The Dizzying Grandeur of 21st-Century Agriculture

The scope of agriculture has evolved tremendously in the past few decades. It has transformed into an industry where larger and larger amounts of products are being produced and shipped at extremely rapid rates. Many of these products include fruits, vegetables, and meat.

Check out this New York Times Magazine article, an eye-opening photographic account of massive agriculture from around the nation. See firsthand how food is produced, to make informed decisions about your food choices.

Photo and Video by: George Steinmetz, New York Times,  October 5, 2016

Our industrialized food system nourishes more people, at lower cost, than any comparable system in history. It also exerts a terrifyingly massive influence on our health and our environment. Photographer George Steinmetz spent nearly a year traveling the country to capture that system, in all its scope, grandeur and dizzying scale. His photographs are all the more remarkable for the fact that so few large food producers are willing to open themselves to this sort of public view.

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The Science Behind A Great Steak

Everyone has a different idea of what makes the perfect steak, but most of us strive for a meal that is tender, flavorful, and safe to eat. In this article, we will take a closer look at the science behind cooking steak to learn how to make a mouthwatering masterpiece of meat.

Written by: Pablo Liberato, Healthy Miami- Issue 39, August 2016

 AGING: This is the process of preparing beef for consumption mainly by breaking down the connective tissue. There are two ways to treat the meat and naturally build the kind of flavor that marinating cannot do.

A.) WET AGING: The individual cuts are vacuum sealed in plastic bags and kept refrigerated for a long period of time; this method is popular with producers, wholesalers, and retailers because it takes less time and there is no moisture loss.

B.) DRY AGING: The side of beef rests in a refrigerator (usually hanging from a hook). The process changes beef by two means. Firstly, moisture is evaporated from the muscle. The resulting process of desiccation creates a greater concentration of beef and flavor taste. Secondly, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, which leads to more tender beef.

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Artisanal Food Waste: Can You Turn Scraps Into Premium Products?

We try our best to maintain a sustainable business because the current and future state of our environment matters a great deal to Gaucho Ranch. We support the new ideas and strategies entrepreneurs of the food industry, such as Toast Ale for example, have now begun exploring to appeal “to do-gooder impulses aligns with something that sustainability expert Roni Neff has found in her research: Conversations about waste don’t have to carry connotations of self-flagellation.” Check out the intriguing article to see how businesses are moving forward to fight unnecessarily sending produce into landfills.

Written by: Jessica Leigh Hester, NPR – The Salt, August 19, 2016

Many efforts to address the food waste crisis hinge on getting consumers to buy fruits and vegetables that are adorably ugly — the bumpy tomato, the bulbous carrot, the dinged apple. Taste and nutritional value aren’t compromised by their irregular appearance. Still, many stores discount blemished produce — a concession to convention aimed at keeping the product moving briskly off the shelves and away from landfills. Earlier this summer, Wal-Mart launched an ugly apple pilot program at 300 of its outlets in Florida; grocery stores across the U.K. and Canada sell wonky-looking produce for 30 percent less than the shops’ standard fare. The slashed price tags have a subtext: The quirky produce is a compromise.

But a new crop of entrepreneurs is inverting the equation by using salvaged foods as the main ingredients in artisanal items. They’re hoping that, instead of paying bottom dollar for produce that might otherwise have been destined for the landfill, customers will pony up for premium products. Read more>>

Grass-fed Beef Has the Lowest Red Meat Cancer Risk

Too much of anything is never good, but recent news by the Mayo Clinic indicates that grass-fed beef actually has the lowest cancer risk than typical pellet-fed beef. This is yet another reason why Gaucho Ranch grass-fed beef is the way to go! Check out Global Meat News‘ article to see just how this news affects the industry.Written by: Oscar Rousseau, Global Meat News, December 9, 2015

Eating red meat that has grazed on grass its entire life poses a potentially lower risk of cancer than pellet-fed beef, according to research by Mayo Clinic.

The medical research is a massive boost to Verde Farms, which announced a plan to get more Americans eating grass-fed beef. The American-based company is popular in the US for its approach to livestock management. Its cows live entirely on a grass-fed diet, rather than the far cheaper dry pellets and they do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilisers.

