Enjoy your naturally tender, wonderfully flavorful grass-fed beef with family and friends. Remember grass-fed beef is meant for Rare to Medium Rare cooking. Choose recipes that show off the natural, rich and delicate flavors of grass-fed beef. Don't overcook! The primary culprit for tough grass-fed beef is overcooking. Rare is King!
Grass-fed beef is as low in fat as chicken breast. If you insist on Well Done, then cook your grass-fed beef at very low temperatures in a sauce to add moisture (because the fat content is so low). Bring your grass-fed beef to room temperature before cooking. Do not cook your grass-fed beef cold straight from a refrigerator. Never use a microwave to thaw your grass-fed beef. Thaw your beef in the refrigerator.
Always use tongs. Never use a fork to turn your beef or precious juices will be lost. Prevent sticking by basting your meat with olive oil (or a favorite light oil) before it goes on any grill or pan.
STEAKS
- Never go straight from the package to the grill.
- Coat your thawed steak with your favorite rub.
- Use a very hot fire.
- When grilling, sear the steak quickly (20-30 seconds) over high heat on each side to seal in its natural juices and after searing, reduce the heat to medium or low and then try 3-4 minutes for the first side and 2-3 minutes for the second.
- Remember you can always go back to the grill if your steak is too Rare, but not vice versa!
- Don't forget grass-fed beef requires 30 percent less cooking time - frequently use the touch test.
- Don't cook slowly over a moderate fire.
- Don't leave your steaks unattended.
- Know your fire and your grill. Find a lower temperature spot for the second side.
- Use your finger frequently to test the softness of the meat. Take meat off the grill while still moist and springy.
- Your beef can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked in less than a minute. Even 4 minutes can be a long time on a very hot fire.
- Use fresh garlic butter if desired in the final minutes - just like the top steak chefs.
- Try stove top cooking - chefs do steaks on the stove all the time. You have more control over the temperature than on the grill.
- Don't ever cook grass-fed steaks to Medium Well or Well Done.
- If you usually like your meat Well Done, try a steak done to Medium. Grass-fed steaks have a different texture and taste at Medium.
BURGERS
- Remember grass-fed burgers are 85 to 90 percent lean . . . so some moisture is needed to compensate for the lack of fat.
- Coat your burgers (and your grill) with Olive Oil (or another favorite light oil)
- Don't place burgers on grill or pan without added moisture, butter, or oil.
- When preparing hamburgers for the grill, use caramelized onions, olives or roasted peppers to add low fat moisture to the meat while cooking.
- Add a pad of butter as the burger comes off the grill.
- Use a very hot fire.
- Sear the burger quickly over a high heat on one side to seal in its natural juices and then reduce the heat to medium or low.
- Try 3-4 minutes for the first side (after searing for 30 seconds) and 2-3 minutes for the second.
- Don't forget grass-fed beef requires 30 percent less cooking time.
- Don't forget minutes really count.
- Don't leave your burgers unattended.
- Know your fire and your grill. Find a lower temperature spot for the second side.
- Take burgers off the grill early. Your burgers will continue to cook when removed from heat.
- Your burgers can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked in less than a minute
ROASTS
- Reduce the temperature of your grain-fed beef recipes by 50 degrees (generally to about 275 degrees for roasting).
- Use slightly shorter cooking time even at the lower temperature.
- Use the lowest heat setting in a crock pot.
- Always pre-heat your oven.
- Never assume the cooking time will still be the same (it is always shorter).
- Coat with Olive Oil, truffle oil or a favorite light oil for flavor enhancement and easy browning.
- When roasting, sear the beef first to lock in the juices and then place in a pre-heated oven.
- Use moisture from sauces to add to the tenderness when cooking your roast.
- Use a thermometer to test for doneness and watch the thermometer carefully.
- Remove the roast from your heat source 10 degrees before it reaches the desired temperature (we like 115-125 degrees).
- Never wait for the thermometer to get near 140 degrees
- Your roast can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked in less than five minutes.
- Your roast will continue to cook when removed from heat.
- Let the roast sit covered and in a warm place for 8 to 10 minutes after removing from heat to let the juices redistribute.
