Sierra Club Day
May 27
The Sierra Club was founded in 1892 by a group of Californians who wished to sponsor wilderness outings in “the mountain regions of the Pacific Coast.” The naturalist John Muir was its first president (1892–1914). Among its first successes was the defeat of efforts to constrict the size of Yosemite National Park, which in 1905 was transferred from state to federal control. In the early 20th century the club built trails and park buildings, opposed damming and grazing on some public lands, and supported the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916. The Sierra Club established a charitable foundation (1960), a legal defense fund (1971), and has opened chapters in all 50 states.
National Brisket Day
May 27
Just like a toned body builder, a cow has hefty pectoral muscles, and that’s where brisket is cut from and means brisket has a lot of tough connective tissue. That is why it is cooked using low heat for a long time to break down that tissue for ultra-tender results. Because it’s so large (usually 12-20 pounds), brisket is usually cut into two pieces. Most grocery stores carry the first cut, which is also called the flat. It’s leaner and slices neatly. But your butcher may have a second cut, known as the deckle point. It is marbled with fat and falls apart deliciously when it is cut.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Wild Bill Hickok – Old West Folk Hero – born in Troy Grove, Illinois
Henry Kissinger – U.S. Secretary of State & Diplomat – born in Furth, Germany
