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This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. TL:DR When you use my link to try ButcherBox, I receive a commission.

After a long hiatus away from making random sandwiches (for which this website is named!), I walked every aisle of the grocery store and local farmer’s market for inspiration. Coming up with ideas is so fun for me, but even I hit a wall sometimes. I’ve always been an advocate for meal kits and grocery delivery services for folks who are new to the kitchen. I like to try out new services around the holidays or surrounding my birthday because I need a break from coming up with meals, too.

ButcherBox has been the exception. I look forward to my big box of high-quality meats every month! Each package is a welcome cooking challenge. When you sign up, there is almost always a generous bonus. I lucked out and got 3 months of free salmon! Around Thanksgiving, you can get a free turkey (if you order fast). And before that, new subscribers got free ground beef for life.

SO, WHAT IS BUTCHERBOX?

ButcherBox is a meat and seafood delivery service where you can adjust the timing, size, and make-up of the contents. It’s all been hits, from filet mignon to pork loin, chops, chicken, ground beef, and even lobster. I haven’t been disappointed! It’s great for households that have ample freezer space and mouths to feed. I have a friend who tried it and said it was too much meat for her, but, thankfully, you can delay or pause shipments if that is the case for you. Everything arrives frozen in a nicely insulated box. Per food safety guidelines, it’s best to get the products right into the freezer or in the fridge on a lipped sheet pan if you’re going to defrost them for that day.

WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL OF THIS MEAT?

If you want to try it out and get free stuff when you sign up, use my affiliate link. Not sure what you’re going to do with all of that meat? Don’t worry, I made this post to round up what I’ve made so far (and will keep adding as I make more dishes).

Sansho pepper pork chops with shiso leaves

Replace your ground black pepper with Japanese sansho pepper, which in small amounts, provides a buzzy, citrusy flavor with every bite. I also marinated it overnight with crushed yellow plums. Prepare your pork chops as you normally do on the grill, in the oven, or on the stove. Then slice it all up and serve it with shiso leaves, a habit I picked up from Korean BBQ restaurants.

Beef chuck roast with capers and mustard

I tied up this beef chuck roast so it would cook evenly. Then I marinated it with lots of coriander, pepper, salt, and fennel seeds. It went into a sous vide bath for 6 hours (I wish I had longer!). Then I sliced it really thinly, resting the pieces in their juices, whisked with mustard and chopped capers.

Filet mignon with Christmas beans and mustard greens

I simply seasoned the filet mignon with salt and pepper before pan-frying it to medium doneness. I really don’t like to overwhelm such high quality meat! It’s so good that you don’t need to add much to it. When I was growing up I typically ate steak with rice and boiled veggies. These days I’ll throw on some warm beans tossed with salsa and fresh farmer’s market produce like mustard greens pictured here.

Click here to take advantage of ButcherBox and sign up knowing I’m part of the community of folks who will help you figure out your next meal. If you ever have a cooking question, comment on my Instagram account or sign up for my Patreon for personal cooking advice.

FAQ

What is ButcherBox? ButcherBox is a delivery subscription service for grass-fed & grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage-breed pork.

What is a #ButcherboxPartner? I am disclosing my business relationship with ButcherBox. I am an affiliate partner who provides links and deals to my audience and ButcherBox compensates me for every person who participates.

The Up South Cookbook

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AUTHOR: Nicole Taylor

ABOUT: Georgia native Nicole Taylor spent her early twenties trying to distance herself from her southern cooking roots--a move "up" to Brooklyn gave her a fresh appreciation for the bread and biscuits, Classic Fried Chicken, Lemon Coconut Stack Cake, and other flavors of her childhood.

The Up South Cookbook is a bridge to the past and a door to the future. The recipes in this deeply personal cookbook offer classic Southern favorites informed and updated by newly-discovered ingredients and different cultures. 

PUBLISHER: Countryman Press

RECIPE TESTING ASSISTANCE: Jenn de la Vega

The Last OG Cookbook

Sheet Pan Chicken Cookbook

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AUTHOR: Cathy Erway

PUBLISHER: 10 Speed Press

ABOUT: A cookbook of 50 recipes that combines everyone’s favorite protein with the ease of cooking all on one pan, from a James Beard Award–winning food writer and TASTE contributor Cathy Erway.

RECIPE CONTRIBUTOR: Jenn de la Vega, “spatchcock chicken with ginger, garlic, and green papaya,” page 51.

Sheetpan_Chicken-Tinolang-Manok.jpeg

Showdown: Comfort Food, Chili & BBQ Cookbook

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AUTHOR: Jenn de la Vega

PUBLISHER: Page Street Publishing, distributed by MacMillan. Member of  1% for the Planet.  1% of sales go to environmental charities each year.

DESCRIPTIONIf ever there was a cookbook on a particular food from a certain region, most people would associate competition-worthy barbecue from a Southern chef. Chef and caterer Jenn de la Vega is out to change your mind about that. Known on the competition circuit and for her blog, Randwiches, Jenn creates uniquely flavorful and approachable barbecue.

Make eccentric, yet mouth-watering barbecue with or without a smoker, including the specialty side dishes, sauces and pickles that go along with them. This competition cook goes one step further to provide recipes for what to do with the leftovers, too. This book has 100 recipes and 60 photos.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Jenn de la Vega is editor-at-large of Put A Egg On It: Tasty Zine! and runs Randwiches, an award-winning experimental food blog and catering service. Jenn loves talking about food situations, digital art and technology. She has appeared on Guy’s Grocery Games on Food Network and ChefShock with Justin Warner on Twitch.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Colin Clark

Fancy Words about Showdown

“Jenn is the kind of author who makes you feel like you are winning just because you have the privilege of reading her text. Compound that with the fact that you can cook her food... and you feel like a leprechaun mounted on a gilded unicorn somehow snowboarding down a rainbow with an edible pot of gold, or chili, awaiting you at the final destination.” — Justin Warner, Food Network Judge & author of "The Laws of Cooking: And How to Break Them."

"These cravetastique, flavorful recipes are making me salivate! Jenn is a consummate expert in the field of crave-able dishes and this book is chock full of them. I can randomly open it to any page, make that dish, and then feel satisfied from head-to-toe.”— Lisa Q. Fetterman, CEO and Founder of Nomiku, Bestselling Author of "Sous Vide at Home"

"I'm a big fan of Jenn de la Vega's food and have enjoyed cheering her on for years. Her genuine enthusiasm for making and sharing food is undeniable – if it's all about how you play the game, Jenn is constantly winning.” —Adam J. Kurtz, bestselling artist & author of “Pick Me Up”

"Jenn's approach to cooking is a source of inspiration; she has the ability to spin comfort food classics and elevate them into something totally new. Additionally, her recipes are easy to follow, and include classic techniques that are simplified for the home cook. Whether you are just learning to cook, or have been at it for years, this book has something for everyone!”— Molly Adams, Senior Food Editor of The FeedFeed

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