Meat! 2014

Volume One’s Guide To

everything meat!

LOCAL MEATS

GRILL CONFESSIONS

PREPARATION AND MORE!

writers B.J. HOLLARS, ROB HANSON, BRIANA BRYANT editors TOM GIFFEY, TYLER GRIGGS, THOM FOUNTAIN photographer ANDREA PAULSETH design SERENA WAGNER

JUICY, WELL DONE, PAN FRIED, ORGANIC

meat! SAVORY, MOUTH WATERING, GRILLED TO PERFECTION joe maurer

hog heaven THE DEUTSCH FAMILY OF OSSEO SAYS ORGANIC FARMING, OUTDOOR LIVING ARE THE KEYS TO TASTIER PORK WORDS BY TOM GIFFEY Years of big-budget marketing have convinced Americans that pork is “the other white meat.”

Jim Deutsch of Deutsch Family Farm begs to differ. “We say it’s the other red meat,” explains Deutsch, who raises several hundred pigs with his wife, Alison, and their two young children on an organic farm outside Osseo. From the breeds of animals the Deutsches raise to how those animals live and eat – and, ultimately, to the pork chops on your plate – the family’s 160-acre operation harkens back to an earlier era of agriculture. “The meat in the older breeds (of pig) is a redder

meat,” explains Jim. “It’s not that pale white that’s so common in commercial pork.” That natural coloration sometimes causes concern among first-time customers who are afraid they haven’t cooked the meat thoroughly. Educating customers – who get pork and poultry directly from the Deutsches or via several local grocers and restaurants – is essential when it comes to the heirloom breeds and traditional farming methods the family uses. “Most people really aren’t aware of how their food is produced,” Jim says.

What factors set a farm like theirs apart from a typical pork producer? “The

biggest one would be the outdoors,” Jim says. “A typical hog farm today is completely indoors. Probably the second biggest different is the space. Ours has so much more space per animal. … The other difference would be the feed. We raise it all, mix it all, and grind it ourselves.”

The hogs dine on barley, corn, alfalfa, rye, and oats raised in the farm’s certified organic fields – as well as whatever else they find as they root about outside. The

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Deutsches raise three traditional breeds – Hampshire, Duroc, and Berkshire – that are also found in some convention operations, although the Deutsch animals carry older genetics. “The modern pig has been bred to be super lean, so a modern pig wouldn’t be able to survive in our setup,” Jim says. “Ours are outside year round, so they have to have that extra fat on them.”

The Deutsches employ what is known as a Swedish deep-bedding system for

GRASS FED, SMOKED, LEAN CUT

meat!

their animals, providing an open-sided building filled with several feet of straw and cornstalks where the animals can bed down and engage in their natural rutting behavior. After they are bred, sows are kept together outside; during and after farrowing – that’s the porcine term for giving birth – the sows and their piglets are kept in pens, not crates. Later, all the piglets and sows are grouped together, which isn’t standard practice but which the Deutsches feel is better for the animals’ welfare and behavior.

Once the piglets are weaned, they are

often used on conventional farms.

“Raising any kind of animal has challenges,” Jim says. “The challenges we have would be management challenges.

We’re not using antibiotics to solve problems, so we have to manage everything for prevention.”

Such traditional methods lead to better-marbled, more delicious meat, says Nik Novak, the meat buyer at Just Local Food Cooperative in Eau Claire, which is among several western Wisconsin stores to carry Deutsch Family Farm products. “Eating industrial meat is like eating nothing but “Probably the biggest key to our pork iceberg lettuce,” Novak opines. By is the sun,” farmer Jim Deutsch says.

