The Wellness Blog

Photo of the Day: Happy Pigs

Happy pigs enjoying a sunny spring day!

Ulster Fry Recipe: How the Irish Cure a Hangover!

The Ulster Fry is an old dish that has long been a tradition in Ireland. This dish is still reputed to be one of the best cures for a hangover. There is some science behind this belief, as the dish is rich in animal fat, which supports the natural functions of the brain, and could help the body recover from an overdose of alcohol.

But you do not need a hangover to enjoy Ulster Fry. Aside from its brain health qualities, Ulster Fry is just flat out delicious and satisfying.

Traditionally, Ulster Fry contains bacon, two kinds of pork sausage, including blood pudding, eggs, potato bread, and Irish Soda bread, all fried in glorious bacon fat.

It has been very difficult to find decent sausages these days, as so many of them are made from factory meat and contain chemicals and other unsavory ingredients that I would not want to eat.

However, U.S. Wellness Meats has a number of great sausages that are made from quality meat, free of chemicals, which are perfect for the Ulster Fry.

Potato bread is not common in the U.S., but you can add two slices of it if you can find it. You can use any bread you like, including low-carb bread, for the Irish Soda bread. No matter what you use, it will be fried in bacon fat. If you do not eat bread, you can add another egg.

This version uses grassfed organ sausage to make a delicious dish that is even healthier than the original, and just as tasty, in my opinion.

Serves two.

INGREDIENTS

4 fat slices of U.S. Wellness Meats Sugar Free Pork Bacon, (or 4 fat slices of U.S. Wellness Meats Sugar Free Beef Bacon Slices, combined with two tablespoons pastured butter)

4 one-quarter inch thick slices of U.S. Wellness Meats Liverwurst

4 one-quarter inch thick slices of U.S. Wellness Meats Bologna

2 slices bread, preferably a good Irish soda bread, but sourdough and even low carb breads will work. In fact, even a Paleo-type bread made of nut flours will work.

2 eggs, preferably pastured

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the bacon in a cold, large frying pan. Heat the skillet over medium heat, and render the fat from the bacon, turning occasionally. Do not pour out the fat, you will need every precious bit of it. When the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, remove the bacon slices to a warm place, and add all the sausages to the hot bacon fat.
2. Brown each side of the sausages, turning once. They will brown quickly. Remove the sausages to a warm place.
3. Add the bread. Break the eggs into the pan. Fry each side of the bread in the bacon fat until crisp, and cook the eggs until they are set to your taste, thought they are best when somewhat runny. Be sure to baste the egg yolks with bacon fat as they cook. Divide the ingredients equally on two plates, and enjoy!

Recipe and photo compliments of Stan Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue. Stan’s mission is to promote and teach about how to cook tender grassfed meat, real food, and how to follow the nutritional wisdom of Dr. Weston A. Price. 

US Wellness Pork

What makes our pork products special?  We get asked quite often and decided to put together a special pork post!

Raised in Missouri, our pigs are sourced from a small cooperative of like-minded farmers.  They are now using the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) 5-Step rating system.  We are really excited about these changes as we are hearing about more and more producers getting involved in the GAP program, and more retailers and consumers paying attention to that label.  To learn more about GAP, please visit their website for a breakdown of the steps, and for details about what producers have to do to stay in the program.

There are five steps in the GAP program, and most of our producers are on the Step 3 and Step 4 levels (enhanced outdoor access and pasture centered).  All new producers have to start out with Step 1, which means they cannot use crates, stalls or cages.  Most of our producers actually do have their pigs outdoors, even though this first level does not require it.  Our pork cooperative works with their new producers to help them move up as soon as possible, however, if the farmer does not have a current plan in place to move on to the next level, they will drop them from the program.  This ensures that any new producers are constantly moving up and not just staying at the first level.

