Meat you can eat with a spoon! Cross-cut beef shanks from the Herondale Farm meat CSA. Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com. I removed the toxic ingredients (vegetable oil, euw), corrected the meat ration (no main course for multiple people should have less than 2 lbs raw meat) and added other clarifications. Slow Cooker Peppered Beef Shank in Red Wineserves 4 to 6 3-5 as a main course, depending on how much meat you start with 3 to 5 pounds beef crosscut shank, fat trimmed away (I used 3 shanks; note that the weight includes the bones)Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperVegetable or peanut oil Olive oil10 to 12 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped2 medium yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped1 large stalk celery, roughly chopped (or one large carrot)1 bay leaf1 rosemary sprig750 ml bottle inexpensive red wine 4 cups beef or chicken broth (beef is best, chicken will do)2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (don’t skip this) Method 1. Bring the defrosted shanks out of the fridge, cut them out of the packaging, and dry them thoroughly. 2. Prep your vegetables. 3. Heat a wide, heavy skillet (cast iron or enameled cast iron ( I used a Le Crueset dutch oven) over medium heat and coat the bottom of it with olive oil. 4. Liberally salt and pepper the shanks and sear them in a single layer until both sides of each piece of meat have a dark crust. 5. Remove the meat to the slow cooker, put the lid on, and set aside. 6. On the stove, turn the heat down to low and put the vegetables into the same pan. Cook at least 15 minutes, scraping up the fond, until the onions begin to color.  7. Add bay leaf, rosemary, red wine and broth to the pot, bring to a boil, them simmer for 15-20 min, until about 1/3 reduced. 8. Carefully pour that over the meat in the slow cooker, add the balsamic, and cook on LOW for at least 8 hours. I cooked today’s batch for 12. 9. Let the dish cool a bit in the slow cooker before you try to handle it.  10. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the meat and bones; make sure you get the marrow chunks (which may have slipped out) because they are delicious. Once the marrow is rescued from the bones, remove them from the dish. Clean them to use for stock. 11. Pour the sauce through a sieve or strainer, discarding the solids, if you’re fancy. Ignore the straining if you’re not. 12. Chill the meat and sauce separately. Skim the congealed fat off the sauce after chilling. 13. Reheat meat+sauce together. Taste for salt before serving.

Meat you can eat with a spoon! Cross-cut beef shanks from the Herondale Farm meat CSA.

Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com. I removed the toxic ingredients (vegetable oil, euw), corrected the meat ration (no main course for multiple people should have less than 2 lbs raw meat) and added other clarifications.

Slow Cooker Peppered Beef Shank in Red Wine
serves 4 to 6 3-5 as a main course, depending on how much meat you start with

3 to 5 pounds beef crosscut shank, fat trimmed away (I used 3 shanks; note that the weight includes the bones)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable or peanut oil Olive oil
10 to 12 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large stalk celery, roughly chopped (or one large carrot)
1 bay leaf
1 rosemary sprig
750 ml bottle inexpensive red wine 
4 cups beef or chicken broth (beef is best, chicken will do)
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (don’t skip this)

Method

1. Bring the defrosted shanks out of the fridge, cut them out of the packaging, and dry them thoroughly.

2. Prep your vegetables.

3. Heat a wide, heavy skillet (cast iron or enameled cast iron ( I used a Le Crueset dutch oven) over medium heat and coat the bottom of it with olive oil.

4. Liberally salt and pepper the shanks and sear them in a single layer until both sides of each piece of meat have a dark crust.

IMG_3313

5. Remove the meat to the slow cooker, put the lid on, and set aside.

6. On the stove, turn the heat down to low and put the vegetables into the same pan. Cook at least 15 minutes, scraping up the fond, until the onions begin to color. 

7. Add bay leaf, rosemary, red wine and broth to the pot, bring to a boil, them simmer for 15-20 min, until about 1/3 reduced.

8. Carefully pour that over the meat in the slow cooker, add the balsamic, and cook on LOW for at least 8 hours. I cooked today’s batch for 12.

9. Let the dish cool a bit in the slow cooker before you try to handle it. 

10. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the meat and bones; make sure you get the marrow chunks (which may have slipped out) because they are delicious. Once the marrow is rescued from the bones, remove them from the dish. Clean them to use for stock.

11. Pour the sauce through a sieve or strainer, discarding the solids, if you’re fancy. Ignore the straining if you’re not.

