Taste of raw meat

[CarnivorousApe]

Hi guys,

Thank you, this is great forum. I've been reading it for quite a while but didn't quite understand - do you guys really enjoy the stuff?

I've tried it a couple of times and it just doesn't have a taste. I enjoy sashimi sometimes, but when eaten with soy sauce and wasabi. On its own fish is totally bland to me.

I just can't imagine myself enjoying it, comparing to cooked/cured options.

Does it come with experience? Would you guys really prefer raw meat if there were no health benefits to force you to do it?

[goodsamaritan]

Hi guys,

Thank you, this is great forum. I've been reading it for quite a while but didn't quite understand - do you guys really enjoy the stuff?

I've tried it a couple of times and it just doesn't have a taste. I enjoy sashimi sometimes, but when eaten with soy sauce and wasabi. On its on fish is totally bland to me.

I just can't imagine myself enjoying it, comparing to cooked/cured options.

Does it come with experience. Would you guys really prefer raw meat if there were no health benefits to force you to do it?

Yes I enjoy this "stuff".

I follow my taste buds and do not buy "stuff" that tastes bad.

You need to buy from many different suppliers and different animals and different parts.  Taste and taste and taste and taste.

I learned that grass fed beef tastes really great... and the factory farmed sucks.  Same with chicken.  I like lamb more than goat.  Beef bone marrow from new zealand rocks, generally soft bone marrow rocks.  Great liver tastes good. Kidneys I like in small quantities.  Same with brain.

There's an instincto thing in meat eating.

Some fish taste bad raw, some fish taste great raw. Great tasting fish for me are: blue marlin, malasugi and big eye tuna.

Oysters are awesome.  Clams too.  Sea urchin too.  Shrimp too.

Fertilized eggs always taste great: duck, goose, chicken.

Always buy the best and tastiest and have a good time.

(I wouldn't be raw paleo if raw food tasted bad.)

[CarnivorousApe]

Thanks goodsamaritan, you usually provide great information!

I totally love raw eggs. But it is strange thing with raw meat.. I enjoy cooked meat no matter where I get it (the fatter the better). Why it should be so complex with raw meat?

I can't say the meat I tried tasted bad though. It just didn't have a taste at all and had an unpleasant slimy texture. 

How did you start yourself? Did you enjoy raw meat right away or it took some time not only to get used to but to enjoy it?

Sorry, maybe my questions sound a bit strange but I really want to get down to the point. Logically, raw meat should taste great right away, kinda like raw fruits.

[goodsamaritan]

I followed Tyler's advice at the section for newbies:

http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/important-info-for-newbies/sticky-advice-for-newbies-wishing-to-slowly-ease-into-a-raw-animal-food-diet/

I've never had problems with sashimi grade fish.  I've loved sashimi since I was a child in Japanese restaurants. 

For any meat, red meat or fish, the important factor for me was sourcing.

Some sources taste better than others.

I seared my beef meat less and less.

Per side: 30 secs, then 25, then 20, then 15, then 10, then 5, then 0.

For my patients like my son or other people, I will condiment at first such as my beef barbecue recipe:

- raw wild honey
- calamansi / lemon
- salt
- pepper
- garlic

For fish I have ceviche with coconut milk:

- coconut milk
- lemon
- cut cucumbers
- wash fish cubes in vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste

[Iguana]

Fresh raw beef is rather tasteless for me. I enjoy aged meat and especially wild animals' meat, which has a stronger taste. The more aged it gets, the stronger the taste becomes.

[TylerDurden]

Everyone has a different experience re raw-meat and taste.  Long before I started a RVAF diet, I had completely lost any taste for cooked meats, finding them absolutely tasteless, which, I think , was my body's way of warning me against eating them. I subsequently found raw grassfed meats to be very bland, but I immediately liked the taste of raw wildcaught seafood. Like many RVAFers, it took me a few months before I started really enjoying the taste of most raw animal foods. I still don't like some raw fish like cod(well I liked it at the start but not after 6 months or so).


What I find amusing is the claim that cooked foods taste better, though. They don't. I mean, cooked-food-eaters routinely have to smother all their foods with extra sauces and other condiments like ketchup/mustard/salt etc. , which strongly suggests that the cooked foods are relatively tasteless. By contrast, raw wild game has a far richer taste than other kinds of foods, so much so that it took me some time to get used to it. Once I did adapt, I found I far preferred it to even raw, grassfed meats.

[intrigued]

I'll dig a little further there and say that on top of the sauces/condiments, if you get a cooked steak, it's most likely going to be seasoned with a bare minimum of salt/pepper.

I'm not jumping in yet, but I did find when I tried it I liked raw beef straight moreso than with all the crazy addings to try to make it taste good (as steak tartare).  The egg with it was pretty good though.  On the other hand the more I have sushi/sashimi the more often I pretty much find myself skipping the soy/wasabi.  I really like the subtle flavors the fish has on its own and feel like it's a waste to drown it in all that sauce.

It sounds like others have already posted some great ideas on how to acquire the taste slowly, though.

[cherimoya_kid]

The best-tasting raw animal foods (to me) are soft bone marrow, fatty tuna, sea bass, escolar, amberjack  (basically fatty fishof any kind), scallops, sea urchin, pig fat, and some raw dairy.

Yes, I do love all those foods for the taste.  I crave fatty tuna and escolar and soft bone marrow. I can't get enough of them.

[Lynnzard]

From the time I was a little kid, the only way I really wanted steak was as rare as I could get it. I used to get in trouble for sneaking little pieces raw from the chopping block, fortunately in the days before factory farming was the big thing, so I don't think I was eating crap.

I had my first sushi when I was 13. From that point forward, I always preferred raw fish to cooked. The fatty fish in particular, salmon, mackerel, yellow tail. Couldn't get enough of. Still can't. I've always preferred raw oysters to cooked. Raw shrimp when it's fresh enough. It's very sweet. Sea urchin is my favorite of all.

I've completely taken to raw meat. It tastes delicious to me. Organ meat, muscle meat. I love soft fat and soft bone marrow. Liver. Tongue. I've had beef, bison, elk, lamb, venison, and rabbit raw so far. Of those I liked the lamb best. I'm trying my best right now to find some duck. I think finding good sources of the meat is imperative if flavor is important for you. To me, fresh is better than frozen, but I'll eat frozen when I can't get it fresh.

Searching for better health might have been the impetus behind my discovery that people can and do regularly consume raw meat without succumbing to disease and parasites, all the scare tactics we're taught from the days of very poor husbandry and handling, but I don't feel in the least deprived or sad that I no longer eat cooked meat. I never liked it as much as raw. I also find I don't care for any condiments or flavorings to go along with my meat. I want it as is.

[Rawr]

I enjoy cooked meat ... Why it should be so complex with raw meat?

1. With raw meat, people usually don't realize well enough that cooked meat is practically always eaten with added salt/spices/sauces/other stuff. Therefore it has to have more taste.

Have you ever eaten cooked meat that was never "flavor enhanced" with anything else? I've tried this with chicken breasts (long before I switched to PD/RPD) and they were pretty tasteless - what little taste it had definitely was not an appetizing taste.


2. I've read somewhere on this forum that some of the chemicals produced by cooking are addictive - I don't remember if it was regarding cooking meat though.

How did you start yourself? Did you enjoy raw meat right away or it took some time not only to get used to but to enjoy it?

1. I'm on this diet approximately 6 weeks. I went "cold turkey". I've never tried adding salt/spices to my raw meat yet.

I didn't "enjoy" it right away but I didn't "hate" it either. I enjoyed the "unlearning and learning" of the texture and taste.
I started with little bites and little pieces, and let my body "map" the  texture and taste only as slow as it "wanted to". It happened sort of "automatically/instinctively" that I've wanted more and more of it every next time I ate. Slowly my "meal sizes" started somewhat stabilizing


2. I've "cheated" - ate 1 portion of cooked meat meal - approximately once a week - the smell and "memory" of the meal always "lured me in".

