For Americans, Memorial Day is a somber reminder of the men and women who bravely made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and liberties in this country.
With celebrations ranging from parades, to boat rides, to barbecues, I’m mindful that we can enjoy these pleasures on free and sovereign soil thanks to the troops who gave up their tomorrows for us.
And as the flag flew in my front yard, with a backdrop of cattle grazing in the pastures in the distance, I thought to myself the poignant quote from an unknown author: “Our flag does not fly because the wind blows it; It flies with the last breath of every soldier who died defending it.”
For our family, and for so many others, good meat is a cornerstone for a wonderful Memorial Day gathering. Unfortunately, many are reeling from sticker shock as they went grocery shopping for their favorite beef cuts for the weekend.
This is highlighted by many mainstream media reports, indicating the frustration shared by both producers and consumers. Here is a roundup of some recent headlines that paint a picture of the growing concerns.
According to the article, “Renewed competition between foodservice and retail, and strong exports have put the US beef sector squarely in a demand-driven market. In April, beef prices were 18.5% higher at wholesale and 11.5% higher at retail compared to levels seen in 2019.
“Fed cattle supplies have averaged 120% of operational packing capacity since April 2020, so despite record strong beef demand, cattle prices have been depressed throughout the pandemic.
According to Rabobank, US retail beef prices could see increases through much of May and even June, and wholesale prices should begin to moderate in the near future. However, cutout prices could remain 5 to 10% higher than pre-pandemic levels for much of 2021.”
Reuters reports, “Beef prices are surging worldwide, taking meat off the menu in steak-loving Buenos Aires and spoiling summer barbecues in the United States as Chinese imports rise and the cost of feeding cattle soars.
“Globally, the surge is contributing to the highest food prices since 2014, according to the United Nations food agency, hitting poorer consumers particularly hard as they struggle to recover from economic shutdowns triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Reiley writes, “As food prices continue to rise, beef and pork have surged out front. Overall food prices rose 0.4% from March, and are up 1% from a year ago, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“The price of pork soared 2.6% in the month of April and 4.8% from a year ago, adjusting for seasonality. And while beef and veal prices stayed fairly flat for the month, they are up 3.3% from a year ago.In a season that routinely sees increased demand for beef and pork, this goes far beyond people excited to get back outside to barbecue.”
An excerpt from the article reads: “It’s not just consumers who getting riled up about rising beef prices. Cattle producers are, too. Cattle feeders are seething over a pattern they now consider all-too-familiar: the cost of hamburgers and steaks soar at the grocery store, yet the prices they get for the animals barely budges. The market is dominated by four giant meatpacking companies that together control most of the U.S. beef processing.”
“The current state of the cattle industry is egregious, and must be addressed immediately,” wrote Richard Godfrey, president of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, in a May 17 letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“Since August 2019, the cattle industry has suffered multiple extreme market disruptions, often referred to as ‘black swan events.’ These disruptions are unpredictable, such as the Tyson plant fire in Holcomb, Kan., or the supply chain disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and are often accompanied by a ripple effect directly or indirectly affecting the cattle industry for an extended period of time. Every market disruption comes with a significant price — some more than others.
“The cattle industry is particularly vulnerable due to few buyers in the market. In the current, an oligopsony of four meatpackers control approximately 85 percent of the processing industry. The concentration of processing power between Tyson Foods, JBS, National Beef, and Cargill has created a severe bottleneck in the beef supply chain during black swan events and has also opened the door for market manipulation.”
Per the Bloomberg article, “U.S. meat demand this Memorial Day faces rising beef and chicken price inflation. Commodity inflation along with health concerns drives some U.S. consumers to choose plant-based options instead.”
The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.
BUENOS AIRES, May 31 (Reuters) - Argentina said on Monday it had temporarily shut down 12 beef exporters over “irregular” operations and had seized over 220 tonnes of meat as tensions over the government’s meat export ban deepen.
Argentina, the world’s No. 5 supplier of beef, has long been renowned for its high quality meat. But the government two weeks ago slammed the door on exports in a bid to bolster domestic supply amid runaway inflation.
The ministry of agriculture said it had temporarily suspended the export activities of six companies after discovering “irregularities such as not liquidating foreign currency or having registered false addresses, among other charges.”
Officials said they had already shut down six firms on similar charges, for a total of 12, involving the seizure of 220 tonnes of meat. The ministry noted an additional five firms were also under investigation.
Argentina is famed for its cattle ranches and cuts of steak, which are a central part of the local social fabric, with many gatherings of families and friends held around the “parrilla” barbecue grill at the weekend.
However, rising meat costs have come under fierce scrutiny in recent months. Some consumers - already hit hard by three successive years of recession - say they are no longer able to afford beef. Inflation has sapped growth and spending power.
The country has ramped up beef exports in recent years, especially to main-buyer China. The government blames fast-rising exports for stoking inflation. (Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Many people might think of Blake Munger as a cattle farmer as he walks through his pasture land in western Kentucky, but he sees things a little differently nowadays.
