Carrie Oliver Rating: Seductive Date Beef™

Since reading about friends, Katie and Jeff Hagan, celebrating the annual arrival of their share of Morris Grassfed Beef, I have been (not so) patiently waiting for the opportunity to try it myself. I was finally able to share two spectacular steaks and ground beef with 8 Toronto food aficionados and envy anyone able to buy this beef.

The beautifully marbled grass-fed steaks were voluptuous and the burgers even a bit more daring. If you like assertive, layered, but balanced flavors in your beef, this one’s for you.

Tasting Notes

The grass-fed steak had a some chew Texture, a straightforward to adventurous Personality, and left a long-lasting Impression. It had a sweet brightness to it followed by deeper green and iron flavors, a silken texture, and balanced aftertaste. The burger was a flavor powerhouse that opened up as you ate it offering an intriguing mix of caramel and feral notes and a sweet, tangy finish.

Favorite Quote

“I don’t like hamburgers but I love this. I can actually taste the meat, not just the condiments.” Katrina, Toronto, ON.

Wine Pairing

Zoltan Szabo, Sommelier, wine consultant, and educator: This well-marbled, dark ruby-red coloured steak had aromas of smoke, butter, sweet lard and game, a fairly firm texture with a good amount of fat content, and a smooth finish. I would pair it with the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Exclamation Cellar Series, Pillitteri, Niagara On The Lake.

Meet The Ranchers

Joe and Julie Morris moved to Joe’s family ranch in San Juan Bautista, CA, in 1991 eager to employ holistic land management practices to regenerate the land. Grazing cattle was core to their efforts to create a carbon sink, and the Morris’s soon found themselves in the grass-fed beef business selling to a handful of friends and family. Today, they direct market grass-fed beef to several hundred lucky customers.

By carefully choosing cattle that thrive on the local range lands and nearby summer mountain pastures, and taking them to slaughter only when they’re ready, not when it’s convenient, the Morris’s offer a model that I hope others will follow.

Where to Buy It:

You can buy Morris Grassfed Beef in split-halves and wholes directly from the ranch. The team also offers a CSA program that will deliver your split-half in four smaller portions over the year.

Tasting Overview:

Taster: Carrie Oliver, Zoltan Szabo
Date Tasted: November 2010
Cut Tasted: Rib-Eye Steak, Ground Beef
Diet/Feed: Grass Fed and Finished
Cooking Method: Gas Grill
How Served: Rare
Seasoning: Kosher Salt
Other Cuts Tasted: n/a
Other Date Tasted: n/a
Other Tasters: 8 guests at my home in Toronto

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Carrie Oliver Rating: Outdoor Adventure Beef™

The email began with the simple line, “Please allow me to introduce my farm,” but by the end, I knew this was going to be some special beef. If you have ever had the chance to drive past (or stay at) the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, you will know that  Sarver Heritage Farm, where the Doering family produces delicious grass-fed steaks and ground beef, is in a spectacular setting. Given that the farm is just west of the Appalachian Mountains and Jefferson National Forest, perhaps it’s no surprise that this earthy beef is reminiscent of a stroll through the woods on a crisp autumn day. If you like a bit of adventure in your beef, this one’s for you.

Tasting Notes:

The grass-fed steak had a nice chewy Texture, a straightforward to adventurous Personality, and left a brief Impression on the palate. It was earthy in tone with noticeable mushroom flavors and a hint of caramelized vegetables toward the end. The burger was more deeply flavored with added umami and left a longer-lasting Impression.

Favorite Quote:

“I am in hamburger heaven.” Steve, Toronto, Ontario.

Wine Pairing

Zoltan Szabo, sommelier, wine consultant and educator. The steak was opaque – red with a blue edge in appearance; mild aromas of earth – sauteed portobello are underlying the softly beefy primary nuances; this is lighter, softer-textured meat with an interesting herbal taint on its moisturous finish. Wine: 2008 Pinot Noir Le Grand Clos, Le Clos Jordanne, Niagara Peninsula.

Meet The Farmers

Robert and Jewell Doering are the 3rd generation to raise cattle on Sarver Heritage Farm, located in the Karst terrain highlands of West Virginia. Robert’s grandfather switched to a grass-only feeding system in the 1980′s and since then the family has been grooming their small herd of 50 or so brood cows to not only thrive but also marble nicely on fresh and dried cool season grasses such as orchard, timothy, fescue, and bluegrass, clovers (which are legumes). New to direct marketing, the Doerings are off to a great start.

Robert Doering recently signed a conservation easement with the Farmland Protection Program, an organization that sells of development rights and promises to preserve the farm in the future. He’s also know for producing top quality hays.

Where to Buy It:

You can purchase quarters, halves, wholes and individual grass-fed steaks, ground beef, roasts, and stew meat directly from the farm. You can also find Sarver Heritage Beef along with the Doering’s fruits and vegetables, pies and jams at the Lewisburg Farmers Market.

Tasting Overview:

Taster: Carrie Oliver
Date Tasted: October 2010
Cut Tasted: Rib-Eye Steak, Ground Chuck
Diet/Feed: Grass Fed and Finished
Cooking Method: Gas Grill
How Served: Rare
Seasoning: Kosher Salt
Other Cuts Tasted: n/a
Other Date Tasted: n/a
Other Tasters: 8 guests at my home in Toronto

Detailed Husbandry Practices

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Jones Family Farms (Grass-Fed): Outdoor Adventure

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Carrie Oliver Rating: Outdoor Adventure Beef™ This bold, broody grass-fed steak from Jones Family Farm conjures up images of its origin, beautiful Lopez Island, one of the San Juan Islands in Washington State. Tipped off about this beef by the team at the venerated HerbFarm restaurant, these notes are from our August 2010 Artisan Steak Tasting [...]

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Silvies Ranch Rating (Grass-Fed) – Gateway Beef

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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 [...]

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Satchel Creek (Grain-Fed) – Easy Going Beef

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Carrie Oliver Rating: Easy Going Beef™ If you sat next to this dry-aged, grain-fed Black Angus steak at a party, he’d be the host who makes everyone feel welcome and important. This versatile steak will be easy to pair with just about any other dish on the plate. Tasting Notes: Today’s tasting notes come compliments [...]

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Country Natural (Grain-Fed) – Easy Going Beef

July 4, 2010
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Carrie Oliver Rating: Easy Going Beef™ On this 4th of July, I wanted to highlight one of America’s pioneering ranch co-ops, Country Natural Beef (originally Oregon Country Natural). I have met several of their talented Washington, Oregon, and Idaho ranchers and their commitment to quality beef, husbandry protocols, and continual improvement is uniform and strong. [...]

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Wilcox Angus Rating – Grass-Fed: Gateway Beef

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Carrie Oliver Rating: Gateway Beef™ For nearly a year, Artisan Butcher Tracy Smaciarz said I needed to taste Chris Wilcox’s  grass-fed beef. At last, I was lucky to hear the word from Lisa Wilcox that they had some available for me to review. This is a great beef for grass-fed lovers and doubters. Tasting Notes: [...]

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Father’s Day Idea – Artisan Burger Tasting

June 12, 2010
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Jaden Hair, aka the hilarious but seriously talented food maven, Steamy Kitchen, is a lady who loves her steaks. She invited me to host an Artisan Steak Tasting a few years back and she’s now a go-to gal when a new farm or ranch asks us to professionally taste and review their beef. What we haven’t [...]

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