reichl on steaks and dads:

Need anything else be written about butchers, steaks, father/daughter adventures?

"...our journey always ended at the narrow butcher shop on Jones Street, with its sawdust floor and its find mineral aroma. The cases were filled with the bacon that they smoked themselves, pink and white strips spread out like gorgeous fabric, and a few pretty little lamb chops, red circles of meat clinging to elegantly long bones and decorated with frilly paper caps.
"Good morning, Jimmy," my father would say.
And Jimmy would look up and smile and seem delighted to see us. He'd hand me a slice of salami, or some of the liverwurst he brought down from Yorkville, or sometimes the dried beef that he made when business was slow. "Fine morning," he'd say, even when it wasn't.
"We need a porterhouse, please," my father would say. And Jimmy would reply,"The finest steak there is!" as if the thought had occurred to him for the very first time. Then he would pull open the heavy wooden door, with its huge slab of a handle, and disappear into the cooler in the back. When he reappeared he was carrying what looked to me like half a steer, although it was really just the short loins that had been hanging for a few weeks, acquiring a fine patina of age.
Picking up a hacksaw, he'd indicate a cut: "This much?" And no matter how thick it was, my father always said, "A little thicker, please." And Jimmy would nod and cut off a substantial steak, humming as he worked. When he was done he'd hold up the steak and point out the fine veins of white tracing a pattern through the dense red meat. "Good marbling," he said admiringly every week, as if this steak was a special star. "All the flavor's in the fat. Cut off the far, you can't tell the difference between beef, pork, and lamb. That's a fact. Did you know that?"
Then he'd thump the steak onto the chopping block and begin the ritual of trimming. First he'd cut the thick blue-black layer of mold from the outside of the steak, scraping it until the bright red flesh beneath the crust had been revealed. Then he'd carefully remove a few inches of fat from the edges so that only a creamy white frame remained. Carefully folding in the little tail end, he'd lay the meat on a piece of pink paper and heave it onto the scale.
"You're going to have a fine dinner," he'd say, as if the compliment were to the cook and not the cutter. "Don't be afraid of the salt."
"That's the secret!" my father always replied, carefully tucking the parcel under his arm. Waving cheerily, we'd walk out the door.

At home we had another ritual. Three hours before it was time to eat, my father would jump up from his chair and say, "No point in cooking cold meat." Together we'd go into the kitchen, remove the porterhouse from the refrigerator, carefully unwrap the package, and set the steak on a platter lined with wax paper. When it had thrown off the chill, Dad would salt it, releasing a small blizzard over the meat. "The secret to a great steak," he always said, "is that when you think you have enough salt, you add some more. The other secret," he'd say as he got out the big cast-iron skillet, "is to heat the pan until it's blazing hot and cook the meat exactly eight minutes on each side."

"And the final secret," I'd add, doing my bit, "is the butter." My job was to plunk a lump of sweet butter onto the sizzling steak just as my father set it on the platter.
My father carved the steak with long, precise strokes of the knife, carefully separating the sirloin that he and my brother preferred from the tenderloin that my mother favored. The bone was mine.
While they plied their forks like civilized people I'd bring the bone up to my face until the aroma--animal and mineral, dirt and rock--was flooding my senses. Then I'd bite into the meat, soft and chewy at the same time, rolling it around in my mouth. It was juicy, powerful, primal, and I'd take another bite, and another. The meat closest to the bone was smooth as satin, and sweet. It tasted like nothing else on earth, and I would gnaw happily until the bone was stripped naked and my face was covered with a satisfying layer of grease."

--Ruth Reichl, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

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?

gold vs. grimes, represent!

Last night, much fun was had at the Los Angeles Public Library for this week's edition of their ALOUD series. The Taper auditorium hosted this "bi-cultural binge." Moderated by Good Food's Evan Kleiman, a classic East Coast/West Coast battle ensued between LA Weekly restaurant critic Jonathan Gold and former New York Times restaurant critic (and current obit writer!) William Grimes.

As more of an adventurous home cook than restaurant junkie, I was thoroughly engaged and entertained by the panelists' vast knowledge of food and restaurant history in their cities. Conversation spanned nearly two hundred years, from the 1837 opening of Delmonico's in New York City to current foodie trends-- food trucks and nose to tail eating.

