Why grass fed?

April 29th, 2010

I often get asked…

Why Grass Fed beef?
What’s the big deal?
Why should I go out of my way to buy grass fed beef?

Let me tell you!

Grass Fed beef has …
* a healthier ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids.
* 3x more Vitamin E
* 10x more beta-carotene
* higher levels of minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium
* lower fat and calories
and the list goes on…

I also get asked…

Is that any different than Organic?

Buying organic beef is great as long as it is grass fed AND organic. Organic grain and corn fed to cows – is still grain and corn.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

March 17th, 2010

My Corned Beef recipe has been requested…this must be enjoyed with a heaping earful of Pogues music!

Ingredients

2lbs of (grass fed) corned beef

1 btl Smithwick’s or other Irish beer

1 bag of crab boil spices (if you didn’t buy grass fed then these are probably included with your grocery store meat)

2 cups water

6-8 carrots cut in half

1 head green cabbage cut into quarters

8-10 small red potatoes (skip these Paleo friends, you’ll barely miss them since this is SO good!)

In a large crock pot place the bag of crab boil spices. On top of the bag put your corned beef and pour in Smithwick’s and enough water to fill the crock pot so the meat is covered half way. Cook on a low setting for approx 8 hours. When the beef is tender but not quite done you can put in the potatoes or you can boil them on the stove if you don’t have room in the crock pot. About 30 minutes before you plan on eating put in the carrots and cabbage. Serve with spicy mustard!

Click HERE to go to TheMeatGoat.com to take a look at our Corned Beef!!

Battle of the Dishes: Grass-Fed, Local Steak Versus Supermarket Steak

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2009/11/battle_of_the_d_18.php

“Buying grass-fed, locally and humanely raised meat is better for animals, the environment, and our health. Those advantages are well-documented, and certainly won’t be challenged here. But we were interested in something simpler–does grass-fed, local beef taste better?”

“The two steaks taste so different, it is as though they came from unrelated species.”

I really liked this blog post and its description of the taste differences between grain fed and grass fed steaks. I’m tired of reading anti-grass fed people writing that grass fed beef tastes “grassy”. There are 2 ways to get “grassy” meat. One is buying it from a source or farmer that doesn’t know how to raise high quality beef and the other is leaving it your fridge too long before eating it. I know there are people that don’t mind “grassy” meat but there are others, like myself, who can’t take the smell of it.

Our beef is SUPER fresh, really SUPER DUPER fresh! Our beef comes from cows raised on Amish farms by expert farmers who have been doing it the same way for generations and then it’s processed by my cousin Tom who is an expert, really, a SUPER DUPER expert.

Tomorrow is your day to load up on Vitamin D!!!!

I recently read in the Chicago Tribune that on a Chicago March day 15 minutes gives us 0 IUs of Vitamin D vs 15 minutes in July when we get 20,000 IUs.

I am as pastey as can be, it’s very sad.

Bring on the sun!!!

A packed Meat Goat weekend…

Saturday 12-5 The Empty Bottle 1035 North Western Avenue Chicago

What can be better than an afternoon indoor farmers market with locally-sourced drink specials? Bloody Marys or cider with Templeton Rye are featured!

The monthly Empty Bottle Farmers Market runs Saturday, March 20, from noon-5pm.

March Vendors
Crumb – seriously to die for bread!
http://twitter.com/crumbchicago (bread)

SenTeaMental Moods
https://www.senteamentalmoods.com (tea)

Co-op Sauce
http://coopimage.org (Humboldt Park handcrafted hot sauces)

Videnovich Farms http://www.videnovichfarms.com (hand-spun yarn, knitwear, dried herbs)

Chef Diane Botica, http://chefdianebotica.blogspot.com (spice blends, prepared foods)

Grinderman Coffee, http://grindermancoffee.blogspot.com (local roasters of fair-trade coffee)

Celestial Kitchens, http://celestialkitchens.com (savory pies, scones, maybe soups)

Herbally Yours, http://www.herballyyoursvinegar.com (vinegar, dried herbs)

Cheesecake Handmade Beauty, http://www.myspace.com/390331243 (environmentally-friendly bath and beauty products)

Sunday 10-2 Logan Square Winter Farmers Market @ Congress Theater 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave

We’re there, who else do you need?!

just kidding… our friend Anne with her awesome bread, beautiful Macaroons right next to us, the crepe guy, fresh donuts, yummy honey, the list is never ending.