“I don’t know which is more valuable, my cattle or the pasture at this point. I used to say cattle, but this plays a bigger role than the cattle,” Munger said, referring to the fields of fescue grass his black and red Angus cattle are grazing in.
Black and Red Angus cattle graze in a pasture in Calloway County, Kentucky.
He walks through the fields, pointing out how what’s growing in the pasture changes — from the flowering buttercup weeds to the more established fescue grass — indicating how “hard” the soil has been impacted by his cattle and other factors. When his cows have mowed down a field for a few days, he moves them to a new field to let the grass recover.
He and another local cattle farmer, Landon, didn’t start using rotational grazing until a handful of years ago to help improve the quality of the grass their cows were getting. But they also see another benefit to allowing the grass to grow: it can become a “carbon sink,” drawing down carbon dioxide from the air and fixing it in the plants and soil, mitigating the significant amount of emissions that come from the beef cattle industry.
Some recentstudiesshowthat sustainable agriculture practices such as rotational grazing can moderate the greenhouse gas emissions from cattle, something that’s crucial as agriculturecontributes about 10%of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Cattle farmer Blake Munger points out some of the wired fencing on his farm in Calloway County, Kentucky.
Yet scientists and climate advocates also say much more needs to be done with the world’s food systems to help avoid disastrous climate change, including a topic that’s become politically charged at times — reducing meat consumption.
“It’s easier to think that you have the solution by getting rid of it instead of being like, ‘How can we make it where it’s actually beneficial?’ If farmers in America had productive farm ground that was not taking but giving back,” Munger said. “This [grass] is pulling from the air free nitrogen. It’s putting it into the soil. I’m letting Mother Nature work here.”
As alternatives to meat continue to make market headway in the Ohio Valley and across the country, climate advocates and scientists see a need for both sustainable farming practices and alternatives to traditional meats to make significant headway in avoiding disastrous climate change. One well-known regional company has been cashing in on the protein alternatives coming onto the scene.
A Cryogenic Creation
Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream’s specialty is often found in amusement and theme parks, zoos and museums: small pellets of colorful, flash frozen ice cream mix in bowls, with flavors ranging from “Ultimate Brownie Batter” to “ Banana Split.” But when the pandemic restrictions and closures began and dragged into the summer, Chief Development Officer Stan Jones said the company lost 50% of its business that year with those places shuttered.
The headquarters for Dippin’ Dots in Paducah, Kentucky.
Staff was downsized, and spaces the company leased were downsized. But coincidentally,an investmentmade before the pandemic helped keep them from making further cuts. Some in the plant-based meats industry approached the company about using its cryogenic freezing technology to pelletize oils that could then be infused to make up the “fat” of plant-based proteins.
“Same process we use for our ice creams. We blend the raw materials together, and then we run them through our cryogenic processors, and then we package them,” Jones said.
Jones also sees a lot of opportunity for growth with their cryogenic technology, contracting with themore than $3 billionplant-based meats industry and the pharmaceutical industry, with the potential “to be as big as the ice cream side of our business.”
Although he thinks it’s years away from the possibility of alternative meats being on par with traditional meats, he believes the environmental and health considerations of meat weigh heavier for younger generations.
“The market is so huge, even a small percentage of the market is business worth going after,” Jones said. “A certain percentage of the population is receptive to looking for alternatives besides meat.”
A meat substitute made from plant protein, part of a $3B industry.
Farmers including Blake Munger aren’t opposed to Dippin’ Dots’ efforts to diversify their business, with the open market driving consumer demand. But for some cattlemen, whether to call plant-based products “meat” is another question.
Texas state lawmakerspassed a billearlier in May banning the use of the words “meat” and “beef” on the labels of plant-based food products. Several states,including Kentucky, have already passed laws requiring different labeling for alternative protein imitating meat that doesn’t come from animal sources.
“It’s not my job as a government official to tell companies what to do, except when it comes to making sure that consumers clearly know the difference between meat that was raised on a Kentucky farm, versus an imitation that was put together in a factory,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Republican Ryan Quarles.
Quarles referenced as an example therecent ongoing battlebetween the traditional dairy industry and companies producing alternative products made of almonds, wheat, and other plants, and whether those can include the word “milk” in their labeling.
The Climate Challenge
Whatever alternative meats are called, climate advocates and scientists see both sustainable agricultural practices and alternatives to traditional meats as necessary to tackle the growing threat of climate change.
Tim Searchinger, a senior fellow with theWorld Resources Institute, said the challenge facing our food system is to accommodate billions of new people coming into the world by 2050.
“People just have to appreciate the sheer magnitude of the challenge coming,” Searchinger said. “There’s just so many people eat so poorly that as their incomes climb out of sheer poverty, the demand for meat and milk is going to grow.”
He said beef, for example, is about five times more inefficient in its land-use than other forms of meat production, and about two-thirds of the “carbon for the world’s agricultural land is devoted to meat and dairy.”
Methane is a major climate concern in agriculture. While methane does not persist in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide, it is far more potent as a greenhouse gas. A recentreport from the United Nationsstressed the urgency of reducing methane, calling it “the strongest lever we have to slow climate change over the next 25 years.”
Because the demand for meat is anticipated to increase at least somewhat among the billions of new people expected in future decades, people in developed countries, including the U.S., that already eat a large amount of meat will need to reduce their meat consumption by 50% in the coming decades, he said. Reducing meat consumption here can stave off additional deforestation and carbon releases associated with the rising demand for meat abroad.
Yet that doesn’t mean beef producers will be going out of business anytime soon, Searchinger said.
“Only 20% of the people in the world eat a significant amount of beef,” Searchinger said. “If any of that other 80% eats even a little bit more, the world’s beef consumption is going to go up. So there’s plenty of market for beef producers as well.”
Another researcher studying food sustainability says the effects of climate change are already being felt by farmers who must deal with erratic and severe weather patterns. Karen Perry Stillerman, a senior analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, points to tacklingthe dominancethat a few companies have in the meat industry as a way to make significant climate changes with food.
“I think it’s going to come from farmers, and all of us having more information and a fuller picture of what the situation is and how neither farmers nor eaters are being well served by this corporate domination system that leads to all of these problems,” she said, “and really coming together to find solutions that work for the farmers, for the environment, for workers, and for all of us.”
The Ohio Valley ReSource gets support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and our partner stations.
Piglets stand in a pen at a pig farm in Baraqueville, France, on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2015. About ... [+]two-thirds of France is currently facing drought-related problems, FNSEA Farmers Union head Xavier Beulin says and also calls on the European Union to take measures to clear up the pork market currently under price pressure from German and Spanish production. Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg
Prices for pork look set to plunge over the summer, recent research shows.
August-dated futures contracts for lean hogs recently fetched around $1.16 a pound on the CME, the highest level since mid-2014. That’s up from around 62 cents at the beginning of the year.
But what goes up must come down, according to a recent report from financial firm Hackett Financial Advisors, which states.
“Summertime US pork exports to China should dry up, leaving too much supply to find a willing buyer at current high prices.”
First, if the country has rebuilt its herd of hogs following a major outbreak of African Swine Fever in 2018, it won’t need foreign production, so exports from the US will likely drop.
Second, suppose the Chinese government has been economical with the truth about the extent of the recent recurrence of the disease. In that case, a likely slaughter of the current herd would flood the Chinese market with pork.
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In short, “they will not need to import much pork from the US over the summer months,” the Hackett report states.
Extended Bullishness Is Bearish for Pork
That data recently showed that traders held 76,000 futures contracts betting on a continued rally than they they did on a price fall. That puts the positioning in the 96% percentile over the past five years, according to data collated by New York-based financial form Macro Risk Advisors.
Typically, when investors or traders collectively take an extraordinarily bullish or bearish view, the likely next move is in the opposite direction. In this case, that would be a downward move in hog prices.
In this case, Hackett sees the price headed far lower with “a swift decline to low $90’s support, the report states.
Years ago, we moved from our home in Switzerland to England. Among the mixed emotions, one standout was a relief to live again in an English-language culture.
While I can write at length about our bumbling and surprisingly foreign experience settling into U.K. life, I will stay on the topic of language. It was one of the perks of this international move, and the excuse we used to propel ourselves to a remote corner of southeast England in our well-intentioned quest to blend in. After all, we were fluent in the local language — we only missed a sturdy pair of wellies.
So, after arrival in London and a brief rental experience, we moved to a small provincial hamlet on the edge of the south coast, where we purchased a rambling, feng shui-challenged barn renovation with distant views to the Isle of Wight. Suddenly, we found ourselves feeling quite foreign with a steep learning curve before us. Among many of our adjustments, we were about to experience a crash course in British English.
We quickly adjusted to referring to the car boot (not trunk) and clothing articles such as knickers, jumpers and trainers. Perhaps more important, we awkwardly learned to never, ever compliment someone on their pants (blush), for they are trousers. Our written word adjusted, as well, to include u’s and t’s (neighbour, favourite, learnt, burnt). The letter “z” became “zed” and was often substituted with an “s,” as in finalise and civilised.
The language differences also extended to food terminology. Take, for example, the notion of tea. If your child was invited home by a classmate for tea one day, rest assured your precious 4-year-old would not be served a scalding cup of Earl Grey. Most likely, he would be supplied with an early supper served to children; beans on toast is a favorite. Or if you were invited to a neighbor’s home for dinner and asked to bring a pudding, not to worry whether you should recreate a butterscotch pudding recipe from your childhood or up the ante with a posh chocolate mousse. Pudding, you see, is a synonym for dessert in British English, so you would be free to go big and whip up a cake or trifle.
Which brings me to one of my favorite descriptive words pertaining to food in British English: moreish. When I first heard it, I pictured long banquet tables of Arab moors digging into a sumptuous feast. I quickly learned that the word is more-ish, and it applies to a dish or food you simply cannot stop eating. It’s so delicious, you want more.
