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Everything you want to know about humanely raised beef, pork, and chicken

August 14, 2018Uncategorizedamerican, animal health, animal welfare, animal welfare approved, animal welfare practices, animal welfare standards, Australia, entire lives, factory farm, factory farms, family farmers, farming practices, free range, fresh air, grass fed beef, grass-fed, grass-fed animals, grassfed, grassfed beef, humanely raised, humanely raised animal, humanely raised animals, humanely raised meat, humanely raised products, humanely-raised meats, humanelyraised, humanelyraised meats, living conditions, natural behaviors, perdue, poultry products, temple grandin, united statesDennis Keohane

Humanely-raised meat — ethically, pasture-raised with sustainable farming practices involved — is of higher quality than standard, factory-farm meat for a number of reasons. Most importantly, animals live better when raised by ethically-minded farmers and ranchers.

It’s important that animal health is considered in every step of the lifecycle. Their natural tendencies should be honored: Cattle should be able to roam, hogs graze, and chickens should be raised on pasture.

When it comes to understanding humanely-raised meat, it is good to get a grasp of the decisions made by family farmers for whom animal welfare is a top priority. Was the animal healthy and content? Was it ever administered antibiotics or hormones? Farms and company facilities should operate with best practice s— for example, Dr. Temple Grandin’s livestock principles.

Below, we detail ethical practices for farming and processing grass-fed and finished beef, heritage-breed pork, and organic, free-range chicken.

Grass-fed, grass-finished beef

Only one percent of the total beef consumed in the United States is 100 percent grass-fed and grass-finished. American beef that meets that standard comes from cattle that were free to roam on pasture throughout their entire lives, nursing from their mother for six to nine months, and then grazing on a natural diet of grass. Grass-fed and grass-finished cattle — usually only referred to as grass-fed — consume only grass for the entirety of their post-nursing lives, while grain-fed cattle may have been supplemented with grain or corn or finished with grain.

Grass-fed cattle feed on annual and perennial grasses, forbs—herbaceous flowering plants—and cereal grain in a pre-grain state. Grass-fed cattle graze year-round, with access to shelter when needed.

This is in contrast to grain-fed cattle, which constitute the vast majority of beef consumed in the United States. Grain-feeding cattle is a relatively recent development; animals throughout most of history were free to roam and eat grass.

While grass-fed cattle roam freely in the fresh air, grain-fed cattle are moved to concentrated feedlots. They’re fed a grain-centric diet based on soy or corn and put on weight more rapidly than pasture-raised cattle. They are often treated with antibiotics and hormones to maximize growth. A vast majority experience very poor living conditions their entire lives.

Beyond concerns about the life of the animal, grass-fed beef also offers major health benefits to the consumer. Typically leaner, it’s less fatty and caloric. It boasts more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef, more antioxidant vitamins and more healthy fats that might reduce chronic diseases.

While the animal’s food source is crucial to its quality, it’s equally important to ensure that the animal is humanely raised. In order to be certified humane in the United States, the animal can never be confined for intensive feeding. It must have access to adequate grazing pasture. It can only be confined for no more than 20 days a year for animal management, like husbandry or treatment.

A majority of the grass-fed, grass-finished beef on the market comes from Australia, which has very high animal welfare standards as well as the climate and pasture land to allow cattle to spend their entire lives grazing.

Heritage-breed pork

Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc—have you heard of these breeds of pig? They belong to a class known as heritage-breed pork. Traditionally bred for food, these breeds of pig dwindled in numbers during the rise of industrial agriculture. Heritage-breed pigs are better adapted to withstand disease and live in open pasture. Unlike factory farmed pigs, heritage-breed pigs are not treated with antibiotics, hormones, and don’t live in temperature-controlled indoor units. They possess unique genetic traits and are raised on sustainable farms.

In order to be considered certified humane, these pigs are not subjected to farrowing and gestation stalls. Gestation stalls enclose sows during pregnancy, while farrowing stalls pen sows in while nursing piglets. Just as with cattle, there are no concentrated feeding operations. While conventionally farmed pigs typically have slatted floors in their environments—proven to increase leg problems for pigs—heritage breed pigs are raised on farms without slatted floors.

Perhaps the best part about heritage-breed pork is its delicious, succulent flavor. Heritage-breed pork is more marbled than conventionally-farmed pork, meaning juicier, more flavorful meat.

Some breeds take a bit of time to get to market weight, but they’re so delicious, they’re worth the wait.

