so you're going to eat red meat...

(source)

I know, red meat consumption has taken a lot of flack recently, what with all of the food documentaries, pop authors putting in their two cents, and the general fatness of our country. If you've read my blog at all, you know that my vote is for eating smaller amounts of the best quality meats you can afford. (Please don't mistake this with the "best cuts" of meat; I recommend a cheaper cut of grass fed beef over a filet from the supermarket any day.) For this purpose, "best quality" refers to organic, grass-fed beef.

Here's a cheat sheet for the benefits of grass-fed.

And here are my shopping picks. Just my opinion, of course.

Best choices:
Farmers' markets. Unless you decide to pick up your life and raise your own herd of cattle, this is the closest you'll get to the source. Small farms sell all sorts of fantastic cuts of local, organic, grass-fed beef and are more than willing to share with you exactly how their animals are raised and what the health benefits of their particular methods are. This option requires planning ahead, as jetting to a market on the way home from work usually isn't realistic. Also, be prepared to pay for what you're getting.
Check out localharvest to find a market in your area. You can search by zip code or product.

Online ordering. So you don't live in an area with excellent farmers' markets? Gosh, move to Los Angeles already! Or explore online ordering options. There are heaps of websites that ship top quality meats-- and we're not just talking beef. Bet you'll never be asked to host Thanksgiving again if you serve kangaroo or rattlesnake. Again, doesn't really work for last minute meal planning, but can save time in the long run.
Eatwild is a good place to start. Farms are listed by state and most give great product and shipping details.

Pretty good options:
Your local butcher. Butchers are just wonderful people. Don't you agree? Those white jackets and sharp knives... don't get me started! Butchers are are ideal because they do their meat processing on-site, greatly reducing contamination risks. But do your homework-- not all butchers sell the best quality meats. If they don't sell grass fed, ask why! They are often willing to go the extra mile to make your meat fantasies come true.
Try searching on forums such as yelp, chowhound, and citysearch for local butchers and reviews.

Whole Foods. Afraid of the whole paycheck stereotype? Although their price tags can be daunting, sales are frequent and make purchases more reasonable. Whole Foods carries a range of meats, from "natural" to organic-local-free-range-grass-fed, so watch your labels. Stock up when your favorites go on sale and fill your freezer! Like stand-alone butchers, they grind their meats on-site, and often make their own sausages and dry age beef in-house, so quality is consistent and dependable.

Okay, but you could try harder:
Trader Joe's. Why isn't this higher on my list, you ask? Well, not just because of that darned ground beef recall last week... Okay, maybe because of that a little bit. Trader Joe's (or any local supermarket, these days) sells a decent range of organic meat and occasionally has grass-fed options, but their meats typically come from central processing facilities that are often to blame for large scale contaminations. Just be wary, and cook ground meat thoroughly. Or, buy cuts of beef and grind it yourself! Invite your friends and have a meat grinding party.

Where do you buy your meats? Any tips?

Niman's fighting back.

Look what's on the cover of Time Magazine this week!

Beef. Mmmm...
While browsing the magazines today, this pile of meat caught my eye. I assumed that the article wouldn't present me with any new information, but I was happy that such a major magazine was hopefully going to hit mainsteam Americans over the head with information about what's really in their cheap meats.

Surprised was I to find (along with some lovely charts and graphs) that the article was mostly about Bill Niman and his new business ventures! Bill and Nicolette Hahn Niman are part of a movement to raise happy cows that roam freely on happy grass that 1% of happy, healthy and (possibly) wealthy Americans eat.

How lovely of them. And I'll surely seek our their meats. But that might not be as easy as one may think, if one is a newcomer to organic meat purchasing.

Many apologies, I don't want to be negative. I just have a concern about the article.

The Time Magazine article is not referring to the Niman Ranch animals and meats that you can buy (somewhat) cheaply and in bulk from your local Costco. This is Bill and Nicolette's new venture since leaving Niman Ranch in 2007. Niman Ranch products are better choices than most suppliers as they support small farmers are "natural," but they are not organic. Niman Ranch isn't trying to trick you, they say so right here.

