Dry-Aging
Dry Aging Is the process where meat is stored uncovered in a temperature, humidity and air velocity controlled environment. We age our entire carcasses upstate for 10-17 days at Double L Ranch (our slaughterhouse) before bringing them to the shop. We further age our best pieces of ribeye and strip to create our premium “Extra Dry” cuts.
Tenderness: An enzymatic process break down allows for the meat to become more tender overtime.
Dehydration: Because the meat is not wrapped, water evaporates from the cuts during dry-aging. The resulting dehydration of muscle tissue changes the texture of the meat and concentrates the flavor. It also changes the ratio of water to fat, resulting in a juicer mouth feel (tastes juicer, even though it has less moisture).
Flavor Development: Like when aging cheese or wine, additional flavors develop during dry-aging resulting in a more complex eating experience. Some style of dry-aging cultivates molds and yeasts that give it a “funky” flavor (we do not)
Trim/Water Loss: Negative effects of dry-aging include loss of volume and increased trimming which is the main reason why meat
Wet-Aging
Wet aging is the standard in the USA (95% of all beef). After slaughter the cuts are broken down and are placed in vacuum sealed bags. Wet aging beef tend to lack of depth of flavor and have a metallic flavor once cooked. Wet aging goes through the same enzymatic process as dry-aged beef to achieve tenderness but does not have the additional benefits of dehydration and flavor development.
Yields and Dressing Percentages
USDA Grading
How the USDA Grades
The concept of issuing quality grades began in 1923, and is presently a voluntary, fee based service run by the Agricultural Marketing Service for meat and poultry (beef being the most relevant to consumers). These quality grades aren’t involved with the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s mandatory inspections of all raw meat.
For beef, a grader looks at a carcass between the 12th and 13th rib to estimate age and marbling. Younger cattle are favored for tenderness, and are usually between one and three years old at time of slaughter. The more “marbling,” or the thin white streaks of fat found between the muscles that melt and baste the meat when heated (and release beefy flavor compounds to boot), the better the grade.
Small slaughterhouses (like Double L Ranch) do not pay the USDA for the additional grading service, so our meat is never given a USDA Grade.
Beef graded USDA Prime comes from steers or heifers with “abundant marbling.” In other words, this is the best in class and 3 percent of the market.
Grades from Best to Worst : Prime, Choice, Select, Standard & Commercial, Utility, Cutter, Canner
Slaughterhouses
Our slaughterhouse is Double L Ranch - owned and operated by Lowell and his two sons in Altamont, NY. A busy day at the slaughter facility will see 10 steers processed. At the facility there is a USDA-appointed independent inspector that ensures the animal is humanely processed from when it arrives at the facility alive to when it leaves the facility. This includes humane treatment and the inspection of all cuts and offal. The inspector will stamp all offal and sub-primal cuts before it leaves the facility.
The number of operating slaughterhouses have decreased 20% between 1998 and 2007. Factors causing this include industry consolidation, low profit margins, complexities of federal regulations, and complexities with the disposal of byproducts. This decrease in available slaughterhouses creates a problem for small scale farmers that need beef processed. Only four companies process 80% of the beef in the United States- as well as 66% of Pork, and 58% of Poultry. These four companies are Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef Processing Co. – these larger facilities have the capacity to process of 20,000 head of cattle each day—US is a large exporter of beef.
Difference Between a Steer, Hefer, Cow, and Bull
What is Meat?
