Truly Happy Meat
Dec 30, 2008 cooking, farming, groceries, sustainable agriculture
I’m only singling her out because she made a post about something I’d been meaning to comment on previously but, in the forum thread “Food Related Goals for 2009“, Merridith wrote:
…I want to restrict my meat eating, as best I can, to sustainably produced, naturally raised, animals. First choice will be to buy direct from the farmer, if I need it fast, I will buy it from the organic grocery.
The idea of this is absolutely great, but the reality is that even meat at an organic grocer isn’t really all that happy because terms like organic, free range, and pastured have all been picked up by agribusiness and distorted wildly. You can have “organic” pork that was confined just as you can have “pastured” beef that is really just pumped full of corn. And that’s not to say I don’t occasionally buy meat in a store like Whole Foods, but I do so more for the injection-free angle than the sustainable methods of production and slaughtering.
Of course, in a pinch, you can find American Grass Fed Beef’s truly sustainable products at both area Whole Foods and, the great local options Local Harvest, Winslow’s Home, and Sappington Farmers’ Market* make readily sourcing other meats relatively easy as well.
What I’d highly suggest, however, is the purchase of a deep freeze. While I initially purchased mine so I’d have it for when my hog gets slaughtered, I’ve found it to be an invaluable way to stock up on meat from farmers I trust. The cost was lower than I’d initially anticipated and I’ve found I now always have a steady supply of meat even if I miss a few markets. You’d be amazed, also, at how quickly something like strip steaks thaw when you’ve forgotten to pull them out a day or two in advance. By simply taking them in their original cryovac bag–or a zip lock bag you’ve squeezed the air out of–and placing them into a bowl of cold water, they will thaw in less than two hours. Note: You’ll need to change the water every 30 minutes when doing this, and be sure to cook the meat after it has been sufficiently thawed rather than refrigerating.
For more information on the safe handling of frozen meats, visit the United States Department of Agriculture – Food Safety and Inspection Service.
* Sappington Farmers’ Market carries Heritage Acres Pork which is, I believe, the same source of the “locally produced” pork found in Whole Foods, as well as the subject of an excellent Riverfront Times Cover Story several weeks ago.
Tags: American Grass Fed Beef, Local Harvest, Riverfront Times, sappington farmers market, Whole Foods, Winslow's Home
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December 30th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
If I can add one other suggestion, if you’re going to get a large amount of meat, I would suggest portioning it out and purchasing yourself a vacuum sealer. It’ll allow you to have pre-portioned out meals without having to thaw large portions and it’ll help to keep your meat fresher in the long run.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I agree, Bill, that one has to be vigilant when shopping in places like Whole Foods or Trader Joes. Just look around and use logic. These places are built on somewhat traditional (even if more progressive) business models and one should have no delusion that they are beyond manipulation of the language just like any other commercial chain market. But, we all live in the modern world and I am a very practical person. This is why I chose my words very carefully, saying “as best I can” since I know that am powerless to completely control the realities of this complex culture we live in.
The freezer idea is great but alas, it has some real problems too. One big issue for me: I have lost confidence in the grid. When I looked into the cost of installing a gas powered generator it was far beyond my means. A few short years ago we suffered a multiple of power outages and two of them were more than three days duration for us. I lost everything in my 36″ Sub-Zero freezer both times.
Another constant problem of the freezer is waste. I find that I throw away far more than I would like to admit because it is so difficult to anticipate my family’s food needs. (With two teenagers one just never knows from week to week if they will be around or not.) Things go bad in the freezer if not consumed within an appropriate amount of time. Of course, the better the product to begin with, the better the results after freezing. But, freezer burn and loss of moisture is a real problem for me. I have had fantasies about getting a vac-packer but OMG, I am very resistant to getting more gadgets. Most of all, I object to the taste of food that has had too long of a freezer life. (Again, the better the food to begin with, the less likely this is to be a problem.)
I will continue to meet Bryan and Christina each month when they come to town and I hope to find other farmers like them from whom I can buy beef or lamb. It may be frozen when I get it from them I don’t have to buy such a large quantity. Also, when I buy from Whole Foods, I only buy the grass fed beef and the free range chicken. They claim that all their lamb is “pasture raised” and not fed chemicals or antibiotics, so I occasionally may buy lamb from them as well. Though now you have made me very curious about the meaning of the words “pasture raised.”
I’ll just have to do the best I can and my goal is to do better and better to seek out other/better sources. You Bill have been very helpful to me and I am grateful for the resources you provide on this site. Also, I have so enjoyed Bryan and Christina’s pig (we had their bone in pork loin for Christmas dinner and wow was it fantastic) and chicken. I would love to get my tongs on some comparable cow and lamb!
By the way, you may find the Whole Foods “manifesto” on their farm animal and meat quality standards interesting: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/meat-quality-standards.php
It is important to read carefully (between the lines)and to take with a grain their ability to accomplish their longer term goals, especially in our current financial climate.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
A few excellent beef and lamb producers locally are Greenwood Farms (beef, lamb, chicken, and milk-fed pork), Prairie Grass Farms (lamb and delicious eggs), and Hinkebein Hills Farm (beef and pork). They are at the summer and winter farmers’ markets, at our store (Local Harvest Grocery), and I believe they all take orders directly for large amounts.
I’ve just found this blog and I’m glad, the topics are very interesting!