Intro and history

Livestock breeding was a major element in the ancient Minoan economy and there is much evidence of large scale breeding of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.  Sheepherding was the first profession in Crete according to Homer.  Pigs were domesticated as early as the Neolithic period and in the Minoan times were widely distributed throughout but in low numbers.  Cattle were introduced in the island in the Neolithic period as well and were probably kept mostly for their milk and hide rather than consumption. In Minoan Crete bulls were considered sacred animals, were the principle participants in major religious rites and are often represented in pottery, frescos, statuettes and other artifacts.  Oxen were used from those times up until recently as beasts of burden in plowing the fields and hauling heavy carts.

Meat consumption in the Cretan diet in the ancient times, and up until recently, was limited.  Traditionally meat was consumed once or twice a week and on certain holidays, festivities and other events.  Today meat consumption has increased even though there has been serious effort by health minded groups of people to embrace the old, traditional ways in their diet.

Crete has always been a small livestock island.  The traditional Cretan meat is lamb and goat to a lesser degree – in contrast to the rest of Greece, where pork and beef predominate.

Lamb and goat

The lambs and goats of Crete benefit the most from the terrain and the unique flora of the island. These animals thrive in both the plains and the mountainous areas and they can feed anywhere.  The drier soil and sparse vegetation in comparison to other areas of Greece promote less body fat on the animals resulting in their meat being tastier and healthier. In addition the animals are free grazing and consume the aromatic plants and herbs that grow abundant in Crete, therefore their meat is also more aromatic.  Also, free grazing herds are healthier and receive far less medications than commercially bred livestock.

There is no celebratory or festive meal in Crete without one or more dishes based on lamb. If you give the Cretan lamb a try you will immediately know why; it tastes great and cannot be compared to the taste of mass bred lambs originated elsewhere.

There are literally thousands of herds that graze freely (or semi-supervised by their shepherds) especially in higher altitudes. Sheep and goat herds crossing the country roads are a common sight throughout the island so it is not surprising that these animals provide most of the islands’ meat and fresh milk which in part becomes delicious yoghurt and a variety of cheeses.

Cretans prepare lamb in a multitude of ways. Cuts of it can be char-grilled, such as the famous Cretan lamb chops (paidakia), grilled around open fire (antikristo), boiled and its broth used to make the famous Cretan wedding rice pilaf (gamopilafo). It can also be oven baked or cooked in a casserole with olive oil and wine (tsigariasto). Last but not least a healthier version of lamb or goat is cooked as a stew together with wild bitter greens (arni me xorta).

Pork

Next to lamb and goat, pork is the other type of red meat widely consumed in Crete. For similar reasons as with lamb (i.e., proximity to the sea and plenty of healthy nutrition for the pigs), the quality of pork meat in Crete is exceptional.

Up until recently almost every family in Cretan villages bred pigs as pork is a very popular entre during the Christmas holiday. The meat that was not consumed promptly was cured which was an effective way of preserving it for the rest of the year. With curing some great delicacies were created such as apaki, fatless pork smoked with sage leaves and preserved in vinegar. Another delicacy and similar to apaki is the siglino and the Cretan country sausage made of pork preserved in vinegar, sometimes with the addition of herbs.

Cretans cook pork in various forms, such as char-grilled (a must try), on the spit or in stews. Pork stews with wild bitter greens or celery are another tasty and healthy alternative.

Chicken

The vast majority of the chicken consumed in Crete is free ranging. There are chicken coops in just about every Cretan village home supplying the household with fresh eggs and of course meat. It is not unusual to encounter chickens running free even within city limits. In addition to chickens, some Cretan farmers also breed other types of poultry, such as turkeys, geese, guinea fowls and pheasants.

Cretans eat chicken char-grilled, oven baked or as a casserole dish accompanied with potatoes and a variety of vegetables. A really popular Cretan dish is chicken with okra and tomato; a fantastic combination of flavors and textures. Chicken broth often provides stock for delicious risottos and rice pilafs as the Cretan wedding risotto, gamopilafo.

