Let Me Introduce You To Francesca’s Dawn Farm
Recently I had the privilege of meeting Amie, owner of Francesca’s Dawn Farm in Halifax, Va. Let me tell you if you live in the Triad of North Carolina and aren’t ordering your meat, poultry, etc from Amie you are missing out. Engaging in ethical, transparent and local beliefs Amie and her family are excited to be farming and sharing healthy food.
Francesca’s Dawn Farm chose heritage breed livestock, animals never selected for production in Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). That’s what I’m talking about!! It truly matters where our food comes from. I don’t know about you, but I prefer the method Francesca’s Dawn uses. Even so it’s not a topic I can expend too much thought on or I would easily become a vegetarian.
Selecting from the extensive online store is easy peasy. If you live in the Triad, Amie delivers to GSO on the third Saturday of every month, with a smile! Check out her website, sign yourself up and order some fresh food!
Francesca’s Dawn offers bacon like you’ve never tasted store bought, pork and lamb chops, a variety of beef cuts, chicken, farm fresh eggs, hot dogs, bulk bargains, smoked meats and honey. I have prepared beef short ribs, smoked bacon, chicken quarters and a delicious tenderloin.
All of Francesca’s Dawn products are processed and immediately frozen for maximum freshness. I thawed the bacon in the fridge and fried some up for a Sunday morning breakfast. Thick but not too thick, smoky and meaty, this bacon is what makes us all say “BAAAAAACONNNNNN !
Amie apologized for the size of the tenderloin, as it was on the small side, but perfect for my man, Dan and me. The secret to this tender, juicy piece of beef is to season it with a pinch of salt and a generous helping of fresh ground whiskey barrel smoked pepper. Sear it over hot coals or high heat on both sides before moving it to indirect heat until it reaches your desired doneness. Check the internal temperature with a thermometer for optimal results. Allow the meat to rest for about 5-7 minutes for a perfectly juicy piece of meat.
Rare – 120-125*F
Medium Rare – 130-135*F
Medium – 140-145*F
If you like yours well done, well, I leave you on your own to remove it when you please. In the photo below you see half of the tenderloin we shared. It was the exact right size for a mid-week dinner. That being said, my man, Dan made a comment about how luxurious it felt to be dining on tenderloin on a Wednesday evening! Yeah, kind of!
I stepped away from tradition for our Easter dinner and braised some of the beef short ribs. What I didn’t stray away from is my tradition of serving deviled eggs and lemon meringue pie though! I’m going to share the recipe for the short ribs below and I encourage you to take a look at Francesca’s Dawn website and get your order placed in time for Amie’s delivery this month!
If you don’t live in range for ordering from this farm I urge you to seek out one similar in your neck of the woods! Ethical, sustainable, local, transparent! That’s my jam – how about you?
Francesca's Dawn Braised Beef Short Ribs
Author: Linda Walbridge
This recipe can be served 2 ways - with or without strained sauce. I served it unstrained over mashed potatoes. If you don't care for the bits of cooked veggies strain it before serving with your ribs.
Ingredients
- 1- ½ pounds beef short ribs
- Salt & pepper
- 2 cups chopped onion
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- ½ cup carrot, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, oregano and rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 3 cups no salt beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F.
- Generously salt and pepper the ribs.
- Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear ribs in batches until browned on all sides, being careful not to crowd them.
- Transfer ribs to a plate.
- If needed add a bit more oil or remove all but 1 tablespoon if necessary and add chopped onion, celery and carrot to dutch oven.
- When vegetables have softened, add chopped garlic and continue to brown for about 45 seconds - don't burn the garlic.
- Add herbs - you can use any combination of herbs that appeal to you - I happened to have thyme, oregano and rosemary fresh in my garden.
- Stir to incorporate herbs with vegetables and cook for about 1 minute until herbs are fragrant.
- Add wine, and espresso powder and stir to incorporate.
- Place ribs and any accumulated juices back into dutch oven and cover with broth.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
- Cover and transfer to preheated oven.
- Cook until ribs are tender, about 2-2½ hours.
- Remove ribs to a platter.
- Here you can either strain the sauce and serve or serve with unstrained sauce - your choice.
STOP!!! You’re making me salivate! And I’m drooling all over myself. How embarrassing.
Wait until you see the other recipes coming up from farm food!!