of lamb and beef but never before with goat. I'll just add lots of spices and hopefully it will disguise the goat. Pity he told me or I would have eaten them quite happily and never known the difference. So the mince had to be divided onto small packets to be frozen so he could cook it with pasta at a later date and I was left with half of it to make the meatballs.
It was then he produced another packet of meat, "biftek, beefsteak," he announced happily. The butcher had boned it. I must have made a mistake yesterday, I thought it was all goat he had brought back. "Biftek?" I asked smiling. "Like biftek, the butcher said," he answered" It's good meat, it's goat."
There was no escaping my destiny! So this morning, I trimmed, cut and diced the goat and it is bubbling happily on the cooker. Guess what is on the menu this evening? If there are further blog posts you will know I have survived the experience, if not well that will be a story for someone else to tell.
And of course, then there was the mince, my freezer is now full of beef/lamb/goat meatballs. You've got to be kidding!
Afiyet olsun.
