White House Meats. Dry-Aged 100% Grass-Fed Virginia Beef

[Poivrot Farci]

White House Meats will be holding another in a series of “meat-ups” Monday, December 12^th, 7pm, at A M Wine Shoppe in Adams Morgan, a continuing effort to make the virtues of local 100% grass-fed beef accessible to consumers. We had two 900lb Angus steers slaughtered in November at Fauquier's Finest in Virginia which will hang until Dec 12 (dry-aged 4 weeks) after which 1 steer with be butchered into portions for the meat-up and the other will be available to individuals or restaurants in quarters, primals or sub-primals on the bone or boneless -depending on the cut- to gauge demand for further purchases of cows. The 2 year old pastured Angus steers are certified organic from Mt. Airy farms in Virginia and are fed grass their whole lives. No grain whatsoever, which cows are not designed to eat. We have visited the farm and the processing plant to make sure it is up to snuff and that the pastured cows are humanely slaughtered, not rushed as on an industrial scale. We will be at Fauquier’s on Monday to supervise the cutting.

The meat-up is conducted like a draft pick and fresh vacuum-sealed portions (8-10oz steaks, 3-5lb roasts) are selected in a rotation to ensure an equitable distribution. The only frozen items are the organs which can not be aged. A 10 person draft generally ensures 20-25lbs of beef per person (a variety of premium cuts, roasts, stewing/braising, ground, offal or whichever cuts one chooses at their turn) which is priced at a flat $9.80/lb rate, a very fair price of 4 week dry-aged 100% grass-fed beef. There are some shares left.

As for the second steer, we can offer whole primals or sub-primals (ie: whole clod, whole bone-in rib-eye chine bone removed, bone-in strip-loin, eye of round, top sirloin, flatiron, etc…) for a price that is lower per lb since we are not charged the cutting fee. Quarters are even less. Such large cuts will be wrapped in butcher’s paper. The short-rib plates ,1 strip loin, 1 ribeye and pot-au-feu kit (cheeks, tongue, 1 shank, ox-tail, collar bones and some marrow bones) have already been spoken for. We will eventually be able to offer French butcher’s cuts: spider (gracilis), pear (pectineus), whiting (satorius), tournedos, suet barded roasts and denuded outside clod for tar-tar.

We can also provide organic Berkshire pigs from High View Farm in Berryville, VA for $5/lb with sizes ranging from 100-225lbs. We have met with the farmer a few times and he will be trying to raise a smaller breed of pig in the spring and should have 100% grass-fed Scottish Highland steers ready by then. He provides us with pastured chickens and their eggs along with gizzards, livers and feet.

For pricing and such, contact Seth Cooper (Seth@whitehousemeats.com).

We are happy to answer any questions and can demonstrate the breakdown of the quarters.

Some beef resources:

Bovine Myology

Beef tenderness my muscle

New look at the top round

White House Meats WashPo article

Shoulder cuts

Whole quarter or:

Chuck tender

Mock tender

Petite tender (teres major)

Flatiron

Arm steaks

Center of clod roasts

Shank

Underblade

Chuck roasts

Loin & plate cuts

Ribeye

Strip Loin

Sirloin butt/top sirloin with culotte

Short ribs

Tenderloin

Brisket

Flank

Skirt

Hanger steak

Tri-tip

Leg cuts

Whole leg or

Top round

Knuckle

Eye of round

Heel

Outside round

Other

Cut shanks

Liver

Sweetbreads

Oxtail

Tongue

Heart

Cheeks

Suet

Ground beef

Stew/kabob