Lean local ground beef - old world heritage

Will Donaldson of Horny Hill farm, Hartford, NY, is now bringing us grass-finished ground beef from his herd of Scottish Highland cattle. There are records of Highlanders dating back to 12th century Scotland, and archeological evidence of their existence as far back as the 6th century. That makes them the oldest living breed of cattle in the world.

The harsh conditions in the rugged, remote Scottish Highlands created a process of natural selection, where only the fittest and most adaptable animals survived to carry on the breed. American cattlemen recognized the qualities of the Highland and imported them to improve their current bloodlines in the 1890's.

Highland beef is naturally lean, well marbled and flavorful with little outside fat due to being insulated by long hair. Laboratory tests have proven that Scottish Highland beef is lower in cholesterol than buffalo, pork, lamb, or chicken.

In the British Isles, Highland beef is recognized as the finest available, and fetches premium prices. The British Royal family keeps a large herd of Highlands at Balmoral Castle, and considers them their beef animal of choice.

Your fellow Coop members are tickled to imagine you indulging in the same Sloppy Joes, chili dogs, and hamburger-noodle casseroles that Camilla Parker Bowles consumes daily. Look for the lean Highlander meat near our other fine ground beef from Slope, McDonald, Hardwick, etc.!

Eat like a Prince; Pay like a Pauper

You DO know that everything in the Aisle 3 frozen-meat case is 20% off the original fresh-meat price, don’t you? Of course you do.

So this is a great opportunity to make beef broth out of discounted short ribs and shank bones. They make the richest, silkiest, most flavorful broth you’ve ever tasted. Let the beef cool in the pot, chill and remove the fat the next day.

The French serve the broth as the first course and the meat as the second: pot au feu.

But you can use the broth for onion soup gratinee, or mushroom-barley soup, or minestrone, or beef borscht, or a hearty risotto.

The meat can be torn up and used any number of ways. It makes a great ropa vieja, with yellow rice and black beans.
Or a simple, delicious hash: sauté it with chopped onion and potato and add a bit of the broth.

Got a minute?

With warmer weather nearly here, we've had our livestock farmers switch over from winter cuts -- stews, roasts -- to less robust fare. Some of the round primal of beef is now being shaved into minute steak, economical and easy to prepare. What to do with it?
Korean bulgogi, for one thing! Separate the tissue-thin slices, and toss with soy sauce, mirin, a little sesame oil, plus minced scallion, garlic, black pepper, and toasted sesame seeds. Let it marinate for a hour. Grill on a hot grill or broil under a hot broiler for 1-2 minutes, until slightly charred and cooked through, and serve with rice and kimchi.
Philadelphia cheesesteak. Saute sliced onion in olive oil. Take a couple of Rustic Hero rolls (aisle 3, near bagels), split them, cover one side with sliced or grated cheese, and set in a slow oven to melt. Cheez Whiz is tradition in Philly, but, hey. Don't do that to yourself. The Coop's NY cheddar is an improvement. Or go further upscale with fantal, Muenster, or fresh mozz. Separate the steak slices and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Set the browned onions on the roll, saute the steak in the same pan until cooked through (1-2 minutes, again!), and assemble the sandwiches.

Summertime Brisket

Brisket. At holiday times, we can't keep it on the shelves. But in the August heat Coop members are likely to overlook some big, beautiful briskets of beef in search of quicker-cooking cuts. It's sad to think that we Brooklynites don't know how to eat brisket in the summertime like they do in Texas...


Okay, first you put together your dry-rub:
1/4 cup paprika
2 tblsp Kosher salt
2 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp ground chile
2 tblsp black pepper
1 tblsp granulated onion
1 tblsp granulated garlic
1 tsp cayenne

Massage the mixture into the beef, all over. Wrap in foil and let rest in the fridge overnight. Meanwhile, make your mop sauce:

12 oz. beer (any cheap brew works fine)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, monced
2 tblsp of the dry-rub
1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce

Get a good low smoky fire going and grill the brisket, covered, for several hours, brushing every 15 minutes or so with the mop sauce. You can also roast the brisket in in the oven at 200-250 degrees for several hours. Slice the meat against the grain and serve in sandwiches with a good BBQ sauce, or just a bit of the drippings.

-- Bill the Butcher.