General information:
As promised, grass-fed, grass-finished beef and milk- and grass-fed veal are here!
This first offering is special because it is the meat of animals we raised here ourselves at Wild Thing. The cow and calf were Irish Dexters; beef animals and not part of our cow share. The meat was aged, cut and wrapped by Philippe, our European butcher in neighbouring Grand Forks. His shop is government-certified, so we can sell to you with confidence. Here, verbatim, is Philippe's comment when Kurtis went to pick up the meat:
"I have to pay you a compliment. That is some of the nicest, best-coloured and best-textured veal I've ever had the pleasure to cut. It's obvious you didn't use milk replacer--I can always tell when a calf is raised on mother's milk."
That is the best introduction we could hope for, to present this first offering of meat.
Everything is first-come, first-served, so once you know what you'd like, please send us an e-mail and we'll set it aside for you.
It is extremely rare (and expensive) to find grass-fed veal for sale. The reason is, ranchers don't make much on an animal of low weight when selling to the middlemen who put it on the store shelves. They'd just as soon range it until it's reached full size and then sell.
The veal in the supermarkets is the stuff of animal rights activists' nightmares--confinement; no sunlight or movement; and being fed chemical-filled, inferior milk replacement powder reconstituted with water. All of this cheap feed goes toward building bulk, since they cannot move freely. Feedlot operators do this because ranging the animals would burn off the calories of the feed through movement, and they want it all to go toward a higher carcass weight in the shortest amount of time.
Revelations like these turned many of us away from eating veal (and feedlot meat in general) years ago. Grass-fed veal, on the other hand, is a humane option, and one to feel peaceful about.
Now, it is still an expensive item. But a humanely raised calf ranges freely, drinks mother's milk and lives in a natural environment with no confinement at any time. Philippe shared a piece of butcher's wisdom with us: he said that you could tell if a calf has been on milk replacer, because the veal will have a thin line of grey between the meat and the fat.
Future availability and custom cuts:
After this first round of meat is sold, we will still be able to provide grass-fed, grass-finished, drug-free beef from at least 2 other local ranchers who farm the way we do. When we start offering their meat, there will be bios on the ranchers posted in the web store, so you can meet the people behind the sirloin.
The beef we sell, whether our own or that of other local ranches, is grass-fed, grass-finished, drug-free, and the animals graze on unsprayed pastures. We won't eat anything less than this, and wouldn't sell it you, either.
Veal will be a sporadic offering at best. We'll do everything we can to have some in stock semi-regularly, but it will be up to the ranchers to decide if they are willing to veal their calves or just let them range into adulthood. We have 190 pounds of this exceptional veal and once it's gone, we don't know when more will appear.
Philippe aged and cut this beef and veal according to his discretion and best professional judgment. If there are cuts you like and don't see here, please let us know, because he can cut to order in the future. And if you have requests for sausage seasonings, please pass them along. He's willing to accommodate.
Cooking idiosyncrasies:
If you are new to the grass-fed universe, there's a bit of a learning curve when it comes to cooking. Many people are disappointed because they find the meat to be tougher than its grain-fed counterpart. This is because it is so easy to overcook. Grass-fed beef has a naturally lower fat content, so always err on the side of undercooking, and be sure to use lower temperatures for shorter periods of time. Don't walk away while it's on the grill or in the pan—it could mean the difference between tender and juicy and tough and dry.
It can take a bit of fine-tuning, but the rich flavour and enhanced nutrient value are worth it. The fat of a grass-fed, grass-finished animal has up to 5 times the CLA content of grain-fed meat. You'll notice that (the fat) has a distinct yellow cast—this is due to the abundant beta-carotene in the grasses they graze on—and the fat itself will help your body convert it to usable Vitamin A. Please don't trim the fat--cook it gently and enjoy it as the health food that it is.
Shipping information:
All prices INCLUDE 2-day Xpresspost shipping within B.C. and into Alberta, as far north as High Prairie. (Canada Post cannot guarantee 2-day service beyond that point.)
A note about the pricing:
Admittedly, this meat is not an exercise in bargain shopping. These are prices that we ourselves have paid for this quality, and are competitive with what other grass-fed ranches charge for their products. We cannot compete with Wal-Mart, nor would we even try.
The prices as listed were determined by considering all the costs, big and small, that go into raising grass-fed animals and keeping them healthy; along with the costs of slaughter, processing, transport; aging, cut and wrap; also freezer storage, utilities, etc.
