I was recently on the East Coast for a long weekend, and it seems that even in the space of the few days I was gone, it has started getting dark much earlier. Maybe it’s just that I’ve started to notice it, as there are noticeably more and more students back in town, and my husband has started going to his office every day again, as he gears up for the start of the school year.

So even though, as I’m writing this article, the weather is distinctly October-like, I know that we’ll have some beautiful, grill-worthy days coming our way in September, so I thought now was a good time to feature Alderspring Ranch beef, one of the Co-op’s three beef suppliers, and the only one with organic certification.

Alderspring Ranch is owned and run by Glenn and Caryl Elzinga and their seven children in May, Idaho (in the mountains not far from Salmon). Glenn used to be a district forester for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Salmon, but began ranching as their family began to grow and he wanted a different lifestyle. Caryl has a Ph.D. in plant ecology, and in addition to working on the ranch runs her own business, Alderspring Ecological Consulting.

The Elzingas moved their ranch in the summer of 2005 to its current location, and began their transition to certified organic production. The 200+ cattle are fed only pasture and hay and are never confined to a barnyard. The ranch has 600 irrigated acres of grass, alfalfa and clover where the cattle are finished, and 1100 more acres of dry grassland/sagebrush steppe and wet meadow. It is also home to a large Chinook salmon spawning area, and the Elzingas are dedicated to preserving the streams and riparian areas on their land. Fences keep cows and manure out of streams, and this spring they began work on a new irrigation system that will allow them to close off an irrigation ditch that was draining water from critical spawning habitat.

The care the Elzingas take with their animals and land, and the pride they have in their products also shows in the way the beef is processed. Animals are processed one at a time at a small-scale, family run facility. Then all the beef is dry-aged for 18-21 days. Dry aging is an old-fashioned technique that is rarely used anymore because of the expense; all the meat is hung, not touching any other meat, at a precise temperature and humidity level. The meat shrinks up to 5 percent during aging, but also becomes extremely tender and flavorful. Every Alderspring cut, including ground beef, is dry-aged. And the family tastes a steak from every animal. If it doesn’t pass their standards for taste and tenderness, it is not sold as Alderspring Organic Grass-fed Beef.

The Co-op gets a whole cow from Alderspring, usually at the beginning of the month. So just about any cut is available, and selection is best at the beginning of the month. As with any of the meat the Co-op carries, if you don’t see something particular that you’re looking for in the case, ask—they may have it in back. The newest product from Alderspring is organic hamburger patties. So if the prospect of an organic, grass-fed, dry-aged burger that is so tender and flavorful that it hardly even needs salt and pepper appeals to you, but you just don’t like making your own patties, you’re in luck! The patties are available both in the fresh case and in the freezer section.

If the weather warms up again, try an Alderspring steak or burger on the grill. But I’m also including a recipe from the Alderspring website for tamale pie that would make an excellent dinner on a chilly fall evening. There are lots of recipes on the Alderspring website, and they seem really kid-friendly (which is hardly surprising, given how many Elzinga children there are!). The website has tons of information, but can be a little hard to navigate. To find recipes, go to: http://www.alderspring.com/cooking/html/cooking.html, or for instructions for the perfect grilled ribeye, go to: http://www.alderspring.com/organic-beef-matters/beef-recipes/grill-a-ribeye-steak/2007.

Spicy Tamale Pie

You can save time by trading the traditional cooked cornmeal topping with slices of pre-made polenta sprinkled with the spices given in the recipe below.

1 1/3 cups cold water

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon butter or margarine

1 1/2 pound Alderspring grass fed ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

1 Tablespoon yellow cornmeal

2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup (2 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese

In a small saucepan combine water, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1 teaspoon cumin, paprika, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Stir in the butter. Cook uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Spread mixture on waxed paper into an 8-inch round. Chill while preparing meat mixture. In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in the tomato sauce, corn, 1 tablespoon cornmeal, chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, cocoa powder, allspice, hot pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture into a 2-quart round baking dish. Cut cornmeal mixture into 6 wedges and carefully place atop the meat mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven about 30 minutes or until bubbly and cornmeal topping is light brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with cheese. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 4 to 6 servings.