Cheeseburger: The evolution of my struggle with processed meat.
I remember being in middle school and looking forward to the field trip all season long. The chance to ride the bus with your close friends, explore the downtown Crown Center Plaza without parents and possibly hold hands in public with your crush? My cheeks were blushed just thinking about it. I had grown up eating steaks, potatoes, Brussels sprouts from the garden and yes, the occasional Mc Donald's Happy Meal. I hated onions, the seeds in my pickles and the chances of getting a bad burger were high enough that I didn't eat much processed meat. Sure, a hot dog once or twice a year was expected at a bonfire party but I didn't have highly processed meats. The correlation of my coveted middle school field trip to Crown Center and my aversion to eating meat for nearly two decades? An all you can eat buffet at a Chinese restaurant.
I joined the boys in a friendly competition and ended up downing more processed meat and MSG than I had ever consumed before. Subsequently ended the evening with swollen glands, a bloody nose, a headache and sleep patterns that had me in the Urgent Care within days. I was lethargic, swollen, sick...
My doctor determined I was highly sensitive to MSG and that I was sure to be 'cured' if I strayed from processed meat. I later explained the story to my teacher and was steered to Upton Sinclair's THE JUNGLE; sealing the fate on my newly tickled gag reflex at the sight of ground meat. The thought of buttholes and lips in a hot-dog, fingernails or cartilage in a sausage link or even the mystery content of the grizzle balls found in ANY meat would set me off into a mental nightmare and swallowing was not going to happen. BBQ's or cook outs became awkward, concessions stands only provided stale nachos and I felt like a picky-eater once again.
However, I started to feel better. The less sugar and less processed meat I ingested, the better I felt. I went nearly 17 years before getting pregnant and breaking my processed-food strike. SPAM, a late-night bacon craving that led to my husband frying me a SPAM sandwich and tricking me into thinking it was bacon helped me to explore the joys of processed meat again, though every bite was a mental struggle.
I became a burger critic and the quality of meat was of the utmost importance. If there was word a place might have KILLER burgers or something, I had to find out if I had been missing out. So, I let the foodie in me go haywire.
It led me to finding some great new recipes and also loving my PT job at a local burger shop. Knowing how to cook and eat the perfect burger is all about knowing what you like. For me, it has to be a good meat quality, local grass-fed bison or beef mix, grilled medium and lightly peppered. Sauce it up and get creative with a good grilled bread:
I joined the boys in a friendly competition and ended up downing more processed meat and MSG than I had ever consumed before. Subsequently ended the evening with swollen glands, a bloody nose, a headache and sleep patterns that had me in the Urgent Care within days. I was lethargic, swollen, sick...
My doctor determined I was highly sensitive to MSG and that I was sure to be 'cured' if I strayed from processed meat. I later explained the story to my teacher and was steered to Upton Sinclair's THE JUNGLE; sealing the fate on my newly tickled gag reflex at the sight of ground meat. The thought of buttholes and lips in a hot-dog, fingernails or cartilage in a sausage link or even the mystery content of the grizzle balls found in ANY meat would set me off into a mental nightmare and swallowing was not going to happen. BBQ's or cook outs became awkward, concessions stands only provided stale nachos and I felt like a picky-eater once again.
However, I started to feel better. The less sugar and less processed meat I ingested, the better I felt. I went nearly 17 years before getting pregnant and breaking my processed-food strike. SPAM, a late-night bacon craving that led to my husband frying me a SPAM sandwich and tricking me into thinking it was bacon helped me to explore the joys of processed meat again, though every bite was a mental struggle.
I became a burger critic and the quality of meat was of the utmost importance. If there was word a place might have KILLER burgers or something, I had to find out if I had been missing out. So, I let the foodie in me go haywire.
It led me to finding some great new recipes and also loving my PT job at a local burger shop. Knowing how to cook and eat the perfect burger is all about knowing what you like. For me, it has to be a good meat quality, local grass-fed bison or beef mix, grilled medium and lightly peppered. Sauce it up and get creative with a good grilled bread:
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