Meeting the Meat Man
Growing up in America certainly has its advantages, but there are definitely some things we have missed out on as well. Some experiences are just impossible to find in the States, and one of them was brought to my attention when our Journalism class visited a local Cypriot butcher. It dawned on me when we walked into this tiny butcher shop that I had never in my entire life been inside one, or even met someone who could call his or herself a butcher. In America, we got to a “grocery store” and find our meats neatly packaged and ready to take home, and if you choose to buy “fresh” meat at the deli counter, even those meats are already cut from the whole animal down to manageable portions before the deli workers ever touch them.
The meat locker.
Needless to say, an actual meat locker was something I had never seen in real life. So, when we walked into the tiny butcher shop in Nicosia and were immediately greeted with a view into their meat locker, with whole pigs and legs of cow and lamb hanging from the ceiling, it was a little shocking. I, personally, was fascinated once the initial surprise wore off, and realized immediately that what they do is a craft long forgotten where I am from. The three employess were already busy at work that morning, chopping and cutting the meats down to sale size and packaging them by hand for the local customers. They worked quickly and with skill, using tools and methods beyond my knowledge. The shop was barely large enough for us all to fit inside, and it was designed for doing this work especially and nothing else.
Preparing the kleftico.
My classmates and I were aloud to watch them as they prepared a particularly authentic Cypriot dish known as kleftico. Kleftico gets its name from Greek, meaning roughly “thieves’ meat”. It got this name apparently because thieves used to steal the lamb meat and take it into the mountains, where they would then dig a hole and fill it with hot coals, put the meat on top, and then bury it all so it would stay hidden well while it cooked over several hours, leaving no smell or trace of the stolen meat. Today, the dish is a must for any traditional Cypriot meal, and the butchers take pride in the high quality of the meat they provide and the care they put into its preparation. When it is finished and ready to eat, kleftico truly is one of the most fall-off-the-bone tender meats I have ever been lucky enough to try. Honestly, it makes barbeque ribs and pot roast look like child’s play, and tastes absolutely devine. Amen!
Our debut.
Unfortunately, I spent most of the remainder of our visit guarding our piles of film equipment while the others went across the street to view the large outdoor ovens where much of the meat is prepared these days (not cooked in a hole in the ground anymore, it is cooked in clay outdoor ovens; certainly not the electric ovens we are familiar with back home). However this did give me some time to take a slower look around the front end of the shop and admire the simplicity of the place. The front counter had a variety of meat cuts on display, but other than a small cooler on the left side of the front room with some drinks and yogurt inside, there was nothing else there to suggest the butcher had any business other than meat. The Wal-Marts and Krogers of America have nearly wiped our memory of businesses like this, and it saddens me more than ever after experiencing how incredibly good food is in a place that puts price and convenience second to quality. A baker or a butcher are nearly extinct in America… much to the detriment of our diets and taste pallets.
Mr. Andreas, the butcher of Nicosia.
After we returned home that morning and started reviewing our footage, I caught a clip of the butcher explaining (via Constantia, our translator) about this very thing. He had said that he didn’t think his shop would last very long once he was gone because people are becoming more concerned with price with each passing generation, and are more willing to forfeit the quality for the sake of saving money. His business was dwindling in popularity, but at the same time, he said he still felt that there were many locals and businesses in the area that want the best tasting and freshest meat. They still come to him first, so he intends to keep doing his work to the best of his ability no matter the cost. For those loyal customers and businesses who appreciate taste and the effort put into achieving it, he would remain diligent. It made me smile, and I was very glad to see that the particular clip was going to make it into our film. To me, this attitude is what is so refreshing about Cyprus and also the most important experience to take back home with me to America. In a society of cheapness and sameness, it is important to me to seek out that which is special, no matter the cost. No matter if I had to come half way around the world to find it.
We only get one life, as best as I can tell, and when you devote it to being the best at what you do, it becomes an art; when you value life enough to seek out the best from others? …life is beautiful, a materpiece before you. The butcher is the artist of meat, and I am one satisfied patron. đŸ™‚