Josiah

A-YO Kitchen featured our 100% grass-fed beef ribs and I thought you might enjoy the article and recipe.  Click here to go to Korean Short Ribs on A-YO Kitchen

Here’s my foolproof way to cook the perfect steak in your kitchen.

1. Take your steak out of the freezer 3 to 5 days before you will cook it and let it thaw in the fridge.
2. Remove from fridge one hour before cooking.
3. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Season both sides of steak with salt and pepper.
5. Bake in oven on a pan or cookie sheet until the internal temperature is 125 degrees Fahrenheit. (Easiest way to do this without having to check frequently is with a probe thermometer that has an alarm.)
6. Remove steak from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Heat a cast iron pan on high heat.
8. Put a THIN layer of beef tallow or ghee in the bottom of the pan.
9. Sear the steak 1 minute per side.
10. Rest the steak for 5 to 10 minutes.
11. Eat.

This is actually one of the easiest ways to cook a tender tasty steak. Because you are cooking it low and slow, the steak stays tender. Because the outside of the steak has little moisture on it after baking, you get an excellent sear very quickly which does not heat up the inside of the steak very much, preventing the steak from getting tough.

Your steak will be tender, juicy and tasty.

This morning I tried a steak from this year’s beef harvest (Fall 2018). It was incredible! Very tender and juicy with excellent flavor.

I’ve been working hard every year to improve the quality of our beef and I am very proud of the product we’ve produced this year.

Figuring out how to raise beef on 100% grass has been a steep learning curve, but it has been fun to see our progress each year.

The first year our beef was too lean and sometimes a little tough. Still tasty, but not as good as I wanted it to be.

The second year we got good marbling in our steaks as the animals put on a good amount of fat before butchering. We solved the leanness problem by selecting animals that would be older at harvest. This allowed them time to put on fat which contributed to good marbling in our steaks. We also improved our grazing management to ensure the animals put on good weight before butchering. Our tenderness improved overall, but we learned later in the year that some animals that were stressed in the loading process were too tough.

In our third year, in addition to everything we learned in our previous years, we installed a low stress cattle handling system and also purchased Red Devon cattle which are known for being calm and also putting on good weight on grass alone.

I’ve also learned more about how to cook grass-fed beef each year. Cooking grass-fed beef properly is very important. Unfortunately, a tough cut of meat cooked properly will still not reach the full potential of a tender, marbled steak.

While I am excited to have finally produced beef that I consider incredible, I’m not planning to stop learning and improving. I have some new ideas for this year to improve the taste, tenderness and flavor of our beef even more..

As I learned in reading Grass Fed to Finish (A book about producing high quality beef on 100% pasture), the best and worst steaks in the world are grass-fed. The quality of the beef depends on how the meat is produced. Taking shortcuts in the production of your beef will result in poor results. However, the attitude of continuous improvement and learning will result in an excellent and more consistent result.

I wanted to share my success with you and let you know about the journey we’ve been on at Firefly Meadows Farm. We are striving to produce products that are healthy, healing and delicious! If you have any feedback for us, let us know!

It’s that time of year again.  We are accepting deposits to reserve our grass-fed beef!

We are selling wholes, halves and quarters.  Our 2018 bulk beef is estimated to be available for pickup November 7 – November 28 2018.

You may be aware of the many reasons to purchase grass-fed beef in bulk. Here are some reasons to buy beef from us:

• Availability: many local farmers have waiting lists.
• Our cattle are grass-fed and finished.  Learn More
• Clean eating: we do not spray our pastures.
• Diversity of forage: our cattle get access to a wide diversity of pasture plants for maximum nutrition.
• Great price!  Save money by buying in bulk.
• Cattle raised on grass are environmentally friendly. Learn More
• Easy ordering and payment: you pay for the packaged product you receive and there are no additional butchering costs.

What will be included in my bulk beef purchase?
We have standardized the cuts in order to make the ordering process as easy as possible. Your purchase will include steaks (Delmonico, New York Strip, Filet Mignon, *Petite Tender, Sirloin, *Flank, Flat Iron, Top Round, London Broil, Chuck Eye and *Skirt), short ribs, brisket, roasts (Chuck, Rump and Sirloin Tip), Chip Steak, Hamburger Patties and ground beef.

