My family and I got into a bit of a debate over lunch today. My brother, mom and I like to save the most delicious foods for last while my dad likes to eat his favourite first.
I want to hear from you guys. To maximize the PLEASURE of a meal, do you guys eat the favourite first or save the best for last and why.
Note: this is to max enjoyment not Nutrition considerations so things like prioritizing protein shouldn’t factor into the decision.
For me, I save the best for last because I like to “end on a high note” so to speak, but my dad made a good argument: by the time you save the best for last (or near last) you’re already almost full so the enjoyment is less
That might be good advice for a teenager. But how many times would you have to experience missing out on your favorite tasting foods because you ate too much of less favored foods, before you figured out the jumping off spot to start savoring those most delicious delicacies? If you’re a slow learner I would liked sharing the dinner table in your family.
I used to save the rib cap (the super tender meat on the outside) on my ribeyes for last, following the “best for last” idea. But then I got sick of it almost always being cold when I got to it, so I started eating it first. This way is better, but if I had a warmer at table side I would definitely eat the cap last, so I guess that’s my general philosophy.
That’s really the only time I can think of this being applicable. Otherwise there’s usually a logical progression since the awesomeness of some foods degrades significantly as they cool, and other foods (liked a baked potato) hold heat a lot better.
What I sometimes do is set apart anywhere between 25-50% of the best bit and eat that intermittently as I eat the rest of the food, and then eat the remaining best bit at the end for an unadulterated experience.
For me, part of the enjoyment in food is dependent on how hungry I am. So I eat my best items first (same logic as your dad). I used to save the best for last, but at least for me I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was fuller, and the best item was colder.
Especially if grilled, that strip of fat is like bacon on steroids. It is perhaps the best thing I eat on a regular basis. My wife won’t eat it (I would ridicule her, but I gain off of her foolish decision, so I’ll keep quiet), so I end up with a double portion of ribeye fat. There is absolutely no counting calories when it comes to fat on ribeyes. I eat the whole steak. I makes me sad seeing people eat a ribeye with a whole pile of the most delicious parts just going to the garbage.
As someone who loves odd parts (ie heads, offal) I understand your joy. The lack of market demand for such delicacies, at least in the US, makes delicious items ridiculously cheap. The knowledge of a good deal adds to the utility
It’s true that variety meats are often very cheap in the US, but a lot comes down to knowing how to cook them correctly. An expensive steak will taste best when cooked well, but will almost never be bad (unless you burn it horribly all the way through). Variety meats can be very delicious if cooked and seasoned correctly, but they can also taste terrible if you don’t prepare them correctly.
The salmon head at the Chinese mart here in Florida is less than $3/lb ($6/pack). I’ve gotten very good at roasting and my home roasted salmon head doesn’t taste that different from the ones I get at restaurants for 60-300 RMB (~8-40USD) nor are they any less fresh than the raw ones I get in Shanghai for twice the price
In the Shanghai wet market, I also get fish liver for free, which is a really really nice deal
On steaks I eat the best parts first. The crispy fatty rind, the cap on a rib eye, always first.
On the other hand- in order to be polite at different family and group functions I’ll eat those sucky things that someone makes and they’re so proud of but you know they absolutely suck-first in order to get them out of the way so that I can enjoy the rest of the meal.
“Oh, you really put down granny’s green bean and demon bile casserole in a hurry! Would you like some more?”.
“Oh, thank you, but I’m stuffed. My eyes were bigger than my stomach with that turkey…”.
When I was a kid (eons ago…), they used to practically give away the ox tail; now, if you consider how much actual meat you get, ox tail costs more than most pedestrian steaks LOL.