Otzi's Last Meal

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Harper
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Otzi's Last Meal

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Greg
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Re: Otzi's Last Meal

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The man knew what was good for him. That's what I'd have for mine!
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SierraStrider
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Re: Otzi's Last Meal

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Shoot, doesn't look like my local supermarket sells goat bacon.
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Greg
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Re: Otzi's Last Meal

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I'd be willing to bet your local Hispanic Grocery y Taqueria has something that could pass for it!
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Re: Otzi's Last Meal

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Hunh.. that's interesting. When we slaughtered our goats, it really didn't look like there was enough fat there to be decent bacon. They weren't a meat breed though - I imagine anything solid enough to survive in the Alpine region Otzi was roaming must have had a bit more flesh on its bones.

Oof it's pungent meat to process though - I imagine goat jerky would have made an interesting meal!
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SierraStrider
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Re: Otzi's Last Meal

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Elleth wrote:Hunh.. that's interesting. When we slaughtered our goats, it really didn't look like there was enough fat there to be decent bacon. They weren't a meat breed though - I imagine anything solid enough to survive in the Alpine region Otzi was roaming must have had a bit more flesh on its bones.
I wonder. Our sheep are a meat breed, and are very lean as well.

My goats originate in virtually the same region as Ötzi, though they're a far more modern breed. They're tall and lanky and not especially prone to fat. Seems like Boer or Kiko goats might put on a layer of marbling, though.
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Elleth
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Re: Otzi's Last Meal

Post by Elleth »

I assume in Otzi's era we're still talking domesticated breeds, though I wouldn't expect they were that different from the native mountain goats at the time. Not my field - so frustrating!

This is interesting though -
I am in heaven!!!! I thought I would sneak a piece today (one day early). So I cut two small strips off. Washed them and fried them in the pan. Oh my gosh! It was amazing!!!! Not even done all the way and not even smoked yet, but it was simply to die for!

Now this was from a 6 month old weather who was still on the teat and was able to get out of the pen and have free roam to my alfalfa stack (one reason for him being butchered).

He had a surprisingly large amount of fat on him. The bacon was both meaty and fatty. Just the right amount of fat. It cooked up wonderfully. The fat created just enough grease to cook in and it had a good buttery flavor.

...

The goat that was used was out of my alpine doe and the stud was a pigmy (was trying for a Kinder style goat). I heard they had a good amount of meat despite their size. I weathered him at 3 months.

We raised him till he was 6 months. He was still on his Mom and was able to get into my alfalfa stack anytime he pleased (not by choice). Couldn't keep the little escape artist in anything.

Amazingly enough he had a really good layer of fat on his belly meat. Which was surprising, because usually you don't see fat until about a year or later.

I cooked some up tonight for the grandparents in-laws and they though it was pork. It has enough fat that it actually leaves a fair amount of grease in the pan as well. So all in all I am very pleased.

In 4 months my Alpine/Boer whethers will be ready and I am super stoked for that! Should have bigger slabs of belly meat to work with.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livest ... bacon.html

Hunh. Who would have thunk? I think when it's time to process our sheep next year I'll have to cut out a bit and see if it'll make bacon. :)


edit - rereading the article, it says the researchers think it was likely a wild goat.
Could be rations brought along - but if the dried meat was from a kill he'd made himself in the days prior to his death, I can imagine he might have preferred to bring along the fattier portions of meat.

Interesting!
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Re: Otzi's Last Meal

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There was some grain in there as well. Maybe it was an antediluvian gyro?
The meal was a simple affair, consisting of a bit of unleavened bread made of einkorn wheat, one of the few domesticated grains used in the Iceman's part of the world at this time, some other plant, possibly an herb or other green, and meat.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/ic ... -meal.html
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