Organic, free-range chicken

Chickens given regular access to the outdoors, rather than being kept in heavily confined conditions, are much happier than their factory-farmed counterparts.

These birds are called free-range chickens. They have access to as much outdoor space as they do indoor space, including special enhancements like hay bales and places to climb. They roost in barns and roam in and out as they please, interact with other chickens, and live as nature intended. This results in a stress-free, cage-free, happy life for the chicken. The quality of your meat, in turn, is much higher.

In addition to free-range, higher quality chickens should be antibiotic and hormone free. Unfortunately, factory-farmed chickens are usually subjected to an array of antibiotics. Hormones, however, are prohibited across the industry.

Chickens fed vegetarian diets from both foraged and feed sources tend to be healthier. Additionally, free-range chicken often forage for bugs, grubs, and the like, which is exceptionally healthy for them. With non-genetically modified grain diets and pesticide-free growing environments for the feed, these chickens qualify as non-GMO and organic. Plus, in addition to being humanely-raised and healthier for you, they taste delicious.

By any name, coulotte or picanha, this is a cut everyone can enjoy

July 17, 2018Uncategorizedamerican, bell peppers, brasilian, brazilian, brazilian food, Brazilian steak, brazilian steak house, brazilian steakhouse, brazilian steakhouses, brazilians, butcher shop, california, coulotte steak, culotte, cutting board, delicious cut, delicious cuts, dry-aging, fat cap, fat side, grill picanha, grilled meats, internal temperature, internal temperatures, kosher salt, mole, new york, north american butcher, north american butchers, picanha, picanha steak, picanha steaks, prized cut, rio de janeiro, roast beef, rock salt, rump cap, rump cover, sirloin cap, sous vide, top sirloin, top sirloin cap, tri tip, unboxing, unique cuts of steak, united states, wood fire, wood fires, Yankel PolakDennis Keohane

A hidden delight of being a ButcherBox member is the monthly unpacking. As proof, check out one of the hundreds of videos people have posted online of them opening and discovering the cuts included in each month’s shipment.

One of the reasons the unboxing can be so exciting is that each month we include unique, difficult to find, and often underappreciated cuts of beef, pork, and chicken.

Some months, members may have come across a slab of beef that they’ve likely never seen at a butcher shop with a name they may not be familiar with: Coulotte, which is also commonly referred to as picanha, as well as fat cap, rump cap, or top sirloin cap by North American butchers.

This cut is derived from the triangular muscle of the top sirloin butt, also known as Biceps femoris. Coulotte is a lean steak that comes from this hindquarter section of the cow, specifically between the loin and the round. Often a couple of inches thick, picanha is usually identified by the thin layer of fat that covers one side of the cut. The fat layer gives the cut much of its flavoring as there is little marbling inherent in coulotte.

An international cut of beef

The name ‘coulotte’ itself has a bit of complicated backstory. There is some confusion over the derivation of the word from the original French. Some believe the word is closest related to ‘culot,’ meaning cap, a reference to the location and thin layer of fat of the top sirloin cut. However, there is also a belief that the name coulotte is derived from the French word ‘cul,’ meaning bottom or, to the dirtier-minded, is slang for the human derriere. This interpretation is taken from the French word’s relation to the Latin word ‘culus,’ meaning bottom, and refers to the location of the muscle in the cow’s hindquarters or backside.

To complicate matters further, another cut, the ribeye cap, which is very different steak altogether, is known in France as the ‘calotte,’ a name also related to the cap-like nature of that cut.

Most people are first introduced to the top sirloin cap by its Brazilian name, picanha, which is the specialty of churrascarias — Brazilian steakhouses that grill and slice the steak off a skewer. Churrascarias derive their name from the term churrasco, which is Portuguese for barbecue.

“Picanha, or coulotte, is hugely popular in Brazilian BBQ,” our in-house ButcherBox chef Yankel Polak said. “It is a perfect cut to grill.”

One thing is clear, when dry-seasoned and cooked carefully — do not overcook — the coulotte is a delicious steak. The cut is fantastic when cooked on a grill, but it is also has a lot of other uses, including for kabobs, steak sandwiches, stews, stir fry, shredded Mexican-style beef, and more.

Preparing coulotte/picanha

In the summer, you can grill picanha/coulotte on skewers, Brazilian churrasco-style, over a wood fire or on a charcoal grill. When grilling the steaks outdoors, first score the fat cap, cut into smaller steaks — against the grain — and then season generously with kosher salt or rock salt and fold and skewer. You can also cook directly on a grill; to do that right, first cook with the fat cap down for a few minutes.

