Carrie Oliver Rating: Marriage Material Beef™ 
I love using Twitter to find new great farms and butchers. Photographer David Dadekian (@Dadekian) not only gets credit for introducing me to Blackbird Farm but he’s also our guest steak and burger taster for the day. Based on his notes, I am itching for a trip to Rhode Island to try this beef myself.
Tasting Notes:
This fine-grained pastured dry-aged, grain-fed steak had a nice chew Texture, an adventurous, layered Personality and left long-lasting Impression. It has hints of stilton, caramelized vegetables, tangy, roasted walnuts & black pepper, grass & barnyard. The burger had a more direct, round Personality though you could still tease out specific notes including parmesan, corn, roasted chestnuts, and mushrooms.
Meet The Farmers
The
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In 1998,
Ann-Marie Bouthillette and her husband Kevin founded Blackbird Farm in Smithfield, Rhode Island, in order to keep their young family grounded. While they still maintain off-farm jobs, the growing demand for their dry-aged beef has allowed them to purchase additional pastures, an historic farm stand and to increase their herd to 70 head. The Bouthillette’s are particularly proud of their carefully selected pedigreed Black Angus cattle and their ability to easily marble on a
pasture-based, light grain-finished diet.
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Where to Buy It: You can purchase Blackbird Farm’s beef directly from Ann Marie and Kevin or at the new farm stand at 660 Douglas Pike in Smithfield. Several local chefs include Blackbird Farm’s beef on their menus including Nicks on Broadway, The Tini, and Chef Pascal.
Tasting Overview:
| Taster: |
David Dadekian |
| Date Tasted: |
May 2010 |
| Cut Tasted: |
Rib-Eye Steak (Bone In), Ground Beef |
| Diet/Feed: |
Pasture Grain Fed |
| Cooking Method: |
Gas Grill |
| How Served: |
Rare |
| Seasoning: |
Kosher Salt |
| Other Cuts Tasted: |
Rib-Eye Steak (Bone In) |
| Other Date Tasted: |
August 2010 |
| Previous Taster: |
David Dadekian |
Carrie Oliver Rating: Gateway Beef™
I first spoke with Will Harris of White Oak Pastures over a year ago so it was my lucky day when my equivalent of a tooth fairy found one of Will’s grass-fed steaks at Whole Foods Market in Atlanta and brought it to me for a tasting. A few days later a rancher from another growing region said, grass-fed beef from Georgia was good?! Yes, this approachable, tasty steak is a great choice for folks who are skeptical about grass-fed beef.
Tasting Notes:
This grass-fed steak had a some chew Texture, a reserved to straight forward Personality, and left a medium Impression. It was simultaneously a bit sweet, citrusy, and earthy with wisps of iron and romano cheese. The fat (this was a Rib-Eye steak) was unctuous and tasted like butter.
Meet The Farmers
The
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A well-known voice in the grass-fed beef industry, Will Harris is known to say, “I love my herd like you love your dog or cat,” and “If you’re going to be a cow, this is the place to be a cow.” A fifth generation farmer, Will’s family has been on this farm for nearly 150 years and he hopes his converting it to a pastured, grass-fed diversified livestock system means they’ll be there another 150. To keep stress low and quality high, Harris built his own
on-farm USDA inspected slaughter facility, one of just a handful in America.
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White Oak Pastures beef is certified grass-fed by the American Grass-Fed Association 
and humane by Animal Welfare Approved. 
Where to Buy It: Grass-fed beef from White Oak Pastures is available online by the individual piece, gift baskets, or by the side, and in a large number of retailers including over 200 Publix stores, select Whole Foods Markets in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida, and natural food stores along the eastern seaboard.
Tasting Overview:
| Taster: |
Carrie Oliver |
| Date Tasted: |
July 2010 |
| Cut Tasted: |
Rib-Eye Steak |
| Diet/Feed: |
Grass Fed |
| Cooking Method: |
Gas Grill |
| How Served: |
Rare |
| Seasoning: |
Kosher Salt |
| Previous Cut Tasted: |
None |
| Previous Date Tasted: |
None |
| Previous Taster: |
None |
I created the concept of Artisan Meat and evaluate, rate, and create professional tasting notes for individual farms, ranches, and butcher teams. Some call me the Robert Parker of Meat, others Beef Geek. 
