I stood over the sink washing up after devouring this week’s meat. I started to think of what I’ll write about this week, apart from the obvious that is the meat I had just eaten.

How to start these posts is something I either put very little or no thought into prior to literally typing the week at the top of the page and getting into it. So when I actually thought of something awesome to start this post with while scrubbing dishes I was pretty pleased with myself; “Yes! That’s awesome, I’ll have to write that down. I’ll just finish up here….”

Now I must warn that at this stage I had had a couple of beers with a mate pre dinner and a couple of glasses of red wine with dinner. (‘With dinner’ definition: during the cooking process, the eating  of and lazing about afterwards in the week 38 meat glow.)

This clearly affected me, as by the time I finished washing up the brilliance had gone. Completely. No matter how much I tried to concentrate, over the TV and stereo, I just couldn’t bring the awesomeness back to mind.

And so here we are, a start that essentially sets the scene for week 38; a lonely dinner for one…

 

Of course I wasn’t really lonely. In fact it was quite enjoyable doing the weeks meat just for me. Not that I don’t love having NN in attendance normally, this just made for a different challenge. No sous chef and charming company, just my own slightly boozed self for cooking and entertainment.

(It’s at this stage I’ll point out that I don’t really drink that much these days, so two beers and 2 wines winding down at the end of the week is enough to clearly make me forget noteworthy story telling ideas. Just saying)

What’s the point in all this?

Well, you may recall last week when I spoke about how much of a trial it had been. Highs and lows of epic proportions, bottoming out around mid week honestly thinking that this was it, I won’t complete this challenge. But my drive to achieve, to set an example of working through the tough times and put in the hard work exactly when it is most desirable not to, is what pushed me through.

And I can very (slightly) euphorically (and red wine fuelled) say that this week has been a galaxy away from that.

 

What a difference a week makes!

All my hard work from last week paid in spades. And meat, more specifically! I am now flush. “I’m full up mate!” I am currently more organised than I have been all year, with meat set for a few weeks yet! It doesn’t see me right through until the 31^st of December, but I’m in a strong position for a while and I am back on top of this 52 meats thing, brimming with confidence and ready for the next challenge.

This comes back to one of the impressions I want to make on people; sometimes the things we strive for  aren’t easy. They can seem impossible, a long, dark tunnel, void of light. However, with some faith, dedication, purpose, patience and simple hard work, they can be achieved.

After all, impossible is just the negative remix of something far more powerful:

I’m possible

See what I did there?

Whatever your ‘I’m’ is. For me currently it’s 52 meats in 52 weeks, among other things. For you it may be completing a ridiculous event such as Tough Mudder like NN, dropping 5% body fat, or waking up each day feeling your age, not 10 years older, lethargic, and tired with sore joints and little motivation to even get out of bed.

Before I forget, one of the other impressions I want to make- showing that being healthy, lean, fit, strong and (if I do say so myself) ripped, doesn’t have to be some mythical ‘yellow brick road’, but a realistic way to live, with the right information and lifestyle choices you actually hold the keys, right team?

 

Being so damn prepared all of a sudden, what did I cook?

Ah, yes, that part of the blog… Well, like I said, I now have a few ‘meats up my sleeve’, as it were.

Some a lot bigger than others, so it basically just required picking one.

One with heaps of available puns! So I got over that hump, and chose wisely.

This week I think I’ll eat some Camel.

Camel strip loin to be precise. I had two small steaks thawing out on Friday with that night set as the designated meal time. I put my thinking cap on and came up with a Moroccan theme. It seemed appropriate, what with all the desert there and all.

Even better was the reality of a quick meal; “let’s just make a Moroccan couscous and marinade for the meat, that’ll be quick as” (please make sure you re-read that in a think Kiwi accent. See below).

It wasn’t quick as. As you may remember, I was in the company of red wine. This led me to find two reasonably elaborate recipes and merge them into my own Moroccan couscous extreme.

But Mike, isn’t Couscous less than desirable?

Yep, it is. Normally I wouldn’t really go there and I’d use quinoa instead, but this was an evening for a more relaxed approach (see above alcohol consumption), and a more authentic result. Hence the couscous.

I took my time, getting all the spices prepared, mixing, cooking, heating things here and grinding things there, until eventually I had a delightful looking and smelling pot full of Moroccan couscous extreme, and it was time to cook some camel! Meat, not hoof.

Spot the hoof…

What had I done to the camel meat?

I made a simple marinade of ground cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and rock salt. I grated in some lemon zest and the squeezed in the juice to form a paste. Once mixed I added the meat and this rested for a couple of hours (while I had beers. Did I mention that?).

There was nearly as much fat on these cuts as there was meat, so I left that on during the cooking then once the meat was rested and I attempted to make the dish look like a hump, I removed it.

How was the camel?

Ahhh, so-so. The flavours that had now infused into the meat were beautiful. However, the meat itself was a bit on the tough side. The couscous creation was fantastic, or “f**ken awesome” were the actual words I used when describing to NN after eating. Says it all really.

I was slightly perplexed by the meat; I mean there didn’t really seem to be much else that could have prevented it being tough. Perhaps that’s just the way it is.

However, when it comes to the nutritional content of camel meat, it is in fact reasonably similar to beef; a great source of protein, as well as iron, calcium, phosphorous and B vitamins, while generally having a more prolific amino acid profile, making it a very good choice if you are considering trying it. Just ensure you don’t overcook it.

So, should you try it? I’m going to say yes, it was certainly worth a try and I can see how some of the more tender cuts would be delicious. Plus, as I clearly advocate, variety is the spice of life, and crucial to a well rounded and healthy diet.

Don’t think we should eat camel meat? Well I’ll simply point you in the direction of my horse post. This explains my take on taboo meats. I’d love your feedback.

And that’s another week down. A slightly different one, what with going at it alone. And the booze. Man’s not a camel, right? Ahhhh…. thankyou.

It would appear that Alice may, after all, have no humps. Whoever the f**k Alice is anyway.

BOOM!!

 

See you next time.