cradle to grave [General]
2012 Nov 30
So at 14 months I sent him in to the local abattoir. He was about 280# hanging weight and not too much red meat for K, Ms K and the rodent over the next year. Asked if I could be present during the cutting of him and spent an hour today watching him get cut up and packaged. Was interesting to see and learn the cuts.
I normally go to the Meat Nazi for my abattoir services. Their plant is beyond clean. I cannot describe how clean it is, but the drive is considerably longer and they are moody. They are my preferred place for pig and poultry processing but could not get this steer in until the new year. Ended up going local and will save my comments on their lack of cleanliness for another thread. They were quite pleasant to deal with.
I normally go to the Meat Nazi for my abattoir services. Their plant is beyond clean. I cannot describe how clean it is, but the drive is considerably longer and they are moody. They are my preferred place for pig and poultry processing but could not get this steer in until the new year. Ended up going local and will save my comments on their lack of cleanliness for another thread. They were quite pleasant to deal with.
2012 Nov 30
My preference is for well marbled Rib steaks under 2 years old. You can see in the pic above the Porter House steaks and how small they are for a regular sized table plate. Though they are not as big, I get them cut into 1.5" thick so you still get a nice meal out of them and of course they are still mooing in the center (aka blue)
Though the pic coloring does not do it justice it was still nice and raw in the center which is the way I like it. Rarely do I order a steak when I go for dinner cause they pretty much will overcook it no matter how explicit I tell them I want a blue piece of meat. Those folks who cook it properly get a well deserved tip!
Back to dinner it was a simple roasted red pepper and steak, cooked over charcoal made at the homestead. The tenderloin portion was super tender and very delightful. The other half was a bit tougher than I expected. Not over the top but since I dont normally eat a Porter House I dont have much to compare it too. In the end it was the flavor that really impressed me as I was quite skeptical to eat a Jersey. I would put it infront of most people and they would not be able to tell from a 'high end' Angus.
The real test for me will be a Rib steak. Got lots of ground and stewing beef out of him and this weekend will be making pepperettes although I have been banished form the kitchen for a while after porkmageddon. Stay tuned.
BTW Zym I pumped this little mofo full of corn for the past 3.5 months. Not sure if it made a difference but he tastes like beef and not corn!
Though the pic coloring does not do it justice it was still nice and raw in the center which is the way I like it. Rarely do I order a steak when I go for dinner cause they pretty much will overcook it no matter how explicit I tell them I want a blue piece of meat. Those folks who cook it properly get a well deserved tip!
Back to dinner it was a simple roasted red pepper and steak, cooked over charcoal made at the homestead. The tenderloin portion was super tender and very delightful. The other half was a bit tougher than I expected. Not over the top but since I dont normally eat a Porter House I dont have much to compare it too. In the end it was the flavor that really impressed me as I was quite skeptical to eat a Jersey. I would put it infront of most people and they would not be able to tell from a 'high end' Angus.
The real test for me will be a Rib steak. Got lots of ground and stewing beef out of him and this weekend will be making pepperettes although I have been banished form the kitchen for a while after porkmageddon. Stay tuned.
BTW Zym I pumped this little mofo full of corn for the past 3.5 months. Not sure if it made a difference but he tastes like beef and not corn!
2012 Nov 30
A farmer I dealt with in NS was on CBC's land and sea last year talking about his farm, and he made a comment on exactly that Johnny English . He said people ask him how he can eat an animal after all that, and his response was that he does not understand how someone can eat an animal that did not have that connection to.
p.s. great writeup krusty !
p.s. great writeup krusty !
2012 Nov 30
JE I never grew up on a farm or hunting. First large animal I shot was a bear attacking camp out in the woods. I ate that bear. Never killed a large animal again and hope I never need to. Don't need to see any die either.
But for me aside from the taste of local free range meat, it is really part of the process of life. Makes me respect some religions in terms of how they bless the animal in various fashions before slaughter. It makes me respect food all the more and I have no issues with vegan but I want my animals to have had an exceptional life.
Funny as 10 years ago I never thought I would be where I am now in terms of raising my own food but I would never go back at this point.
My poultry is free range by day and I can tell you that from 9 PM to 8 AM in the summer it is open season on anything that comes after them in my yard. That has included raccoons, skunks, fishers, foxes and coyotes. I used to miss, now I don't.
I have a pic somewhere of a time when TimberFrame Norm and I were working on a structure and a turkey decided to spend the afternoon with us standing on the timbers as we would cut joints in them. Animals are a hoot!
But for me aside from the taste of local free range meat, it is really part of the process of life. Makes me respect some religions in terms of how they bless the animal in various fashions before slaughter. It makes me respect food all the more and I have no issues with vegan but I want my animals to have had an exceptional life.
Funny as 10 years ago I never thought I would be where I am now in terms of raising my own food but I would never go back at this point.
