Blackbird Farm (Grain-Fed) – Marriage Material Beef

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

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

Detailed Husbandry Practices:

Breed:	Pedigreed Registered Black Angus
Growing Region:	Smithfield, Rhode Island
Farm/Ranch:	Blackbird Farm
Farmers/Ranchers:lllllllll	The Bouthillette Family
Diet/Feed:	Certified Grass-Fed
Raising Protocols:	Pastured on green grasses from April to November and balage from December to March
Finishing Protocols:	10% mixed corn finish
% Time on Pasture:	100%
Age at Slaughter:	15-18 months
Slaughterhouse:	Adams Farm, Athol, MA  http://www.adamsfarm.biz/
Butcher:	Adams Farm, Athol, MA  http://www.adamsfarm.biz/
Aging Technique:	Dry Aged as split carcass
Aging Time:	21+ days (depends on individual carcass)
Packaging:	Vacuum sealed
Never Use Antibiotics Ever:	-
Use Vet Approved Spot Treatment Antibiotics:	Only if sick (removed from program if treated)
Never Use Sub-therapeutic or Feed Antibiotics	✓
Never Use Added Growth Hormones:	✓
Never Use Ionophores:	✓
No Animal, Fish, Fowl By-Products in Feed	✓
100% Vegetarian Feed	✓ (Cattle have no access to non-vegetable based feed)
Practice Rotational Grazing	✓
Practice Managed Intensive Rotational Grazing	✓
USDA Natural	✓
USDA Naturally Raised New Voluntary Certification	✓
Third Party Certified Organic	-
Third Party Certified Humane	-
Other Third Party Certification	-
Other	-

Tagged as: Artisan Beef, best steak, Blackbird Farm, dry-aged burger, dry-aged steak