Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Recipe

by Courtney Meyerhofer

I’m not usually someone who enjoys a sauce on a steak. I typically like the steak to speak for itself. This sauce is the exception to that rule.

This creamy peppercorn sauce will take your steak game to the next level.

It’s creamy, peppery, and full of umami flavor.

The total time to make this meal is about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For steaks

• 2 Saint John’s organic grass fed steaks (I did sirloin but any will do)

• 2 Tbsp tallow

• Salt

For creamy peppercorn sauce

• ¼ onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp peppercorns, crushed

• ½ cup beef broth

• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

• ¾ cup Saint John’s organic grass fed raw cream

METHOD

Heat cast iron skillet on medium high heat until it’s really hot. Give it a few minutes to warm up properly.

Melt tallow in skillet.

Cook meat until desired done-ness is reached. I did 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Remove steaks to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add onion and cook until translucent.

Add garlic and crushed peppercorns Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add beef broth and worcestershire sauce. Stir in cream.

Turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 7-10 minutes until thickened. It will thicken the longer it stands.

Serve as accompaniment to steak!

Grass Fed Beef Smash Burger Recipe

by Courtney Meyerhofer

Double patty smash burger with garlic-herb aioli

I’ll always like traditional patty burgers, but there’s something special about the smash burgers.

It’s fun.

It’s flavorful

It’s fast.

Smashing yields a burger that is delightfully crispy on the outside, a delicious sear that locks flavor and juices inside.

Add a homemade bun, a summer herb aioli, a squirt of ketchup, and buddy, we’re in business.

Here’s how I make smash burgers on a cast iron griddle on a gas grill.

It’s possible to make them indoors on a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat, but be warned, there will be smoke. Lots of it. In your house.

Because to get the aforementioned crispy crunchy sear, you need high heat.

Also included: a sourdough bun (start these the night before) and an herb-garlic aiol recipei. Enjoy!

BURGERS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs Saint John’s organic, grass fed ground beef

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp black pepper

METHOD

Mix meat and spices together and form into 3 - 4 oz balls, not patties. Use of a food scale for accuracy is helpful here. Refrigerate meat until ready to cook. The meat should be cold when it hits the pan.

Preheat a griddle pan on a gas grill over high heat or a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on an indoor stovetop.

Once very hot, place 2 - 4 meat balls on the pan and use two spatulas to smash together, one spatula per hand, spatulas stacked to create an even and thin smash burger. Once smashed, slide the spatulas off the meat (do not lift the spatulas, as they will bring meat with them).

Cook for 2 - 3 minutes per side, checking with a meat thermometer for desired temperature.

SOURDOUGH BUNS

From Lisa at Farmhouse on Boone

INGREDIENTS

• ½ c sourdough starter

• 3 c flour

• 1 egg

• ¼ c butter or coconut oil, melted

• ¾ c warm water, milk, or whey

• 3 T honey

• 1 t salt

METHOD

The night before, add all ingredients to a stand mixer and knead with a dough hook for 5 - 10 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to ferment at room temperature for at least 8 hours.

4 - 5 hours before baking, divide dough into 8 equal pieces and shape into smooth, flat, round disks. Place in a warm spot to rise.

Once the dough has approximately doubled in size, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

GARLIC-HERB AIOLI

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pastured egg

• 1 pastured egg yolk

• ⅔ - 1 cup avocado oil

• 1 tsp mustard

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 3-4 Tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped (basil, oregano, tarragon, parsley, thyme, etc.)

METHOD

Add egg and egg yolk to blender. Blend on medium speed then slowly drip in the oil through the top.

Start with ⅔ c of oil then slowly add to 1 c of oil if needed. You will know you have added enough oil when the aioli looks as thick as mayonnaise. If it looks loose or thin, try adding a bit more oil.

Add remaining ingredients and blend well.

(I recommend only using high quality pastured eggs since the eggs will be consumed raw).

mRNA Vaccines in Livestock: A Coming Trend?

by Courtney Meyerhofer

“Are your cows vaccinated for Covid?”

No, Saint John’s cows are not vaccinated for Covid.

The only vaccine they receive is the Brucellosis vaccine which has been required by law for many years. It is administered to females only between 4 and 12 months old.

In recent months there have been a few reports of “leaks” and “whistleblowers” decrying a Covid mRNA vaccine will be mandated for all cattle in the United States.

Many of the sources of this prophecy are unnamed, and the truth is that there currently is no mRNA Covid vaccine available for livestock or veterinary use.