My poultry is free range by day and I can tell you that from 9 PM to 8 AM in the summer it is open season on anything that comes after them in my yard. That has included raccoons, skunks, fishers, foxes and coyotes. I used to miss, now I don't.
I have a pic somewhere of a time when TimberFrame Norm and I were working on a structure and a turkey decided to spend the afternoon with us standing on the timbers as we would cut joints in them. Animals are a hoot!
2012 Dec 2
Jersey meat is incredibly tasty, but as Krusy describes, the bone to meat ratio isn't always prime.
As for naming farm animals that are destined for meat, I know lots of farmers that do that. I had an uncle that always named his pigs "Klik & Spam". On our farm, we always name breeding stock, as they will be with us for many years, and I know that when it's time for them to go, I will weep bitterly and miss them dearly.
We have a breeding pair of hogs named Bob & Marley, and another threesome named Paul, Linda & Heather. And sometimes there are pairs we call "The Fat Ladies" in homage to that hilarious cooking show that I remember from the days when we had cable.
All our dairy cows have names of course, and we name the bull calves too, but it's usually something "Scaloppini", or "Calfrey McVeal" as there is no doubt as to their future.
Animals like chickens, we generally don't name because there are just too many of them, but it's not uncommon for one to stick out and get named based on a physical trait or some other behavior. We've had hens named "Miss Pettycoats" because of how her feathers looked, and one named "Chicken Little" because it was just so small.
Named or not, all of our animals will become meat one day. We know this, and our kids know this. In fact, we have noticed that our kids eat with more gusto the animals that they knew and loved, and helped to raise. It's getting harder and harder to eat anywhere but home and at other farmers homes as our kids want to know who the animal was that is about to be served to them, and how that animal lived. They are even starting to think this way about fruits and vegetables.
We are always so thankful and feel so blessed that these animals not only gave us their lives, but also fertilized our land, kept bug populations low, mowed the grass, helped compost, etc, etc.
Like Krusty I also did not grow up on a farm, but even as a kid, I remember wishing that someday I would actually be able to hunt or raise my own meat. It always bothered me that most of us don't care where the meat came from or where or how it lived. My friends said that they wouldn't be able to eat something that they had killed or raised, and I couldn't understand how it was that they could think like that.
To me it has always seemed like an amazing gift, and I am honoured to be a part of something like this. It would be very hard for me to be detached from an animal then kill it and eat it. That would feel disrespectful to me.
Life and death are so closely related and intertwined. We really can't have one without the other. Some of us are made to kill, and some are not, and that is fine. We all have different roles.
As for naming farm animals that are destined for meat, I know lots of farmers that do that. I had an uncle that always named his pigs "Klik & Spam". On our farm, we always name breeding stock, as they will be with us for many years, and I know that when it's time for them to go, I will weep bitterly and miss them dearly.
We have a breeding pair of hogs named Bob & Marley, and another threesome named Paul, Linda & Heather. And sometimes there are pairs we call "The Fat Ladies" in homage to that hilarious cooking show that I remember from the days when we had cable.
All our dairy cows have names of course, and we name the bull calves too, but it's usually something "Scaloppini", or "Calfrey McVeal" as there is no doubt as to their future.
Animals like chickens, we generally don't name because there are just too many of them, but it's not uncommon for one to stick out and get named based on a physical trait or some other behavior. We've had hens named "Miss Pettycoats" because of how her feathers looked, and one named "Chicken Little" because it was just so small.
Named or not, all of our animals will become meat one day. We know this, and our kids know this. In fact, we have noticed that our kids eat with more gusto the animals that they knew and loved, and helped to raise. It's getting harder and harder to eat anywhere but home and at other farmers homes as our kids want to know who the animal was that is about to be served to them, and how that animal lived. They are even starting to think this way about fruits and vegetables.
We are always so thankful and feel so blessed that these animals not only gave us their lives, but also fertilized our land, kept bug populations low, mowed the grass, helped compost, etc, etc.
Like Krusty I also did not grow up on a farm, but even as a kid, I remember wishing that someday I would actually be able to hunt or raise my own meat. It always bothered me that most of us don't care where the meat came from or where or how it lived. My friends said that they wouldn't be able to eat something that they had killed or raised, and I couldn't understand how it was that they could think like that.
To me it has always seemed like an amazing gift, and I am honoured to be a part of something like this. It would be very hard for me to be detached from an animal then kill it and eat it. That would feel disrespectful to me.
Life and death are so closely related and intertwined. We really can't have one without the other. Some of us are made to kill, and some are not, and that is fine. We all have different roles.
2012 Dec 2
Life and death cannot be separated.
Death is not negative thing at all, it's part of our life.
Everyday we take lives to live tomorrow.
In Japan, we say "Itadakimasu" before the meal,that means "I humbly receive"
I am very thankful when I cook fresh and good quality food, especially meats and fish.
Death is not negative thing at all, it's part of our life.
Everyday we take lives to live tomorrow.
In Japan, we say "Itadakimasu" before the meal,that means "I humbly receive"
I am very thankful when I cook fresh and good quality food, especially meats and fish.