Hope to see you there!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Spring is definitely in the air!

March 11th, 2010

Spring is definitely in the air!

Thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow…

I love thunderstorms!

A bit of weather geekyness…I’m so excited! I just found out my favorite (yes, I have a favorite) weather guy Tom Skilling will be having his annual Severe Weather Seminar on April 20th at Fermilab at noon and again at 6pm. It’s WAY, over the top- physics and charts I don’t understand- last year it lasted more than 6 hours but I LOVED it. Jeff refuses to go with me. :(

The snow melted off the grill so now you’ve GOT to use it!

I’ve found an awesome grilling blog that I will be taking ideas from soon.

http://www.anotherpintplease.com

His photography makes every meal look deeelicious! Imagine what it would taste like with grass fed!

But I thought “natural” meant it was good for me?

You’d think… but not so much.

Consumers making their way through the supermarket these days are seeing labels claiming everything is “natural”. We’re led to believe it’s good for us. Seriously?! Are we supposed to believe that Apple Jacks are good for us just because they have a few whole grains in them?! I have visions of The Wizard of Oz, don’t mind what’s behind the curtain, sugar, sugar and more sugar. Whole grains are supposed to make up for that? In my Paleo mind it only makes it worse.

This link does a good job of explaining labeling and what is worth paying attention to and what is useless.

http://lifehacker.com/5488799/the-common-sense-guide-to-organic-and-other-food-labels

I’m happy to say that our meat qualifies for the following certifications-

  • Food Alliance (FA)
  • USDA – Organic
  • Certified Humanely Raised and Handled

Pink Slime in my ground beef? no thanks!

A Beef Products Inc. processing plant in South Sioux City, Neb.

The company injects fatty beef trimmings with ammonia to remove E. coli and salmonella.

Carol Guzy/Washington Post

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

There are SO many parts of this article that concern me -

  • USDA official referring to something that has their approval to be eaten by the public as “pink slime”?!
  • Ammonia being allowed to be used on meat to kill E. Coli and salmonella and only referred to on the label as “processing agent”?!
  • The “majority of hamburger” now sold in the U.S. now contains fatty slaughterhouse …trimmings “the industry once relegated to pet food and cooking oil,”?!

and on and on and on…

Needless to say I think you should read the whole article…

Winter markets almost over…

but that means we will be starting our SUMMER farmers markets! We’re SO excited to be spending so many days outside meeting people and spreading the grass fed goodness that we get from Black Earth, WI.

Farmers Markets we plan to be at-

Logan Square

Pilsen

Warrenville

Huntley

with more to come.

Have a good market suggestion for us? We’d love to hear it!

Never had beef short ribs?

We had them for dinner tonight and they were amazing! Tender as can be and since grass fed meat is leaner than crappy grain fed stuff these ribs had just enough fat to make them SO flavorful.

Julie’s Amazing Grass Fed Short Rib Recipe

To make this recipe Paleo friendly – brown ribs in bacon fat without coating of flour. When making the gravy either omit flour or replace it with a little almond meal.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 55 Minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour for coating
2 teaspoons salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
4 pounds beef short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 onions, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons water
1 cup red wine
Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup flour, salt and ground black pepper. Roll the ribs in the seasoned flour.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil and brown the ribs well on all sides. Pour in 2 cups beef stock and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding more stock if necessary.
3. Place the potatoes, onions, and carrots in the pot. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until meat and all vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving platter.
4. In a separate small bowl, dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons flour (or 1 tablespoon almond meal) and 2 tablespoons water for every one cup liquid remaining in the pot. Add this to the pot and stir well. Add 1 cup red wine and  1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and stir over high heat until thickened. Pour over meat and vegetables.

Posted in Danger, Fun Stuff, Healthy Eating, Recipes, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Let’s get this thing rolling!

