Recipes – Animal

Scrambled Eggs

Most people tend to overcook their eggs in my opinion.  I think this is actually an evolutionary trait.  We’ve been told so long that we have to cook our food until we’ve killed all the terrible pathogens industry has coated it with that people have actually adapted to like the taste of things devoid of moisture and flavor.

Ingredients:

  • Super fresh eggs either from your own flock or from a farmer you trust.
  • Sea Salt
  • Tap water
  • Freshly crushed pepper to taste
  • Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheese.  (I use only raw milk cheese from grass fed cows)

Preparation:

Crack the eggs into a large bowl.  Add a dash of sea salt to the eggs before scrambling.  This will prevent them from heating up when you scramble and will preserve the texture.  You’ll have to experiment over several batches to master just how much to add to get the salt taste just right.  Halfway through scrambling add a bit of tap water, not too much, just enough to cool them further and inject a tiny bit of air.  Meanwhile you should have a large frying pan on a low heat with a bit of fat in the pan.  I use saved bacon drippings or butter (you don’t want much, not enough to flavor the eggs, just enough to keep them from sticking).  Olive oil will work if you don’t know a farmer who raises pigs outside in the woods and grass.  Do not overheat the oil.  Again, experiment but you don’t want a sizzle when you add the eggs.  Always cook your animal protein sources as gently as possible!  Add the eggs to the pan as the fat heats up.  Here’s the tricky part.  You need to pay attention.  Do not let the eggs burn onto the bottom or solidify at all like an omelette.  Using a spoon or spatula with a curve to it scrape the pan (Including the sides) every few seconds to a minute to keep the eggs moving.  Here’s the secret to perfect eggs.  Spread the eggs out in the pan so they are in a thin layer but there are no gaps.  Then you need to grate the cheese onto the top when they are almost done cooking.  When they are still a little bit runny you grate the cheese over the entire surface and immediately remove the pan from the heat and cover with a tight fitting lid.  You can now wait several minutes while the eggs continue to slow cook with the residual heat trapped between the pan and the cheese.  Go take your shower, brew some coffee, etc.  You’ll know the eggs are done when you come back and they are smothered in a nice layer of perfectly melted cheese.  Again, experiment.  If you didn’t nail the consistency you like this time, try the cheese addition/removal from heat step earlier or later next time.  Pay attention to color and consistency at that stage so you can replicate it when you finally land on the texture you want.  Enjoy!


Basil Spinach
Burgers

These are a huge hit at our house.  They use several ingredients from right here on our farm and two that do not (but we still try to buy local on the last two!).  These burgers are great during any season.  I like to grill no matter the temperature and these photos were taken with a batch of burgers made in February.  First, the ingredients.

  • One real egg (beaten) from one of our real chickens.
  • One pound ground beef from one of our grass fed, pastured cows.
  • 1/2 pound ground pork from one of our grass fed, pasture/woodland pigs.
  • 1 cup bread crumbs (I make my own by lightly toasting two pieces of bread from a local baker and then putting them in the food processor).
  • 1/4 pound raw spinach from the garden
  • 1/4 cup frozen basil from the summer garden.  (If you’re using fresh in the summer then make it 1/2 cup.)
  • 1 clove garlic from the garden.
  • 8 oz blue cheese crumbles.  (If you have a good local source for homemade blue cheese great.  You can also substitute other types of cheese as long as you can get them into small crumbles.

Preparation:

In a large bowl beat the egg then add the remaining ingredients.  Before adding the spinach, basil and garlic be sure to blend them in a food processor until they are the consistency of pesto.  If you wash the spinach just prior to processing then there should be enough moisture to help break it down.  If not add a bit of water but don’t over do it.  Just enough to help the blades get to the leaves.  Once all ingredients are in the bowl use your hands to thoroughly knead and combine them.  Form into patties of desired size and thickness.  Place on a sheet of tinfoil on a preheated grill and cook to your preference.  We top with fresh lettuce, spinach, chard, tomato and onions depending on the season and what is available from the garden.