This year, go whole-hog.
Or whole-cow, or even whole-lamb.
Buying a whole, half or quarter of an animal directly from theranchers who raise them is catching on for a variety of reasons.
For Gina Biolchini, a Black Forest homemaker and mother of five,it's about the health benefits. For Debbie Grundy, a ColoradoSprings homemaker, it's about the great flavor. For RebeccaChristensen, owner of a Manitou Springs restaurant, it's abouthumane treatment. And for Diane Eagle, an Evergreen housewife, it'sabout having plenty of meat for barbecue season.
'I have two deep freezers,' says Eagle, who buys a whole pig andhalf a cow each year. 'The beef takes up one and the pig goes in theother. There's plenty of room left in the one with the pig forchicken and fish.'
The practice is not for everyone, however. You have to have a lotof freezer space (some families split the bounty). You have to knowexactly how you want the meat cut and packaged.
And it can cost a lot upfront: A whole beef from Larga VistaRanch & Dairy, for example, would cost about $2,000 and a whole hogabout $600. Average it out, though, and it's about $4 to $5.50 perpound, which is comparable to grocery store prices.
'It takes a bit of homework and planning, but the improved flavorand price is well worth the trouble,' says Kimberly Lord Stewart ofLongmont, author of 'Eating Between the Lines' and an advocate ofbuying meat directly from the producer.
She and the others say that when you get to know the person whohas raised the animal, you can find out what it was fed, how it wastreated, and where and how it will be slaughtered and packaged. Withrecent headlines about mad cow disease, E. coli outbreaks, and therecent pet-food recall, they say it's comforting to know as much aspossible about the origin of their meat.
FEED
Some people like to buy directly from nearby ranchers becausethey tend to raise their animals on a diet of grass and allow themto roam. Healthwise, they say, it beats the cornfed diets thatanimals are given in commercial feedlots.
Meat from grass-fed animals is lower in fat and calories, says JoRobinson, author of 'Pasture Perfect -- The Far-Reaching Benefits ofChoosing Meat, Eggs, and Dairy Products From Grass-Fed Animals.'
Grass-fed meat is also higher in omega-3 fatty acids andconjugated linoleic acid, which she calls a good fat.
'These differences alone justify a switch to pasture-raisedbeef,' she says.
Eagle is sold on the health advantages of grass-fed animals. 'Idid a lot of research about the health benefits of grass-fed meat,and I learned that the fat of grass-fed pork is better for you. WhenI buy a whole pig, I ask for the suet and fat that I render intolard to use for cooking.'
Gina Biolchini buys meat from Doug and Kim Wiley at their LargaVista Ranch & Dairy in Boone largely because of health concerns.
'We purchase meat from people like Doug because it is MUCHhealthier,' Biolchini wrote in an e-mail. 'We have not bought meatfrom a grocery store in many years, simply because we do not trustthe quality of the meat itself as well as the processing proceduresthe animals undergo.'
Because some ranchers will supplement a grass diet with grains,ask about the animals' diet if it's important to you that it's 100percent grass-fed.
FLAVOR
Debbie Grundy and her friend Anne Malone bought and shared a lambfrom Jay Frost last year and are still raving about the superiorflavor.
(Frost raises only about 12 lambs each year and already hasorders for them.)
Taste tests bear out the claims. In 2004, we did a blind tastecomparison between grain-fed and grass-fed beef. The grass-finishedbeef far outshone the grain-finished beef.
Eagle did her own informal taste test of grass- and grainfedbeef. 'We have gotten so used to the flavor and texture of grass-fed beef that I was curious about how it might differ from grain-fed beef,' she says. 'We went to a steakhouse and had a steak from acorn-fed cow. It didn't have the deep color like our meat at home.It was easy to cut but I had to chew and chew to eat it. The meatdidn't have the greatest texture.'
HUMANE TREATMENT
Rebecca Christensen, who co-owns the Blue Vervain restaurant inManitou Springs and is one of the chefs, buys Lasater GrasslandsBeef because she likes the way the animals are treated.
