The Shieling has hijacked the beef.
When Pops came home with the hijacked beef, the scene became something out of an I Love Lucy episode. Lucy was making a special dish and ordered a side of beef thinking a small package was going to be delivered to her door. She freaked when the side of beef was a mere more than a pound of hamburger. She knew Ricky (is that is his name?) would have a fit so she stuffed it in the incinerator in the basement to hide the evidence for a while. Hours later, they all wondered who was grilling out. If I had had an incinerator, I may have resorted to the same thing. There was SO much meat coming into our house, I wanted to stuff it in closets, under couches, in pillow cases. Instead, I was on the phone with Lowes at 9:00pm ordering yet another freezer. I kept searching online for someone to tell me a whole cow could fit into 15 cubic ft. freezer. As you know, if you search hard enough, you will find the answer you want to hear. Bad answer. We have an upright large freezer, and TWO chest freezers full of cow. By the way, on the phone with Lowes at 9 pm, delivered to my barn by 9:00am the following morn. I love my Lowes. I love beef too.
We ordered our cow not to be trimmed of the fat. Oh my goodness, is it good. Maybe that is why our freezers are busting. Did you know beef fat is very good for you? It’s not what we hear from all the people “in the know” but…….my sources say right farmer + raised with care = good fat. I am well into middle age, eat tons of good fat, not overweight, my cholesterol and triglycerides are better than better. I’m going to believe my sources. Weston Price Foundation. Their word makes sense to me. We keep blaming healthy food on our bad health. Sugar? Processed foods? Fake food? Over eating or drinking? I can’t go there today. It is a day of celebration.
We had them package the hamburger into 1 lb. packages. We have 230 of them. This is insane. Do you know how big a cow liver is?
But glory be, we have succeeded in something here. It tastes as good as the best beef I have tasted. We kept one whole cow at the insistence of my “shady”( but really.. sunny) friend. And we sold one cow to four friends. It is wonderful (and a relief) to hear our good friend, Dan, who is ALL about food, call every time he puts it to his lips, to express his love. Come to think of it, he has been eatin’ some beef lately. We have been hearing from him quite often. Oh well. We love him.
It still blows my mind that Pops and I have raised a cow.
We have had lots of goofs and blunders and what-have-yous since this glorious journey began. But I can already look back upon the blood, sweat, tears, but mostly laughter, at the going ons around here, with so much fondness, love and gratefulness.
I am really good at run on sentences, aren’t I? My English teachers would cringe if they knew I actually wrote something that others read. I use commas like they are dust particles. They must be free.
Come on down for some beef sometime. We would love to have you join us around our table. Bring a beef recipe when you come. And if you can’t come, send us a recipe anyway, please. Have any favorites you would like to share?
God bless,
Karen
The Shieling 