The U.S. is the fifth largest beef consumer in the world. In fact, each person consumes over 53 pounds of beef each year! It’s small wonder why, between burgers, roast beef, and steak, beef accounts for some of the most important staples in American Cuisine.

But the Cult of Cow does have its disadvantages. There are a ton of interesting different types of meat and food in general that you might miss if you spend your days bowing to all things bovine.

In this post, we’re going to point out some unique and yummy alternatives to help you break away from beef.

Lamb

If you’re looking for something unique for the grill, look no further than lamb. While some might bristle at the mere mention of lamb, this rich and savory meat is woefully underappreciated. (We serve a killer Lamb Chop, if you’re looking for a way to taste it before deciding to cook it at home.)

For your lamb, you can prepare it the same way you learned to prepare pork or beef in your BBQ cooking classes. Two pro grilling tips: Use a honey based barbecue and don’t shy away from the fat on the lamb. If grill it over a low heat, the fat will become well incorporated and delicious.

Chicken

Controversial opinion time: chicken can be as good as any steak recipes. The key is to treat chicken with the same respect as you treat your steak. If you’ve taken any grilling or BBQ cooking classes, you know how important it is to salt your steak well in advance of cooking it. The same is true for chicken — as long as you remember to do it well in advance of putting it on the grill.

That salt will help you seal in the flavor and moisture, which is the single most important thing when cooking chicken. After that, it’s a matter of applying your favorite seasoning; our favorite is a mixture of lemon zest, lemon juice, and a secret blend of herbs.

Salmon

Salmon is one of the most versatile fish widely available. From lox to Plank Grilled Bourbon Salmon, you would be amazed at the many ways salmon can be dressed up — or stripped down.

Unlike most protein, you don’t want to salt your salmon in advance. Instead, hit it with the seasoning right before you throw it on the grill. Additionally, be very careful not to overcook salmon: like a steak, it is best left a little closer to the rare side.

When it comes to BBQ and grilling, it can be easy to find yourself among the cattle chattel. Whether or not you take BBQ cooking classes, it is important to diversify your cooking arsenal. Hopefully, this blog has helped you break out of the heifer haze.