Gold and Grimes bantered to clear up misconceptions of their respective "scenes." Kleiman proposed LA food spotlights health while New Yorkers are pleasure-seekers. Both of the guys thought instead the food cultures were more of a result of geography and physical space. Los Angeles home owners are more likely to entertain in-house using local ingredients, while shoe-box dwelling New Yorkers store books in their ovens and eat out three meals a day. Both coasts came together to shape moden food movements, from the DIY/punk rock mentality to the internationalization of chefs and resurgence of public markets.

As the crowd thinned out, probably headed to Cafe Pinot to sample their special prix fixe menu, Grimes was kind enough to give the man some insight into NYC's craft beers while I picked Gold's brain for butcher recommendations.

Check out the William Grimes' new book Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York and Jonathan Gold's Counter Intelligence.

And a special thanks to tryharder for giving us your place on the list.

Tryharder t-shirts do get you into the best events.

Things I Love Thursdays.

Here it comes, this week's edition of "Things I Love Thursdays!"

On the radar this week are fellow recreational butchers, courtesy of the New York Times. Great article, even though it uses every conceivable butchery anecdote, leaving me to feel a bit like a can of potted meat.

Legendary food writer Jonathan Gold shared his words of wisdom and caution for us aspiring food writers at class on Tuesday. He is quite the inspiration-- had the class hanging on his every word! Just as candidly eloquent (if that makes sense) in person as he is in his columns. Too bad his event at LAPL is full for tonight. Any suggestions on how a lady might sneak in?

My new issue of Meat Paper magazine came in the mail this week! Such a lovely magazine. Gorgeous and full of flavor. In this issue, they set out to determine whether a T-Rex tasted like chicken. The diagram is priceless. Truly the best way to stay on top the trends in the meat world.

KCET (or your local PBS, I'd imagine) has been airing loads of episodes of Julia and Jacques cooking at home. I caught an episode this week about pork and watched Jacques break down an entire rack. His methods and instruction were so simple and straightforward I could imagine someone actually doing it at home for themselves. All the while, Julia towered over him making fabulous yummy sounds and smacking her lips. Now that's classic TV.


And because we really just like cook dinner at home, drink wine, and watch bad TV, I made an somewhat elaborate birthday dinner for the man that I have to share.

We love, love lamb, and these chops were pretty killer. They come with a silly story, too. I usually buy my lamb either from my favorite local butchers, Marconda's Meats or Huntington Meats at the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax or from Whole Foods, but the giant Ralph's near my house now carries quite a selection. I didn't give it a second glance when it first appeared, as grocery story lamb makes me think of the suspicious meats I remember as a child-- an oozing slab of a mystery cut shrink-wrapped with a little packet of mint-flavored jelly.
Not wanting to be too pretentious, I thought I'd check out Ralph's supply. I then ran into roadblock number two. All of the packages of chops were labeled "Wine and Mustard Marinade." Hm. I kept walking. That didn't seem right.
One more try. Aah. They weren't actually marinated, just topped with a poorly designed, misleading recipe card. So four pretty little lamb chops came home with me and did not get marinated in mustard.
Instead, they were quickly seared in my trusty cast iron and topped with the birthday boy's favorite mint sauce, a zippy seasoned-to-taste puree of fresh mint, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
Delicious. Sweet, spicy, savory and just special enough for a birthday.

Have a protein-packed day!

things i love thursdays!

I am currently inspired to do a fun little weekly selection of meat-related things I like. It will probably most often serve as a reminder to myself of exciting dishes to try or products to buy, but who knows? Maybe you will be inspired (or perhaps amused) as well.

First up-- Candied Salted Bacon

(source: the kitchn)

Now I know it has been done, but I just thought this recipe looked particularly tasty. Perhaps because of the nice story about making it in your kitchen at 2am with or without pants on or maybe because of the lack of "process" pictures these recipes usually include (the bacon caked with brown sugar makes me feel too guilty about even thinking of trying this!), but regardless, it looks super tasty and satisfying in a not too sweet or salty kind of way.

Next up, Juice Box-Sized Stock.

