By Haley Robison
As a rancher, I often get asked how I deal with the death on the ranch. How am I not sad or hurt when animals die? How do you name a steer and then butcher it and eat it? The average consumer is so removed from agriculture that it changes their perspectives on life and death. In today’s world, people often “humanize” animals. Consumers today often associate all animals similar to that of pets like cats and dogs. But the thing is, cattle are not pets. They don’t live in our home. They don’t wag their tail every time they see me coming. They are animals. They rely on me for food and water, but other than that, they prefer to live their life out in our pastures. Yes, our cows love getting fed cake, and we do have some that enjoy a good scratch every now and then, but they are still animals. And yes, I would be sad if my favorite cow came up open which would mean she would be sold and most likely made into meat for the grocery store, but it would be her time and her purpose. That’s how I like to think of it when it’s time to butcher animals; it is their purpose and the reason why God put them on this earth.
I believe we are all put on this planet with a purpose. Right now, my purpose is to raise my babies and give the best care to my livestock possible. The cow’s purpose is to produce babies that in return help feed the world. The steer’s purpose in life is to feed a family. As a rancher, I feel the need to respect that purpose and be grateful for what that animal is sacrificing for us. With that, we try to use as much as possible from that beef. Check out this image below to see all the awesome by-products that come from a beef animal.
There are so many great meals that can come from beef. Naturally you have great steaks, ground beef, and delicious roasts. There are also a lot of cuts that are more difficult to cook properly and therefore get a bad rapport. Cuts like round steak, short ribs, shanks (soup bones), skirt steak, and so much more are often over looked. If cooked properly, these cuts can be delicious within themselves! Learn to cook these cuts properly and don’t let any beef go to waste!
One meal I just cooked last night was beef short ribs! Heres the recipe!
Ingredients:
2-4 lbs beef short ribs (boneless or bone-in)
1 cup beef broth
1 cup water
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Directions:
-
Sear short ribs in pan
-
Add all ingredients into crockpot
-
Put ribs into crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours (longer if you want it more tender)
-
Turn oven to broil & place short ribs on sheet pan
-
Broil for 3-5 minutes to add a little bit of a crisp to the outside.
This recipe was super easy to throw together and enjoyed by the whole family! If you are needing more ideas for recipes for your beef, head over to the North Dakota Beef Commission website! They have so many great recipes for every cut!