Two little piggies went "to market" yesterday, and today their hearts, liver and lungs are back.  Greusome for some, but for me it's valuable meat.  Far too few people eat offal these days and yet it's a source of iron, protein and lots of other stuff that is really good for you. 

Keith and I call ourselves compassionate carnivores.  We really care about where our meat comes from and try to ensure that we know the kind of lives that the animals have led prior to slaughter.  We feel it's doing the very best for the animal if we use it in every capacity that we can. We feel that if you're going to take an animals' life, the very best you can do is use as much of the carcass as possible. As Hugh Fernley Whittingstall himself has said, at River Cottage they use every bit of the pig except the oink.

So later on today Keith will bring me back "the lights".  This is the lungs, liver and heart of the pig, all still in one piece and I'll have the slightly macabre task of separating them.  We've done this ever since our first pig was slaughtered.  That one was taken to the abbattoir by our neighbour Farmer Edward, who duly bought us back the lights the next day.  He brought it in, put it in our sink and then said we should set about cutting it up.  Both he and Keith looked at me and I realised that this was obviously a job for someone with a strong stomach, a high regard for good housekeeping and a low tolerance for waste.  In other words, a woman.  So, even though I wasn't that keen at the time, I rolled up my sleeves and set to work.

Now, it's just second nature.  I spent a day at River Cottage last year doing the first day of the Four Day Cookery School and that day the focus was on meat. I was pleased to see Gill Mellors bring out a set of lights at the front and demonstrate how to cut them up. 

I think it's great that River Cottage focuses on these kinds of meat. Today we've become far too squeamish about our meat and I know very few people who eat offal these days and yet it's cheap and easy to prepare.  Liver has probably suffered from a bad image.  I didn't like it when I was a child, so maybe it's a taste you acquire as you get older and it can also suffer from over-cooking and become tough.   These days I like to think of a bit of pan-fried liver as fast food - it's ready in minutes!

So in these austere times, don't forget the offal.  It can be a recession-busting food.  Pan-fried kidneys with lentils, chili and cream is a delicious combination and would cost less than 70p per head and if you haven't tasted a slow casserole of hearts and carrots in red wine and rosemary you haven't really eaten meat! 

So, take the plunge.  Get some liver or kidneys today and give them a try.  Get a River Cottage recipe.  Trust me.  You'll like it. Me and River Cottage - when it comes to offal we know what we're talking about!