As the lost art of butchering re-emerges onto today’s modern culinary scene, Cole has created a multitude of resources to aid chefs, homesteaders, home cooks and farmers who possess the desire to gain this coveted skill. As more and more Americans crave assurance in the food that they eat as it travels from the farm to table, there is no greater form of transparency than preparing the meat yourself. The benefits of butchering your own meat are endless. For example buying your own meat directly from a trusted source and butchering it yourself can help guard against contamination that may come from a slaughterhouse.

One of the main deterrents from taking up butchering is the general lack of knowledge on the art form. With the release of Ward’s DVD set “The Gourmet Butcher: From Farm to Table,” Ward partners with chef Courtney Contos of Essex Junction to help people understand the cuts of their beef, pork and lamb.  For example, Ward starts with a side of beef, quarters it, and shows how to create Rib Eye, Sirloin, T-Bone, Porterhouse, Flat Iron and Delmonico Steaks.

Even if viewers never intend to butcher their own meat within the confines of their kitchen, the videos serve as enlightening seminars for meat-eaters who want to better understand their choices at the meat counter.

With four decades of experience under his belt, Ward was recently named one of America’s top 50 butchers in Marissa Guiggiana’s book Primal Cuts: Cooking with America’s Best Butchers. Ward began his impressive career at the tender age of 14 working part-time in a butcher shop stuffing sausages for 20 cents an hour, it wasn’t long before he began apprenticing full time.

Ward has utilized his skills in both small and large butcher shops, as well as serving as a butcher to a variety of celebrities and CBS Studios. Sharing the knowledge he has amassed over the years on his blog Cole’s Cuts (http://colescuts.com/) and his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheGourmetButcher), Ward offers up advice on avoiding food-bourne pathogens, recipes and everything in between. He is also hosting a hands on butchering Seminar this June for a select group of participants and regularly participates in speaking engagements.

An invaluable resource for anyone looking to butcher their own meat or simply become more knowledgeable on the meat they are putting into their bodies, Cole Ward’s expertise is sure to make meat connoisseurs out of willing beginning butchers.

VT Natural Beef Bottom Round roast, Top Round roast, or Chuck Roast

¼ water

1 ½ cups barbeque sauce

chopped garlic

black pepper

Place roast in a crock pot with 1/4 cup of water and cook on high until the meat separates from the bone and fat easily. Remove roast from crock pot and pull meat away from fat and bone with a fork, discarding the fat and bone. Leave at least 1/2 cup of the beef broth in the pot and ad 1 – 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce, chopped garlic and black pepper.  Return the meat to the pot and stir into sauce. Let simmer on low for 1/2 hour.

Serve over noodles, baked potatoes or on a sandwich bun.  The family will remember this one!

1-3lbs package of hamburger

2-4 large red peppers

2-4 large portabella mushrooms

1 whole garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

½ cup mayo

1 tsp. Cajun red pepper

sea salt, ground pepper

bottle balsamic dressing

1 tbsp minced garlic

Marinade portabella mushrooms in balsamic dressing and minced garlic. Roast halved red peppers and peeled garlic cloves in oven until softened. Skin peppers and slice.

Cook 8oz burgers in pan seasoned with butter, olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Mash garlic from oven and add to mayo with Cajun pepper. Place burger on lightly toasted bun. Apply mayo, red peppers and mushrooms. Serve.

Ingredients:

3lbs VT Natural Ground Beef

1 large bag of frozen corn

8 mashed potatoes

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

4 tbsp butter

8oz beef broth

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

corn starch

Brown hamburger in frying pan. While cooking burger, in separate pot, combine broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil and add corn starch until thickened. Combine sauce and beef in frying pan, then put into a deep casserole dish.

Add frozen corn atop beef. Then add previously prepared mashed potatoes atop corn. Cook in oven at 350° for 20-30min. Add cheese to the top and cook another 10min.

1 VT Natural Beef Roast

1 large onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cans beef broth

6 potatoes

small bag baby carrots

desired amount fresh green beans

fresh ground pepper

seasoning salt

1 tsp oregano

In large crock pot, add ½ can beef broth, minced garlic, and onion, sliced. Allow to cook on high for 15min. While cooking combine ground pepper and seasoning salt on a plate. Rub the pepper and salt mixture on the roast. After 15min. add cut potatoes and oregano. Allow to cook 30min. on high. Add roast and other veggies. Allow to cook on high another 1-2 hours, then turn to low for remainder. Time will vary, so check every half hour to see if meat is tender and falls apart easily.

4 NY Strips, Sirloin, or Top Round Steaks

½ cup finely chopped seeded cucumbers

¼ cup prepared ranch dressing

1 tbsp. Garlic-pepper seasoning

1 small tomato, seeded, diced

Combine cucumber and dressing in small bowl. Set aside.

Press garlic-pepper seasoning evenly onto beef steaks. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash covered coals. Grill, covered, 9 to 11 minutes for medium doneness, turning once.

Serve steaks with cucumber sauce. Garnish with tomato if desired.

2 lbs. hamburger

1 package beefy onion soup mix

½ cup Progresso bread crumbs (Italian style)

½ cup parmesan cheese

15oz can tomato sauce

1 tbsp Franks Red Hot

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix together all ingredients, except ½ can tomato sauce. Push into a 9X9 in. pan. Cover with remaining tomato sauce. Bake at 350° for 45min.

1 small brick of Cabot Habanera Cheddar cheese

2 pounds (thawed) VT Natural Beef hamburger

1 tsp. minced garlic

A very hot grill!

Grate the whole brick of cheddar. Kneed the shredded cheddar and garlic completely into the hamburger. Form your favorite sized patties. Cook on the grill until medium and serve!