Ham steak salad

[April 29, 2013]

Yesterday was Cochon 555. This was a champion-level weekend of eating. Next: The Hunt, dinner at Trenchermen, brunch at the Publican. I am in recovery from a weekend of decadence, and detox begins with salad.

I had defrosted a ham steak from Share #1. It was already cured and smoked, so all it needed was a few minutes per side in a hot pan until heated through.

I cut the ham steak into cubes and mixed it into my salad. Typically, my lunch salads include romaine, some other greens (spinach, arugula, kale, whatever I have), 3 mini bell peppers, a small cucumber, half an avocado, and herbs (parsley, mint, thyme, whatever I have). All roughly chopped.


I mix my own salad dressing and have come up with a few options:

1. Dijon mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. 
2. Apple cider vinegar and olive oil. 
3. Nut butter, a little soy sauce/tamari, rice wine vinegar, a little sesame oil, sriracha, orange juice (or water if I'm out of OJ).

Mixed in a small container and shaken vigorously.

I will not always write about meat

I'm eclectic. While the mission of this blog is to chronicle my journey into eating better meat, I am occasionally inspired to write about topics outside of my carnivory. 

OK I just made that word up, but I'm really digging it. Carnivory. Activities pertaining to the acquisition, preparation, and consumption of meat. The Merriam-Webster people really should hear about this. 


But I digress. I like guilty pleasure movies. Except that I don't think of them as guilty pleasures; they are just pleasures since I feel no guilt in my enjoyment of them. I just saw Fast & Furious 6. It was amazing. People literally fly through the air. My friend Susan and I saw Fast 5 together when I came to see her graduate from law school, and we saw Fast & Furious 6 together when she was visiting this past weekend. I happily contributed to the $120+ million opening weekend gross. 

Alex Pappademas at Grantland put together a helpful recap of the first 5 films (yes, I just referred to them as films) and a few thoughts on the sixth installment. My favorite car-racing crew is now in charge of fighting terrorists. I still don't know what "the component" is, but it's dangerous and that hot British guy should not have it. The title of this review really sums up this film: F&F6 "bypasses logic and drives straight to the pleasure center." The audience's pleasure center was certainly fired up. At two key moments, loud gasps echoed through the theater, one of surprise at a plot twist that was remarkably unpredictable, one of glee at the reveal of the villain for the next film. A perfect fit. 

This franchise will never end. When Paul Walker and Vin Diesel are too old to plausibly jump out of cars as they fall off of cliffs, or jump out of cars and on to other cars (as if these things could ever be plausible), Jack Torreto-O'Conner will be the star of a reboot. He might be a baby now, but soon enough he'll grow up, take us back at the beginning, and fall in love with the wrong girl, just like his daddy before him. A badass lady cop perhaps?

I hope you enjoyed this meat-free interlude. Occasionally, I even cook things that have no meat in them at all. Shocking! This weekend, I decided to cook up some vegetarian chili, a spicy antidote to the rich food I've been indulging in of late. Black beans, mushrooms, bold spices, budget prices. I had a few ingredients on hand; those that I bought totaled $12.85. Given the huge size of my slow cooker, this recipe could probably feed 10 people.

Full disclosure: I used meat stock instead of the veggie stock, not because I really felt the need to add something meaty, but because I just made some meat stock. The meat stock complements the mushrooms nicely (so did the rosemary and thyme I had around), but use whatever stock suits you. 

While sour cream and shredded cheese are nice toppings for your chili, you could easily leave them out if you avoid dairy or are serving vegans. That's right, vegans. A vegan-friendly recipe. From me!!!

I topped this chili with avocado, cilantro, and Trader Joe's plantain chips. Pumpkin seeds could work, maybe a soft-boiled egg?

Vegetarian chili

Adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution, one of many excellent cookbooks from the folks at America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 onions, chopped finely
2 red peppers, chopped finely
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped finely
9 cloves of garlic, chopped finely or pressed
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 heaping tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2.5 cups stock
2.5 cups water
1 pound dried back beans
8 ounces portobello mushrooms, stems removed and roughly chopped
8 ounces white mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
1 chipotle pepper in adobo (when I open a can, I freeze the rest)
2 large sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
1 large sprig fresh thyme (optional)
A few bay leaves (optional; I forgot about this)
28 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

Method
1. Heat olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a large skillet) over medium-high heat. Add vegetables (onion, red pepper, jalapeno, garlic) and spices (chili powder, mustard seeds, cumin, oregano) and cook until vegetables are soft and browned, about 8-10 minutes.