What do they eat?  Pigs are foragers, and most of our pigs are outdoors every day (weather permitting) to forage for bugs, sticks, roots, etc.  Since pigs have a single stomach, unlike the four chambered stomach of cattle, we cannot raise a healthy animal on grass alone, so their diets are supplemented with corn and soy.  This is usually a non-gmo feed ration, however, due to the historic dought of 2012, it has been very difficult (and much more expensive) for our producers to source and feed a 100% non-gmo ration.  We are getting closer to 100% non-gmo, and this post and our website will be updated just as soon as we can claim 100% non-gmo feed once again.  We also do not feed any antibiotics or hormones throughout the life of the animal.

What about nitrites?  It is near-impossible to find pork in grocery stores that does not include some type of nitrites or nitrates.  They are usually used in the curing process, and unfortunately have been suggested to be possible carcinogens. Most of the "nitrite-free" pork products are cured with celery salt, however this is another possible danger, as celery salt contains naturally occurring nitrates.  The Weston A. Price Wise Traditions Magazine recently explored this subject in great depth as related to bacon. While there are countless ways to make bacon - the actual health benefits of this popular product depend on a host of factors, from the raising and processing, down to the cooking process. 

The Wise Traditions article suggested that our ancestors had bacon figured out a long time ago.  All it takes is a dry rub (we use sea salt) and a cure (ours cures for 2-3 days) then a slow smoke (our bacon is hickory smoked).  The end result is deep pork flavor, healthy fat, and a new family favorite. 

What makes our bacon so special?  This year we completely revamped the recipe, we removed the honey powder and the only ingredients are pork bellies and sea salt.  That's it - no sugar, maple syrup, spices, or sweeteners of any kind.  We do not use any nitrites, nitrates, celery salt or MSG in the making or processing of the bacon.  It is so clean, we even have Whole30 approval, a feat we are very proud of! 

Since the new bacon went over so well, we have been working on several other pork recipes.  Our Pork Breakfast Sausage is an office-favorite and a staple in our kitchens every morning.  The new recipe contains only: pork, salt, rubbed sage, ground red pepper and black pepper.  No sugars, sweeteners, nitrates, nitrites, or MSG, and the flavor is amazing!

Our newest release is the Sugar-Free Ham, just in time for the holidays.  It is the same petite ham we've been selling, but we took out the honey powder and the ingredients are the same as the bacon: pork, sea salt and water.  Be sure to check out the Sugar-Free Options section online for more sugar-free choices.

We've recently added a brand new pork product to our menu.  After numerous customer requests and a new kettle purchase, we are able to render pork lard now.  Lard is full of healthy fats and a great oil to cook or fry in.  We offer the pork lard in a 2-lb pail.

For some new and unique recipe ideas, here are some of our ham favorites:

 

The Domestic Man: Honey & Citrus Glazed Ham

 

 

 

  Against All Grain: Black Forest Ham

 

 

 

  Civilized Caveman: Honey Baked Ham with Spiced Apples & Peaches

 

 

If you have any pork recipes or cooking ideas, we'd love to hear them!  Feel free to post below or link to any favorite recipes you want to share.

 

The American Paradox (Why You Should Eat Lard!)

By: Kelley Herring, Healing Gourmet

I have a confession to make: I’m a recovering vegetarian.

I didn’t shun meat for ethical reasons… although I do believe that all animals should be treated respectfully and humanely (even the ones we are raising for food). The reason I shunned meat is because I once believed that animal foods were unhealthy. I believed that they contributed to chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

But despite my belief that a vegetarian diet was healthy… my body disagreed. I felt poorly. I was frequently sick. My hair lacked luster and my skin was dull. My mood and energy were almost always low. And while I wasn’t overweight, I did carry excess body fat.

In addition to fearing meat, I also feared fat. I used small amounts of olive oil or (gasp!) vegetable oil. But most of the time, I opted for “low-fat” products. Grain had a place at nearly every meal – whether it was bread, pasta, oats or rice.

The diet I was eating was not the one that humans evolved to eat. And my health, appearance and mental outlook suffered for it.