Rabbit

Rabbit is wildly popular in Crete although cooking methods are fairly limited.  Almost every household in the countryside breeds rabbits (which multiply rapidly!) for regular consumption.

Rabbit has white meat that is lean, tender and delicious. It has its own characteristic taste and is one of the healthiest types of meat (if not the healthiest). Cretans prepare rabbit in two main ways, char-grilled or stewed. The most common and popular dish is the stifado, rabbit stew with the meat cooked together with small pearl onions in a fantastic cinnamon and wine sauce. Others are the kokkinisto, a stew based on fresh tomatoes and the ksidato, rabbit cooked in olive oil and vinegar, this being one of the greatest Cretan specialties.

Beef

Beef is the least consumed domesticated meat type in Crete. It is expensive to purchase and often imported from the mainland since cattle is not often bred in Crete due to the limitations of its terrain. However, Cretans have started breeding cows recently with impressive culinary results, as the available vegetation on Crete is ideal for the production of good quality meat.

Beef is mainly eaten as a stew in tomato sauce (kokkinisto), lemon sauce (lemonato) or combined with onions (stifado). It can also be combined with orzo and tomato sauce (giouvetsi) and in many other ways. Succulent beef steaks on the grill are also popular.

Game

A special but rare type of meat. Crete is a source of delicious game, although limited in quantities and very hard to find in restaurants and butcher shops. The island has always had a great hunting tradition and it is still popular today. The existing game includes hares and wild birds – partridges, woodcocks, turtledoves and wood pigeons.

Game requires great skill not only at catching (it is sparse nowadays) but also at cooking. This type of meat is usually hard and has darker color. Hare is probably the favorite game type of Cretans which cook it with onions, peppers and tomato juice in low fire for long time. It turns into a delicious and super nutritious stew that every hunter has at his festive table and offers proudly to his guests. Another really special game dish is the partridge risotto, made of a partridge broth.

Nutrition

Lamb contains important vitamins and minerals, iron, vitamins B12 and E, selenium, niacin, phosphorous, zinc. It also contains the highest amount of CLA of all the red meats.  These are all important nutrients for vital body function, including immune support, cholesterol management, and bone health.

Vitamins B6 and B12, found abundantly in pork, are essential for blood cell formation and brain function. Pork is also an excellent source of iron — the heme-iron found in red meats is absorbed very easily by the human digestive system. Other nutrients include niacin and zinc.

Rabbit is a low fat meat (far less fatty than other meats), rich in proteins and minerals, such as phosphorus, potassium and selenium. It is also rich in vitamins of the B family, such as B3 and B12 as well as omega-3 fatty acids.

Chicken is a lean meat, being also a great source of protein, B3 (niacin) B6 and B12 vitamins as well as the antioxidant selenium.

Game meat is considered healthier than other types of meat as it is leaner (wild animals do not accumulate a lot of fat) and has not received hormones. It is low in calories, fat and cholesterol while it is great source of protein, iron, vitamins of the B family and some beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Beef is a source of 14 essential nutrients – protein, iron, zinc, selenium thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, phosphorus, pantothenate, magnesium and potassium.  Beef contains other nutrients of interest including choline, monounsaturated fat and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

Meat and fasting

Orthodox Christian fasting, which incorporates voluntary abstention from specific foods for 180-200 days per year, is an ancient ecclesiastical ordinance.

The Holy Tradition (written and oral) of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church, while advising avoidance of olive oil, meat, fish, milk, and dairy products every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year, additionally includes four principal fasting periods per year when meat as well as dairy products and eggs are forbidden. These take place for a period of 40 days preceding Christmas,  for a period of 48 days preceding Easter (Lent),  for a variable period from 8 to 42 days, known as the Apostles’ Fast or the Fast of Peter and Paul, for a total of 15 days in August (Assumption of the Virgin Mary).

The goal of the fast according to the Church is not a victory over the body but a victory over the passions, what is important is not a healthy body, but a sanctified body. Regarding the consumption of meat, the principal reason for its exclusion from the fasting diet is related to the spiritual achievements of fasting (as gaining mastery over oneself and conquering the passions of the flesh) and, more specifically, with the curbing of erotic desires of the flesh.

