We eat a lot of meat. I'm sure that comes as a surprise to exactly no one. But I was somewhat taken aback yesterday to realize that we actually have a relatively small amount of meat left in our big chest freezer. I did a quick inventory yesterday when I went freezer diving for something for dinner. I found the lamb is pretty much gone, except for a couple of packages of kebab meat, one roast, and the kidneys (EW). We had two lambs butchered in October and ended up with about 70 pounds of meat in the freezer from them. Of which probably four pounds remains.
And the half a cow that we stuffed in the freezer at the beginning of May last year? Of that approximately 500 pounds of meat, about 50 pounds remains, mostly in the form of stew meat, ground beef, and a shitload of liver (EW AGAIN) and suet. Oh, and two ENORMOUS prime ribs. The MiL needs to have a dinner party.
ANYWAY.
So let's do a little calculation, rounding out the numbers for my math-challenged brain: If we say our "meat year" started in May of 2010 and eventually included 600 pounds of meat, and we have about 55 pounds left . . . That's 545 pounds of meat consumed in the last nine months.
That doesn't count the fish A. catches that we eat or the very occasional pork or chicken that we sometimes buy. If I may be permitted a very obvious statement, that's a lot of meat.
At least we don't have to worry about iron deficiencies.
You're doing the Nourishing Traditions people proud with that diet.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the liver - MMMMM - love it smothered in wine sauce with lots of onions. I just tried to purchase some suet from a place and they were out, I wanted to put it out for our birds (yes spoiled birds). Did they give you the tongue too? that's pretty tasty as well.
We don't eat quite as much meat as you, but we eat our share. This year Mr Chiots got 3 deer so we ended up with a good amount of meat from them and we had some left over from last year. We supplement our meat with lots of eggs, sadly not our own - but hopefully someday. We also purchase 10-12 chickens each year from a local farm and lots of bacon from another source. I'd love to get some lamb someday, there's a local farm that sells the lambs, I wonder how much I can get one of those for?
You must learn to embrace the liver.
ReplyDeleteI hear it makes good fish bait.
I have also heard if you smother it with about a bushel of onions you might be able to eat it.
Beth
Husband asks "No deer this year?"
word verification- curco
working dog association
I just can't do liver. I have tried more than once. The MiL makes it with bacon and lots of onions, but nothing can mask the taste for me. So I just eat the bacon and onions when A. and the MiL have liver. We don't get the tongue. No one wants to deal with the preparation. Even the MiL doesn't like boiling and peeling tongue.
ReplyDeleteNo, no deer this year. A. just doesn't have the time to hunt as much as he would need to. Running your own law firm will do that. He only got out a couple of times and didn't even see any deer. The lambs are more predictable. :-)
As for how much a lamb would be . . . that's highly variable, I think. Though it does tend to cost more than most kinds of meat, because the animals just aren't brought up to the size of a pig or cow, so there's more work on the shepherd's part in relation to the amount of meat he or she can sell from the animal.
I love meat but I don't eat a lot, mostly because it is expensive. I try to only eat sustainable, naturally-raised meat, not meat from mutant genetically modified animals that get fed only corn and are never let outside. It is an animal welfare issue for me, really. Most of the meat I eat is grass-fed beef from a local farm, and it is expensive, so I get by with eating smaller portions of it with larger portions of side dishes like vegetables. I like a big steak now and then, but then the price of grass-fed filet mignon is $30/pound, I don't get to do that very often at all, especially if I am trying to feed more than one person. I am jealous that you have so much good meat at your fingertips, and I agree that I am not a fan of liver. My grandmother used to make pan-fried liver. Still no good. I am just not an organmeat kind of gal.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what to do with the liver. Grind it up and make gravy with it? Bleh. The best part of your meat supply is that most of it is home-grown or you know where it comes from.
ReplyDeleteCubby's a little too young to hunt, but he could learn to feed the chickens.
I don't eat liver either....I just thought with your love of all that is onions you might be able to take it.
ReplyDelete9 months = approx 270 days
545 lbs divided by 270 days equals about 2 lbs per day ......yes..no??
minus parties and covered dish meals to share.....
Beth
Didn't know if you got any roadkill deer or not this year? :)
Did you ever get a 'new to you' car?
Prep on the liver: My grandmother put the liver pieces in a large skillet and covered with water. She heated the skillet slowly until the liver "set." Which means of course that the blood did not flow and the piece of meat was relatively solid in texture. She then dried it on paper towels before sauteing with bacon, onions, etc. I bet baked fennel would be good with it.
ReplyDeleteMy word: regat
The opposite of congrat
on liver: your mileage may vary, but I had the exact same feelings as you.... until I had liver prepared by Julia Childs' method. I was really surprised to find it quite palatable. (I still don't want it more than once every 6 months or more.)
ReplyDelete...and: Bite your tongue! If you've never tried beef tongue, you are absolutely missing out. I know it is totally gross to look at, but it is really quite yummy. You might try this method: http://sporkintheeye.blogspot.com/2009/04/french-kiss-taco.html