Meat-eaters in high-GDP nations are turning to ethically-sourced produce, as data published by Mintel on this website illustrates. The seismic shift in attitudes to meat is good news for Verde Farms, which has said the rising demand for grass-fed cattle has been the catalyst for a strong year of growth. Verde Farms’ sales grew by 70% in 2014. As a result, the company has moved to  a fancy new headquarters in Boston, quadrupled its workforce and redesigned its website making it ready for a self-predicted phase of growth. Read more>>

Chimichuri Goodness with Chef Douglas

The Gaucho Squad hosted yet another successful tasting this past month! With our special guest, globally acclaimed Miami Chef Douglas Rodriguez, we paired up his mushroom shallots, sundried tomato, parsley & pickled jalapeño chimichurri creations with our smoked whole flanks, along with a selection of Tannats courtesy of Traversa Wines. Much thanks as always also goes out to our sponsors Mimmo’s and FUFI for their scrumptious delights! Stay tuned for our next tasting details on our Facebook to find out who we are featuring next. Until next time, Gaucho Amigos… Eat less, eat better!

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Organic Meat Twice As Good For You

It is a known fact that organic meat is better for your health for many reasons. It provides various important nutrients required to live a long and healthy life, among many other benefits. We knew our beef was good for you, but apparently its even better than we thought! Check out this article from Global Meat News, on research that proves there is even more support for why you should include organic meat in your diet.Written by: Oscar Rousseau, Global Meat News, February 16, 2016

Eating organic meat instead of non-organic meat could provide you with double the amount of essential nutrients and may lower the risk of heart disease, a study by Newcastle University has found.

The new report, published on 16 January in the British Journal of Nutrition, has revealed that organic meat has around 50% more essential Omega-3 fatty acids than conventional meat products. Organic meat also has lower levels of two saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease, the report claimed.

“We farm organic red meat on a grass-based, home-grown forage diet which delivers a superb quality,” said Richard Smith, senior farms manager from UK organic meat producer Daylesford Organic.

“In addition to other benefits of producing food in an organic system, this landmark paper now also confirms what we’ve always known: there is also a significant nutritional difference between organic and non-organic.” Read more>>

Closed July with a Bang

At our latest tasting, the Gaucho Squad once more enjoyed serving a very full crowd of Gaucho Amigos! Seeing so many contagious smiles from all sorts of ages & cultures that night undoubtedly kept us smiling the entire night. Many feasted on our grass fed beef cuts straight off our charcoal & wood-fire grills off the fired grill. The usual Gaucho Bites included our “wet aged” picanhas, flap meat, and tenderloins marinated in Garland Food chimichurri, organic pork sausages, “morcillas”, and “Matabre a la pizza”.  We greatly appreciate the presence of our frequent guests, new-comers, &  neighborhood friends! We also appreciate our tremendous chefs and the support from our sponsors: Traversa, Mimmo’s, and FUFI for always enhancing the experience with fine wine, handcrafted cheeses, and empanadas.

We look forward to seeing you again at our next Gaucho tasting!

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Edible South Florida- The Skinny on Beef

Featured in Edible South Florida magazine’s third issue of Volume 7, Gaucho Ranch is part of a hot topic of conversation surrounding the beef business. Today, consumers are more and more concerned about health and environmental issues regarding the beef they buy. With various types of beef, ranging from USDA Prime, USDA Choice, and USDA Organic, to Grain-fed, Grass-fed and more, people are becoming more interested in the path the beef takes from cow to plate and that the process is humane and healthy.

Many of Florida’s cattle ranchers want to stick to “homegrown” beef to ensure quality of beef and minimize environmental damage by reducing the carbon footprint and supporting open wildlife habitats. With the rise of this practice, Gaucho Ranch thrives. Focusing on grass-fed beef imported from the pampas of Uruguay, Gaucho beef is tasty, lower in calories, leaner and has a higher omega-3 content than other types of beef. Owner Pablo Liberato encourages grass-fed beef as the better beef option and talks more about the benefits in Edible South Florida’s article, The Skinny On Beef.

As featured in the article, check out Gaucho Ranch beef for yourself at any of their tasting events, Quinto La Huella in Brickell, or Los Fuegos in Miami Beach, and read more about these options in the article. Where will Gaucho Ranch pop up next? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our blog to find out!

Cheesy-licious!

We celebrated love with Mimmo’s Mozzarella, who hosted a “Cheese and Love” tasting. Our guests of all sorts enjoyed fine cheeses & delectable FUFI empanadas followed by our grass fed picanhas and rib-eye steaks with Garland chimichurri, all topped off with Mendoza Station wine & stracciatela with fruit reduction for dessert! We look forward to seeing you all at our next Gaucho tasting!

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A Tasty Start to July

The Gaucho Squad enjoyed a wonderful Friday night last week with a fabulous crowd devouring Gaucho bites off the fired grill as we happily cooked up our organic Uruguayan specialty cuts paired with our Garland Food chimichurri. Much thanks to all of our beloved customers (newcomers and regulars), neighbors, and our excellent chefs! We also appreciate support from our sponsors: Traversa, Mimmo’s, and FUFI for enhancing the experience with their scrumptious products! See you at next month’s communal Gaucho tasting!

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