Rochelle and I are fortunate enough to live not just in the Pacific Northwest, but also in one of the richest farming areas in the region. Our little town, Duvall, is situated in the Snoqualmie river valley. It struck me, not to long ago, that being able to live in a place so beautiful might have other benefits once I realized how many farms there were around here. The local farms and farmer’s markets are fantastic and we’ve grown used to local fresh vegetables and fruit on the table. As I thought more about it, I realized there was more here than met the eye.
In short, I realized I was being a fucking idiot for buying my steak at Safeway.
About most things I’m a pinko commie liberal. But while I agree that meat is murder, the truth is that it’s tasty, tasty murder.
So we popped for a freezer and switched to all local foods, from fish to meat to everything. We just bought a half a cow from a local farm, and I got several fresh trout and an entire wild caught king salmon (25 pounder!). The freezer?
We’re set.
The white packages are basically my cow, who I named “Tasty” while it was alive. Tasty was a Red Angus who lived his life wandering around the river valley eating what he was meant to eat: grass. It also means he was a normal sized Red Angus and half of him represented about 140 pounds of meat. Having enjoyed some of Tasty, I’m mystified now why people advertise corn-fed meat. I never knew what I was missing. Now I know that all corn does is create a bland, fat-filled cut of beef. One that’s really not in any way good for you unless you only eat 2 ounces of it.
I can’t say enough how much better natural grass-fed beef tastes. The first night Rochelle and I had T-bones. Granted it’s more difficult to cook grass-fed beef because it has practically no fat so it goes from steak to jerky in 30 seconds of overcooking. But the flavor of those steaks was amazing. It’s lean and what fat exists is far healthier Omega 3 laced fat.
Plus, since it wasn’t a gargantua corn cow each T-Bone was about 8-10 ounces in size. To get that in a corn cow you have to have the T-Bone sliced by the micron. These were an inch thick. Enough for a filling meal but not so much that you are really overeating.
Total cost for Tasty? $3.50 a pound, and that included the cow, butchering, aging, wrapping and freezing.
I think everyone’s experienced how much better fresh local fruit and vegetables are over the mass produced big aggro stuff. I had no idea how much better local eggs, meat, and milk is for you, and how much better it tastes.
So if you’re lucky enough to live in a farming area, try investigating some local sources for meat. It tastes better, you support local small farms, and it’s better for you.
Oh and if you live near me and the zombie apocalypse happens, we’re probably the spot you want to apply for admission to. Bring an essential skill or scotch please.