Eating Nose to Tail
What does it mean to eat Nose to Tail?
Eating nose to tail means that you eat all the edible parts of the animal and not just your favorite, and usually more familiar parts (the steaks?).
It means eating all of those forgotten parts - the kidneys, liver, heart, tongue, fat, bone marrow and also using the bones to make bone broth.
These forgotten parts are some of the most nutrient dense cuts from the animal, yet for the most part, Americans have forgotten how to utilize and eat them!
I admittedly, am one of those Americans who was raised in a family that never ate organs.... I am learning to eat them myself!
Eating Nose to Tail not only reduces food waste, it honors and respects the life of the animal given to feed us by utilizing every part possible. Best of all, those organs are some of the most nutrient dense parts of the animal.
Plus organs and bones are just GOOD for you!
So, while our processor won't return every single one of the nose to tail goodies to us, cuts that we do get back include liver, kidney, heart, tongue, bones, and fat (yes, fat from beef and pork!). Even with a smaller purchase of 1/8th of a beef you can expect to receive some organ meat, bones or fat if you want it!
And if you aren't sure how to cook and eat them, we are including a free copy of the book "It Take Guts" by Ashleigh VanHouten, with every Bulk Purchase.
Why Are Organs So Good For You?
Organs are considered a "superfood" because they are extremely nutrient dense, especially liver which contains vitamins B2, B6, B12, A, D, E, and K, iron, phosphorus, chromium, zinc, copper, and magnesium.
Liver is often recommended by doctors to people with iron deficiency anemia as a great natural source of bio-available iron. I can tell you from experience that you don't want to take the supplements if you are anemic.... They will mess with your digestion big time...
And then there are the bones! I know, eating bones doesn't sound very appealing, and that fact is that you aren't going to eat the bones straight.
The marrow is delicious when roasted and can be used to make a sauce much like an Alfredo sauce, but without the cream.
Bones are fantastic for the making of bone broth - another "superfood."
Bone broth can also be used to make homemade soups instead of store bought stocks and powders.
Bone broth, when made right by simmering it for many long hours, contains such goodies as protein and of course collagen which supports joint health and helps to maintain the elasticity of our skin.
Bone broth is therapeutic for inflammatory bowel diseases and supports immune function in general.
Best of all (in my opinion!) - Bone Broth promotes a good night's sleep! It contains glycine which regulates our body's internal clock and lowers our body temperature to prepare us for sleep.
Protein - a cup of bone broth contains about 10 grams of protein, making it surprisingly satisfying to drink.
Let's not forget FAT. It's easy to forget that there was a time when most of the fat in the human diet came from animal sources. It's great for sautéing almost everything, you can fry in it, you can use it like butter... You can even bake with it!
When we think of utilizing animal fats, we generally think of lard from pigs. But the fact is that beef cattle also have quite a bit of fat around their kidneys. This is the fat that is harvested to render into tallow and used for many of your cooking requirements in lieu of vegetable oils.
