My Meat CSA

For over a year I have been subscribing to a Meat CSA via Slagel Family Farms.  Verdict is—  I love it!

We get 5-6 cuts of meat each month.  It’s the perfect amount of meat for two people.  I rarely buy meat other than cuts for a special occasion or craving.  I do buy chicken and fish/shellfish from the grocery store to supplement the monthly package. 

The meat comes frozen and keeps well for 3-4 months (some longer) in its packaging.  The cuts are wrapped in heavy plastic and then paper or vacuum sealed.  The cost is $60 per month and we pick it up at a restaurant that is close to our home. 

We initially tried the CSA in an effort to eat more natural food especially hormone free meat.  What we didn’t expect is how good the meat would taste.

One of the best parts of getting the CSA every month is trying to figure out what to do with some of the cuts of meat.  I’ve had to use Google several time because I wasn’t sure what the cut of meat was.  Pork wings?  Baseball steaks?  Mock Tender Steaks?  These are not cuts of meat that I ever see at my grocery store. 

I have only been stuck twice on what to do with the meat. Beef Heart?  I boiled it for a long long time and cut it up for dog treats. I did try it and it was still chewy after 5 hours of cooking.  Cube Steaks? Is there anything other than chicken fried steak? If so let me know. 

I highly encourage anyone who can get a meats CSA to try it especially from Slagel.  Its always fun to see what we get each month and what I will cook up.

What we got:

1) Beef BBQ Ribs (I grilled them with a spicy rub)

2) Beef Chuck Roast (I made roast beef)

3) Bulk Sausage (I made breakfast sausage patties)

4) Bone-In Pork Chops (I made grilled pork chops)

5) Ground Veal (I mixed this with ground beef and made meat loaf)

1) 1 lb. Ground Beef (I mixed this with ground veal and made meatloaf)

2) Netted Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast (I cut it up and made stirfy)

3) Italian Brats (we grilled them)

4) Flank Steak (I made made fajitas)

5) Free Range Veal Chops (I grilled them)

1) Boneless Sirloin Steak (I cut them up and made stirfry)

2) Sausage Patties (We ate them for breakfast)

3) Beef Neck Soup Bone (I made beef stock)

4) St. Louis Style Ribs (made BBQ ribs)

5) Whole Duck (with feather tips) (I made duck tacos and used the rendered duck fat for months to make lots of tasty meals)

1) Lamb Chops (I grilled them with lemon and garlic)

2) Cube Steak (I made chicken fried steak)

3) Ground Pork (I made Asian lettuce wraps)

4) Ribeye Steak (I grilled them)

5) Country Style Ribs (I made BBQ Ribs)

1) Ham Roast (I made omelets)

2) Beef Sticks (Charlie used them in Bloody Mary’s)

3) Whole Chicken  (I made a roasted chicken and use the leftovers for chicken noodle soup)

4) Rope Sausage (I made sausage and peppers)

5) Bulk Ground Beef (I made meatloaf)

6) Lamb Roast (I made lamb kabobs)

1) Boneless Sirloin Steak (I made stirfy)

2) Pork Specialty Burgers (I made them on the grill)

3) Pork Shoulder Roast (I made kabobs)

4) Ground Goat (I made pizza)

5) BBQ Pork (it was pre-made pulled BBQ pork, I put it on buns)

1) Stew Meat (I made beef stew)

2) Breakfast Links (I cooked them up for breakfast)

3) Veal Chops (I made veal chops with white wine caper sauce)

4) Fillet Mignon (I grilled them with lobster tails for a special meal)

5) Pork Ribs (I slow roasted them)

1) Beef Cube Steak (I made chicken fried steak)

2) Pork Italian Sausage (it went into red pasta sauce)

3) Beef Brisket (I made bbq beef brisket)

4) American Cut Pork Chops (I broiled them)

5) Homemade Beef Hot Dogs (I made them on the grill)

1) Beef Chuck Mock Tender Steaks (I pan fried them in some butter)

2) Beef Heart (the dog loved it!!!)

3) Free Range Veal Cutlets (I made veal scallopini)

4) Brat Patties (I almost burnt down the house)

5) Bone in Pork Loin Roast (I grilled it)

6) Lamb loin chops (I broiled them with lemon and oregano)

1) Ground Beef (good ole’ fashion American hamburgers)

2) Cheddar Brats (we grilled them)

3) Sirloin Steak Kabobs (I grilled them)

4) Spare Ribs (I made them Asian Style)

5) Veal Chops (I made them for Sunday dinner at my mom’s house, we broiled them)

1) Boneless Pork Sirloin Roast (I made pork and pepper tacos)

2) 1 Guinea Hen ( I roasted it)

3) Ground Lamb Patties (we grilled them)

4) Ground Pork (I mixed with turkey and made meatloaf)

5) Beef Sirloin Tip Steak (I made pepper steak)

1) Fillets (we grilled them and topped them with blue cheese)

2) Boneless Netted Pork Shoulder (I made pulled pork)

3) Top Round Steak (I made stirfry)

4) Country cured and hickory smoked bacon (BACON! for Breakfast!)

5) Pork Medallions (I made kabobs)

1) Rolled Rump Roast (I roasted it)

2) Bacon Flavored Pork Patties (I fried them up and put them on a bun)

3) Beef Short Ribs (I made braised short ribs)

4) Ham Steak ( I made premade egg cups)

5) Pork 5-1 Sausage Links ( I made breakfast polenta)

1) Beef Loin Roast (I made beef and peppers)

2) Specialty Burgers (we grilled them)

3) Bulk Pork Sausage (I made breakfast sausage patties)

4) Bone-in Pork Chops ( I made pork chops verde)

5) Ground Lamb (I made lamb burgers)

1) Beef BBQ Ribs (still pending: on the BBQ with BBQ?)

2) Pork Italian Links (still pending: I plan on making sausage and peppers?)

3) Ground Veal (I made meat balls)

4) Lamb Chops (still pending: broiled with lemon butter?)

5) Beef Soup Bone (I made beef and bulgar soup)

6) Pork Sirloin Roast (I made green chili pork)

1) Beef Baseball Steak (We grilled them)

2) St. Louis Style Ribs (still pending: on the BBQ with BBQ)

3) Pork Wings (I made stock with them for Asian pork soup and then made pork fried rice)

4) Ground Turkey (I made meatballs)

5) Beef Sirloin Tip Roast (still pending: going to roast for french dip sandwiches?)

1) Country Smoked and Cured Ham Roast (I made quiche)

2) Beef Fillets (we had them for New Years Eve with lobster tails)

3) Beef Summer Sausage  (we snacked on it for a week)

4) Country Cured and Hickory Smoked Bacon (BACON! for Breakfast!)

5) Lamb Roast (I made lamb kabobs)

1) Butterfly Chops (still pending: I plan on grilling them with a chipotle rub?)

2) Beef Stew Meat ( I made white wine beef stew)

3) Pork 5-1 Links (still pending: I plan on making a pasta dish with it)

4) Chuck Mock Tender Steaks (I pan fried them in butter)

5) Goat Roast (still pending: I’m going to make it low and slow on the grill)

Yesterday, I picked our February allotment.  Here is what I have planned:

1)  60 Day Dry Aged Top Sirloin Steaks (simply grilled)
2) Whole Chicken (baked fried chicken..it looks like a fryer not a roaster)
3)  Rolled Rump Roast (I’m looking for a recipe or I will just slow roast it)
4)  Whole Pork Tenderloin (with herbs and broiled)
5)  Pork Sausage Patties (breakfast)