12. Chill the meat and sauce separately. Skim the congealed fat off the sauce after chilling.

13. Reheat meat+sauce together. Taste for salt before serving.

Picking up my monthly meat share makes me feel like a superstar. This is how I walked home with my stash tonight. Imagine what squats and milk would do to that. Anyway. Welcome to the May edition of Herondale Farm Meat CSA Recipes from a Person Who Lives on the Same Block as Beyonce’s Little Sister. If you didn’t know, that would be me. Now. I am not going to repeat the Deluxe Steak Method I’ve been posting about since this blog started. Instead, here’s some delicious shit to put on your steak  - ditch that nasty steak sauce, it’s full of additives, sugar and crap. Chimichurri Argentinian parsley and garlic sauce. Totally addictive. Stupid easy. Don’t make it more than an hour ahead, though. It doesn’t keep. Put it on your porterhouse (Rob’s favorite cut), your sirloin (mine), or your T-bone Burnett - any steak that you grill, broil or sear in your heritage vintage cast-iron skillet. Sirloin Tip Roast I was pleased as punch to pull this out of my bag. Apparently I wasn’t the only one; I caught Corbett cradling his protectively after he finished his deadlifts.  Anytime you cook a roast like this, please take it out of the fridge and out of the packaging an hour or two before you begin cooking it. 1. Herb-rubbed sirloin tip roast This recipe has 802 reviews, zero bullshit ingredients, and good instructions. I wouldn’t use a baking sheet like they suggest (I’d use my vintage heritage Griswold cast iron skillet) but you are welcome to do so. Since I prefer medium-rare, I’d use my meat thermometer to take the roast out once it registered 135 in the center of the roast. 2. Simple Grass-fed Sirloin Tip Roast This nice lady has some how-to photos, a slightly simpler herb rub, and some thoughts on the differences in cooking times for grass-fed meat.  Beef Cross-Cut Shanks/Soup Shanks Pretty sure these are the same cut. Confirmed with the farm - they are the same thing. We already talked about these here - option 1, the red wine recipe, is one of my favorite recipes of the year.  Please try it. After you suck all the meat off the bones, rinse them, and either make stock right away, or toss them into a ziplock and back into the freezer for stock later. Pork Chops I adore the chops from Herondale. I went on a heritage Hungarian “Mangalitsa” pork kick when the meat first appeared in New York about a year and a half ago, and spent a small fortune on Mangalitsa pork chops. They cook up red, like beef, and are very delicate tasting. But honestly? I like the chops from Herondale better. Chops are the perfect weeknight supper. Regardless of your participation in the CSA, you should always, always, always have some in your freezer. I always cook mine in a hot, dry cast-iron skillet, and I’ve never felt the need to brine them. I told you about my foolproof method here. On the side, I love cold raw sauerkraut straight from the jar. Oh my god. I’m getting emotional. Cabbage season is kind of over, but if you’re attached to it the way I am, you might not care. So you could also serve your chops with braised red cabbage with bacon.  Guacamole is another natural side dish for pork chops. Dave Byrd makes a killer guac. This time of year, I’d saute up some asparagus to cuddle up to my chops. You should try that. Stew Meat We discussed this already. Please refer to p. 365 of your manual. If you make any of these, won’t you please let me know what you think? Especially if you agree with me that Epicurious’ Hearty Beef Stew with Green Peas and Carrots is a motherfucking home run?  Hot Italian Sausage I will give five dollars to anyone who tries this: Beer-simmered grilled Italian sausages (Note: sub olive oil for vegetable oil. Actually, if you even still OWN vegetable oil, give me the five dollars back.)  What I usually do with Italian sausages is fry them for breakfast, split open. Best thing to make with them?  Sweet potato home fries cooked in bacon fat Ingredients: Sweet potatoes (2 medium potatoes per person) Duck fat Salt Directions: 1. Peel 2 sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler. 2. Grate them on the large holes of a box grater (or use the grating attachment on your food processor.) 3. Over medium-low heat, heat enough duck fat in the bottom of a cast iron skillet to liberally cover the surface of the pan. 4. When the fat is melted, crumble the potato shards into the pan, salt them lightly, and stir to coat. Flatten them with a spatula. 5. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to brown and clump up. Let them get a bit crispy, then flip and repeat. Cook them until they are as brown as you like, tasting repeatedly because the flavor will amaze you. 6. Eat them with your sausages. 7. Thank me when you see me. Well, that’s it for this month - the last month of the current Herondale meat CSA cycle. Sign up via the gym if you want in for the new cycle, which begins in June and runs through November. In closing, Solange Knowles thanks you for your patronage. She’s just another neighbor here on Union Street, where we chillin’ with the stinky gingko, the Brooklyn pigeons, and fifteen pounds a month of grass-fed heaven.

Picking up my monthly meat share makes me feel like a superstar. This is how I walked home with my stash tonight.

Imagine what squats and milk would do to that.

Anyway.

Welcome to the May edition of Herondale Farm Meat CSA Recipes from a Person Who Lives on the Same Block as Beyonce’s Little Sister.

If you didn’t know, that would be me.

Now.

I am not going to repeat the Deluxe Steak Method I’ve been posting about since this blog started. Instead, here’s some delicious shit to put on your steak  - ditch that nasty steak sauce, it’s full of additives, sugar and crap.

Chimichurri

Argentinian parsley and garlic sauce. Totally addictive. Stupid easy. Don’t make it more than an hour ahead, though. It doesn’t keep. Put it on your porterhouse (Rob’s favorite cut), your sirloin (mine), or your T-bone Burnett - any steak that you grill, broil or sear in your heritage vintage cast-iron skillet.

Sirloin Tip Roast

I was pleased as punch to pull this out of my bag. Apparently I wasn’t the only one; I caught Corbett cradling his protectively after he finished his deadlifts. 

Anytime you cook a roast like this, please take it out of the fridge and out of the packaging an hour or two before you begin cooking it.

1. Herb-rubbed sirloin tip roast

This recipe has 802 reviews, zero bullshit ingredients, and good instructions. I wouldn’t use a baking sheet like they suggest (I’d use my vintage heritage Griswold cast iron skillet) but you are welcome to do so. Since I prefer medium-rare, I’d use my meat thermometer to take the roast out once it registered 135 in the center of the roast.

2. Simple Grass-fed Sirloin Tip Roast

This nice lady has some how-to photos, a slightly simpler herb rub, and some thoughts on the differences in cooking times for grass-fed meat. 

Beef Cross-Cut Shanks/Soup Shanks

Pretty sure these are the same cut. Confirmed with the farm - they are the same thing.

We already talked about these here - option 1, the red wine recipe, is one of my favorite recipes of the year.  Please try it.

After you suck all the meat off the bones, rinse them, and either make stock right away, or toss them into a ziplock and back into the freezer for stock later.

Pork Chops

I adore the chops from Herondale. I went on a heritage Hungarian “Mangalitsa” pork kick when the meat first appeared in New York about a year and a half ago, and spent a small fortune on Mangalitsa pork chops. They cook up red, like beef, and are very delicate tasting.

But honestly? I like the chops from Herondale better.

Chops are the perfect weeknight supper. Regardless of your participation in the CSA, you should always, always, always have some in your freezer.

I always cook mine in a hot, dry cast-iron skillet, and I’ve never felt the need to brine them. I told you about my foolproof method here. On the side, I love cold raw sauerkraut straight from the jar. Oh my god. I’m getting emotional.

Cabbage season is kind of over, but if you’re attached to it the way I am, you might not care. So you could also serve your chops with braised red cabbage with bacon. 

Guacamole is another natural side dish for pork chops. Dave Byrd makes a killer guac.

This time of year, I’d saute up some asparagus to cuddle up to my chops. You should try that.

