First Racey, and soon the rest of us followed suit testing positive for Covid and ending up on the couch with blankets, cups of tea and occasionally a fan (Lovett’s preferred fever reducer). All the while our spirited lagomorph rabbit kept watch with many needed snuggles, nibbles and jumping antics. One time she jumped up on the keyboard and played a surprisingly beautiful tune with her four paws, which we dubbed the “Lagomorph Lullaby.”
Instead of the anticipated return to school and all the rhythm and routine that brings, we spent the week at home with adults and children helping each other with snacks, glasses of water or lost blankets. I was probably the most affected by illness, with two full days in bed, and hardly able to stand due to an overwhelming sensation that I might just topple over. There is a strange permission that the second line on the at-home covid test allows, by taking the ambiguity out of the question am I sick…and with the answer firmly yes, both in feeling and test result, we had a week of rest and recuperation.
Towards the end of the week my energy came back and my fever subsided. Racey and I always joke with each other that the state of our kitchen is directly related to our state of mind and health. By Friday evening the kitchen counters were clean again, and no dishes were left by the end of the day. But it took that long.
Racey and I had grand aspirations of yearly planning, visioning and brainstorming this week as we enter what a farmer friend recently called “Planuary.” This will have to wait another week.
Beef cuts to try
I did have a chance to take a few needed pictures for some beef products that have been languishing without pictures or descriptions to do them justice. Of course if I’m going to thaw the meat and take some photos, then we’re trying them for dinner/lunch as well. Yum.
This is a variation on what we typically call a minute steak. We cut these steaks from the top and bottom round of the beef animal. What makes these steaks “cubed” is…(drum roll please) a machine called a “cuber” also known as a tenderizer. This simple machine looks similar to a pasta maker, we drop the steaks through and a set of roller knives cut the fibers of the steak. If you look closely you can see the steak looks like it is made up of little cubes, thus the name!
Treat the Cube Steak just like other thin-cut beef steaks, they love a marinade, and the “cubing” will help the steaks absorb flavor more quickly. Cook quickly on medium high heat, and beware the overcook.
I love this cut for a few reasons:
Shape
It’s not a steak, it’s not a roast, it’s not cubes…it’s just Flap Meat! Maybe we could call them “spears”…? Cut them into cubes for melt-in-your-mouth and flavorful kabobs, fry them in a skillet and cut across the grain for fajitas or serve as steak tips.
The genius in these spears is that you’ll naturally cut across the grain, helping each bite be as tender as possible.
Name
I love a name that demands a question (because I love a good conversation about food) and with a name like Flap Meat, who is not going to ask: “what is flap meat?”
And the answer is they are cute little (4 oz) spears cut from the Flap, which is just what it sounds like: a flap of meat that is long and thin located just down the flank of the sirloin.
Deliciousness
This one doesn’t last long on our table. Easy and fast to cook, we sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat in the sizzling skillet, turn on each side until seared and still soft to the finger poke. Then slice across the grain (the short way) and enjoy!
Pig Update
The essence of the pig update is that we love pigs, and this group in particular. They are friendly and playful and Lewis and Lovett love to come down to the barn to visit them. While Racey or I go about checking on the various daily items (fence, water, feed, bedding), Lewis and Lovett hunker down in the hay and “work on belly rubs.” Who wants a new belly rub? Who wants an ear scratch?
The pigs love playing in the hay, moving it around to make a comfy bed, chewing it, and occasionally plopping it on the small humans who happen to be right there.
Reber Rock Farm Blog 