How to Throw an Easy Backyard Bash

Courtesy of Blackbird Farm.

A Meaty Proposition

Buying meat in bulk directly from farms offers cost savings and convenience while supporting local farmers.
By Jamie Samons

Do you remember the first time you joined a CSA? The excitement and bemusement to discover new fruits and vegetables? Now imagine that same thrill, but with meat. Meet the meat boxes at Blackbird Farm in Smithfield.

Meat boxes are offered in a variety of ways. Under one scenario, it works much like a CSA: Blackbird Farm will parcel out various cuts of meat for you in a box for a set cost, such as a variety of beef cuts, a steak box or a beef and pork cookout box, or you can order a fifty-pound beef package that might include everything from stew meat, chuck roast, flank steak, bones, patties, sirloin and more. Under another farm, it can involve organizing the purchase, slaughter and butchery of one animal to share amongst a smaller group.

What CSAs have done for forgotten vegetables like turnips and parsnips, meat shares and meat boxes can do for traditional butchery. A meat box or beef package may provide the flexibility to cook with more obscure cuts from your farmer. Ann Marie Bouthillette of Blackbird Farm has had customers request whole pig legs to make ham, pork belly for homemade bacon or beef cheeks to braise in a stew.

The benefits of ordering bulk meat boxes or meat shares are numerous: supporting local farmers, ensuring that the meat you put on your table is fresh and raised the way you want it to be. In addition, buying in bulk can be less expensive than buying individual cuts. But one of the most compelling reasons, according to Martin Beck of New England Grassfed, who raises beef and pork at Cloverbud Ranch in Portsmouth, is honoring the whole animal. “I think it’s important to include bones, organs and tongue in any share,” he says. “These underappreciated items are nutrient dense and delicious.”

“Buying meat in quantity is a great time-saver,” says Blackbird Farm’s Bouthillette. Back when the COVID pandemic disrupted food supply chains — evidenced by those empty grocery store meat cases — more buyers started sourcing their food locally through meat boxes or by going to the farm directly and choosing individual cuts. “I’m finding more shoppers want to see the farm, meet the farmer, and know that what they’re buying is of the highest quality,” she says. Blackbird Farm, 660 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, 578-3959, blackbirdfarmri.com

Steak Out
Grilling tips from Ten Prime Steak and Sushi executive chef Brittany Muggle.
By Jamie Coelho

Grilling steak at home can mean the difference between achieving perfectly pink or well done (which, ironically, most of us consider to be poorly done).

Ten Prime Steak and Sushi executive chef Brittany Muggle gives us some grilling tips for an amazing steak every time, which includes lots of “salt, butter and resting.”

“Salt is a steak’s best friend,” Muggle says. “Whether you’re using a dry rub or simple seasoning, don’t forget to salt the steak heavily.”

And be patient. “Allow your steaks to rest about five to seven minutes after coming off the grill, before cutting into them,” she says. “It’s a small step, but an important one. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak so they don’t bleed out once you cut into it, thus, giving you a better tasting, juicier steak. Your steak will continue to cook during this time so pull it off a little under your desired temperature.”

Lastly, don’t skimp on the butter. That’s the difference between mediocre and divine bovine. “Butter is love. It’s also just delicious,” Muggle says. “While your steak is resting, throw a pad of butter onto it. And add some chopped rosemary and thyme into the butter if you have it. It makes all the difference.” Ten Prime Steak and Sushi, 55 Pine St., Providence, 453-2333, tenprimesteakandsushi.com