Stew Meat

We discussed this already. Please refer to p. 365 of your manual. If you make any of these, won’t you please let me know what you think? Especially if you agree with me that Epicurious’ Hearty Beef Stew with Green Peas and Carrots is a motherfucking home run? 

Hot Italian Sausage

I will give five dollars to anyone who tries this:

Beer-simmered grilled Italian sausages

(Note: sub olive oil for vegetable oil. Actually, if you even still OWN vegetable oil, give me the five dollars back.)

 What I usually do with Italian sausages is fry them for breakfast, split open. Best thing to make with them? 

Sweet potato home fries cooked in bacon fat

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes (2 medium potatoes per person)

Duck fat

Salt

Directions:

1. Peel 2 sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler.

2. Grate them on the large holes of a box grater (or use the grating attachment on your food processor.)

3. Over medium-low heat, heat enough duck fat in the bottom of a cast iron skillet to liberally cover the surface of the pan.

4. When the fat is melted, crumble the potato shards into the pan, salt them lightly, and stir to coat. Flatten them with a spatula.

5. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to brown and clump up. Let them get a bit crispy, then flip and repeat. Cook them until they are as brown as you like, tasting repeatedly because the flavor will amaze you.

6. Eat them with your sausages.

7. Thank me when you see me.

Well, that’s it for this month - the last month of the current Herondale meat CSA cycle. Sign up via the gym if you want in for the new cycle, which begins in June and runs through November.

In closing, Solange Knowles thanks you for your patronage. She’s just another neighbor here on Union Street, where we chillin’ with the stinky gingko, the Brooklyn pigeons, and fifteen pounds a month of grass-fed heaven.

Could this be the best Herondale Farm meat CSA month ever? This month’s bag was full of everything I love. It’s like the goddess of meat owed me fifteen pounds of payback.  A bitch just collected, son! (poster from Deviant Art.) Here are my recipe picks for the April meat share. Beef short ribs One of my favorite cuts of any animal.  My bag had nearly four pounds of bone-in short ribs; cooking them bone-in provides for an incredibly rich sauce that is, not surprisingly, also terrifically good for you. I’ve got oven *and* crock pot options for you. 1. OVEN: Short ribs braised in ancho chile and coffee sauce. I’ve made this at least 20 times. I love it. 2. CROCK POT/OVEN adaption: Five-spice short ribs. Charlotte adapted a crock pot recipe for the oven. Two methods for the price of one! 3. CROCK POT CERTIFIED PALEO: Slow-cooker Korean short ribs from NomNomPaleo. This, friends, is what I’ll be doing with my short ribs. The recipe is dump-and-go, for one thing, and she provides all the substitutions right up front. Killer. 4. GOURMET OVEN option: Here’s a complex recipe with advanced ingredients and techniques, but highly rated. 5. OVEN method, Provencale flavors: If you love herbes de Provence, olives, wine and tomatoes, this is the recipe for you. Just leave the flour out - you won’t tell the difference. Beef Stew Meat I’ve become very attached to this beef stew recipe, which is potato-less and illegally tasty: 1. OVEN: Hearty beef stew with green peas and carrots  When I make it, I just leave the flour out. 2. SLOW COOKER PALEO: Garlic beef stew (with bonus savory cauliflower mash). This is from Sarah Fragoso at Everyday Paleo. Ground Beef We’ve worked our way through chili, white-trash tacos, picadillo and bacon-filled meatloaf. My super-quick ground beef secret is that I love to make a batch of burgers by simply defrosting the tube of ground beef, pulling off fistfuls of meat, making them into patties, salting them, and frying them, naked, in a skillet. I make a huge pile of burgers, perfectly medium-rare, then stack them in Tupperware and heat them up at work one at a time, always with a big pile of ketchup on the side. Everybody always looks on enviously when I eat them. As good as that is, I am looking for a challenge. 1. Pastelón - this is the Puerto Rican/Dominican “lasagne” that is made with ripe plantains, otherwise known as the most perfect food ever bequeathed to humankind. Yes, it contains dairy. No, I haven’t yet convinced Ben @ Bierkraft to share his Paleo version of this recipe, but I’m confident I can do so. In the meantime, here’s a version I’m on fire to try. via TheNoshery 2. Paleo Comfort Foods’ Farmer Pie - the photos show a disturbingly purple coating of cauliflower here. When I make it, I’ll use white or orange cauliflower, both of which are easier to find and more visually enticing. Ham Steak I’ve got an SOS call in to Herondale to get some advice on this tricky cut. Leg of Lamb What a beautiful cut. via Lamb Philly First of all, let me say that I like my lamb medium-rare, at most. If you insist on cooking it harder than that, you are dead to me. That means I roast it until its internal temperature, taken with a meat thermometer, is 120-125 degrees. After resting, it’ll register 130-135, and still have a beautiful, juicy pink glow. Secondly, I presume that lamb roasts should be covered by a mixture of garlic + 1 herb, either rosemary or thyme. Using both is distracting. One at a time is just right. Freely substitute one for the other in any given recipe. 1. Leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary 2. Roast leg of lamb with olive and rosemary paste 3. No-recipe guide for lamb roasts: Coat with your favorite spice/garlic rub, then roast uncovered at 400 for 20  minutes per (uncooked) pound.  There were a bunch of other staples in my bag; sirloin steak (my favorite!) and a juicy Porterhouse; a pack of bacon, and  a pack of Italian sausage. We know what to do with these cuts. We have the technology. And that, friends, is the April edition of KCAEP. If you have questions about the recipes in this post, or would like to share your success stories, please hit me up in the comments. Happy cooking!

Could this be the best Herondale Farm meat CSA month ever?

This month’s bag was full of everything I love. It’s like the goddess of meat owed me fifteen pounds of payback. 

A bitch just collected, son! (poster from Deviant Art.)

Here are my recipe picks for the April meat share.

Beef short ribs

One of my favorite cuts of any animal.  My bag had nearly four pounds of bone-in short ribs; cooking them bone-in provides for an incredibly rich sauce that is, not surprisingly, also terrifically good for you.

