One True Ingredient: Peas and Carrots

Not all meals are a success. To be honest, it was not the fault of the peas and carrots, it was mine. Just because the roast had been stewing in its own juices for eight hours in the crockpot did not mean that it was warm enough to both heat the cold brown rice through and thaw the peas and carrots. Note to self: next time always thaw the peas and carrots.

The STC spent the night at work, but the chuck roast I’d pulled out of the freezer on Sunday really needed cooked, so I used our new cookwear from GreenLife, available through Walmart, which worked to spectacular effect. I’m totally in love with these pans. Eggs don’t even stick. You fry an egg, flip it, and it slides right out on the plate, no need for oil. Whatever alchemy makes this possible has my devotion.

Anyway, I seared both sides of the chuck roast and threw it in the crockpot with three(ish) cups of water, some beef bouillon, marsala wine, salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, onion powder and two dried red peppers from the garden a couple years ago. Red peppers are always tricky, since they don’t always seem to have the same flavor, but I took a risk. Deglazed the pan with some red wine I had in the fridge (Mommy needs some liquid patience sometimes) and that’s it. Cooked the meat on high in the crockpot for three or four hours and then was heading to town for groceries (go MPerks) so turned it down to low for another four(ish) hours. Turned the meat out over leftover brown rice and the aforementioned doomed peas and carrots and that was where I went wrong.

I repeat, always thaw the frozen veggies first, no matter how hot you think the meat juices may be.

Until next week, and our next food story, eat well, stay healthy.

Steak and Eggs

This isn't something I'd usually post, but any excuse to eat steak and eggs.

Grass Fed Steak for Breakfast

Why does grass-fed cost more?

I can't even tell you how many times I've gotten variants of this question. "Why shouldn't I just go to Sam's Club and I can buy a hundred pounds of all steaks for cheaper than I can buy lower grade cuts from you?" First of all, if you ask me that question, go to Sam's Club. Second, I'm not sure what lower grade means. The best part about a quarter of beef is the variety. The STC and I have done amazing things with cube steak, sirloin, and chunks labeled "Lunch" out of the steer we processed at home because he would have run through the front of the trailer leaving an outline like a Looney Tunes character had we tried loading him for the butcher. So this article struck really close to home for me, and while I haven't run the operating cost for our farm, they don't sound that outrageous.

Why I Can't Raise a $1 Cheeseburger

From WikiCommons

What's in a name? That by which we call a burrito by any other name would still taste damn good

Not Local Food, And Not Afraid To Say It

What's in a burrito is less important in this article than where did it come from, how was it raised, and how far should food travel?

Ingredient: Beef

 Grass-finished Beef is Taking Off

Since we grilled out on Sunday, the taste of fresh steak of the grill just makes my mouth water while reading this.

Where corn is king, a new regard for grass fed beef
 In the four years since he settled here, Prescott Frost has found himself set apart more than most. In a state where corn is king, he is on a quest to breed a better cow for the grass-fed beef industry — one that can thrive without chemical pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and, the clincher, grain — and to market his own brand of artisanal meat.

If you are what you eat, we need to pay attention
 Healthy soils, healthier food, healthier environment, healthier people.
 
‘Happy cows:’ do they produce healthier meat? The question in essence is, are pasture-raised cows indeed “happier” than their counterparts, and does this make a difference in the quality of meat? One can’t read a cow’s mind, of course, but common sense would tell us that an animal’s quality of life when roaming freely is superior to one which is confined and it is happiest in its native environment. It seems to be true that pasture-fed cows lead low-stress lives and thus there is less of a need to treat them with antibiotics and other drugs for disease control.

The girls. Whole herd shot.
Click to enlarge.

Save the Soil, Save the Planet

Holistic management? Soil is alive? Rotational intensive grazing? Whaaaat?! Craziness. Cows may cause methane, but they can also save the planet. I'm going to make Dad listen to this the next time he bitches about my cows lol.

'Cows Save The Planet': Soil's Secrets For Saving The Earth

Respect Your Big Mac

This article reminded me, and I hope it reminds you, that in the grass v. grain debate, the thing we really should keep foremost in mind is animal health and happiness. I won't go so far as to say feedlot cattle are abused. They just do not have near the quality of life that an animal raised on grass does. We need to remember that the steak or the chicken sandwich we put in our mouths used to be a living, breathing creature with emotions and connections to other animals. We need to remember to respect that.

Wapato ranchers dedicated to health benefits of organic beef 

By Savannah Tranchell

Yakima Herald-Republic

Recipes

As this article explains, grass-fed beef is leaner so it cooks differently than grain fed. Here's some recipes, as well as things to think about when cooking with grass-fed beef. Enjoy!


Lean meat requires lower cooking temperature 
By Savannah Tranchell Yakima Herald-Republic

Michigan News: Smartphone Meets Steer

Now this is pretty f-ing cool.

Michigan Tracks Cattle From Birth To Plate

Invasion of privacy? Maybe. Pain in the place where the sun don't shine? Oh yeah. Especially for small farmers. And no one really mentioned if the RFID tags system was cost-effective or not over the last three years. But, if it did work, that's a great way to help the commercial beef industry connect with consumers.

She Sells Food

This is so going to be me, still raising cows. Except I'll be like ninety-five, shaking my hickory stick at a just-calved momma cow, telling someone standing safely on the other side of the fence, "Oh, she's fine, just bluffin' a little aren't you momma?" Before she tosses me skyward like a Raggedy Anne doll.

Selling Food- From ABC News

The original Raggedy Ann and Andy, for those confused about what I'm talking about.

Grass v. Grain: The Debate Continues

Why choose grass over grain? Here's some thoughts.

A few things you always wanted to know about burgers (but were afraid to ask)

National Burger Month Did you know the original hamburger came from the regions of the Mongols and the Tartars, before gaining its name from the region of Hamburg in Germany? Now you do. But if you want a really yummy mustard recipe, the above link is still worth checking out.

Flax Fed Beef

Flaxseed: The Next Superfood For Cattle And Beef?

Have your beef and eat it too

Grass-fed fast food? From USA Today

Pure Beef

I reviewed this book for San Francisco Book Review, but in case I can't convince you, here's another take on this ode to grass fed Pure Beef.