With the recent chill in the air, I have been in the mood for heavier fare, like Rabo Encendido, Cuban Oxtail Stew. This morning, while looking at the recipe, although I was craving its rich deep flavor, the idea of eating the tail of an ox was not very appealing.
Of course, when is the last time any of us has seen any oxen? Growing up in Puerto Rico in the '50s and early '60s they were all over the hillsides and in the canefields. My visual memory of the dusty weary beasts pulling wagons, their tails swishing flies, did not make my mouth water.
So, I was relieved to read that here in the States, Oxtail Stew is made with cow tail. I was even more relieved to find out that I could buy tails from cows who had been raised on grass, free to roam in a pasture in the San Luis Valley. Trudi Kretsinger was at her booth at the Alamosa Farmer's Market today with a variety of cuts from KW Farms. On the occasions when I do eat beef, I want it to be guilt-free and Kretsinger's Pasture Perfect Organic Pasture-Finished Dry Aged Beef is the best.
According to their brochure and sites like www.eatwild.com, forage beef vs. starch heavy grain-fed beef contains 3-5 times as much CLA (a cancer fighting and weight loss assisting fatty acid), 2-4 times more omega-3 fatty acids, and more vitamins A and E, branch chain amino acids and enzymes. More. . .
Contact info for Kretsinger Pasture Perfect Beef is (719) 589-0429 or tzwk9@amigo.net
A great source of many types of healthy meats, from grassland goat, lamb, and bison to sustainable seafood is http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok .
But for me, I love the local, personal connections possible here in the San Luis Valley.
Recent Comments