CUT |
DESCRIPTION |
Beef & Bacon Burger |
As the name implies, a decadent blend of aged ground beef and house-made bacon hand formed into a half pound patty |
Dry-Aged Beef Burger |
Dickson's deeply flavored ground beef, hand formed into a half pound patty |
Brisket Burger |
Ground brisket, hand formed into a half pound patty. Rich & beefy |
Short Rib Burger |
Deboned and then ground short rib, hand formed into a half pound patty. Rich & buttery |
Beef Salami |
Kosher-style beef salami, with flavors of red wine, fennel and black pepper |
Country Pate I |
Rustic, French-style coarse Country Pate w/ quatre epices |
Duck Confit |
Cured duck legs are covered in duck fat and slow cooked until completely tender. |
Country Pate II w/ bacon and pistachio |
A bacon-wrapped variation of our country pate, with pistachio garnish |
Pork Rillette |
Rich & creamy, a confit of pork, shredded and then whipped with pork fat into a classic spreadable pate |
Duck Rillette |
Rich & creamy, confit of duck legs, shredded and then whipped with duck fat into a classic spreadable pate |
Roast Beef |
Deli-style, rare roast beef crusted with black pepper & coriander rub |
Smoked Ham |
Our traditional Heritage Hams are a classic, city-style, boneless hams. Brined for seven days and smoked for twenty hours with hickory and applewood. Moist and tender, with perfectly balanced salty, sweet, and smoky flavors |
Beef Pastrami |
A well marbled, rolled-style pastrami meant to be served cold. Beef is brined, rolled with spices, then smoked & steamed. |
Bacon |
Made in-house from local Berkshire pork bellies, its the best bacon you'll ever eat! Dry-cured for 10 days and then smoked over hickory & applewood |
Guanciale |
Italian-style, salt-cured pork jowl. Basically pancetta made from jowl (instead of belly) |
Pancetta |
Italian-style, salt-cured pork belly |
Bologna |
Classic, mild deli meat made from finely ground pork. |
Country Pate III |
A variation of our country pate studded with port-marinated figs |
Parisian Ham |
Simply cured and cooked ham. Simple salt seasoning that highlights the flavor of the Berkshire pork. Ours is made with the Sous Vide process. Also known as Prosciutto Coto or Jamon d Pari |
Pulled Pork |
Berkshire pork shoulder, smoked for 22 hours, pulled and chopped |
Pate Maison |
A rich, semi-spreadable pork & pork liver pate |
Cappacolla |
Spicy, Italian-style, smoked "ham" from the pork shoulder. Boston Butt are salt/spice cured for 5 weeks then smoked over hickory and apple wood. |
Lamb Pastrami |
Lamb bellies are brined, seasoned, rolled/tied, smoked & steamed. Heavily seasoned with coriander. |
Tasso Ham |
A classic flavoring ingredient in Cajun and Creole cooking, ours is also amazing thinly sliced for your charcuterie board
|
Face Bacon (smoked guanciale) |
Smoked Guanciale (cured pork jowl).
Cooking Instructions : Slice/Chop, then crisp in pan. NOT READY TO EAT. |
Chicken Liver Pate |
A smooth, spreadable chicken liver pate/mousse. Rich and decadent |
Mortadella |
Classic Italian-Style Bologna (mild deli meat) made from finely ground pork. |
Duck Confit |
Duck legs are cured, then covered in duck fat and slow cooked until completely tender |
House-Made Hot Dog |
Classic Coney Island-style Beef (80%) & Pork Dog (20%). The best in the city! Great snap & smoky flavor. |
Taste of Summer Sausage |
Fresh Pork Sausage with Cilantro & Jalapeno |
Andouille Sausage |
Smoked Creole-style spicy pork sausage |
Kielbasa |
Traditional Smoked Polish Pork Sausage w/ Garlic |
Pork Pesto Sausage |
Fresh Pork Sausage with Pesto |
Spicy Italian Sausage |
A medium spicy Hot Italian style sausage with chili flake and fresh garlic |
Breakfast Sausage |
Fresh Pork Sausage with Chili Flakes & Maple Syrup |
Pork with Salt & Pepper Sausage |
Versatile Pork Sausage seasoned simply with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper |
Sweet Italian Sausage |
Flavorful Sweet Italian style sausage with fennel and fresh garlic |
Merguez Sausage |
Traditional spicy North-African sausage made with beef and lamb. PORK FREE |
Spanish-Style Chorizo |
Classic smoked, spicy pork chorizo sausage with pimento and chilies. |
Jagerwurst Sausage (smoked) |
Whole mustard seed, ginger, and black pepper highlight this smoked German hunter-style sausage |
Pork With Poblano Sausage |
A fresh pork sausage with mild heat from roasted poblano chilies |
Bratwurst |
Traditional mild Polish Pork Sausage w/ Garlic |
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CUT |
LOCATION |
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS |
Lamb Head |
Head of the Lamb that includes the brain, cheeks, and tongue |
Roasts nicely whole. Great for stock. |
Lamb Neck |
Big Flavor, not a tender cut so works great for braises. Bone adds great flavor. Can substitute for lamb shank recipes |
