Rain Crow Ranch Dinner and Wine at Prime 1000
Rain Crow Ranch Dinner and Wine at Prime 1000
Wow! What a totally awesome dining experience at Prime 1000 in St Louis this week. Prime 1000 hosted Rain Crow Ranch night at the restaurant on Washington Ave. Along with wine from Royalty Importers the chef and staff presented a truly memorable dinner. The evening created an eclectic bridge from the rustic old farm to the modern elegance of Prime 1000. The restaurant balances modern aesthetic taste with rustic, reclaimed industrial design aspects. So it captures “down on the farm” and envelopes it in total modern elegance, sophisticated taste and charm to present local, sustainable and fresh foods.
Our own Peter Whisnant from Rain Crow Ranch got an opportunity to speak to the 85 or so diners who had reserved places at the table. Peter was able to tell this audience the story of Rain Crow Ranch, our family farm on which he was raised. Today along
with the efforts of the entire family Rain Crow Ranch is bringing the finest grassfed beef, heritage breed pasture raised pork and pasture raised poultry to the table from the farm.
Rain Crow is a sustainable family farm located in southern Missouri that sells directly to customers. We value and take pride in the ethics of the food we produce and would be willing to put it up against any in the country. Yet, of equal importance to us at the farm is the developing of strong and warm relationships with those who believe with us in how the food world should work. These end-users lend support to our farm (and others like ours) when they buy what we raise. We like to say we grow the food and chefs like those at Prime1000 make it great. Farm to the table just doesn’t get much better than what was experienced on Monday night.
On the farm side of the conversation we often talk about how great protein is produced by attention to the right genetics, a quality pasture environment, attention to high animal welfare and just the right processing. Yet, we know equally well that to carry that product forward for an awesome dining experience requires knowing just how to prepare and present it exquisitely. Ray Carpenter, chef de cuisine of Prime 1000 did a magnificent job of taking our local pasture bounty and transforming it into the elegant 6 courses presented. Each course was paired beautifully with 6 wines.
The first course was a salad with lobster wrapped in pancetta with orange, pickled coriander, celery and radish. This was paired with a 2010 Azlend Agricola Branko Pinot Grigio. Cooked to perfection the pancetta wrapped lobster made a perfect start to a memorable dinner.
Course 2 featured an inverted ravioli of grassfed tenderloin using horseradish, truffle, fine herbs and fingerling potato for this salad paired with 2009 Riofava Barbera D’ Albo.
The third course was our roasted farm grazed chicken served with a corn custard, crispy chanterelles, pearl onions, banyls vinegar, and asparagus. This feature was paired with 2007 Deluco Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo “DiRe”.
Fourth course was our Berkshire, pasture raised pork loin with nasturtium rounded with cauliflower, parsley risotto, crackling and pork sauce. It was paired with 2007 Riofava Barolo ‘Suri”.
The highlight course was our Rain Crow Ranch Roasted strip loin with barley, carrot, roasted onion, nebrodini bianco and sauce bordelaise paired with 2003 Triberini Vino Noblle di Montelpulciano ‘Riservo.
Finishing off the evening was an apple crumble with macadamia, burnt caramel, bourbon served with Fracarolli ‘Valerie’.
Our many thanks to Prime 1000 owners, general manager Tom Sutliffe, Chef Ray Carpenter and the Prime 1000 staff who allowed the Rain Crow Ranch family to be a part of the evening. But a special thanks for all the diners who came out and supported the restaurant and our farm.
Grass Fed Beef Chuck Roast
This recipe is a hearty filling meal for those cold winter days and is quick and easy to prepare
Ingredients:
1 Chuck roast
2 Onions
1 tbsp. Pepper ( Fresher ground pepper is better)
1 tbsp. Onion Powder
1tspn. Sea Salt
Preparation Option #1 (shown in pictures below): Pot with Lid
Pre-Heat oven to 225° F. The key is to match the Chuck Roast to the size of the pan (this is the secret to a juicy roast). Sprinkle pepper, onion powder, and sea salt over the roast. Then slice the onion and distribute evenly over the entire roast. Cover and place in the center of the oven for 5 to 8 hours. The roast will be ready in 5 hours however the longer the cook time the more tender the roast will be.
