Hello, May!

I just love this time of year….getting orders organized for the hogs we have been raising all winter, refilling Natural Harvest’s freezer, scheduling the pick up of new pigs, laying out the spreadsheet for our pork subscriptions through Janna’s CSA…..and starting to talk to people who want beef and pork for fall!

The grass is growing…the cattle are finding something to eat on the pasture…they aren’t eating much hay anymore. The creek pasture is drying up and the grass is growing undisturbed…soon the cattle will move off the hayfield and onto the creek pasture. They have been naturally fertilizing the hayfield all winter, so we will let that grow this summer and then take the hay off for winter feed.

What will I put in my summer sampler boxes? How many pounds of each sausage should I make?

I need check out all my Farmer’s Market gear I packed away last fall and get ready. Tower Market opens June 18th!

So many decisions…and so much fun to come.

Hello, spring!

SPRING PASTURE….LOOK, IT’S TURNING GREEN!

It’s fall! That means it’s time to fill your freezer!

A few of the items you might see in a pork sampler

We are taking orders now for half hogs that will be delivered in October and November. That meat will be processed locally and paperwrapped. The cost is holding at $3.10 a pound which includes all fees with the exception of smoking. I would love to tell you more about how to order a half hog if that is something new to you. I also have lots of info at our website: http://www.bearcreekacres.com/half-hog-1.html

If you are interested in a smaller amount of meat we have samplers that will be available in October. There are two different $200 ones and two different $50 ones. Let me know what works for you, and I will get you on the list. The meat in the samplers is USDA inspected and wrapped as shown above.The sampler info is below.

As always, please call, text or email me your questions! There are no stupid questions, and I just love helping people understand how to eat meat locally.

Mary Ann’s contact info: call or text 218-290-9634, call the farm at 218-984-3235 or email bearcreekacres@gmail.com. And our website is http://www.bearcreekacres.com

$200 SAMPLER WITH RIBS             2 PKGS OF SPARE RIBS            5 PACKAGES OF 2 PORK CHOPS            5 POUNDS OF BACON            1 PORK ROAST (APROX 3 #)            3 PKGS BRAT PATTIES (EACH IS 4 QUARTER POUND PATTIES)            2 POUNDS PLAIN GROUND PORK            1 PKG OF 2 PORK MINUTE STEAKS            3 ONE POUND PKGS OF WILD RICE BRATS            3 ONE POUND PKGS OF ITALIAN SAUSAGE             3 ONE POUND PKGS OF BREAKFAST LINKS  $200 SAMPLER WITHOUT RIBS             6 PACKAGES OF 2 PORK CHOPS            6 POUNDS OF BACON            1 PORK ROAST (APROX 3 #)            3 PKGS BRAT PATTIES (EACH IS 4 QUARTER POUND PATTIES)            2 POUNDS PLAIN GROUND PORK            1 PKG OF 2 PORK MINUTE STEAKS            3 ONE POUND PKGS OF WILD RICE BRATS            3 ONE POUND PKGS OF ITALIAN SAUSAGE             3 ONE POUND PKGS OF BREAKFAST LINKS F The Sampler Pricing is about 15 % off buying these packages individually. Some substitution are possible. Please inquire.

$50 SAMPLER              2 PACKAGES OF 2 PORK CHOPS            1 POUND OF BACON            1 PKG BRAT PATTIES (EACH IS 4 QUARTER POUND PATTIES)            1  POUND PLAIN GROUND PORK            1 ONE POUND PKG OF WILD RICE BRATS            1 ONE POUND PKG OF ITALIAN SAUSAGE             1 ONE POUND PKG OF BREAKFAST LINKS The $50 Sampler is about a 12% savings off buying these packages individually.  Some substitutions are possible. Please inquire.

$50 JUST SAUSAGE SAMPLER FOR THOSE OF YOUR GETTING A HALF HOG AND WISHING YOU GOT SOME SAUSAGE, TOO OR  FOR THOSE WHO JUST WANT SOME SAUSAGE!             2 PKGS BRAT PATTIES (EACH IS 4 QUARTER POUND PATTIES)            2 ONE POUND PKGS OF WILD RICE BRATS            2 ONE POUND PKGS OF ITALIAN SAUSAGE             2 ONE POUND PKGS OF BREAKFAST LINKS

Easy Italian Sausage Sandwiches for Supper

I love this idea for easy cook and clean up supper at home or at the cabin. Nice for camping too!

