Tendergrass Farms Beyond Organic Meats (Pt. 2)
11:03 AM
Derek
In part 1 of my Tendergrass Farms review, I highlighted their grass fed beef products. Each of the steaks was very good, especially the ribeyes. Though grass fed beef is a major part of the Tendergrass operation, it's not the only thing they have to offer. Tendergrass partner farms also raise pastured pork and poultry.
To round out my order with Tendergrass, I selected a "Beyond Organic" turkey breast and "Beyond Organic" Italian sausages. The turkey breast weighed slightly over two pounds and was vacuum sealed. The cut was just the right size for a standard family of 4. I'd always roasted turkey breasts in the past, but I decided to try something a little different with this one. Since it wasn't any thicker than a typical whole chicken breast, I seasoned it with a sweet and spicy rub and threw it on the grill.
As expected, the turkey breast was mild and lean. It grilled up nicely, taking on the Caribbean inspired flavors of the spice rub. The turkey breast proved to be a very versatile cut. While roasting is obviously the most popular method of preparation, grilling is a perfectly viable option given the size of these particular breasts. Like chicken, they can also be exceptional with a wide variety of flavor profiles. I used a sweet and spicy tropical rub, but anything from Tex Mex to Asian (or even simply salt and pepper) spices will work.
Tendergrass Farms' "Beyond Organic" Italian sausage is vacuum sealed in 12-14 oz. packages containing for rustic links. Using only pastured, organic pork, these sausages do NOT contain the nitrates that are so prevalent in most sausage products. These sausages are were mild and surprisingly lean. They weren't nearly as greasy as sausage products that I usually purchase at our local meat markets.
I thought the flavor of these sausages was exceptional. We purchase and consume organic sausages on a regular basis and these are among the best we've had. They're perfectly seasoned. Not too salty or too spicy. I cooked the sausages on two occasions: first slicing them up for my jambalaya and later serving them whole on hotdog buns with grilled sweet peppers and onions.
Tendergrass Farms offers a wide variety of "Beyond Organic" meats raised by small, family farmers that pride themselves on producing a superior product. Rather than meeting standards set by government, these passionate farmers have raised the bar and set their own standards much higher. Using techniques like rotational grazing and abstaining from antibiotic use can be a difficult and costly way to raise animals, but Tendergrass farmers are committed to these practices. For those that appreciate these methods, operations like Tendergrass Farms are an alternative to mass production. Organic and grass fed meats will certainly cost you more than what you find behind most supermarket meat counters. However, for many, knowing where your food comes from is far more valuable.
If you're interested in learning more about grass fed beef or "Beyond Organic" meats, check out the Tendergrass Farms website, www.grassfedbeef.org.
Thanks