Tomboy Butcher Box September 2nd
Memorial Day Weekend is upon us and it seems like fall has been switched on like a light. This seem to be our last week to fire up the grills before we break out our braising dutch ovens and crock pots.
WE have lard for baking, some great roasts, and some hot dogs and steaks to cap off summer right!
Baking Leaf Lard
Sky Blue Farm // Mancos, Colorado
Peach Pie
This delicate, puffy crust uses a combination of lard and butter for the richest flavor and the largest flakes. You can substitute more lard for the butter, but you will lose some of the complexity. Make sure to seek out rendered leaf lard from a good butcher or specialty market, or try your local farmers’ market. It’s the purest and best quality pig fat to use in a crust. Avoid processed lard from the supermarket at all costs; it's been hydrogenated to increase shelf life and can sometimes have an off or mildly rancid flavor, not to mention the dangers of hydrogenated fat to your arterial health.
You can freeze this crust for up to 3 months. Defrost for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Crust
1 ¼ cup/160 grams all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon/2 grams fine sea salt
6 tablespoons/85 grams/3 ounces unsalted European-style butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons/57 grams/2 ounces chilled rendered leaf lard, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 to 5 tablespoons/30 to 75 milliliters ice water
PREPARATION
In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter and lard and pulse until the mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses). Or, if making by hand, stir together the flour and salt. Use two knives or a pastry cutter to cut the butter and lard into the flour mixture until you get slightly smaller pieces, the size of green peas.
Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse or mix until the mixture is just moist enough to hold together. Form the crust into a ball, wrap with plastic and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before rolling out and baking.
Peach Filling
2½ pounds ripe peaches (6 large)
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon grated orange zest
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
All-purpose flour
1 recipe unbaked Perfect Pie Crust (recipe follows)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Immerse the peaches for 15 seconds to 2 minutes, testing along the way, until the skins peel off easily with a small knife. (Riper peaches will be done sooner.) Transfer the peaches to a bowl of cool water to stop the cooking and peel. Cut one peach in ½-inch dice and set aside. Cut the remaining peaches in ½-inch thick wedges and place them in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the ½ cup sugar, the cornstarch, orange zest, orange juice, and butter over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add only the diced peach (not the wedges), return to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is thickened and translucent. Combine the mixture with the wedged peaches and 1 to 3 tablespoons of the flour, depending on the juiciness of the peaches (more flour if the peaches are juicier).
Roll out half the pie dough on a floured board until it’s larger than a 9-inch pie plate. Ease the dough into the pie plate without stretching it at all. (If you stretch the dough, it will shrink back to the original size.) Cut off the excess dough around the edge of the pie plate with a small sharp knife. Pour the peach mixture into the pie shell. Brush the edge of the dough with the egg wash. Roll out the remaining dough until it’s larger than the pie plate. Cut 1-inch strips of dough and weave them together on top of the pie. Cut off the excess dough at the edge and crimp the crusts together with a fork. Brush the crust with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle generously with sugar. Place the pie on the prepared sheet pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
Beef Chuck/Neck Roast
Laidback Ranch // Mancos, Colorado
Ingredients
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 3- to 5-pound chuck roast
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole onions, peeled and halved
6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup red wine, optional
3 cups beef broth
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.
Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.
Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.
Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.
Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender.
Grass-Fed Ground Beef
Laidback Ranch // Norwood, Colorado
Burgers or Meatballs!
Heritage Ground Pork
Sky Blue Farm // Mancos, Colorado
Pork Fried Rice
Steam desired amount of rice
Sautee ground pork with a dash of sesame oil, salt, and soy sauce until browned
Add any veggies you have laying around in with the ground pork
Add sriracha if you want a bit of a kick
Serve veggies and pork over a bed of rice and this is a great way to use any veggies you may need to get through.
Wagyu Steaks
7X Ranch // Hotchkiss, Colorado
Sirloin Cap Steaks
Cut from the Sirloin Cap, these steaks are super flavorful and delicious! I like this steak med-rare and over a summer salad of greens, pepper, corn, and balsamic dressing. Use a cast iron skillet or a grill and sear on both sides.