“The sun does a lot for the taste of the contrast, he says, dining on meat like meat and the health of the animal.” that raised by the Deutsches “is like separated from the sows but kept in a switching over to kale all of a sudden.” barn until they are over the stress of the Market trends indicate such heartier, process. After that, they’re on their own more natural fare is increasingly popuwith food and water outdoors. “Probably lar. According to the U.S. Department the biggest key to our pork is the sun,” of Agriculture, organic food sales blosJim says. “The sun does a lot for the taste somed from $11 billion to $25 billion of the meat and the health of the animal.” between 2004 and 2011. Meanwhile, a And the Deutsches are firm believmajor meat industry survey found that ers that such agricultural methods are the share of consumers who said they better for the health of those who eat the had purchased natural or organic meat final product, too. The couple’s journey in the past three months grew from 26 into organic farming began when Jim, a percent in 2013 to 34 percent this year. former tool and die maker, developed In turn, such buying decisions – drivhealth problems that he says improved en by shifting ecological, ethical, and after changing his diet. While neither health considerations – are having an Jim nor Alison grew up on farms, farmimpact for farmers and retailers. “Most ing was in their blood. Seven years ago people want to know what the animal they began raising pigs, first on another eats,” says Novak when asked about Just family’s farm in eastern Minnesota, then Local’s meat shoppers. “They want to on rented property in western Wisconsin, know if they’re happy, fell-fed animals. and finally on their current farm, a forThey’re looking for solace and peace of mer dairy operation they bought in 2010. mind.”

The land itself is now certified organic, To learn more about Deutsch Family meaning – among other things – that Farm, visit deutschfamilyfarm.com they don’t use pesticides, herbicides, or search for Deutsch Family Farm on or genetically modified crops. The pork Facebook. To view an episode of the TV itself is not certified organic (that would program Around the Farm Table featurrequire additional cost and paperwork, ing the farm, go to aroundthefarmtable.

Jim explains), but it is produced withcom/videocase/ and click on “Episode 2: A out the antibiotics and growth hormones Picnic in the Pasture.”

PETER ELLIOTT EATON

The Deutsch Family

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CHARBROILED, ALL NATURAL, BRAISED

meat! CHOICE, HEALTHY, DECADENT, SAUTEED, FLAVORFUL

Confessions of a

wannabe grill master AN ESSAY BY THE ACCLAIMED BARBECUE WIZARD GRILL OWNER AND AUTHOR BJ HOLLARS I’ve only ever burned my eyebrows off once, which I suppose makes me some kind of expert.

I was living in Alabama then (a land where grills outnumber people 2 to 1), and as I peered past the grates and into the burners, my finger bypassed my brain and found its way to the red starter button.

As I’ve mentioned it was a red starter button, which, in retrospect, I imagine was meant to loosely translate to: Fire! Warning! Keep your head out of there! Instead, I translated it to mean Hot dogs! And yes, while there were indeed hot dogs that night, there were also fewer eyebrows.

Long story short: nobody wanted to kiss the cook, I assure you.

can bolster one’s subpar grilling skills. And so, when my grilling brethren and I peer down into the hypnotic blue burn of the propane, I often open with: “Let me tell you a bit about these brines…”

Then, because I know nothing of brines, I shoot a finger to a backyard bush and cry, “Hey! Isn’t that an albino squirrel?”

When informed that there is no albino squirrel in our presence (“B.J., you’re just pointing to a bush,”), I grin sheepishly, then serve the naysayer his grass-fed burger.

Key phrase: “grass-fed” (whatever that means…)

Fooling one’s friends is one thing, though I’ve found it far harder to fool one’s wife. These days, when I shout, “Honey, can you get me the dry rub and the deckle?” she usually replies, “Honey, you’re When I offer my family a tray of just making up words.” mostly charred meats, I always do I remind her that’s mostly what I do for a so with a f lourish. “Dinner,” I say living, to which she mumbles something which grandly, “has been served.”

– being mindful of our general audience – I will not repeat here. But let me tell you, it’s good to be king, even if I am the king of, shall we say, bull bowWhile I may talk a good grilling game, the talk is els. about all I’m good at (see: previous anecdote). To put it It’s the price I pay for doing what I love – or at least another way, I serve up a lot more bull than cow. But what I love in theory. Much like baseball (which I can when attempting to do anything, mastering the language also only love in theory; mainly, because any sport that of the subculture always proves to be key. requires the fans to stretch is clearly taking too long) – Which is why when called upon to watch football grilling, too, allows participants to enjoy a bit of leisure, with friends, I always sprinkle in one of three phrases while feeling as if they’re performing some act of great – “Watch the backfield!”, “What do you mean ‘intenimport. tional grounding’?”, “Go Pack!” – none of which mean In truth, about 90 percent of grilling is trying to stay anything to me. awake (the same goes for Twins games), though this sedBut it’s not important that the phrases mean anyentary activity never prevents me from dramatizing my thing, just that I know I need to say them to confirm my efforts. When I offer my family a tray of mostly charred “expertise.” meats, I always do so with a flourish. “Dinner,” I say The same holds true for grilling. I’ve found that grandly, “has been served.” when offered with confidence, any number of phrases