However, that doesn’t discount the possibility of future adoption of an mRNA Covid vaccine in the conventional agriculture space.

Here’s What We Know

According to the CDC, livestock and other non-human animals can catch Covid from humans. However, per the USDA’s reports, no cases of livestock with positive Covid test have been found. 

There are no mRNA vaccinations for Covid currently available for livestock or veterinary use. The approval, testing, and distribution processes for animal use and human use are two different tracks and require different levels of disclosure and testing.

Since 2018, most grocery store pork has been vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (not Covid).

Vaccinations and antibiotics are used routinely as a preventative measure in conventional agriculture to prevent disease, since disease is more prevalent in conventionally raised animals.

Disease is more common in conventional agriculture because animals are not raised in their ideal ecology, and the ecology of life creates the foundation for health, be it plant life or animal life.

Without adequate access to sunshine, high quality water, clean air in pastures, and species-appropriate food, the animal by definition cannot be healthy because it does not have health-producing inputs. The same is true for humans, by the way! Our ecology is our foundation, including our relationships, mindset, and habits. 

Conventionally raised cattle receive the aforementioned preventative antibiotics and vaccinations, contributing to the abundance of superbugs in conventionally-raised meat.

According to the USDA Certified Organic standards, an animal cannot receive antibiotics and be sold as “Organic”. However, the USDA does allow vaccinations for its certified Organic program.

mRNA Covid vaccines are currently being researched and developed. This signals that there may be significant funding available to develop vaccines and perform clinical trials. If a vaccine manufacturer could get an mRNA Covid vaccine on the standard vaccine schedule for livestock, they would make a fortune. Studies are linked in Resources section at end of article.

What We Don’t Know

Whether the USDA will allow mRNA-vaccinated beef to be labeled Organic is still to be determined. As it stands, if a bovine mRNA vaccine for Covid were approved and distributed, USDA certified Organic meat could receive the “preventative inoculation”.

We don’t know how an mRNA Covid vaccine would affect the tissues and byproducts of a vaccinated animal. It could be benign or it could cause unforeseen health implications for the consumer.

As a matter of principle, the consumer has a right to know what they are consuming. We must insist that products be properly labeled so that we can be informed consumers and make our own choices. A practical way to insist on this is to concentrate the majority of your food spending to well-sourced, well-labeled, locally raised food.

Resources

Alderspring article: https://www.alderspring.com/organic-beef-matters/glenns-response-to-the-mrna-vaccine/

Wisconsin Pork Association:

https://www.wppa.org/livestock-and-mrna-vaccines/

mRNA vaccines being developed for veterinary / livestock use:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8877136/

https://porcinehealthmanagement.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40813-020-00179-7

https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/species/swine/sequivity

Raw Milk vs Pasteurized Milk: A Look at the Research

Raw milk is a source of deep nutrition, and unprocessed whole, raw milk from grass fed cows has many benefits for those who can digest it well.

Raw milk is milk that has been minimally processed, and specifically not heated for pasteurization. Pasteurizing milk changes the profile of enzymes, bioactive peptides, nutrients, and beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in the milk and give the milk so many of its health-promoting qualities.

The pasteurization process may also be a reason why many people are “lactose intolerant”, as milk processing increases the allergenicity of milk.

The pasteurization process increases the shelf life and made milk accessible to city folk during the Industrial Revolution, but now we know that this processing has a major downside – it’s much harder for the body to metabolize.

This means that people who are lactose intolerant may only be intolerant of highly processed, ultra-pasteurized milk. Many people find they thrive on raw dairy instead, with its enzymes and bacteria intact to aid in digestion.

Additionally, raw milk has a protective effect for childhood asthma and allergies and raw milk is a supremely important food for nourishing growing children, athletes or those seeking muscle growth, and pregnant and nursing women.

Raw milk has been shown to boost muscle building in athletes. Drinking raw milk post-workout has been shown to decrease muscle damage, increase muscle repair, increase muscle protein synthesis, and reduce recovery time from workouts.

Nutritional Differences

Photo Credit Real Milk Campaign

Additionally, there is some emerging research that the milk fat globulins of raw milk may be protective of brain health. Milk fat globulins may be protective against neuro-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, as these globulins are fodder for brain growth and activity.

Raw milk can be an incredibly supportive food for many people. Check out our Raw Milk Co-op! Our milk is produced at a small scale, and all of our cows are 100% organically grass fed.

