Recipe: Autumn Pork Stew

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Kettle Club • Recipes   |   Tags: • •

Ingredients:

1-pound fingerling potatoes

3 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks

2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 bay leaves

1-2 lb. bone-in pork shoulder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

 

Directions:

  1. Combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger in a slow cooker. Toss in half of the flour and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the bay leaves over the vegetables.
  2. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the thyme and allspice and toss with the remaining flour to coat. Place the pork over the vegetables in the slow cooker. Add 2 cups water and the tomatoes, cover and cook on low 8 hours.
  3. Discard the bay leaves. Remove the pork roast and slice or pull the meat off the bone into large pieces. Serve in bowls with the vegetables and broth.

Pork Chops 101: Know your Chops

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Kettle Club

Sirloin chops, rib chops, porterhouse chops. You’ve seen them all in your Kettle Club share. That’s because we like to ensure you’re getting a variety of our premium heritage pork cuts. But we understand all the different names can be daunting. So, let’s talk chop.

What is a pork chop anyway?

All pork chops are cut from the loin, the section of the pig that runs from the shoulder to the hip. Here’s where things can get a bit confusing. Each pork chop goes by a different name depending on the area of the loin it’s cut from. Let’s start with a few popular chops from the front end of the loin and work our way towards the tail.

Rib Chop

Sometimes referred to as the center-cut chop or rib end cut, this chop is cut from the center of the loin near the rib area. It will contain a large eye of lean meat with no tenderloin. The rib chop is primarily cut bone-in, with the bone running along the side.

Boneless Chops

Our featured Kettle Club chop for August is the boneless chop. Sometimes referred to as the New York Chop, these cuts are located near the top of the loin. These chops are lean and taste amazing after a good brine bath.

Porterhouse Chop

Porterhouse chops are cut from the lower back behind the rib chops. They are identifiable by the centered bone that divides the meat from the tenderloin muscle. These chops can present a challenge when cooking as the tenderloin tends to cook faster than the loin section. But the intense flavor and beautiful presentation is worth mastering. Be careful not to overcook. A brine also works well for these delicious chops.

Sirloin Chops

These chops are cut from the hip area towards the back of the loin. Despite the fact that this chop packs a ton of flavor, it’s often overlooked because of its appearance. The cut contains various muscle groups, giving a bit of a mismatched look. The sirloin chop takes quite well to braising and will take on a ton of flavor from your favorite marinade.

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Uncategorized

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup kosher salt
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup smoked paprika
  • 4 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 6 Tbsp ancho chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 4 tsp coriander
  1. Mix all ingredients for the dry rub and generously coat ribs. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).
  2. Preheat a grill to medium high and prepare for indirect grilling: For a gas grill, turn off one or two of the center burners and reduce the remaining burners to medium low. On a charcoal grill, bank the coals to the sides, leaving the center open; set up a drip pan to avoid flare-ups.
  3. Place the ribs bone-side down, overlapping slightly if needed, on the cooler part of the grill (indirect heat). Cover and cook, rotating the rib racks once, until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bones, about 2 hours.
  4. Coat with your favorite barbecue sauce and dig in!

Tips for the Perfect Pulled Pork

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Kettle Club   |   Tags: • • • • •

Time to say goodbye to those savory slow cooked roasts and hello to everyone’s summertime favorite, pulled pork sandwiches. Lucky for you Kettle Club members that receive pork shoulders in your shares, you’re equipped to make everyone’s summer a little more delicious.

Check out our simple tips for perfect pulled pork that will have your BBQ guests putting in special requests for every summer come.

Season that Shoulder!

Don’t be so tense! It’s only dinner. Nothing helps loosen those muscles quite like a massage. Your pork shoulder agrees! A spicy rub down with a salt-based seasoning can help tenderize your shoulder while adding some delicious flavor. Salt is comprised of sodium and chloride ions that denature or unwind the proteins of highly worked muscles. These altered proteins can then retain more water, keeping the meat moist during the cooking process.  Check out one of our favorite BBQ rubs, perfect for a smoked pork shoulder.

Fat side up

Let gravity do its thing! Whether your smoking, braising or slow cooking, the fatty cap of the shoulder will add incredible flavor and tenderness to your finished product. Set your shoulder fat side up and let the flavor rain down!

Use your trusty tools!

Dare we say it again? Okay, we will, use your thermometer! Whatever your cooking method, 225 degrees is a solid sweet spot for cooking low and slow. We recommend checking your shoulder often until it reaches 180-185 degrees. This is the temperature in which the fat will begin to render adding flavor and tenderness. For a 2 lb. roast, this will take around 4-5 hours depending on your cooking method.

Let it rest

Resist the urge to jump right into that amazingly cooked roast. Give the shoulder 20 minutes to lock in the juices and flavors. You won’t be sorry!

Get your hands dirty

Okay, so maybe for your guest’s sake, use gloves. But, under no circumstances should you begin cutting up that beautiful roast you just worked so hard on! Use your hands to gently pull the meat apart and separate through any connective tissue. Every bit of your sandwich should melt in your mouth.