2012 Dec 3
I'm fully aware of and willing to embrace my hypocrisy, but I'm not a country boy - quite the reverse. I have the utmost respect for the people who rear the animals that I eat, I'm just saying that there's no way I could do it. As far as I'm concerned, meat comes in handy-sized pieces in either styrofoam packages or if I'm feeling posh, wrapped in paper. It has never had a name, a thought, an instinct or an emotion; as soon as I start going down that road I'm taking a new interest in soya products.
2012 Dec 3
I get what you are saying, Johnny English, and the fact that you are so open and honest regarding how you feel (or as you said your hypocrisy about it) speaks volumes. :-)
But, and people might think me totally off my rocker here, but I do wonder what the veggies think when we rip them, whilst they are still living, right out of the ground. It's a far slower torture for a plant than any animal that gets with a bolt to the head.
As far as I'm concerned, plants are alive, and they are just as aware as any animal. We rip these vital, living creations out of the earth, along with their families, and often eat them alive. Just because they don't have big brown eyes looking at us doesn't mean they can't 'see' or feel what's happening. And, more often than not, plants are killed before they have fulfilled their destinies: creating seed or offspring.
I've tried for years to get a vegetarian or vegan to help me understand the difference on why it's 'ok' to eat plants, but not animals. Sounds loopy, I know, but I see the life that a plant gives up is just as real as the life an animal gives.
And tell me, what gardener doesn't love their garden like it's a real living creature? but, living or not, dang! those fresh tomatoes taste so good! ;-)
But, and people might think me totally off my rocker here, but I do wonder what the veggies think when we rip them, whilst they are still living, right out of the ground. It's a far slower torture for a plant than any animal that gets with a bolt to the head.
As far as I'm concerned, plants are alive, and they are just as aware as any animal. We rip these vital, living creations out of the earth, along with their families, and often eat them alive. Just because they don't have big brown eyes looking at us doesn't mean they can't 'see' or feel what's happening. And, more often than not, plants are killed before they have fulfilled their destinies: creating seed or offspring.
I've tried for years to get a vegetarian or vegan to help me understand the difference on why it's 'ok' to eat plants, but not animals. Sounds loopy, I know, but I see the life that a plant gives up is just as real as the life an animal gives.
And tell me, what gardener doesn't love their garden like it's a real living creature? but, living or not, dang! those fresh tomatoes taste so good! ;-)
2012 Dec 3
I wouldn't go as far as to say off your rocker, but while studies have shown that plants do demonstrate a chemical and electrical reaction to damage their lack of a central nervous system and brain mean that they aren't capable of feeling pain any more than, say, a car equipped with sensors that react when a tyre is punctured or an impact is detected.
2012 Dec 4
Rizak c'mon out to the country for a pint and we can discuss it amongst the company of Smoker Guy as well. Actually we would prefer to talk about food and beer. Or maybe just beer.
Took the little Rodent to the BORG this evening for an hour while the fine folks there cut me some black iron pipe to make a similar meat work table to this. Butcher block top comes next but the base is done now. Made 9# of pepperettes with Randolph this eve using a formica top in the interim. Off they will go into the smoker tomorrow am for the day and should be ready to sample for dinner. Never used Fermento before but it was a super easy recipe.
Took the little Rodent to the BORG this evening for an hour while the fine folks there cut me some black iron pipe to make a similar meat work table to this. Butcher block top comes next but the base is done now. Made 9# of pepperettes with Randolph this eve using a formica top in the interim. Off they will go into the smoker tomorrow am for the day and should be ready to sample for dinner. Never used Fermento before but it was a super easy recipe.
2013 Mar 13
Actually looking at this thread again reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend in London (UK not Ontario) recently.
With the recent scandel of Tesco and other supermarkets finding horsemeat and pig dna in their "beef" hambergers, a friend commented that the push for lower prices and lack of traceability of the supply chain for all sources of different batches create potential weak points. With the recent growth in EU sourcing, this includes slaughterhouses in Hungary, Poland and other places where the standards for inspection is not as stringently followed.
www.cnn.com
www.bbc.co.uk
I don't have any ethical problem with the consumption of horsemeat but do feel strongly about the lack of proper labeling and control/audit trail.
In view of this, knowing the name of what you are eating seems less of an issue and maybe more desirable.
With the recent scandel of Tesco and other supermarkets finding horsemeat and pig dna in their "beef" hambergers, a friend commented that the push for lower prices and lack of traceability of the supply chain for all sources of different batches create potential weak points. With the recent growth in EU sourcing, this includes slaughterhouses in Hungary, Poland and other places where the standards for inspection is not as stringently followed.
www.cnn.com
www.bbc.co.uk
I don't have any ethical problem with the consumption of horsemeat but do feel strongly about the lack of proper labeling and control/audit trail.
In view of this, knowing the name of what you are eating seems less of an issue and maybe more desirable.
krusty