Braise. Great for Lamb Curry. Braise and meat will fall/shred off the bone. |
Lamb Shank |
Lower leg bone and meat from lamb. There are four per animal (2 foreshanks/2 hindshanks) |
Great for braising. Lots of collagen with gives it big flavor |
Lamb Shoulder, Bone-in |
Lamb shoulder has great fat content and rich (not gamey) flavor, makes it great from braising |
Braise or stew. Braise at 325 degrees for 1.5-2hrs |
Lamb Shoulder, Boneless |
Great for a slow cooked roast. Boneless Lamb Shoulder can be easily stuffed. Good to recommend for fattier lamb stew (cubed)
|
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook for about 40 minutes, until thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium rare. |
Rack of Lamb |
Very tender with great lamb flavor. Cut from the Rib Section of the Lamb. Can either be cooked whole as a roast or as chops. Bones typically frenched ~1” |
Roast: Sear meat side down in hot skillet. Place meat side up in 450-degree oven for ~20 mins for Med-Rare. Chops: Sear of medium heat |
Lamb Loin Chop |
Lamb T-Bone. Very tender and flavorful. Great option when out of lamb rib chops/rack of lamb |
Sear in medium hot skillet fat side down to for 2-3 mins then cook meat until desired doneness |
Boneless Lamb Saddle, Noisettes |
De-deboned lamb loin and tenderloin, tied together. Great for holidays or special occasions. Two most tender parts of the lamb put together. |
Brown in skillet and then roast in 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until temp is 130 for medium rare |
Lamb of Leg, Bone-in |
Great Roasting Cut, Bone will add flavor |
Roast in oven. 300 degrees for 75-90 minutes |
Lamb of Leg, Boneless |
Boneless Leg allows for stuffing for added flavor. Good recommendation for leaner lamb strew (cubed) |
Roast in oven. 300 degrees for 75-90 minutes |
Lamb Sirloin |
Small Roast cut from the top of the leg. Great Roast for 2. Good fat cap. |
Roast quickly in the oven 400 degrees for25-30 minutes. |
Boneless Lamb Leg Steak |
Cut from the Lamb Top Round. Very lean cut. Tender |
Sear in pan and keep rare-medium |
Bone-in Lamb Leg Steak |
Cross cut steak cut from Bone-in Leg. Nice fat content and great big flavor. |
Sear quickly in pan or grill |
Lamb Shoulder Blade Chop |
Bone-in Lamb Steak with full flavor- includes shoulder blade. Fatty |
Sear in pan or grill. Cook to medium or medium well. |
Lamb Shoulder Arm Chop |
Bone in Lamb Steak with full flavor – includes part of humerus. Fatty |
Sear in pan or grill. Cook to medium or medium well. |
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CUT |
LOCATION |
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS |
Bone-in Pork Loin Chop |
Tender and flavorful. Has a T-bone with a piece of the pork tenderloin attached. Comparable to the Porterhouse/T-Bone |
Sear in skillet over medium heat |
Bone-in Pork Rib Chop |
Cut from the Rib Section, essentially the pork ribeye. Like Pork Loin – slightly fattier and more flavorful |
Sear in skillet over medium heat |
Boneless Pork Loin Roast |
De-boned Loin, Trimmed and tied |
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roast the pork loin for 15 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 375 degrees F. Continue roasting the pork for 60 more minutes (about 20 minutes per pound), until its internal temperature reaches 145°F. |
Rack of Pork (Frenched) |
A bone-in pork rib roast with frenched rib bones, a polished, attractive presentation. |
Can be roasted following the same directions as the pork loin |
Pork Tenderloin |
Usually about a pound (sometimes a little over). Very tender, mild taste. |
Quick roast or broil; Can be pan fried. |
Pork Sirloin |
Big flavor, moderately tender meat with a beautiful fat cap on top which becomes crispy when roasted. |
Roast: 450 for 20 minutes, then another hour to an hour and a half at 350 (for 3-4 pound roast). Steaks: pan fry, broil. |
Pork Shoulder, Bone-in |
Some fat, tender after a few hours of cooking. Good for pulled pork. Can be cut to customers desired size/weight. |
Good for Roast, Braise, Smoke |
Pork Shoulder Roast |
lower section of the front arm, on the fatty side, very flavorful |
Good for pulled pork, slow roasting |
Boston Butt, Boneless |
Fattiest part of shoulder (the butt of the shoulder). Classic pulled pork cut. (Some customers call this the collar or neck) |
Roast or braise. Great for Pork Stew |
Picnic Shoulder, Bone-in |
The bottom part of a pork shoulder with the Boston Butt removed and part of the shank still attached |
Roast or braise. |
Pork Spareribs |
Cut from the belly and breast. Very flavorful and meaty. |
roast, grill, braise, smoke |
Baby Back Ribs |
Cut off the pork rack. Not a common cut for the retail case. Classic BBQ Pork Ribs |
Roast, grill, braise, smoke |
Pork Belly |
Fatty thin portion cut from the underside of the pig. Used to make Bacon/Pancetta- still a great fresh cut |