Around ten years ago, I began to learn the difference between healthy fats and unhealthy ones. I learned that much of what we have been told about nutrition and disease was a big fat lie. And I learned that the diet most humans do best on is the one that our genetic ancestors consumed, before the dawn of modern agriculture.

I soon shifted to a more primal diet. I began by adding fish, then poultry, then beef and pork. I also eliminated vegetable oils and grains. Everything started to change. My energy levels increased. My body became leaner and more responsive to workouts. And my skin started to glow again.

As I tossed out the canola oil and soy burgers, I replaced them with grass-fed beef and traditional healthy fats… including lard.

Wait a minute, you might say. For decades we’ve been told that animal fat is bad for our health. And lard is the worst of all. The very word “lard” conjures up clogged arteries and a big backside.

Those connotations are unfortunate, because lard is a healthy fat. In fact, it is one of the healthiest fats you can use for cooking. So what makes lard healthy? And why is it good for cooking?

What Lard and the Mediterranean Diet and Have in Common

The Mediterranean diet has long been praised for its health benefits. And you might also know that this way of eating relies heavily on a type of fat called monounsaturated fat (MUFA). Research shows that monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can help to:
•    Balance blood sugar
•    Boost HDL (or good) cholesterol
•    Protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation
•    Reduce belly fat
•    Reduce levels of CRP – a key marker of inflammation

We most commonly associate monounsaturated fat with olive oil and avocados. But this is also the primary fat found in lard. Monounsaturated fat accounts for 48 percent of lard’s composition.

Surprising, right?

What may be even more surprising is that many traditional Mediterranean diets – contrary to popular belief – are also high in saturated fat (which comprises 41 percent of lard).
Sally Fallon and Mary Enig explore this in a piece entitled: "The Mediterranean Diet: Pasta or Pastrami?"

"Consider the description of food in Sardinia [in Recipes of All Nations, published in 1935]. Grains are certainly a part of their diet, consumed as bread, pasta or polenta, but in most interesting ways. "One of their favorite ways of cooking macaroni is to cook it in either lamb or pork fat . . . with small pieces of either lamb or pork, chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic and curd, mixed with a little water and salt and moistened with a little game stock, if this is obtainable."

Gnocchi is flavored with saffron and "served with a tomato sauce, or with gravy and cheesemade from ewe's milk."

Polenta is enhanced with "chopped salt pork, small pieces of sausages and grated cheese."

A dish called La Favata is made with "pieces of salt pork, cut in large chunks, ham bone, special homemade sausages, a handful of dried beans, wild fennel, and other herbs and a little water."

Despite the widely held belief that Mediterranean diets derive their fat primarily from plant sources, historical records and traditional recipes tell a different story. They recount a culture with robust health and strong hearts. And it was a culture that prized and savored animal fats.

The American Paradox: Can Saturated Fat Reduce Heart Disease?

So what about the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease?

It’s just not true.

In fact, a growing body of research shows that saturated fats have been wrongly accused of causing cardiovascular disease.

A review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition evaluated data from 21 different studies. These studies involved more than 350,000 people. And the results? The researchers found "no significant evidence" that eating more saturated fat increased the risk of heart disease or stroke.

Another study published in the same journal found that saturated fat actually prevents the progression of coronary artery disease in women with metabolic syndrome. The researchers coined this phenomenon “The American Paradox”.

Multiple studies of Pacific Island populations who get as much as 60 percent of their total calories from saturated fat also show that cardiovascular disease is nearly non-existent.

Dr. Jeff Volek is a university professor and leading researcher. His extensive research shows that a high healthy-fat, low-carbohydrate diet confers significant health benefits. Dr. Volek also notes that, “Multiple recent reports find no association between dietary saturated fat intakes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).”

For decades, millions of people – at the urging of physicians and the fatally-flawed USDA pyramid – have avoided saturated fats for fear of disease. Lard has been especially vilified (even half the fat in lard is monounsaturated).

Instead, we have substituted polyunsaturated fats – like soy, corn, safflower, canola and other “vegetable” oils – much to our own demise.