Just chop up peppers and onions and top with a a couple pats of butter and some garlic salt. Wrap up tightly in aluminum foil.

Cook that packet on the grill while you grill up your Bear Creek Acres Italian Sausages.

Both are done at the same time.

We enjoy them on Italian Bakery buns.

One reason to buy Bear Creek Acres pork…..

At Bear Creek Acres we pride ourselves in raising them humanely. Pigs get to act like pigs. We are going to eat meat, and we want to eat it with a clear conscience.

If you ever get a chance to watch pigs, you should. They are a riot. They love to run around. They will root and root and root – rolling rocks and stumps up out of the ground eating all the tender grass they find. They love to lay in mud and play in water.

Conventional hogs (what I call grocery store pork) are raised in enormous buildings shoulder to shoulder over slatted floors so that their urine and manure falls into big pits below. They never ever see grass, mud or sunshine. It is efficient, and a great system designed to feed a lot of people on a small footprint of land. Pigs are hard on the ground, but inside these hog barns they can tremendously increase the number of animals per square foot. If you keep them in the buildings, they can’t wreck stuff. The slatted floor eliminates cleaning up under them. The farmers can control the climate.

But which pig is happier?

I would argue ours are.

Bear Creek Acres Pastured Pigs

Grocery Store Pork

Chicken for Later

When you buy a Batch of Four chickens from us, it comes with a bag of 4 chicken backs which are wonderful for soup. They have a bit of meat on them and the stock you get is lovely.

One cold Saturday recently, I took some backs and boiled them up for a few hours. I strained the liquid and returned the broth to the pot and let the bones cool so I could pick off the meat.

I wanted to preserve some very meaty stock, too. I boiled up a chicken in that stock along with some onion and carrot and celery. After a couple more hours, I skimmed the broth. The dogs love that on top of their food. Then strained the broth again. After I returned the broth to the pot, I picked the cooled backs and put the meat in the pot. When the chicken cooled, I picked the meat off and added that meat to the pot.

The day got away from me -I didn’t spend much actual time on this project. I did other things all day while this sat on the stove top simmering – I was ready to punch out and relax. Normally I will can the stock and meat in my pressure canner, but this day instead of canning, I froze this up in some plastic containers. Now I can use these as the start to soups or hotdishes.

Tower Farmers Market

Yippee! We are going to be rejoining the Tower Farmers Marketers! We took a couple summers off from Market-ing but we miss it, so Mary Ann will be back in action in Tower by The Train  Friday nights from 4-6 starting June 10th.

I will also have our Adirondack chairs with me so you can sit in one and see if it fits you!

We bought a shiny white enclosed trailer to haul our freezer and generator and some chairs, so we are ready for action!

The Tower Market is made up of the friendliest bunch of people you can imagine. You will find wonderful vegetables and baked goods and preserved items. Every week there is something new. Take a drive on Friday nights and check us out!

Weeknight Roast Chicken

Our wonderful customer, David, shared with me his tried and true standby chicken recipe the other day when he was here picking up meat and eggs. He got the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.

The way he explained it to me is this: if your whole chicken is 4.2 pounds. Place an oven safe heavy pan in the oven (I used a cast iron pan). Preheat the oven (with the pan in it)  to 450 degrees. While your oven is heating up, dry off your bird, rub a little olive oil on it, and rub it with your seasonings. ( I like garlic powder, Lawry’s season salt and pepper).  When your oven reaches temperature, place your bird in that nice hot pan. Quickly close the oven, and set the timer for 42 minutes (your birds weighed 4.2…if your bird was 3.5 pounds you would set it for 35 minutes, get it? ). When the timer goes off, turn off the oven. Don’t open it. Reset your timer for another 42 minutes and let it bake some more. When the timer goes off again. Take it out, check for doneness using your meat thermometer, and then let it stand for 15 minutes.

He explained that the hot pan gets the thigh cooking quickly so that the breast won’t be all dried out by the time the thigh is done.

I must admit….the breast meat was way juicier.

