I'd like to have heard more about sustainability and humane animal raising/slaughtering.  Evidently those aren't the reasons he was a vegan.

From the photo, it looks to me like cutting down on caloric intake would not be out of order. But I don't get that comment about caloric intake and expense anyway. There are plenty of calories in vegetables and grains that are very inexpensive. Its the meat that kills the wallet. (the reason its so expensive is all the waste inherent in its production which makes it a little ironic that this butcher prides himself on not wasting anything.)

Once again, Roz comes through with a great pro-meat article.  Good news for Roz and Jamie...the Mars rover proved definitively today that there is water on Mars.  Once we're done taking a big dump on Mother Earth, we might have a chance to move on to another planet.

Of course, as my fellow Grist posters would expect, I have many criticisms of both Roz's article and Jamie's choices.

 Roz...if you're trying to push the environmental agenda, shouldn't you be covering former meat-eaters who have become vegan?  Or chefs who have taken most meat off the menu and only buy grass-fed beef and only serve it in small portions as a part of a vegetable/grain-based meal?

 Jamie's story is so inspiring...he gave up being a vegan to make money.  That's why I gave up riding my bike to become a Hummer salesman.

 Waste - Jamie says he was spurred to action by seeing all of the waste.  Um...am I missing something here?  The American meat industry doesn't really waste much.  Bone meal, glue, dog food...

 The "big devil's advocate" - Jamie says that if we all gave up eating meat (or ate a lot less of it), it would be a "devastating blow" to the economy.  He must have the same economic advisor as Prezudent Bush.  This is the same reason that we should keep flying on airplanes, keep taking vacations, keep buying big american cars, keep building big houses....all of these things are crucial to the economy.  And being that....1% of our population derives their income from agriculture, we'd be hurting a lot of CAFO operators if we cut back on the steak.  Shoot, and here I was riding my bike to work thinking I was helping the environment when all the time I was just hurting the economy.  I really wish I had come by Jamie's wisdom earlier.  Of course...I suppose that if people ate healthy vegan or low-meat diets that we'd see average medical expenditures go downward drastically...would that be good for the economy or bad?  He should clarify with Karl Rove and get back to us.

 "The balance in our lives would be affected" - Flying Spaghetti Monster forbid that anyone should change any aspect of their lives.  We'd hate to cause less global warming.  We know that it takes huge acreage to grow the grain necessary to feed the cattle raised in this country and that we could easily feed ourselves on many fewer acres if we were eating more garbanzos and lentils.  We also know that it takes thousands of gallons of water to get a pound of beef to market.  It also takes huge energy inputs in the form of fossil fuels to keep the meat industry going.  And of course, what would we do if we were all a bit healthier...that would really upset our balance...
I'd hate to be teaching the next generation that we need to be mindful of how we live so that we ensure Mother Earth is in good shape for future generations.

 "With the economy starting to tank, it's been getting harder to be a responsible consumer," Jamie remarks. "If you want to eat in a sustainable way, only grass-fed beef, etc., then you're going to have to reduce your caloric intake, because it's going to be a lot more expensive to eat that way." - Wow...Jamie actually hit the nail on the head there.  If we don't have an economy based in cheap fossil fuels, it'll be impossible to grow all of the corn and soybeans we need to keep beef cheap.  If we went to grass-fed beef, we'd all have to eat a lot less of it...imagine that, eating and living within your means!  So sustainable would entail eating a lot less (or no) meat... (although that's not what this former straight-egger is advocating).

 "I think that grass-fed beef doesn't taste that good, by the way." - Finally!  We come to the only real reason that we have corn-fed beef in this country...most people's eating habits and tastes over the last generation have been defined by the menu at McDonalds.  I'm sure Jamie wouldn't have faired very well at my dinner table growing up...moose, grass-fed beef, and (no kidding) road-kill deer.  Somehow I always though that wild flavor was much better than the corn-fed beef from the grocery store.  But then, I thought wild strawberries and home-grown tomatoes tasted better than the industrially-farmed versions.  I'm sure Jamie wouldn't like the "gamey" taste of wild strawberries.  Wild game is infinitely more healthy for you and hunters are probably one of the strongest blocks of conservation groups in the country.

 And then Roz and Jamie finish the article with "we need to eat less meat"...kind of an afterthought after all of Jamie's enlightened views on the necessity of meat-eating.

