Demystifying some of the language around buying true, free range pork that's of sound quality, ethics, and breeding. The brochure looks good. There's a few iconic farm instalments like a barn, a windmill, a group of happy pink pigs in a paddock. On the label, an up-close, seems-to-be-smiling, snout. Or...
This recipe was first posted by my good friend, Kathryn Sommerlad, and appeared on her Sommerlad Poultry Farm Blog which ran from early 2015 to late 2017. This is replicated with her permission. I do hope you'll try it - the robust flavours of a Sommerlad marry so well with...
Awassi sheep originated in the Syro-Arabian desert. An extremely hardy breed with a very calm temperament, Awassi has been used throughout history for all three main products: milk, meat and wool. In Australia, this rare breed is one that not many are familiar with. Awassi sheep are well-adapted to the poor Mediterranean...
We've all heard the expression “mutton dressed as lamb” – and probably can apply it to people! But in the true sense of mutton, hogget, and lamb - do you know the difference? The strict definitions for lamb, hogget and mutton vary considerably between countries. Generally speaking: Lamb - a young...
Consider this: Jalbirri Googums contain nofood colouring agents (a feed additive commonly used to enhance yolk colour) The Ruhles do not beak trim (de-beak) their laying birds. Here’s your chance to put a true ethically raised, feed-additive free, cruelty free egg on your menu at a very reasonable cost. Ali...
Venison, the culinary name for deer meat, is commercially available both wild and farmed. Not native to Australia, as is often thought, deer were introduced by settlers in the 19th century. Venison is extremely lean and naturally tender. It is one of the most nutritious of all red meats, with...
Heritage breeds are specially raised and heralded for their intensely flavourful meat and fat. In the realm of haute Japanese proteins (all apologies to tofu)- wagyu beef, jidori chicken and kurobuta pork reign supreme. But you don’t have to travel to the Far East to experience some of the best pork on...
The fat tail of an Awassi sheep is broad and relatively short, usually ending above the hocks, more rarely extending below them. In adult Iraqi Awassi rams, the average length of the fat tail is close to 30 cm and its width 25 cm; in ewes, the length averages 18...
The Sommerlad family hand-reared their slow growing heritage bred chickens on their 1,300 acre property ‘Kildare,’ just out of Tenterfield from 2014-2017. Six generations of traditional poultry practices has culminated in the development of a chook that boasts superior, high welfare characteristics. Active in foraging, balanced body conformation, strong legs,...
Muscovy ducks are more similar to red meat (think juicy sirloin steak) than they are a pond bird. Muscovy ducks are the only domesticated duck which is not descended from the mallard. The scientific name, Cairina moschata, means the “musky one from Cairo”. Muscovies are also known as an Indian...
When I was a kid, we would go rabbit hunting every few weeks or so. Dad'd bundle us in the back of the Holden ute (safety belt? What safety belt?) and, since it was inevitably freezing at night in the South Western Australian countryside, our mittened hands would hang on...
Our Embden Cross Geese are grown by Herb and Lucy McKenzie, in Llangothlin, a tiny town outside Guyra, in the New England region of northern NSW. Herb and Lucy, each 5th generation farmers, work from their home property ‘Seaforth’. They are the only goose producers in the country to breed, incubate,...
Early 2016 I swore I'd never eat another conventionally farmed chicken again. Up until that date, I'd been lenient. Sure, I knew that genuine, slow grown chicken tasted better. I was also aware that conventional chicken breeds were as close to natural as my plastic spatula; grew faster than my hair and...
Drive just 12k north of Tenterfield NSW, and you'll find Sunnyside Cutting. Cutting and station were once an important part of rural life, running from 1888 to 1973. Sadly, all that remains of Sunnyside Cutting are picturesque glimpses of tracks, platforms, and a rather stunning century old ironbark hardwood bridge. You'll need...
This recipe is one of those failsafe, timeless, chuck it together jobs that leaves people thinking you spent hours in the kitchen. But without the hours in the kitchen. It’s from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's 'Jerusalem', and I have used our own saltbush lamb leg - a shoulder will...