braise, smoke, sear |
Pork Leg Cutlets |
cut from the knuckle, thin lean portions of pork. Good alternative for a veal cutlet |
bread/fry, sear hot and fast |
Fresh Pork Jowls |
Meat from the cheeks of the pig head. When cured it becomes Guanciale or Face Bacon |
braise or smoke |
Pork Fat |
Pork Back Fat or Pork Leaf Lard. |
Back fat goes into sausages. Great cooking fat. Leaf lard for baking. Leaf lard has mild flavor |
Pork Bones |
Pork neck/leg bones |
Use roasted or raw for stocks. Pork bones are an essential ingredient in our Master Stock |
Pork Shanks |
Braising cut from lower leg. |
stew, braise, smoke |
Ground Pork |
mix of pork trim ground for burger, sausage, |
burger, meatballs, meatloaf, tacos, terrines |
Pork Cheeks |
Delicious braising cut from the pork head |
Braise |
Pork Flank Steak |
small flat cut, wide grain, marinates well |
pan sear, grill |
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CUT |
LOCATION |
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS |
Beef Tenderloin (Filet Mignon) |
Cut from the shortloin. Most tender and expensive cut on the animal -- runs along the inside of the backbone, parallel to the new york strip. Very soft and mild in flavor. |
hot and fast; for steaks -- grill or sear in pan; finish in oven for thicker steaks; for roast -- 400 degrees, 12 minutes per pound |
NY Strip Steak (Boneless) |
Cut from the shortloin; extremely tender and well-marbled. Makes up the larger portion of the porterhouse steak. Tender with big beefy flavor |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan; finish in oven for thicker steaks |
Bone-In Strip Steak (Kansas City) |
cut from the shortloin; extremely tender and well-marbled. Makes up the larger portion of the porterhouse steak. Tender with big beefy flavor |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan; finish in oven for thicker steaks |
Ribeye, Bone-In |
cut from the rib section; extremely tender and well-marbled. Slightly richer than the NY Strip. |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan; finish in oven for thicker steaks; for roast -- 450 degrees for 30 minutes followed by 325 until done |
Ribeye Steak, Boneless |
cut from the rib section; extremely tender and well-marbled. Slightly richer than the NY Strip. |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan; finish in oven for thicker steaks; for roast -- 450 degrees for 30 minutes followed by 325 until done |
Flatiron Steak |
a thin, flat steak cut from the top of the shoulder blade (aka top-blade.) Generally well-marbled, tender and flavorful. 2nd most tender cut on animal. Great cut for indecisive customers |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan -- approx 4 minutes per side |
Top Sirloin, Boneless |
cut from the hip area; moderately tender and marbled; big beefy flavor; great grilling cut. Classic mid-priced steak |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan; finish in oven for thicker steaks; for roast -- 450 degrees for 30 minutes followed by 325 until done |
Skirt Steak |
classic grilling cut; loose grain; great for marinating; muscle that supports the diaphragm from inside the ribcage |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan -- approx 4 minutes per side |
Flank Steak |
classic grilling cut; tighter grain; great for marinating; cut from the "flank"; quite lean |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan -- approx 4 minutes per side |
Hanger Steak |
classic grilling cut; loose grain; great for marinating; the only steak that there is only one of on the animal; rich flavor due to proximity to kidneys |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan -- approx 4 minutes per side |
Chuck Eye |
big flavor; not particularly tender; very fatty; good for slow-and-low cooking methods (braising, stewing) |
braise, stew |
Shoulder Steak |
cut from the shoulder clod -- good lean stew meat, big flavor, moderately tender, relatively lean, great value |
braise, stew, make Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon Recipe |
Denver Steak (Boneless Chuck Short Ribs) |
big buttery flavor, well-marbled, moderately tender; great for grilling or pan-searing; also, shorter braises. Employee favorite! |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan -- approx 4 minutes per side then finish in the oven; OR braise quick |
Beef Shoulder Tender (teres major) |
cut from the chuck – tender cut, great alternative to beef tenderloin. Lean. Great, underappreciated cut. |
hot and fast; sear in pan, finish in oven |
Brisket |
cut from the breast -- very tough but very flavorful, classically used for pastrami and corned beef as well as pot roast; ask customer whether they prefer fatty or lean. Shreds very nicely |
braise or barbecue |
Short Ribs (English Cut or Flanken) |
