Some good reasons to eat halal meat even if you’re not Muslim
Some butchers advertise with a halal certificate, but what exactly does it mean, what types of meat do they sell, how does it differ from ‘regular’ meat?
Indeed you have passed dozens of times in front of a butcher’s shop that advertises itself as halal on its sign and even has a halal certificate on the door, which would be like a seal of guarantee that the meat meets the quality requirements.
What is halal meat?
Halal means permitted, beneficial, and it is what the Qur’an recommends to Muslims in their customs in general. Here we will limit ourselves to meat because we can all eat it regardless of our beliefs. And because it is much cheaper and has exceptional qualities.
Reasons for eating halal meat.
We have met for you, the owner of a Halal butcher’s shop and a veterinary surgeon and bromatologist who list them in detail.
– The animals are fed naturally
Here is how we can define halal meat. To begin with, veterinary surgeon and bromatologist points out that “animals should not be fed anything that carries artificial growth hormones or animal protein or blood protein. That is because they can come from the pig. These feed are more efficient in terms of fattening but of worse nutritional quality for the human who eats the meat”.
The halal butcher’s shop owner nuances that “they have to develop naturally, so, when you put a fillet on the plate, it does not lose water, it remains the same size since it is not hormonal.”
– They live grazing freely
Halal certification for halal meat requires that farmers do not raise animals in intensive farming. So, they are as free as possible and live in decent conditions. Consequently,” to eat fresh grass, hay or silage (dry and fermented fodder compressed on rollers), the animal has to move. Therefore, the muscle will exercise, and the meat will be leaner. The distribution of fat will be more infiltrated instead of localized. So, the concentration of fatty acids will be healthier, as unsaturated ones predominate, than in animals tied and fed with feed”, compares the veterinarian.
– Selected meat at affordable prices
As a result of all the above, you can buy, at very affordable prices halal meat, “a completely bled meat, clean cut. The meat keeps intact the nutrients and the natural flavor. It has fair grease and has very good maturation capacity in the most select pieces, “says the butcher.
– The marinades in halal butchers’ shops are homemade.
They provide very intense flavours because they use natural spices such as turmeric, paprika, coriander, pepper, ginger, parsley, etc. since Islam also prohibits a lot of artificial additives of those that we read in the packaged trays of supermarkets.
What meats are chosen, and how are they sold at halal butchers?
Veal and old cow: When saying halal meat, these animals are those we first think. In the form of a steak, entrecote, needle, minced meat, which, surprisingly, can cost less than 10 euros the kilo. It is difficult to find them cheaper for that quality. They are ideal for grill or barbecue.
Chicken and turkey: Whole, in pieces, in breasts, marinated, loose kebabs or on skewers for grilling
Lamb: Butchers sell it in the form of the leg, shoulder, ribs, kebabs, etc.
Goat: If you want to make a good barbecue, the goats selected as halal are very clean and juicy pieces.
Bullock: It isn’t easy to find 100% Bullock. This is why in some halal butchers they have the responsibility for guaranteeing their traceability.
Sausages: Sausages can be natural or spicy, beef, chicken or turkey, fantastic for children and grilled.
Burgers: you can make burgers with minced meat. They are usually with very little fat. And apart from the normal ones of beef, chicken or turkey, you can find amalgamate ones with spinach, spices or harissa. This is a pretty powerful hot sauce.
Chicken and turkey sausages: as cold cuts, spicy or natural, in bar or slices, they even have salami and turkey chorizo.
Stuffed rounds: in some butcher’s shops, they sell the homemade stuffed round with selected ingredients.
What you will not find
When defining the halal meat, the Qur’an explicitly forbids eating animals that are already dead or bleeding, blood (so forget about buying blood sausages there), pork and everything that has been sacrificed in the name of another than Allah (i.e. you won’t find a kangaroo or a deer that has been shot or a bull’s tail…).
If you want to buy Halal meat and other products from Turkey, please visit our website. Here is also a direct ling to Turkish agriculture & food category.
