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Thursday, July 17, 2008

Burning Beast

posted by on July 17 at 12:56 PM

Last weekend up at Smoke Farm—a 360-acre jewel on the Stillaguamish River— Seattle’s more intrepid chefs gathered to cook whole animals over open fires.

PETA didn’t show. But about 250 other people did, including Bethany Jean Clement, who wrote about Burning Beast in this week’s paper:

These were people profoundly comfortable with their relationship with meat. These were people who joke about vegans, people who wear T-shirts reading “MEAT IS MURDER/tasty, tasty murder,” people who respond to a whole pig slowly spinning on a spit (its skin bulging and browning and glistening, its ears wrapped in protective tinfoil) by wondering who’s going to get the tongue.
Everyone milled, ate, drank, and reveled in glamorized savagery, with a set of attendees ostentatiously carrying around bottles of BYOB Veuve Clicquot lending a decadent, end-of-days frisson. People swam in the cold Stillaguamish River and/or camped under the rural multiplicity of stars (but probably not the Veuve Clicquot party). There was a bonfire. Charlie Hertz of Zoe’s Meats brought a great deal of the world’s best bacon for those smart enough to stay for the next day’s breakfast; he said his friends routinely let themselves into his house and just start making bacon, and then refused to say where he lived.

And Kelly O, who just finished editing this very special, very carnivorous video of Tamara Murphy (of Brasa), Matt Dillion (of Sitka and Spruce and the Corson Building), Tyson Danielson (of Le Pichet), and the rest of the gang, sitting in the sun and drinking beer at what was, undoubtedly, this summer’s best barbecue:

RSS icon Comments

1

Murderers.

Posted by elenchos | July 17, 2008 12:58 PM
2

Note to self: remember to foil Mr. Poe's ears before roasting.

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | July 17, 2008 1:00 PM
3

I beg to differ. This summer's best barbecue was held in my backyard on Memorial Day weekend.

True story!

Posted by povertyrich | July 17, 2008 1:21 PM
4

It is sad the way we treat our fellow earthlings.

Posted by yakdan | July 17, 2008 1:22 PM
5

all life survives at the expense of other life, and plants are conscious, so fuck it, bring it on!

if god hadn't intended us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?

Posted by x | July 17, 2008 1:24 PM
6

You know those four teeth we all have, the pointy ones near the front of your mouth? They're not there for the vegetables.

Meat eating is our evolutionary legacy. Embrace your destiny!!!

With barbecue sauce.

Posted by Westside forever | July 17, 2008 1:33 PM
7

Dustin Ronspies' shirt rocks the occasion!

Posted by DOUG. | July 17, 2008 2:03 PM
8

You know those four teeth we all have, the pointy ones near the front of your mouth? They're not there for the vegetables.

Canines are no guarantee of a carnivorous past. Some animals use them to strip leaves off of branches. Others use them for defense. You'd be better off pointing out that, without meat eating, there would be no human civilization.

Posted by keshmeshi | July 17, 2008 2:08 PM
9

@1 and 4 - I know, huh? I mean, every single human being on this planet consumes plants and animals that were once ALIVE! Sustaining ourselves inevitably means killing innocent plants and animals! We're a race of evil mass-murderers, I tell you!

That why I switched to photosynthesis for sustenance. So nothing has to die.

Posted by Hernandez | July 17, 2008 2:12 PM
10

I just died of jealousy.

Posted by kid icarus | July 17, 2008 2:16 PM
11

If their map and directions are correct, they're actually on the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, not the Stillaguamish River. A trivial point, perhaps, unless you're familiar with the area.

Posted by Fnarf | July 17, 2008 2:30 PM
12

Anytime I see a post/story about the violent death of animal, I don't even have to look to know that Brendan Kiley's name is attached to it.


That's truly sad.

Posted by Original Andrew | July 17, 2008 3:21 PM
13

Vitamin B12. That is all.

Posted by MR. Language Person | July 17, 2008 5:01 PM

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