classic bone-in braising cut from the plate; very fatty and tough -- requires low and slow cooking, typically with liquid |
braise or barbecue |
Short Ribs for Kalbi |
classic Korean-American style barbecue. Thin cut short ribs for grilling; very fatty. Rendered tender by cutting thinly across the grain, cut from 5th-9th rib (best part) |
marinate then grill |
(Beef) Sirloin Filet |
cut from the top sirloin (1 of 3 cuts from the top sirloin); lean cylindrical cut -- tender with big flavor. Good filet alternative |
Roast in oven 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes |
Sirloin Culotte (Picanha) |
cut from the top sirloin (1 of 3 cuts from the top sirloin); when thick-cut as Picanha, this is a classic Brazilian spit-roasting cut. When thinner cut, resembles a small, leaner NY Strip. |
grill, sear roast -- very versatile |
Tri-Tip |
Triangular shaped muscle cut from the bottom sirloin; classic California cut -- west coast barbecue cut. Moderately tender, full flavor grain. Can be substituted for brisket when shorter cook time is required |
grill, barbecue or quick braise. For grilling, best when cooked to medium. |
Beef Round Skewers |
thin cut strips from the sirloin tip cap. Small portion size -- great for kids. Moderately tender |
marinate then grill/sear quickly. 1-2 minutes per side |
Sirloin Tip Center Roast |
the center muscle from the sirloin tip (aka knuckle.) Not a true sirloin cut -- this is from the leg/round. Lean, moderately tender. Mild flavor. |
for roast -- 450 degrees for 30 minutes followed by 325 until done
|
Sirloin Tip Center Steak |
the center muscle from the sirloin tip (aka knuckle.) Not a true sirloin cut -- this is from the leg/round. Lean, moderately tender. Mild flavor. |
hot and fast; grill or sear in pan; finish in oven for thicker steaks; Slice thinly |
Top Round Roast |
the large muscle on the inside of the leg. Classic roast beef cut -- what we use at DFM. Very lean, moderately tender, fine grain. |
for roast -- 450 degrees for 30 minutes followed by 325 until done. Keep rare for best results due to lean-ness. |
Eye Round |
one of the leanest cuts on the animal, long cylindrical muscle cut from the round/leg (hamstring). Suitable for braising or beef jerky. |
braise or jerky. |
Bottom Round |
large tough muscle from the outside of the leg/round. May look marbled, but in fact there is a web of connective tissue. Best for lean stew meat or jerky |
braise or jerky |
Cross-Cut Beef Shanks |
Cut from the shank. Bigger osso-bucco. Like platanillo, also from the shank, it is very flavorful but takes time to get tender. |
Sear and braise. Needs very long cooking |
Center-Cut Marrow Bones |
Very rich, nutrient-dense and fatty. Good for soups, eaten alone, or given to dogs (recommend to freeze for dogs) |
Roast for about 15 minutes at 350 or 375. |
Beef Bones |
Either Knucklebones or Neck Bones |
Use for making stock/broth. Good amount of collagen |
Beef Liver |
Big flavor. |
Bake, broil, boil, fry, stir-fry or eat raw. |
Beef Heart |
Big beef flavor. Great for grilling |
Quick-cook |
Beef Suet |
Beef fat from around the kidneys and loins. Very high smoke point, which makes it perfect for deep-frying |
High-heat cooking. Baking. |
(Beef) Oxtails |
The tail of the steer. Usually chopped between the joints but can be cooked whole. Valuable for being both very high in flavor and low in price. Great for soups and stews. |
Stew, soups, braising. |
Dry-Aged Ground Beef |
Very versatile. Ours is made from sirloin, chuck and loin trim (all but shank), so it is tender and flavorful with a nice amount of fat. Can be used to make burgers, meatballs, lasagna, Bolognese, chili, etc., or cooked and eaten as it is. |
Fast in a pan, or slow in chili, stew, etc. |
Platanillo |
Cut from just above the shank, the biceps muscle of the animal. Very flavorful but requires long cooking in order to achieve palatable texture. Essentially a boneless shank |
Very low and slow braising. Requires a long time to break down connective tissue and sinew |
Palomilla |
Cut from the chuck (shoulder), palomilla sits under the shoulder blade. Takes a marinade nicely and best served sliced thinly against the grain. |
Hot and fast. Sear to mid-rare and slice against the grain. Good for marinating |
Merlot Steak (Bistec Norteño) |
Cut from the hind quarter, the only tender portion of the shank. Intense beef flavor, leanest steak cut on the animal. |
Sear on both sides, be careful not to cook too long as it will taste liver-y if overcooked |
Beef and Bacon Burger |
As the name implies, a decadent blend of aged ground beef (80%) and house-made bacon (20%) made into 8 oz patties |
Sear on both sides in a hot cast iron skillet or pan or grill |
Sierra Steak |
Cut from the chuck, sits between the feather and the BCSR/Denver. Like a small Flank steak. |
Marinate, pan sear or grill |
Minute Steaks |
