Chef to the Stars on Organ Meats and Finding a Way To Eat Them: Ep 94

James and Doug discuss the health benefits of organ meats, and the fact that their consumption, particularly in the U.S., has declined over the past several decades. This is unfortunate, according to James, and is due in part to several misconceptions people have about organ meat. "Organ meats are the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, and we're not eating them," He said. "In essence, organ meats are Mother Nature's multivitamin. I believe that eating nose to tail is one of the most important things in a person's diet. Currently 92% of the U.S. population is nutrient deficient."

James explained how we miss out on benefits when we only eat muscle meat and skip the organs. He also acknowledged that many people fear the taste of organ meat or have some other reason for avoiding it. He said one common misperception is that consuming organs will result in vitamin toxicity, such as from too much Vitamin A. "That's actually not true," said James. "When the vitamins are coming from a whole food source, the body will absorb what it needs, and get rid of what it doesn't need." "Another myth you hear a lot with organ meats is that organs are the processing and storage site for toxins, and that's actually incorrect as well," he said. "Organs are more like a filter than a sponge. Their job is to process and convert potentially toxic byproducts into more water soluble forms that can be excreted."

James developed Pluck as the perfect gateway into eating organs because it doesn't taste like organ meat. "What you taste is the savory, deliciousness of umami (the fifth taste). Eating organs support the health of your organs." He explained that the nutritious Pluck seasoning tastes great and will help even picky eaters develop a liking for organ meats. He said that consuming the Pluck seasoning consistently was a form of micro-dosing that would confer nutritional benefits, and that a reasonable goal would be to eventually add organs to the diet for maximum benefits.