It’s that time again!! Another installment of our personal local photography project! This time, we’re featuring Firefly Meadows Farm and their delicious 100% grass-fed beef! And they don’t only offer grass-fed beef on their 21 acre farm in Washington Boro! Firefly Meadows Farm also has chickens, ducks, and bees on their farm, and you can buy their soy-free organic duck and chicken eggs, whole pastured chickens, raw honey, raw milk, raw cheese, butter, and heavy cream! It’s kind of a one stop shop for your proteins! They even make soap with the fat rendered from their cattle! Not only do they care a lot about what their animals eat, but they’re also making sure to plant lots of trees, wildflowers, and plants that attract lots of bees and wildlife. The plants are great for cattle grazing, like clover, but great for all the honey bees and their chemical free hives they run on site!
Josiah and Carmen, the husband and wife team (along with their three kiddos), are the brains behind the operation. Four years ago, they decided to make their farm dreams a reality. Their hope was to raise and produce the healthiest food they could for their family and community. This is why you can see all the little details come to life to make healthier local food, from the 100% grass-fed beef all the way to the soy-free organic feed they use to feed their chickens. They’re producing top shelf products that you have to taste to believe!
Ordering is super convenient, you can browse their online store here (also a great place to look at the cuts of beef they offer!) as well as check out their farm store open Thursdays 1-7 PM at 3075 Anchor Road, Washington Boro. PA 17582. It’s a beautiful location, and you might even get to see some chickens and ducks roaming around! A great event for the kiddos is also their annual Firefly Festival (you’ll have to wait until 2019!), where you can chow down on their 100% grass-fed beef hotdogs as you hike up into the fields or sit around the campfire and enjoy peak firefly season the right way! But now for some cooking! In talking to Josiah as he gave me a tour of the farm and a hike up into the meadows where his cattle grazed, we both shared our love of travel and great food! That might have been the inspiration behind this recipe we are featuring today, Korean Beef Short Ribs. These are PACKED with flavor, and Firefly Meadows Farm’s beef only adds to the wonderful tastes your mouth and belly will be thanking you for! This is best if marinaded for 24 hours (or overnight)!
Now short ribs can be cut two main ways. The first way is called English-style (most traditionally cut short ribs, which will be what you typically find in grocery stores). The English-style way of cutting beef short ribs has small, 1 bone chunks of delicious chuck meat. These chunks of meat are great for using to braise or slow cook. The second way of cutting short ribs is called BBQ-style or flanken-style. This style cuts the ribs into strips containing 3 bones and the meat between those ribs. The BBQ-style is what we’re working with today.
**This recipe can also be used for English-style cut ribs, you will just need to change up how you cook them. Simply braise both parts in a hot pan with some butter, then add a 1/2 cup of marinade and 1/2 cup of water (should cover bottom of the pan), cover with foil and slow cook in the over at 300° for 3-4 hours until meat is tender. But onto our last grilling recipe of the season!
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs of Firefly Meadows Farm 100% grass-fed beef short ribs (roughly 3 packs)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4th cup of soy sauce (or Tamari for gluten free)
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1/4 cup of rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar can be substituted if you don’t have rice vinegar)
- 2 T sesame oil
- 1/2 T ground black pepper
- A thumb of fresh ginger cut into thin slices (about 2 inches)
- 6 cloves of garlic put in food processor (or finely chopped)
- 1 medium sweet onion peeled and put in food processor (or finely chopped)
- 1 pear, peeled and put in food processor (or finely chopped)
**Optional- Serve over a bed of rice and garnish with thinly sliced green onions and/or sesame seeds.
Instructions:
Unpack short ribs. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper, and thin ginger slices. In food processor, place garlic, onion, and pear. Pulse until finely chopped. Mix into bowl contents. Once everything is mixed and sugar has dissolved, place in short ribs. Make sure they are submerged and all of them are well covered. Cover and put in refrigerator for 24+ hours (helps to flip short ribs half way through marinading). When ready to cook, bring short ribs out of the refrigerator (best to grill when close to room temp.) and heat up grill. Remove short ribs from marinade, letting the excess drip off, and place directly on grill, flip once, grilling each side for about 4-5 minutes (you can baste with extra marinade) or until cooked to desired doneness. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve immediately and enjoy!