**Additional cooking methods below**
Chuck roast vary in size, typical chuck roasts weigh between 3 to 5 pounds
All ingredients needed
The key is to get the roast to fit snuggly into the pot, even if it means trimming the chuck roast
Ready to go into the oven
The finished product
Preparation Option #2: Medium to Large size crock pot
Place roast in crock pot. Sprinkle pepper, onion powder, and sea salt. Slice onions and distribute evenly over the entire roast. Place in the crock pot for 6 to 8 hours on the low setting. Do not worry your cook time is over the 8 hours it will become more tender the longer it is cooked.
Preparation Option #3: Wrapped with aluminum foil
Sprinkle the chuck roast with pepper, onion powder, and sea salt. Slice onions and distribute evenly over the entire roast. Wrap the roast as tight as possible (this is key, if the juices escape the roast will be dry and lose flavor) place in the center of the oven for 5 to 8 hours. The roast will be ready in 5 hours however the longer the cook time the more tender the roast will be.
Our Favorite way:
For all preparation methods after the roast is cooked add a tbsp. of flour to the juices to make gravy
Favorite sides: Mashed potatoes, Baked Potatoes or Rice
Rain Crow Ranch Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Grass Fed Braised Beef Short Ribs by Rain Crow Ranch
Here at Rain Crow Ranch we are always looking for new recipes to utilize all cuts of beef. Although short Ribs are not typically the most popular cut of beef we have found, when cooked correctly, that they are the most delightful, tendor cut of beef packed full of flavor. This sensational recipe is sure to ignite your taste buds. It is so simple and easy to prepare, in 30 minutes or less you will look like a five star chef.
All Ingredients needed for this Delicious Short Rib Meal!
Oil Cast Iron ( you don’t have to use a cast iron, it is just our favorite). Turn stove on high heat.
Cut Short Ribs into one Rib Sections
Sear Grass fed beef short rib sections until all sides are equally brown (You sear to lock in flavor)
Apply salt and pepper then add cubed potatoes and onions to pot with your short ribs and allow to cook for a couple of minutes
After onions and potatos are warm, add red wine ( the dryer the better) and beef broth
Cover pot with a lid and place in oven at 350 degrees for two hours. Remove and serve !!!
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
Serves 4 People
4 3×2 Grass Fed Beef short Ribs
2 potatoes – cubed
1 onion – sliced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Dry Red Wine
1/4 cup Beef Broth
1tbs Pepper
1 tspn Salt
Preperation Instructions
Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil on high heat in pot (we prefer cast iron). Cut short ribs into 1 bone sections. Sear short ribs in extra virgin olive oil on all four sides. Once all sides are seared (should take around 5 minutes) add salt and pepper. Add cubed potatoes and spread sliced onions on top (you can’t use too many onions). Remove from heat. Add red wine and beef broth. Cover. Place in oven for two hours.
Remove and serve.
How to Cook the Perfect Pasture Raised Turkey
Pasture Raised Turkey Roast Recipe
Family, food and holidays are so intertwined in our memories that they are nearly synonymous. Just like most American households for 30 some years our family has celebrated our traditions of Thanksgiving with a feast.
Holding hands around the table to pray and say thanks, signing the traditional tablecloth (which I usually don’t get embroidered until the last couple of days before the next Thanksgiving), playing board games, the annual skeet shoot and the college football game are big parts of our turkey day memories.
Yet, nothing says Thanksgiving more than the centerpiece roasted turkey. This year was extra special as we prepared our first Rain Crow pasture raised turkey.
In preparing for the feasting day I made the dreary trek to the local grocery store earlier in the week. Our local grocery was running a special that for a certain amount of groceries bought you received a free turkey. It made me think about our food system and how in the world the factory farms raise turkeys for less than fifty cents a pound?
Cheap food but with high cost and consequences to the birds, our health, flavor, and respect for the things of this world. But, that is a topic for another time and I intend to write about how to cook the perfect pasture raised turkey.