The actual Cook’s recipe is here   It’s a bit different from David’s method….but David’s method worked for me.

If you try it…let me know! bearcreekacres@gmail.com

Want to order some yummy pasture raised chickens? email me or call/text 218-290-9634!!

 

 

Pork Samplers

We just filled our freezers again! Last time we tried offering a sampler, they sold like crazy. So, this time we have three pork samplers to choose from!

$50 Pork Sampler

2 pkgs of pork chops, one pkg of pork cutlets, one pound of plain ground pork, one pound pkg of Italian sausage, one pound pkg of breakfast links, one pound pkg of wild rice brats, and a half a pound of bacon

$100 Pork Sampler

5 pkgs of pork chops, 2 pkgs of two country style ribs, 2 one pound pkgs of ground pork, 2 half pound pkgs of bacon, one pound pkg of breakfast links, one pound pkg of Italian sausage, one pound pkg of  tomato basil sausage, and 2 one pound pkgs of wild rice brats

$50 Sausage Sampler

2 one pound pkgs of Wild Rice Brats, 2 one pound pkgs of breakfast links, one pound pkg of Italian sausage, one pound pkg tomato basil sausage, and one pound pk of ground pork.

In addition to the samplers, we have individual items, of course. Here a link to prices and other information: http://www.bearcreekacres.com/individual-cuts-and-sausage-1.html

If there is something you would like, just email  BearCreekAcres@gmail.com or call/text 218-290-9634 or find us on facebook and message me!

We are making an real effort to have a more consistent supply of pork for all of you and we appreciate your patience as we grow. Thank you!!

          

 

 

 

 

Pasties

Ahhhh.  Yesterday I spent a couple hours making pasties. Mmm.

I turned on the TV to a movie I wanted to watch, and then I took out a Bear Creek Acres pork shoulder roast and a bottom round steak. Next I ran them through the food grinder attachment on my Kitchen Aid mixer with the plate with the larger holes installed. Then  I peeled and cubed a few potatoes and finely chopped some onion and made a double batch of pie crust.

Then just take a chunk of crust  and roll out an oval. Put some meat down, some potatoes down and sprinkle with onion, salt and pepper. Fold over and crimp. Place on cookie sheet and repeat. Easy. Some people also add carrots and rutabagas…and I have nothing against them. But my mom learned this from her mother in law. And my grandma was Cornish and great up in a very Cornish area. So I make it this way. Now, maybe Cornish people add that other stuff, and my Gma didn’t because her husband hated the taste of ‘bagas. If so, I wish THAT little tidbit of info had gotten passed down. But until I hear that Gma’s mom added carrots or ‘bagas, I am leaving them out.

I bake them at 350 til the crust browns nicely. Seems like by that time the meat and potatoes are cooked just fine. The ones pictured are a little underbaked because  I planned to wrap these individually and freeze for busy day meals. I can just bake them again and they will brown just a bit more, I think.

Don’t buy pasties. It’s so easy to make your own.

 

 

Sampler Box of our Pork

Edited at 6 PM….this was a huge hit! Selling really well. Thank you! We are temporarily out of spare ribs and will need to substitute 2 pkg of pork cutlets for the spare ribs. It occurred to us that maybe some customers would like to buy sort of a Starter Box, a Sampler sort of thing. So we put together this box for $50. It is just a basic idea….I will happily substitute items, add items, or subtract some things. They might be even trades or maybe you will owe a couple extra dollars or we will knock a couple bucks off. We can work if out.The Sampler Box is: 2 packages of 2 pork chops, 1 pkg of country style ribs, 1 half rack of spare ribs  2 pkgs of yummy pork cutlets (instead of spare ribs), 1 pound of unseasoned ground pork , 1 package of Italian Sausage (links), and 2 packages of our Wild Rice Brats.

If you are interested and want to order or have some questions. Call/Text (anytime is fine) 218-290-9634, call the house at  218-984-3235 or email bearcreekacres@gmail.com. 

I am happy to work out free delivery to the Virginia, Aurora, Tower, Eveleth, Mtn. Iron sort of areas….farther out if I get a couple orders from the same general area. Or maybe you  could meet me somewhere? I am easy to work with….let me see if we can work something out with you.     ~~ Mary Ann