Rose Veal

by Benjamin Roberts

A number of years ago a local farmer named Tom Hunter approached us about selling veal he was raising. Up until meeting Tom, we had not considered selling veal, as it didn’t fit our model of ethically raised meat. No need to recount the horrors of commercial veal production in this space, the internet will be happy to inform you of the unconscionable treatment of calves raised for veal.

Tom presented a much different idea of veal—a traditional method which allows the calf access to pasture in addition to its mother’s milk. Rose veals presents much more like grass fed beef than the ultra white confinement veal that most folks are used to. We covet this protein for it’s deep, complex flavor as well as it’s beautiful tenderness.

Each year Tom’s retirement project weighs on him a little more and he suggests this year might be the last. We will enjoy this incredible treat for as long as possible, as it really is one of the truest expressions of care for an animal that we can provide to our customers.

If you’re interested in learning much, much more about rose veal, click HERE for a wonderful, in depth exploration.

The Roast Quartet

by Nick Mangigian

With Thanksgiving only a week away, it's official: we're in feast season. There is no better balance between abundance, deliciousness, and sneaky economy than putting an awesome roast in the oven for your guests.

The holy quartet of roasts, in our opinion, is as follows: 

Prime Rib: The most decadent of them all. We recommend about one pound per person if opting for bone-in, and we are always happy to take the bones off and tie them back on (a process known as "Chicago-ing") if you ask. The absolute best way to cook this is a reverse sear, which takes time but is foolproof if you have an instant read thermometer. Our dedicated meatmongers would love to talk you through this. The important thing to remember is that medium rare, or even medium, beats rare on prime rib-- you want that fat to render!

Filet Mignon: The king of steaks, and deceptively easy. If you have a gas grill, there is no better way to cook one of those, although the oven/broiler combination is a good one too. 8oz of meat per person is a good rule of thumb, and you can either reverse sear this, or start it off hot to get nice color and then finish at lower heat until you've reached a final temp of 130 for medium rare.

Chicken: For three adults, or two adults and two kids, a roast chicken is a wonderful, comforting meal, and you can move mountains with two chickens. About an hour and 10 minutes in the oven at 450 is a bulletproof way to get crispy, golden skin and succulent meat that temps at 160.

Turkey: Everybody fears the biggest, baddest bird of them all (it was almost our national bird!), but turkey is really just a massive chicken. You'll want to treat it more gently to get it up to temp, and then blast it at the end to brown the skin.

The three biggest favors you can do with yourself on any roast, though, are the following:

• An instant-read thermometer is your friend! If you have one of these, and the internet, there is never any doubt about what temp you want to cook your beautiful piece of meat to.

• A preparatory dry brine makes a MASSIVE difference on how juicy and delicious your roast will turn out. As a rule of thumb: ¾ tsp of salt per pound of meat, and half that amount of black pepper, will lead to a memorably awesome roast.

• Let the roast rest! The bigger the piece of meat, the longer the rest, but generally speaking 10 minutes is a good amount to keep things juicy. You get about 7 or 8 degrees of carryover cooking during the rest period, so it's important to pull your roast off the heat before it's reached your goal temperature, and to let it rest far away from the heat source (ie, not on the grill or in a turned-off oven).

Roast easy, friends, and as always-- we are glad to help talk you through your next cooking adventure!

Cook Like a Monger: Old Fashioned Pork Ribs

By Matt Gruber

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Most of those times of day are when I like to enjoy some good ol' fashioned BBQ Ribs. Oddly enough, ribs haven't always been a "pit" staple. It wasn't until the 20th century that people started really dabbling with barbecued ribs. Part of this has to do with people neglecting the tougher and gristle heavy cuts of the animal. Most people were delighting themselves with the more tender and easier to deal with cuts.

I myself felt lost and confused that I couldn't recreate the delight I have had from smoked ribs in my travels down south at places like Papa Turney's Old Fashion BBQ in TN - and even right here at home at places like Ted Cook's 19th Hole in Minneapolis. I was stuck on the idea of needing a smoker to have tender, fall off the bone barbecue at home. Turns out all I needed was patience, acceptance of no smoke, and an oven that can hold a low temp (I think this one is pretty common).

Pork ribs are such an easy day off food that I believe everyone should explore. Leftovers for a breakfast hash, pull off the bone for a lunch sandwich, or a full on spread for a picnic inside dinner, this is how you start your new obsession.

Ingredients for homemade BBQ sauce:

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup ketchup

1 cup grated onion

2 tablespoon Worcestershire (highly recommended Col Pabst)

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

¼ cup molasses

Optional - 2 teaspoons your favorite hot sauce

For the rest, all you need is pork ribs and your favorite sides

1. Salt and pepper pork ribs 24 hours ahead of time

2. Preheat oven to as low as 200, but somewhere between 200-215

3. In a small sauce pan add together all BBQ ingredients and salt and pepper to taste

4. Whisk together and reduce until sauce consistency and set aside

5. Place ribs in oven uncovered on middle rack, sit back and relax.

6. Once the ribs reach an internal temperature of 200, glaze with BBQ sauce and broil until internal temperature reaches 215 and has a nice bark.

There you have it, it’s mostly a waiting game until 215. You cannot screw this one up! Depending on the size of the ribs, allow yourself ~1 hour per pound, maybe even a bit more is a good rule of thumb. Also, don't be ashamed to just use some good old Sweet Baby Rays either (not a sponsor).

The Pairing: Smashburgers and Ogleshield

By Sam Schonberg

For this week’s pairing we are exploring one of the many uses of Ogleshield, a raclette-style cheese from Somerset, England. Ogleshield is only aged three months, lending it a high moisture content and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. While delicious on a cracker or served on a board, it is a phenomenal melter and is highlighted when hit with some heat. Because it is a younger cheese, the milk fats don’t separate when heat is applied. In addition, the raclette style tends to have a slightly lower salt content than a cheese like a cheddar. You can salt both sides of the meat without worrying about blowing out your palette. Finally, although Ogleshield is not aged a particularly long time, it has a well developed flavor that only expands when melted. 

As a whole animal butcher, we developed a House Grind to reflect the quality of animal that we butcher in house. Our 80/20 grind has enough meat to hold together when grilled, but is fatty enough to be flavorful without any additives. Toss on some Ogleshield, and you’ve got a rich burger that is just juicy enough to soak into your bun. Smash the burger (at the start of your cooking cycle!) with a spatula to increase the surface area of the burger itself. More surface area means a crispier crust, but more importantly, more room for cheese. Read up on all the benefits and techniques of smash burgers from the man himself, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. 
We’ve already devoted space to the decadent pairing of Ogleshield with the Mariposa Red, but it bears repeating that a chillable red is probably the best possible summer burger pairing. Take a big hunk of Ogleshield, eat half while you cook, and put the other half on the burger.

Ask A Butcher: Reverse Sear

What is a reverse sear and when do I use it?

A reverse sear is a simple method of cooking larger pieces of meat, such as cuts like the bone-in ribeye, or double cut pork chops. Rather than sear the meat then put it in the oven to finish, you first bake the meat then you sear it at the end for a beautiful finishing crust. This method was first developed by Kenji Lopez-Alt in the mid 2000s, when he wrote for Cooks Illustrated.

How to Reverse Sear:

The reverse sear is our favorite way to cook any piece of meat bigger than about a pound. To execute successfully, you’ll need an instant read thermometer.

Preheat your oven. You can set your oven as low as 180° if you’re feeling patient; a temperature as high as 300° will still yield noticeable “reverse-sear” results.

Place the meat in a cast iron or oven-safe stainless steel pan and place in the oven. Temp the meat periodically and flip it each time you do.

For medium-rare, take the meat out of the oven at 115° and let it rest on a dinner plate or wire rack before searing.

Heat your pan on the stove until just smoking. For bigger pieces of meat, you can get your grill, broiler, or oven going at very high heat.

Sear the meat on all sides. You’re looking for a beautiful, brown Maillard reaction on the outside to add texture and flavor, and a final internal temperature of 130° for medium-rare.

Serve immediately, there’s no need to let it rest again.