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Lamb Testicles, Gizzards, and Guts: A Guide to Seattle's Extreme Meat

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To some, extreme meat means eating rotten shark guts or testicles. To others, it's eating meat other than your typical pork, cow, or chicken. Or it's offal. From Isla Manila's chocolate meat and blood pork stew to tripe curry at Kedai Makan, these meats deserve a bite—regardless of how adventurous you are.
—Jen Chiu

Don't see your go to extreme meat pick? Hit up the comments.


· All Five Days of Meat 2014 Coverage [-ESEA-]

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Although lengua (beef tongue) at taco joints is as commonplace as milkshakes at diners, the thought of eating tongue still seems foreign to some. At Essex’s tiki taco Tuesday, co-owner/executive chef Brandon Petit servers up a tender braised beef lengua taco that is not to be missed. Tip: Next door sibling pizza joint Delancey sometimes offers lengua as a topping special.

[Photo Credit]

Henry's Taiwan

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If you’re open to breaking into the world of Tripe, the stomach lining of an animal, this Taiwanese joint is just the spot. Tripe virgins, start with the Shredded Tripe with Pickled Cabbage Soup. For more advanced tripe connoisseurs, move on to the beef tripe dish served straight up with a side of sweet soy sauce and jalapeno slices.

[Photo Credit]

Isla Manila

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Who says only Chinese people can dominate the dim sum world? In fact, two of my favorite dim sum dishes are at this Filipino all you can eat $14.99 dim sum spot: Bone marrow soup and the Dinuguan, affectionately known as chocolate meat and pork blood stew; the latter is a pork stew that contains pig parts such as stomach and ear. Isla’s version is a good primer to chocolate stew as it leaves out parts such as heart and intestine you’d find in other renditions of this Filipino dish.

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Kedai Makan

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Devoted followers will eat anything served out of this Capitol Hill Malaysian takeout window, including the tripe curry. Co-owner Kevin Burzell prepares tripe in two different ways: One with a curry prepared from scratch and also a sambal tripe to go along with the Nasi Lemak. We asked Burzell if tripe is typical in Malaysian cuisine and if his customers dig it? "We do tripe curry whenever I get a hankering for it. I just love tripe. I never made it in Malaysia, but the dish makes sense and it works. Our more adventurous [patrons] always like it, and it always sells.”

[Photo Credit]

Le Petit Cochon

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Blood and foie, an amuse bouche of duck gizzard served with fried chicken on Tuesdays, and lamb testicles sliced, marinated in buttermilk and then fried for a crispy edge. These are some of the meaty delights you’ll find at owner/chef Derek Ronspies’ second floor restaurant in Fremont. Any doubts you’ve ever had about offal will be alleviated by Ronspies’ beautiful presentation on his creative weekly rotating menu.

[Photo Credit]

Pam's Kitchen

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Although goat is eaten in more than 70% of the world, in Seattle it’s considerably more obscure than its pig, chicken and cow brethren. Pam’s in the U-District serves up a curried goat with the bone intact to maximize flavor. Be sure to order an extra rum drink just to offset the heat.

[Photo Credit]

Rainier BBQ & Restaurant

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Contrary to the name, you won’t find familiar BBQ items such as ribs and pulled pork at this decade old Vietnamese restaurant. If you make your way to their digs on MLK, you’ll be rewarded with spicy lemon grass frog legs and goat pho (a favorite of Geo from Blue Scholars per his Instagram feed). If you dig chicken wings, give the frog legs a shot as they share a similar texture and both have a mild flavor.

[Photo Credit]

Sushi Kappo Tamura

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Idiot fish, a type of red snapper that is commonly found in Japan, is stupidly good! Although you often find fish served whole (with bones and head intact) in Asian countries, co-owner/executive chef Taichi Kitamura makes it easy on his customers by removing the bones for you. The rich and buttery fish is simmered in sake and soy sauce with burdock root.

[Photo Credit]

Essex

Although lengua (beef tongue) at taco joints is as commonplace as milkshakes at diners, the thought of eating tongue still seems foreign to some. At Essex’s tiki taco Tuesday, co-owner/executive chef Brandon Petit servers up a tender braised beef lengua taco that is not to be missed. Tip: Next door sibling pizza joint Delancey sometimes offers lengua as a topping special.

[Photo Credit]

Henry's Taiwan

If you’re open to breaking into the world of Tripe, the stomach lining of an animal, this Taiwanese joint is just the spot. Tripe virgins, start with the Shredded Tripe with Pickled Cabbage Soup. For more advanced tripe connoisseurs, move on to the beef tripe dish served straight up with a side of sweet soy sauce and jalapeno slices.

[Photo Credit]

Isla Manila

Who says only Chinese people can dominate the dim sum world? In fact, two of my favorite dim sum dishes are at this Filipino all you can eat $14.99 dim sum spot: Bone marrow soup and the Dinuguan, affectionately known as chocolate meat and pork blood stew; the latter is a pork stew that contains pig parts such as stomach and ear. Isla’s version is a good primer to chocolate stew as it leaves out parts such as heart and intestine you’d find in other renditions of this Filipino dish.

[Photo Credit]

Kedai Makan

Devoted followers will eat anything served out of this Capitol Hill Malaysian takeout window, including the tripe curry. Co-owner Kevin Burzell prepares tripe in two different ways: One with a curry prepared from scratch and also a sambal tripe to go along with the Nasi Lemak. We asked Burzell if tripe is typical in Malaysian cuisine and if his customers dig it? "We do tripe curry whenever I get a hankering for it. I just love tripe. I never made it in Malaysia, but the dish makes sense and it works. Our more adventurous [patrons] always like it, and it always sells.”

[Photo Credit]

Le Petit Cochon

Blood and foie, an amuse bouche of duck gizzard served with fried chicken on Tuesdays, and lamb testicles sliced, marinated in buttermilk and then fried for a crispy edge. These are some of the meaty delights you’ll find at owner/chef Derek Ronspies’ second floor restaurant in Fremont. Any doubts you’ve ever had about offal will be alleviated by Ronspies’ beautiful presentation on his creative weekly rotating menu.

[Photo Credit]

Pam's Kitchen

Although goat is eaten in more than 70% of the world, in Seattle it’s considerably more obscure than its pig, chicken and cow brethren. Pam’s in the U-District serves up a curried goat with the bone intact to maximize flavor. Be sure to order an extra rum drink just to offset the heat.

[Photo Credit]

Rainier BBQ & Restaurant

Contrary to the name, you won’t find familiar BBQ items such as ribs and pulled pork at this decade old Vietnamese restaurant. If you make your way to their digs on MLK, you’ll be rewarded with spicy lemon grass frog legs and goat pho (a favorite of Geo from Blue Scholars per his Instagram feed). If you dig chicken wings, give the frog legs a shot as they share a similar texture and both have a mild flavor.

[Photo Credit]

Sushi Kappo Tamura

Idiot fish, a type of red snapper that is commonly found in Japan, is stupidly good! Although you often find fish served whole (with bones and head intact) in Asian countries, co-owner/executive chef Taichi Kitamura makes it easy on his customers by removing the bones for you. The rich and buttery fish is simmered in sake and soy sauce with burdock root.

[Photo Credit]

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