I like to make my own stock whenever possible, but sometimes time just doesn't allow for it. The best option for store-bought stock is Pacific Organic Free-Range Chicken Stock (also available in low-sodium). It is organic, doesn't have any crap that I won't eat in it, and comes in the cutest 8 ounce packages. What more could you want?

...How about a Grill Pan?

I know, this is a poor excuse for an actual grill, but we live in a loft and our HOA sends mean letters for creative things like open flames on narrow windowsills...Our bulky cast iron grill pan does the trick most of the time. Currently, we have a Martha Stewart model from a few years ago (I know!! But it was 1/2 off, okay??), but I'm certain it would be ashamed to show its face around this pretty (and pricey) Le Creuset.

And lastly, Butchery as Theater!



Anyone want to sponsor a lady's trip to SF for this?

In a rare U.S. appearance, Dario Cecchini, Italy's master butcher made famous in Bill Buford's Heat and portrayed in Douglas Gayeton’s new book Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town, will give a demonstration on artisan butchery. You are invited to experience Dario up close breaking down a steer and a pig with mastery and flair at the Cowell Theater. Following his 250-year-old family tradition, Dario will share his exceptional skills with chefs, butchers of all levels, and other sustainable food industry professionals who wish to find a deeper understanding of and relationship with meat.

-meatpaper

still cooking the goods...

Yes, I still have meat left from butchery class.
Here are a few fun meal shots. Yum!


Yet another tasty lamb burger!


Lamb steak with garlic and onion rub.


And with added mint sauce.

cooking the goods.

What better occasion than a 4th of July barbeque to grind and grill up a round of my butchered lamb meat?! Now those were some satisfying burgers, especially since I got to share them with those who have supported my meat adventures!

I also discovered that I'm a pretty good shot, so you never know, maybe I'll make a hunting trip sometime in the future.

(The man agreed that a BB gun is the best use for a can of Bud Light.)

butchery class.

Just a few short months ago, I proposed the idea of "Lady Butcher" to a friend. I had been post-vegetarian for about a year-- struggling to find pleasure in food again and wanting to be being a "good steward" of my money, meat resources, and even my desire to eat healthful and tasty foods. I thought I could go on a meat journey and document my findings, perhaps in the form of a reality television show. Unfortunately, it turns out that even though I live in Los Angeles, a reality television opportunity was not dropped in my lap. Hence, I started a blog. I didn't know what would come of it, but looking back, I am pretty excited for what I've learned and that I have already had the chance to go behind the scenes of a super neat, artisan, lady-owned butcher shop!

Thank you for following my story!

Here are some photographs and highlights. (I didn't take that many pictures because I was pretty focused and aware of sharp objects.)

We had the opportunity to learn about two animals, pig and lamb. First up was the pig. Suckling pig, to be exact. What is a suckling pig, you say? This refers to a very young animal that has never been fed solid food and has not developed its muscles fully, resulting in very tender meats. For us in the butcher class, this also meant that the animal was small enough to arrive at the shop relatively intact, i.e., head and trotters still attached. Basically, full-on shock value.

The class was structured in a way that all of the participants had the opportunity to make several cuts on each animal. I had been feeling a little nervous, so I was very happy that I was not making the first cut of the day.

The first cut was the head.

Next, the trotters.

Then, my turn, removing the kidneys (the only organs left in by the slaughterhouse. Sidenote: slaughterhouses remove and clean out the animals before they arrive at a butcher shop, resulting in a much less gruesome process than I imagined. Butchers actually have to purchase many of those parts back from slaughterhouses if they want to use and/or sell them!), doing some cleaning touch-ups, and making the first cut to divide the beast into sections. We used three tools, a flexible boning knife, a hand saw, and a cleaver with a mallet. There didn't seem to be specific tools for specific tasks, we were instructed to use what felt comfortable and appropriate.

After lunch, my queasiness had dissipated. I thought, gosh, the lamb wouldn't be too difficult as it looked much more like a piece of meat than a furry creature... but I had to go first this time around!

I was the only female in the class and had stayed pretty silent throughout the process, so I wasn't totally prepared for what I was asked to do, but I'm super happy I got to do it! While the lamb was hanging from the hook, I split and tore off the flanks and skirts, cleaned out the inside, and then...

