The Kosher Omnivore's Quest
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

We have moved!
Check out the new website  
www.thekoshercut.com

Cow butts are kosher

6/12/2014

6 Comments

 
Picture
Despite what many people believe, according to Jewish law all kosher animal butts are perfectly permissible to eat . The myth of hindquarters being treif (not kosher) is pervasive in both the Jewish and non-Jewish world. This was well demonstrated when Hebrew national changed its famous slogan from “We answer to a higher authority” to the very tongue and cheek “No ifs ands or butts”. Hebrew National further helped in the public’s miseducation by publicizing a now well known graphic of a cow whose front half is marked as kosher while the back is said not to be. But this myth is being slowly transformed and several small kosher operations selling backdoor cuts are steadily increasing their business. I predict that with today’s increasingly sophisticated kosher consumer base this market will continue to grow and the opportunity to get a kosher filet mignon or T-bone steak will eventually become an everyday experience.

Even though all butts originating from kosher species are permissible there is a catch when it comes to mammal tuchus in particular. In order for one to partake in this culinary delicacy it must first be purged of forbidden fats, tendons, blood vessels and the gid hanashe (sciatic nerve). This is a lengthy and time consuming process known as nikkur or trabering and can only be performed by specialty kosher butchers called menakrim. The front half of mammals must also be purged for kosher consumption but doing so to the forequarters is much simpler and requires less highly trained butchers.

While highly learned Jews do usually know that the back half of mammals are kosher they also often times wrongly believe that Ashkenazi custom forbids the trabering of these hindquarters. The truth is that well into the 20th century Ashkenazim in the U.S. were performing full nikkur on animals while in Israel and around the world many still do today. Specific Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jewish communities have discontinued the practice of nikkur at different times in history but this was only due to a lack of properly trained menakrim as well as the ease of selling the back half of an animal to the non-kosher market. Over the last 50 years the U.S. Jewish community has slowly transitioned into this category for much the same reasons. Although, trabering is still performed on a few select parts of kosher mammals; including the tail, liver and hanging tender as well as the entire hindquarters of wild animals such as deer and bison.*

Despite all this no national kosher certification in the U.S. is willing to supervise the nikkur of the more commonly eaten domesticated meats such as beef and lamb. This not only deprives consumers of access to some of the choicest cuts but also makes it harder to start small-scale kosher operations that could really benefit from the extra revenue generated from these premium pieces of meat. While I refuse to pass judgment on these organizations, which hold the monumental task of providing million with kosher meat, I do hope to see them do more to expand the availability of these products in the future.
But things are beginning to slowly change; three different companies have begun selling meat from the back end of the cow. The first and oldest of these is Aaron’s Gourmet, who alongside their exotic kosher menu of bison, turduken and venison also sell cuts from all parts of their cows and sheep. Of all three companies Bisra Kosher  is the newest player in the world of kosher meat. It was started by Rabbi Avidan Elkind in order to serve his local Sephardi community, where eating from the back half is widely excepted. Along with selling varied cuts of beef Bisra also produces goat meat, specialty smoked delicacies and some great grass fed products too. Last but not least is KOL Foods who have very recently put out a test run of back end cuts from their 5 brisket rated AT beef.  All of these companies are very small players who have had to seek out smaller and lesser-known hashgachot to supervise their “backdoor” meat production, which has certainly hurt sales a great deal. While many companies regularly inquire about producing kosher hindquarters the large certifiers are showing no sign of changing their policy so it seems that the growth of this industry will be slow, but with so many kosher consumers not willing to settle for the same old thing I expect that soon enough we will be seeing more and more kosher meat coming in from the rear.
6 Comments
RebEd
6/20/2014 03:03:59 am

Yeah, OK, butT,.. Have you ever seen what's left of "achorayim" after a good nikkur? Anyone whose enjoyed e presentation of a good Hind-cut will be disappointed with the kosher version.

Reply
Yadidya Greenberg
6/20/2014 05:06:41 am

Ya the kosher version is certainly lacking... but that doesn't mean it should be totally unavailable.

Reply
Andrew
9/16/2016 08:25:15 am

Are these guys still in business? Aaron's gourmet is but what about the others. And why does kosher bison seem to have ceased production in USA.

Reply
Yadidya Greenberg
9/16/2016 04:35:21 pm

KOL Foods is still around and is now offering a full hindquarter section. They mail deliver to all 48 states. Bisra meats is in business but only sell locally in the New Jersey Area. Is Aaron's Gourmet not currently offering kosher Bison? You're the 2nd person that I've heard say they can't find Bison anymore. I don't know why it is less available or unavailable but I do know that there is only 1 facility in the US equipped for kosher slaughter of Bison so not hard to believe that there may be supply chain issues.

Reply
bob
3/23/2017 07:19:53 am

whattttttt vthis is crazy

Reply
Cory S link
12/14/2020 01:35:04 am

Great reaad

Reply



Leave a Reply.


    About the blog:

    ​Welcome to The Kosher Omnivore's Quest! My old blog on kosher slaughter, kosher meat, and animal welfare. For new content check out my new website, The Kosher Cut™.  There you'll find: blog posts about shechita and related topics, educational slaughter presentations, kosher slaughter training, and a selection of high quality professional kosher slaughter equipment.

    Archives

    June 2019
    June 2017
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Categories

    All
    Beyond The Barnyard
    Chicken Soup
    Factory Farming
    Heritage Poultry
    Kosher Beef
    Kosher Meat
    Kosher Slaughter
    Meat Advocacy
    My Story
    Recipes
    Shechita
    Sustainable Meat
    Tzaar Baalei Chaim
    Vegetarianism
    Videos

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact