This holiday season, let’s not talk lamb or turkey or ham – let’s talk beef, specifically locally raised grass-fed beef from farmer Jeremy Parker of Missouri Grass Fed Beef.
This year, Parker is offering rib roasts, whole beef loins and whole beef tenderloins – any of which would be a festive addition to your Christmas table – straight from his ranch in De Soto.
The grass-fed and grass-finished beef has what Parker called “a beefier taste” than supermarket steaks. Since the beef is so lean, it can reach its optimal taste in less time than you may be used to, so be sure to alter your recipes accordingly. Parker advised home cooks to invest in a meat thermometer before setting out to cook his products. “It’s the best way to gauge doneness,” he said. The whole beef loin is a good choice for strip steak fans, while filet mignon lovers should opt for the tenderloin.
Be sure to give Parker a call (877.807.BEEF) or shoot him an e-mail (info@missourigrassfedbeef.net) this week to order up some of these beauties for your holiday table. You can pick up your order at this week’s Maplewood Winter Farmers’ Market where Parker and a slew of other vendors will set up shop at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood. The market is (thankfully) held indoors and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2010.