However - and luckily for me - I was conscious and "watching my body" enough that I always noticed feeling worse after any of those cooked meals (in my case - heavier stomach, slower digestion, more thirst, more tiredness). And that's one of the reasons I've decided not to eat them again (as long as I have a choice).

I still might get lured in by the smell and memory of other cooked meals that I enjoyed - but I know that even if I did "get tricked", I would feel worse after them and not want to eat that specific meal any more even if I had it under my nose all the time, all day long.


3. Different animals and different organs taste differently. Some meats I enjoy and prefer more, others less. I always prefer eating those I enjoy the most. The ones I enjoy less/least I'm keeping in the fridge and letting them become "high meat".

Many people who are longer on this diet report that their tastes for different meats change over time.

Some sources taste better than others.

Yes - the taste definitely depends at least on:

- meat "color" - red/white/fish
- specific animal (chicken/duck/goose...)
- what the animal feeds on (natural food [wild game] / bushes / grass / grains / proccessed-feed)
- what additional toxins the animal received (pollution / medication)
- what specific organ of the animal you eat
- freshness (fresh/refrigerated/frozen ; fresh/aged/"high")
- if you eat it alone or add anything to it.

The egg with it {meat} was pretty good though.

I usually eat an egg or 2 when eating raw meat as well.
I don't "combine" them. I eat a piece of meat, then an egg, then a piece of meat, then an egg, and on.

[Iguana]

I usually eat an egg or 2 when eating raw meat as well.
I don't "combine" them. I eat a piece of meat, then an egg, then a piece of meat, then an egg, and on.

That's exactly what I don't do! In this way, you can eat a lot more meat and a lot more eggs than you should eat.

That’s the same with all the foods. For example, you eat honey till you somehow feel that you had enough of it. Then you eat almonds till you are unable to eat more of them. After that, you can eat honey again, then almonds, then more honey again, then more almonds and so on till your belly explodes… 

[Rawr]

... till your belly explodes… 

My belly hasn't exploded yet.   Though you might be right. I'll try eating it separately from now on.

[Isthmus]

That's exactly what I don't do! In this way, you can eat a lot more meat and a lot more eggs than you should eat.

That’s the same with all the foods. For example, you eat honey till you somehow feel that you had enough of it. Then you eat almonds till you are unable to eat more of them. After that, you can eat honey again, then almonds, then more honey again, then more almonds and so on till your belly explodes… 

Hey Iguana, so you mean you combine at the same sitting, but you eat each food in turn until you have had enough of each?

[Iguana]

Yes, exactly. And most of the times I wait for a while between two different foods - somewhat longer between different categories of food. 

[Isthmus]

Okay interesting, thanks [:

[intrigued]

If you're interested in that, you should read into the instincto/anopsology stuff - http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/instinctoanopsology/instinctoanopsology-explained/

[CarnivorousApe]

Wow guys, your experience is quite eye opening, thanks!

I see the point that cooked meat is used with all kinds of condiments. I know that boiled meat is pretty tasteless. The thing is that I need only salt to make it tasty, same with potato (a bit of butter for the latter). No need for any contrived sauces.

While raw meat needs very fancy sauce (as in carpaccio or sashimi case) or tons of garlic, spices and salt (like in most cured meats) to make it taste anything to people who used to cooked food.

I think I've got the solution from instincto information, thanks to intrigued for the link! As far as I understood, cooked food is sort of drug, people are able to consume more of it as there is no limiting instinct evolved. I noticed that I can consume huge amounts of cooked meat (with salt only), and stop only when my stomach starts to hurt   But when I eat raw meat, there is definite point when I feel I should stop, after eating maybe one-fourth of what I can eat cooked.