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By dinner’s end, when I try the ol’ “Well, honey, I cooked, so I guess you’re on dish duty,” a pair of eyes as fiery as propane makes it clear to me that I did not, in fact cook – I “grilled” – and as a result, I’m probably well-rested enough to manage the dishes.

This message is conveyed without a single word passing between us – proof of our finely honed communication skills, the keystone to any strong marriage.

So why do I do it? Why do I continue the charade that is “B.J. Hollars: Grill Master Extraordinaire”?

I do it for the same reason we all do the things we love: because we love them. Nobody ever said we have to be good at that which we enjoy (see: B.J. Hollars’ Little League statistics), and besides, half the fun of having fun is being able to laugh at your failures (see: B.J. Hollars’ rib roast).

But the other half of it is that there’s a chance – modest, as it may be – that I won’t always be a fraud in front of the flames. Maybe one day I’ll don the apron and reach for the tongs and the grilling gods will smile down. Maybe one day I’ll learn what a brine is, what a deckle is, and that smoke and mirrors (“Albino squirrel!”) are no substitute for a well-smoked meat.

I am reminded of the old chestnut, “Fake it until you make it,” and also: “And if you don’t make it, just try faking it harder.” Yet the truth often lost in these phrases is that if you do anything long enough, you’re bound to get better, or at least you’re unlikely to get any worse. At least that’s what I tell myself to help me sleep at night.

Come on over some time; I’ll fire up the grill. I hope you like your eyebrows extra crispy.

B.J. Hollars is an assistant professor of creative writing at UW-Eau Claire, as well as an award-winning author. His next book, Dispatches from the Drownings: Reporting the Fiction of Nonfiction, will be published this fall.

BRANDED, DELECTABLE, TANGY

meat!

LOCAL GRILLING SIDEKICKS

squeezable sauerkraut

Silver Spring Mustard

Accessibility has never been one of sauerkraut’s advantages, until now. The locallymade handheld condiment is a must when you’re out and about and need your kraut.

The sweet, spicy local mustard is a perfect condiment for everyone: They offer all sorts of crazy varieties. Still, nothing beats the taste of the classic blend on your brat.

WATER STREET DELI’s HUMMUS

LUCETTE’s HIps Don’t Lie

As much fun as meat is, society usually expects us to have some kind of side dish (and no, hot dogs don’t count). Chips and hummus are the perfect extra with grilled goods.

There’s plenty of local beer that would sit well with a grillout, but the light, sweet taste of Hips Don’t Lie make it ideal for standing out in the heat over the flames.

Sue’s Bakeshop onion rolls You’ve gotta put that burger on something and there’s no better option than the onion rolls from Sue’s. They add just the perfect flavor to what we’re sure is the delicious hamburger you’ve concocted.

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SUCCULENT, RARE, TENDER, MARBLED

meat! BROILED, FREE RANGE, SPICY, MARINATED, CARVED

carving out a niche New butcher shop aims for old-fashioned vibe WORDS BY TOM GIFFEY // PHOTO BY ANDREA PAULSETH An old-fashioned butcher shop with a contemporary flair will soon open in Altoona. Bob Adrian, a commodity trader with a love for making sausage, is busy creating Rump’s Butcher Shoppe in a newly renovated building, 1411 Lynn Ave., in downtown Altoona.

The store, which is slated to open in July, will feature a full range of locally raised meats, homemade sausages, sandwiches to go, as well as beer, wine, cheese, desserts, and some grocery essentials. When the store opens, Dan Horlacher, a butcher with nearly two decades of local experience, will be at the helm and behind the counter. The exterior of the building has been large-

ly completed, and now workers are busy remodeling the interior – which will feature what Adrian calls an “older, industrial vibe” as well as repurposed barn boards.