March 6th, 2010

As our business increases I wish the hours in a day would increase too!

Our blog has taken a backseat for too many months…but I come across so much great information every day that I’d like to share so I’m going to try and get this rolling again.

In the past couple months we have had an increase in customers and products. We thank all of you that have come aboard in the last couple of months and if you are ordering regularly you will be getting small thank you’s from us.

Most of our new products are on the website. Some are a little slow to make it there.

  • Organic eggs (SO FRESH!)
  • Organic Uncured Hot Dogs (yeah! my kids can eat hot dogs again!)
  • Organic Uncured Summer Sausage – Garlic and Cranberry
  • Organic Smoked Dog Bones
  • Raw Milk Cheese from Otter Creek (Award Winning)
  • Organic Butter
  • Organic Brats are in the works for grilling season.

Let us know if there is something you’d like that we don’t carry and we’ll work on getting it for you.

—————

Today I came across an article on the 12 healthiest foods on earth and guess what was on there…

yep. Grass Fed beef.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/07/healthiest-foods-nutrition-lifestyle-health-healthiest-foods.html?partner=email

“Meat , contrary to its terrible reputation, can be a health food if–and this is a big if–the meat comes from animals that have been raised on pasture land, have never seen the inside of a feedlot farm and have never been shot full of antibiotics and hormones.”

—————

Tonight for dinner we had a Tri-Tip Roast.

Delicious Tri-Tip roast!

Delicious Tri-Tip roast!

The roast was approx 3.5 lbs. I used a quick marinade with olive oil, garlic, brown mustard, salt and pepper. I let it marinate for a couple hours in the fridge and then moved it to the counter to come to room temp. Heat the oven to 500F. I put the roast in an iron skillet and placed strips of bacon across, covering the whole top. I put the meat thermometer in and stuck it in the oven. It cooked for approx 25 minutes, temp 125F. I took it out and let it rest for about 10 minutes, until I couldn’t resist the smell anymore, and the temp rose to about 130F. It was perfectly done for our family, on the medium side of medium rare. I added some beef broth and red wine to the pan and cooked it on the stove top, scraping the bits up, until it was syrupy. Pouring that over the top of the sliced meat made it probably the best meal I have home cooked, according to the other half. I’m not a gourmet by any means and didn’t have many herbs around to dress this meat up- but WOW! It sure didn’t need anything fancy. It was delicious!

Tomorrow we will be at the Logan Square Farmers Market inside the Congress Theater on Milwaukee Ave.

Stop by and say hi!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Time – "The Grass-Fed Revolution"

September 24th, 2009

This whole organic and grass fed stuff being good for you is nothing new, here is an article from TIME from 2006, it is pretty long, so I’ll just print some relevent excerpts. You can find the whole article here.

Mesquite’s (GrassFed) ground beef is 65% lower in saturated fat and its New York strips are 35% lower than conventional beef, as measured by the USDA. “Any feedlot-fattened animal has a much higher level of saturated fat than a forage-fed steer,” says Atchley. It makes sense. Grass is a low-starch, high-protein fibrous food, in contrast to carbohydrate-rich, low-fiber corn and soybeans. When animals are 100% grass-fed, their meat is not only lower in saturated fats but also slightly higher in omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats found in salmon and flaxseed, which studies indicate may help prevent heart disease and bolster the immune system. Ground beef and milk from grass-finished cattle also have more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which recent data suggest may help prevent breast cancer, diabetes and other ailments. Moreover, grass-finished meat is higher than grain-finished meat in vitamin A and vitamin E, two antioxidants thought to boost resistance to disease. “Grass-fed meat is beef with benefits,” says nutritionist Kate Clancy, author of a recent Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) report. UCS, a Washington-based nonprofit, reviewed scores of studies and concluded that a change from grain-based feedlots back to a purely pasture-based system “would be better for the environment, animals and humans.”