I’ve got oven *and* crock pot options for you.

1. OVEN: Short ribs braised in ancho chile and coffee sauce. I’ve made this at least 20 times. I love it.

2. CROCK POT/OVEN adaption: Five-spice short ribs. Charlotte adapted a crock pot recipe for the oven. Two methods for the price of one!

3. CROCK POT CERTIFIED PALEO: Slow-cooker Korean short ribs from NomNomPaleo. This, friends, is what I’ll be doing with my short ribs. The recipe is dump-and-go, for one thing, and she provides all the substitutions right up front. Killer.

4. GOURMET OVEN option: Here’s a complex recipe with advanced ingredients and techniques, but highly rated.

5. OVEN method, Provencale flavors: If you love herbes de Provence, olives, wine and tomatoes, this is the recipe for you. Just leave the flour out - you won’t tell the difference.

Beef Stew Meat

I’ve become very attached to this beef stew recipe, which is potato-less and illegally tasty:

1. OVEN: Hearty beef stew with green peas and carrots 

When I make it, I just leave the flour out.

2. SLOW COOKER PALEO: Garlic beef stew (with bonus savory cauliflower mash). This is from Sarah Fragoso at Everyday Paleo.

Ground Beef

We’ve worked our way through chili, white-trash tacos, picadillo and bacon-filled meatloaf.

My super-quick ground beef secret is that I love to make a batch of burgers by simply defrosting the tube of ground beef, pulling off fistfuls of meat, making them into patties, salting them, and frying them, naked, in a skillet. I make a huge pile of burgers, perfectly medium-rare, then stack them in Tupperware and heat them up at work one at a time, always with a big pile of ketchup on the side. Everybody always looks on enviously when I eat them.

As good as that is, I am looking for a challenge.

1. Pastelón - this is the Puerto Rican/Dominican “lasagne” that is made with ripe plantains, otherwise known as the most perfect food ever bequeathed to humankind. Yes, it contains dairy. No, I haven’t yet convinced Ben @ Bierkraft to share his Paleo version of this recipe, but I’m confident I can do so. In the meantime, here’s a version I’m on fire to try.

via TheNoshery

2. Paleo Comfort Foods’ Farmer Pie - the photos show a disturbingly purple coating of cauliflower here. When I make it, I’ll use white or orange cauliflower, both of which are easier to find and more visually enticing.

Ham Steak

I’ve got an SOS call in to Herondale to get some advice on this tricky cut.

Leg of Lamb

What a beautiful cut.

via Lamb Philly

First of all, let me say that I like my lamb medium-rare, at most. If you insist on cooking it harder than that, you are dead to me.

That means I roast it until its internal temperature, taken with a meat thermometer, is 120-125 degrees. After resting, it’ll register 130-135, and still have a beautiful, juicy pink glow.

Secondly, I presume that lamb roasts should be covered by a mixture of garlic + 1 herb, either rosemary or thyme. Using both is distracting. One at a time is just right. Freely substitute one for the other in any given recipe.

1. Leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary

2. Roast leg of lamb with olive and rosemary paste

3. No-recipe guide for lamb roasts: Coat with your favorite spice/garlic rub, then roast uncovered at 400 for 20  minutes per (uncooked) pound. 

There were a bunch of other staples in my bag; sirloin steak (my favorite!) and a juicy Porterhouse; a pack of bacon, and  a pack of Italian sausage. We know what to do with these cuts. We have the technology.

And that, friends, is the April edition of KCAEP. If you have questions about the recipes in this post, or would like to share your success stories, please hit me up in the comments.

Happy cooking!

March: in like a lion, out like a lamb. Really? We’ve had no winter to speak of. Isn’t it more like, in like a kitty cat, out like a hamster? In like a pet goldfish? Out like a big, soft, adoring Rottie mix who looks at you with deep brown eyes and centuries of empathy and obedience? Yes, this March is just like that. Welcome to the March edition of Help a Sister Out with Some Recipes Associated with the CFSBK-Herondale Farm Meat CSA. Here are my picks for what was in our bags this month. London Broil London Broil is a preparation method, not a cut; it is broiled/grilled marinated flank steak. Our “London Broil” is likely top round steak, but I won’t put any money on it either way until I defrost it and see what’s what. Regardless, I know what I’m going to do with it.  Marinate. High heat. Be sure to cut it against the grain when I serve it. To myself. 1. Got a grill, indoor or outdoor? Make Filipino-style London broil. 2. Crockpotting? Make Everyday Paleo’s spinach-stuffed London broil  (requires butterflying the meat, which is easy - just ask me.) 3. Broiling it, like Mom used to do? Make marinated London broil, just leave out the soy sauce (or sub coconut aminos, like I do.)  Stew Meat I just finished a huge pot of beef stew that I could not get enough of.  This recipe is potato-free but doesn’t suffer for it, and incorporates vegetables only at the very end, which keeps them crisp and in delicious contrast to the rich meat. 1. Hearty beef stew with green peas and carrots Seriously, kids, I love this one. I just left the 3 TBS of flour out. It has 146 reviews and over a 90% “would make again” rating on Epicurious. That’s the shit right there. 2. Herbed beef stew with sugar snap peas This one is next on my list. Sugar snap peas are about to be in season. 3. Ranchero beef stew I totally lied about the snap peas being next. Forget them. This one is next. Olives, chiles, tomatoes. My heart. Ground beef We’ve never talked about this. Pumpkin chili. My favorite meat loaf. Picadillo. White trash tacos. You need more ideas? Talk to Mel over at The Clothes Make the Girl. She’s got a bunch of ground beef recipes, and a bitch knows her way around a spice cupboard. It’s getting warmer, so I’m always looking for quick-sautee type dishes. Try this Asian ground beef, mushroom, and broccoli slaw lettuce cup recipe from Nom Nom Paleo. Another extremely dependable source for good grub. Steaks Here’s what to do. Pork chops Again. Beef shanks Stop making sense. Italian sausages This is what Herondale Farm itself recommends; go to the recipe page and select Italian sausages to view the recipe. Boneless pork roast Well, this happened. Or you could make pernil, which you definitely will want to do if you’ve ever eaten it. You can’t make it as well as any actual Latin person, but as a confirmed Gringarican I can tell you that you’re likely to be thrilled with any approximation you churn out. —————————————— Ta-da! That about does it for this month’s edition. Let me know if there are any cuts we missed, recipes you want to discuss, or delicious variations you want to share. See you at the Paleo Pot Luck!

