Organ Meat Status

written by

Aaron Miller

posted on

October 8, 2020

Don't waste - eat the whole beast. Plus, the organs are packed with major nutritional value!

Here's the status of bones and organs as of today.

BEEF

(shop for beef bones and organs here)

Beef Bones - in stock ****PUT ON SALE 15% with this newsletter***
Beef Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Beef Brains - we are working with the processor to sell this and hopefully will have some in stock in November
Beef Eyes - the processor is looking into this
Beef Heart - in stock
Beef Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Beef Kidney - in stock
Beef Liver - in stock
Beef Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Beef Soup Bones with Meat and Marrow - in stock
Beef Spleen - we are working with the processor to sell this and hopefully will have some in stock in November
Beef Testicles - the processor is looking into this
Beef Thyroid - not allowed by the USDA because of Mad Cow Disease
Beef Thymus/Sweetbreads - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Beef Tongue - in stock
Beef Tripe/Stomach - we are working with the processor to sell this and hopefully will have some in stock in November
Canoed Beef Marrow Bones - in stock
Cow Head - too big to deliver
Knuckle Bone - we expect these to be back in stock in November
Ground Beef Heart - the farmer cannot sell this on a regular basis because there’s usually not enough of the whole beef heart to make ground
Ground Beef Kidney - the farmer cannot sell this on a regular basis because there’s usually not enough of the whole beef kidney to make ground
Ox Tail - in stock
Sliced Beef Marrow Bones - we expect these to be back in stock in two weeks

POULTRY

(shop for poultry bones and organs here)

Chicken Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Chicken Feet - in stock
Chicken Gizzards - in stock NEED TO GET INVENTORY FROM AARON
Chicken Heads (brains and eyes included) - we expect these to be back in stock in two weeks
Chicken Hearts - in stock
Chicken Liver - in stock
Chicken Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Chicken Neck and Back - in stock
Chicken Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Turkey Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Turkey Feet - not for sale, the farmer uses these for turkey broth
Turkey Gizzards - in stock
Turkey Heads (brains and eyes included) - not for sale, the farmer uses these for turkey broth
Turkey Hearts - we expect these to be back in stock sometime in November, but they sell out quickly
Turkey Livers - in stock
Turkey Neck and Back - not for sale, the farmer uses these for turkey broth
Turkey Spleen - the processor is looking into this

LAMB & GOAT

(shop for lamb & goat bones and organs here)

Goat Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Goat Bones - in stock NEED TO GET INVENTORY FROM AARON
Goat Head (brains and eyes included) - in stock
Goat Heart - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Goat Kidneys - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Liver - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Goat Soup Bones - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Stomach - we would like to sell this if the processor will do it, the farmer will ask about that
Goat Tongue - in stock
Goat Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Goat Stomach - we would like to sell this if the processor will do it, the farmer will ask about that
Lamb Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Lamb Bones - in stock
Lamb Head (brains and eyes included) - there will more the next time the farmer processes lamb, and that will probably be in the spring
Lamb Heart - in stock
Lamb Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Lamb Kidneys - in stock
Lamb Liver - in stock
Lamb Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Lamb Meaty Shank Bone - there will more the next time the farmer processes lamb, and that will probably be in the spring
Lamb Tail - in stock
Lamb Testicles - there will more the next time the farmer processes lamb, and that will probably be in the spring
Lamb Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Lamb Stomach - we would like to sell this if the processor will do it, the farmer will ask about that

PORK

(shop for pork bones and organs here)

Pork Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Pork Bones - in stock
Pork Ears - back in stock probably in December
Pork Feet - in stock
Pork Head (brains and eyes included) - in stock
Pork Heart - back in stock probably in December
Pork Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Pork Kidney - in stock
Pork Liver - in stock
Pork Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Pork Skin - in stock
Pork Stomach - the farmer is not interested in selling it
Pork Tail - back in stock probably in December
Pork Tongue - back in stock probably in December
Pork Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Smoked Pork Jowl - in stock

Pastured Meat

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Let’s take a look at what rennet is and why it’s used in cheesemaking, compare the different types of animal and vegetable rennets, check out the labeling requirements for rennet, and consider the potential health consequences. Keeping all this in mind, Miller’s Bio Farm aims to produce the most nutrient-dense, natural, A2/A2 cheese we can and gives you all the info you need to make the choice that’s best for your body!

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

It used to be true that, if your egg yolks were darker in color, then the better the egg's nutrition. Conscious consumers of the past would look for that deep orange yolk and stray away from lighter yellow yolks. It's sad, but this simply isn't the case anymore. Here's why you can't trust cheap store-bought eggs with orange yolks and need to know your farmer instead.

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say