And moreish is what I was thinking when I wrote this recipe. While Asia is far from England, these spiced Asian pork lettuce wraps are indeed moreish. They are crisp and juicy, laced with ginger and spice. Better yet, you must eat them with your hands, which is a fun, interactive and dribbly affair, and seems to make them taste even better. So, tuck in and enjoy these little bites. One will certainly not be enough.
Asian Pork Meatball Lettuce Wraps
Makes 18 meatballs
Meatballs:
1½ pounds ground pork (turkey may be substituted)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
1 scallion, finely chopped, green ends reserved for the rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Rice:
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small red jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Sauce:
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chile sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
Vegetable oil for pan frying
Little gem or butter lettuce leaves for wrapping
Asian hot sauce, such as Sriracha
Directions:
Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and gently mix to blend. Using a light hand, form the mixture into 1½-inch meatballs. Place on a plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Prepare the rice: Add the rice, 1½ cups water and the salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and remove the lid. Lay a kitchen towel over the saucepan and replace the lid. Let the rice steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and gently stir in the reserved green scallion ends, the chile pepper and sesame oil.
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
Cook the meatballs: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet without overcrowding, and gently press to slightly flatten. Cook until well browned on all sides and thoroughly cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
To serve, spoon a little rice into a lettuce leaf. Top with a meatball and drizzle with the sauce. Serve with additional hot sauce if desired.
Lynda Balslev is a San Francisco Bay Area cookbook author, food and travel writer and recipe developer.
South Dakota Beef Industry Council President Laurie Johnson said South Dakota alone is home to more than 4 million head of cattle.
“We have 4.5 cows per person, so I think that’s pretty incredible, and I think huge kudos to the 14,000 beef farmers and ranchers that we have in South Dakota," she said. "It’s an exciting time to celebrate them and what they do every day you know making that protein possible to be on your plate.”
Johnson said SDBIC launched a host of promotions and activities this month, including their “Reclaim the Summer” campaign which encourages everyone to get out and celebrate summers by choosing beef this grilling season. Summer continues to be the peak season for beef sales.
“Most of the beef I believe like over 30% of the dollars are sold between Labor Day and Memorial Day,” she said.
Beef has also been highlighted at several events across South Dakota throughout the month, including Deadwood Xtreme Bulls and the Sioux Falls Storm’s opening Hall of Fame Game on May 15. The SDBIC teamed up with the Storm and used beef to create some pre-game excitement.
A large portion of beef is sold during the summer months, which makes May a good month for the beef industry to highlight their products. (Michelle Rook / Agweek)
“Tailgating. How do you not tailgate without having beef, right?” said Jason Headlee, Sioux Falls Storm co-owner.
He said the goal is to improve the experience for the Sioux Falls Storm fans.
“It worked out great with tailgating and with South Dakota beef to have them involved to help create that excitement and that fun and educate people on the importance of beef,” Headlee said.
The tailgating included a food truck challenge featuring beef entrees. The winner was Fat Kid Fillys, owned and operated by Cody Sauers. He partners with Boss Beef of DeSmet to offer smoked beef short ribs, quarter pound burgers and for the competition he made one of his specialties.
“I did my original fat kid which is a slow smoked 10-hour wagu beef roast that we chop and pull by hand, sautéed in salted sweet cream butter, with peppers, onions, provolone cheese and then we do a cheddar cheese sauce on top all in a toasted bun," he said.
A May Sioux Falls Storm game featured a food truck challenge, with vendors using beef in the competition. (Michelle Rook / Agweek)
The afternoon also featured the Grid Iron Burger Battle between teams of celebrities and coaches from universities that are utilizing the Build Your Base with Beef program. Each team had 30 minutes to produce an award-winning burger from a bag of random ingredients that all had to be incorporated into the burger, and they could use one secret ingredient. Clete McLeod, University of South Dakota Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, said he has strong criteria for what makes a good burger.
“I want a juicy burger, I want to be able to produce something that lets the beef speak for itself,” he said.
The judges had a tough job but say no matter what ingredients are used a good burger needs to be cooked properly. Willie Bertsch, with BBQ Heaven in Sioux Falls served as one of the judges. He said he’s a top notch burger griller, so he is very particular about the burger is cooked.
“Well personally I want a medium hamburger, not medium rare. You need to cook your beef to 160," he said. "Too dry of a hamburger is not good.”
The winners were Matthew Bacoulis, Augustana offensive line coach, and Chelsie Bakken, Mrs. South Dakota International. They made their version of a poor man’s Hawaiian burger featuring their secret ingredient.
“Our secret to victory was our dumpling sauce, yes a soy Asian dumpling sauce, and it worked really well with the ingredients we received to use,” Bakken said.
Bacoulis gave credit to the state’s cattle producers and the high-quality beef they produce.
“It starts with a great product and South Dakota beef first and foremost and then looking at accentuating that beef not overdoing it too much and then finding a nice internal temp,” he said.