Easy on the sauce!

Don’t get us wrong, we love our BBQ sauce, but we love the taste of heritage pork even more! Getting too heavy handed on the sauce can hide the delicious flavor of the pork and your yummy spice rub. Let eaters choose how saucy they get with it.

Underrated Cuts We Love!

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Kettle Club   |   Tags: • • • •

Let’s hear it for the underdogs! Those beautiful little hidden meat gems that are often passed over for a thick cut beef ribeye or pork tenderloin.  Check out our favorite underrated cuts!

Beef Cheeks

Talk about a well worked muscle! Cows can chew up to 7,000 times per day! This means a ton of flavor for those cheek muscles. For best results, chargrill or cook direct for up to 40 minutes with constant movement. Try this as a substitute protein for beef tacos!

 

The Chuck Eye

Often called the “poor man’s ribeye” the chuck eye steak is located at the rear of the steer’s shoulder just in front of the ribeye primal. Because of its close proximity to the ribeye, it shares many qualities and characteristics. It’s tender and flavorful just like it’s close relative, but petite in comparison. A perfect meal for one!

 

 

Pork Brisket

Not quite as popular as the beef brisket, this cut is just as tender and flavorful. It responds well to a slow and low environment on the grill or a perfect fit for your smoker.

 

 

Pork Skirt Steak

Cut from the inside of the spare ribs, this cut is extremely versatile. Give it a nice soak in your favorite marinade and a hot, fast ride on the grill. Serve over rice and veggies or top a fresh salad.

Recipe: Korean Beef Cheek Tacos

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Uncategorized

Ingredients:

  • 1 pounds beef cheeks
  • 1/4 onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 ¼ chicken or beef broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup kimchi, or to taste
  • 6 (6 inch) flour tortillas

Directions:

  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook beef cheeks until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir broth, soy sauce, green onions, honey, and sesame oil into the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until beef cheeks are tender, about 2 hours.
  3. Remove beef cheeks from the pot using a slotted spoon; cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange beef on a dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  4. Place a scoop of beef and some kimchi over each tortilla.

Featured Cut: Beef Cheeks

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Kettle Club   |   Tags: • • • •

We have a fantastic cut lined up of those of you that receive regular steaks in your Kettle Club share, grass-fed beef cheeks! Not only are they healthier than many traditional and familiar beef cuts, cheeks pack a ton of flavor! Let’s take a deeper look at what makes this cut so versatile and delicious.

The Chew about Cheeks

Cows love to chew! Unlike other mammals, cows have the unique ability to digest cellulose, or plant fibers such as those found in grass. Structurally, these fibers are super strong, and take a bit of work to unlock their viable nutrients. Cows accomplish this quite well with the use of two important body parts. The rumen, a compartment of their stomach that acts as a fermentation vat to break down strong plant fibers, and their mouths. Ever notice that when you see a cow it’s chewing? Cows chew a bit harder than other animals because food needs to be chewed twice before entering the fermentation vat of the rumen. This helps break down the fiber and unlock nutrients faster. Cows spend nearly eight hours every day chewing their food. This can total upwards of 40,000 jaw movements per day!!!

What’s this mean for cheek muscles? They’re super strong! The continuous chewing movement means more blood flow to the area and toned muscles that result in an enormous amount of flavor for the cut!

 

They’re Healthy!

It’s almost swimsuit weather! And we’re all looking to cut a few calories we might have gained over this long winter. Substituting beef cheeks for more traditional cuts can help! Beef cheeks are lower in fat and calories, and higher in protein when compared to most roasts and popular steaks. Cheeks also have more immune-supporting vitamin C and vitamin B and more than 200% more iron! Check out the nutritional comparison below:

Beef roast: (100 g)

  • Calories: 244
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Protein: 19 g

 

SWAP FOR

Beef cheeks: (100 g)

  • Calories: 145
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Protein: 25 g

 

How to I cook them?

Unlike other muscles that don’t get as much of a workout like tenderloin and shoulder (chuck), these cuts need proper preparation to break down strong muscle fibers for fall-off-the fork tenderness. We recommended braising, or cooking with a mixture of both quick, high, heat and low, slow heat. Check out this recipe for Braised Beef Cheek Tacos!  A fantastically fresh and healthy meal for spring!

Heritage Breeds: What’s in a Name?

Author: mbearce   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Kettle Club   |   Tags: • • • • •

Our patrons often ask us about the breeds of swine we source for our delicious pork products. The simple answer, heritage breeds. But what are heritage breeds, and why are they important for genetic preservation of the swine species?

What is a Heritage Breed?

While there is currently no set definition for the phrase, heritage livestock breeds are the breeds that flourished in the agrarian societies of our ancestors. Long before the modernization of agriculture when pigs were raised primarily on pasture, it was important that these animals possessed the necessary skills needed to thrive in specific environmental conditions. Genetically speaking, we refer to these skills as traits, and keeping these traits intact ensured that our forefathers could produce a bountiful supply of meat to feed their communities.