Death by Vegetable Oil

While “vegetable oils” have been promoted as the healthy alternative, the truth is that these fats that are destructive to your health. A high intake of vegetable and seed oil is associated with inflammatory diseases including:

•    Cardiovascular disease
•    Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
•    Obesity
•    Irritable bowel syndrome
•    Macular degeneration
•    Rheumatoid arthritis
•    Asthma
•    Cancer
•    Psychiatric disorders
•    Autoimmune diseases

The reason? Vegetable oils cause free radical damage and inflammation. These are two primary contributors to chronic disease.

Cooking Up Chronic Disease

Because of their weak structure, vegetable oils break down readily (go rancid) simply when exposed to light and oxygen. Adding heat further damages their delicate structure. This generates more free radicals and dangerous compounds called lipid oxidation products (LOPs).

LOPs cause oxidative damage in tissues, cells and genes. They also cause cholesterol to oxidize and become “sticky.” This is a major risk factors for heart disease!

And that’s not all. By attacking cells and tissues, LOPs have also been found to promote cancer, macular degeneration, IBD, asthma, Parkinson's disease, kidney damage, preeclampsia and more.

But saturated fats are different. They are resistant to rancidity and oxidation. And they remain stable under heat.

Choosing Stable Fats for Superior Health

So, toss your vegetable oils and any packaged foods (including salad dressings, crackers, sauces, mayonnaises) that contain “vegetable oils” such as canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and vegetable shortening.

For sautéing, stir-frying, pan searing, baking or other cooking methods, opt for fats with a high ratio of saturated fats – like lard, tallow, ghee and coconut oil.

And when choosing lard – or any animal-derived fat – be sure that it is pasture-raised without hormones or antibiotics, such as the products offered by US Wellness Meats.

 

