This week the time finally came to butcher him. The hanging weight was 631 lbs. We divided that 3 ways and each paid $550. The cost included butchering and packaging. The take home weight was about 345 pounds or 115 pounds each. So the price was 5 or 6 dollars a pound. Belle also took about 50 pounds of bones, the heart, liver and tongue.
On Saturday we grilled a Delmonico steak (or Ribeye depending upon what you call it). You would not believe how amazingly lean it was. Delmonicos are very fatty cuts of steak! I expected this one to fill the drip pan with fat as it cooked. Not at all! We finished cooking and the drip pan had barely a few drops of fat. The difference between this grass fed steer and the stuff that grocery stores sell is profound.
A year or so ago we made the commitment to only eat meat that we or someone we know raises. That means we go without a lot. But not this winter! Today we get to say thanks to Jason and Heather in Newburg for raising this steer right and filling our freezer with wholesome food!
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| Stock Pot and Veggies |
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| Broiled Bones |
Beef Broth
1 Large stock pot
3 to 4 lbs bones cut into hand size pieces
several whole carrot, celery sticks and onions (they absorb the odor during the cooking time)
Water
Broil the beef bones in the oven until golden brown. The marrow inside will begin to break down.
Add bones, carrots, celery sticks and onions to the pot and fill with water.
Simmer on the stove for 24 hours or more, adding water until it reaches the desired flavor.
Salt is not necessary. The flavor stands on its own.
Freeze in baggies, then thaw and use when needed.
Belle also processed the last batch of apple butter and finished drying a peck of pears. The boys love the sweet taste and grainy texture of the pears. She also thawed strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew that we grew last summer and made a delicious fruit salad for a day trip we took with the kids to the Jersey Shore. The kids were tuckered on the drive home!
