Uncategorized
Do you swear to eat the cow, the whole cow, and nothing but the cow?
Published
8 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Scott Mechura EBS Food Columnist
We are living in an amazing time. The availability of quality, unadulterated and sustainable ingredients for both chefs and the general public has never been more symbiotic.
In fact, many small farmers and ranchers exist today solely because of the relationships they have cultivated with chefs and restaurants. These stories are told on restaurant websites, by ranchers at trade shows or in print advertising. And the general public eats it up. Or do they?
Much like a wonderful rib-eye steak or pristine piece of fish, cooks and chefs can also create amazing dishes with lesser cuts that the average diner can’t easily duplicate at home. And yet, what is our fascination with only the most perfect cuts of an animal?
We recycle more than ever. We are more aware of how much water we use. We have been coached since childhood to turn off the light when you leave a room; so much so that we spend millions on creating a more efficient light bulb.
Yet, as a dining society, we only want the absolute best portion of the cow or pig on our plate. We may say we don’t, or that we’re ordering these other flavorful and tender cuts, but the numbers say otherwise.
We search for the restaurant that serves the best cut of beef. Meanwhile, for every subprimal (the whole rib eye or New York strip before it is cut into individual steaks), there are hundreds of pounds of “lesser” cuts: chuck roasts, shoulder, flap meat, sirloin, and many others that are at times harder to sell on a menu than a bottle of water to Aquaman.
And here’s the irony. We are living in an ever-increasing, price-conscious society. My father always tells me he doesn’t know how my brother and I do it. Everything is so much more expensive relative to income, he says. And yet, we crave a great steak—an expensive, perfect, prime steak.
I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve reached out to a rancher to ask for a rib eye, New York or tenderloin, only to have them say, “Well, I only had a few of those and they sold right away. I’d really like to move these shoulders or all this ground beef I’m sitting on.”
It all comes down to this: How are small Montana ranchers, an essential component of this great state, going to survive if we don’t support consumption of the whole animal?
Mom and pop ranchers, much like chefs, wear many hats. Tour a ranch or two and you’ll see their daily toils. They raise the animal, tend the animal, maintain the ever-dilapidating ranch around it, and transport the animal to the federal processor (of which Montana only has four). They then transport the product back, market and sell the animal, deliver it often times many miles away, and keep up with all their invoicing and relationships along the way.
Rather than tell ourselves we simply want to go out for that perfect medium-rare steak, what if we asked ourselves the question: I wonder what other cuts of beef this rancher has to offer? Your local rancher will be forever grateful.
Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry. He is a former certified beer judge and currently the Executive Chef at Buck’s T-4 Lodge in Big Sky.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm