+ PRESENT
Volume One’s Guide To EVERYTHING MEAT! G R I L L I N G T I P S + L O C A L M E AT S + P R E PA R AT I O N & M O R E !
A BIT ABOUT THE PHOTOS ABOVE A BIT ABOUT THE PHOTOS ABOVE A BIT ABOUT THE PHOTOS ABOVE A BIT ABOUT THE PHOTOS ABOVE
GO AHEAD, HAVE A COW Blaezer Farms offers organic beef with a personal touch words by L A U R E N F I S H E R • photos by A N D R E A P A U L S E T H
A STROLL THROUGH THE PASTURE AT BLAESER FARMS with Ashley Blaeser involves chit chat about her beef cattle – their personalities and heritage, how they are being bred and how many calves they have borne, where they came from and their medical histories. She and her husband, Josh, have a small enough herd that they know each of their cattle personally. The Blaesers raise cattle from a variety of lineages, from “chocolate milk” Simmentals to classic Holsteins and dark, imposing Angus. One standout from the group is a caramel-colored Highland heifer with long, symmetrical horns and a shaggy coat. Her name is Ophelia – “Because if she gets to you with those horns, you’re gonna o-feelit!” Josh bellowed. She came to the Blaesers by chance. A butcher hired to slaughter the creature because she wouldn’t reproduce couldn’t bear to process such a beautiful animal, so he bought it and reached out to the couple to take it off his hands. A vet found that Ophelia had an ovarian cyst that was preventing pregnancy, which the Blaesers removed. They are now awaiting the arrival of her calf, which will be a Highland-Wagyu crossbreed, hopefully with the resilience of
the Highland variety and the excellent caught up in jargon due to her lifetime of marbling of Wagyu. experience with cattle and her biology Ashley grew up on her parents’ degree. Josh swoops in with layman's exdairy farm, raising animals to show in planations when she gets too technical. 4-H and Future Farmers of America “We have such different backgrounds competitions. She had and mindsets that to leave her herd of 13 we’re able to encomwith her family while pass a larger undershe attended school standing for people,” and eventually began Ashley said. “So Josh, teaching in Eau Claire, when he came in on which is where she met the whole herd thing, Josh in 2012. Although (the business) just he had no experience exploded.” in farming, being the Josh can be found outgoing and adventurseveral days a week ous sort, Josh wasn’t at farmers markets in phased when Ashley Menomonie and Eau said she wanted to Claire selling beef, bring her herd home lamb, chicken. and someday and raise beef eggs. He’s as down to cattle. The two married chat as he is to sell in 2015, bought a swath a person Blaeser’s – JOSH BLAESER of farmland in Chiporganic products. pewa Falls, and hauled “All of our animals in Ashley’s herd. have names. We know “I think Josh not having a background what they do and where they came from in farming makes (Blaeser Farms) very and how friendly they are,” Josh said. unique in that he has a buyer’s mentalDuring the warmer months, he and ity instead of a farmer’s mentality,” Amy Ashley have visitors to their farm almost said. “He knew how to relate to people every day to see the farm and buy food. better.” Ashley admits she can get “We’re transparent as hell,” he said.
“ALL OF OUR ANIMALS HAVE NAMES. WE KNOW WHAT THEY DO AND WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND HOW FRIENDLY THEY ARE. WE’RE TRANSPARENT AS HELL.”
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“I think that’s such a huge aspect, is knowing that your food can come literally from a few miles down the road from your house and where you live,” Ashley said. “You don’t have to go to the grocery store – you can purchase things and support our local community vs. having to go to a store where who knows where that product came from.” Josh and Ashley work hard to provide their products at an accessible price, which means striking a balance between raising more animals and keeping the herd manageable. “We’re both teachers, and if we can’t afford it, why are we doing this?” Josh said. Raising more meat to keep costs low makes it more difficult it is to sustain an organic, grass-fed operation. But doing so is important to the Blaesers. Ashley is inspired by a line from Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful low, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” “We are just a small farm in the Chippewa Valley, but we can still make a small change/difference in terms of how people view and buy their meat products,” Ashley said. She hopes this will bring health, satisfaction, and peace of mind to her customers. Learn more at blaeserfarms.com or facebook.com/blaeserfarms.
