Monday, November 14, 2022
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Buffalo Time
Every November the Durham Ranch runs the herd in and separates, vaccinates, and preg-tests their Buffalo. I usually get in on it and such was the case the other day. A good set up and a knowledgeable crew makes a dangerous job go relatively smoothly and be quite enjoyable in the processes.
Before we got going we had to ship out a load of fats to head for the the slaughter house in Colorado.
All of the calves raised on the ranch are then kept on the ranch and fed until they reach about 1100lbs. These bull were prime and ready to go.
You definitely don't want to get in the way of these bad boys on their was up the chute. You can chase a Buffalo anywhere it wants to go.
It was then time to get to work inside. The current working set up at the ranch has been a work in progress for the past several years. They are pretty well dialed in these days with a Binford 2000 squeeze cute, hydraulic sorting cube, and a building to keep us out of the cold November wind.
John was in charge of lining everybody out, including his dad.
One of my jobs was to scan every critter that came through the chute.
The information was then sent to Erin and she could pull up all the data history of the cow and enter its current stats.
Marshall had the most strenuous job of preg-checking. This wasn't he first rodeo. He arms the cows to see if they are bred or not. And then he reaches down to see if she is still milking. If so it means she raised a calf this summer. If dry, she probably lost it along the way and might not be worth running again, depending on her track record.
Ultra sound certainly makes testing Buffalo easier and more accurate.
Pat does it all, from running the chute, to bleeding certain cows, to de-horning damaged horns.
I enjoy coming down and hanging with everybody and lending a hand. But the monster cookies are the real reason I show up.
And to get my annual mug shot next to a willing bull.
A good time is always had when hanging with the Flocchini's. The run a smooth outfit. We can have fun and still get a lot of work done. Better yet, the Bison they raise are in peak shape and live in as stress free environment as could be imagined for a wild animal. Nice work boys. Keep up the Good work.
Bride of Christ
The celebration of the dedication of a church is a reminder that the Church is the Bride of Christ.
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Monday, November 7, 2022
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Omelet
Mom always said that if she could teach her boys to make an omelet and a hamburger they could survive. Well, I've been living off both for the past 24 years. There are always new tricks to learn, but I feel I've got cooking an omelet down pat. It's always been a Sunday tradition for me to make an omelet. I used to do so back home, then for my Uncle's family when I worked in Montana, and now again after Mass as a priest.
This first step is a good non-stick pan. Mom gave me this pan when I left home. I think her final words were: "I've done all I can, good luck son."
I used to make myself a six egg omelet. Since then I've toned it down to three. To make your eggs fluff up, add a little water.
You want the pan hot before you pour in your beaten eggs. I always spray it with Pam as well.
This sears the bottom. Once poured in, turn the heat down to about half.
The greatest trick is to pull the sides in once the eggs have cooked a bit. This allows the batter to flow in behind. By doing so you can cook all the eggs without over cooking the bottom. I do this several times to make sure all the eggs are cooked.
Then I add chopped ham and salt and pepper.
Cheese as well.
Flopping it over is a trick that takes both hands. Do set yourself up for success by aligning the fold with the handle.
This makes flopping onto the plate a breeze. Don't horse around though, give it a good flip.
Wallah!
Beer for Sunday brunch is always acceptable. Homemade grape jelly and toast complement an omelet as well.
I love a good Sunday omelet. Cooking it is a good way to debrief from the two Masses that proceed it. Once enjoyed in the company of the our Blessed Mother, then it's nap time. After a little siesta, then I'm ready for my third and final round of the day. So far I'm surviving. A good omelet not only keeps me well fed, but it keeps me enjoying life too. Thanks Ma!
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Monday, October 31, 2022
Backstrap
The backstraps of any critter have to be the most popular cut of meat. But especially on a cow; this is where you get your choicest steaks. It doesn't take much training to locate them. There's two, one on each side of the backbone. Cutting them into steaks, now that's just plain fun.
If I don't T-bone the six steaks closest to the pelvis, I can get about 24 steaks out of one full backstrap.
Like catching 20# Bass, pulling a full backstrap out of a cow is quite a feat.
It is located right along the vertebra. I didn't get a real clean split on this cow, which took away the T part of the T-bone, which is why I decided to just steak the whole strap. It can be easy to damage the meat as you're removing it from the rib cage. So I like to ride the ribs with my knife. As you get to the front third of the strap, it really dives down. If you're not on the ribs, you'll cut the ribeyes in half.
Once pulled, I remove the cap from the front third, which is where part of the shoulder blade is and the tougher muscles surrounding it. Then I cut the strap into 1 1/4" steaks. Imagining folks enjoying these beauties really makes a guy take pride in his cuts.
I basically divide the strap into thirds. The back third are New Yorks.
The middle section is what I simply call Rib Steaks.
And the front third are Ribeyes.
Ribeyes are definitely the most popular cut on a cow. I've had super good luck on these grass fattened critters. This cow was a sale barn heiferette who we ran in the Black Hills for the summer. She has been aging for three weeks.
Looks like a good time to me.
Cutting steaks makes my day. There's a few other places on a cow with tender cuts, but nothing beats the backstrap. Not only do you get a tender cut of meat with no gristle, you also get a good amount of fat to go with it. At Lungren Brother's Cattle Company we not only help America stay strong, we help fuel her fun.
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