The Junior Beef Ambassadors worked within their local communities promoting beef. The SDBIC wrapped up the month with sponsorship of the Prairie Fire Steak Contest to be held at the Red Rock Bar and Grill in Brandon, S.D., on Sunday, May 30.
The North Dakota Beef Commission is also partnering with the Bismarck Larks and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to promote beef at the ballpark. Both minor league baseball teams will highlight beef during their upcoming seasons. The Bismarck Larks are holding United We Steak Saturdays, where fans can grill their favorite beef item and send a picture via social media. The games will also feature the Beefed-Up Home Run Derby. This event will be held prior to the games and six people will be selected to compete against Larks players in a home run derby competition.
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks will have a Beef Batter of the Game at each home game. If that batter gets a hit, a section of the ballpark will win Beef Battle Bucks. They can be used to bonus beef products with the purchase of beef at Prime Cut Meats in Fargo.
“We want to capitalize on the summer grilling season and the ability to gather again this summer, whether at the ballpark or in the backyard,” said NDBC Executive Director Nancy Jo Bateman. “Beef products are the top grilling items nationwide and we want to help create demand for beef in North Dakota through these ballpark promotions.”
More than 20,000 pounds of meatballs and pork that are distributed across 10 states have been recalled for misbranding and potential allergens. Washington-based King's Command Food, LLC, is recalling it products, according to an announcement Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
King's Command Food (KCF) is recalling approximately 20,025 pounds of meat for containing eggs, milk and possibly wheat, all potential allergens, without being labeled on any of the eight lots getting recalled from California to Virginia.
Meatballs prepared during The Meatball Shop Master Class hosted by Daniel Holzman at Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for NYCWFF
According to the food safety and inspection division of the USDA, the fully-cooked, not shelf-stable meat and poultry items were produced January 08, January 15 and March 03 this year.
These are the products getting recalled:
10-lb. bulk-packed cases containing "3.75 oz RIB SHAPED PORK PATTIES WITH BBQ SAUCE" with code 2549616/72314 and "USE BY 3/2/2022," that contain undeclared wheat which is not represented on the label.
15-lb. bulk-packed cases containing "3.0 oz RIB SHAPED PORK PATTIES WITH BBQ SAUCE" with code 72314 and "USE BY 3/2/2022", that contain undeclared wheat which is not represented on the label.
15-lb. bulk-packed cases containing "0.50oz SWEDISH MEATBALLS" with code 72148 and "USE BY 1/7/2022", containing undeclared egg which is not represented on the label.
14-lb. bulk-packed cases containing "0.50oz SWEDISH MEATBALLS WITH SAUCE" with code 72147 and "USE BY 1/7/2022", containing undeclared egg which is not represented on the label.
10-lb. bulk-packed cases containing "0.5 OZ CHICKEN AND BEEF MEATBALLS" with code 72180 and "USE BY 1/7/2022", containing undeclared milk which is not represented on the label.
10-lb. bulk-packed cases containing "0.50 oz MEATBALLS" with code 01380 displayed beneath the barcode and "USE BY 1/14/2022," containing undeclared egg and milk which is not represented on the label.
10-lb. bulk-packed cases containing ".5 oz HOMESTYLE MEATBALLS" with code 00133 and "USE BY 1/7/2022," containing undeclared milk which is not represented on the label.
20-lb. bulk-packed cases containing ".5 OZ ITALIAN STYLE MEATBALLS" with code 72182 and "USE BY 3/2/2022," containing undeclared egg which is not represented on the label.
Each of the recalled products have the establishment number "EST. M1515A" inside the USDA mark of inspection. All eight recalled items were distributed in California, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
"The problem was discovered when the establishment determined that allergen-containing ingredients may have comingled with the recalled products that do not normally contain the identified allergens," the recall announcement stated. "There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider."
The food and safety services division of the USDA reminds people that this product may still be in the freezers of homes and restaurants, or any place that distributes them.
"FSIS is concerned that some product may be in food service freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," the USDA stated.
“Consumers are paying record prices for beef and yet cattle producers are receiving prices comparable to a decade ago and many of them are at the verge of going broke,” he said. With high prices and record exports, the market is generating unprecedented profits for the four main meatpackers — JBS, Tyson, Cargill and National Beef Packing Company/Marfrig — which together control 85 percent of the fed-cattle market. But Bullard says the ranchers aren’t benefiting. Cargill, the largest private U.S. company, is having its most profitable year ever, with $4.3 billion in net income in the first nine months of its fiscal year on the strength of surging meat, corn and soybean prices, the company disclosed to bond investors this past week.
Mike Holland can tell a lot about the quality of a steer’s carcass simply based on its appearance.
Holland is the co-owner of Holland Brothers Meats in Duncansville, Blair County. He said consumer demand for freezer beef has been strong since the pandemic began, and it’s important for farmers to produce quality animals to keep the new customers coming back.
