The dear meat of a deer!

This is how a (Philippine) deer looks like when still alive:

And this is how it looks like when sold in the market!

The deer meat (“ugsa” to Ilocanos) is indeed dear. It’s quite expensive. The last time I have checked, three thin strips of dried meat costs about P300.00 – that is P100.00 per strip. It is only in Ilocos that I find this kind of meat. In Manila, I’ve yet to see a resto which offers deer meat in its menu.

When I was still in college, I brought to Manila pre-cooked deer meat once. When I heated it for lunch, I heard my next door neighbor shouting, “What’s that, it stinks!” I knew very well that he was referring to what I was cooking but I was sure he didn’t know where it’s coming from. I was torn between halting the cooking or just let the potent gas of the deer meat takes its course. I choose the later. I can take the smell protest but I cannot take not eat my precious deer soup. Sometimes, I can’t understand why edibles with the most undesirable smell tastes the best! That’s the dear meat of a deer which I have come to like very dearly…