Please, read the whole article... I'm all for educating the general public about how to better take care of themselves, our animals, and the land, but please take the initiative and do some research for yourself. Because isn't that the point? Don't just blindly buy what's being sold to you!

daily burgers: finishing strong

I feel I must make some closing remarks on my burger adventure, so here goes!
Sometimes, the silliest things become quite consuming. Honestly, I'm not much of a meal planner. I've been trying to be a bit more organized since attempting a food budget, but I'm more of a pick up what you need every other day or so grocery shopper than a once a week shopper. I like to think of it as European-style or eco-friendly shopping since this allows me to walk my bags home, but I know it is actually just laziness!

That to say, it was a bit of a challenge to stay on top of my meat purchases (as it isn't realistic to run to the butcher every day!) and to plan well enough to keep my burgers interesting enough to satisfy both the man and I and make for fun pictures. I hope a few of my new found habits will stick. My burger cooking skills have grown, but sadly, I still can't replicate Morton's burgers. Perhaps a commercial grill is necessary to get the crisp inside while keeping the middle nice and pink? Also, I was pretty excited that I didn't come close to running out of ideas. I could probably make a year's worth of daily burgers! Very creatively stimulating and tummy-satisfying.

I asked my man to rank his top three burgers and I'll share mine as well. He did not eat all 31 with me (sometimes I had mine for lunch), but I'm always up for constructive criticism-- and a pat on the back!

Here are his choices:
3. Daily Burger Number Twenty-Four - Ostrich Burger with Crunchy Slaw
2. Daily Burger Number Fourteen - Lindner Bison Burger with Blackberry Sauce
1. Daily Burger Number Ten - Mini Lamburgers with Mint Oil


And here are mine:
3. Daily Burger Number Twenty-Two - Mini Chimichurri Lamburgers
2. Daily Burger Number Eight - Chicken Burger with Cranberry-Cilantro Relish
1. Daily Burger Number Twenty-Six - French Onion Soup Burger


And the unanimous least-favorite was Number Twenty-One.


Yes, the venison, cherry compote and all. The man has given up on venison, giving it one more shot in a little meat pie from Harrod's in London last week. I'm not ready to give up though. I still think that once cooked properly, it will be tasty. I've been advised to add some beef fat to the ground meat (counter-intuitive if you're choosing venison because it is so lean...) to give more flavor and keep it moist while cooking or to use it in chili or stew.

So, what's on the horizon? The next major meat event on my calendar is a butchering class in a few weeks. Surely, that will be a challenge and leave me with much inspiration-- and a giant cooler full of very fresh meat.

ooh, science! the mysteries of dry aged beef.

I happened upon an episode of the Food Network's Food Detectives today and learned about something I've been itching to investigate-- dry aged beef. A very informative clip that I wish I could find on You Tube... but I'll do my best to sum it up.

On the program, they visit Milton Abeles, the largest supplier of prime beef in the United States, to see how dry aging works on a very large scale. Dry aging allows the breakdown of natural collagen in meat in a strictly controlled environment to restrict the growth of harmful bacteria. What they explain is the ideal conditions for dry aging- temperatures that are low but not freezing (which stops aging), proper humidity levels (so the meat doesn't dry out), and special lighting to prevent bacteria growth. Beef can be aged for various lengths of time depending on what is requested by a client, but the minimum is usually three weeks or so. Obviously, this extra aging time will make for a more expensive cut of meat, but another reason for the costliness is the amount of waste involved. Dry aging creates a thick crust on the meat that must be cut off before it is broken down into steaks for purchasing.

What is the other option? The more common practice of wet aging-- supermarket meats have typically been wet-aged for 14 days. Wet aging basically refers to a piece of meat that is slapped on a tray, wrapped in plastic, and sent off to hang out in the refrigerator until it is purchased. This process (if you can call it that), draws moisture away from meat because it is sealed in air-tight packaging. Dry aging exposes meat to the air so a natural crust can develop to seal in moisture and enhances enzymes, resulting in a "beefier" tasting and considerably tenderized piece of meat.

Gosh, what an exciting process. I'm curious to try it, but wary, particularly after seeing microscopic views of the bacteria that appeared on a chunk of meat after it was sitting out for even a short while. Guess I'll leave it to the experts at this point.

daily burger, number six.

Organic ground beef hamburger, Cinco de Mayo style with homemade guacamole, tomatoes, and a really lot of cilantro.
My kitchen, DTLA, CA., 12:16 PM, May 5, 2009.

time to eat a cow or two

this lady is taking a break!
there will be much to say in a few weeks when she is home from buenos aires, but thinks it appropriate to take a bit of time to let things... marinate? cure? as she is a bit disillusioned with the foodie blog-o-sphere.
anyhoo, i guess there are a few things to look forward to:
1. firsthand south american beef experiences
2. a visit to a real estancia
3. improved blog picture quality!

a new project? homemade jerky!

lately, my man has been very into snacking on jerky, but i get totally grossed out when i read the ingredients of the supermarket packages he stocks up on. i have yet to find a regular brand that doesn't contain corn syrup, lots of random soy products, and, worst of all, MSG. i would love to snack on jerky, but please, can't they hold the chemicals?

but guess what? i found this amazing site-- a compendium of jerky recipes! isn't the internet great? and we're not just talking beef, there are recipes for all sorts of meat jerkies (is that a word?)-- buffalo, fish, rabbit, alligator, even tofu!

it looks incredibly easy (most of them are just dried in a regular oven) and very tasty... might have to try it soon!

i know it is not seasonally appropriate, but this recipe looks simple and satisfying--

Cranberry (Thanksgiving) Turkey Jerky

2 pounds of turkey (or any meat type)
fresh cranberries
brown sugar or regular sugar
an orange
water
salt & pepper (optional)
Directions:
1.Before you touch your ingredients, go ahead and cut your meat into slices about 1/4″ thick.
2.Next, you can either chop up your cranberries in a blender or food processor to make more juice or line the bottom of a cake pan with the cranberries and smash them with a fork adding just a little water.
3.After you have done that, lay your strips on top of the cranberry juice and salt and pepper both sides, if you like, you do not have to season at all if you’d like to maintain more of the sweet taste.
4.Sprinkle on your sugar (but not too much if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth) and squeeze that orange to zest your meat strips with a light orange flavor.

5.Let marinate in the fridge for as long as you’d like, flipping the meat strips ever so often to soak in that juicy cranberry flavor.
6.Once you have let it sit to your preference, set your oven on the lowest temperature and transfer that cake pan from the fridge to the oven, leaving the door propped open for ventilation. Dehydration takes anywhere from 3-9 hours in an oven but check periodically. Take out if you like it more chewy or leave in longer if you like it more crispy!

check back, i'm sure i'll be trying it soon.

koreans know their meats!

a real korean barbeque experience was something i always felt left out of during my vegetarian days. whenever we would go, my man's korean cousin had to talk the confused waitstaff into bringing me something that was meat-free. this usually was a plate of broccoli, onions, and garlic and a $40 bill. always a fun group dining event, but a huge let-down for my stomach and my wallet!

over the weekend, i was able to participate in a meat-filled barbeque at parks in koreatown. we got lots of heaping plates of good quality meat and i felt very satisfied with the experience, especially with my newfound meat knowledge.

here's our first cut of beef:


thinly sliced, nicely marbled kobe! i happily munched on this, savoring the flavor of the fattiness i have learned to enjoy.

and pork. super tasty with toasty onions and garlic!

