Matt & Jessica @ Clover Meadows Beef, Author at Clover Meadows Beef

07/03/2020 By Matt & Jessica @ Clover Meadows Beef

Best Hamburger Seasoning

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It’s grilling season! And that means it’s time to talk burgers and hamburger seasoning.

Our favorite hamburger seasoning uses some very basic ingredients that you already have in your pantry: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, brown sugar and cayenne pepper.

The Best DIY Hamburger Seasoning Recipe

Good hamburgers are an art. In our opinion, they need to be hot of the grill with a slight char-grilled outside and juicy inside. Plus, they must be easy to throw together.

Why easy? Because half the time that we grill hamburgers, we’re having a party with friends. When having a party, we’d much rather be talking to friends than slaving away making a burger. Easy is a must.

That brings us to the perfect hamburger seasoning. If you get the beef and the hamburger seasoning right, you end up with an amazing burger. Every. Time.

How to Cook Beef Roast

Let’s talk about cooking beef roast (a.k.a. pot roast).

It’s one of Matt’s all-time favorite diners because of the taste. It’s one of Jessica’s all-time favorite dinners because of the taste AND because it’s a one-pot-wonder.

Plus, there are some amazing meals you can make with the beef roast left-overs, assuming you have any.

We do have a favorite cut we use when we cook beef roast, but before we say “just get this cut” we want to explain the different beef roast cuts and why we have a favorite.

Farm Life: How We Feed Cows

We’re often asked what a typical day looks like on our farm. Every day is very different, so there isn’t an easy answer to that question.

However, one thing that is always the same is that every day Matt gets on his four-wheeler and drives to check and feed the cows.

We thought you might like to join him as he feeds cows on a typical night, so that’s what this video is about.

Do we feed all of our cows the same way?

Keep in mind that our farm is a cow-calf farm, and we’re unique because we raise and sell both grass finished and grain finished beef directly to consumers.

That means we have several different groupings of cattle on our farm. They all have different needs that we have to account for.

The grass finished cattle need to be checked regularly so we’re sure they’re all still healthy and none of them got hurt in the pasture. We don’t typically feed them since they only eat grass.
The grain finished cattle need to be checked regularly and fed daily. They live in the pasture their entire lives and also receive natural grain during the last 6 months of their life. It’s up to them on if they eat the grass or grain.
The heifers need to be checked regularly and they’re fed some grain too. We explained the difference between cows and heifers before. As a refresher, heifers are new mama cows that have had their first calf. Whether you’re a first time human mom or cow mom, having a baby is a lot of work and takes a toll on your body! After a heifer has had a baby calf, we give her some all-natural grain so that she’s getting even more nutrients in her diet. These nutrients help her get strong again, and also help ensure her milk has all the nutrients it needs for the baby calf.
Baby calves need to be checked regularly since they’re so young. They drink their mom’s milk for the first 6 months of life. As they grow, they start to transition from their mother’s milk only to a mixture of milk and grass around 4 to 6 months of age.

Why Do Cattle Have Ear Tags? (Hint: They’re Important)

Have you ever wondered what the the colored plastic number “earrings” are that you see in the ears of cattle. They’re called ear tags, and they’re really important.

What are ear tags for?

Ear tags are needed for animal identification. They make it possible for us to identify and keep accurate records about each calf, heifer, steer, cow and bull.

When you stop and think about it, animal identification has been around for a really long time. As soon as a family brings home a pet, they purchase a collar and tag for their new puppy or kitty. Similarly, we use ear tags to identify our cattle immediately.

What information is identified using ear tags?

For calves, our records include things like their gender, age, weight, and which cow is its mom.

Our records for the mama cows include additional information like when she had her last calf and how many calves she has had in her lifetime. We also want to know which calf belongs to each cow .

Understanding Cuts of Beef. What Comes with a Quarter, Half Beef

One of the most common questions we hear from those thinking about ordering large quantities of beef from us is “What cuts of beef will I get if I order a quarter, half or whole?”

Great question.

Your question shows that you know that a steer is made up of more than just steaks — a lot more!

In this post and video we hope to explain a little more about each of the cuts of beef and where the best cuts of beef are found. Plus, we will discuss exactly what cuts you get if you order a quarter, half or whole beef from our farm.

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