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ED NOTE: Kelley Herring is the Founder and Editor of Healing Gourmet – the leading provider of organic, sustainable recipes and meal plans for health and weight loss. Be sure to grab Eating Clean & Saving Green: Your Guide to Organic Foods on a Budget and Eat Your Way Into Shape: Flip Your Body’s Fat Blasting Switch and Melt 12 Pounds in 2 Weeks (includes a delicious 7 day meal plan!). Claim your free copies here...
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2.    "Lipids"; Dietary Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Are Protective Against Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors; LG Gillingham, et al.; March 2011.
3.    "Public Health Nutrition"; Mediterranean Diet and Metabolic Syndrome: The Evidence; N Babio, et al.; September 2009.
4.    Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, Krauss RM (March 2010). "Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 91 (3): 535–46. DOI:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27725. PMC 2824152. PMID 20071648.
5.    Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, Krauss RM. Saturated fat, carbohydrate, and cardiovascular disease Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):502-9. Epub 2010 Jan 20.
6.    Kuipers RS, de Graaf DJ, Luxwolda MF, Muskiet MH, Dijck-Brouwer DA, Muskiet FA. Saturated fat, carbohydrates and cardiovascular disease. Neth J Med. 2011 Sep;69(9):372-8.
7.    J Bruce German and Cora J Dillard. Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin Nutr 2004 80: 3 550-559
8.    Jeff S Volek and Cassandra E Forsythe. The case for not restricting saturated fat on a low carbohydrate diet. Nutrition & Metabolism 2005, 2:21 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-21
9.    Arora SK, McFarlane SI: The case for low carbohydrate diets in diabetes management.Nutr Metab (Lond) 2005, 2:16.
10.    Volek JS, Sharman MJ, Forsythe CE: Modification of lipoproteins by very low-carbohydrate diets. J Nutr 2005, 135:1339-1342.
11.    German JB, Dillard CJ: Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin Nutr 2004, 80:550-559.
12.    Ravnskov U: The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. J Clin Epidemiol 1998, 51:443-460.
13.    Trumbo P, Schlicker S, Yates AA, Poos M: Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein and amino acids. J Am Diet Assoc 2002, 102:1621-1630.
14.    Grundy SM: Influence of stearic acid on cholesterol metabolism relative to other long-chain fatty acids. Am J Clin Nutr 1994, 60:986S-990S. PubMed Abstract OpenURL
15.    French MA, Sundram K, Clandinin MT: Cholesterolaemic effect of palmitic acid in relation to other dietary fatty acids. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2002, 11 Suppl 7:S401-S407.
16.    Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB, Herrington DM: Dietary fats, carbohydrate, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2004, 80:1175-1184.
17.    Knopp RH, Retzlaff BM: Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox. Am J Clin Nutr 2004, 80:1102-1103.
18.    Katan MB, Zock PL, Mensink RP: Dietary oils, serum lipoproteins, and coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr 1995, 61:1368S-1373S. PubMed Abstract OpenURL
19.    Berglund L, Oliver EH, Fontanez N, Holleran S, Matthews K, Roheim PS, Ginsberg HN, Ramakrishnan R, Lefevre M: HDL-subpopulation patterns in response to reductions in dietary total and saturated fat intakes in healthy subjects.Am J Clin Nutr 1999, 70:992-1000.
20.    Hays JH, DiSabatino A, Gorman RT, Vincent S, Stillabower ME: Effect of a high saturated fat and no-starch diet on serum lipid subfractions in patients with documented atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Mayo Clin Proc 2003, 78:1331-1336.
21.    Seshadri P, Iqbal N, Stern L, Williams M, Chicano KL, Daily DA, McGrory J, Gracely EJ, Rader DJ, Samaha FF: A randomized study comparing the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet and a conventional diet on lipoprotein subfractions and C-reactive protein levels in patients with severe obesity. Am J Med 2004, 117:398-405.
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23.    H Esterbauer .Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of lipid-oxidation products. Am J Clin Nutr 1993 57: 5 779S-785S
24.    Knopp RH, Retzlaff BM: Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox. Am J Clin Nutr 2004, 80:1102-1103.  
25.    Katan MB, Zock PL, Mensink RP: Dietary oils, serum lipoproteins, and coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr 1995, 61:1368S-1373S.
26.    Berglund L, Oliver EH, Fontanez N, Holleran S, Matthews K, Roheim PS, Ginsberg HN, Ramakrishnan R, Lefevre M: HDL-subpopulation patterns in response to reductions in dietary total and saturated fat intakes in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 1999, 70:992-1000.  
27.    Hays JH, DiSabatino A, Gorman RT, Vincent S, Stillabower ME: Effect of a high saturated fat and no-starch diet on serum lipid subfractions in patients with documented atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Mayo Clin Proc 2003, 78:1331-1336.
28.    Seshadri P, Iqbal N, Stern L, Williams M, Chicano KL, Daily DA, McGrory J, Gracely EJ, Rader DJ, Samaha FF: A randomized study comparing the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet and a conventional diet on lipoprotein subfractions and C-reactive protein levels in patients with severe obesity. Am J Med 2004, 117:398-405.  
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30.    Bill Lands. How is tissue fatty acid composition maintained? Seminar to the Polyunsaturated Lipid Function Special Interest Group Wednesday February 12, 2003
31.    Addis PB. Occurrence of lipid oxidation products in foods. Food Chem Toxicol. 1986 Oct-Nov;24(10-11):1021-30.
32.    Kubow S. Lipid oxidation products in food and atherogenesis. Nutr Rev. 1993 Feb;51(2):33-40.
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34.    Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171.
35.    Barry Groves, PhD.  Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth.