Rump’s is inspired by the mom-andpop butcher shops that still dot rural Wisconsin. “What if you took that butcher shop mentality into a truly retail setting?” Adrian wondered. Customers will be able to have their meat cut to order, he says. Products like sausage, bacon, and ham will be locally raised and prepared in-house, while some others meats – particularly deli meats – will be from elsewhere.

In the beginning, the beef will

be locally raised and hormone-free, although not necessarily certified organic, Adrian says. However, that option may be available through special orders. “A lot of it’s going to depend on our target group of customers,” he says.

Adrian’s interest in handcrafted meat dates to his youth, when he began making sausage with his stepfather, John Romportl. In fact, his stepfather’s nickname – Rump – inspired the name

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of the new business.

Adrian says the Great Recession inspired many Americans to consider buying products raised, grown, and made closer to home – an ongoing trend he hopes boosts his new business. “If there’s ever a time it’s going to work, it’s now,” he says.

To learn more, visit RumpsButcherShoppe.com or search for Rump’s Butcher Shoppe on Facebook.

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FINGER LICKING, GROUND FRESH, PLUMP

meat! HOME GROWN, HAND TRIMMED, BONE LESS, SMOKED

WHY SHOULD CARNIVORES STAY LOCAL?

that’s all we have left WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ROB HANSON

Progressive plant-eating types may come off as a little high and mighty sometimes, but they do know a thing or two about sustainability.

It’s that buzzword you’ve seen pop up as an adjective for everything from campus buildings to farming to manufacturing – a buzzword that has almost singlehandedly converted a generation of vegetarians. The word is also an Internet favorite that has left us chewing on the idea that our beloved chops, roasts, and ribs might not be the best for us or the world around us.

But hold, I say! Before you swear off the sausage and chuck the chicken, there’s a way you can have your steak and eat it too. The focus of this Volume One special section is not just meat, but by and large meat that is produced locally.

If you’re anything like me, the overuse of any buzzword tends to make it more offensive than the actual concept it represents. However, the “local” movement is truly a force that transcends trends and provides benefits to a community’s economy and the world environment that far exceed the often slightly higher price tag.

The core of the sustainability argument against eating meat lies within the agriculture system as a whole – not just how we produce meat, but also how we produce vegetables.

The fact is that the disproportionate amount of water and feed necessary to create one single pound of edible meat is unsustainable. (Reports vary widely, but the consensus is right around 20 lbs. of feed and 200 gallons of water to irrigate feed crops to produce a pound of beef, according to Stanford University researchers.)

But it’s also unsustainable to eat pesticide-resistant, genetically modified corn that ensures the extinction

of town isn’t just easier on the environment than some growth-hormone injected sheep from Kansas, it also comes with the peace of mind that it wasn’t processed in a factory with thousands of other carcasses. of native plant and animal species. Turning prairie If one opts for a fresh fish fry over sushi, in theory into grazing land definitely is a harmful practice, but a bucket of Half Moon bluegills can save the life of a so is clearing tropical rainforests for commodity crops threatened bluefin tuna. And I’ll be damned if another such as coffee and tropical fruit. foodie tries to tell me his kale – which is trucked across Studies show the amount of methane, a greenhouse an entire continent to the Great White North ninegas, produced by cattle lays a heavier carbon footprint months of the year – is somehow more sustainable than on our environment than even the vast amounts of fosgrilling up the buck I shot on the back 40. sil fuel we burn for energy. But then again, the massive And other than a small portion of the population, quantity of nitrogen fertilizer we have introduced to most people won’t need to be convinced: Demand for feed our soil-tiring monoculture crops has also found meat and other animal products continues to grow its way via our rivers to the Gulf of Mexico, where it on the world market. In 2012 the US alone consumed leaves an equally ugly imprint on the Earth in the form approximately 52 billion pounds of meat, with an average of about 270 lbs.