“The animal should be less than 30 months old, but as far as weight, we like them to dress out at 600 to 650 pounds. It gives a nice, full steak with marbling but not too much fat,” Holland said.
Animals that are larger result in more waste during processing. The cost of that waste is passed on to customers, who pay based on hanging weight.
Holland does custom butchering for several farmers in his area, and he also buys finished animals to fill orders at his shop. When selecting a steer to purchase, Holland looks at the rump and brisket to determine how well the animal is finished.
“If the brisket is hanging down with a lot of skin, I know it’s going to be a lot of fat. I like to see wide hindquarters but not overly big,” he said. “Once you see a carcass on the rail, you can imagine what it would need to look like.”
Holland can tell a difference between animals that have been finished on grass versus grain.
While there are farmers who are successful at finishing beef on grass, Holland said grass-fed steaks are typically smaller than those from an animal on a grain diet.
Better than grass-finishing, in Holland’s opinion, is an all-natural ration consisting of hay or grass, corn silage, and grain.
“You want to give the customer a quality animal that has marbling and nice steaks, but isn’t overly large or small,” Holland said. “Give them a good bang for the buck with plenty of quality if you want them to keep coming back.”
“Consumers are paying record prices for beef and yet cattle producers are receiving prices comparable to a decade ago and many of them are at the verge of going broke,” he said. With high prices and record exports, the market is generating unprecedented profits for the four main meatpackers — JBS, Tyson, Cargill and National Beef Packing Company/Marfrig — which together control 85 percent of the fed-cattle market. But Bullard says the ranchers aren’t benefiting. Cargill, the largest private U.S. company, is having its most profitable year ever, with $4.3 billion in net income in the first nine months of its fiscal year on the strength of surging meat, corn and soybean prices, the company disclosed to bond investors this past week.
You could call this an unhealthy obsession. Indiana can’t get enough of pork pounded into meat pancakes, dunked, dredged, and fried crisp. The Hoosier pork tenderloin is ourregional schnitzel, our year-round State Fair sustenance, our unofficial state sandwich—and we explore some of our flat-out favorites in this guide to living high on the hog.
Turchetti’s Delicatessen
An occasional Turchetti’s special hailed as a “porkestra” by the judges on Guy’s Grocery Games, the Triple P is owner George
Turkette’s trumped-up trifecta of porcine proportions. Surprisingly nuanced despite its decadent layers, it features two cutlets of rich, fat-streaked Berkshire pork double-dipped in simple flour for a light but golden touch, then topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon candied with brown sugar and molasses, and smoky-sweet bacon jam with a hint of chipotle. Leviathan Bakehouse’s soft sesame-seed bun holds this behemoth together for every delectable bite.
The best-selling sandwich at this tribute diner that’s part of the Indiana Foodways Alliance Tenderloin Lovers Trail, Andy’s Tenderloin is built on an 8-ounce foundation of fresh pork loin that’s been trimmed and pounded, then dredged using the standard three-step breading process. It gets a kick of special house seasoning before it’s fried to crispy perfection. Like snowflakes, no two turn out exactly the same.
A mainstay on this gastropub menu, Daredevil’s tenderloin may not be the biggest in town, but it’s definitely sizable enough to satisfy any serious schnitzel connoisseur. The thick-cut pork loin soaks in buttermilk before it’s pounded and breaded in a flavorful mix of cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and paprika for a satisfying chomp. A brioche bun serves as the perfect vehicle for the finished product, accompanied by lettuce, tomato, diced onions, garlic aioli, and house-brined beer pickles.
This retro Plainfield eatery relies on a time-tested breading recipe and fresh Indiana pork that’s never seen the inside of a freezer. Available fried, grilled, or blackened, the sandwich arrives at the table garnished with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, and housemade garlic mayo. Feeling a little intimidated by the 10-inch diameter? No problem. Just order the mini slider quartet to share. Up for more of a challenge? Go whole-hog with the Indianapolis Country-Fried Breakfast—a tenderloin smothered with sausage gravy alongside two eggs, home fries, and toast.
405 W. Main St., Plainfield, 317-837-7777, oasisdiner.com
Lumpy’s Cafe
This old-school Cambridge City spot has been frying up signature hand-breaded sandwiches since 1999 as fuel for Antique Alley explorations in the neighborhood. The center-cut pork loin rests in a buttermilk bath overnight to assure maximum tenderization before it’s run through the breading station and cooked to order. One local snowbird is such a fan that he orders 30 of the meaty masterpieces each year to take to Florida for when winter cravings strike.
Owner Eddie Sahm isn’t a fan of overhyped tenderloins the size of dinnerware, opting instead for a reasonable portion of pork, properly battered with seasoned flour and Big Lug Kolsch to create the perfect bite. The restaurant even bakes its own brioche knot rolls to carry the sandwich, a welcome next-level detail for discerning enthusiasts. Watch for a “PPP” variation with pork belly, provolone, and peppadew jam to appear as a special now and then.
