Exploring the World of Craft Meat
A Little Crowd Cow for Your Pocket
May 14th by Ryan Binkley • Read 2,367 times • 2 min read
With summer quickly approaching, our time outside starts to increase just like the temperatures. When I'm on the trail, I love a great trail mix. I’m a sucker for sweet-n-salty mixes, but when I need a lightweight protein punch, I always grab a bag of beef jerky to carry with me. I recently started exploring making beef jerky at home when we got a new stove with a dehydrate feature. If you don't have this feature, you can set your oven to low...
Ambassadors (Melissa, Chad, Matthew and Todd) on Knowing Where Your Food Comes From
March 26th by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 2,227 times • 1 min read
Meet some of the people who inspire us. Chefs, athletes and musicians whose life journeys are driven by adventure, curiosity and authentic connection. They are Modern Carnivores from all walks of life united in the belief that food is one of the great pleasures in life ― and by seeking out the very best and by being closer to the source of their food, they make the world a better place. Melissa Reome (Grilling Influencer) Q: Why is it...
A4 Olive Wagyu Is a Singularly Amazing Meal
March 20th by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 1,002 times • 1 min read
A lot of people ask me, "Joe, what's your favorite steak?" I'll actually never be able to answer that question as I'm still, and will always be, in search of the perfect steak, but I will say this: If there were no constraints around availability or price, my go-to steak would be an A3 or A4 Olive Wagyu striploin (New York Steak). That would be my default pick. Why? Simply put, since A4 is slightly less fatty than A5, I can eat more of it....
The grocery store can’t even tell you what *country* their beef & pork is from
March 8th by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 1,126 times • 1 min read
In 2016, industrial beef companies — who control over 80% of the beef market in the United States — successfully lobbied to remove the Country of Origin Labeling requirements from packaging. In plain English, this means that beef and pork sellers in the United States aren’t even required to tell you what country the beef and pork you buy came from. Here's the problem. Everyone selling meat uses stock art photos of small farms and says things...
Q & A with Pete Taylor, Founder and Owner of Spiceology
February 27th by Shelby Mang • Read 975 times • 2 min read
We take our craft meat, and whatever goes on it, very seriously. Spiceology is changing the spice game with their innovative, freshly-ground spices — and we’re thrilled to partner with them and offer three of their most popular blends in our new bundles. Get to know Pete Taylor, chef owner and founder of Spiceology. Why did you start Spiceology? I grew up in Boston, where I went to culinary school and became a chef. Over the years I watched...
Why is it important to know where your food comes from?
February 21st by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 611 times • 1 min read
Ask anyone “if” it’s important to know where the food you eat comes from, and nearly everyone will say yes. Ask them “why, exactly?” and even the most discerning eaters will struggle to give precise answers. I think it’s important to start a dialogue about this topic, so it’s a question I’ll be asking everyone we interview on our forthcoming podcast, “Let's Meat Up.” As the Co-founder and CEO of Crowd Cow, I’m uncovering answers to the...
Recent beef recalls reinforce the importance of food transparency & traceability
February 19th by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 441 times • 1 min read
Imagine that last summer, one of the popular soft drink makers encountered a production issue that caused people all over the country who consumed their products to become sick. You wouldn't expect Consumer Reports to say something like, 'based on our investigation, we recommend that you throw away any soft drinks of any brand that you may have purchased last summer.' But that's almost exactly what happened last December, when Consumer Reports...
How to make A5 Wagyu Tallow and unlock hero chef status
February 12th by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 2,757 times • 2 min read
A5 Wagyu beef fat, when melted, is a clear oil, packed with heart-healthy oleic acid. By making this A5 Wagyu tallow at home and sharing it with your friends and family, your ordinary home cook status will instantly sky rocket to magical wizard hero chef status. Add a little to a pan, scramble in a couple of eggs with a pinch of salt and you're likely to blow people's minds. It's that good. By carefully cutting the exterior fat off of your A5...
Why I no longer pay attention to labels like “organic”
February 5th by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 1,257 times • 3 min read
It may shock some people, but I no longer pay attention to labels on meat products. For years, I’ve traveled the country meeting with chefs and farmers in search of the world’s best craft meat, and over and over I hear that labels and certifications aren't meaningful or helpful, and can be abused to misrepresent the truth. The “organic” label is a good example. Thanks to the rising popularity of “grass-fed, grass-finished” and “organic” beef,...
What's written on the Olive Wagyu seal?
January 31st by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 1,304 times • 1 min read
Olive-fed Wagyu from Kagawa Prefecture is the world's rarest and most exquisite beef. Only 2200 cattle of the kuroge washyu breed are raised in Kagawa using the unique olive-based feed, and only a small fraction achieve the ratings necessary to officially qualify them as Olive Wagyu. It's certainly true that Kobe Beef is far more famous, but it's also true that it is far from "rare". Kobe Beef is backed by a quite mature industry association...