 

2. When the vegetables are browned, stir in about 1 cup of stock to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Carefully add vegetables and stock to the slow cooker.

3. Add mushrooms, beans, the rest of the broth, water, chipotle, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook for ~10 hours on low or ~6 hours on high.

4. Remove the bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme and discard. Stir in the tomatoes and let sit for a few minutes.


5. Serve topped with avocado, cilantro, plantain chips, etc. Add salt to taste.

Stay tuned for your regularly scheduled programming - I still have quite a backlog of meaty adventures to catch up on!

I won a bag of meat!

[April 28, 2013]

Have I told you lately how much I love pork? I've been wanting to go to Cochon 555 for as long as I've lived in Chicago. 5 chefs, 5 heritage-breed hogs, 5 winemakers. My idea of heaven. So when my friend Vicky emailed to tell me that she was coming to Chicago specifically to attend this event, I bought a ticket immediately. 

A few days before Cochon, I received an email with extensive instructions about how to navigate this event. Apparently this was not an event designed for single people - a partner would be required to successfully negotiate one's way through all 5 stations, as well as the bonus 6th barbecued pig and the lavish spread of cheese, oysters, whiskeys, and desserts. As if the 2.1 pounds of meat I was promised were not enough. Luckily, I'd be attending with a group.

Rick Bayless was there. Every time Vicky comes to visit we see Rick Bayless. First at XOCO on a scorching July day last summer (we ordered caldos, undeterred by 90 degree heat and high humidity), then at the entrance to pork heaven. 

I was handed a guide to the night's eats and promptly stuck it in my back pocket to free up my hands for food- and wine-grabbing. Little did I know, this logo was sticking out of my black jeans, perfectly aligned atop my right butt check. Someone nearby took notice and took a picture, so somewhere on the interwebs there is probably an Instagramed photo of my ass with a pig on it. 

After thoroughly reading the Cochon instructional email, I was under the impression that each station would have one bite. Nope. Each table had a multi-course tasting menu of bites. Headcheese, sausages, paella, pork buns, ramen with a crispy cube of fried pork, dessert-ified pork rinds. And the bonus barbecue table - cornbread, greens, pulled pork. Wow. I voted for Yusho; it was a hard choice between them and the eventual winner, the team from Publican Quality Meats. But I think the bonus table from Lillie's Q might have been my favorite.

Amidst the tables of meat and booze, the crew from the Butcher and Larder put on a butchering demonstration. How many pigs are we up to now? At least 7 on my count. Step by step, the captive pork-loving audience watched the pig be broken down into it's component parts. This process is important to watch, a reminder that all the meat the we eat comes from a whole animal that was once living and breathing. This concept is easy to forget when you just see cuts of meat at the grocery store or your butcher's counter. Rob Levitt wrote a great piece about his experience taking his team to meet one of the pigs they were buying and actually being present for the slaughter. I won't say more about it here - you should read his account. It's inspiring and sobering and might change your view about eating meat.

What do you do with a butchered pig in the middle of a hotel ballroom? Raffle off the meat! My dad has played the lottery my whole life; someone has to win, and it won't be you unless you buy a ticket. $15 seemed like a small price to pay for a share of heritage-breed hog. I think the money went to a good cause. To be honest, I did not ask where the money was going, and didn't even know what part of the pig I'd be getting. Would I get to choose my winnings? What if I ended up with something like trotters or tongue, which I had no idea what to do with, instead of chops or ribs? I had many questions but did not bother to seek answers. Either way, I was in.

I had a good feeling about this ticket. I don't think this was a premonition; it can be easy to confuse excitement over the prospect of winning with some kind of psychic vision. My heart began to race as the drawing started - it could be me! They called the first few numbers, some close to mine but not mine.

But then it happened. My number was called. I screamed out with a combination of shock and excitement -- I won! That's my number! I raced up to the stage, eager to collect my prize. I was handed a large bag of meat. Not a certificate to pick up my winnings at the store later. No, I was handed a large paper bag full of freshly butchered pork.

I skipped backed to my friends and we looked inside to discover what treats lay inside. My heart skipped a beat at the bag's contents. Pork chops, the same beautiful thick chops that I had made for my dad during his recent visit. A lanzo, which I realized upon opening later was a large loin of pork. An expensive cut. I looked further into the bag to find a picnic roast, perfect for slow cooking, and neck bones, possibly the base to Sunday gravy? What a haul. 

