…the book discusses the nutritional, environmental and social benefits that accrue from raising and eating grass-fed meat and dairy products
By: Pat Tanner
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| "The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook" by Shannon Hayes (Eating Fresh Publications, $22.95) is available at bookstores and at www.eatingfresh.com.
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I have been buying meat from local pasture farms for a while now, primarily for the robust flavor that feeding on grass imparts to the resulting beef, pork, lamb and even poultry.
But I have noticed that these meats which are often leaner than and different in texture and color from their grain-fed, feedlot counterparts require different cooking methods and considerations. So I am grateful for "The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook" by Shannon Hayes, which is the latest book from Hopewell’s Eating Fresh Publications.
Subtitled "Healthy Cooking and Good Living with Pasture-Raised Foods," the book discusses the nutritional, environmental and social benefits that accrue from raising and eating grass-fed meat and dairy products. Shannon Hayes is well suited to the task, since she is both a farmer in upstate New York and holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University in sustainable agriculture and community development.
The heart of the book, though, is in the 125 recipes for beef, lamb, pork, poultry, dairy, veal, bison, venison, goat and rabbit. The recipes include Ms. Hayes’ own and her favorites collected from other pasture-based farmers around the country, whose stories Ms. Hayes relates throughout.
The recipes that follow use relatively inexpensive cuts of meat, and they are both perfect for the crisp days of autumn. To test them I purchased beef riblets from Cherry Grove Farm on Route 206 in Lawrenceville ($6/lb.), which sells cuts of beef, pork, and lamb and chicken eggs. For information, product and price list or to place an order, phone farm manager Kelly Harding at (609) 219-0053 or visit www.cherrygrovefarm.com.
For Ms. Hayes’ maple-braised pork sausage recipe, I tapped another local grass-based farm: Simply Grazin’ Organic Farm in Hopewell, whose beef, pork and (sometimes) chicken can be purchased at the Whole Earth Center in Princeton, at the West Windsor Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, and directly from the farm. For more information, phone (609) 466-8504 or visit www.simplygrazin.com.
The recipe, Ms. Hayes writes, "requires only a few minutes in the kitchen, and everyone you serve it to will remember it always." I concur, and even more so when it is accompanied, as she suggests, with winter squash mashed with butter and herbes de Provence and steamed broccoli tossed with toasted walnuts.
"The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook" by Shannon Hayes (Eating Fresh Publications, $22.95) is available at bookstores and at www.eatingfresh.com.
GARLIC-TOMATO SHORT RIBS
"The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook," Shannon Hayes
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 7 pounds beef short ribs
2 medium carrots, scraped and finely chopped, plus 3 carrots, scraped and sliced into narrow, 2-inch strips for later use
2 medium onions, finely chopped
16 whole cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons savory
1 teaspoon fennel
1 teaspoon dried lavender heads (optional)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups cabernet sauvignon
3 cups beef broth
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
¾ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Spread mixture lightly on each of the short ribs; set aside on a large platter (depending on your taste, you might want more salt and pepper).
2. Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart ovenproof pot that can be covered later, add the seasoned ribs in batches, and brown. Set aside.
3. Add the finely chopped carrots and onions to the drippings, and cook until tender. Toss in the cloves of garlic, the herbs and flour, and stir well to incorporate the flour. Add the wine and beef broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and the bay leaves, and return to a boil for 1 minute. Add the ribs and any lingering juices, cover the pot and bake in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.
4. Remove the pot from the oven. Add the carrot sticks and black olives; simmer on top of the stove, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Serves 6 to 8.
MAPLE-BRAISED PORK SAUSAGES
"The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook," Shannon Hayes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds link sweet Italian pork sausage or 2 pounds bulk sweet Italian pork sausage, formed into 8 large patties
6 tart apples, cored and quartered, but not peeled
¼ cup maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over medium heat. Brown the sausages, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and add apples. Drizzle the maple syrup on top, cover, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until apples can be pierced easily with a fork. Serve in a shallow bowl with the apples and the pan sauce spooned on top.
Serves 5.
Pat Tanner can be heard each Saturday morning on "Dining Today with Pat Tanner" on MoneyTalk AM 1350 and over www.moneytalk1350.com from 9 to 10 a.m. On Oct. 23, her guests will be Shannon Hayes and Fran McManus of Eating Fresh.