Like many important issues, agriculture is a hot spot for differing opinions.  Conventional and organic farmers are both passionate about their beliefs, as are the consumers who support them.  But this isn’t a debate about organic vs. conventional.  Here, we want to talk about the importance of sustainable practices in agricultural and why it’s really something that organic and conventional farmers alike (along with the consumers who support them) can get behind.  It’s something that allows a farmer’s way of life to continue and to thrive for generations to come.  

Growing up in a family that hunts and fishes, we understand the importance of having a freezer full of food.  My dad would get us an elk or a deer almost every year and he was always hauling home the fish he’d caught from spending many of his weekends out on his boat. But everyone’s favorite was when he’d buy a side of beef once a year from his buddy in the Midwest and have it shipped out here to Arizona.  We had two freezers full of meat/fish at all times.  I remember the convenience of just walking to the freezer to get that week’s meat out and put it in the fridge so it was ready when we needed it.  Now, as an adult, I still keep a freezer stocked full of protein.  One of the many perks of raising our own beef is that we always have a stock of our favorite red meat on hand. Did you know that with a cattle farm right down the road, you can take advantage of that too?

​Like many people across the world, tacos are a staple in our house.  We make our favorite skirt steak tacos literally every week, and most weeks find us trying a 2nd variation on taco night. Even though we are big fans of the tried and true versions we know and love, we dug a little deeper recently to find some less common taco recipes that we really enjoyed and thought you might too!  And of course, since we raise the finest beef in AZ, our focus was on exciting new ways to prepare our beef, for the extremely important purpose of ‘taco-ing’.  So here they are, in no particular order, from our family to yours.  

Of course, the biggest secret to a great taco night is still good old-fashioned quality beef... some great options for these recipes are flank steak, skirt steak, a mini-brisket, or even our pre-cut fajita meat (less tender than a slow cooked brisket, but soo convenient). 

What could be better than a dreamy, romantic gourmet Valentine’s Day dinner out on the town?  How about a no lines, no waiting, no mask, no crowds, special night in? We know you’ve had a lot of those lately… but elevate it with gourmet steak from Perry Land & Cattle and it will be memorable.​ After you spend the day doing one of AZ Central's suggested Valentine's Day 2021 dates, a quiet night at home together is just the ticket.
Here are the top 5 reasons to have Valentine’s Day dinner at home this year…

​Hi all! We’ve decided to update and re-share one of the most useful blog posts we did in 2020.  We were surprised to learn that a lot of people were very interested in buying a side of beef but didn’t know where to begin their research or how to start the process.  So here, we outline the most common questions we get asked.
Here’s the ‘skinny’ on buying a side of beef: 

First of all, it will simplify your life once it’s done. Imagine this: It’s Monday morning and you’re starting to think about dinners for the week.  You walk to your freezer, scan the contents, and easily decide on Taco Tuesday, Burger Thursday and plan to smoke a brisket on Saturday. You grab a package of carne asada, a pound or two of ground beef, and a 4-5 lb brisket and place them in the fridge.  It’s almost too easy! Buying a side of beef (or even a whole cow) is a great way to make life easier – it saves you those multiple weekly trips to the store and gives you the peace of mind that your yearly supply of protein is already in your freezer!   But getting your beef this way is a little different than grabbing it from the supermarket. 

​Here are 5 things everyone should know about buying a side of beef.  

Everyone finds the beef raisin’ and beef eatin’ so interesting that we don’t get to talk about our sister company nearly enough. But what CTS Greenwaste does for this family operation isn’t just important, it’s actually pretty cool. The elder sister by nearly a decade, CTS is the backbone of the operation. Landscapers, golf courses, cities and municipalities (which have included Tempe and Cave Creek), organizations with sustainability goals (such as SRP and the Department of Treasury)…. All have brought their organic waste to our site to be composted into mulch. 
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But the best part? ​

To the left is a photo of our brand carved into wood that hangs above our door. The E is for Ellis, my maiden (now middle) name. The P is for Perry. The 3 is for our three kids with the rafter representing a roof. Our brand is a visual representation of our family coming together because that's what this business is for us - a family operation through and through. 

I know it's not everybody's favorite subject, but it's an important -and necessary- part of raising cattle... and when I started this blog, I said it would be to share my journey, not just market our product. So here it is, 5 things I learned on branding day.

​Some people live with the ‘fresh is better than frozen’ ideology, and they suffer needlessly for it! They lose opportunities to pre-make their favorite meals (thus enjoying delicious dinners even on busy nights), it forces multiple trips to the grocery store every week, and worst of all, they miss out on some of the best beef on the market.

Although the word “fresh” is often used to mean “not frozen,” whether or not its been frozen has nothing to do with how fresh the product actually is. In fact, freshness gets locked in during the freezing process and is used to facilitate the dry aging process (which is used to increase flavor and tenderness).

We have nothing against freezing and thawing our beef, which is always fresh off the farm. Freezing it locks in that freshness so you can store it in your own freezer after purchasing for as long as you like.  Here are some of the most common ‘frozen food’ myths we have encountered.  

As many of you know, we at Perry Land & Cattle have a very unique relationship with Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, Arizona. (We’ll write another blog soon delving into that deep well of awesome-ness). To sum it up for the sake of brevity, they send us the nutrient rich leftover liquid from their brewing process (called ‘wort’) and we feed it to our cows. Hence, our beef is ‘beer fed,’ and this is a big part of what gives it the exceptional taste and superior marbling. But how do you properly pair the finest quality beef in Arizona with the best beer brewed in the state? Read on to find out.