'They are allowed to roam and eat grass all their lives,' shesays. 'I like that they are humanely treated and never go to afeedlot. I think the meat tastes better.'
Eagle also praises the Wileys for the way they raise theiranimals.
'He is very concerned about his animals and the state of hisland,' she says. 'I feel better about the meat we're eating becauseI know they have been well cared for and humanely slaughtered.'
STORING THE MEAT
If you join the ranks of people buying meat directly fromranchers, consider whether you'll be able to store it.
Biolchini usually buys a whole pig each year and, lately, one-third or two-thirds of a bison. She's also planning to buy a side ofbeef from the Wileys.
'We only have one freezer and a side-by-side refrigerator, andthat is plenty of storage for our meat,' she said.
For more information about grass-fed animals and buying directlyfrom producers, go to eatwild.com.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0271 or teresa.farney@gazette.com
WHAT IT COSTS
The cost of buying a whole, half or quarter of an animal variesand is set by hang weight -- what the animal weighed just afterbeing slaughtered, including hide, bones and blood. We found hangprices from $4 to $5.50 per pound for beef, pork and lamb.
TECHNIQUES
Grass-fed beef presents some challenges to cooks used toroasting, braising and grilling fatty grain-fed beef, primarilybecause grass-fed beef is much leaner and has fewer calories. Here'swhat you need to know:
Cook it differently. Instead of fat, grass-fed meat containsmoisture, which heats more quickly than fat, so it is easy toovercook. Cook it to a lower internal temperature than grainfedbeef; if cooked past medium-rare, it dries out and can become tough -- unless, as with a low-temperature braise, it's cooked long enoughto tenderize the meat. Ranchers say their pastured meat doesn't needto be cooked to well-done, as federal food safety guidelinesrecommend.
Steaks: Marinate, then cook over a very hot fire, a few minutesper side. Then set it aside to finish cooking. Never cook pastmedium-rare.
Roasts: A crust on the outside helps seal in juices. You can usea simple flour-herb-water paste. Start with a hot (400-degree) oven;reduce to low (about 300) after 10 minutes. Cook only to an internaltemperature of 125 degrees, 15 degrees below rare on most meatthermometers; it will continue cooking out of the oven.
With a braise or stew, start in a hot oven (400 degrees); Reduceheat to low (275-300 degrees) after 10 minutes. The braising liquidshould evaporate steadily. Some cooks have found they need to braisegrass-fed meats much longer than grain-fed; you may need toexperiment.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE GENESIS FARMING'S PORK BARBECUE
Yield: 20 servings
1/2 cup lard
1 (6-pound) pork shoulder
2 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons bottled hot sauce, or to taste
1 cup tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon honey
2 cups water
Hamburger buns or soft sourdough rolls
Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt lard in roasting pan and brown roast on all sides overmedium-high heat. Cover and bake until tender, 2-4 hours, dependingon size. Check every 1/2 hour for tenderness, adding water if liquidgets too low. Remove from oven when meat shreds easily with fork.Leave in pan or place on cutting board to shred.
3. Combine remaining ingredients (except buns). Mix well. Placein large pan or Dutch oven, add shredded meat and simmer, covered,over low heat for several hours.
4. Serve on buns like a sandwich.
Nutrition data per serving, including buns: Calories 561 (57.8percent from fat); fat 36.1 g (sat 12.9 g, mono 16 g, poly 4.1 g);protein 35.3 g; carbohydrates 23 g; fiber 1.66 g; cholesterol 127.3mg; sodium 459.4 mg; calcium 84.7 mg.
Source: 'Pasture Perfect,' by Jo Robinson
BUFFALO GROVES' TRI TIP ROAST
Yield: 10 servings
1 (3-pound) tri tip buffalo roast
1 small can mandarin oranges, including juices
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup honey
Procedure: 1. Trim away connective tissue or silver skin fromroast. Combine oranges, teriyaki sauce and honey in blender andpuree; set aside 1/2 cup for basting. Pour remaining marinade overroast and marinate 1 hour (or more) in refrigerator.