Cut from the eye round (the hamstring of the steer) into very thin steaks for quick searing |
Sear very quickly (30 sec/side) |
Tri Tip Steak |
Cut from the bottom of the sirloin muscle then cut into steaks. Generally, has a nice fat cap and marbling. Great for the grill. |
Pan sear or grill. Best when cooked to medium |
Vacio/Bavette |
Cut from the hind quarter, bottom sirloin, this thin cut, loose grain steak is a flavorful and easy to cook cut for the beginner or pro |
good for marinating, grill or pan. Quick cook on high heat for a solid char |
Feather Steak |
thin shoulder cut, rectangular shape, semi-lean. Good flavor but sometimes tough. |
cook it rare for a nice slicing steak, great for sandwiches. Good for sous vide |
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Because this beef is grass-fed, it is leaner than the grain or corn-fed beef you may be used to cooking with. Lean beef cooks much more quickly, and overdone lean beef can get dry and tough. For a nice, juicy steak or burger, its best to aim for cooking it rare to medium-rare.
To properly cook a porterhouse or ribeye (approx 1.25” thick), take the meat out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Once the beef is at room temperature, salt and pepper liberally, toss it into a thick cast iron skillet (or other heavy pan) that has been pre-heated (10 minutes over high heat) with canola oil, or onto your pre-heated grill. Cook over a high heat, 3-4 minutes on each side and remove from the heat. Let it rest (see RESTING) and enjoy!
If you are having trouble keeping your beef rare in the middle or are cooking a thinner cut of meat, you might want to start cooking while it is still a little cool, rather than waiting until it has reached room temperature. This will allow the outside to sear, while the middle cooks a little more slowly. Everyone’s grill/stove/pan setup is a little different, so it might take some practice to get optimal results. Don’t get discouraged – it will be worth it.
]]>Letting your beef rest after cooking is as important as the cooking itself. This goes for all meats and all cuts. Once you pull the meat out of the pan or oven or off of the grill, put it on a cutting board and let it chill for about 8-10 minutes, longer for larger pieces of meat.
If you cut into meat right after cooking, all of the juices will run out, leaving the meat dry and tough. While meat rests, it re-absorbs these juices and the amount of ‘doneness’ becomes consistent throughout piece of meat. This is probably the most important rule when cooking all meats.
]]>Dry aging is the process where an entire animal carcass or primal cut (whole rib or loin), without any type of covering on it, is placed in a refrigerated room at a specific temperature, humidity, and air velocity for 7-21 days.
During this process a crust forms on the outside of them eat, similar in texture to beef jerky. This layer is trimmed away after aging, leaving steaks that are superior in tenderness and flavor. During the dry aging process, the juices are reabsorbed into the meat, enhancing the flavor and tenderizing the steaks.
Forty years ago, most of our beef was dry aged. Yet in the early 1960’s the process of vacuum packing beef right after slaughter became the norm.
The advantage of this process was that processors could “wet age” the beef in the bag and not lose any of the weight of the beef due to evaporation and trim. During wet aging, the meat sits in its own juices causing the beef to have a wet, metallic taste. But wet aging was much more cost-effective for processors. As they changed over, consumers tastes followed — slowly, the consumer forgot what the real taste of steak was.
Currently 90% of the beef consumed in this country is wet aged. And nearly all dry aged beef that is available is only the premium cuts (Loin and Rib section). The image of Rocky in the meat cooler is pretty much myth at this point.
All of Dickson’s Farmstand meats are dry aged as full carcasses. Even your ground beef benefits from the wonderful process of dry aging.
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Nicholas Lampert http://machineanimalcollages.com
According to the USDA’s data for APRIL 2008:
You might wonder how it is possible to slaughter and process nearly 3 million cows and 10 million pigs in one month completely out of view of the American consumer?
The secret lies in huge factory slaughterhouses. At the largest of these operations, 400 cows are processed each hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The scale and speed of these facilities often leads to poor working conditions, inhumane handing practices, and contamination of the food supply. When so many animals are handled in a factory-like fashion, one sick animal can taint thousands of pounds of meat, as weíve witnessed with the huge beef recalls in recent years.