Made that cut. First, I made an incision straight through, then sliced from the spine out on both sides. Next, I was told to wrap my leg and my arms around the lamb and snap the spine where I had made the cut. Wow! That was intense! Then, I supported the weight on my leg and cut behind the spine, caught it when it dropped, and hoisted it up on the table. Whew!

I felt pretty bad ass. I can't come up with a more appropriate word.

When the cuts were being portioned for us to take home, I happily said that I had a meat grinder and, why yes, I do make sausages! And I would take the fun bits for stock-making. Perhaps the other dudes in my class thought they were making out because they got to fight over the pig head, but for the man and I, the ground meat and stocks will be far more useful. I got some nice steaks too (and those were fun to cut down!) and a package labeled "pig shoulder."

Honestly, I think that was the biggest thing that I learned was that it all was very intuitive. The parts of the animal dictated how the cuts were to be made and the butchers worked instinctively. Not to get too philosophical, but this wasn't surprising. I carry no judgement for the decisions people make about their eating habits and choices, but we seem to be carnivorous beasts at heart and this opportunity reinforced that notion for me. So thank you, Avedano's (and to the ladies at Sweet Meats for telling me about them!) for a highly fulfilling experience.

Butchery previews.

Just a preview of the fun that is to come...

cheap steaks and thoughts on butchery.

Just a quick little tip from the LA Times on cheap cuts of beef... Nothing too profound, but there are some good tips. And I must say, I had a fabulous top sirloin steak a few nights ago. (Yes, the one that made me stinky for ballet...) The advice for cooking and slicing it properly made a huge difference in the texture of the meat.

But what else is new in this lady's meat land? I've been trying to prepare myself mentally for my butchery class coming up on Sunday. The man and I are hopping in the Green Dragon on Saturday morning and heading up to SF for quick trip to return promptly after the class with our giant red camping cooler filled with fresh cuts of pork and lamb. I have to admit I'm not sure what I've gotten myself in to!

From the start of my meat journey, I have confidently stated that perhaps every one who eats meat regularly should, at some point, have the experience of seeing the animal in pre-vacuum wrapped state to understand and accept what we eat and demand humane treatment of animals and quality products. Now that I'm actually going to experience it, (or at least part of it, won't be going to a slaughterhouse this time around!) I'm a little squeamish. I keep replaying the guy on the phone telling me that it probably goes without saying, but remember to wear something that you don't mind getting.... He tapered off. Does he say "bloody"? Would that be offensive? Disrespectful? I got the picture. Still don't know what I'll be wearing though. Debating on a clean white t-shirt for an interesting splatter-paint fashion statement, but don't think I'll follow through with it. Suggestions?

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.

food sleuthing!

Q:

I came across a recipe that asked for chicken back. What is chicken back? Do I need to go to a butcher to purchase or is it sold at supermarkets, too? Any idea, Lady Butcher?

A:

"A chicken's back and neckbone gives light chicken flavor to homemade stocks. Ask the butcher to set the chicken neck and back bones aside for you. Or, the next time you butterfly a chicken —cut out the backbone and flatten it for grilling or quicker roasting—don't throw the spine out. Instead, wrap it up, put it in the freezer, and save it for your next [back-requiring recipe]."

(source: http://www.bonappetit.com/)

And here's a diagram from the Canadian Government (don't ask...):

From what I've found, the back just refers to the actual spine of the bird and is used to add flavor to recipes. I suppose you could buy a supermarket chicken and chop it up yourself, but why? I would recommend a butcher-- I'd imagine it would be quite cheap, like buying other bones for stocks. Will try to update with firsthand experience soon!

it has been done.

the butcher's apprentice
but hey, i can do it too, right?

top gators.

so, here's my obligatory top chef-related post. i didn't want to express any opinions because they're swirling around in much easier-to-find internet locations... but YES, it made me angry. and NO, i don't think the right person won. yar. why can't a cool woman be shown standing up for herself?!

in any case, i've decided some alligator exploration is needed.