We've watched dozens of small-scale ranchers sell off their cattle and throw in the towel in the last year, due to unfair government regulations designed to protect the interests of big agribusiness and eliminate competition. The few who are still operating are struggling to stay there.
Through our web presence, we are offering them the opportunity to extend their reach, expand their customer base and sell directly; which is the real key to making a living wage in farming. Your dollars will help them (and for this first round, us!) continue to humanely raise healthy meat for your table.
We sincerely appreciate your support, not just for our own farm's survival; but because purchasing our meat and keeping us in motion helps us to be able to offer our web site as a far-reaching venue to our neighbouring farmers, so that what's left of our local, small-scale agriculture base may thrive and rebuild.
One steak at a time, we can reclaim consumer choice and safer, independent alternatives in a market dominated by the likes of Maple Leaf.
Thank you,
Karen & Kurtis
Price List
(Prices already include Xpresspost shipping)
Please note that a flat materials fee of $5.00 will be added to each order.
Beef:
Regular ground beef (no fat removed): $6.50/lb
18 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 2 oz to 1 lb, 9 oz
Stew beef: $6.50/lb
ranging from 1 lb, 2 oz to 1 lb, 8 oz Sold out!
Steaks:
Top Sirloin: $12.50/lb
Only 2 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 3 oz to 1 lb, 6 oz
Sirloin Tip: $11.00/lb
Only 5 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 4 oz to 1 lb, 13 oz
Rib Eye: $19.50/lb
Sold out! , ranging from 1 lb to 1 lb, 2 oz
T-bone: $16.50/lb
6 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 5 oz to 1 lb, 10 oz
Top Round: $9.50/lb
7 pkgs available, ranging from 10 oz to 1 lb, 5 oz
New York: $18.50/lb
Only 3 pkgs available, ranging from 13 oz to 1 lb
Roasts:
Bottom Round: $7.50/lb
Only 3 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 12 oz to 1 lb, 14 oz
Top Round: $9.50/lb
Only 1 available , ranging from 3 lbs, 2 oz to 3 lbs, 8 oz
Cross Rib: $8.50/lb
Only 2 pkgs. available, ranging from 3 lbs, 1 oz to 3 lbs, 6 oz
Eye of Round: $9.00/lb
Only 1 available, ranging from 1 lb, 14 oz to 1 lb, 15 oz
Prime Rib: $16.50/lb
Only 1 available, at 5 lbs, 12 oz
Tenderloin: $22.00/lb
Sold out! , ranging from 1 lb, 1 oz to 1 lb, 1.5 oz
Ribs & Sausage:
Short Ribs: $8.00/lb
Sold out! , ranging from 1 lb, 3 oz to 1 lb, 8.5 oz
Sausage: Selling out fast!
Mildly seasoned Beef Sausage with pastured pork fat added for flavour & tenderness (all-natural, handmade by Philippe, no MSG, nitrite, etc.): $9.50/lb
Only 14pkgs available, ranging from 15 oz to 1 lb, 13 oz
Italian Beef Sausage (mild taste to cater to any palate, also with pastured pork fat added for flavour and tenderness): $9.50/lb
Only 8 pkgs available, ranging from 15 oz to 1 lb, 8.5 oz
Veal:
Regular ground veal (no fat removed): $10.00/lb
19 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 5 oz to 2 lbs, 6.7 oz
Steaks & Chops:
Top Round Steak: $12.50/lb
8 pkgs available, ranging from 15 oz to 1 lb, 1.6 oz
Sirloin Tip Steak: $13.50/lb
4 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 1 oz to 1 lb, 1.6 oz
Top Sirloin Steak: $14.00/lb
Only 1 available, ranging from 13.6 oz to 1 lb, 3.8 oz
Shoulder Chops: $14.00/lb
Only 3 pkgs available, ranging from 2 lbs, 9.8 oz to 2 lbs, 12.3 oz
Loin Chops: $22.00/lb
9 pkgs available, ranging from 1 lb, 1.1 oz to 2 lbs, 2.6 oz
Roasts:
Bottom Round: $13.00/lb
Only 1 available, 3 lbs, 10.4 oz
Cross Rib: $15.00/lb
Only 2 pkgs available, ranging from 2 lbs, 1 oz to 2 lbs, 3.6 oz
Tenderloin: $30.00/lb
Only 1 available, 1 lb, 4 oz
More Pork and beef selections will be available in the new year. In order to not be disappointed, please send us your wishlist now!
Please Contact us to order, reserve, or enquire about the availability of, beef, pork, chicken, and organic apples.
Full sides of beef, and pork, may be available in the near future.