an excellent meal for the carnivorous and those with food allergies/intolerances. they kindly switched out the grill between every cut of meat so i could feel comfortable and opt out of the marinated plates. and also, this was much better than my korean barbeque experience in seoul, perhaps a story for a different time or a different blog...

argentinean eats

my mission for the week is to do some further research on what we may be consuming on our argentinean adventure next week. i know that we should expect to survive off beef and wine (sounds great to me!), but i am interested in finding more information on how specifically the beef will be prepared.


to my relief, they seem to prefer a simple, fresh preparation to highlight the meat itself (i was afraid of finding countless recipes containing mixed nuts or something that would make me paranoid to consume anything).


honestly, i can't help thinking of that episode of no reservations (click for clip) where the meat was cooked like this--

(image source: christopherjlester.typepad.com)
which is frankly a bit intimidating!

but the meat is traditionally prepared (in reasonable portions!) on an asado -or grill- over charcoal, either seasoned with salt or a simple marinade and often served with a chimichuri sauce--

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1 fresh bay leaf (optional), finely chopped
(recipe from www.epicurious.com)

oh, and chorizo is a big deal, too! wonder how it compares to my chorizo? might have to finish that off this week in anticipation...

the poor man's turducken

or "the bird and the beefs."

all of us southern californians know of the secret menu at in 'n out, but did you know that mcdonalds has one as well? some sound more appetizing than others-- from the mcbruschetta, which is pretty much a grilled tomato sandwich (because mcdonald's buns are so tasty someone wanted to eat them with the meat?) to the mcnugget mcflurry, for which no description is necessary.

but here's the one that perked up my ears, the mcgangbang--

(image source: www.eatmedaily.com)

sure, the name is pushing it, but it is amusing none the less.

what do you think? would you order this sandwich within a sandwich? i think it sounds like a serious stomachache! or the next documentary subject for that supersize me guy.

recession-friendly steaks.

this is a must-try-- a simple way to turn a "choice" steak into a "prime" cut.

a birdie sent this along to me today after trying the recipe with pork. i tried a few samples of the pork and it was excellent! very flavorful and nicely (but not overly) salted. looking forward to preparing it with some cheap beef soon!

progress, in steakhouse form.

another personal story from the vaults.

last night, the man and i decided to do a proper date night; dinner and a movie.

no big deal, right? well, consider that the only restaurants i've had a full meal (not a salad or a bowl of fruit) at in the last year and a half are in 'n out and clifton's, that is a big deal. my man stumbled upon this happy secret at morton's steakhouse and we decided that the deal was too good to pass up. i have been inspired to try to eat out more and ask questions from this blog and the necessity that will occur on our upcoming trip to south america, so i promised him that if he called ahead and asked about ingredients, i would join him for meat and wine.

we ordered the mini prime cheeseburgers (seasoned with tomato juice, salt and pepper)

and the filet mignon sandwiches, medium rare and without bread. and let me tell you, it was delicious.

when the waitress came back around to ask how everything was, i replied (as i often am overly revealing with complete strangers), "great!!! i haven't eaten out in years!!!" this is an exaggeration, of course. but, i was elated when the waitress said that all of the waitstaff carry a card with a list of ingredients and potential allergens and a member of their team has a gluten intolerance. she said that they were very familiar with and accommodating towards those with food allergies and intolerances.

so we ordered another round of cheeseburgers.

thanks, morton's.

holy cow: the live and times of the wagyu.

a new feature! bet you've been on the edge of your seats for this one, eh?

i thought i'd open up by telling the story of a wagyu cow, the super special breed that results in the famous kobe beef.

once upon a time, in the secluded Hyogo Prefecture of japan, a breed of cow called Wagyu lived happily and peacefully.

(image source: www.asiakan.org)

many, many centuries ago, these cows were primarily used to cultivate rice. during the order of the shogun (from 1635 to 1838), the japanese were prohibited from eating any four-legged animals and the herds of wagyu cattle became closed and secluded. for the most part, this breed has remained closed until this day.

pure wagyu cows are still living a happy and peaceful life in japan, surviving on a diet of grain fodder, sake and beer* and massaged and brushed to keep them beautiful and mellow creatures.

