As the Everyman can fully attest, for as long as I can remember I have wanted a cow. Or more accurately, several cows. I love cows like most people love puppies; specifically an old breed that I often see on our drive to the cottage that is known as an Oreo cow (black front, white middle, black end). They also come in dwarf varieties, which I keep trying to convince the Everyman are small enough for me to own. Unfortunately, he hasn’t bought that line of reasoning yet. Probably because we live in a condo in the city. But last night, I finally, indirectly got my own cow.
I did not adopt a cow, although I should, because that would give me easy access to a cow whenever I wanted. Instead, last night our first split side of beef was dropped off at the house. It’s not quite a cow in the form I originally wished for, but this kind has its benefits too.
Firstly, it gives me access to a very high quality of meat at an affordable price. Our organic grocer sources pasture-fed, organic and all-natural animals, and our particular cow was an all-natural beast. With a hanging weight of 114 pounds, the net product was around 100 pounds of meat. For those of you who have never purchased a split side of an animal before, 100 pounds is a pretty large quantity of meat volumetricly speaking. Being that it is only the Everyman and I, hearty eaters though we may be, I fully expect this cow will last us through for the next 9 to 12 months. 100 pounds almost completely filled the 3 shelves of my 13+ cubic foot upright freezer. As I was putting it all away last night, I was struck with an odd combination of mischievousness and gluttony. I felt like I was preparing for a cold war or something. Having grown up in a situation where I did not always have enough to get by, I often have a lingering desire to make sure I never go hungry again. Part of that was what prompted me to purchase this cow in the first place. Having it in the freezer downstairs makes me feel more comfortable in the fact that I know I will always have something to eat.
Secondly, I am passionate about supporting local farmers and purveyors who do their best to raise animals ethically and as naturally as possible. There is too much factory farming going on worldwide, and I do not want to support that. Not only are conventionally farmed animals not as good for you nutrient-wise, they also tend to come with residual hormones and antibiotics that have no business being in my body. Buying a large animal helps ensure that farmers who take the time to do it right can continue what they’re doing and (hopefully) still make a profit doing it.
Lastly, it reinforces the nose-to-tail philosophy that I also believe in. If you are going to kill an animal, you should give it enough respect to try and use as much of that product as possible, and not let anything go to waste. This includes things like organs, feet, tails, and tongues. Just because these things are not popular in the North American diet, does not give us the right to throw them away. It does not honor the animal to pick and choose only the best cuts and leave all the rest. And so, even though I have little experience with these things, I will now find a purpose for the tongue, bones and off cuts I received. Even if they only get used for stocks and braises, I will make sure that they do not get thrown away, because that would not only be wasteful for me, but wasteful for the animal and farmer who raised it for me.
So, for the months ahead I will post an ongoing chronicle of my quest to use all that has been given to me. It may be ugly, and some of it may be downright weird, but I invite you to read along and see what I manage to come up with. Who knows, I may even inspire some of you to do the same.
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