How do I cook this??
We have some great customers and some awesome farm supporters who often find they want to try more of our products. The problem, they tell us, is they are a little nervous or hesitant to try products they aren’t sure what to do with. I totally get it! I don’t want to make a meal that is not so stellar, especially when I use high quality products. I’ve had my share of failures in cooking but there are some almost foolproof ways to cook certain cuts of meat that will give you a great meal every time.
Our chicken is pasture raised which means they are outdoors for at least 1/2 their lives. They have room to move around, flap their wings, soak up the sunshine and eat grasses and bugs. Conventional chicken is often so tender because those chickens are packed into small spaces with little room to move. Pastured chicken often cooks best low and slow, 350 degrees for a couple hours. After finding a new recipe in a local foods cookbook, I have started cooking my chickens upside down. This keeps the breast meat from drying out and it turns out delicious!
The crockpot is another fantastic method for fool proof cooking. I love the website www.ayearofslowcooking.com. It doesn’t get much better than fixing it and forgetting it! This is such a great way to make roasts-beef, lamb or pork. A long, slow cooking method is great for tenderizing any tougher cut. One of my favorite recipes of hers is the Asian inspired shredded beef which I’ve also made with pork. Just looking at her recipe list again has me inspired to pull out my crockpot some more!
Braising is another fantastic, fool proof way of cooking meats, particularly the cheaper cuts. Lamb or pork hocks, and beef short ribs and roasts turn out great with braising. Meats are typically seared or browned over high heat, a liquid of some sort added like stock, wine, beer, coconut milk and then covered and simmered for hours. This helps break down the collagen in the meats and gives you a tender, falling apart dish that is perfect served over rice, potatoes or polenta. This recipe for braised lamb shanks is super easy and so delicous! https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26813209/braised-lamb-shank-recipe/
I hope these ideas helped give you some inspiration for trying something new :) Scroll down to sign up for our 10 No Fuss, Farm Fresh recipes, including the upside down chicken recipe and more! Happy eating local!
Warmest regards,
Farmer Jackie