Blackberry Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

• 1-2 lbs Pork Chops
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• pinch of salt

Bacon Wrapped Rabbit Loin with Bacon Strawberry Dressing

Ingredients (Rabbit):

• 3 Rabbit Loins cleaned
• 1 Lb Bacon
• 1 Lemon
• Fresh Sage
• Fresh Thyme
• Salt and Pepper

Ingredients (Dressing):

• 1/2 Cup Strawberries
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 2 Tbsp Melted and strained Pastured Bacon Fat
• 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
• Splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Honey and Citrus Glazed Ham

 

1  petite ham

Paleo-Friendly Super Bowl Eats

Super Bowl Sunday is here again! What are some of your best Super Bowl treats and eats? We have compiled a few simple and tasty recipes for you to enjoy compliments of a few of our Paleo-friendly featured chefs. Want more mouth-watering recipes from your Paleo favorites? We have recipes from much more including Balanced Bites, The Clothes Make the Girl, Paleo Comfort Foods, Jen's Gone Paleo and Everyday Paleo...to name a few. For more recipes visit our featured chef page. 

• 2 tart apples, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp traditionally fermented wheat free tamari or Coconut Aminos
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Combine tamari, olive oil, half the maple syrup, and pork in large bowl and marinate for one hour or overnight. Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes. Alternate the pork and apples on about five or six skewers. Grill or broil in the oven 15 minutes or until brown. Turn and brush with extra marinade halfway through. Drizzle with remaining maple syrup and serve. Recipe compliments of Peggy Emch of The Primal Parent.

 

Herbed Chicken Skewers

• 5 pounds of chicken tenders
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• The zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup herbs de provence
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Rinse chicken tenders under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Carefully remove the tendon with a knife. Cut tenders into large chunks. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, olive oil, herbs de provance, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate for 2-4 hours. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Skewer chicken, and grill 12-15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Recipe compliments of Hayley Mason and Bill Staley of The Food Lovers Primal Palate. 

More of our Super Bowl Favorites:

Crispy Spiced Chicken Livers  

Lamb Meatballs with Cucumber Coconut Raita 

Sliders with Roasted Garlic Ciliantro Chimichurri 

Sausage Stuffed Dates

For more mouth-watering recipes visit our monthly chef page. 

Celebrating 11 Years!

When US Wellness Meats was founded back in 2000, we were raising and selling our grass-fed beef products only.  After a few short years in business we realized we needed to widen our horizons as there are so many other great products we could be offering!  So we started to branch out into grass-fed dairy and lamb products, and things continued to grow from there.  We would not be the company we are today without the other amazing farmers and producers who contribute to our business.    

We get customer questions weekly about the different sources of our products and where they are raised, so we decided an in-depth blog post would be a great way to address all of these questions at once!   

We’ll start at the beginning…  


Beef: Our beef is raised in the heart of the Midwest.  Most of our current production comes from three of the founding members of the company located in Northeast Missouri and West Central Illinois.  We enjoy long summers with abundant rainfall to keep our pastures green most of the year.  We bale plenty of those warm weather grasses in the summer so the cattle enjoy those same grasses when snow is on the ground.   
 
We also source hard to come by cuts (such as hangar steaks, flanks, etc) from a farm run by personal friends of ours in picturesque Tasmania.  This island is the ideal place for grazing animals as they have a temperate climate that allows for grazing year round, and no hormones or GMOs are even allowed on the island.  Both our Midwest and Tasmania cattle are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished.  

Lamb: Our lamb is also a Missouri product.  Raised just south of US Wellness headquarters near Perry, MO our lambs are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished.  They enjoy lush Missouri pastures and plenty of rainfall.   

Bison: Our bison are roaming around the open pastures of the Dakotas and Northern Plains and our farmers there are dedicated to improving the native grasses of the area, and ensuring the natural way of life bison have been accustomed to for decades.  Our bison products are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished.   

Pork: All of our pork products are GAP-certified, meaning they are raised in the best conditions possible.  Our pork comes from Heritage Acres which is a group of small, local Missouri farmers providing the finest quality, antibiotic-free pork.   
 
Poultry: We actually have two different poultry farms raising animals for US Wellness Meats.  Oaklyn Plantation in Darlington, South Carolina raises all of our free range 20-lb chicken bundles and ships those direct from the farm.  Due to growing interest and frequent customer requests, Oakland Plantation also started raising soy-free chickens in the summer of 2011.     