(there's got to be some better things to do with it than make soup...)

as expected, alligator meat allegedly "tastes like chicken" but doesn't have all of the icky chicken-ness that comes with, well, chicken. and it is lower in fat, cholesterol, and calories. but considerably harder to domesticate, one would imagine! ha.

the next question is, where does one find alligator meat in southern california? certainly we don't have any native los angeles river gators... a couple of quick calls have lead me to think that gator isn't a very popular ingredient around here, but surfa's in culver city said they could get it upon request. frozen. and the farmer's market butchers recommended the many online sources.

here's a few:

http://www.exoticmeats.com/

http://www.marxfoods.com/

http://www.cajungrocer.com/

so if you can wrestle yourself up a good gator, who can resist alligator balls?

Alligator Balls

1 lb Chopped alligator meat

1 Egg

1 tb Finely chopped onions

1 tb Finely chopped celery

1 tb Finely chopped parsley

2 tb Finely chopped shallots

1 ts Lemon juice

1 ts Black pepper

1/2 ts Salt

1/4 c Bread crumbs

1 c Cooking oil

Flour to dredge

Combine all ingredients, form 1 inch diameter balls, allow to set one hour. Dredge in flour and fry till brown. Serve hot.

(recipe source: www.cajuncookingrecipes.com)

or sweet and sour alligator? (couldn't resist, just sounded odd and silly.)

Sweet and Sour Alligator

2 eggs

1/4 cup + 2 tsps all-purpose flour

2 tsps milk

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 lbs alligator tail meat

4 cups vegetable oil

1 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tsps cornstarch

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 8-ounce can unsweetened pineapple chunks

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

hot cooked rice

Combine eggs, flour, milk and salt; mix well. Add alligator cubes, stirring to coat.In 2-quart deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Deep-fry alligator a few pieces at a time until golden brown. Drain well.In a 4-quart saucepan, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, tomato sauce, vinegar, corn syrup, garlic salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.Stir in alligator chunks, pineapple, bell pepper, celery and onion. Cover and simmer ten minutes. Serve over hot rice.

(recipe source: www.backwoodsbound.com)

and, because i'm a very practical lady, here's some helpful hints on how to survive an alligator attack.

my first go at sausage making.

my sausage making experience was everything i'd hoped for. my friend over at tryharder and i made a day of it, starting out with a return trip to huntington meats. let me continue my raving of this excellent butcher-- they were amazingly helpful and when i told them what my mission was, the guy who was helping me got a big grin on his face and pulled out a ragged notebook filled with all of their personal sausage recipes and gave me lots of ideas! how great is that?!

so anyway, they sold me heaps of casings with storage instructions (in the fridge in tupperware with a really lot of salt-- they keep for a long time and then can be rehydrated) and five pounds of pork butt (fyi- total cost: $18). he offered to grind it for me, but i took pride in saying, "no thanks, i'll do it myself!"

so, i think i will just share this process in a photo essay. i will say, at least for a first-timer, it is a two-person job. maybe after a few more tries i will get the hang of it and try it solo, but it is more fun to bring a friend along on the meat fun!

here's the pork after i trimmed the fat and cubed it up.

feeding it through the grinder.

here are the meat worms coming through the other side.

seasoning the ground meat. (we pan-fried a little piece to test for flavor after mixing)

feeding it into the casing. (this was the tamest of the pictures...)

loooong sausage!

twist, and done!

i tweaked the chorizo recipe a bit but i would definately recommend it. nice and spicy with good flavor. will be great to cook with big pots of rice and veggies, but tasty enough just grilled up plain! what flavor should i try next?

another hollywood butcher

remember sam?

the housekeeper and the butcher, what a classic love story. mmm, and what's hotter than a man who knows his way around the kitchen and will wear matching outfits on date night?

weekend plans?

i'm going to try to make my first journey to the butchers at the farmers market at 3rd and fairfax. hopefully, i will be able to hit huntington's meats and marconda's and report back.
i am particularly excited about huntington's exotic meats!

field trip!

here's a list of los angeles-area butchers from the LA times. guess i'll start making my way through them!

