Where's the Beef?

Probably not at my house. We have some property out in the boonies where we hunt deer and trap wild hogs. I'm so used to eating venison and wild pork that beef tastes funny to me. (I use venison and pork for burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, spaghetti, steaks, sausage,...) Once in a while I'll buy some ribeyes if they're on sale. I also buy chicken, but I make sure it's just chicken. It's sad to have to read the ingredient list on a package of drumsticks.

By harvesting our own meat, we don't have to worry about the animals being cooped up in feed lots and/or shot up with growth hormones. The deer and hogs graze and forage on natural food, roaming wherever they want. We field dress and butcher the meat ourselves, so we know exactly how the meat was handled from start to finish. We're not buying meat that has been trucked into town from halfway across the country. And if you've ever witnessed the destruction hogs cause, you'll know we're doing landowners a favor by eliminating some of them.

While it's a lot of work to process a deer or hog, we like having quality meat for our family. An added bonus is our children learn about self-sufficiency (and anatomy!).