2. Preheat grill to medium. Place roast on top rack of grill.Cook, basting and turning every 10 minutes for 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours(average 2 hours), until thermometer inserted into meat reads nomore than 140 degrees.
3. Allow to rest, covered loosely with foil, 5-10 minutes beforeslicing.
Nutrition data per serving: Calories 236.1 (12.6 percent fromfat); 3.3 g fat (sat 1.2 g, mono 1.3 g, poly 0.3 g); protein 38.9 g;carbohydrates 10.6 g; fiber 0.14 g; cholesterol 111.5 mg; sodium217.3 mg; calcium 0 mg.
Source: 'Pasture Perfect,' by Jo Robinson
WINDSWEPT FARM'S LAMBURGERS
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound lean ground lamb
1 teaspoon dry or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves(preferably peppermint)
1/2 teaspoon dry or 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Procedure: 1. Combine all ingredients well and let stand at least30 minutes to blend flavors.
2. Shape into four patties and grill to desired doneness.
Nutrition data per serving: Calories 321.3 (62.4 percent fromfat); 22.3 g fat (sat 9.2 g, mono 9.4 g, poly 1.6 g); protein 28.1g; carbohydrates 0.1 g; fiber 0.03 g; cholesterol 109.9 mg; sodium358.2 mg; calcium 28.3 mg.
Source: 'Pasture Perfect,' by Jo Robinson
HOMES WHERE THEY ROAM
Here are some nearby ranches where you can buy whole, half orquarters of animals to stock your freezer.
Beef
Lasater Grasslands Beef LLC, 35437 U.S. 24, Matheson. 1-719-541-2855. e-mail: lasater@rmi.net. Web site: www.lgbeef.com
Pork & beef
Larga Vista Ranch & Dairy, 53505 Olson Road, Boone. 1-719-947-0982. e-mail: boonewiley@aol.com. Web site: www.largavistaranch.com.
Pork
Venetucci Farm, 5210 South U.S. 85, Fountain. 391-8102. e-mail:farmer@ppcs.org. Web site: www.venetuccifarm.org
Bison
Buffalo Groves Inc., 33300 Ridge Road, Kiowa. 1-303-621-1111. e-mail:groves@buffalo groves.com. Web site: www.buffalogroves.com.
ANIMAL INSTINCTS
If you plan to purchase meat directly from a ranch...
Call the farmer or rancher ahead of time -- by months, not bydays or even weeks -- to find out when the animal might beavailable.
Ask how the animals are raised. You might assume that animalsadvertised as being grass-fed have not been given hormones,antibiotics or grains. But there's no auditing in place, so askquestions, and check with the American Grassfed Association for alist of suppliers who suit your needs (americangrassfed.org)
Ask the ranchers who they use as their processor and butcher.Generally there is a two-week drying period before the meat can becut into portions, so don't expect to pick it up right away.
Speak with the processor to determine how you want the meat cut:How thick do you want your chops? Do you want any ground meat? Doyou want that leg of lamb boned? And be specific about how you wantit packaged. The processor will most likely flash freeze the meatbefore you pick it up, and once that happens you can't pry the cutsapart.
Compare prices. All costs are based on hanging weight (how muchthe animal weighs at time of slaughter), which is different from theactual weight of the meat you take home. You will pay per pound ofmeat, plus a wrap charge and a processing fee to the butcher ($50 to$75 for wrapping and processing). Make sure that when everything isadded up, the price per pound of the meat is less than purchasing itelsewhere.
Make sure you have enough freezer space or consider sharing themeat with another family. From a 500-pound finished cow, you canexpect:
50 pounds ground beef 12 pounds roast (five 2-pound roasts) 18pounds steak, depending on cut 3-5 pounds miscellaneous cuts Source:Kimberly Lord Stewart