March: in like a lion, out like a lamb.

Really? We’ve had no winter to speak of. Isn’t it more like, in like a kitty cat, out like a hamster? In like a pet goldfish? Out like a big, soft, adoring Rottie mix who looks at you with deep brown eyes and centuries of empathy and obedience?

rottie pup

Yes, this March is just like that.

Welcome to the March edition of Help a Sister Out with Some Recipes Associated with the CFSBK-Herondale Farm Meat CSA.

Here are my picks for what was in our bags this month.

London Broil

London Broil is a preparation method, not a cut; it is broiled/grilled marinated flank steak.

Our “London Broil” is likely top round steak, but I won’t put any money on it either way until I defrost it and see what’s what. Regardless, I know what I’m going to do with it.  Marinate. High heat. Be sure to cut it against the grain when I serve it. To myself.

1. Got a grill, indoor or outdoor? Make Filipino-style London broil.

2. Crockpotting? Make Everyday Paleo’s spinach-stuffed London broil  (requires butterflying the meat, which is easy - just ask me.)

3. Broiling it, like Mom used to do? Make marinated London broil, just leave out the soy sauce (or sub coconut aminos, like I do.) 

Stew Meat

I just finished a huge pot of beef stew that I could not get enough of.  This recipe is potato-free but doesn’t suffer for it, and incorporates vegetables only at the very end, which keeps them crisp and in delicious contrast to the rich meat.

1. Hearty beef stew with green peas and carrots

Seriously, kids, I love this one. I just left the 3 TBS of flour out. It has 146 reviews and over a 90% “would make again” rating on Epicurious. That’s the shit right there.

2. Herbed beef stew with sugar snap peas

This one is next on my list. Sugar snap peas are about to be in season.

3. Ranchero beef stew

I totally lied about the snap peas being next. Forget them. This one is next. Olives, chiles, tomatoes. My heart.

Ground beef

We’ve never talked about this. Pumpkin chili. My favorite meat loaf. Picadillo. White trash tacos.

You need more ideas? Talk to Mel over at The Clothes Make the Girl. She’s got a bunch of ground beef recipes, and a bitch knows her way around a spice cupboard.

It’s getting warmer, so I’m always looking for quick-sautee type dishes. Try this Asian ground beef, mushroom, and broccoli slaw lettuce cup recipe from Nom Nom Paleo. Another extremely dependable source for good grub.

Steaks

Here’s what to do.

Pork chops

Again.

Beef shanks

Stop making sense.

Italian sausages

This is what Herondale Farm itself recommends; go to the recipe page and select Italian sausages to view the recipe.

Boneless pork roast

Well, this happened.

Or you could make pernil, which you definitely will want to do if you’ve ever eaten it. You can’t make it as well as any actual Latin person, but as a confirmed Gringarican I can tell you that you’re likely to be thrilled with any approximation you churn out.

——————————————

Ta-da! That about does it for this month’s edition. Let me know if there are any cuts we missed, recipes you want to discuss, or delicious variations you want to share. See you at the Paleo Pot Luck!

Welcome to the February edition of “WHAT THE HECK should I do with the cuts in my Herondale Farm meat share?” Not that y’all need that much help. It’s obvious from your emails and texts that you’ve become masters of everything meatshare. It’s surprising any of us worked out at all this past month, what with all the pan saucing, slow braising, and crockpot-PWN’ing going on. That said, there may be a few of you peering into that hefty bag of meat and thinking, “How do I work this?” Friends, I have some answers. Ground beef It tickled my entire funny bone to read so many reports of success with the Paleo pumpkin chili recipe I posted in January. At one point it seemed like the entire gym was eating it. I was especially proud of the self-professed “non-cooks” who whipped out the dish like so many born-again Iron Chefs. I don’t flatter myself that I have another hail Mary recipe like that one up my sleeve. I don’t. I’ll just tell you the truth. The second-most frequent thing I do with delicious grass-fed ground beef is make picadillo. Picadillo is like Spanish Sloppy Joe. It’s el sandwich descuidado de Jose. Except… it’s not a sandwich. Luckily for us, picadillo is never served on a bun, and it’s about ten times more delicious than Sloppy Joe. This is the version I always make. It’s quick to throw together, great the day you make it and better every day thereafter, and has a killer leftover application: as a filling for an omelet. If you make it, promise me you’ll try that. Suggested accompaniments: on a plate, like a boss (as above) on top of crisp romaine or iceberg lettuce with fried unripe plantains (tostones)  with the most delicious food on the planet, maduros (cooked, por supuesto, in lard) Savory beef and squash pie - Full disclosure: I haven’t made this. I feel pretty sure that I’d freaking love it, though. Speaking of squash, Reader S - I haven’t forgotten my promise to you. Ham steak I don’t know what you guys found in your bags, but my ham steak was the size of a small middle-European fiefdom. Ham: it’s what’s for dinner,  ALL WEEK. Unfortunately, most recipes for this cut - including the one my mother made my entire childhood - involve glazing it in something sugary. That is no bueno. In terms of method:  if you can manage it, grill your ham steak. I have an indoor grill I really like; it was under $50.  Second choice: broil. But keep an eye on it, as it will burn quickly. Here are my recipe picks. 1. Spiced ham steak - just leave out the tiny dab of brown sugar in the marinade; the pineapple juice will make it sweet enough. 2. Nigella Lawson’s ham steaks with parsley - does contain a bit of honey, but I will forgive this error in judgement, for she is Nigella. Even though she is British, a fatal and irreversible flaw, I love her. And I think many of you are willing to cook with a touch of honey, so have at it. Leftover ham steak - dice it fine and include it in any frittata, or toss it into scrambled eggs. Pork spare ribs Whose working class dad did not go a little bit insane for pork spare ribs in the lean days of the 70s?  Mine sure did. I think a lot of catsup was involved, however. My package of ribs was pretty small, so I’ll either supplement with additional butcher-bought ribs, or wait to see if we get more in subsequent months. In the meantime, I’ve got my eye on these: 1. Thai-marinated pork spare ribs. There are few spare rib recipes on Epicurious, but the ersatz Thai version there was a flop in my test run. I crave Thai food when I’m riding the Paleo horse, however, so I’ll try these next. 2. Here’s a braised option - not particularly pretty, but I bet they’re good. Lamb riblets 1. Use your package of riblets to make the sauce for this surefire winner - herbed lamb chops with pinot noir sauce. Yum. Off the record, I think you are crazy if you don’t make this. I’ll leave out the 2 tsp of flour at the end of the sauce, and just thicken with butter and a little extra time to reduce. 2. If you want to make a more exotic dish, try this one, spiced lamb riblets,  which I found on a lamb farmer’s husband’s website. He says the farm couldn’t sell any riblets until they found a delicious enough recipe to provoke people to buy them. It requires harissa, which most people either love or hate. As a side note, a little trolling on the web reveals that CSA members all over the country agonize over what to do with lamb riblets. A good problem to have, ultimately; it means there’s a growing number of people embracing the whole-animal philosophy. Pork chops I already told you. Boneless sirloin and T-bone steaks Ditto. Smoked ham hock The hock is the joint where the pig’s foot attaches to the leg. In case you were wondering. Anyway, the standard American use for this cut is as a flavor base in bean soups; since those are out in Paleoville, you’ll just have to settle for eating one of the most outrageously fantastic vegetable dishes known to humankind: Collard greens with ham,  via The Homesick Texan If you’re one of those wackaloons who likes greens but doesn’t like collards, there are a ton of recipes for making various hearty winter greens with ham hocks. Please to be Googling. Bacon I know you don’t need any bacon recipes from me.  But here are some anyway. Because I care.  And that, comrades, is all for the February meat share. Many thanks to the wonderful farmers at Herondale for this beautiful meat, to Margie at Crossfit South Brooklyn for arranging the CSA, and to all of you for your success stories and reader mail this past month. Please continue to send me your photos and tales of culinary glory. —————————————- Photo Credits Picadillo photo Grill photo Cute lambie lamb