Meat (and the gathering of it) is not for everyone, per person, according to a National Public Radio so if those of us who do eat it would take only report. what we need, we may find something more Setting sustainability closely resembling equilibrium. aside and putting personal health in the spotlight, of a dead zone where few marine species can survive whether the pursuit of meaty goodness comes from and generations of fisherman are out of work. hunting, fishing, raising a few chickens in the backTo put it in fewer words, meat can be less sustainyard, or trading in the lawn mower for a beef cow, we able to produce than other foods. Any food can be procan also rest assured when we eat local and organic duced unsustainably if we try hard enough. But if we that our meat isn’t pumped full of chemicals or horbuy our meat from local producers who have sustainmones that may have unintended consequences in the able practices in mind or collect it ourselves from the long run. wild as the universe intended, many (if not all) of the Through many massive food recalls and investigaaforementioned environmental horrors are reduced tive reports, most consumers are well aware of the and we throw a few bucks to our neighbors instead of a cruelty and general profit-over-public health mentalcorporation to boot. ity of the modern food machine, and it has left many Grass-fed lamb that comes from six-miles outside people looking for a better way. Far more than the hunt

Hunting, fishing and small scale farming can be a way to reconnect to the system that sustains us and possibly to that small section of hunter-gatherer genetic code buried long ago by the supermarket. However, whether you process it yourself, or take your wild meat to local butcher, there are of course some do’s and dont’s to keeping your organic fare safe and tasty. Butcher Mike Maier, of Mike’s Star Market, 2238 Heimstad Road, as well as some guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shed some light on the keys to being a DIY-butcher:

Butcher Mike Maier of Mike’s Star Market, Eau Claire

VENISON If an animal is harvested at dark and because of extenuating circumstances must be recovered the next morning, be very wary – especially during warmer early season hunts. If upon field dressing the meat smells bad or has taken on a grayish or green hue, as much as you hate to do it, leave it for the coyotes.

One of the most common mistakes Maier sees when hunters bring in game for processing is inadvertently tainting their meat by leaving organs during the field dressing process, particularly the windpipe and anus.

Wash the meat with cold water as soon as possible. With the cavity open, what you see is almost exactly what’s going in your freezer. No one seasons a steak with grains of sand, blades of grass, or those ever-savory internal juices.

Ice is your friend. While hanging venison for a few days can help tenderize the meat, keeping the carcass cool is essential. Packing the cavity with ice while the hide is still on the animal will help keep the meat at a desired temperature. If the outside temperature pushes 40 degrees and doesn’t cool below freezing at night, it’s a good idea to butcher your deer right away.

After cutting your steaks and roasts, you may decide to take the remaining small bits or “grind” and make sausage or sticks, etc. During that process you will almost certainly have to visit your local butcher to purchase casings or seasoning. At Mike’s Meats a huge part of the business is helping home processors avoid mistakes, and Maier says the best thing you can do is ask if you have questions about the process.

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CENTER CUT, CERTIFIED, FIRM

meat!

The author after a successful hunt

is about bloodlust and buying local and organic is about being trendy, the local movement is about sitting down to a pile of protein you know for a fact contains no pink slime, no BGH, BST, MSG, or BS in general. It’s about eating an animal that lived a full and natural life and was harvested in an ethical way, versus a sick critter bred to be so large it can’t walk or reproduce, only to be dispatched on a filthy killing floor among hundreds of others.

Moderation is key, though, to a mostly guilt-free meat experience. Participate in the “Meatless Monday” movement if it strikes your fancy. Using the numbers above, we can assume that an average person consumes roughly three-quarters of a pound of meat per day. If one goes even one day per week without meat, that amounts to 38 pounds of meat saved in a year. If we’re talking beef, that means conserving a total of 760 lbs. of grain and the 7,600 gallons of water necessary to irrigate it.

If anything is unsustainable, it’s advocating for the world’s 7 billion people to take up arms and put wild meat on the table for every meal. The same could be said if we buy from small local organic farms while consuming at the rate supported only by factory farms. It just doesn’t work. However, meat (and the gathering of it) is not for everyone, so if those of us who do eat it would take only what we need, we may find something more closely resembling equilibrium.

In his acclaimed book Noble Savages, anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon describes a unique verb used by the Yanamami tribe of central Venezuela and Brazil – “dehai” – which refers to nature’s gift of a savory bite of meat and vegetable at the same time.