Alexander's Prime Meats, Howie's Ranch Market, 6580 N. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel, (626) 286-8871. Nearly all prime-grade beef from Harris Ranch. Dry-ages sides of beef.
Beef Palace Butcher Shop, 5895 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, (714) 846-0044. Midwestern Angus beef, choice and prime. Dry-ages beef hindquarters and whole lambs.
Bel Air Prime Meats, Beverly Glen Market Place, 2964 Beverly Glen Circle, L.A. (310) 475-5915. Premium veal chops, certified Black Angus beef dry-aged on the premises, game. Smokes meat on the premises.
El Toro Gourmet Meats, 23522 El Toro Road, Lake Forest (949) 855-0215. Hormone- and antibiotic-free beef from the San Joaquin Valley.
The Farms, 2030 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 828-4244. Midwestern certified Angus beef, choice and prime.
Harvey's Guss Meat Co., 949 S. Ogden Drive, Los Angeles, (323) 937-4622. Midwestern beef, choice and prime; Napa and Colorado lamb; Kurobuta pork; game. Ages on premises.
Huntington Meats & Sausage, Los Angeles Farmers Market, 6333 W. 3rd St., (323) 938-5383. Harris Ranch beef, prime grade exclusively. Wide variety of sausages.
Jim's Fallbrook Market, 5947 Fallbrook Ave., Woodland Hills, (818) 347-5525. California beef, game; makes corned beef.
Marconda's Meat, Los Angeles Farmers Market, 6333 W. 3rd St., (323) 938-5131. Prime Angus beef; also Montana-grown Piedmontese beef, from a breed of cattle naturally low in fat. Ages lamb three weeks.
Owen's Market, 9769 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 553-8183. Harris Ranch beef, mostly prime grade, aged 2 1/2 weeks on the premises. Special-orders game.Pacific Ranch Market, 7540 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, (714) 639-9792. Iowa beef, choice and prime grades.
Taylor's Ol' Fashion Meats, Howie's Ranch Market, 14 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, (626) 355-3344. Prime and choice Midwestern beef.
Vicente Foods, 12027 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 472-5215. Four kinds of beef: Midwestern prime, certified Black Angus, hormone-free Angus and Kobe.
Whole Foods Markets. To find a store, check the phonebook or go to www.wholefoodsmarket.com. Midwestern Angus beef raised to the market's orders; some meat is dry-aged (most have aging facilities on site). Also pork, lamb, venison.

the little birdies say marconda's meat and huntington meats and sausages at the 3rd and fairfax farmers' market are the best "old-fashioned" butchers, and harvey guss is the winner for wholesale.
perhaps one is looking for a lady butcher apprentice?

poultry stats.

my intro to the world of poultry, beginning with chicken. barely meat, but worth considering.

-there are more chickens in the world than any other bird-- over 24 million!

-chickens naturally have a lifespan of five to eleven years, but commercial chickens are often slaughtered at six weeks; free range at fourteen; egg-laying at twelve months (for use in heavily processed food, like pet food and... baby food?!)

-before 1910, chicken was mostly a "special occasion" food in the U.S.

-whole, ready to cook chickens were not commonplace until the 1950s; most chickens were cleaned by the local butcher or at home!

-until 1960, chickens were primarily raised on family farms, with eggs being the priority

-chicken and their eggs used to be "seasonal," but through the use of vitamin D, they can be kept inside, ready to produce, year-round; therefore, in 1900, average egg production was 83 eggs per hen per year and in 2000, it was well over 300

-there is no federal law that regulates the humane treatment of chickens, meaning chickens are routinely debeaked, live their lives in complete darkness, are "selectively bread" to essentially create fatter birds, and fed heaps of antibiotics and hormones

and this is just for my dad, whose childhood pet chickens mysteriously disappeared one day--

-chickens are omnivores, so why not let them roam around your kitchen? they can eat anything from leftover baked goods to stray lizards and insects, but are probably best left to feast on your lawn

-the "urban hen movement" (check it out! fun blog.)

-eggs of pastured chickens contained 34% less cholesterol, 10% less fat, 40% more vitamin A, twice as much omega-6 fatty acid, and four times as much omega-3 fatty acid as the USDA standard

and just some fun articles about chickens as pets:

la times feature
la times blog

and if you're really ambitious, here's some (quite graphic) information on raising chickens for meat.

and maybe later, sheep.

squak!

pork cookers

just in case you were wondering, this is what 54 pounds of pork loin from costco looks like:



not bad, 'specially for $1.99 per pound. i wanted to take a moment to talk to the heavily tattooed and pierced butcher-dude, but he wasn't having any of it.

and here's what it looks like when crock-potted: