Perhaps one of the most intriguing characters in the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is Simon Pearson. Instead of venturing out on missions with Arthur, Simon stays at the player's camp taking care of cooking and crafting, encouraging players to donate rations to him to cook up into his famous stew. On the surface, his cooking is a good way for players to quickly bulk up their health.
There are a large amount of meats players can find in RDR2 through hunting and fishing, which adds a fun layer of realism to the game. Eating cooked food can be used to manage a player's Cores, and eating Pearson's special camp stew will grant players a Gold Health Core, and if they've bought a chicken coop it will provide a Golden Dead Eye Core as well. However, one small in-game detail hints that players may want to think twice before digging into Pearson's food.
Pearson's Stew Reaction Is Telling In RDR2
In a YouTube video from raising money for RDR2's camp is worth it considering the quality of meals being produced. In the video, Pearson is shown tasting his stew as it cooks, only to immediately gag right after having a spoonful, quickly spitting it out onto the ground. However, he then resumes stirring it as if all is well.
Why Pearson's Cooking Is So Bad In RDR2
There's never an explicit reason given for why Pearson's cooking is so bad, but there are a few theories as to why this is the case. It could perhaps have to do with his background - his family was part of the whaling industry, and although whalers were not hunting the creatures for their meat, the journey itself often necessitated some less-than-desirable meals. If Pearson ever accompanied his family on whaling journeys, it's possible he was subjected to the poor assortment of food that would slowly rot over a long trip, ruining his taste buds.
Blame could also lie with how players hunt in RDR2 - even the best cook, if provided with poor ingredients, will produce a lackluster result. It's likely any hunted meat often sits in a player's satchel for an extended period of time in the hot sun, or comes from low-quality animals, resulting in a bad-tasting stew. This could be further amplified by Pearson's own cross-contamination, as he's never shown cleaning his knife between cutting meat and cutting vegetables, spreading around questionable bacteria.
Whatever the reason may be for Pearson's poor cooking, it certainly calls into question whether Arthur should touch the universally unappetizing concoction. Considering the other incurable issues Arthur has in RDR2, this reaction from Pearson raises concerns about Arthur putting questionable things into his body. However, despite its disgusting nature, it can be hard to resist the Golden Cores offered by the stew in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Source: Strange Man/YouTube