[Suiren]

Have you ever eaten cooked meat that was never "flavor enhanced" with anything else? I've tried this with chicken breasts (long before I switched to PD/RPD) and they were pretty tasteless - what little taste it had definitely was not an appetizing taste.

That! It is the same tasteless to me. I can't say I enjoy any raw meat yet, because I am still transitioning. The squishy texture is worse to me than the taste actually. It helps me if I season the meat a bit and I often just swallow small chunks instead of chewing it.
I hope to try more type of meats soon, and might find something tastier.

I started solely for health reasons. Health problems made me more open to alternatives. I was classified as a 3x high risk pregnancy, which greatly annoyed me. During that time I changed my attitude and was not taking the role of the sick victim anymore and wanted to focus on just living healthy.
Doctors can claim a lot of things if you let them.

We want to change asap so our son does not get into eating bad foods. He is still completely depending on mothers milk, but we want him to eat raw paleo when he is ready for solids. I don't even want to start with any conventional baby foods. I was raised this way, on a SGD (standard german diet lol), with lots of bread, cheese, sausage, and of course sweets, cows milk and cake and coffee every sunday. And I am hooked on this type of food.

[Isthmus]

Hey Suiren, I'm happy to hear all the great things you are doing. I too got into RPD for health reasons, and after 8 months or so I am confident I'm now the best I have been for a long time. I'm sure your son will benefit greatly from this! I wish you all the best of luck with everything...

[CarnivorousApe]

Tried raw beef today, bought in supermarket but it says grass fed. It stayed for the night in the open. Well, tastes much better than chicken! It has definitive structure and lightly sour taste.

[Suiren]

Hey Suiren, I'm happy to hear all the great things you are doing. I too got into RPD for health reasons, and after 8 months or so I am confident I'm now the best I have been for a long time. I'm sure your son will benefit greatly from this! I wish you all the best of luck with everything...

Thank you! I am slowly transitioning because I don't want to detox too much while nursing, but just by adding more fat and cutting out some things I already feel a bit better. I am looking forward to more changes.

[sabertooth]

I have been trying different raw meats for a while now and I absolutely am hooked on the taste of farm fresh lamb.

Some store bought beef is alright, but often it taste sour.

A good tasting lamb should have a slightly sweet taste and creamy consistency

[svrn]

yes i definitly enjoy and prefer it raw.

[CarnivorousApe]

Thanks guys for sharing your experience. I'm transitioning slowly, trying mostly marinated meat with bits of fresh here and there.

Liver tastes great fresh, definitely better than cooked.

It's interesting as I was about to vomit when read a couple of years ago about people with b12 deficiency were prescribed raw liver

[donrad]

Cold fresh raw meat is tough and nasty. Fit only for dogs.

But if you take the same meat, like a butt roast, rub it with plenty of salt and pepper, leave  it out at room temperature on a rack for a couple of days, and it becomes completely different. Tender and delicious. Grass fed meat won't spoil like the supermarket stuff. This is called dry aging. The enzymes in the meat tenderize it. The drying gives it a beautiful firm texture. The salt and pepper give flavor and help preserve it (and keep the flies off).

Cut thin slices off any time you're hungry. The ultimate fast food. It will keep at room temperature for a week or more.

This is same as the famous expensive European prosciutto hams. When beef gets real dry it is called Jerky.

This is how our ancestors ate their meat for thousands of years before refrigerators and before civilization even. Cave dwellers  kept it by a smoky fire which also helps preserve it. This explains our love of smoky BBQ.

I even take grass fed ground beef (the more fat the better), mix it with salt and spices, form it into big thick patties, and leave them on a rack at room temperature. It is similar to sausage after a couple of days. After about a week it becomes salami. Ground meat is very cost effective if you are on a budget. And grass fed ground beef and buffalo are available frozen in most supermarkets now days.