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT CURE Butcher shop proprietor talks bacon words by L A U R E N F I S H E R
BRAND-NAME BACON from your favorite chain grocery store might save you a few bucks at the check-out, but you may have noticed that what looks like a meal in the package shrinks down to snack-size in the frying pan. As it turns out, your money-saving choice might have cost you in the long run due to shrinkage during cooking. But why does this happen? It’s all in the curing process, according to Bob Adrian, owner of Rump’s Butcher Shoppe in Altoona. Mass manufacturers use what is called wet curing, which involves injecting pork belly with liquid curing agents that take only hours to work. Although by federal law processors are required to ensure the added moisture has evaporated from the product before packaging, the meat that hits grocery store shelves are more hydrated than product that has been dry cured. During the cooking process, the moisture evaporates out of the bacon, causing it to lose mass. The higher the moisture content in a slice of meat, the smaller the finished product. Dry aging takes much longer than wet aging, but results in less shrinkage. During this process, pork bellies are rubbed with curing seasonings and hung to dry for several days. Rump’s cures bacon for a total of 14 days before finishing it in the smoker for 10-12 hours. During the curing process, the pork bellies are exposed to the air, causing the moisture to
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evaporate and reducing the weight of the meat. Since there is less moisture in the finished product, less shrinkage takes place while you’re cooking the strips. “The result is, in my opinion, a much better product,” Adrian said. The key difference between the two methods is time. While wet curing at a large production facility can take as little as four hours from start to packaging, dry curing can take 16 days or more. In order to supply just the Altoona store during busy season, Rump’s has 500-600 pounds
of bacon aging at any given time. The larger the operation, the more difficult it becomes to process enough meat to satisfy customer demands using dry curing. That’s what gives local shops an edge in providing a more specialized product. “I like to say, anything good takes time,” Adrian said. “No matter if you’re building a birdhouse or doing brain surgery.” When it comes to bacon, you might have to spend a few more bucks, but you’ll get lots of extra bang (size-wise) by going with a dry-cured product.
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“I LIKE TO SAY, ANYTHING GOOD TAKES TIME. NO MATTER IF YOU’RE BUILDING A BIRDHOUSE OR DOING BRAIN SURGERY.” – BOB ADRIAN, RUMP’S BUTCHER SHOPPE
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A CENTURY OF SALES Sokup’s has a 127-year reputation for great meat words by H A L E Y W R I G H T • photos by A N D R E A P A U L S E T H
SOKUP’S MARKET, A WELL-KNOWN LANDMARK at 624 N. Bridge St. in Chip-
service and quality meats. While the business has always been a family owned and operated full-service grocery store, pewa Falls, has operated continuously it is well known for its meat department, in its present location since 1894, and is which features extra lean ground beef, currently being run by the fourth generachoice steaks, and homemade sausages. tion of Sokups: Peter and his wife, Kathy. The store also offers a large variety of Joseph Sokup – Peter’s great-grandcheeses. Serving meats at a fair price father – opened the market as a fulland knowing what service grocery store the customer needs in 1891 on the corner sets the market apart of Bay and Willow from big-box stores, streets. His son, whose and keeps customers name was also Peter, coming back, Peter was born in the apartsaid. Customers from ment above the store’s all over the Chippewa current location, and Valley and even greater expanded the store’s western Wisconsin focus to meat after takfrequent the store for ing over management. its quality products. Two generations later, – PETER SOKUP In terms of plans there’s still a Sokup for the future, Sokup’s managing the market. Market will continue to “We were born and serve the needs of its customers, Peter raised in the family business and just said. He said all of those who enter the followed our parents’ footsteps,” says store will find, “Great prices, friendly Peter, the present-day owner. atmosphere and employees who take Sokup’s Market has been a success, pride in helping our customers.” Peter says, because each generation Sokup’s Market • 624 N. Bridge St., that has taken over has held on to the Chippewa Falls • (715) 723-4953 • Find traditions that sustained the business it on Facebook for decades, namely friendly customer
“WE WERE BORN AND RAISED IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS AND JUST FOLLOWED OUR PARENTS’ FOOTSTEPS.”
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BUYING IN BULK A whole, half, or quarter means more meat and extra savings words by L A U R E N F I S H E R
for 9-12 months. Store meat at -10 to -15 degrees Fahrenheit and remove to thaw a day or two before you want to use it. In order to avoid spoiling the meat, avoid repetitive warming and cooling. “Buying a quarter or a half is a lot of money up front, but the savings are well worth it,” Grossbier said. Depending on where you buy your meat from, you also benefit from a personal relationship with the butcher, who can tell you where and how the animal was raised. At the end of the process, you’ll have a freezer full of food, one less reason to go grocery shopping, and some significant savings.
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FOR A FISCALLY CONSCIOUS FAMILY OF CARNIVORES, budgeting for protein might be a challenge. However, if you’ve got a mind for planning ahead and some freezer space to spare, buying meat in bulk can be a big money-saver. Many farms and meat processing facilities in the Chippewa Valley offer customers the option to purchase a whole, half, or quarter cow or a whole or half pig (referred to as “beef” and “pork” during the buying process). Patrons pay a dollar amount per pound of “hanging weight,” which is the weight of the animal before aging and processing. Some butchers base the price on the weight of the animal when it’s alive, so make sure to clarify the process with your butcher. The butcher will do all the processing and packaging for you, so all you have to do is put in your order and pick up the meat when it’s ready. Depending on the season and availability, the process can take 1-3 weeks from order to pick-up. Something first-time buyers should be aware of is that even if their half beef weighs in at 400 pounds, they will not receive 400 pounds of meat. Processors often dry-age meat for several days, which reduces the moisture in the
product and therefore the weight. During the butchering process, bones and unwanted organs are removed, further reducing the weight. Depending on a number of factors, a 400 pound half beef will yield about 250 pounds of meat. Randy Grossbier, owner of Spring Brook Meats located at N3485 810th St, Elk Mound, has done the math. Although beef prices fluctuate, on average, his customers pay about $5.22 per pound of meat after processing. The beauty of bulk is that this price is for everything from ground beef all the way up to steaks that would cost more than $10 per pound if bought individually. One of the perks of buying beef and pork this way is that you get a lot of say in how it’s processed. Many processors allow you to choose the thickness of any steaks, and how many cuts or pounds of meat are in each package. So if your family of four needs a pound and a half of ground beef for a meal, or a one pound package is just too much for you and your spouse, you can adjust to avoid waste. Once you’ve brought your bounty home, pork lasts in the freezer for 6-9 months, and beef will stay good
“ B U Y I N G A Q UA RT E R O R A H A L F I S A LOT O F M O N E Y U P F R O N T, B U T T H E SAV I N G S A R E W E L L WO RT H I T. ” – R A N D Y G R O S S B I E R S P R I N G B R O O K M E AT S
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WHAT’S COOKIN’? 4 popular proteins tempting the Chippewa Valley words by J U L I A V A N A L L E N
THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE are taking a trip on the carnivorous side. So, what are the latest meat fads? According to Bob Adrian of BNC Foods and Rump’s Butcher Shoppe in Altoona, pork bellies, meat on a stick, exotic meats, and all things bacon are popular right now. This amalgam of options will prompt the craziest of meat-induced fever dreams, and it seems like the Chippewa Valley community is on board.
1 . P O R K B E L LY Pork bellies are staging a comeback this season. While the usual meat staples of the American meat eater’s diet have been chicken and beef recently, pork is set to take the spotlight. The Chippewa Valley is going whole hog as the uncured, unsliced cousin of bacon takes center stage. According to the Detroit Free Press, “Chefs consider pork belly far superior to bacon.” You can cook it with the skin on or off, it all depends on preference. Braised or roasted, take your pick.
2 . M E AT O N A S T I C K Meat on a stick. What could be better? A tasty and portable cuisine you just want to sink your teeth into. It sounds like a mouth-watering taste sensation that will rock any omnivore’s world. While the origins of meat on a stick predate the Ottoman Empire in Turkey and their affinity for shish kebabs, local foodies are putting their own spin on this old favorite in new and VolumeOne.org 44 May 16, 2018
exciting ways. Pick any kind of meat, dress it up with a marinade or rub, intersperse a few vegetables here and there and you’ve got a meal that puts the fun in functional.
3 . E X O T I C M E AT S When Adrian says “exotic meats” are piquing peoples’ interest what comes to mind? According to Reviewed.com, the 8 most popular exotic meats are bison, alligator and crocodile, goat, venison, wild boar, game birds, ostrich, and elk. While some of these delicacies might be a little distant for most local cuisine, the most outlandish of home cooks will never be stopped by scarcity. Jazz up a barbecue by trying out one of these exotic meats, just make sure to do research for how to cook it!
4 . BACON Also popular this season is a tried and true culinary hero, a jack of all trades seen everywhere from omelettes to burgers. Bacon. Salivating already? Bacon basically goes with everything, but sometimes a little creativity may be needed to make a culinary dream work. From appetizers to main dishes to sides, Bacon could be an integral ingredient to any part of a meal. Put it on a sandwich and go for that classic BLT, or wrap it around corn on the cob to welcome summer with a bang. With a host of options available, one question remains: Which one are you gonna try first?
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