Either way, whether you are in New York or California, grilled picanha will make you feel like you are in Rio de Janeiro in the summer.

“It’s crazy tender with a beautiful fat cap that just melts and crisps as you cook it,” he added. “Sliced thin and against the grain, this hunk of sirloin will literally melt in your mouth when treated properly, which is medium rare or skewered and slow roasted over an open fire.”

Chef Yankel loves a good mole. However, preparing the dish can be time-intensive. “Cheat the system by using mole-inspired flavors — peppers, nuts, spices, and chocolate — as a rub instead of a sauce,” he suggests. “Then top it all off with a spicy tomatillo salsa.”

Chef Yankel has a few delicious coulotte recipes to share. First, check out the video of him demonstrating his “Smoky Chili Rubbed Coulotte with Red Pepper Salsa” recipe in the video below and also find Chef Yankel’s “Mole-Rubbed Coulotte with Tomatillo Salsa” recipe after the video.

Chef Yankel’s recipe for Mole-Rubbed Coulotte (Picanha/Top Sirloin Cap) with Tomatillo Salsa

Servings: 4 Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 1½ hours

Ingredients:

1 ButcherBox Coulotte (Top Sirloin Cap)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp kosher salt
¼ cup pecan
¼ cup almond
1 dried ancho chili
1 dried chipotle chili

Tomatillo Salsa

6 tomatillo, husk removed and rinsed
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeño pepper
1 serrano pepper
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine kosher salt, cinnamon, cumin, garlic powder, cocoa powder, both chilies, and nuts.

2. Pulse until chilies and nuts are finely chopped.

3. Rub both sides of coulotte roast with the spice rub.

4. Refrigerate for 3 hrs or overnight.

5. Place coulotte on sheet pan and roast in 200℉ oven until internal temperature is 115℉.

6. Remove from oven and sear in a hot pan on all sides, 1½ min per side. Let rest for at least 8 min, then slice thinly against the grain.

Directions: Tomatillo Salsa

1. Toss tomatillos, garlic, and whole peppers in avocado oil.

2. Place on sheet pan and roast in a 400°F oven for 15 min or until tomatillos and peppers are browned from roasting.

3. Remove from the oven and place items in a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 min.

4. Remove the skin of the tomatillos and peppers and the seeds from the peppers.

5. Place tomatillos, peppers, garlic and the liquid from the mixing bowl in a food processor.

6. Add lime juice and puree.

7. Serve over the coulotte and enjoy!

Grass-fed and grass-finished beef: How not to be fooled by beef industry tricks

April 13, 2018Uncategorizedamerican grassfed, animal welfare, ate grass, beef industry, certified organic, conjugated linoleic acid, consumer, eat grass, essential fatty acids, farmers, fatty acids, fed grain, feedlot beef, feedlot cattle, free range beef, grain fed, grain fed beef, grain-finished beef, grass fed beef, grass fed meat, grass finished, grass-fed, grass-fed cattle, grass-fed diet, grass-finished beef, ground beef, hay, health benefits, highest quality, how do i know grass fed, natural beef, omega-3 fatty acids, open pastures, quality, quality grass-fed beef, trust, trusted beef, trusted food, trusted food brand, trusted meat, united states, usda, what is grain fed, what is grass fedDennis Keohane

One of the more fascinating aspects of the meat industry in the United States is the use and misuse of product naming and labeling by various purveyors. We’ve covered this topic a fair amount, quite honestly, because it is an area where we see so much manipulation and, sometimes, purposeful deception of consumers. This is most striking when it comes to grass-fed cattle and the designation “grass-fed beef” in particular.

Grass-fed AND grass-finished

One of the first things we discovered about quality grass-fed beef is how little customers know about the products they buy and eat.

There’s not that much to know, but, crazily, it’s still very confusing for the consumer. Grass-fed beef is expected to come from cattle that eat grass — or other green forage — while grazing in open pastures for their entire life. Seems pretty cut and dried.

However, transparency hasn’t always been the beef industry standard.

The fine print – Grain-fed beef

Confusion arrives with the use of labels such as “grass-fed, grain-finished beef,” which could trick consumers into thinking the meat they are eating is something it is not. Basically, “grass-fed, grain-finished” is conventional beef, the same thing as every cow raised.

Currently, 98 percent of beef consumed in the United States is grain-fed beef. However, every cow starts out the same way: It is raised the first six months on its mother’s milk and continues for about a year just grazing on grass (and hay or other “forage” as it is impossible to grow cattle on grass year-round in most regions of the country). After half a year, the majority of cows move to the feedlot where they are fattened on grains for the last 90 to 160 days before slaughter.

But some cattle continue to graze and feed on grass after those first six months. This is what people think of when they seek out truly grass-fed, grass-finished beef.

When a label says “grass-fed, grain-finished,” that’s just the same thing as every other steak or roast at any supermarket. They were taken to a feedlot, just like other cattle. Although, that’s not what the labeling is trying to imply.

You can even have grass-fed and grain-fed cattle on the same ranch.

An example of grass-fed grain-finished marketing (with the branding removed). This is what they want consumers to imagine the cattle’s life entailed.

Why aren’t all cows both grass-fed and grass-finished?

The entire system is built for grain-fed, not grass-fed production. Grain-finishing is more efficient and cheaper, and it adds weight a lot quicker to get the cattle primed for slaughter. It also gives the cattle the type of marbling and fat content that Americans have grown accustomed to in their beef. If you think about it, even the “quality” ratings we use to talk about our beef — choice, select and prime — are based on marbling and rapid weight gain.

Feedlots and grain-finishing

Beef sales have been on the decline for a number of years, and a big reason for that is because people think that steaks are unhealthy. The reality of what makes beef potentially unhealthy has to do with the artificial fattening of the cow. Not only do grain-finished cattle eat food that has not been a traditional part of their diet, but feedlot cows also have more antibiotics and hormones than those that grazed for their entire lives (that is until some stricter FDA rules were put in place in 2017 tried to limit this practice).

Studies have discovered that grain-fed, corn-fed, or grain-finished cattle do not have the same nutrition profile as grass-fed. Studies show that cattle fed grain lack as many good omega-3 fatty acids and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) as grass-fed cows. Both of these essential fatty acids have pretty great health benefits.

And yet, the system is structured in a way where grass-fed is just not an option for most cattle ranchers and beef producers. They have limited resources and must focus on making their cattle operations as efficient as possible. Letting cattle graze for their entire lives does not work for many beef producers.

An example of grass-fed grass-finished marketing.

Purposeful misrepresentation

Some nefarious producers still want the financial benefits of shipping grass-fed, natural beef. This led to the creation and use of the grass-fed, grain-finished label.

Mislabeling isn’t the only tactic that has confused consumers. We’ve heard a lot from people who’ve tried grass-fed beef before and didn’t like it, even saying that it tastes like shoe-leather. We cannot imagine how someone could think that tender grass-fed, grass-finished beef tastes anything other than delicious.

We discovered that at one point producers trying to get into the grass-fed market would sell dairy cows. While most dairy cows are just fed grass, they are often old by the time they stop producing milk. In these instances, the product being sold was not beef raised with the intention of being high-quality meat, but that it was raised for dairy and got used for meat, under the implication that it was “grass-fed.” But as the market has grown, more and more companies have decided to raise grass-fed cows specifically for meat instead of dairy cows.

And so most of the beef on the market tastes a lot better than what people who remember eating grass-fed meat — but were actually eating dairy cow — have experienced.

This issues of misrepresentation and mislabeling have been a persistent problem for consumers who may have been unknowingly ignorant to the realities. When someone buys grass-fed beef, they think they are getting an idyllic cow grazing in a field. Too often that hasn’t been the case.

Finding real grass-fed beef

One of the challenges for the customer is that they have good intentions, they want to eat a quality product, and they want the benefit of eating a steak that’s better for them. But they can easily be led astray.

The key is for consumers to look for labels and brands that offer either 100 percent grass-fed meat or the grass-fed, grass-finished labeling. There are also a lot of organizations that offer to certify that products are indeed fully grass-fed. This includes the American Grassfed Association. However, the USDA, which only monitors certified organic beef, does not concern itself with grass-fed regulation. The story of how certified organic/grass-fed beef is labeled and regulated is the topic of another post entirely.

ButcherBox is a brand that stands against all this confusion. We partner only with the farmers whose interests are aligned with our own. We want to bring the customers the best quality meats without any surprises.

And, we are willing to scour the globe to do that.

We want to end the confusion about grass-fed, grass-finished beef. It’s time to be able to access high-quality, trusted meat.