Rocky Mountain Oysters and Lamb Fries (Western)

In honor of this week's Democratic National Convention, Regional Food Round Up brings you a quite delicate delicacy from the mountainous West.  Back in my unfoodie days when I was a vegetarian,  I often read books like Diet for a New America, in which food hero  John Robbins discussed how depersonalized food is in the United States.  We don't call it pig; it's pork or ham.  We don't say cow, we say beef or hamburger or steak.  And, we don't say testicles; we call them 'oysters' or 'fries.'  Rocky  Mountain Oysters as they are known in Colorado or lamb fries as they are known in Oklahoma are battered deep fried bull and lamb testicles, respectively.  As someone who believes strongly in the power of the truth and deep fat frying, it's hard to reconcile the reality of the dish with the really good taste of it.  Like all things, from Oreos and Twinkies to testicles, everything can taste good with the right amount of batter and 350 degrees of boiling hot oil.  Lamb fries are battered in a crumbly, spicy mix that creates a nice crisp contrast to the natural chewiness of the 'fry.'  The fries are also served with a spicy, cocktail-like sauce.  The heat of the sauce helps numb the emotions associated with eating such a 'private part' of the lamb.

I enjoyed lamb fries when my in-laws were in town at Cattlemen's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City's Stockyards City.  You can hear your dinner mooing in the cattle yards across from this historic restaurant.  I didn't hear the sad bleating of the lamb that lost part of its reproductive system so I can have an appetizer.  If you can't tell, I'm not entirely proud of leaving vegetarianism behind.  Although I've crossed back into the dark side after a wonderful romp in veggie world, I'm not entirely convinced that meat is 1) healthy, 2) humane or 3) not hormonally destructive.  Yet, as my consciousness says no, my palate screams yes.  

Happy Eating!