Sun, 20 May 2012 00:29:48 -0800WeeblyThu, 22 Mar 2012 11:59:55 -0800http://buffalopeakranch.com/1/post/2012/03/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit.html With live cattle prices doubling in the last 4 months, this is impacting retail prices this year and we are doing everything we can do to minimize the impact of prices  to our customers.  
For anyone who loves a good steak, a juicy burger or a nice Sunday roast, these are anxious times.Prices for beef, which have been climbing for months, hit a record high in December — an average of $5 a pound — and analysts predict they could climb 5 to 8 percent higher this year.

Beef prices are soaring for a number of reasons. Producers, who struggled with high feed costs and diminishing profits, began shrinking their herds roughly five years ago. Since then, demand from overseas markets has shot up — a record 11 percent of American beef went overseas last year, up from 8.7 percent in 2010.

In July of last year, the U.S. beef herd had dropped to its lowest point since 1958. Also last year, a drought in Texas and Oklahoma, the top two cattle-producing states, forced producers to cull herds. As a result, the number of cattle in the United States fell 2 percent from the beginning of 2011 to 90.8 million head, the United States Department of Agriculture reported last week.

“There’s not enough beef out there,” said Ron Plain, an agricultural economist with the University of Missouri. “This year, there’s going to be less beef, more people; the supply is going to be tighter, and that means more records.”


Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/02/04/2202414/dwindling-herds-overseas-demand.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy ]]>Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:21:28 -0800http://buffalopeakranch.com/1/post/2012/03/looking-forward-to-spring.htmlAs many of you know, this winter has been cold and windy.  We have had good moisture this last month, but we could do without the wind.  February is the hardest month on us and the animals.  I am always greatful when we finally make it to march.  Eventhough we get our biggest snow storms in the spring, I sure look forward to the warmer and longer days.   Green grass and summer is not far off.  ]]>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:12:58 -0800http://buffalopeakranch.com/1/post/2011/12/first-post.htmlThe year is winding down and we are now catching our breath before Christmas is upon us. One thing I have focused on this year is learning to cook grass-fed meats, particuarly the roast. I've done it enough times now that I don't have to read the recipe carefully, if at all. I adapted a recipe by Scott Peacock from BHG magazine. He uses an oven to cook the roast for several hours, but I'm too frugal to run the oven for that long for just one meal unless it's a holiday. If you're interested in enjoying an easy crock pot meal, here's how I do it:
Ingredients:
One 3 - 5 lb.Roast (I've tried English, Chuck, and Pikes Peak roasts thus far
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil plus enough to coat the roast
2 Tsp. Sea Salt (medium ground works better than huge granules)
2 Tbsp. Butter (I sometimes use equal amounts of butter and lard)
4 small sweet onions peeled and quartered
5  cloves of garlic, peeled, trimmed and halved
1/4 dry white wine (I admit I sometiimes use a hearty bergundy even though it turns the onions a funky purple)
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
7 fresh parsley sprigs
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into medium-sized pieces
1 stalk of celery, cleaned and cut into medium-sized pieces
5 medium potatoes, cleaned and cut lengthwise (use your favorite kind)

The night before: Rinse and pat roast dry. Set on plate and slather in olive oil like it's going to the beach. Get every nook and cranny covered. Massage the sea salt into the meat on every side until it's completely worked in. Let sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Yes, completely naked for all the condiments to see! It'll be fine, trust me! 
   About eight hours before you want to eat, remove the roast from the fridge and let it set out to warm up to room temperature. (About twenty minutes should do it.) In a large skillet (I prefer my cast iron, but DO NOT use a non-stick skillet) over medium heat, heat the olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. When the butter is foamy, brown the roast thoroughly on every side. You can use a pair of tongs to hold it upright while browning the short sides. Don't hurry this part. Set the roast aside on a plate.
   Drain most of the fat from the pan, being careful to keep any brown bits in the pan. Add remaining butter and onions to pan. Stir and cook until onions begin to turn brown. Add garlic cloves and cook for another two minutes. Add broth and wine to pan. Scrape pan as the liquid heats to dislodge all the brown bits from the pan (this process is called "deglazing")
   Transfer onions to your crock pot and place roast on top. Pour hot liquid over top of roast. Cover with bay leaf, thyme and parsley. (You can tie the parsley stems together in a "bouquet" which makes them easy to remove after cooking.)If you're going to be gone all day, tuck the potatoes around the roast and place carrots on top. If you'll be home, set the timer so you can add these about four hours before you plan to eat. I typically cook the roast for about eight hours, but have flexed to shorter periods when my schedule was pressed and the meat tasted great. It has always been fork-tender and oh-so-tasty! I hope you like this! Oh, I've also done just the roast without the carrots and potatoes as my son likes it better that way. Makes for more work at dinner time, but the meat is teriffic.

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