Orders will not include the following organs unless requested: Liver, Heart, Tongue.

*These cuts only available on whole and half purchases.

How much beef will I receive?
Here are our estimated weights of product you receive. We will cap your total cost at the high end of these estimates even if you end up receiving more beef.

• Whole beef – 400 to 500 Pounds
• Half beef – 200 to 250 Pounds
• Quarter beef – 100 to 125 Pounds

What is the cost of your beef?
We want to keep the cost of our beef very simple.  You pay by the pound of actual packaged meat.

• Whole beef – $5.99/lb. (estimated total cost $2,396 – $2,995)
• Half beef – $6.49/lb. (estimated total cost $1298-$1633)
• Quarter beef – $6.99/lb.  (estimated total cost $699-$874)

We will cap your total cost at the top of the estimated range, even if you receive extra beef for free. 🙂

When will our beef be available for pickup?
The estimated dates for pickup are November 7 – November 28 2018. You will receive a call when your order is ready, and you will then have fourteen days to pick up your beef. Order pickup is at Smuckers Meats, a USDA-certified processing facility located at 735 Pinkerton Rd, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

How can I reserve my beef?
To reserve your beef, pay a deposit on our website securely with debit or credit.  If you prefer to pay by check, contact us. Your deposit will go toward the total cost of your beef.  Click on a link below to reserve your beef.

• Whole beef – $700 deposit
• Half beef – $350 deposit
• Quarter beef – $175 deposit

When is my balance due?
The balance of your beef (total cost minus deposit) will be due before pickup.  When the meat is packaged, we will email you an invoice for your balance, which you can then pay by credit card or check.

Refer a Friend Program
Want an extra $25 off your final invoice?  Refer a friend and have them enter your name when they place their order.

Availability
Our beef is sold first come, first served.  If the website shows your desired beef amount is out of stock, contact us.  We may still have be able to meet your needs if other sizes are in stock.

Questions?
Contact josiah@fireflymeadowsfarm.com

Josiah and Carmen Garber
Firefly Meadows Farm

Do you like 100% grass-fed beef as much as I do?  If so, you’ll be excited about our End of Summer Beef Sale!

Save up to 30% off your order. The more you order, the more you save.  Choose any cuts of beef you like. While supplies last.

Order 25 pounds or more and Save 15%

Order 50 pounds or more and Save 20%

Order 75 pounds or more and Save 25%

Order 99 pounds or more and Save 30% & Free Delivery (Up to 15 Miles One Way)Want to see the types of beef we have available? Checkout our price list:
https://www.fireflymeadowsfarm.com/products-pricing/

Interested in purchasing our products?  We have several ways to purchase:
https://www.fireflymeadowsfarm.com/order/

I’ve been experimenting with Ice Cream this summer.  I’ve been trying to find my favorite vanilla ice cream recipe.

After lots of experimentation this is what I came up with.  I like this one because it’s easy to make, requires no waiting and it tastes amazing!

Enjoy!

I’ve also been making some salted caramel sauce, so keep an eye out for that recipe soon.

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Heavy Cream
• 4 Cups Whole Milk
• 1.5 Cups of Sugar
• 1.5 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until sugar and salt is dissolved.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker and churn until thick.

Transfer ice cream to a freezer and let freeze overnight or enjoy immediately.

My tips for great homemade ice cream.

1. Add a small amount of refrigerated water to your ice to get your ice cream colder faster. About a cup of water works well for me.
2. Don’t overchurn. If you churn too long your cream will turn to butter and you will have pieces of butter in your ice cream.  Stop churning as soon as the ice cream thickens up.  Usually it won’t reach the hardness of store bought until after you put it into your freezer for a while.
3. Eat your ice cream!  If you let it sit in the freezer for days it will develop ice crystals and the texture will not be as creamy.
4. Use 100% Grass-Fed Milk and Cream. Its so tasty and it’s full of healthy nutrients.