EDITOR’S NOTE: Folks! Presenting JJ Gonson, local chef, local eater and now, a contributor to our blog. Consider this, as well, an invite to anyone out there who would like to blog about their Bostonish Localvore exploits but don’t want the commitment of maintaining their own site. We will maintain it for you. And the whole point here is to help each other source and devour sustainable foodstuffs in and nearby the city. So please, contact info@bostonlocalvores.org and participate.
One thing I really like about this local food movement, is that it has sort of made it OK again to eat meat. I have lived through so many moments of vegetarian trends, vegan trends… I had a roommate who hated me because I fed the cats food with meat in it. Say no more bout that.
Point is, that there are times I feel like I should say, “Hi, my name is JJ, and I eat meat. Please. Please, someone, help me!” But, like any good addict, I can’t seem to stop. I love meat. I love to cook it and I love to eat it. And because I love meat, I love me some meat farmers. The stars have aligned, and I’m going to take full advantage of it.
Now here’s how:
1. Austin Brothers Farm’s steak tips
Marinate for at least 24 hours in lime and ginger, with some light oil and salt and pepper, and grill, hot and fast. You can cut them into kebabs, or slices, as think as you want. They are very tender, and sweet.
2. River Rock’s flank steak.
You can’t get it, but if you could, rub it with a wet paste made of garlic scapes, rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil. Leave them rubbed for 12 hours or so, wipe off the rub, salt and pepper em and grill them, hot and fast, again. Let ‘em sit for 10 minutes, tent them if there are bugs, and slice them thin, thin, thin.
3. Stillmans butterflied leg of lamb
Cut it for kebab, or leave it whole, and marinate it in a paste of ground cumin, salt, pepper, white vinegar and olive oil for as long as you can. At least 24 hours, but if it’s four days that’s good too. Grill it, yeah, you got it, hot and fast, and serve it with yogurt mixed with a bit of cumin and salt. You could stir some chopped garlic scapes, or shallots, or mint, or cucumber or cilantro in there… You get the idea, I’m sure.
Tomorrow I’m serving spare ribs, marinated for 24 hours in a cider brine, with allspice, star anise, fresh ginger, cider vinegar, kosher salt, Sichuan peppercorn and black peppercorn, then dry rubbed in brown sugar, paprika, cumin and oregano, slow roasted for 8 hours at 200 (braised once an hour with the brine liquid, which is first mixed with white wine, then boiled and then triple strained) and then brushed with pomegranate molasses and grilled.
I got them from Lionettes, and I know they were from a pig that came from Vermont, but I don’t know what farm they were from. That’s OK. I love that Lionettes can do that consistently!
The only complaint I have is that I simply cannot get baby-backs this year. And they really are a superior cut for that recipe. But really, I should just be happy that it is summer, the barbeque is in bloom, and for now, eating a healthy meat option has made it socially acceptable to be a carnivore!
Hooray for our team — I just know those old cats would be so proud!
Thank you for these fabulous recipes JJ! I’m excited to try them….with local meat!
JJ, please explain to Robin why meat should be grilled quickly, and not look ( and taste ) like the charcoal it was cooked over!
p.s.-yes, she eats meat when not in public.
Thanks for this post! I blog at a multi-contributor vegetarian site, and I’m the lone omnivore, who just happens to love fresh, local veggies. But I love fresh, local meat, too…we just got some ground lamb from Stillman’s at the Farmers’ market. I just save that stuff for my own blog so as not to freak out all the veggie-folks
I’ll have to check out some of the meat farmers you mentioned. Thanks!