My mother asked in the comment section of last week’s newsletter “where’s the beef?” I assume she meant literally — asking where was the “cow” in Cow We Doin’? I understand her question. The last few weeks have been heady material. Food has been rarely mentioned; recipes, moved to the back burner.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As anyone who’s simmered bone broth knows that the back burner is where the real action happens, that a braise is only as good as it is low and slow — but the reminder is appreciated. Beef, after all, is what’s for dinner.
Those of you who have been following along for awhile know we have the remnants of a half-cow still in our basement chest freezer.1 I went downstairs recently to take stock of what was left.2 We’ve gone through the majority of the steaks and roasts, so of the initial 300 pounds of meat3, we have about a third remaining: most of it being ground.4 Unfortunately, that ground beef is what takes up most of the freezer space, so we’ve been making a concerted effort to use it with more frequency. More meatballs and meatloaf, bolognaise and burgers, chili and enchiladas. Despite its humble air, ground beef is exceptionally versatile.
That versatility is appreciated. Practically, it allows me to make something for Mrs. CWD and myself (meat sauce, for example) as well as our frustratingly picky gremlins (plain meatballs) without having to defrost two cuts of meat. Also practically, we can use the same type of cut week over week without having to repeat meals. Idealistically, the versatility of ground beef is nice, too, because it’s an ode to the triumph of simplicity. Ground beef holds no pretenses, doesn’t demand fancy. It’s the perfect weeknight protein — defrosting quickly and pairing with almost anything.5
I like versatility. I like it in the kitchen and I like it in my life. It’s comforting, accessible. Specificity, on the other hand, is a luxury. Because you don’t need a special piece of gear for every task, having the option can be lavish.
wrote recently about his line up of outdoor knives6 — the type of writing I love reading, as I’m endlessly fascinated by what tools other competent people use in pursuits similar to my own. What struck me most about what Mike wrote — besides his enviable line-up of cutlery — is his perspective on the balance between versatility and specialization. As he writes:You really don’t need 15 knives to process game, fish, and cook, even though most brands will try to convince you that you do. You can easily get away with having only 3 if you really wanted to. I am not telling you to go spend $1500 on a bunch of different specialty knives with this rundown outlined below. I like having specific tools for specific jobs though, and knives may be the best example of that desire.
After I read that essay, I looked through my own knife collection. And while I have all manner of kitchen knives and hunting knives and pocket knives and diving knives, I still find myself falling back on the same three or four for most tasks: a utilitarian chef knife and a solid utility knife in the kitchen, a lightweight hunting knife in the field, and a reliable folder for opening the endless packages at home. I’d even feel confident in covering almost any task — whether it preparing dinner or processing a deer — with just the first two.
Really, it’s taking that approach to life that I’ve come to appreciate more and more. I enjoy doing and learning and practicing things that have multiple benefits to own well-being. Workouts that get me stronger, but also more bulletproof. That can keep me climbing mountains with Grandfather CWD while also picking up the kiddos in perpetuity. Practicing archery for the hunt but also for the meditation. Reading books that entertain, enlighten, and spark inspiration. Writing essays that sharpen my own perspective and maybe even add to yours. These are the things that help keep me grounded.7
So in honor of that versatility and groundedness— something I’d encourage you all to work towards — here are a few recipes that you can use if you, too, happen to have a hundred-odd pounds of ground beef in your freezer. And, since I semi-accidentally cooked an 11 pound venison shoulder and made an enormous pot of Persian rice to go with it — meaning we’re subsisting mostly on leftovers this week — I dug into the archives for a few recipes I’ve already published already.8 While they use various animal proteins, any of them would work with beef. Please direct any complaints to my editor.
With that, I’ll leave you to your weekends. We’ll be attempting to get out of the house and into the Boston Outdoor Expo. Maybe getting Kiddo and the Warthog some new skis, the Monkey a bunting. We’ll try to remain fluid, flexible — and hopefully to get some sleep.
However you spend your weekend, I hope you spend it productively. We’ll see you back here next week.
PS — Thanks to
, this year’s CWD t-shirts are off to the printer. Paid subscribers, look out for an email from me confirming your mailing address and t-shirt size. If you’d like to get one of your own, you can always upgrade your subscription — or buy one from CWD Outfitters, where the shirts will be available for individual purchase once I get them in hand.
As always, thank you for your support!
One of five freezers, much to Mrs. CWD’s chagrin: it sits alongside two other chest freezers and the upper decks of two refrigerators.
Mrs. CWD “encouraging” me to make some room for frozen bags of milk for the Monkey.
In 220 individual packages.
When
and I split up the cow in his garage, he somehow conned me into taking all of the offal with me, so I’ve also got about ten pounds of tongue, liver, and kidney that I’m still trying to figure out what to do with.From an economic standpoint, the value of the ground beef is also astounding — especially when you get it from a cow you’ve bought whole. The one Sam and I split yielded 251 pounds of ground beef. This was a grass-fed and finished, pasture-raised cow; to buy pre-packaged ground beef of comparable quality at the store is about $9.99/lb. That $2,500 we would have otherwise spent accounts for the vast majority of the total cost of the cow — and the remaining cuts include tenderloins and strips, briskets and ribeyes.
“Why not read Homer and roll Jiu Jitsu, study Epictetus and say No? Why not bear a ballroom etiquette with limbs primed for back alley brawling? Why not calmly absorb a nuanced argument with a mind rearing to rip it to shreds? Why not understand the chain of command and yet follow the right course of action? Why not test intellectual beliefs with anthropological truths? Why not mix a bit of sober sanity with bright-eyed madness? Why not plan for the future while living in the moment? Why not pledge devotion to a cause while willing to crawl and roll and rage in the mud for all that is green and good on earth?
A simpler time!
Love your creative exploration of the versatility concept Lou! 👏 It's fresh and original and important. Finding the few things (knives, ideas, people) that enable us to do most of what matters most is a brilliant "simpler better" strategy. I get a perverse satisfaction from looking at my small collection of good knives, pots and pans and thinking of all the clutter and expense avoided by not buying all the "devices" being sold out there. Versatility. I'll remember that word. Thanks!
I have been wanting to write an essay on the knife for months... it's still on the back burner, but I want to riff on some of the themes you have here. Great piece!