 Once again...I'd like to suggest to Roz that she interview some meat-eaters turned vegan or else cover cooks who have gone to a mostly-veg menu.

 Grist, if you're looking for environmentally-related food articles, you can do a lot better than these fluff pieces.  I'd be happy to send you some leads.

From the July 9 issue of The Onion:

T.G.I. Friday's Executive Chef Recommends Booze-On-Meat-With-Cheese Thing

July 9, 2008 | Issue 44*28

SCHAUMBURG, IL--The executive chef of the Tremont Road T.G.I. Friday's strongly recommended that a table of VIP guests try the evening's special: a "tender, juicy, and heavily seasoned" booze-on-meat-with-cheese thing. "Tonight's special is a succulent 8-ounce meat, infused with imported cheese and drizzled with a creamy reduction of booze," said chef Tom Pinelli, adding that the entrée is served on a bed of cheese and meat, and is best paired with a glass of booze. "However, if you're in the mood for something a little lighter, we do have a refreshing selection of sauce-on-fish-on-stick stuff, as well as some healthier cheese-filled-meat-under-bacon options." For vegetarian diners, Pinelli recommended the 56-ounce fried mushroom.

"if people stop eating meat it would harm the economy" is the weakest argument I have ever heard for eating meat, and that's saying a lot. Jeez.

Clearly he became a vegetarian then vegan to fit in with his straight edge friends and not for true moral and ethical reasons. He also returned to eating meat to please his 'mentor' even though he admits he felt better avoiding meat. Seems to me like chef Bissonnette doesn't have many original ideas.

I agree with tjwdraws, this Chef Bissonnette sounds pretty wishy-washy - too much affected by others and without his own reasoning or conclusion. And the economic argument is absurd indeed - like CAFOs employ so many as compared to how many could be working in sustainable plant-based agriculture. With the economy starting to tank, it makes sense to focus your dollars on buying sustainable plant-based foods (cheaper than animal products) so that you can have the most impact for your money. How bizarre that he admits to feeling better without meat but eats it due to the social pressure of others...has he never met any of the fabulous vegetarian and vegan chefs who have blazed their own trail?

Right, John fM, and TJWDraws, and Prometheus: There is absolutely NO reason why this guy's re-conversion back to carnivory from veganism should be a moral example to anyone, because he plainly never had a good idea what veganism was about in the first place.

"Healthy diet" is a totally anthropocentric end, not to say selfish.

Beautiful long comment, John fM.  Thanks for pointing out the idiocy of the concern for economics, if everyone were to go vegan, which Jason Scorse also has done well to mock.

It may very well be defensible that non-human animals should be slain for the purpose of feeding human animals.  But if so (and I am far from convinced), we should NEVER treat the slaughter of non-human animals as a casual, inevitable event.

The morality of killing non-human animals ought always to be recognized as a big issue among environmentalists.  That this Boston pig-slaughterer has been given a free pass is surprising and disappointing.

At least my friend Roz tries to bring important moral terms such as "sacrifice" into the discussion.

Cf. also the disclaimer at the end credits of many movies: "No animals were harmed in the making of this film."  Fine.  But that does not mean at all that all the people working on that movie did not lunch on the flesh of chickens, pigs, cows, fish, and God knows who else, in the course of making that movie.

Just like many of the people's comments, this is a ridiculous article to post on Grist.

I appreciate that the chef uses the "whole" animal... but why does he have to use any of the animal?!?!

Someone mentioned that Grist should be posting articles of people that were meat eaters and went vegetarian or vegan.  That is absolutely correct!

Plain and simple, this is a site about environmentalism.  Meat eating is one of the most environmentally destructive things out there.  Because of the population of our planet, small "organic" animal farms will forever barely exist (at least in the US) and heavily polluting industrial farms will continue to expand.  Besides the fact that Pigs are one of the smartest of "farmed" animals!  
Not that it is much better, but couldn't the guy at least discuss chickens or fish, instead of pigs?!?

The guy obviously lacked enough backbone to stand up to his instructor chef.  With a little education on animal free foods (or at least meat-free) he could have shown his instructor a thing or two about veggie cuisine!

Grist should focus these types of articles and interviews on chef's or celebrities that converted to vegetarian or vegan.  There are hundreds of famous people (celebrities that are often looked highly upon by many fans and critics) that could help spread the message of veggie-ness to the rest of the population.

This has to be the most disappointing article I have seen in the 2 1/2 years or so I have been reading Grist.

