The air has definitely shifted from strength of summer to the calmness of autumn. I’m always amazed at the pleasant emotion evoked from seeing even the most subtle of changes, like the shade of greenish yellow that was just a few days ago a dark green field of soybeans. It’s a feeling of relief, which hints that the earth is cycling into a season of rest, and so should I.

I saw that soybean field, and many others like it, on my drive out to Henderson, NE, to pick up the beef I had processed for use in our restaurant this fall. We purchased a certified organic grass fed steer from Holt Creek Jerseys raised here in Nebraska. Buying the entire animal gives us all the cuts, so we can plan to use oxtail, heart, and shanks as well as the more common roasts and steaks you normally find available.

If you’ve never tried it, you might notice that grass fed beef has a little different flavor than corn fed. It is more noticeable in steaks, where very little seasoning is added to enhance the meat before it is served. Roasts, short ribs and such that are exposed to low, slow heat and plenty of herbs and spice, the difference will be less detectable. I grilled up a couple of T-bones for our staff last night, and they met our approval. I think you will also.

So as fall unfolds, so will our menu utilizing this Nebraska beef. If you would like to get our weekly updates on how we will be preparing it, join our mailing list at the top corner of the page at www.breadandcup.com