Refer to the Breaded Tenderloin Specialties section of The Pawn Shop’s laminated menu for six wild interpretations of the pub’s already-solid pork sandwich served with a side of chips. The Tenderloin Club sits high off its bun, piled with ham, turkey, bacon, and cheese, while The Big Buffalo gets doused in spicy sauce and embellished with cheddar, bacon, and blue cheese. The Big Pawn (a clever riff on the Big Mac) gets style points for its utilitarian construction: one tenderloin divided into three portions and stacked with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
Don’t let the nondescript name or the strip-mall locale of this Greenwood-area watering hole fool you. The fine crumb on its deceptively modest tenderloin sandwich gives way to some of the juiciest, most well-seasoned pork you’ll find. And the thicker cut that extends only slightly beyond an uptown brioche bun means you’ll need fewer napkins when you dig into one of the tidier, more sophisticated takes on the typically sloppy Hoosier classic.
At about 9 inches across, Four Day Ray’s tenderloin is one of the more manageable satellite dish–sized versions. The Fischer Farms–sourced pork loin is breaded by hand, then fried, resulting in a craggy, lightly seasoned coating. A leaf of romaine, slices of tomato and red onion, FDR’s house pickles, and your preferred condiments will give the sandwich extra flavor and texture. A squishy brioche bun tries its best to hold everything together, but after enough bites, it will likely be reduced to mere slivers, no match for the heftier contents inside. This is still a tenderloin, after all.
This brewpub offering meets all the classic Indiana criteria—hand-pounded, grilled, or breaded pork, served with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and mayo. But that’s just a suggested starting point. Chef Andrew Popp encourages customers to get creative and make each order their own. Cajun spice and a squeeze of lime? Go for it. Nashville hot seasoning? Sure. Drenched in beer cheese? Simply ask and you shall receive.
This food-truck newcomer that usually parks behind Loom on East 46th Street is quietly becoming an insider’s top source for a tenderloin standout. Buttery Ritz crackers give this generous version a tender yet crispy crust, and a cornmeal-dusted kaiser roll lends even more crunchy texture. Pork “tendies” are also a menu option—like chicken but bigger and from a different animal. Add an order of Log’s creamy cole slaw and a side of State Fair–worthy battered veggies.
1901 E. 46th St.
Steer-In
With its low-slung awning and greasy-spoon patina, this historic eastside drive-in has organically achieved an enviable level of kitsch. It can attribute much of that everyman’s appeal to its top-selling tenderloin, a hefty disk of fresh-cut pork sizzled into hills and valleys of golden, crackly breading and tucked inside a toasted bun. It comes standard with lettuce, tomato, and mayo and has recently been joined by a Spicy Hoosier Tenderloin with added seasoning mixed into the crust.
The decor pays tribute to heroes of the world in small but impressive shrines to the likes of firefighters, astronauts, and inventors, as well as champions of both the Marvel and DC universes. The hand-breaded tenderloin—thicker and meatier than your typical pork frisbee—has a fan club, too. The breading is seasoned simply with a little salt and pepper, and minimal pounding means the pork barely eclipses the bun, providing the perfect combination of a meaty center and crispy edge.
10570 E. 96th St., Fishers, 317-576-1070, crheroes.com
Muldoon’s
Among the Guinness stews and shepherd’s pies served at this Carmel Irish pub, a head-turning tenderloin protrudes from its toasted sesame-seed bun like a craggy halo. Offered in both full-size and mini forms, Muldoon’s recipe for the classic crunchy sandwich caters to fans of the wafer-thin tenderloin. Fresh pork from neighboring Joe’s Butcher Shop is seasoned nicely with pepper and pounded into a slip of pork that gets extra wispy in the fryer.
111 W. Main St., Carmel, 317-571-1116, muldoons.net
The Friendly Tavern
Always crowded and true to its name, this Main Street Zionsville standard occupies a former wagon-builder’s workshop that dates to the 1870s. Its breaded tenderloin has some juicy lore as well. From your first bite into its ragged edges and jagged crust, you will understand why this obviously hand-butterflied pork cutlet lands on as many state tourism lists as any other.
Arguments about the best tenderloin will never be settled. But if you want a primer on what makes a breaded pork sandwich a state classic, head to this shrine to Indiana’s other obsession: basketball. The bar is a tribute to Bobby Plump, the Milan High School point guard made famous in the movie Hoosiers. Comically sprawling to the edges of the plate, it’s thicker and meatier than a fritter. This textbook version with a soft crunch mocks its pedestrian bun to the point you want to scrap it and just enjoy the meat—so obviously hand-cut that it sometimes splits in half.
Named one of the top three tenderloins in Visit Indiana’s “Best of Indiana” contest in 2017, the menu topper at this Franklin watering hole has grown by inches over the years. And locals are just fine with that. The expertly hand-pounded tenderloin gets its lacy, crispy crunch and deeply savory flavor not from any fancy breading but from a simple flour coating, along with tangy buttermilk and just the right spices that make it a cut above the rest.