I estimated that I won 10-15 pounds of meat, 1/15 of a Berkshire hog from Catalpa Grove Farm, the same type of pig provided to Lillie's Q, my favorite table. So many possibilities for this meat. How would I put this meat to use? I decided to share it with friends and family - it would be selfish of me to keep such lovely meat (and so much of it!) all to myself. I called the store to find out the best way to store this meat, since I couldn't possibly go through it all. Wrap tightly in its paper, wrap the paper tightly in plastic, and seal in a ziplock bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and freeze. For good measure, I also dried the meat with paper towels to get rid of as much moisture as possible.

Look for posts in the upcoming weeks featuring the contents of this very special bag of meat!

Chorizo burgers

[April 16, 2013]

What do I do with a pound of pork chorizo? It would be lovely stuffed inside some dates and wrapped with bacon - I made these when my dad was visiting and they were delicious - but that probably be a dangerous dish to have all to myself. 

Instead I opted for these pineapple chorizo burgers. I saw the recipe on my gym's website; they post a recipe daily, as do many Crossfit gyms. If you're on the hunt for paleo-friendly recipes, this is often a good place to look!

The actual recipe called for some ground beef, which I omitted since I didn't have any, but that might not have been the best call. These burgers were really tasty but had an odd consistency for a burger (not enough fat? I've become accustomed to the burgers at Au Cheval and Owen & Engine), and maybe were not the optimal use of some great chorizo. Perhaps a frittata would have been better? Leave a comment if you have any ideas for future chorizo recipes!

These burgers would be great on a pretzel bun, but I served them on top of some mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed greens (kale, but mustard greens, collard greens, or any combination of greens would nicely). Mashed avocado with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime is also a nice topping, or guacamole if you have it on hand.

This recipe makes 4 burgers - I cooked up one and froze the other three. Wrap the patties tightly in plastic wrap, put each burger in a small ziplock bag, and freeze.

Ingredients
1 lb chorizo
1 pineapple (pre-sliced pineapple is easier but will spoil more quickly)
2 avocados (or guacamole; this is enough for 4 burgers)
Smoked paprika (cayenne works to if you have/prefer it)
Juice of 1 lemon, orange, or lime (or mix and match)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut up your pineapple. Cut off the top and bottom for stability, then slice off the prickly outside skin. Try to get as much of the hard skin off as you can without wasting too much flesh. Cut the pineapple into thin slices, about a 1/4 inch thick, and then cut the hard core out of the center. Do not skip this step - I did because I'm lazy and I regretted it.

3. Cut up/freeze any that you would like to use for another purpose (smoothies?). Toss the remaining pineapple with olive oil and salt. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes; turn halfway through baking.

4. Mash two avocados with the lemon/lime juice and a sprinkle of smoked paprika and salt (to your taste). 

5. Divide the chorizo into 8 equal-sized balls and flatten into thin patties. After the pineapple has cooled a bit, sandwich a slice of baked pineapple between two patties and pinch closed.

6. Heat an oven-safe skillet to medium-high heat. Add your choice of stable fat (bacon, coconut, butter). When the pan is hot, add the burgers. If you are cooking more than one, make sure not to crowd the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side.

7. Transfer your skillet to the oven and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Top with avocado and serve.

Getting to know goat

[April 10, 2013]

Goat - it's not just for Stephanie Izard anymore. I'm getting know goat. I once bought goat shanks at the 61st Street farmer's market (they sounded interesting!) and put together some ideas on the fly - goat shanks sound like lamb shanks, and lamb goes nicely with mint, and look at that great mint over there, and maybe some eggplant too. I got home and found a recipe that put some of these ideas together and had a great meal. I don't generally create recipes myself, but this collaboration between flavors I know pair well, ingredients I found at the market, and techniques I read on the internet was quite successful.

So when I saw goat chops in my CSA bag, I looked for inspiration in a similar lamb analogy: Goat chops are like lamb chops. I knew I wanted something with a nut crust and mint, and found what sounded like the perfect combination in this recipe. Some edits: Since I'm trying to cook paleo at home, I omitted the cous cous (replaced with mashed sweet potatoes) and the yogurt sauce, but I'm sure that both would be delicious. I also combined pistachios with hazelnuts, since I almost always have hazelnuts on hand (they are the secret ingredient in my homemade nut butter), and have discovered how nicely hazelnuts pair with meat thanks to the Publican. I'm lazy so I omitted the onion; it seemed silly to cut up an onion for <1 tbsp worth. Cardamom has a strong flavor which kind of overwhelmed the rest of the spice rub, so I'd cut it down or omit it completely next time.

