OMG, you caught me! :-)

Truly, paleo food is way too good to waste even a drop, and I am the worst about licking my plate, but I do have to rein it in when eating with others, to avoid grossing them out.

One thing I do when amongst polite company is to save a bite or two of vegetable, like cauliflower or turnip, or whatever I have that might be able to pick up a few drops, but in some cases it's only the spoon that saves the day....and only marginally at that. I have been accused by some of trying to scrape the picture off the bottom of the plate with my spoon, so I have to be careful about even that. All that clanking and scraping gives me away!

Other etiquette problems? YES! There's those darn bones that are so messy to get all the meat off, but ever so good for you!

This is hilarious, because I never considered how much I lick my plate now that I eat everything covered in delicious fats. Unfortunately bread was always the tool for soaking up sauce, butter, etc. I especially have a hard time with eggs b/c I like the yolk barely cooked and they end up stuck on the plate. My suggestion would be to put a layer of lettuce, one with big soft leaves like buttercrunch, under your meal. Kind of like a second plate. This way all the juices and fat end up on the lettuce which you can easily eat. I agree it's probably not the best etiquette to lick your plate in public, however, plate licking is much less offensive to me then yapping loudly on a cell phone, texting while conversating or any other typical disgusting behaviors I witness every day. I think the most basic and prevalent etiquette problem paleo folks deal with is how to turn down food from someone without being rude. I suspect this will never get easier and will always be uncomfortable. I try not to be obsessive, but there are some "foods" I will just not eat.

FANTASTIC QUESTION! I love licking my plate now that I have gone Paleo. Depending on the company you are keeping, you might try asking them if you can lick your plate but be sure to explain how you absolutely love the fat and think it's the best part of the meal. If that isn't an option, which it probably isn't, you can try propping one end of your plate up so the fat flows to the lower side, then you may be able to quickly drink some of the fat off you plate. Far more polite than licking.

My roommate is absolutely disgusted with me for drinking the fat out of the roasting pan.

Scraping up the liquid with a regular spoon is hard. That's why the French--who love their sauces--invented the sauce spoon!

http://www.splendidmarket.com/2010/02/sauce-spoons-and-visit-to-lauberge-de.html

Is that not what your slice of bread is for? :)

Honestly licking ones plate is simply dreadful table manners, you shall never be allowed out in polite society again. Use a spoon if you must you caveman!

When I first saw your question I thought you must have been to dinner with me, then I thought you were stalking me, then I realised it's just part of being Paleo. I don't know if it's any more socially acceptable but a mate of mine uses his thumb and can leave his plate spotless in no time.

I typically line a bowl with leafy greens, then drop my dead animal right into the bowl. Anything that tries to escape gets caught by the greens, and since it's in a bowl, it pools and my veggies soak up all the delicious flavors. :)

Meat makes the best salad dressing.

Only one word necessary: SPUDS

While on spring break I encountered this problem several times when I ordered eggs for breakfast while surrounded by polite company.

Bacon, however, turned out to be pretty darn good at soaking/scraping up egg yoke.

Screw it - just LICK AWAY!!!! HA HA - That's what I do and I don't care!!!

Eat the fatty/juicy thing first. That pile of greens is wonderfully absorbent to mop up all the good parts left on the plate!

LOL. We lick our plates at home. :-) But I have to remind my kids to please not do this in public. If we were still in my native Philippines, it wouldn't be a problem, we traditionally eat with our hands and it's not impolite to scoop food from plate to mouth.

I don't have any techniques sans licking. Perhaps those precious drops shall remain untouched on your plate for the constrains of social 'etiquette'. I usually eat at home though ... so I of course put my highly-adapted-food-particle appendage to use(my tongue) as necessary.