To get the true retro experience of this ’50s-inspired diner, drop some money in the jukebox, top off your root beer, and dig into the gigantic, cornmeal-coated tenderloin served in high volume. Edward’s places this meaty manhole cover inside a jumbo-sized bun that, though proportionally correct, creates a bit of an optical illusion.
Open since 1985, Dooley O’Toole’s dates back to Carmel’s halcyon pre–City Center days. Its flagship sandwich is timeless as well. Made with pork cut fresh every morning, it’s golden-brown and buckled, usually hanging over the sides of its plate. Don’t want to get crumbs in your ears? Order the slightly smaller mini version.
Upland demonstrates its dedication to the breaded tenderloin genre with an assortment of iterations, from the basic (but delicious) Hoosier Classic Tenderloin sandwich that gets an automatic upgrade of tangy-sweet chow-chow relish, housemade pickles, whole-grain mustard aioli, shredded lettuce, and red onion. The Three Little Pigs lavishes the same pounded and seasoned puck with Fischer Farms pulled pork and applewood-peppered bacon (plus gouda, red onion, and barbecue sauce). And a meatless Seitanderloin made with wheat gluten from Indy’s Three Carrots has enough flavor and heft to fool die-hard carnivores. Wash down any of the above with one of Upland’s house beers.
1201 Prospect St., 317-672-3671; 4842 N. College Ave., 317-602-3931; 820 E. 116th St., Carmel, 317-564-3400; uplandbeer.com
Opie’s Deli
Break up a northbound road trip with a stopover at this renovated department store in downtown Plymouth. Pressed and pounded into a lacy wisp, its relatively delicate rendition wears a saltine crust and gets a hit of aromatics from peanut oil.
114 N. Michigan St., Plymouth, 574-935-3366, opiesdeli.com
Nick’s Kitchen
For champions of Indiana’s indigenous dishes, the details of the first tenderloin sandwich are as much a part of the annals of Hoosier history as racing dynasties and state basketball titles. We know that German immigrants to Indiana adapted their beloved wiener schnitzel with readily available pork in the late 1800s. Then, food cart operator Nick Freienstein slid his cutlets onto more portable buns, with onions and pickles, in Huntington just after the turn of the century. This is where the story takes a slightly macabre turn. Nick’s older brother, Jake, who apparently lost the tips of his fingers to frostbite, realized he had ready-made tools (the stumps of his hands) for pounding out the pork to make it thinner and more “tender,” a bit of confusing nomenclature that is more about the end result of the sandwich than the actual cut of meat used (most diners and taverns start with pork loin, not tenderloin, which tends to tear when flattened). The recipe for these legendary tenderloins hasn’t changed since the Freiensteins’ original. Marinated overnight, the cutlets are then dunked in milk and eggs before being floured and enrobed in coarsely crushed saltines. The end result is a crackly, crunchy tenderloin that is deeply golden and a little darker around the edges, topped simply with those most German of condiments, pickles and mustard (and best served only with a slice of the diner’s gooey, caramel-rich sugar cream pie with a super-flaky crust). Nick’s tenderloin is a beguiling curiosity of American regional gastronomy that is absolutely worth the hour-and-a-half drive up I-69.
It’s called the Hoosier Cardiologist on the menu, which is appropriate for this colossal tenderloin that is as serious as a heart attack. The kitchen starts with a 6-ounce cubed Munsee Meats tail-end loin filet and plunges it into seasoned panko crumbs. All jagged browned edges jutting far beyond its brioche bun, it usually clocks in at 10 inches across and is at its best when topped with the prescribed onion, mayo, and pickle—along with a side of Belgian-style fries.
Out of the Ordinary Restaurant& Hickory Sports Bar
Nashville tourists can rest their rain sticks at this popular Brown County refueling spot that serves a modest, thicker-than-most tenderloin on a honey kaiser bun.
61 S. Van Buren St., Nashville, 812-200-1999
Sugar CreekBrickhouse
For pork purists who like a tenderloin with just a touch of seasoning, Sugar Creek delivers a thick sandwich reminiscent of a really good pan-fried pork chop. The lightly grilled bun adds a touch of texture. If you are brave (or bored), order it topped with a fried egg.
Petite by most standards, the tenderloin at this southside barbecue spot might have to compete for attention with the smoky and saucy stars of the show. But the sandwich’s peppery, fried chicken–like coating and meaty girth make it a worthy sleeper.
The bigger the pig, the bigger the tenderloin—and The Mug gets its cuts down the road at Tyner Pond Farm, which raises 350-pound heritage Large Black porkers, two-thirds piggier than most. That’s just the start of what makes the Greenfield nouveau diner a destination with travelers on I-70, who pass up the convenient interstate restaurants to drive downtown and fill The Mug’s parking lot with out-of-state plates. The Mug—which shares a culinary team of chefs with sister business ClusterTruck—then tenderizes the 6-ounce pork medallion in buttermilk before hand-breading it and frying it in lard for the juiciest sandwich around.
117 Apple St., Greenfield, 317-477-7550, themug.com