(image source http://www.luciesfarm.com/)

since then, wagyus have done some international travel, coming to america and australia to enjoy their life. the feeding and care practices remain fairly similar to those of their japanese relatives, but the american-raised kobe cows are kind of like their neglected stepchildren. us americans don't believe that the emotional state of the animal makes for better meat, so the massages have gone by the wayside. shouldn't mrs. obama in all of her foodie goodness bring that back? we need more jobs, people! and who wouldn't want to be a cow masseuse? american kobe cattle are often cross-bred with angus cattle, which is why it is often refered to as "kobe-style" instead of just kobe (think: champagne vs. sparkling wine?)

so, does the extreme care that the japanese take change the taste of the beef? or is american (or australian) kobe-style comparable? so many questions.

*why beer, you ask? to help keep cows relaxed and happy? think again. the cows are fed one bottle of beer a day during the cold months of the year to stimulate their appetites. if they are eating normally, no beer for them! makes me wonder, is this an ethical practice? or only steps away from fois gras?

(thanks to the meat man and wikipedia for their assistance in sharing this story.)

stay tuned for a new feature!

why do some meats cost more than an average car payment? is the taste that superior? do you get a euphoric sense of well-being from eating it? was the animal on your plate descended from royalty? or are you paying to fly the cow first-class from japan to your plate? and furthermore, is it a worthwhile indulgence?

i think this topic needs further consideration in the form of a new feature--

"Holy Cow! Tales of the $300 Steak"

first up will be:
what's so great about kobe?

pressing question: is there corn in corned beef?

so, i've been wondering for a while what corned beef is exactly. i have to admit that i was really hoping it had nothing to do with corn!

here's the deal.

corned beef usually starts with a beef brisket and is cured in a spiced brine and then boiled and prepared in whatever way you see fit, like in a stew, hash, or reuben sandwich!

"corn" actually refers to the coarse grains of salts used in curing the meat (yay! i love salt.)

this meat is most often found at your deli counter and used to make sandwiches, but it sure sounds like a tasty project for st. patrick's day. just make sure you start it .. well, i guess you should have started it a few days ago, but you can still plan to have a guinness-fest and tasty beef feast the weekend after st. patty's to assure you have proper meat-curing time!

most of the recipes i've looked at start with an 8-10lb beef brisket, rinsed and rubbed with a combination of spices (usually salt, pepper, garlic, sugar, and whatever else you have around--paprika, cloves, nutmeg, bay leaves, ginger, etc.)

next, a brine is prepared with warm water and saltpeter, a chemical nitrate. (if that sounds sketchy for at-home cookery, any coarse kosher salt will do, but supposedly your corned beef won't be as pink as expected.) place your seasoned hunk-o-beef in the brine and toss it in the fridge for 10-14 days, turning meat every 2-3 days.

after your curing time has passed, toss the brine and put your brisket in fresh cold water and boil. repeat 3x. then boil it once more for 2 hours or so. then eat.

here's the full recipe and some fun ideas for prep.

and if you're ambitious and inspired to ferment, try making some homemade sauerkraut to go with. mmm, tasty goodness.

but hey, if you don't have the time to put into making it yourself, at least make sure you have one of these next tuesday!

ground meat experiences

i had several amazing ground meat experiences this week that i thought i should share.

in an attempt to bring an out of town guest into my meat-consumed lifestyle without too many major projects, we made a quick trip to marconda's meats in the 3rd and fairfax farmers market. the man and i bought the most amazing steak burgers a few weeks ago, so i decided to go on a search for some really great ground lamb to make a twist on soulvaki.

if we had been exceedingly ambitious, i would've loved to try this recipe, but we just cooked up some patties in the trusty cast iron with some lamb they ground fresh for us. we added some chopped onion and garlic, oregano, lemon zest, white wine, salt and pepper and made some rice and salad for an excellent simple (and cheap!) meal.