Grass Fed Beef Meatballs: Crispy and Quick Recipe

These crispy pan-fried meatballs are inspired from a favorite Hungarian cookbook, Cooking with Love and Paprika by Pasternak.

The paprika adds a subtle savory flavor that was very enjoyable. I recommend serving them with sour cream and ketchup!

• 2 lbs Saint John’s organic ground beef

• 4 eggs

• ⅓ cup shredded parmesan

• ½ large onion

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• 2 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs or blended rolled oats

• Plenty of tallow

METHOD

1. Blend onion in food processor or finely dice. Add all ingredients except breadcrumbs and tallow and mix well.

2. Shape mixture into small balls and roll in breadcrumbs or blended rolled oats.

3. Heat tallow or lard in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. You shouldn’t need enough tallow to deep fry, but enough to halfway submerge the meatball.

4. Add 5-7 meatballs and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees. This was approximately 4 minutes each side for my setup.

5. Keep warm and enjoy!

Organic Garden Planning: Sharing Our Favorite Resources

Spring is right around the corner, and now is the time to plan your home garden!

Tending a garden is beneficial for mind, body, and spirit. Nurturing your environment, nurturing your body, and spending time outdoors are all side effects of gardening.

With rising food prices, gardening can help many people decrease their reliance on grocery stores and have incredibly fresh food.

Keeping a garden encourage the gardeners to be outside! Sunlight exposure and grounding  to the Earth (via barefoot gardening) have significant impacts on our circadian and mitochondrial health.

Why Organic Matters

When planning your garden, choose organic seeds. Organic seeds are produced from organic certified farmers and tend to produce a more robust crop.

According to High Mowing Seeds, seeds produced organically are more likely to be successful in backyard organic gardens. Reputable organic growers test their crops for disease resistance, abundant yields, and exceptional flavor.

Conventionally grown seeds may have been genetically modified or treated with pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate, known to cause a variety of biological problems in the human body.

When to Start Seeds

For Emmett, our last frost is approximately May 7.

Depending on what you want to grow, the Farmer’s Almanac has a guide for when to start seedlings, when to transfer those seedlings outdoors, and when to sow seeds directly outdoors based on your location.

This is a great tool for creating your custom garden plan!

Where to Get Seeds

Seed Savers

High Mowing Seeds

Sand Hill Preservation Center

Territorial Seed Company

Organic Garden Guides

Peaceful Valley

Pest Control Chart

If you create a garden this year, tag us on Facebook or Instagram with pictures of your seeds, seedlings, or garden!

Grass Fed Beef Brisket: A Traditional Corned Beef Recipe

This Saint Patrick’s Day, honor the American-Irish tradition and try a traditional corned beef dish, made from grass fed beef brisket.

The beef was very tender with a bit of sturdy texture, and had a deeply earthy beef flavor lightly punctuated with notes of peppercorn, garlic, and coriander.

Recipe and method inspired from Cook’s Illustrated.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Saint John’s organic grass fed beef brisket

• ¾ cup salt

• ½ cup sugar

• 3 bay leaves

• 6 cloves garlic

• 1 Tbsp black peppercorns

• 2 Tbsp pickling spice

METHOD

1. Dissolve salt and sugar in water.

2. Add brisket, aromatics, and brine to a large glass container and seal with a lid. Refrigerate for 6 days.

3. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

4. Remove brisket from brine, rinse, and pat dry. Add to a dutch oven and cover with fresh water.

5. Bring water to a simmer over high heat, cover, and add to oven for 2-3 hours or until very tender. My 3 lb brisket took 3 hours to become fork tender. Start at 2 hours and check in 20 minute increments thereafter.

6. Remove brisket from dutch oven and slice against the grain into ¼-inch thick slices.

7. Serve hot with boiled carrots and potatoes. Enjoy!

For the Love of Soil: Future-Proof Strategies to Regenerate Food Production Systems

Our food systems have been stretched to the edge of their capacity in recent years, due to climate, illness, and geopolitical conflict.

Increasingly, people are searching for local food providers who tend their soil with care, knowing that healthy food comes from healthy soil.

Modern mega-agribusinesses have traded profitability for soil health, a choice that’s had disastrous effects on soil health and has unfortunately impacted our bodies. The chemical-laden agribusiness strategies strip the soil of nutrients and poison our bodies.

There is another way! There is another way that also provides for the farmer by increasing the amount of food they can provide.

And it all starts with the soil.

Nicole Masters’ book is available on Amazon.

