July 12, 2019
Over on Tumblr there was a recent post (well, as of mid-2019) by @necrophagist about more authentic ways to satisfy ‘kin cravings, particularly meat-related ones. Considering my kintype is an obligate carnivore, I think a lot about meat. Specifically rare muscle meat and organ meat. I’ve never really shared what I look for in a safe meat to satisfy my cravings, so I figured it was time to share the food I consider when I’m feeling shifty.
I’ve worked as a chef or some variety of food service worker for a good seven years of my life (although that doesn’t make me an expert), and this is what I generally regard as safe if cooked properly (note some of these cooking temps are lower than what the USDA recommends). I’ve included a note on each one as to whether it needs to be cooked prior to consumption. Remember, the less cooked an animal product is, the more likely you are to contract food poisoning. Usually a quick Google will give you a safe recipe for any of these foods. If you want tips on how to cook something safely, please send me a message!
The following list contains meat and animal products that are often easily accessible (i.e. I’ve found most of these at my local Walmart) in the United States, plus some less common ones. Please shoot me a message if you have any easily accessible meats in other countries that I haven’t covered.
Beef liver - Cook
If you eat this regularly, watch your vitamin A intake. Liver is extremely high in vitamin A, which can accumulate in your body to toxic levels, unlike water soluble vitamins like vitamin C
Beef tongue - Cook
Canned beef - No cook
Canned beef, often in salted juices. Good substitute for wet pet food, if your kin/theriotype is domesticated, although tends to be rather fatty.
Oxtail - Cook
Bone-in steak - Cook
Ribs (beef or pork) - Cook
Lamb shanks - Cook
Beef soup bones - Cook
Occasionally contain marrow…and often extremely cheap!
Great for making bone broth
Cured sausage - No cook
Salami, pepperoni, summer sausage etc.
Chicken liver - Cook
Like beef liver, watch your vitamin A intake if you eat this regularly
Chicken gizzards - Cook
Whole chicken - Cook
Sometimes contains giblets like liver, heart, gizzards, and neck…check the packaging and it should tell you
Skin-on chicken parts - Cook
Peel the skin off, salt it, and fry it like bacon!
Canned chicken - No cook
Canned white meat chicken, often in salted broth. Excellent substitute for wet pet food, if your kin/theriotype is domesticated.
Whole turkey - Cook
Especially easy to find in the United States around Thanksgiving
These will take multiple hours to cook, FYI
Whole fish - Cook
Make sure these are gutted before cooking
Skin-on salmon or trout fillets - Cook
Because these species have small soft scales, you can eat the skin, and it’s delicious if you fry it and salt it!
Canned fish with bones and skin - No cook
Anchovies, sardines, salmon, etc.
Pickled herring - No cook
Smoked fish - No cook
Often salmon, trout, or whitefish
Dried fish - No cook
Usually sold at Asian food stores
Often available in many different varieties, including baby anchovies, octopus, squid, sardines, etc.
Canned fish - No cook
Canned fish is precooked and comes in many varieties, including tuna, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, etc., all with different flavor profiles and degrees of processing. Tuna is often sold meat-only, but others, like sardines and mackerel are sold with soft edible bones and skin intact. Excellent substitute for wet cat food, if your kin/theriotype is domesticated.
Raw, de-boned fish sold at sushi counters - No cook
Fish sold at sushi counters is frozen at very low temperatures to kill parasites. Please let your grocery store/fishmonger do this step for you, as many home freezers cannot reach these low temps.
Blood sausage - Cook
Sometimes at delis or specialty stores
Fresh pig’s blood - Cook
Often at your local butcher if you have one
Irradiated eggs - No cook
These eggs are irradiated (it’s safe!) to kill any pathogens present in them
Whole rabbit - Cook
Often found at farmer’s markets
Beef/pork/mutton organs - Cook
Kidneys, brain, heart, trotters, tripe, lungs, etc. (often at your local butcher)
Game meats - Cook
Venison, wild ducks/geese/pheasant, elk, bear, etc.
Sometimes sold in specialty shops, or buddy up to a hunter. Wild game isn’t screened for parasites like commercial meat is, so take extra precautions if you’re consuming wild meat.
Again, if you have any questions or want to know why I included/didn’t include something on the list, let me know! Stay safe folks.