Welcome to the February edition of “WHAT THE HECK should I do with the cuts in my Herondale Farm meat share?”

Not that y’all need that much help. It’s obvious from your emails and texts that you’ve become masters of everything meatshare. It’s surprising any of us worked out at all this past month, what with all the pan saucing, slow braising, and crockpot-PWN’ing going on.

That said, there may be a few of you peering into that hefty bag of meat and thinking, “How do I work this?”

Friends, I have some answers.

Ground beef

It tickled my entire funny bone to read so many reports of success with the Paleo pumpkin chili recipe I posted in January. At one point it seemed like the entire gym was eating it. I was especially proud of the self-professed “non-cooks” who whipped out the dish like so many born-again Iron Chefs.

I don’t flatter myself that I have another hail Mary recipe like that one up my sleeve. I don’t.

I’ll just tell you the truth. The second-most frequent thing I do with delicious grass-fed ground beef is make picadillo.

Cuban Picadillo

Picadillo is like Spanish Sloppy Joe. It’s el sandwich descuidado de Jose. Except… it’s not a sandwich.

Luckily for us, picadillo is never served on a bun, and it’s about ten times more delicious than Sloppy Joe. This is the version I always make. It’s quick to throw together, great the day you make it and better every day thereafter, and has a killer leftover application: as a filling for an omelet.

If you make it, promise me you’ll try that.

Suggested accompaniments:

  • on a plate, like a boss (as above)
  • on top of crisp romaine or iceberg lettuce
  • with fried unripe plantains (tostones) 
  • with the most delicious food on the planet, maduros (cooked, por supuesto, in lard)

Savory beef and squash pie - Full disclosure: I haven’t made this. I feel pretty sure that I’d freaking love it, though. Speaking of squash, Reader S - I haven’t forgotten my promise to you.

Ham steak

I don’t know what you guys found in your bags, but my ham steak was the size of a small middle-European fiefdom. Ham: it’s what’s for dinner,  ALL WEEK.

Unfortunately, most recipes for this cut - including the one my mother made my entire childhood - involve glazing it in something sugary. That is no bueno.

In terms of method:  if you can manage it, grill your ham steak. I have an indoor grill I really like; it was under $50. 

Sanyo Grill

Second choice: broil. But keep an eye on it, as it will burn quickly.

Here are my recipe picks.

1. Spiced ham steak - just leave out the tiny dab of brown sugar in the marinade; the pineapple juice will make it sweet enough.

2. Nigella Lawson’s ham steaks with parsley - does contain a bit of honey, but I will forgive this error in judgement, for she is Nigella. Even though she is British, a fatal and irreversible flaw, I love her. And I think many of you are willing to cook with a touch of honey, so have at it.

Leftover ham steak - dice it fine and include it in any frittata, or toss it into scrambled eggs.

Pork spare ribs

Whose working class dad did not go a little bit insane for pork spare ribs in the lean days of the 70s?  Mine sure did. I think a lot of catsup was involved, however.

My package of ribs was pretty small, so I’ll either supplement with additional butcher-bought ribs, or wait to see if we get more in subsequent months. In the meantime, I’ve got my eye on these:

1. Thai-marinated pork spare ribs. There are few spare rib recipes on Epicurious, but the ersatz Thai version there was a flop in my test run. I crave Thai food when I’m riding the Paleo horse, however, so I’ll try these next.

2. Here’s a braised option - not particularly pretty, but I bet they’re good.

Lamb riblets

Lamb

1. Use your package of riblets to make the sauce for this surefire winner - herbed lamb chops with pinot noir sauce. Yum. Off the record, I think you are crazy if you don’t make this. I’ll leave out the 2 tsp of flour at the end of the sauce, and just thicken with butter and a little extra time to reduce.

2. If you want to make a more exotic dish, try this one, spiced lamb riblets,  which I found on a lamb farmer’s husband’s website. He says the farm couldn’t sell any riblets until they found a delicious enough recipe to provoke people to buy them. It requires harissa, which most people either love or hate.

As a side note, a little trolling on the web reveals that CSA members all over the country agonize over what to do with lamb riblets. A good problem to have, ultimately; it means there’s a growing number of people embracing the whole-animal philosophy.

Pork chops

I already told you.

Boneless sirloin and T-bone steaks

Ditto.

Smoked ham hock

The hock is the joint where the pig’s foot attaches to the leg. In case you were wondering.

Anyway, the standard American use for this cut is as a flavor base in bean soups; since those are out in Paleoville, you’ll just have to settle for eating one of the most outrageously fantastic vegetable dishes known to humankind:

Collard greens with ham,  via The Homesick Texan

If you’re one of those wackaloons who likes greens but doesn’t like collards, there are a ton of recipes for making various hearty winter greens with ham hocks. Please to be Googling.

Bacon

IMG_2835


I know you don’t need any bacon recipes from me. 

But here are some anyway. Because I care. 

And that, comrades, is all for the February meat share. Many thanks to the wonderful farmers at Herondale for this beautiful meat, to Margie at Crossfit South Brooklyn for arranging the CSA, and to all of you for your success stories and reader mail this past month. Please continue to send me your photos and tales of culinary glory.

—————————————-

Photo Credits

Picadillo photo

Grill photo

Cute lambie lamb

roasted boneless pork shoulder with garlic herb rub the boneless pork shoulder in our January CSA delivery was just the sweetest little porcine nugget. i wanted to do something super simple so the meat would shine. this recipe is adapted from barbara kafka’s roasting. i was concerned with the high temperature it calls for, but the results were outstanding.  there were duck-fat sauteed dandelion greens on the side. making a roast a week is one of my standard wintertime paleo strategies. i’ll be making this one again before spring has sprung! Ingredients 7 cloves garlic 1 TBS each dried thyme and oregano 2 TBS each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 1 3.5-4.5lb boneless pork shoulder, tied Directions 1. Preheat oven to 500. 2. Combine all ingredients except the pork in a food processor and pulse to create a smooth puree. 3. Dry the roast and rub the paste all over it. Place it in a small roasting pan, fat side up. 4. Roast for 20 minutes, uncovered, at 500. 5. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 and roast an additional 30 minutes. Spoon off some of the fat from the roasting pan and roast further until the roast registers 160, anywhere from 30-45 minutes more. 6. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter; let rest 10 minutes. Snip off strings, slice and serve.

roasted boneless pork shoulder with garlic herb rub

the boneless pork shoulder in our January CSA delivery was just the sweetest little porcine nugget. i wanted to do something super simple so the meat would shine. this recipe is adapted from barbara kafka’s roasting. i was concerned with the high temperature it calls for, but the results were outstanding. 

there were duck-fat sauteed dandelion greens on the side.

making a roast a week is one of my standard wintertime paleo strategies. i’ll be making this one again before spring has sprung!

Ingredients

7 cloves garlic

1 TBS each dried thyme and oregano

2 TBS each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 3.5-4.5lb boneless pork shoulder, tied

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500.

2. Combine all ingredients except the pork in a food processor and pulse to create a smooth puree.

3. Dry the roast and rub the paste all over it. Place it in a small roasting pan, fat side up.

4. Roast for 20 minutes, uncovered, at 500.

5. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 and roast an additional 30 minutes. Spoon off some of the fat from the roasting pan and roast further until the roast registers 160, anywhere from 30-45 minutes more.

6. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter; let rest 10 minutes. Snip off strings, slice and serve.

g’morning!

g’morning!

meat CSA recipe dilemma? i got you. opening a surprise bag full of grass-fed meat is like christmas. christmas on january 4, to be exact. in case you are at a loss for what to do with all that perfectly-omega-balanced goodness, here are my picks for the cuts we just got.** beef cross-cut shanks this cut has to be slowly braised, but it’ll be worth it. week night: slow-cooker beef shanks in red wine feast night: dominican sancocho cold-weather bonus dish: beef, vegetable and wild mushroom soup flatiron + porterhouse steaks  you don’t need a recipe, just do this a few dozen times and you’ll have it down. if you’re a rock star, cut the meat out of its packaging the day before, dry it, put it on a plate, and let it hang out uncovered in the fridge. optional. not everyone is a rock star, obv. before preparing: bring meat to room temperature. dry it and season it liberally with salt and pepper. get your sturdiest pan really fucking hot. cast iron, ideally. put the seasoned side down on the pan. season the naked side. wait til it releases enough to flip it.  flip. wait til that side releases. remove the steak to a plate, cover/tent it loosely, wait five minutes. rockstar step #2: make a pan sauce. skip it if you don’t know how. in five minutes, eat a med-rare steak. ground beef do you need to stress out about how to prepare GRASS FED ground beef in some special way? no. you shouldn’t be cooking the shit out of regular ground beef, so don’t do that with this ground beef either. that’s it. also, no stuffed pepper recipes. just, no. week night: pumpkin chili (one of the rare recipes from a paleo recipe site that i love and promote) feast night: bacon-filled meatloaf. this recipe contains some bread crumbs which i always leave out. do NOT leave out the bacon or the mystery dried fruit - it’s incredible.  bonus feast night: wrap the bacon-filled meatloaf in bacon. i did. ground lamb a great, underrated and incredibly delicious meat. week night: lamb kofte with optional yogurt sauce. these are honestly delicious - i would never dilute them with pita, one of the most insipid and useless commercial bread products ever invented.  feast night: lamb and vegetable lasagna (contains no noodles.) center-cut pork chops chops are one of my weeknight standbys. everybody knows pork has been irrevocably ruined by the low-fat juggernaut and agribusiness (our wonderful farmers excepted); the technique below offers you the best chance at moist chops given the realities of the meat in your hands. week night: sauteed pork chops from bruce aidells/denis kelly’s the complete meat cookbook. learn to make a quick pan sauce from that recipe. really. it’s a technique you will use thousands of times in your life, and takes mere minutes. boneless pork shoulder y’all can already make a killer roast pork/pulled pork recipe, right? no? oh ok. week night: slow-cooker carnitas. i like to eat taco-type meat in crisp, tasteless leaves of iceberg lettuce. i do, actually. i’m not being sarcastic. taco meat is too delicious to not eat just because tortillas are not on the agenda. also, this recipe is not for the mexicophiles among us; however, not every taco can taste like it was wrung from the loins of actual mexicans in a dark corner of sunset park. some tacos need to come out of the crock pot with fewer than four total ingredients. friday night: chile-braised pork shoulder tacos. just leave out the beer; substitute water or weak chicken broth. feast night: porchetta-style roast pork. reduce the cooking time to account for our smaller cut. get a meat thermometer if you don’t have one. hot italian sausages the best use for these suckers, in my opinion, is in a big fat frittata. the recipe calls for “mild” sausage, but i always use hot. yes, there is cheese. frittata with sausage, chard and feta that’s it! happy cooking! hit me in the comments if you want to talk about any of these recipes. **these recipes have been curated carefully. they were vetted for paleo suitability, obviously, plus for seasonality and likelihood of success. *your* success. i’ve either cooked them myself, or firmly believe anyone short of a total idiot could make them with a reasonable chance of producing highly edible food.  just a note, don’t start substituting things if you’re making a recipe for the first time. that’s just asking for trouble. unless we’re talking about canola and other vegetable oils, which should always be ruthlessly replaced with a better fat (olive oil, clarified butter, animal fat, depending on the situation. if you need help, for god’s sake ask.)

