Having been a strict lacto-ovo veggie for near 15 years, I too “grew up” cooking vegetarian. I mean, when I ate meat, my mom or a restaurant always cooked it. So I’m learning about preparing flesh along with you.

First, Heather is a great source of carnivore knowledge. Call her, ask her, get advice. It takes 5 minutes and you don’t have to flip through a book.

Second, which I have yet to do myself, get a meat thermometer. Very nice for a large roast or poultry/pork which really can’t be undercooked. You can always borrow Heather’s.

Third, go simple stick with steaks, chops and deli meats–hey, why not? They’re already cooked. Chicken salad is hard to fuck up. And the soups and pastas you’re making sound perfect.

Fourth, I want a Scotch Egg please.

For me, the hardest is poultry on a bone. Crazy different cooking times, not good on the grill unless parboiled first. So I just ROAST EVERYTHING. It’s easy, but slow. That’s where the deli meats come in. I can have a quick snack while waiting three hours for a crown rib to cook.