Wyoming Catholic Cowboys

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Corpus Christi

Jesus is in the Eucharist.

With hands in short supply, we imported Gerry back to help ranch for the summer. Our first stop was Chris Ledoux Days in Kaycee Wyo. Doesn't get much more western than this. A good time was had by all.

Like the saints, good cowboys become more popular after they die. Chris Ledoux is a western icon. For Gerry to set foot on this sacred ground is like a dream come true.

Of course you can't celebrate the life of Chris Ledoux without bucking some horses.

While waiting for the street dance and walking around town we ran into some other Catholic Cowboys. It's so cool to be Catholic, everyone is your brother and sister just waiting to meet you. As providence would have it, Alva is from Barcelona.

Fr. Bryce, Gerry, and Ned Ledoux

This is gonna be a good summer. Gerry just graduated from the university with an ag engineering degree. The plan is to farm him out to different outfits over the next couple of months and give him some raw and real experiences. Should be an adventure.

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Daily Bread

Give us this day our daily bread, i.e. the Eucharist.

https://youtu.be/EMVGipXKsM8

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Atonement

No sin in personal, and our atonement is communal.

https://youtu.be/JW3McT1UU4s

Monday, June 13, 2022

Dry Age

Dry aging meat is how beef has been cured for centuries. It has became popular in resent years in contrast to wet aging, which is really just a way for packers to make the way they cut and ship meat within 24 hours sound good. Dry aging, on the other hand, is a natural way for meat to break down over time and become more tender and flavorful.

The old-timers always said to hang your beef for 14 days. I like to shoot for 21. This grass fattened carcass has been hanging for 25 days.

The key to good dry aging is a controlled cooling room. I like the temperature to be between 36 and 40 degrees. Good air flow is also necessary. Humidity is another great factor. 75-80% seems to be ideal.

Dehumidifying a cooler is not an easy task. This is because the process of pulling moisture out of the air involves cooling the air for the water to separate. When you are slightly over freezing already, dehumidifiers tend to freeze up before they do much good. We found this bad boy last winter and she has really been working well. Although, occasionally we do have to let her defrost. There is actually a lot of moisture in hanging carcasses that needs to be removed for good curing.

Surface mold overtime is not uncommon at all. Dry aging seals the outer layer of the fat or meat and allows the muscle to naturally break down without drying out.

This chuck roast is just as tender and moist as can be.

Aging beef is noticeable. Most meat at the super market has not been aged at all. Dry aging allows nature to run her course. In time she breaks down the muscle fibers and allows meat to naturally become tender. Quality beef takes quality time to cure.

Detachment

St. Anthony, pray for us!

https://youtu.be/KjuVDHAIY74

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Relational Reality

The Trinity is a mystery to be explored.

https://youtu.be/jwscehBNpNU

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Retreat

Last week the Diocese of Cheyenne priests went on their annual five day retreat. Most of the boys went down to Colorado Springs. Chief and I, however, drew the lucky card of going to Our Lady of the Pines in Story, WY.

Absolutely beautiful. The wildflowers reminded me of my childhood summers in the southern Big Horns.

We first had to reconnoiter this new land.

Turns out there was an military battle here between the calvary and the Indians.

Westward expansion did not come without cost.

Beside restful waters He leads me.

He leads me on the path of righteousness.

The water I shall give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

The Lord knows what we need before we do. Retreats get us square in the saddle with Him. Time alone in the mountains with nothing but beef, a horse, and Jesus in the Eucharist, couldn't have been more ideal. Now let's get to work.