| Gordon Ramsay, England's foul-mouthed,
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| | 500-gram steak, if made from horse meat,
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| fire-tempered master chef recently landed
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| | would contain 875 calories-40% less than
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| himself in hot water. Famous for his many
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| | beef.
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| high-class restaurants and TV shows
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| | Then there's the flavor, which Ramsey
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| (including the American Hell's Kitchen),
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| | describes as lean, sweet, and "a little
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| Ramsay took some heat last May from
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| | gamey" and has led to horse's status as a
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| fellow cooks, PETA, and the UK at large
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| | delicacy in countries like Japan. It's
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| for his praise of horses as food on his
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| | also versatile; during World War II, it
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| popular cooking show 'The F-Word.' After
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| | handily replaced rarer meats in all kinds
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| sending TV journalist Janet Street-Porter
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| | of recipes from casseroles to sandwiches
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| to sample horse cuisine, Ramsay himself
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| | (which is, incidentally, how people in
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| tried it and the two praised the meat for
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| | France got such a taste for it).
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| its flavor and nutritional value. He also
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| | Sounds good, right? Well, that's why it's
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| suggested a rise in horse consumption, to
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| | so popular. But despite all the benefits,
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| many Britons horror.
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| | cheval remains taboo in America and
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| Meanwhile, over the Atlantic, a bill
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| | England. Animal rights activists point to
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| passed in Illinois banning the slaughter
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| | the problem of transport-horses meant for
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| of horses for human consumption,
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| | the butcher's block are usually driven
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| effectively closing the last horse
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| | thousands of miles for slaughter-while
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| slaughterhouse left in America. According
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| | others balk at consuming such soulful
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| to bill sponsor Senator John Cullerton
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| | animals. It makes sense, especially in
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| (D-Chicago), horses are just "different."
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| | the USA, where the horse has always been
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| Domestic horse meat is already illegal in
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| | a noble companion. Icons like Black
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| the United States, but the small DeKalb
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| | Beauty or Mr. Ed occupy the nation's
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| plant profitably served a huge
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| | imagination, as does the classic cowboy
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| international market.
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| | riding his beloved pardner. Even when the
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| Where is this market, exactly? Well, it's
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| | idea of eating horse is entertained, it's
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| just about everywhere in Europe, thrives
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| | viewed as something done out of
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| in several places in Asia, and exists in
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| | desperation, not culinary curiosity. Many
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| a smattering of other countries around
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| | Americans and English would no sooner eat
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| the world. They can't get enough horse
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| | horse than they would stew up the family
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| meat, which-unlike beef, mutton, or
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| | dog.
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| pork-has no less-distressing name to go
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| | Ironically, the shutdown of Illinois'
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| by. Some clever sellers refer to it as
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| | slaughterhouse may only make the
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| "cheval" (guess how you say "horse" in
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| | situation worse for doomed horses, which
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| French!).
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| | will probably end up taking longer trips
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| Ramsay's words sparked PETA UK protests
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| | to Mexico and Canada before being put
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| outside his London restaurant, where
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| | down. And while some consider eating
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| entering customers enjoyed the sight of
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| | horse-or dog, for that
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| men dressed as horses cavorting around a
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| | matter-unthinkable, other countries with
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| 1-ton pile of manure. In Illinois, both
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| | less sentimental visions of the animal do
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| sides of the debate fought bitterly over
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| | it with gusto.
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| the issue for years ("Wi-i-ilburrrr," one
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| | Will horse ever catch on in the US or the
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| opposing senator said in his best Mr. Ed
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| | UK? Barring some catastrophic meat
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| voice). Message boards and blogs roundly
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| | shortage, no. Fad meats like ostrich,
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| condemn the eating of horse meat. Given
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| | emu, and buffalo enjoy periodic surges of
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| all the fuss, why would anyone suggest
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| | interest, but none have significantly
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| eating horses in the first place?
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| | impacted the meat market. And nobody even
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| For one thing, it's nutritious. According
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| | likes ostriches. Even if you're curious
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| to an USDA informational site (now down,
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| | about trying an Arabian or Mustang in
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| but archived by the International Generic
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| | your next stew, good luck finding it.
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| Horse Association), "cheval" (doesn't
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| | Horse meat is an expensive import in the
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| that sound better?) is exceptionally
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| | USA and a niche dish in Britain, and
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| healthy-100 grams contain just 175
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| | despite Ramsay's urgings, it looks like
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| calories, a whopping 28 grams of protein,
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| | it'll stay that way.
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| and only 6 grams of fat. Compare that to
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| | If you manage to get your hands on some
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| 100 grams of beef, which has 288
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| | horse, it reportedly goes very well in
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| calories, 26 grams of protein, and 19.5
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| | casseroles, stews, and on the grill.
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| grams of fat. That means your average
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