The article tells you all the good stuff about the grass fed (above) and all the bad stuff about the grain fed (below

But feeding steers grain and supplements can create safety issues–for cattle and humans. Biologically, cattle are ruminants, exquisitely evolved to graze grass, and researchers have found that a grain diet raises the acidity in steers’ guts. This breeds an acid-resistant form of E. coli that can spread from feces-contaminated carcasses to meat. Although USDA inspections are supposed to detect E. coli, the system is not perfect. In 1993, 600 people in Seattle got sick and three children died after eating E. coli– tainted hamburger. Since then, outbreaks have triggered more recalls and led to a federal recommendation that consumers cook beef thoroughly. According to USDA research, more than half of grain-fed cattle have been found to have acid-resistant E. coli in their feces; the proportion drops to 15% if they are switched to hay. 

Mad-cow disease, which can jump to humans in the form of a fatal brain illness, is another concern. It’s believed to be a product of serving cattle parts to cattle. The practice was banned in the U.S. in 1997, but beef tallow is still allowed in feed (along with other “supplements” like chicken feathers)–a source of continuing controversy.

By many accounts, the grain diet contributes to one more public-health problem. Overuse of antibiotics has caused more and more bacteria to become resistant to treatment, a factor in the deaths of more than 60,000 Americans each year. An estimated 70% of the nation’s antibiotics are fed to livestock and poultry to prevent illnesses and promote growth. Some 300 organizations, including the American Medical Association, have called for an end to nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in animal feed. The NCBA counters that antibiotics are judiciously applied. But the line between necessary treatment and routine use is blurred by the fact that a grain-based diet often leads to stomach ulcers and liver abscesses in cattle–a problem that has fueled the wrath of animal-rights groups. Grass-fed steers rarely require antibiotics.

Posted in Danger, Healthy Eating | No Comments »

Spicy Ground Beef Satay…yum!

September 21st, 2009

Food Street Food Satay
Hi there, saw this recipe on ABC news and it looked really good…here is the link for you – a good way to use that food processor and turn your ground beef into something really good!

Here is the link!  ABC

In Indonesia, spicy peanut sauce is the traditional accompaniment to satay. These beef skewers are paired with a sweet and salty tamarind-based glaze. The ingredient list may be long, but nearly all the work is done by the food processor.
———
SPICY GROUND BEEF SATAY
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 5
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 anchovy, mashed
1 scallion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pound ground beef
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • In a shallow bowl filled with water, soak 10 bamboo skewers.
  • In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, ginger, anchovy, scallion, cumin, cardamom, curry powder, cloves, chili powder, peanuts, cilantro, eggs and flour until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
  • Add the beef, then use your hands to knead the mixture until well combined. Form the mixture into logs roughly 4 inches long and 1 inch round. Gently insert a skewer into each log. Alternatively, the logs can be formed around each skewer. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind concentrate and water. Set aside.
  • In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine the soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the tamarind mixture and simmer until it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Set aside.
  • Heat a grill to medium. Brush the grill grates with olive oil.
  • Grill the skewers until one side is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the skewers and let cook for another minute, basting with the glaze. Repeat until the beef is cooked fully, about 1 to 2 more turns.

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Company in Brazil (JBS) becomes one of the world's largest meat producers

September 17th, 2009

Eeek! I guess now we’re going to have to start talking about buying
American, not just local….with our struggling economy, it looks
like JBS in Brazil-already the worlds largest beef producer is gobbling
up more ailing companies. I’m all about fair trade and everything, but
please when you buy things you are going to put into your body, know
where they come from!!

Found at Reuters

Pilgrim’s Pride filed for bankruptcy protection in December 2008 due to high feed costs, low chicken prices and heavy debts. It has cut production, closed plants and laid off workers to improve results.

Bertin, founded by the family of that name 30 years ago, is Brazil’s No. 2 beef producer with 38 plants in Brazil and abroad. Its takeover will consolidate JBS’s position as a global beef Goliath.

As the Brazilian real currency BRBY strengthened against the dollar in recent years, JBS went on an international buying spree, snapping up distressed competitors such as U.S. beef producers Swift Corp in 2007.

Tags: ,
Posted in Danger | 2 Comments »

The Local Lie?

September 16th, 2009

It seems that some of our corporate “friends” are trying to take advantage of the “Buy Local” movement. The movement seems to have a lot of momentum, (HA!)

