- Save the date: Friday, October 20 (week 4 pickup): fall bonfire at the farm 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Major infrastructure upgrades to the farm this week: a new hayloft in the barn and a huge trench out to the pig pasture!
Your meat cuts for Friday, October 6:
Lamb: We have a brand new cut for our lamb subscribers this week lamb “spare ribs”, which are different from the French rack shared in week 1. We’re also sharing lamb stew meat and loin chops. Read more below.
Pork: Celebrate Oktoberfest with our pork! Look out for bratwursts and pork cutlets, which are perfectly pounded for making traditional pork schnitzel. Check out any of the fresh sauerkraut options at Oryana or make your own braised red cabbage to accompany that pork. Our 50+ pound subscribers will also see bacon included in their bag this week.
Beef: It’s beef shank week! Beef shanks are one of our favorite slow-braises, which is great timing considering the upcoming change in weather when we’ll hopefully start to feel temps cooling. the beef shank. Traditionally cut from veal and referred to as an “Osso bucco” (which is Italian for “bone with a hole”), our beef shanks come from our adult cows but are just as tender. The name refers to the marrow hole at the center of the cross-cut shank, which is rich with melty fat and fall-of-the-bone meat when slow braised in a low oven or even on the cool side of your grill. Our 50+ pound subscribers will also see more shank, extra ground and beef stew meat in their bag this week.
Cheese: Tomato basil this week! .
Neat trench! This will carry both water and electric out to our pig pasture, which we’re preparing for winter.
News from the Pasture:
Come out on Friday, October 20th 4-8ish PM (your next pickup after today) for a fall bonfire on the farm. The tentative plan is to either roast a whole lamb (weather permitting) or serve hot roast beef sandwiches. We’ll ask for a small donation. We’ll some beverages available but feel free to bring your own as well if you’d like!
We have a new hayloft!
Our barn is receiving a much-needed upward expansion this week with the construction of a new hayloft. Roughly 12 feet in the air and comprising the entire west side of the red barn, we’ll have more than enough space for our square bales of straw and hay for the winter. We built the loft out of rough-sawn 2″x12″ thick locally-sourced white pine.
Winter pig accommodations
Our pigs have done really well out on our pasture this summer. We’ve begun building winter quarters for all our pigs and we’re starting with a very deep and long trench that will bring water to the middle of their field. We’ve dug an enormous trench from the barn to the field, which will carry water and electric to service a heated winter water system for the pigs. They’ll live in their large metal huts, which still need to be moved from their old pen (which we’re resting).
Bones, Organs Lard:
Please email us or seek out a farmer when you stop by if you are interested in soup bones or organs and we can set up a special purchase.
- Rendered lard is in the fridge in half gallon jars – $20 for 3.5 pounds.
- Lamb, beef and pork bones: $2/lb.
- Lamb, beef and pork organs: $4/lb.
If you are organ or bone-curious we can provide you with a full list of what we have and some great hints on how to enjoy these incredible cuts, which are so healthful and important to consume.
Eggs! Eggs are available above and beyond what you may have already paid for with your subscription. We welcome Meat Club Members and friends or family to purchase as many eggs as you would like for $5 a dozen. Please leave cash/check in the dropbox on the wall next to the freezer or send Venmo @anavery.
The Lamb “Spare Ribs”
The Rack of Lamb we shared in week 1 is just one of the two different rib cuts you can find on a lamb. The Rack of Lamb is bigger, meatier and the traditional choice for lamb ribs. We’re not traditional and we want to share everything these animals have to offer. These ribs are sometimes referred to as “riblets” or “lamb spare ribs” and they are just as tasty, although a little thinner than the Rack we’re all used to.
We haven’t cooked these ribs yet but here’s a recipe from The Frayed Apron on how we’ll approach our ribs this weekend.
Think slow and low, then a hot sear. Don’t be shy with the seasoning and serve with copious fall vegetables from the farmer’s market or with roasted garlic from our friends at Great Lakes Garlic!
Bon appetit!