All of the meat at Dickson’s Farmstand Meats is processed by small, independently owned facilities. These are facilities where, during a busy day, 10 cows are slaughtered. This scale allows for the safe and humane handling of all animals. Great care is taken and the risk to your food is greatly diminished.
We are proud of the dedication and commitment of our small-scale processors, and we believe in complete transparency in this system of production and distribution. We want you to meet the people who bring you your meat. If you’d like, we will schedule a visit for you at any of our facilities (though it is not for the squeamish).
To Learn More About Factory Farming :
The Meatrix : Award Winning cartoon spoofs on The Matrix movie series that highlight factory farming practices and their evils.
Factory Farm Map : Put together by Food and Water Watch. Has an interactive map showing number of factory farms and animals by region and county. Lots of other great info as well on water quality issues and sustainable agriculture practices.
It is also important to note that the USDA only covers labeling claims, so pretty much any claim made in marketing materials or on a website is not verified by the agency.
Because of all of this ambiguity, we think it’s worth the effort it takes to buy your meat from a traceable, trusted source — whether that source is Dickson’s Farmstand or the farmer himself.
Poultry
Pork
Steaks and Chops for use with :
Braising for use with :
Bob Comis operates Stony Brook Farm in Schoharie New York where he and his wife pasture raise heritage breed pigs, lamb, goat and poultry. In his posts, Bob shares his thoughts on farming, regional food systems, and his vision for the future. |
[Note: Below is an e-mail that I sent to someone who is increasingly becoming an important and visible focus of the local/grassfed/pastured movement who recently perpetuated a couple of myths in a video about finishing beef that I am trying to bust. I am keeping the couple anonymous because I did not/have not yet asked their permission to publicize any part of our discussion.]
Please note that the reason I am kind of keeping my eye on you guys is that you are becoming a visible and important focus of the local/grassfed/pastured “movement.” My concern is that at some point this movement is going to get big enough that industrial ag is going to start trying to co-opt it (it already has with the “grassfed” standards) or push back against it, so it is important that we have our stories straight, and unfortunately, at present, the movement’s beef narrative is built on one very important myth, which you perpetuated in the video.
The myth is that before World War II all, or even most, beef was 100% grassfed, which would mean that we are returning to traditional ways of raising beef. The earliest edition of Henry and Morrison’s Feeds and Feeding, which was for more than half of a century the standard text on the subject, that I have been able to find on-line is the 1910 edition. This is what Henry and Morrison have to say about 100% grassfed beef in 1910: “Waters of the Missouri Station states that gains are cheaply made on grass alone, but such gains are also low in selling value because the cattle are not usually fat enough to market and must be sold as feeders with sufficient margin for the buyer to profitably market them” (p. 320, section 502). Halligan, in his Elementary Treatise on Feeds and Feeding from 1911 makes no mention of finishing beef on grass alone. Rather he states, “Corn is the best grain feed for fattening cattle. In this country it is used more than any other single grain for this purpose” (p. 207). This is stated within the context of needing to feed some sort of concentrate to finish beef. What both Henry and Morrison and Halligan do suggest is that the best gains can be achieved with concentrates fed to pastured cattle. The source of the myth of grass-finished beef almost certainly comes from the careless reading out of context of statements such as this from Smith’s third edition of Profitable Stock Feeding, published in 1908: “In localities where corn is relatively high in price, and hay and grass are abundant, finishing steers on grass is often profitable” (p. 165). Of course, the next sentence, explaining the previous, states, “Cattle fed on grass require less grain for a given increase in weight than when winter-fed on hay and grain” (p. 165, emphasis added). Other texts from this period, leading up to and just after World War II, make similar arguments, illustrating clearly that the standard method for fattening beef was grain (corn), and decidedly not grass, at least in the United States. It was taken for granted at the time that statements like “finishing steers on grass” meant pasturing steers while at the same time feeding them grain, as opposed to the less economical method of feeding them grain and hay on a feedlot. The judicious use of grain (corn) would have been the standard fattening regimen even on small farms in the Northeast during this period. This is not to say of course that there was no beef slaughtered off of grass alone. It is to say that very, very little of it was. Attempting to grass finish beef in the United States is not a return to traditional ways of raising beef, it is something totally new, and it is not easy, being much more of an art than grain finishing, which is why so many people are so bad at it.