since we were at the fancy butcher shop, i had to get some more steak burgers that i cooked up last night, protein-style, for the ever-dieting man and i. gosh, such good meat. i'm usually kind of distrusting of buying preground meats... well, i guess i should clarify. i hesitate to buy preground meats and cook them nice and medium rare, so this was definately a treat because i knew i could trust the butcher-- i know where their beef comes from and know that they grind their burgers on-site. so tasty with fresh, leafy greens, onion, tomato, and avocado.

(not our burger, but an example of protein-style for the non-in 'n out initiated. ours were thousands of times tastier.)

i still want to try the alton brown meat grinding techniques... they're supposed to be the best, he says so himself! soon.

cube steak?

nostalgic or not very appetizing? check out this new york times article. i'm interested-- mostly because of the cost. and i love that there are so many opinions about it!

wild-eating

i came across this wonderful site yesterday. eat wild is a super great resource for any information one could want about grass-fed meats and the small ranches that put the effort into their production.
and here's a list of grass-fed meat producers in california, complete with heaps of information on each ranch, including products, contact info, and web links. we're not just talking about beef either, there are listings for lamb, goat, bison, pork, chicken (and eggs), turkey, duck, cheeses, and even pet foods.
who knew it could be so easy to find so many happy meat sources?!

niman: no longer to be trusted.

a few weeks ago, i posted on the mega-natural farm niman ranch. now, it seems that many of their practices have come into question. apparently, bill niman, founder of niman ranch, is no longer in control of the company because of some problems with profitability. now, they are owned by chicago's natural food holdings and the changes they have made have resulted in bill niman saying that he will no longer eat niman ranch meats.

check out the article. how disappointing!

what your portion should be.

(image source: www.hsph.harvard.edu)

so, i've been giving the "stop eating red meat to save your planet" thing a lot of thought. it is pretty tough to know that a meat-based diet is bad for the environment, but i'm trying to put it into perspective. upon further research, many experts recommend cutting your (red) meat portions down to 4 per week and restricting them to the size of a deck of cards. so, i'm pretty much rolling my eyes while writing this. how much meat does one really need? and isn't the deck-of-cards thing how we are supposed to determine meat portion sizes anyway? and do we really need to have red meat every day? switch it up! be creative! there are so many other options out there, i've decided these principles mostly would change the eating habits of the fast-food, white bread, meat-and-potatoes crowd.

harvard revised the usda food pyramid (as seen above) and you can see that it focuses on whole grains, good fats, fruits and vegetables, supplemented with lean proteins and red meat. just because i'm carnivorous doesn't mean i have to have a steak for every meal, but i think that doing so a couple times a week keeping in mind the deck-of-cards portion will do me a heck of a lot more good than harm (especially since my particular diet doesn't allow me proteins of the vegetarian variety.)

so, here are a few examples of meat portions from the typical American diet.

mcdonald's quarter pounder

stats:
serving size - 6 oz.
calories - 430
fat - 21 grams protein - 23 grams

outback special steak

stats:

serving size - 12 oz.

calories - 820
fat - 50 grams

protein - 90 grams

bk original whopper

stats:

serving size - 10.26 oz.

calories - 720

fat - 43 grams

protein 31 grams

in and out double double hamburger

stats:

serving size - 11.64 oz.

calories - 670

fat - 41 grams

protein - 37 grams

(all stats from www.chowbaby.com)

as you can see, all of these options are considerably over the recommended 3.1 ounces of meat (with only half of that being red) per day. in conclusion, i'm officially over feeling guilty for my meat consumption.

oh, and if you're checking my math on the sandwiches, i do know that the serving size includes the bun and toppings, but if you refer to the smallest portion - the mcdonald's quarter pounder, a quarter pound equals four ounces, going over the limit with one little meal.