Pork jowls (the fatty cheeks of a hog) are one of the perks of farming. They can be difficult to find, particularly because there are only two to a pig. However, we try to make use of every part of the pig that we can, so it’s been fun to experiment with different cooking techniques….
Pork shoulder is a rather confusing piece of meat. Here in Virginia, it’s called boston butt, picnic, or shoulder depending on how the primal is cut up. Boston butt is inappropriately named in more ways than one, since it comes from higher up on the shoulder primal. The picnic roast comes from lower on the…
Most of the animals on Little Brook Farm are incredibly early risers. If I want to see a cow asleep in the morning, it’ll probably involve a 4am flashlight adventure. However, the pigs generally sleep late, and they often get up only when I’ve brought out their breakfast. Once up, though, they quickly start on…
I still remember asking my mom to make pot roast for my birthday. I couldn’t remember what it was called, so I asked her to make the “meat that looks like mulch”. That certainly doesn’t sound like a commendable description, but when a good chuck roast is dealt with skillfully, its tender shreds are certainly…
A few years ago, I wrote this post on our milk cow. She’s still around! She has a strange combination of a devil-may-care attitude along with a solicitous mothering instinct towards everyone. But the Georgia scene has had its developments, so I think it’s about time to write an update on the family cow. First…
I’m not so sure my family is willing to use any other recipe on our pork chops. When we have succulent, pasture-raised, bone-in chops from our heritage breed hogs, it seems a bit irreverent to dress them up with any distractions. One thing I would note is that chops vary greatly in both size and…
Stock, also called bone broth, is nutritious and easy to make. I wish that more people took advantage of the wonderfully cheap and plentiful food. It takes time to make, but not a huge amount of effort. Here’s how we make it: Place a few large beef or pork bones, or several chicken backs on…
They are crispy, strange-looking, and disappear from our table faster than a hobbit with the Ring. Making kale chips requires a flair for improvised baking – they turn out a little different every time and take a watchful eye. Here’s our general recipe: 2 T. nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower, etc.) 2 T. olive oil…
I haven’t posted on this blog for half a year. I wish that I had some sort of great reason, but I don’t really. I’m a high-low sort of person and I was just done with thinking. But all that’s going to change now. George is back on top. Remember this post from last year?…
Here’s what’s been happening on the farm in July. Now to tackle the depressingly large tomato harvest and try to figure out a bigger brooder for the chicks.