Leslie Miller - Uncle Daves Cow: And Other Whole Animals My Freezer Has Known

Uncle Daves Cow

Copyright 2012 by Leslie Miller

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Skipstone, an imprint of The Mountaineers Books

Printed in the United States of America

First printing 2012

15 14 13 12 5 4 3 2 1

Copy Editor: Barry Foy

Design: Heidi Smets, heidismets.com

Layout: Jennifer Shontz, redshoedesign.com

Illustrations by Ayun Halliday

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-59485-697-6

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-59485-698-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Miller, Leslie (Leslie Ann)

Uncle Daves cow and other whole animals my freezer has known: a guide to sourcing, storing, and preparing healthy, locally raised meat / Leslie Miller.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-59485-697-6 (ppk.)ISBN 978-1-59485-698-3 (ebook) (print)

1. Slaughtering and slaughter-houses. 2. MeatStorage. 3. MeatPreservation. 4. Local foods. I. Title.

TS1962.M55 2012

664'.902dc23

2012025246

Skipstone books may be purchased for corporate, educational, or other promotional sales. For special discounts and information, contact our Sales Department at 800-553-4453 or .

Skipstone

1001 SW Klickitat Way

Suite 201

Seattle, Washington 98134

206.223.6303

www.skipstonebooks.org

www.mountaineersbooks.org

In loving memory of Dad,

who was always up for a good food adventure

THE RECIPES

Cow

Pig

Goat

Lamb

INTRODUCTION

This is a book about meat, about people who produce meat and people who eat it, and a consumer guide meant to change how you buy and consume meat in your daily life. This story traces a very personal journey that began the day my brother asked me to go in with him on buying a whole beef. Though my family lives a very urban lifestyle, both of my parents grew up on farms and plenty of my kin still earn their livelihoods through farming, including the titular Uncle Dave. As it turned out, being related to the farmer who raised my food encouraged a whole community to form surrounding this meat. As my brother and I cooked through the wrapped cuts in our freezers, we shared recipes, photos of finished dishes, and our experiences cooking the beef for our respective families.

Having begun with this quarter of a cow, I became intrigued by the idea of buying into different types of whole animals. I began to research breeds and growers and investigate price structures and ordering techniques. Soon I had gone halvsies on a local hog with my cousin Kate, and then buying meat this way, by the animal and not by the cut, became the new standard for my family. You will encounter more of Cousin Kate in the pages to come, as well as the rest of the Cast of Characters that starred in my personal production of meat and meals over the last couple of years and still do so today, from Uncle Dave, who raised that first cow, to my children (and dogs) who helped eat it.

In truth, buying a whole butchered animal or sharing in one for meat is not a new concept. My family did it when I was a girl. Like many contemporary urban obsessions, whats old is new again. When individual farmers slaughter individual animals, the result is a large amount of flesh, fat, and innards that need to be consumed or preserved to enjoy until the next slaughter. For the consumer, this is a time-honored way of getting meat at a good price, because you save both by buying in bulk and by buying a mix of cuts. Additionally, having meat on hand in the freezer makes it easy to produce daily meals without making a separate trip to the store.

However, what is different about my buying meat this way now is the conscious choices Iand youcan make about how that meat is produced. This book lays out those practices and the choices an average consumer is able to make when selecting a cow, pig, lamb, or goat to buy and eat. This book details for you the critical information needed to find a grower, plan for the right amount of meat, order the right cuts, pay for it, store it, and enjoy it. My goal in writing this book was also to explore and lay bare the myths and misconceptions I had at the outset, from small farms necessarily being better than larger ones to what it really feels like to know your food. I hope as you laugh at my navet, you are able to learn from my mistakes (as I have) and discover how easy it is to change how you buy and cook meat in potentially very important and delicious ways.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Lam Unrelated to the meat or the animal, I am author Leslie Ann Miller, and I am highly motivated by what I think of as food fun and adventure. A former vegetarian of twelve years, now a stalwart meat eater who cures sausages in her basement fitness room. Writer, editor, wife, and mother of two children in a hectic West Coast urban environment.

Uncle Dave Youngest brother of my mother. Formerly in the dairy business, now a Western Washington farmer who raises a host of row crops as well as beef cows.

Cousin Kate Oldest daughter of Uncle Dave. Wife and mother of three who raises pumpkins, cattle, and other crops as a large-scale hobby. A rural lady of strong opinions and droll wit who finds urban hippie back-to-the-landers, including Cousin Lam, mildly amusing.

Jason Husband of Cousin Kate and father of three. Amiable veterinarian with a focus on large animals, who works in his practice with Western Washington farmers. Probably also finds his Cousin-in-Law Lam entertaining in her urban navet, but is too diplomatic to say so.

The Farm Children Jackson, Margarite, and the Pterodactyl Baby, children of Cousin Kate and Jason. Find their urban second cousins lifestyleincluding not waking early for chores and lack of cattle knowledgeboth intriguing and silly.

Jeff Youngest of my three older brothers, dubbed a guncle or gun uncle by my children (this is a compliment). Formerly in the restaurant industry. Also motivated by food fun but more mindful of food costs and practicality than his sister. Conservative outdoorsman and hunter of game birds. A pivotal date with the woman who would become his wife included butchering pigs.

Erik My middle brother. Foodie of more epicurean tastes, can still be coaxed into sausage-making sessions and suturing turduckens. The closest he comes to hunting is buying Italian leather shoes.

Dee My oldest brother, cherished guncle and avid outdoorsman, fisherman, and hunter of birds, deer, and elk. Dentist by day. Longtime devotee of Grand Sausageman Rytek Kutas. Has a smoker jerry-rigged out of an old refrigerator in his backyard. Can be easily swayed into food fun participation.