I made way too much of the nut crust, but it's tasty so no harm in that I guess. I served the chops with some mashed sweet potatoes, roasted eggplant (I happened to have some left over, but I didn't love the recipe so I won't include it here), and roasted string beans (my new favorite thing to roast). I tucked in with a full plate, a nice glass of red wine (whatever I had around - merlot I think?), and Zero Dark 30. Great movie.

Ingredients

2 goat chops

1 lemon's worth of zest

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or chili powder)

Pinch of nutmeg

Seeds from 2 cardamom pods, ground (or a pinch of cloves, or neither)

1 lemon's worth of juice
1/4 cup pistachio nuts (shelled)
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup of mint (a large handful, roughly chopped)
1/2 cup of cilantro (a large handful, roughly chopped)

2 sweet potatoes

1 large handful of string beans

Method
1. Start with the sweet potatoes. Peel and cut into evenly sized chunks, place in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they can be pierced easily with a knife. Err on the side of longer cooking - you can't really overcook them but you can undercook them. Strain and mash with butter or coconut oil and cinnamon (to taste; I like a lot of cinnamon).

2. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

3. Prepare your string beans (i.e., cut off the ends). Place in a roasting pan (I cover mine with tin foil for easier cleanup) and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put the pan in the oven; shake the pan every 5 minutes or so, and take out when they are cooked to your preferred level of doneness/crispiness.

4. Make the spice mixture: add spices and half the lemon zest to a small bowl. Mix with half the juice of one lemon and some olive oil (enough to make the mixture into a paste).

5. Dry off the chops and season with salt and pepper. Massage the chops with the spice mixture, coat with olive oil, and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

6. Make the nut crust: add nuts, herbs, the other half of the lemon zest, the other half of the lemon juice, and the olive oil into a food processor. If you are using unsalted nuts, also add a healthy sprinkle of salt (at least a teaspoon). Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

7. Heat an oven-safe skillet to medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chops to the pan. They should be coated with plenty of oil so your pan will not need additional fat. Brown chops for about 2 minutes on each side.

8. Take the string beans out of the oven if you haven't already - they should be done by now. Top your chops with the nut crust and put the skillet in the oven. Cook for about 5 minutes (longer if you are using thick chops), and let rest for another 5 minutes before serving.

9. Toss the string beans with any remaining nut crust.

Share #2

[April 10, 2013]

Ack my second share is already here! I just defrosted my goat chops and planned to make some for dinner tonight, and now I have a new batch of meat coming my way. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. My freezer is now full of meat, fish, strawberries (49 cents for A CASE at Stanley's, and I could not say no to that bargain), seafood stew, stock, random frozen stuff in cube form. I have bags full of bones for stock but I can't fit any more stock in here! My refrigerator is full too - leftovers from my dad's visit, and evidence of my own poor planning. What did I think I was going to with all these vegetables? I love string beans, but I definitely did not need more veggies. Stanley's is a dangerous place.

Even more problematic: I have a lot of work traveling coming up (week 1: Seattle; week 2: Milwaukee), so there will be fewer opportunities than usual to cook and eat this meat.

I was going to make my chorizo into some chorizo-stuffed eggplant, but I have no time for a recipe that takes that long right now (2+ hours), there is no way I can eat all of that before leaving for Seattle anyway. Plus the recipe I found calls for lamb and not chorizo, so instead chorizo will become burgers, and extra burgers can go back into the freezer. Future me get will get some yummy burgers, as if she didn't have enough in the freezer already...

Share #2:

Turkey drumsticks

Ground lamb

Lamb brats

Pork spare ribs

Eggs

Dinner date with my dad

[April 6, 2013]

My dad is here. The day he flew in, I decided to take him to the Butcher and Larder for a delicious sandwich for lunch. B&L is one of my favorite spots in town. I'd love to go in more and actually be on a first name basis with my butcher, rather than the current state of affairs where I know his name - Rob - but he does not know mine. Since we're all Yankees fans I thought bringing my very outgoing father and have what I hoped would be a memorable visit.

What a great idea. While we were there enjoying some delicious sandwiches and baseball talk, several sides of pigs were brought in from Slagel Family Farm. My dad was very excited to see the shop in action. As we sat there, I thought back to some delicious pork chops that I'd made a few months ago. The memory of this meal sparked an idea - why should we go out to an expensive steak house (where I had made a reservation for later in the week, even though I knew that my dad would likely not order steak anyway) when we could buy some beautiful and freshly cut pork chops and eat a delicious meal in the comfort of home?

