November Markets and Meet Mick

It's almost that time of the month again - Market Time! We will be at the markets in Yeppoon on the 5th November and Rockhampton on the 6th November. We will have the usual Delicious Pork, Tender Beef and Tasty Goat.

A reminder that our pigs are true free range. They spend every day from birth to the day they are taken to the abattoir, outside. They enjoy being able to display their natural piggie behaviours. They eat grass, dig in the mud and generally have a pretty chilled out lifestyle. They do eat a grain ration, but we ensure that it is well balanced and doesn't include any nasty gmos.

Who's been enjoying our beef? I'm not sure that everyone is aware that we sell beef, and that it is our own grass fed and finished beef. We are actually certified organic with our cattle and goats, although they lose certification once they are killed because our abattoir and butcher facilities are not organic certified. We finish our beef cattle on leauceana., which is a fodder tree that is high in protein and cattle do very well on it.

I've been really enjoying slow cooked brisket lately. I do a Mexican flavoured version to have with tortillas and I've done a curry coated one for a curry night and this one below I did a little while ago and it to was delicious! We will have brisket at the markets, so why not give this recipe or another one a go.......

Slow cooked Brisket

2kg piece of DVFR Beef Brisket

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup of tomato puree

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon french mustard

chilli to taste

1 cup water or bone broth

Mix all the ingredients and pour over the brisket. Cover and bake in a very low oven for most of the day. e.g. 140 for about 8 hours or 160 for about 6 hours. 

The goats prefer to eat shrubs and trees over grass, and I think that's why they have such a nice flavour, probably also why they are less tender and more suited to slow cooking. They too love leauceana, so we occasionally cut some and bring it home for them.

Back in Septemeber we employed Mick. He's a young fella from Brisbane who really wants to learn what it's like to be a farmer. It's so good to see such enthusiasm for farming and gives hope for the future of farming really. Anyway, Mick has joined us to learn as much as he can about farming the way we do - all things from paddock to plate. He will be helping with the markets this weekend, so you will get to meet him. 

Learning how difficult it is to work with animals..........

Learning how to make cheese...........(I was making tortillas for lunch while Mick stirred and stirred the cheese).