Crowd Cow Blog
Exploring the World of Craft Beef
Happy National Fajita Day
August 17th by Caitlin P. • Read 23 times • 1 min read
Hot and spicy fajitas are a classic Tex-Mex dish, inspired by the cuisine of the Tejanos residents in the Southwest. From its humble beginnings as a grilled strip of skirt steak, fajitas now refer to the delicious combination of grilled strips of any meat, a variety of garnishes or sauces, and a soft tortilla for its casing. Fajitas began as strip steak given to ranch hands as part of their pay, though now fajitas are a go-to pop of flavor reminiscent of the Southwest. But enough of the history, let's get to the juicy stuff: it's National... Read post
Olive Wagyu returns to Crowd Cow for the second time
August 16th by Joe H. • Read 235 times • 2 min read
Rare. Delicious. Umami. Olive Wagyu, the world’s rarest beef, is back—and only Crowd Cow has it. In April, we offered Olive Wagyu for the first time ever in the United States and our extremely limited supply sold out quickly. Only a small amount of Olive Wagyu is available at a time because only a few farmers raise it. We’re thrilled to announce that we will be offering Olive Wagyu for the second time! Our Olive Wagyu special events are limited to current Steak Holders. Raised by a handful of farms in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, Olive Wagyu... Read post
Visiting the Olive Wagyu grill in Takamatsu
August 13th by Joe H. • Read 251 times • 1 min read
Spending time in Japan is pretty special to me, especially when I get to eat fantastic food prepared by the best chefs in the country. I just got back from a trip to Kagawa Prefecture to meet with our Olive Wagyu producers and the experience was phenomenal. One of the trip highlights was visiting Ichigo Steakhouse, the Olive Wagyu specialty grill in Takamatsu. Chef Mori-san grills over sumi and binchotan charcoal and is the only nose-to-tail Olive Wagyu restaurant anywhere in the world. I've been to Ichigo before so it was fantastic to be... Read post
A trip to Texas
August 10th by Joe H. • Read 252 times • 1 min read
When you think of Texas, you probably think of Longhorn cattle and barbecue joints. We did too until we took a trip to Texas last May where we met with independent ranchers and enjoyed some great-tasting meat. Texas is a big state but nothing prepared me for just how big it really is and just how much variety there is. We drove over 1200 miles in four days and passed through hill country, desert cacti, and pretty much everything in between. Along the way, we were reminded that the heart of Texas is more than dusty plains and great steaks --... Read post
On Fitness Confidential with Vinnie Tortorich
August 8th by Joe H. • Read 27 times • less than one min read
Last week, I spoke to celebrity fitness trainer Vinnie Tortorich and Serena Scott Thomas on Fitness Confidential about Crowd Cow and ethically raised meat. Vinnie is a renowned health and fitness expert, the founder of the No Sugar No Grains (NSNG®) lifestyle, and author of Fitness Confidential. Serena is an English actress committed to a healthy lifestyle and lives by NSNG®. This podcast episode touches on ethically raised meat, various breeds, finishing techniques, different cuts, red meat as a superfood, protecting the earth, and Craft... Read post
The Basics Behind Meat Marbling
August 7th by Caitlin P. • Read 718 times • 3 min read
If you've been with Crowd Cow for a while (and even if you haven't), you've probably seen us refer to "well-marbled" meat. But what is marbling and why does it matter? What is marbling? Well, marbling refers to the white flecks of intramuscular fat in each cut of meat. Marbling adds a lot of flavor and can be one indicator of how good the beef is. It impacts the tenderness, moistness, and overall flavor and has become one of the most well-known elements of steak evaluation. The USDA grading system rewards marbling above all else, so the... Read post
Beef and Beer Pairing Tips for International Beer Day
August 3rd by Caitlin P. • Read 230 times • 1 min read
Today is International Beer Day so Hoppy International Beer Day! Get it? Hoppy, like hops. Anyway, nothing pairs better with a crisp cool glass of your favorite beer than great-tasting beef of all shapes and sizes. It's best when the beer matches the profile of the meal, so balance heavier meals with darker beers and lighter meals with pale ales. We want to share some of our favorite pairings and tip you off to some new recipes so you can spend tonight toasting the best of beef and beers! And no, the puns won't stop till the stein's been... Read post
How to Hold a Steak Tasting
July 31st by Caitlin P. • Read 191 times • 1 min read
Much like fine wine or decadent cheese, no two steaks taste the same. Yet only modern meat enthusiasts nuance the flavor and texture profiles of craft beef, enjoying the local and specialized range of flavors between farms and cuts. Throwing a beef tasting is as easy as any other tasting (and you can still drive home safely afterward). It's remarkably easy to throw a beef tasting, especially with Crowd Cow beef tasting flights. 1. Select your farms and cut of choice. By keeping the cut consistent, you can see how other variables affect the... Read post
Wild for Wagyu? Try these techniques
July 26th by Caitlin P. • Read 594 times • 2 min read
We taught you how to cut your beef like the Japanese and perfectly prepare your A5 Wagyu. We wanted to find a few more ways to cook your Wagyu, so we checked out the #A5Wagyu tag on Instagram to see how beef buffs prep their platters. Not going to lie: these breakout stars are a party just waiting to happen. Beef Up Your Brunch Some say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so we say specially prepared Wagyu beef should be the centerpiece of that meal! Try pairing thinly sliced and lightly crusted strips of Wagyu with pastured... Read post
Grass-Finished Versus Grain-Finished
July 18th by Caitlin P. • Read 1,009 times • 3 min read
Close up of grass at Little Shasta Ranch Grass versus grain, or so the story goes. But how do we know the real differences between the two? In the meat industry, using terms like grass-fed, grass-finished, or grain-finished can mean very different things for the beef associated with them. But let's back up for a second because I just wrote "meat industry" as if it's one homogenous beast. It's not. There's a marked difference between the industrial beef world and the sustainable world of craft beef from independent farms. The industrial beef... Read post