We did exactly that - waited for two beautiful pork chops could be cut fresh from the hog and prepared a beautiful dinner at home. I cooked, my dad spectated. As good a dinner as we could possibly have eaten at a restaurant, accompanied by some excellent scotch, and I got to wear sweatpants.

I served these amazing pork chops (recipe from Cook's Illustrated) with a side of braised brussels sprouts (adapted from this recipe from Epicurious) and a salad. 

I use fat from the chops in these dishes, but any fat (bacon, butter, olive oil, coconut oil) you have on hand will do. I might not use fat from a different animal (e.g., chicken) but it probably would turn out perfectly fine! 

Ingredients

2 pork chops, cut approximately 1.25 inches thick

Pork fat (the equivalent of one slice of bacon), sliced thin

Sage (optional)

1 lb brussels sprouts, cut in half

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup beer (I used a great farmhouse ale, but any honey-colored beer will do), or broth

Pork fat (the equivalent of two slices of bacon), sliced thin

A large handful of golden raisins

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or slightly less)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Dry pork chops with paper towels and cut small slits in the skin/fat layer on the outside of the chops. Sprinkle both sides with salt. Place on a metal rack and let sit for 45 minutes.

3. Pre-cook the chops in the oven for 30-45 minutes. I usually cook for about 40, but judge based on chop thickness and your oven. The center of the chops should come to 120-125 degrees. I don't have a meat thermometer so I just wing it.

4. Start on the brussels sprouts when the pork chops have been in the oven for about 15 minutes. Trim off the bottom of each one and cut in half.

5. Heat a heavy pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the pork fat (or bacon, or whatever fat you want) until it crisps, leaving the fat in the pan. Remove the crispy fat and save in whatever dish you'll be using to serve the brussels sprouts.

6. Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft and slightly browned (3-5 minutes). Keep the onions moving; as you stir scrape up any browned bits left by the crispy fat.

7. Add brussels sprouts to fat left in pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook the brussels sprouts until browned and soft (5-7 minutes); stir often.

8. Meanwhile, add some more fat to another heavy pan or skillet over medium heat. You will use this to sear the chops when they're done in the oven.

9. Reduce heat to low and add raisins. Cook briefly and add your liquid (again, scraping up any browned bits). Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, depending on how soupy you want your sprouts.

10. Add the vinegar and continue simmering, again until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and add to the dish with the crispy fat/bacon.

11. By now, your pork chops should be done in the oven and the fat in your skilled should be hot (test with a few droplets of water - if they don't sizzle, your pan is not hot enough). Transfer the chops from the rack to the pan. Cook on one side for about 2 minutes (rotate them in the pan to redistribute the fat), flip with tongs, and cook on the other side for about 3 minutes.

12. The center of the chops should now come to 140-145 degrees (again, I skip this). Move chops to a plate and tent with foil as they rest for about 10 minutes.

13. While the chops are resting, fry some sage leaves in the remaining fat. Crumble the fried sage over the pork chops to serve. Have some nice salt ready in case you need it.

It begins!

A note on chronology: I signed up for this CSA in March and thought it would be fun to write down my thoughts for my own entertainment before I seriously entertained the idea of sharing with the internet at large. So for the next few weeks, I'll post these entries at a somewhat breakneck pace until I'm caught up to the present.

[March 23, 2013]

My first share of meat had arrived! I was thrilled! An bag of meat was delivered to my door, direct from the farm, its contents yet unknown. A wonderful meaty mystery.

However, it didn't look like a lot of meat and I quickly had some concerns. Could I really keep my promise to only eat high quality meat? How could I make this meat stretch for more meals while still staying true to my goal to eat paleo at home (and in general, as much as my waning will power could handle). What would happen to my secondary goal of saving money?

On the other hand, I knew I wouldn't be starting in earnest for a bit - I didn't realize that my membership would start so soon and I had some things to finish up in my refrigerator as well as a few eating-out plans (Big Jones - fried chicken lunch! Marion Street Cheese Market - Easter brunch!).

I opened my insulated bag to discover an interesting assortment of meat - a variety of animals and cuts. I took to the internet to discover some new recipes.