Signs that consumer preferences are trending local abound. Locally grown food has soared in popularity. The U.S. is now home to 4,385 active farmers’ markets, one out of every three of which was started since 2000. Food co-ops and neighborhood greengrocers are on the rise. Driving is down, while data from several metropolitan regions show that houses located within walking distance of small neighborhood stores have held value better than those isolated in the suburbs where the nearest gallon of milk is a five-mile drive to Target.

It seems the old favorite Wal-Mart is getting in on the act…who knows what percentages they are buying, and what the source is….

One way corporations can be “local” too is to stock a token amount of locally grown produce, as Wal-Mart has done in some of its supercenters. The chain’s local food offerings are usually limited to a few of the main commodity crops of that particular state — peaches in Georgia or potatoes in Maine — and sit amid a sea of industrial food and other goods shipped from the far side of the planet. Yet, this modest gesture has won Wal-Mart glowing coverage in numerous daily newspapers, few of which have asked the salient question: Does Wal-Mart, which now captures more than one of every five dollars Americans spend on groceries, create more and better opportunities for local farmers than the grocers it replaces?

It goes into more depth as well, local-washing is the term they are using for the corporations using local to sell more. The real locals are seeming to go with the term ‘Independant’ which might catch on and let people know they aren’t big business trying to put the little guy out. Lots of good food for thought in this article.  Its a long one, but worth reading if you have a couple minutes.

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Look like Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson?!

September 16th, 2009

evascarlett
I saw a great article today in The Huffington Post! Dr. Nicholas Perricone talks all about what is making America fat, its not really too surprising that a lot of it has to do with our endless need for cheap and convenient! I’m not going to preach, I’ll let the good doctor do that for me!

Go Green and Lean with Grass-Fed

Some scientists and researchers believe that many of the health problems of today are caused by our departure from the hunter-gatherer diet, which consisted of nuts, seeds, berries, wild greens, roots, fruits, fish, fowl and game. This is a fascinating theory and I agree with the premise that natural, unprocessed foods are always the best choices………………One serious sabotage agent of our diets is the switch from grass-fed beef to grain-fed. Researchers have found that grass-fed beef contains two newly discovered “good” fats and more beta carotene, vitamin E and folic acid. These health benefits decline significantly with even three months of grain feeding, even if the grain is organic. Cattle that eat grass and live a “pastoral” life in the pasture produce beef and milk that is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Corn-fed beef has no CLA at all. CLA is also a powerful aid in the prevention and treatment of obesity. With the motive of saving money (corn is really inexpensive) at the expense of health, we are now in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Grass-fed meat is rich in CLA, which decreases body fat, especially in the area of the abdomen.

Like I said, it is a great article, it goes on to talk about frankenfoods, wrinkles, sugar and a bunch of other stuff, if you want to read the whole thing, click here.

Tags: ,
Posted in Healthy Eating | 1 Comment »

Beef and Bean Burrito Product Recall

September 12th, 2009

Of course I hope no one is hurt, and I’m glad they caught this so they could alert the public, but if there is ever a case for knowing where your food is coming from, here it is….

Riverside company recalls more than 2,000 pounds of beef-and-bean burrito product
September 14, 2009 |  9:11 am
Windsor Foods of Riverside is recalling 2,268 pounds of beef-and-bean burrito products that may be contaminated with the bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today.

The Butcher Boy Red Chile Beef & Bean Burritos come frozen and individually wrapped inside 18-pound bulk cases, said the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Each of the 131 cases contains 72 burritos and features the establishment number “EST. 1905” inside the USDA mark of inspection, along with the package code “1219215” and the case code “208001.”
The products were produced Aug. 3 and distributed to a Minnesota storage center. From there, they were made available for sale, though the retail distribution lists are not yet available.

Windsor Foods discovered the problem, and there have been no reports of illness.
The bacteria can cause listeriosis, which is potentially fatal but rarely contracted by healthy people. However, it can cause high fevers, severe headaches, neck stiffness and nausea, as well as miscarriages and stillbirths.

Read the whole article here.

Tags: ,
Posted in Danger | No Comments »

« Older Entries