I grew up in Kentucky in a family of farmers, hunters
and fisherman, so I’m no stranger to raising or catching my own dinner—or at
least being used to the concept. The
baby lambs born in the spring often ended up on the table for Easter dinner,
and the cattle grazing in the field behind the house filled the freezer every
fall. My brother, Clay, and
I went fishing for bass, bluegill or catfish with our Pappy, and sometimes we
would tag along with Dad to hunt for rabbit or deer.
We always knew where our food came from. It was just a way of life. McKenzie grew up the same way, raising
vegetables in her Grandma’s garden.
Perhaps you’ve heard this before, so maybe it’s not
ground-breaking news. But
in general, meat, eggs and milk from grass-fed or wild animals are lower
in fat and calories and higher in antioxidants and omega-3 fats than
commercially-raised animals. Plus,
they’re more likely to be humanely-raised on sustainable farms without the use
of hormones, antibiotics and other drugs. Humanely and sustainably-raised
animals support a system that’s better for the animals, the environment and for
our health.
If you doubt this, see Dan Barber’s TED Talk, The
Foie Gras Parable.
The catch? It’s
more expensive.
We have a few ideas to make it more affordable for you
to purchase meat and eggs from sustainably-raised animals for you and your
family. Here we go:
1. Eat vegetarian some of the time.
Yes, we know,
that’s not really fair. But
if you eat less meat overall, then you can afford to buy really, really good
quality meat for your family on the days you do eat it. And really, Americans
eat way to much meat as it is, about eight ounces a day—twice the
world average. Plus, there
are so many delicious vegetarian recipes out there these days. You can experiment with vegetable- and
grain-rich dishes that are hearty and satisfying. Stay tuned for some of our ideas.
2. When you do eat meat, eat a little
less.
A serving of
meat is actually only three to four ounces, not the mammoth eight to 12 ounces
you might be served at many restaurants—or are even used to at home. How do you make three to four ounces
of meat feel like a meal? This
brings us to #3.
3. Be adventurous, and try different
cooking methods
Slow cooking
meat in a sauce or with vegetables in a soup, stew, casserole or other dish
stretches the meat to feed more. Think
beef stew, pasta Bolognese, carnitas tacos or a spicy southwest
chili. That
doesn’t sound like deprivation, does it? Which brings us to #4…
4. Be adventurous, and try different
cuts of meat
Some of the
time, try replacing your traditional steak, chop or breast with a larger cut of
meat (or whole bird) that can be slow-cooked or braised to tender, succulent
deliciousness. Larger,
tougher cuts of meat that need to be slowly roasted or braised are always a
less expensive option.
5. Be adventurous, and try new types
of meat.
While
sustainably-raised beef, pork or chicken might be more expensive than their
conventionally-raised counterparts, there are many other varieties of meat to
try, which can be more affordable. Think
about alternatives like lamb, bison, elk, deer, duck, quail and rabbit. To find sources of these meats in your
area, try your local natural food store or co-op or the website Eatwild.
To help you
get started, here’s a recipe following several of the above tips—a rabbit ragu
over creamy polenta. Rabbit
meat is extremely lean—low in fat and calories and high in omega-3 fatty
acids. It has a texture
similar to chicken—but even better—and is quite delicious.
Give it a
try. What do you have to
lose?
Rabbit Ragu over Creamy Polenta
Serves 6
3 strips bacon, chopped (preferably organic or from
sustainably-raised pigs)
One 3- to
4-pound rabbit, quartered or in pieces
¼ teaspoon red
pepper flakes
1 onion,
coarsely chopped
1 carrot,
peeled and coarsely chopped
1 stalk
celery, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
Sea salt
& freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons
tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 – 3 sprigs
fresh thyme
1 cup red wine
2 cups
low-sodium chicken stock or water
Place a dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot over
medium-low heat. Add bacon
and cook slowly, rendering the fat, until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted
spoon. You should have about
two tablespoons fat in the pan.
Raise heat to medium-high. Add enough rabbit pieces to cover the
bottom of the pan. Do not
crowd pan. Brown rabbit on
both sides. Repeat with
remaining pieces, if necessary. Remove
rabbit to a plate.
While rabbit is browning, add onion, carrot, celery
and garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground.
Reduce heat back to medium. You should still have some fat left in
the pan. If it’s too dry,
you can add a little olive oil. Add
red pepper flakes, onion, carrot, celery and garlic mixture to pan. Season with sea salt and freshly
ground pepper, to taste. Add
bay leaves and thyme. Cook,
stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and caramelized, about 20 - 25
minutes.
Add tomato paste, cooking and stirring until fragrant,
about another 3 – 4 minutes. Add
the browned rabbit pieces back to the pan. Add wine and stir, scraping bottom of
pan. Cook until wine is
reduced to a few tablespoons. Add
broth or water. Bring to a
boil, stir, and then reduce heat to very low.
Cover (leave the lid slightly ajar to allow some steam
to escape) and cook until meat is tender and nearly falling off the bone, about
1 1/2 hours.
Remove rabbit from sauce and set aside to cool
slightly. Shred rabbit meat
off the bone and add meat back to the pot. Taste for seasoning and adjust if
necessary. Spoon over
creamy polenta and serve hot.
Creamy Polenta
For truly creamy polenta, you need to let it cook for
a long time, so be sure to start this several hours in advance. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t
need a lot of babysitting, but it does take time.
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 shallots,
finely chopped
¼ teaspoon red
pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta
¼ cup finely
grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Heat a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet over
medium heat. Add 1
tablespoon of butter, shallot and red pepper flakes. Cook shallot 2 – 3 minutes, or until
translucent. Add water and
salt. Raise heat to high
and bring to a boil.
Carefully sprinkle the polenta into the water,
stirring briskly. Be
careful not to let the polenta splash back at you. Lower the heat to a simmer and let
cook, stirring often, for about an hour. At this point, the polenta should be
thickened, but not too thick.
Cover the polenta and place in the oven, for about 2
hours or so. Every 20
minutes, open the oven and give it a stir. When you’re ready for dinner, remove
from oven and stir in last 2 tablespoons butter and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately, as it will begin to
harden as it cools.
If you have leftovers, just pour them into a shallow
dish and store in the refrigerator. Sauté
squares of leftover polenta to serve as a base for eggs, or cut them into cubes
and sauté for polenta croutons. Delicious.
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