Top Tips for Cooking Grass-Fed Beef
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Did you just find out about cooking grass-fed beef? Have you ever been to a restaurant, ordered a grass-fed steak, and had the realization that learning how to cook is your life purpose? Maybe you’re just trying to be kind to your body by eating nutrient-filled produce?
No, this isn’t an infomercial –– it’s a list of top tips from someone who’s had the pleasure, nay, the privilege, of chomping on some of the best pasture-raised beef (What wine goes well with beef?) in Texas, and someone who’s spent the best part of three years cooking almost exclusively with grass-fed and pastured meat (me).
Rules to Follow When Cooking Grass-Fed Beef in Texas
1.) Make Sure You’re Actually Buying Grass-Fed
This may seem obvious, but big factory farming corporations and fast food chains will do anything in their power to monopolize the grass-fed industry, all while selling you a steaming pile of beef cake.
At this point, the farmers themselves play no role in deciding whether their produce is labeled as grass-fed, grass-finished or pastured, with large-scale companies picking some label-worthy lingo just to boost prices and sales. So, how do you know if you’re choosing genuine pasture-raised beef? There are a few ways:
Take a look at the supplier –– transparency is king when it comes to providing food to other people. If you ever find yourself struggling to find out where a company sources their meat, turn in the other direction.
Purely grass-fed meat will have a much darker and richer appearance, and the fat will be yellowish as opposed to white.
Grass-fed beef is visually leaner than grain-fed. You can see a clear difference in the marbling across any cut.
2. Let the Beef Do the Talking
Both the fat and muscle in grass-finished beef beef have a much richer, beefier flavor than that found in grain-finished. While I don’t have anything against marinades or dry rubs, the beef alone should be more than enough to leave an impression.
Whenever I make a roast, I keep it to a simple salt and pepper seasoning, offering a flavorful sauce on the side. And when I make a steak, I generally limit it to just some butter and garlic for basting the meat.
Seasoning and Tenderizing
If you go for a marinade/dry rub with, say, a flank steak, the meat definitely needs some tenderizing. There are two simple ways to tenderize meat, depending on the method of seasoning you're using.
For Marinades
Jaccard tenderizers work best. They utilize dozens of little needles to poke small holes all over the meat, allowing for deeper penetration of the marinade. The beauty of a Jaccard is it minimizes the risk of overworking the meat.
For Dry Rubs
When seasoning with a dry rub, using a mallet to tenderize your meat is your best bet. Simply season the meat generously, place it in a plastic food bag or between two pieces of saran wrap, and beat with a mallet or rolling pin.
Best Served Rare to Medium
As a general rule of thumb, raw produce such as fruits and vegetables is at its best when served raw at its peak ripeness. Beef is no exception. Of course, nothing beats a hot sear on a juicy steak, but serving it rare to medium ensures top flavor and nutrition.
3.) Don’t Be Deterred by Fat
Most of what you’ve heard about diet from official health organizations such as WHO (World Health Organization) is highly debatable, with many studies disproving claims against fat and red meat. In fact, many diets now center around the consumption of healthy fats (those in grass-fed beef included) and red meat (in moderation, of course).
If you ask me, along with factory farming, the whole food pyramid dealio caused one of the biggest health crises facing America today.
Of course, anything is unhealthy out of moderation. However, contrary to popular belief, much research shows that fats from grass-fed and pastured animals are incredibly healthy. Healthier than olive oil, healthier than avocado oil.
Store every tablespoon of rendered beef fat you can and use it over seed oil for frying any day. Not only is the taste of pasture-raised beef indescribably better, but it’s also healthier (as healthy as fried chicken can be) and more environmentally friendly.
If you live in or near Austin and are looking for grass-fed beef? Check out these 7 Farms to Pick Up Grass-Fed Beef in Austin
Too busy to visit meat shops? Check these 9 Farms Providing Fresh Grass-Fed Meat Delivery in Texas.