Pasture-raised: Pasture-raised turkeys roam around outside and eat primarily grass, so their food and activity level — both of which affect flavor — differ from those of their grain-fed cousins raised in confinement. These birds tend to be heritage breeds made to be outside where the factory farm birds are so heavy of breast and short of leg that they can’t thrive out in the open.
Our birds are frozen for delivery and food safety. So it must first be thawed slowly in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This is where I normally brine the turkey but I wanted to taste the natural flavor and juiciness of just the bird this year, so I did not brine.
A room temperature turkey will roast more evenly, so early in the morning I removed the turkey from the refrigerator (about an hour before putting it in the oven).
Next I prepped the turkey by placing some of the herbs I grow in the body cavity. My daughter picked fresh rosemary, thyme and sage from our greenhouse to use. I then added softened butter along with salt and pepper to the outside skin.
I simply placed the bird breast up in the roasting pan with some chicken broth, onions, celery and carrots. These will help keep the bird moist and allow me to baste during the cooking process. It will also contribute to some great tasting gravy.
The basic reason most turkeys are dried out and tough is because they are overcooked. In the past, the USDA recommended cooking a turkey to 180 degrees, to assure all bacteria was killed. Problem was, so was all the flavor and moisture.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a change in the “Single Minimum Internal Temperature Established for Cooked Poultry” in 2006 and the USDA says it’s safe to cook a turkey to 165 degrees.
I prefer to cook to 160, remove from the oven and cover with foil while I prepare the gravy with the drippings from the pan and it continues to cook to the full 165.
These cooking times are merely a guide. Instead I use a good digital thermometer and test the temperature. I also prefer to use a lower temperature to roast the bird. I start at 325 and after an hour lower the temperature of the oven to 300.
10-13 lb. – 1 ½ to 2 ¼ hr.
14-23 lb. – 2 to 3 hr.
24-27 lb. – 3 to 3 ¾ hr.
28-30 lb. – 3 ½ to 4 ½ hr.
I must tell you that my family is a critical group when it comes to food. It is hard to WOW them. Everyone agreed that this was our best turkey ever!
Simple good food and a wonderful memory. Food you can feel good about eating.
YaYa’s EuroBistro in St. Louis
Whenever we are in town and close to one of the restaurants that uses our beef we absolutely have to go and try it. The hero chefs have made the effort to seek out farms and farmers from which to source product directly. Over the years we have developed some great relationships and friendships with these guys. It is such a privilege get to know chefs who make food an art. It is a thrill to see, smell, taste the efforts of their art in the preparation of what we have raised. It reminds us that what we do it not simply produce livestock but we produce food that is part of an incredible eating experience. It humbles us to see the full circle from farm to table, especially a table other than my own.
We had never eaten at YaYa’s before and were full of anticipation. First off it was a thumbs up when the restaurant proudly displayed a sign on the front of their building, YaYa’s Buy Fresh Buy Local and the names of the farms from which they purchase product. This idea and philosophy carried through to the menu which offered a bit of information about the farms, proud to see Rain Crow Ranch American Grassfed Beef there.
The atmosphere at YaYa’s was an upbeat casual, the crowd and activity pretty vibrant on a Saturday night. They were very busy and glad that we had made reservations. As is a habit with my husband when we go to a restaurant that uses our beef and they do not know us he innocently inquires of the waiter about selections on the menu that feature our beef. He wants to hear what they have to say and how well they handle questions. (Mark likes to play games with people.) Darrell did a great job and told the story of our beef beautifully. We of course introduced ourselves and made a great new friend. Later in the meal, Chef Rob Uyemura came out for a chat and what an honor it was to meet him.
There were two selections on the menu tonight that use our beef. One was a Hickory grilled flank steak, fresh corn sauté, okra, white cheddar-chile polenta, and sorghum steak glaze. The other was beef tenderloin, potato puree, seasonal vegetables, cracked black pepper gorgonzola Chianti sauce. Both were fantastic. Should I admit I am also a little bias? No, it was really really good.
Thank you Chef Rob and YaYa’s for a great evening.