Also, you seem to state in the video that feedlot beef today is raised on grain from weaning to slaughter, which is incorrect. One hundred percent of Nearly all feedlot beef is raised on rangeland or pasture and finished on grain in a feedlot. The difference is that they are spending more time on the feedlot than they used to, and, of course the feedlots are much much bigger, and much much more crowded, and the animals are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, and note, since I am in myth-busting mode, that antibiotics are not fed to confinement animals to ward off disease, although they likely do that to some degree, animals are fed antibiotics because mid-20th Century experiments showed that antibiotics economically increased feed efficiency, by a few percent.
Anyway, I think this is important stuff. I am hoping that I can change our narrative by talking to people in a position to spread the word, but if I am unsuccessful, I think I am going to need to write a book, or at least a long essay.
]]>There’s a lot of hype, mis-information and misconception and out there concerning grain-fed and grass-fed beef. If you’ve read Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, you might get the impression that grain is the devil and eating grain-finished beef makes you a bad person. But the truth is far more nuanced. The grain-finished beef he describes (and is found in your supermarket and McDonalds) is that produced by industrial agriculture and the feedlot system and all the truly terrible practices associated (hormone and antibiotic use, animal based feeds, CAFOs, water pollution and monocultures just to name a few…). This does account of the majority of beef produced/consumed in our country.
But grain-finished beef doesn’t have to be produced in that way (and none of our products are). For example, our grain-finished beef comes from a small farm outside Albany, Wrighteous Organics, and is raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones, with access to pasture, and fed organic grains and hay raised on the farm. We invite you to visit and I’m sure you’ll agree that these animals are healthy and content. And the beef – spectacular. It’s heavily marbled, often at the the high end of ‘prime’
And what about the health impact of feeding grain to cattle? Some say that ruminants (cows and sheep) have evolved over thousands of years to only eat grass and that grains are bad for them. Its really an issue of moderation and what the goals are. In the feedlot system they ‘push’ the animals very hard, trying to get an animal to slaughter weight in 16-18 months. The feed has a very high concentration of corn which raises the ph of their stomachs and will give the animals ulcers if they are not fed antibiotics on a regular basis. In contrast, Martin at Wrighteous Organics lets the animals take their time. The feed is far less carbohydrate (corn) heavy. His animals get to slaughter weight at 24-26 months- 45% longer (and thus less profitable) than what the feedlots are doing. Like candy for humans – in moderation our bodies can process and handle sweets just fine, but in large quantities they have a serious impact on our health.
There is also a lot of hype around grass-fed being better in terms of quality. There is some excellent grass-fed beef out there (like ours), and it is tender with a big, beefy flavor. But the truth is that there is tremendous variation in grass-fed beef and often what is sold is of very poor quality. When I worked at the slaughterhouse, the worst beef we cut was invariably grass-fed (not to say we didn’t also cut high quality grass-fed as well). The reason for this is that grass-fed beef is far harder to do well than grain-fed beef. With grass-fed beef, genetics are far more important. Not all breeds of beef will do well on a 100% grass diet. We’ve spent 60 years breeding animals in this country to do well in the feedlot system, it’s going to take some time to build a herd that does well on a pasture based diet. For this reason, you’re seeing some older varieties being reintroduced such as the Murray Gray, Red Devon and smaller Angus and Hereford varieties. Secondly, quality pastures are a must for a successful grass-fed operation. With grain-fed, you can easily control what you feed your animals based on the feed mix you give them. To finish animals on grass requires extremely high quality pasture with high carbohydrate content. This will vary hugely from season to season even on the same farm. And finally, the knowledge required is much greater if a farmer is going to produce grass-fed beef well. You can’t simply go to Agway and buy a specific feed mix; you need to know your animals, pastures and how to manage the delicate interaction between the two in order to produce a high quality product. We’re just now rebuilding this knowledge base in our country.
There is a prevalent myth that before the 1940s all beef was grass-fed and its a post WWII phenomenon to finish beef on grain. But in fact we’ve been finishing beef on grain for quite some time. Farmer Bob Comis has written a great article on this topic. Bob runs a pasture based farm in Schoharie NY (and does not raise beef) so provides an independent perspective on the topic.
There is also a lot of marketing lately of “grass-fed, grain-finished beef.” I believe this is purposefully misleading the consumer. In our country, that’s just called beef! Even in the feedlot system, most animals are raised on rangeland for the first half of their lives before being sent to the feedlot.
Now I don’t mean to advocate one product over the other. Simply to debunk the myth that all grain-finishing is bad and all grass-fed is good. I support both production methods as long as they are done responsibly and with consideration for the health of the animal and land and produce a great quality finished product that consumers will enjoy.
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