I’m with those guys.

Because nothing soothes a lonely venison steak like a blanket of sautéed onions and mushrooms, and nothing lies next to a marinated grouse breast quite like asparagus.

FISH As with other meats, keeping your catch clean and cool is important to safe and delicious fish. However, the greater concern is fish containing mercury or PCBs through bioaccumulation. The principal works like this: Smaller species of fish such as bluegill or crappie eat mostly insects, which tend not to retain as much mercury or PCBs, and therefore don’t constantly accumulate the substances through their diet. However, bluegills living in contaminated water do retain a certain amount of the toxins. So larger fish such as pike or walleye – which eat those smaller fish by the dozen – do accumulate the contaminants in their diet at higher levels. For this reason, guidelines on the DNR website generally recommend only one meal of panfish per week for women of child-bearing age and children 15 and younger, and one meal of gamefish per month. Men older than 15 have a mostly unrestricted allowance of panfish, but still should only eat one meal of bass, pike, or walleye per month. It is not recommended to eat the top predator in local water, the muskellunge. These general guidelines can be superseded by warnings on specific bodies of water, locally including the Chippewa River downstream of the Holcombe Dam and Horseshoe Lake, Round Lake, and Sand Lake in Chippewa County. For a map of warnings related to fish consumption, visit dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/ consumption.

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MIKE’S Star Market

Meats and Processing

It's

meat! GARNISHED, GRADE A, PRIME

GRILLIN' SEASON!

THEY SERVE what?

COMPILED BY BRIANA BRYANT It turns out that the Chippewa Valley has quite the sophisticated palate when it comes to meat. From the rare to the downright unheard-of, we’ve got it all. Check out this list of some strange meats that we’ve discovered. They’re all being served nearby, so we challenge you to get out there and try some!

CHECK OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR EASY & CLEVER MARINATING & DRY RUB SUGGESTIONS!!

Mon-Fri 9am - 6pm • Sat 8am - 3pm • Sun Closed

The Livery, 316 Wisconsin St., has quite an interesting lineup on the meat platter. A few weeks ago they were serving shark with a “Hurricane Sauce,” which has to give them the top spot on this list for its sheer exotic nature (even though shark isn’t currently on the menu). The Livery always have some sort of “adventurous” dish that changes every other week. In the past they have had rabbit as well, and currently they are serving a dish called Catfish Diablo.

Shanghai Bistro, 2930 Craig Road, offers peking duck, which must be ordered 24 hours in advance. So what is it doing for those 24 hours, you ask?

According to an employee, they use a specific seasoning mixture which helps it to dry out. It is then kept in the fridge overnight. The next day, about one and a half hours before the reservation for the guest who requested the duck, it is put in the oven. The skin and meat are then peeled to be eaten, and servers bring it to the table with a special sauce. Then the remaining portions are made into a soup with noodles. It is only ordered once in a while, but with that much of a process, it’s gotta be some tender, delicious duck!

Northwoods Brewpub, 3560 Oakwood Mall Drive, offers an array of northern and Scandinavian foods, but for our interests we gravitated toward the bison burger. The lean, ground bison meat works perfectly in patty form for a unique taste that makes you reconsider using beef again. And that’s not the only specialty Northwoods has: They also have a duck burger – yes, seriously – and a wide variety of fishy goodness for all your up-nort’ needs.

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ROASTED, THIN SLICED, TENDER

meat!

ANDREA PAULSETH

Picanha, the Brazilian Steakhouse, 5020 Keystone Crossing, offers up a delicious array of fresh meats. In the back of the restaurant there is a unique rotisserie grill called a churrascaria that turns the meat on skewers, slow roasting it over an open flame. The gauchos (servers) then bring out the different meats on the skewers to the tables. Each table setting has a flip to switch up or down to indicate whether you are up for more or are full at the moment. The gauchos then continue to offer you different types of meat until you are satisfied. Ten different items are served every night, the signature being picanha, a cut of beef popular in Brazil. Baconwrapped meats are also very popular, and everyone seems to like the roasted pineapple (but that’s not important for this section).

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