Among the decidedly ungreen luxuries I allow myself is a small collection of magazine subscriptions, one of which is Gourmet – the Conde Nast foodie rag that is, to be honest, hit or miss. But this month’s issue was a favorite of mine, mostly because of a moving account by two young chefs of a trip they took to Madani Halal butcher in New York in search of a goat to serve at their summer barbecue. The chefs – Ian Knauer and Alan Sytsma – picked out a grass-fed, free-range goat and watched as the butcher thanked the animal for its life and then killed it in what is considered the most painless way possible. The chefs reported back that watching their animal die added a level of responsibility to their cooking. Not only did they want to create a delicious meal for its own sake, they felt a need to honor the sacrifice of the animal’s life.
This type of thinking is an integral part of the current movement towards more ethical meat consumption that we often discuss on this blog. Consider below the similarities between Zibah – the Halal slaughter method – and members of the slow food movement. This similarity is not lost on Riaz, the owner of Madani, who told Gourmet that he believes Halal butchery can help many Americans to accept Islam through shared eating values.
According to the Halal Food Authority the following conditions must be met in order for meat to be considered passable:
- Animal must be alive and healthy at time of slaughter (no downers)
- Slaughter must be done in quickest, most painless method: cutting the jugular, carotid artery and windpipe in one single motion
- Animal must not be stunned or abused prior to slaughter (such abuse would render the animal “dead,” disobeying the first rule)
- Animals must not be fed anything containing meat (grass and grain fed)
- A muslim must perform the slaughter while reciting the shahada, as a prayer of dedication.
Many of us will recognize these considerations in our own choices. Not only are these healthier, more sanitary conditions, the elements of gratitude and respect are essential to a thoughtful approach to eating. Much of my own family keeps Kosher, which is very similar to Halal and I long considered it an archaic, even exclusionary practice. I wondered why otherwise contemporary, scientifically-minded people would adopt ancient sanitation laws that prohibit them from socializing over meals with friends. But the mindfulness advocated by these laws need not apply only to the religious – we can all benefit from this strong niche in the meat industry.
Given the high premium put on ethically-raised meat at farmer’s markets and in health stores, it is a relief to know that consumers can get such meat from Halal butchers at a reasonable price. In doing so, we are supporting the ethics behind the practice of Halal butchery and also supporting independent and community-oriented butchers – a dying breed in the era of pre-cut chops in the supermarkets and megamarts that dominate our country’s food consumption.
Image Credit: sciondriver under a Creative Commons license
Thank you for this interesting article. Though generally not touched upon, the reality is that true halal is more than just the last 5 minutes of the animals life. Its holistic and includes how the animal was raised, as Muslims we believe they are magnificent creations of God that require to be treated with dignity and mercy. So in essence factory farms with their cramped quarters, no access to pasture and environmental run off all would fly in the face of the spirit of halal. And by the way, Islamic tradition recommends eating very little meat, as one saying goes 'do not let your stomachs become graveyards'.
Ultimately, we believe what we eat affects us physically, as well as spiritually so we strive for higher standards for the entire life of the animal.
Here is one business that also has this spirit http://www.greenzabiha.com
Thanks for that explanation of Halal meat, Helema. I do think that if people are going to eat meat they should guarantee that it is from a halal source or from a local source that they can personally check on the way the animal has both lived and died. According to the book, ‘Eating Meat’, 99 percent of meat eaten in the United States are from commercial animal farms. At least if we begin to enlighten people as to the horrors of these slaughter methods there will be alot less meat eaten and the meat eaten will be local or halal.
peace
Katharine