Share #1:

Goat chops

Smoked/cured ham steak

Pork chorizo

Turkey drumsticks

Eggs

In the future, I'll ask for suggestions on how to use this meat when I post the contents of my share, but by now I have eaten this whole share.

Hello internet

What am I doing here? Everyone and their mom has a blog these days - literally! My friend's mom recently started her own blog, so I'm feeling a bit late to the party.

Who am I? I am a graduate student. I study developmental psychology and I am in my 4th year of a PhD program. I run experiments, analyze data, write papers, teach and advise undergrads. I do science. In the next year and a half, I hope to finish my dissertation and figure out what's next for me - I expect that there will be tough decisions ahead.

I am an avid eater. I'm hesitant to use the word "foodie" since it feels a bit flippant to me. I strongly believe that food is a critical way to connect with others. This is more than just a personal philosophy - this is also the foundation of many of my research questions! Great things happen when you share a meal with another person or group of people, and even greater things happen when you work with some ingredients and prepare food for others. I love cooking and entertaining, perhaps even more than I love trying new restaurants.

I am a crossfitter. I joined CrossFit 312 in January 2012. I've never considered myself to be an athletic person, but every time I step into the box, I am challenged in ways I never could have imagined before. I am stronger in so many ways. I've met some amazing people; intense physical punishment creates some interesting bonds. I'm running in the Chicago Tough Mudder on Saturday. If you told me two years ago that I would pay money to run a 10-mile race interspersed with obstacles that include swimming through ice water, running through fire, and being shocked with live electrical wires, I would have said you were crazy. But lo and behold I have signed up and am anxiously awaiting my 9am start time on May 18.

What will I be writing about here? My meat CSA experience, for sure. But not every meal I cook is that exciting - no doubt this blog would become boring fast if I wrote about every salad lunch and scrambled egg dinner I made. So in addition, I plan to write about food I eat outside of my house, things I'm reading or watching, and other food-related thoughts.

If you have comments, suggestions, or just want to let me know that someone is actually reading this, write me at farm.to.kitchen.table@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

The challenge

I am in a relationship. A relationship with my meat providers.

I love food. Chicago has no shortage of amazing places to eat, and certainly no shortage of places to eat amazing meat. But perhaps even more than I love going out to eat, I love to cook. Eating a wonderful meal, bourne out of a mixture of amazing ingredients, some creativity (sometimes my own, but more often someone else's), and my own labor, is a joyful experience unto itself. Plus you can't go to a restaurant in your pajamas.

And I love meat. I recently participated in a 6-week paleo diet challenge. I was feeling great, probably because I was eating a lot more green leafy vegetables and nutrient-dense foods, but I was also eating a lot of meat. Some fish, but also quite a bit of slow-cooked meat. It was winter in Chicago, after all.

On the last night of my challenge, I stumbled across a documentary about veganism on Netflix. It was described as everyday meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers embarking on a challenge to go vegan. I thought it was going to be about foodies like me and their daily struggles to cope with a constraining diet in the midst of their busy lives and love of food, something I could certainly relate to. Instead, this documentary was a reminder of the horrors of mass-produced meat - environmental disaster (eating meat is worse than driving a car - who knew?), cruel treatment of animals, low quality product. I felt conflicted; I'd heard these arguments before, but my recent increase in meat consumption made me feel remarkably guilty. I was contributing to these problems.

Instead of sitting back and feeling bad about my choices, I decided to take action. I started researching meat CSAs. CSA stands for "community supported agriculture." It provides farmers with guaranteed income (customers typically pay up front), and consumers with high quality products direct from farms (a great value). I've always been interested in a produce CSA, but as a single person that always seemed impractical. But 5 lbs of meat in a month? That seemed doable, and it's all frozen so I wouldn't feel the same pressure to eat everything before it spoils.

I got to know Mint Creek Farm at the Hyde Park farmer's market during my summer of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle-inspired living (more on that another time). They have interesting products (goat shanks!), and seem like cool people. I signed up for a 3 month share (plus 1 dozen eggs per month).

Here are the guiding principles of the challenge I have created for myself:

--Cook at home using only meat from my CSA share.

--Eat more fish. I know this has environmental/ethical baggage as well, but let's deal with one thing at a time here...

--Allow beans/lentils to make room for some meatless meals.

--Eating meat in restaurants is within the boundaries of this challenge, but try to focus on places with good meat.

--Buy meat from a good source if trying a specific recipe or cooking for one special person or a small number of special people.

So we'll see how this experiment goes. Maybe I'll save some money. I'll certainly be eating great meat.