Raising livestock

At the turn of the 20^th century and before livestock was a fluid business in comparison to agriculture, easier to buy and sell, nearly always supplemented and expending.  On the other hand it was subject of theft, loss and misplacement. Stealing someone’s livestock was considered a major crime and insult resulting in violence between the parties.  To prevent mischief and avoid loss the individuals in a herd were marked by branding on the cheek or scoring one or both ears. Partnerships between livestock owners were common, with unwritten rules and agreements.

Today there are thousands of herds of sheep and goats free ranging throughout the island, some commercial chicken and pig farms and nearly all the village households raise their own varied livestock in limited numbers for their personal consumption of meat and dairy.

Selecting meat

Using your three senses of look, smell, and feel are good guides to meat selection at the butcher shop.

A fresh cut of pork will be pinkish, while a new piece of beef should be a bright red. After the animal is slaughtered, it reacts with oxygen in the air and turns the red color. Keep in mind that aging the meat alters its color.  As it ages, it does tend to turn a gray color, so this may or may not indicate that it is old, just that it is lacking oxygen. Poultry meat must be light pink, bluish-white or yellow in color.  The color ranges are dependent on breed, exercise, age, and/or diet. Spoiled meat may have a darkening or loss of the color. The color of the meat says a lot about its freshness. Make sure that the meat does not have a greenish tinge or is bruised on the surface.

You are not always able to smell if meat is spoiled, but you may sense an off odor. It is best to not take chances, as if it smells off, it probably is. When bacteria multiply enough they smell bad. Poultry meat is generally odorless; however, it may have a mild odor on rare occasions. Make sure it does not have a foul smell or a pungent odor.

For poultry, the texture should be firm and the muscle fibers must be clearly visible. The meat should not be slimy – excess bacteria produce slime – and if you touch it, the fingers should be dry rather than sticky. The meat shouldn’t appear translucent and watery when it is cut.

At the butcher shop

In a supermarket, you can simply look at the type of meat on display and pick whatever looks good enough for your purposes. It may not always be the right choice if you’re not well versed in the different cuts and their properties during cooking.

In Crete, the neighborhood butcher shop is the preferred place to purchase meat and often dairy products.   Most butchers raise their own livestock or purchase their product from trusted sources and prepare the cuts for sale on site.  Buying meat from a butcher can seem a little intimidating at first when you’re used to picking up packets off the shelves, and it can feel as if you might not understand all of the terminology or know quite what to ask for.  But butchers are typically friendly, kind and patient and will help you identify the kind of meats that are most suited for your intended dishes, so don’t be afraid to ask when you don’t know.

There are so many advantages when sourcing meat from your local butcher. A butcher has trained for many years and will have a wealth of knowledge regarding the meat you are purchasing: from the cut of the meat to how long to cook it for or to what temperature.  Also, supporting the local economy is always a good idea and the need to make more sustainable food choices, to enjoying tastier meat and ensuring higher welfare for the animals is a plus.

The great thing about buying meat from a butcher is that you can choose how much meat you need to fit your needs. However, for first timers, it can be difficult to know how much meat is enough. As a rule of thumb, you can start off by estimating 125 to 175 grams per serving. If you end up ordering too little or too much, you can tweak your subsequent orders.

When buying chops or sausages, you can simply order by the number — e.g., 3 sausages or 5 pork chops. When buying most other meat cuts, you’ll need to order by weight — e.g., one kilo of sirloin.

Ground meat is done on site and on demand.  Tell your butcher of the blend you’d like, i.e. half beef-half pork, whether to trim any fat, the cut you may prefer etc.

All meat is not suitable for all cooking methods, especially true for cuts of beef.  Tell your butcher what you intent to do with the meat and he will recommend the proper cut for your purposes and the best method, time and temperature to cook it to get the best taste and texture.

Butchers are not there just to cut meat.  It’s always a good idea to ask your butcher questions.  Not only will you increase the knowledge you have about meat, but you will also develop a relationship with your butcher. Having a personal butcher that you can trust will have a positive impact on your future meat needs.