“‘For the Love of Soil’ is a land manager’s roadmap to healthy soil, revitalized food systems in challenging times. This book equips producers with knowledge, skills and insights to regenerate ecosystem health and grow farm profits.”

— Nicole Masters

Soil expert and agroecologist Nicole Masters has created a platform around soil regeneration, and she works with farmers to educate them on creating the best possible soil on their land.

Masters’ work equips farmers to reduce their chemical load into the soil and regenerate richness in the soil without impacting the farmer’s bottom line.

“This book translates the often complex and technical know-how of soil into more digestible terms through case studies from regenerative farmers, growers, and ranchers in Australasia and North America. Along with sharing key soil health principles and restoration tools, For the Love of Soil provides land managers with an action plan to kickstart their soil resource’s well-being, no matter the scale.”

— Nicole Masters

At Saint John’s Organic Farm, we actively educate ourselves on soil health, and our regenerative farm utilizes grazing practices that steward the health of our soil for future generations!

Grass Fed Beef Standards: The Surprising Truth about Labeling

In order to be a conscious shopper and buy high quality food, we have to be up on the latest lingo and understand the unfortunate truth about food labeling.

Food labels and certifications abound, and they can add a sense of safety to a purchase. For example, when I buy organic, I know what I’m buying is glyphosate-free.

However, there are many marketing terms and labels that aren’t what they appear to be at first glance.

A few of the many deceptive food labels include:

• “Fresh”

• “Pasture raised”

• “Grass fed”

• “Product of USA”

• “Natural”

We rely on these labels to make important decisions about nourishing our bodies and our families, and many of these labels don’t mean what they imply or are unregulated terms that anyone can use.

What does grass fed really mean?

In the U.S. “grass fed” can mean the cow had a few bites of grass or it can mean the cow ate exclusively grass.

The USDA no longer regulates the term “grass fed”. If the cow ate some grass at some point in its life, the beef from that cow can have “grass fed” on the label, as “grass fed” is mostly an unregulated term. There are some independent, third-party grass fed certifications popping up, and they all have different requirements and standards.

In the U.S., 99% of beef is grain-finished or supplemented with grain throughout its life. However, that beef can usually be labeled as “grass fed” because the majority of calves graze some grass when nursing with their mothers in the early weeks and months of their lives.

Why should I care about grass fed and grass finished beef?

Compared to conventional beef, organic, grass-fed and grass-finished beef is:

• 10X higher in vitamin A

• 3X higher in vitamin E

• Substantially higher in calcium, magnesium, potassium, & B vitamins

• Lower in cholesterol

• An abundant source of anti-cancer conjugated linoleic acid

• Free of GMOs

• Free of synthetic fertilizers

• Free of hormones and antibiotics

• Free of glyphosate and other pesticides and herbicides

We provide organic, grass-fed, and grass-finished beef because it’s best for the animal’s health, quality of life, and for our own health. We believe this is a sustainable way to feed our community, and we use regenerative farming practices.

Grass Fed Ribeye Steak and Sweet Potatoes for your Sweetheart

Savory steak and sweet potatoes make a perfect pair for a delicious Valentine’s Day celebration!

Here’s how to make a memorable yet simple meal this Valentine’s Day.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Saint John’s organic grass-fed ribeye steaks

• 2 large sweet potatoes

• Butter

• Salt

METHOD

At least 2 hours before dinner, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes clean and poke holes in them with a fork.

Place the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, check on the potatoes by poking them with a fork. Do they feel soft and tender or still a bit firm? If they feel firm. Keep baking for another 20 or 30 minutes until they feel soft.

Now turn down the heat and keep them warm at 200 degrees. The added cooking time at a low temperature continues to softly cook the sweet potatoes and will help them develop a creamy texture.

While the potatoes are cooking, remove the steaks from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.

Salt both sides of each steak generously and leave covered at room temperature for 2 hours. 

The time to sit while salted tenderizes the steak and will bring out more of the grass fed flavor of the meat.

Thirty minutes before you want to serve dinner, preheat your grill.

For a 3-burner grill, turn on the outer two burners and place the steaks in the middle, so that they cook indirectly over the heat.

Depending on the thickness of your steaks, check the temperature of your steak after 3 minutes per side. A meat thermometer is indispensable here!

After the steaks have reached an ideal final temperature, allow them to rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serve your sweet potatoes by slitting them lengthwise and topping with butter and salt.

Enjoy your simple and delectable meal!

Saint John’s steak cooked to a perfect medium rare.

If you try this recipe, let us know by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram.