Mystery Meat

Attention all food buffs:

We have mystery substances that need identification, your knowledge and input will be greatly appreciated.  You see, we were walking around town aimlessly with our mouths watering looking for the perfect restaurant to satisfy both of us.  We came across a picture of what looked like fried calamari and thought "Ooo, let's try some".  We used our patented picture pointing ordering technique  and the server was off.  She returned with a plethora of dipping sauces, some raw onions, and a bowl of soup containing this brown holey substance, the first thing we want identified.  We can't tell whether this substance was of plant or animal origin.  Next to come out was our main course, made up of round, flesh-like substances seasoned to perfection.  Because they were so tasty, we thought they were some kind of fat, yet there was no fat-like residue to confirm this hypothesis.  You identification assistance will be of great help, and don't worry, we're already prepped for the worse case scenario and we made a pact to return to this restaurant and indulge in whatever deliciousness it winds up being.