Why are Heritage Breeds Important?

But modern agriculture has moved away from raising pigs on pasture, and hardiness, sturdiness and adaptability are no longer desirable attributes. Instead, commodity pork producers seek faster-growing animals that reach market weights in record time. The shift in genetic selection has led to an overall decrease in the swine breeds of the past. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization reports that 20% of the world’s cattle, goats, pigs, horses and poultry are currently at risk of extinction. A consequence of this potential extinction would be the loss of unique traits that could help these animals thrive in any future, harsh conditions.

What Kinds of Breeds Do We Source at Kettle Range Meat Company?

Here at Kettle Range Meats we work to source these important heritage breeds. We source these breeds not only because they’re great tasting when compared with commodity pork, but we also want to support the farmers who work hard to keep these breeds intact for the future success of our agriculture systems. Let’s look at just a few of the breeds we serve up:

Cinta Senese

This native Tuscan hog is prized for its delicious, extremely tender, buttery flavor and intense marbling. A favorite of chefs and charcuterie makers, the cinta is extremely rare. As recently as the ’90s, the Cinta was considered to be endangered, but a few dedicated farmers, including our partner Ken Kehrli, are working hard to bring it back.

 

Red Wattle

Characterized by a fleshy wattle on either side of their neck, these breeds are best known for their rich textured and delicious hams.

 

 

 

Berkshire

This breed is sometimes referred to as kurobuta, which is Japanese for black pork due to their hair color. They are known for their savory, umami flavor.

French Cooking Classes with Special Guest, Louisa Hallewell!

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Uncategorized

Welcome, Louisa Hallewell!

 

Louisa Hallewell will be traveling to Kettle Range from her sustainable farm in the Gascony region of France to teach THREE hands-on courses.

Louisa and her family moved from England to France in the autumn of 2007 on a quest to live a more sustainable and rural lifestyle. After much searching, she found her dream home, a farm situated in the rolling countryside of the Gers, with panoramic views of the Pyrenees to the south.

Louisa is the owner and operator of Little Black Pig, a cooking school specializing in teaching traditional farmhouse cookery skills to all ages and abilities.

 

Reserve Your Spot Today for one or of all these great classes with Louisa!

Chicken Cusions, Baconberg & Bonbon Crepinetes

Friday, March 1

5:30 p.m. – 9: 30 p.m.

In this class, you will learn how to debone a chicken carcass and turn it into a ‘chicken cushion’ so that you can impress your dinner guests with stuffed chicken dinner! You will also be making Baconberg, an all-pork play on the famous Battenberg cake using bacon, pork tenderloin and minced pork—a pork lovers dream! Finally, you will learn to make Crepinettes, small, flattened sausages wrapped in caul fat rather than a casing.

 

 

Intro to Charcuterie

Saturday, March 2

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

You will learn how to make 3 different and delicious pâtés – a smooth chicken pâté, a coarse traditional pork pâté and a duck rillette (French speciality). You will learn how to preserve your potted meats, so they become a stable product which can be stored in your cupboards for up to 3 years. Finally, you will also learn how to make a dry cured duck ham.

Meet Chili Champion, Chris Scallon!

Author: nbarr   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Uncategorized

Ever wonder who’s working behind the scenes at Kettle Range Meats? Well wonder no more! Our entire staff works hard to ensure you’re getting the highest quality, best tasting meats in Wisconsin. And we want you to meet them all. First up, Chris Scallon. Chris has become somewhat of a local celebrity in the chili world. With a Golden Ladle from Potawatomi’s Chili Bowl, and a first place win from WMSE’s Rockabilly Chili contest, he made Kettle Range synonymous with great chili in 2018.

 

What do you do at Kettle Range?

I guess my title would be sous chef. I do a lot of food preparation for our heat-and-eat meals. Cutting, slicing, dicing, chopping, packing. I also assist in menu creation, so we can keep adding new items to our overall menu. Oh, and I man the cauldron. The cauldron is what I call our large industrial kettle. It’s where we make things like chicken and beef broth. It’s essentially where the magic begins.

 

What inspires your award-winning chili concoctions?

I get a lot of inspiration from the incredible products we have access to. Right from the start, we’re sourcing quality meat from local farms. We have a talented butcher staff here that can create amazing products from those meats, like sausages. Those flavors inspire innovative ideas for meals, chilis and side dishes. The Ropa Chili (Rockabilly Chili contest winner) stemmed from one of our heat-and-eat meals, Ropa Vieja. The distinct flavors were incorporated into what turned out to be a delicious and unique chili.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The freedom to create new things. We love getting feedback about our meal program. It’s a great feeling to put out a new meal and get a positive response from our customers. Thanks for all you do, Chris!

 

Join Chris this weekend as he defends Kettle Range’s Golden Ladle title at the 13th Annual Milwaukee Chili Bowl. Purchase your tickets at the shop and save $5 on admission!