Where's the beef?

Well, now it is in our freezer. This year we were very excited and fortunate to buy one of Uncle Steve's steers. We learned a lot about the whole process and what it takes to get a hamburger to our table from the field. We split the meat with 2 siblings and a friend of mine took the fat to make soap. Our grass fed beef is delicious and lean. We are excited to try different cuts that we don't usually buy, and learning new cooking techniques such as braising. In general, grass-fed beef is leaner and the cow older than industrial raised beef, so the meat should be cooked slower and at a lower temperature. This cooking guide has been very helpful so we don't ruin this excellent meat.

Here is another helpful guide to figuring out how many pounds of meat you'll actually get from a live cow, and how much space that meat will take up in your freezer (1 cubic foot can hold about 35 lbs.)

General article about grass or pasture fed beef and other meats.

The butcher at Springville Meat was excellent to work with, answered all our questions, and walked us through the process of the decisions we needed to make such as how we wanted our steaks cut and how lean to make the hamburger.

Overall, it was a great experience and we have enough beef to last us a very long time.

Back home, we are enjoying the must-have summer veggies; corn on the cob, tomatoes, and zuchinni. It wouldn't be summer without them. Add a nice steak and you've got summer on a plate.

July harvest tally:
69 lbs. of fresh fruits and veggies
53 eggs

2012 total so far:
244 lbs. of fresh fruits and veggies
417 eggs

We live on a 1/10th acre lot and rent a 20x20 foot community garden plot.

This post is part of http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-august-3rd/