Nose To Tail Eating

Friends, we know that if you’ve enjoyed Rafter W Ranch produce, you’ve already made responsible land stewardship a priority in your buying. Or maybe you found us because you believe in the nutritional benefits of grass-fed, pastured meats, or perhaps it’s most important to you that an animal that gives its life to feed us spends every day living its best possible life. In reality, it’s probably a combination of those, and we are so grateful to be able to provide safe, ethical food that meets these standards.

We advocate nose to tail use of our animals as an important element of stewardship. An animal that gives its life for our well-being ought to be fully appreciated, fully used, and not at all wasted. That’s harder to do these days when modern cookbooks don’t even mention any part not on the butcher’s meat diagram, let alone tell you about the preparation of offal or delicious recipes for its use.

And That’s Not All

Did you know organ meats are where a lot of important vitamins and nutrients are concentrated?

  • Picture the predators on the Serengeti; a lion takes down a wildebeest or zebra, do you know what they eat first? It’s not a nice, lean roast.
  • Traditional societies prized organ meats especially for men and women in their childbearing years as superior nutrition to support healthy offspring.
  • Offal is richer in vitamins and minerals than any other part of the animal. Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 and more act as ‘activators’ to metabolize and make use of minerals and other nutrients that might otherwise go unused by the body.

It Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated

If you cook for picky eaters, organ meats are worth mincing and adding to chili, taco meat, and any other strongly-seasoned dish. Grandma’s old cookbooks probably have some good basic recipes, and there are other delicious and even gourmet recipes that you can enjoy as well!

We have liver, spleen, pancreas, sweetbreads, heart, kidney, tongue, and oxtail available right now.  Check our shop to get a hold of some of these nutritional powerhouses.