We dont need any more articles about Anthony Bourdain wanna-be's.

Ate a tasty burger today. I don't usually get to eat 'em, because my girlfriend is a vegetarian, which pretty much makes me a vegetarian. But I do love the taste of a good burger.

Whether you eat meat or not this is a poorly written article. This guy seems to lack the courage of his convictions. I could understand wanting to understand meat to be a chef and thus eating it while going to cooking school but no reason if you were honestly concerned that much about animal welfare to not at least try to be a vegan or even just vegetarian chef after schooling.

And then even though he's concerned about using the whole animal he still doesn't seem to understand anything about sustainable animal production.

There are myriad people to interview on this subject who are much more committed and articulate about their positions. Fergus Henderson, Rose Prince to name two. Even Anthony Bourdain who wouldn't be a vegan in a million years could make a better argument.

There are so many publications now a days that are encouraging more ethical eating, and from grist we get another "pro kill and eat dead diseased innocent animals" article! Grist is about saving resources, (which by the way should include all the resources that are unduely used to produce meat)!

Like your previous "pro meat" articles you are promoting a Num Nut "chef" called Jamie Bissonnette. I do not care if you are eating "all" of the animal,,,, do you think that justifies the pain and suffering the animal had to endure. NO! How about you actually encourage people to eat ethically. Write according your markets niche versus being so pro killing animals.

No wonder your core sponsors are leaving you!

Jamie Bissonnette was never a vegan. From reading his accounts, he was just a silly little man that wanted a cool title and had no understanding of the concept! If he truely knew what being a vegan was about he would never eat meat, nor promote it! It seems this little piggy (Jamie Bissonnette - look at his profile picture), wants to cash in whatever way he can and try to be cool about it!

Grist go interview a real vegan, I bet it will be a better article than writing about this num nut!

"No wait, that didn't sound right"
"You're a sociopath"
"No, no, no. Sociopaths kill for no reason. I kill for money, it's a job. No wait, that didn't sound right. Look pilots bomb cities, police shoot demonstrators, that's indiscriminate, I don't do that. Look I've lost my taste for it completely."

i agree with everyone who is saying this article is
pointless. it was also not well researched.

i don't post much on grist anymore, and i don't read this website more than once a week or so because of junk like this -
GRIST!
clean up your act!

what a bunch of garbage - john-the-marine-says everything i would say if i could write as well as he does.
thanks john! grist should hire you to write some food articles!

Jamie you were probably cooking it too long. There is a difference in cooking times with grass fed vs fatty marbled beef. You cook grass fed much quicker, kind of like elk. The meat is juicy and delicious.

I know the vegans are going to say bad for the environment, etc, but it's feed lot beef that is finished on grain and causing a lot of environmental damage. If a cow is raised on grass, which is it's natural diet, they are not consuming a high petroleum input grain and they don't fart and belch as much, either.

In order to sustain life on Earth, reduce suffering, activate peace, and practice compassion, I wish for strength and courage to act with integrity. I exercise the muscle of my compassion...

to respond without violence,
to refrain from killing and eating my fellow beings,
to stand up to corporations and individuals who violate life,
and to tell them kindly and firmly:

There is much to sustain you on this Earth. Without killing and eating my sentient family and friends, you can nourish your body and awareness with vegetarian food and dawning insight.

Last week I picked up our share of the harvest from Markegard Family Grass-Fed Cattle in Half Moon Bay, and on Sunday cooked up the first of it. This is the first true all-grass-fed beef I've had (most operations use some grain), and I have to say this chef has different taste buds than I do. The taste was fresher, tastier and - dare I say - beefier than any of the grass-finished beef I've eaten.

Maybe some of the good taste is psychosomatic, knowing that the cow I'm eating had a good life and a decent death and that my contribution to the farm will help them continue practices that are healthy for the environment and their animals. But I'm looking forward to enjoying my eighth-share (we split a quarter-share with another family) over the course of the year. I even got some of the bones, so I can make mincemeat the traditional way.

I agree that Bissonette doesn't sound like he was much of a vegan. Let's hear about whole grains, fresh veggies and mushrooms, lots of mushrooms. Cheetos and Pepsi do not a sound diet make, even with the occasional feast.

Will the next article be, "From child advocate to pederast"?

.... of violence. "Reducing suffering, activating peace and practicing compassion" are not my particular priorities.