meat CSA recipe dilemma? i got you.

opening a surprise bag full of grass-fed meat is like christmas. christmas on january 4, to be exact.

in case you are at a loss for what to do with all that perfectly-omega-balanced goodness, here are my picks for the cuts we just got.**

beef cross-cut shanks

this cut has to be slowly braised, but it’ll be worth it.

  1. week night: slow-cooker beef shanks in red wine
  2. feast night: dominican sancocho
  3. cold-weather bonus dish: beef, vegetable and wild mushroom soup

flatiron + porterhouse steaks

 you don’t need a recipe, just do this a few dozen times and you’ll have it down.

if you’re a rock star, cut the meat out of its packaging the day before, dry it, put it on a plate, and let it hang out uncovered in the fridge. optional. not everyone is a rock star, obv.

  1. before preparing: bring meat to room temperature. dry it and season it liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. get your sturdiest pan really fucking hot. cast iron, ideally.
  3. put the seasoned side down on the pan. season the naked side.
  4. wait til it releases enough to flip it. 
  5. flip.
  6. wait til that side releases.
  7. remove the steak to a plate, cover/tent it loosely, wait five minutes.
  8. rockstar step #2: make a pan sauce. skip it if you don’t know how.
  9. in five minutes, eat a med-rare steak.

ground beef

do you need to stress out about how to prepare GRASS FED ground beef in some special way? no. you shouldn’t be cooking the shit out of regular ground beef, so don’t do that with this ground beef either. that’s it.

also, no stuffed pepper recipes. just, no.

  1. week night: pumpkin chili (one of the rare recipes from a paleo recipe site that i love and promote)
  2. feast night: bacon-filled meatloaf. this recipe contains some bread crumbs which i always leave out. do NOT leave out the bacon or the mystery dried fruit - it’s incredible. 
  3. bonus feast night: wrap the bacon-filled meatloaf in bacon. i did.

ground lamb

a great, underrated and incredibly delicious meat.

  1. week night: lamb kofte with optional yogurt sauce. these are honestly delicious - i would never dilute them with pita, one of the most insipid and useless commercial bread products ever invented. 
  2. feast night: lamb and vegetable lasagna (contains no noodles.)

center-cut pork chops

chops are one of my weeknight standbys.

everybody knows pork has been irrevocably ruined by the low-fat juggernaut and agribusiness (our wonderful farmers excepted); the technique below offers you the best chance at moist chops given the realities of the meat in your hands.

  1. week night: sauteed pork chops from bruce aidells/denis kelly’s the complete meat cookbook.
  2. learn to make a quick pan sauce from that recipe. really. it’s a technique you will use thousands of times in your life, and takes mere minutes.

boneless pork shoulder

y’all can already make a killer roast pork/pulled pork recipe, right? no? oh ok.

  1. week night: slow-cooker carnitas. i like to eat taco-type meat in crisp, tasteless leaves of iceberg lettuce. i do, actually. i’m not being sarcastic. taco meat is too delicious to not eat just because tortillas are not on the agenda. also, this recipe is not for the mexicophiles among us; however, not every taco can taste like it was wrung from the loins of actual mexicans in a dark corner of sunset park. some tacos need to come out of the crock pot with fewer than four total ingredients.
  2. friday night: chile-braised pork shoulder tacos. just leave out the beer; substitute water or weak chicken broth.
  3. feast night: porchetta-style roast pork. reduce the cooking time to account for our smaller cut. get a meat thermometer if you don’t have one.

hot italian sausages

the best use for these suckers, in my opinion, is in a big fat frittata. the recipe calls for “mild” sausage, but i always use hot. yes, there is cheese.

  1. frittata with sausage, chard and feta

that’s it! happy cooking! hit me in the comments if you want to talk about any of these recipes.

**these recipes have been curated carefully. they were vetted for paleo suitability, obviously, plus for seasonality and likelihood of success. *your* success. i’ve either cooked them myself, or firmly believe anyone short of a total idiot could make them with a reasonable chance of producing highly edible food.  just a note, don’t start substituting things if you’re making a recipe for the first time. that’s just asking for trouble. unless we’re talking about canola and other vegetable oils, which should always be ruthlessly replaced with a better fat (olive oil, clarified butter, animal fat, depending on the situation. if you need help, for god’s sake ask.)