Flank Steak
GRILLED FLANK STEAK AND VEGETABLES
(half recipe for small box)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 ears corn, shucked
2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 pint cherry tomatoes
FOR THE OLIVE OIL MIXTURE
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, rosemary, red wine vinegar and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Season flank steak with paprika and garlic, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Brush with 1 tablespoon canola oil.
Preheat grill to medium high heat.
Brush corn, zucchini and tomatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add flank steak to grill, and cook, flipping once, until desired doneness, about 4-6 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes.
Add vegetables to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until vegetables are lightly charred all over and tender, about 8 minutes for corn, 5 minutes for zucchini and 2 minutes for tomatoes.
Serve immediately, drizzled with olive oil mixture.
WAGYU DELMONICO STEAKS
Salt and leave out to room temperature (15-20 mins)
Sear in cast iron skillet and finish in oven at 350 degrees until desired temperature.
Hot Dogs/Hot links
Sky Blue Farm // Mancos, Colorado
coriander, cayenne, salt, pepper, red pepper, white wine, garlic
Grill!
Sage Breakfast Sausage Patties
Sky Blue Farm // Mancos, Colorado
salt, pepper, thyme, mace, garlic, sage
Spatchcocked Chicken With Herb Butter
Spatchcocking (also called butterflying) a chicken helps it to roast more evenly and much more quickly, giving you perfectly tender, juicy meat with golden skin. This one is slathered with herb butter, making it extra fragrant. (If you have any herb butter left over, freeze it, then use it on steaks or fish or roasted potatoes.) Pulling out a well-flavored compound butter is one of those cheffy moves that makes almost everything taste better.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons minced mixed fresh herbs — any mix of mint, oregano and marjoram
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, spatchcocked and dried with paper towels (see Note)
Lemon wedges, for garnish
PREPARATION
In a medium bowl, mash together the butter, garlic, parsley, mixed herbs, thyme, rosemary, salt, herbes de Provence, lemon zest, white pepper and black pepper. Rub three-quarters of the mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin. (Reserve the remaining herb butter for serving.) Place the chicken, breast-up, on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate it, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast chicken until it is just cooked through (the meat will no longer be pink and the juices will run clear; an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh will read 165 degrees), 40 to 55 minutes. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving. Serve it topped with the reserved herb butter and lemon wedges.
Tip
To spatchcock a chicken, place the bird breast-side down on a work surface. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, start at the tail end and cut along one side of the backbone. Open the chicken up like a book, flip the chicken over, and press down on it to flatten it. Press firmly on the breastbone. You’ll feel it pop.
Grass-fed Teres Major (petite tender)
Laidback Ranch // Mancos, Colorado
Cut from the shoulder clod, this little muscle has some great flavor and has some great tenderness. Here is a great video for a reverse sear technique that i really like for these steaks…
Beef Chunks
Laidback Ranch // Mancos, Colorado
MARINADE
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon black pepper
KABOBS
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or sirloin tips, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon or whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
8 ounces crimini mushrooms
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 onion layers each)
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade.
Place the cubed meat into a large plastic zip-tight bag and pour all but the reserved marinade over it, then seal and squish to coat well. Place in the refrigerator for 1-6 hours to marinate. This is also a good time to place wooden skewers in water to soak.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 6-8 minutes. Drain well, then toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, and mustard. Set aside.
Preheat grill to high heat while preparing the kabobs. Chop all vegetables into chunks that are roughly the same size as the cubed steak, keeping 3 layers of onion together in each chunk. Drizzle vegetables with the reserved marinade.
Thread alternating pieces of meat, vegetables, and potatoes until the skewers are filled, aiming for 4-5 pieces of steak on each skewer.
Place kabobs on the grill directly over the heat and reduce heat to medium-high. Grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes, until the meat is cooked medium-rare to medium and the vegetables start to char just around the edges.
Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes before serving.