I enlisted one of my team members to write a fun article about beef tallow and 5 major nutritional benefits. While my dear 17-year-old friend, Gianna Napolitano, looked at me like I had 5 heads as I filtered high-quality suet from some gorgeous pieces of fat I had saved from club steaks and porterhouses, I asked her if she knew of any benefits that beef tallow offered? She said “no” (slightly grossed out by the idea). So, we discussed some of the beneficial properties of tallow while finely chopping fresh herbs from the garden.

We’re back in action in the store and we have so many fun things coming down the pipeline. Our goal is to support you in making life as healthy and easy as possible, we are always looking for feedback!

Most of the rigid and crispy winter days were spent planning the “Wayside Garden” of 2023. As we jump into spring here on our North Fork we’ve started some of our cool crops to get into the planting mood! 

Fishing, hunting, and raising ruminants and other animals takes a lot of unspoken grit. “Regenerative agriculture” might be the nuanced term but homesteading and allowing the land to regenerate itself naturally has become a relatively mainstream idea. I’m grateful enough to live in a bountiful land that creates many opportunities to harvest fresh foods. So, I ask what does this mean for seasonal eating and the art of feasting?

Enough of you have come into us asking for our help regarding the grilling department, so It’s about time these instructions are inscribed here on our website. For us this stuff is second nature, so we’re going to make it super simple as always we love your feedback!

Many foods that we love that go through an “aging process”, cheese, wine, beer, and mushrooms. This aging process improves the flavor, and prime dry-aged meat is the Ferrari of all meats. It’s effortless to cut, the chew is soft, and the juices are silky. The surge of flavor is an unforgettable experience, let’s dig into the process.

While I’ve spent time away from the store I’ve also managed to pick up a small (okay, massive) obsession with Julia Child’s book series "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" . I recommend all of the books listed for the home cook who considers themselves to be above average. These will IMMEDIATELY challenge you to step your game up on a deep enjoyable level. I recently completed her famous Boeuf Bourguignon and let me tell you….it was silky and gorgeous and incredibly divine. I urge you to buy her series (or read it again) and learn from her stories! It’s incredibly fun!

Last time we ended with some fun facts about how the meat industry altered the trajectory of how meat retailers (butchers and grocers) conducted business; the meat business transformed from local meat shops to the industrialized mass processing behemoth we know of today. There’s one thing that’s for sure as I dove deeper into the meat history of the US I found more incredible facts, I’m going to keep it simple for a quick recap of time.

To start, back in the 70s the meat industry as a whole was more family oriented. From the ranches and processing plants to the slaughterhouses they were small family owned businesses that were bountiful and they flourished greatly. An average processing plant could process up to 500-1,000 heads (animals) a day. Due to high diversification and good (controllable) practices of the plants, herders increased their demand.

So what changed?

What drove these small business owners from cities and out of entrepreneurship?

Great question, I had the same thought.

It was several things but the biggest trajectory alteration was the introduction of boxed beef and the downfall of ACTUAL butchers.

“There were many summers I’d go to my grandparents house and we’d can things to make sauce or prepare beautiful veggies to be preserved. This would be the time to butcher the animals we’d consume during the winter or sell them to other families who would survive on the meat we’ve prepared. There’s a certain unsaid honor that is derived from the relationship between consumer and butcher or farmer.”

As I'm sure some of you have noticed we've taken a brief hiatus. We've been busy bees in the background planning for the big game you all know it: THE HOLIDAYS. Is your family coming for dinner and you're stuck between finding time to start holiday shopping, wrap the presents; AND plan a full menu? We get it, we've been there.