Our second producer is in Oklahoma, and they raise free range birds for our smaller chicken packages.  All of their birds are raised under sunny Oklahoma skies on a non-GMO feed ration, in addition to the grass, sticks and bugs they enjoy on a daily basis.
 
Rabbit: Gourmet rabbit is one of the best kept secrets here at US Wellness Meats.  Our rabbit comes from a small farm in Michigan.   

Seafood: Our seafood products come from Vital Choice, one of the premier wild-caught seafood providers in the country.  Their products are certified sustainable, and most products are caught off the west coast and surrounding waters.  The only exception is our wild-caught raw shrimp which comes from a different company fishing off the coast of Mexico.
 
Dairy:  We are very lucky to be able to source grass-fed dairy products, without any added growth hormones.  Our Pure Irish Kerrygold Butter is grass-fed from Irish cattle.  We have two different Amish dairies- one in Indiana, the other in Pennsylvania, who supply us with raw, grass-fed cheese as well as four different varieties of goat cheese.   
 
Olive Oil: One of the newest additions to our store is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, produced by Chaffin Family Orchards in Oroville, CA.  Most of their trees are over 100 years old and all the olives are hand-picked.  They use the animals on their farm to help with trimming and pruning – check out the goats on weed control!  
 
We have carefully collaborated with like-minded farmers and individuals that hold their products to the same standards we believe in for our company. Long story short, we have built our business over the past eleven years while respecting our animals and our environment. We enjoy the products, just like our customers, so it remains our goal to offer the best selection possible.  

Featured Farmer Dinner

The US Wellness crew had an amazing meal on February 27 at Thyme Square Cafe's Feature Farmer Dinner, where US Wellness was the “featured farmer”. Thyme Square Café is located just across the river in scenic Quincy, IL and is one of our best wholesale customers.

The five course meal featured our Beef Brisket, Whole Chicken, Rabbit Striploin and Lamb Chops, in an effort to showcase the wide array of meat cuts we offer. Chef Cory Shupe and his staff did a remarkable job preparing every course and explaining to the sold-out restaurant exactly how everything had been prepared.

The mouth-watering menu is below, along with some photos and comments.

Thank you again to Chef Cory Shupe and his staff for a delicious dinner and a wonderful evening!

Appetizer: Amuse Bouche

Bite-size morsel to tease & wet the palette…

This was our Beef Brisket – corned and served with cabbage on a small biscuit. Don’t let its size fool you – it was small but the flavor was incredible!

1st course: Chicken galantine, grilled ciabatta, tart cherry mustard & marinated olives

Our Whole Chicken, including homemade broth, organs, etc…very, very healthy! This dish contains the chicken broth, which is a superfood itself, but also all the organs: liver, kidney, etc and all the health benefits they provide. The grilled ciabatta was an excellent side dish and we loved the tart cherry mustard!

2nd course: Braised rabbit risotto with wild mushrooms & Italian parsley

Rabbit striploin served over rice with creamy mushroom sauce and chunks of wild mushrooms topped with parsley. This was a hands down US Wellness favorite! For many of us it was the first time trying rabbit, and we were more than pleasantly surprised! The rabbit striploin was very tender and lightly seasoned to give it a clean, crisp flavor.

3rd course: Lamb chops with roasted potatoes, rosemary, carmelized onions and grilled lemon

Lamb rib chops – amazing. Our lamb comes from the Katadin and Dorper breeds, which are hairsheep, meaning they do not produce wool. This leads to a fresh, clean flavor. The 6 oz lamb chops were amazingly tender with an outstanding flavor - we could have all eaten twice as much!

4th course: Coffee cream profiteroles topped with toasted pistachios; served with spiced hot chocolate

Some of the best hot chocolate we have ever had! It actually contained cayenne pepper, which we would have never guessed. It was completely addicting and we could have drank a gallon of it!

We went home full and happy! We had a great evening and met many new friends who had plenty of questions to ask about grass-fed meats.

(Jim, Jen, Tressa, Amanda, John)

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