Not as tricky as it sounds, to butterfly a whole chicken is simply to remove the backbone. It's very, very easy to do and the benefits are several: the chicken will cook more quickly, it's easier to carve, and more of that wonderful Sommerlad skin gets crispy. Mmmm - crisp,...
“Cooked slowly to give you thin, crispy skin and beautiful, melt-in-your-mouth meat” - Jamie Oliver This adaptation of Jamie's original, which touted the use of just the legs, comes with the stamp of approval from hand Sourced's customer Peter Best. As Peter pointed out - why use just the legs when you...
What is Hainanese Chicken Rice? Glad you asked. Put simply, a dish adapted from early Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island, off the southern coast of China, known indigenously as Wenchang chicken. The Hainanese use a particular fowl that is bony and fibrous, and serve the chicken with oily rice. The...
Pop the kettle on before you start this one. No, it's not for a cup of tea (wine would be far more appropriate, anyway). Our pasture raised, stall free pigs are only ever grown in small numbers, are fully free ranging animals, and breed, farrow and grow in a natural paddock...
Congratulations on your purchase of a Sommerlad Heritage bird - the only birds in Australia to be bred with a fully traceable heritage that spans generations, with the added goodness of being fully raised on pasture. Your bird's parents were raised on pasture. So were their parents' parents, and their...
Reducing food miles and using locally sourced produce is one thing (and a very fine thing at that); but here at Hand Sourced, we like to use as much of the entire animal as possible. Here's our favourite way of serving the deliciousness that is derived from a marrow bone....
Pork belly is the one cut that we're always asked about. It has to be one of the popular cuts of pork to cook and serve. There's a process involved with getting the belly cooked tender with a crispy skin. Here's how to nail it. Every time. Pigs are born...
Get your game on and try one of our Australian Natives in a delicious way. Our Wallaby comes from Flinders Island, Tasmania; where they roam wild all across the area. Qualified hunters are hired and no stress is caused to the animal. The flavour of the wallaby is quite unique....
Australian Saltbush Lamb is a superior lamb product from unique native pastures in Australia. Many people believe they are buying genuine saltbush lamb, but are shelling out their dollars for a taste supplemented product. So, how do you know if you are getting the real thing? When you buy genuine,...
Buying direct from any our farmers is a fabulous way of knowing your produces provenance. It's ethical, sustainable, and of course, natural. And, you save money, reduce packaging and minimise waste. We'll always offer you a bag or two of bones, too. Some will be meaty - great for stock...
With the unique combination of sweet and sour from quality meat and dried fruit, this take on an Ottolenghi dish (originally published using quail) is typical of the Sephardi tradition of cooking. It is pretty special and can be placed in the middle of a festive table with great pride....
When I buy meat in bulk or have an animal slaughtered... How Much Eating Meat Will I Get? There's no exact answer to this question! See, each animal is built differently. Animals, like people, come in varying shapes and sizes, even when from the same gene pool. They differ in...
The tenderness of your meat can be attributed to the way the meat is hung rather than than the cut you choose. Natural factors, like age and breed, play a small part, the butcher does the rest. Let me tell you why. Just Hanging Out The process of meat stretching...
What makes our Kyogle beef so special? We are passionate about humane treatment of the animals we source for your table. Our grass fed, pastured beef is just one example. You have read about Les and Kerryn, and their green, hilly farm. You know how they care for their animals,...
Got Milk? Actually, yes - or go buttermilk and get a tartness to this that zings. An unusual sounding recipe for outstanding results. Jamie Oliver, King of cheffing naked, is well known for his stand on ethical produce and loyalty to farmers. So it is one of his recipes, albeit...
There are two campsites in the paddock. In one, the occupants vow it is cruel and unethical to raise and kill animals for food. In the second, consumers champion their right to eat what and when they desire, and at the most economical (some would say, cheap) price available. However,...
We are proud to work with farmers who believe in raising and growing animals the way nature intended. Some are certified organic growers; others embrace biodynamics and natural methods without seeking certification; and some focus on limited or seasonal produce. We guarantee that each and every one of them is...
