Niman Ranch Meats Stake a Claim in the Dry-Cured Business

(Gerry Furth-Sides)  I’ve been a fan of Niman Ranch beef even before I could pronounce it correctly – which is with a long “i” rather than “e” sound.  So it was a privilege to be invited to a Niman Ranch trade event dinner at an acclaimed author, Chef Adam Perry Lang’s  APL Steakhouse, co-hosted by independent distributor West Coast Prime Meats.   Certified Humane® beef, pork, and lamb were showcased at a charcuterie table and at a carving station, along with passed dishes to show the versatility fo the meats.  It was “ranch picnic style” rather than a sit-down formal dinner with the talk of meat-enthusiast professionals  buzzing throughout the restaurant.

Headliner John Tarpoff, Niman Ranch’s Vice President of Beef, also known as the “steak whisperer” was one of the  Niman Ranch specialists explaining how the company chooses cattle from independent family farmers and ranchers.  So well versed in raising animals, Tarpoff told us it would “take reams of paper to describe one image he saw in an animal.”

Niman Ranch product animals are raised in a way that preserves the land and its resources, as well as the livelihood of independent family farmers today and for future generations.  It is  “natural” as defined by USDA standards as minimally processed.  For details, recipes and the updated story please see nimanranch.com

The biggest misconception is that “Niman Ranch” is a single cattle ranch (even my colleagues thought it was in California) when it is a community of 720 small, independent U.S. family farmers and ranchers – mostly in the midwest – that are also used for pork and lamb.

News came in the form of Niman Ranch Artisan Prosciutto & Salumi.  Old-world fermentation is used in the aging process along with time and clean Rhode Island air. No heat  is used to speed up the process, and there are no fillers.

Capocollo or capicola is kin to traditional Italian Corsican pork made from the muscle running from the neck to the 4th or 5th rib of the pork shoulder or neck.  The delicacy is uncured for a distinctly heartier, and a less salty taste because it is not brined as compared to cured ham or prosciutto cold cuts.

Family owned and operated wine industry leader, Trinchero Family Estates, poured their prized wines.  The 70-year-old winery in Napa Valley was founded by Italian immigrant Mario Trinchero.  For the full story, please see www.tfewines.com

The combined trade, education, and media event drew top chefs and restaurateurs from some of the finest restaurants, hotels, resorts, and country clubs throughout southern California, as well as media, “thought leaders” and others from the good food movement.  Famed Chef Mary Sue Milliken came by to support Chef Adam.

Niman Ranch is the largest farmer and rancher network in the Western Hemisphere to be 100 percent third-party-certified under the Certified Humane® program. Their community of more than 720 small, independent U.S. family farmers and ranchers adhere to some of the strictest animal welfare protocols in the industry. Niman Ranch products are all sustainably raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones.

Classically French-trained chef,  Adam Perry Lang, turned bona fide BBQ expert is known for “rewriting the rules of grilling, dry-aging, cooking and consuming meat” over the past two decades. Founder and co-owner of famous Daisy May’s BBQ and with serious competition credibility,  Chef Lang’s APL Restaurant reinterprets the contemporary steakhouse, inspired by steakhouse classics from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  He has been featured in  local and national media. 

 West Coast Prime Meats is an independent distributor serving Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii for premium center-of-the-plate products and expertise. The company is a collaboration of award-winning restaurant operators and professional steak cutters with decades of experience who understand the hospitality operator’s needs.