Grass Finished Cooking Tips

Grass Finished Meat Cooking Tips

The biggest mistake with grass finished beef is overcooking!! Investing in an oven-proof meat thermometer is a good idea. Overcooking results in dry, tough meat and a loss of omega 3s

Some general cooking guidelines:

• Cook times are about 30% faster than grain finished
• Cooking temps need to be about 50°F lower than grain finished
• Before searing, remove excess moisture from cuts by patting with dry towel. Moisture will result in steam and ruin the sear.

Grass finished cooking temperature guide:

• Rare- 120°F
• Medium Rare- 125°F
• Medium- 130°F
• Medium Well- 135°F
• Well- 140°F

**Remove meat from heat about 10 degrees below the level of cooking you're trying to achieve. Your meat will finish cooking while it rests.

Thawing guidelines 

• BEFORE thawing, remove packaging and rinse ice crystals from meat to avoid any leaching of tastes or smells from packaging into your meat.
• **If you need to thaw quickly, use above process and place in waterproof ziplock bag. Submerge in cool water bath for 30-45 minutes for burgers and steaks.
• Allow meat to come to room temperature before cooking. Large, rapid temperature changes contract muscle fibers and result in a tough, dry outcome. We recommend removing from the fridge a couple hours early to allow meat to come to room temperature. 

How should I cook these cuts?

Roasts

Slow cooking is ideal for large cuts such as roasts. These cuts are made from muscle groups the animals use to walk around. They have lots of connective tissue like ligaments and tendons. Cooking slowly breaks down this connective tissue, as well as tougher muscle fibers. It also liquefies fat and collagen, which allows them to coat muscle fibers and results in a deep, rich flavor.

Use a little bit of added liquid, the roasts will cook primarily in their own juices.

Short ribs, stew meat, osso bucco

Braising should be used for smaller cuts like short ribs or stew meat. Submerge these cuts completely in added liquid and aromatics. 

Top round steaks, flank steaks, skirt steaks

Tenderize and marinate these steak cuts. They are leaner steaks and require different preparation than steaks which are not as lean. 

Tenderization can be done with a mechanical tool (jaccard) a meat mallet or rolling pin, or a fork (everyone has a fork!). Tenderizing breaks down muscle fiber and allows marinate to penetrate the cut of meat.

Marinades should be acidic. Some examples are lemon juice, vinegar, or buttermilk. Don’t marinade for too long or meat can become mushy. (30 min-2 hours). Salt meat before cooking, salt draws moisture from inside the meat which concentrates flavor.

-OR- use the “dry brine” technique. Create a rub with salt, herbs, and spices. Apply up to 24 hours in advance of cooking.

Tenderloin, New York, Ribeye, Sirloin

 Sear and rest these steaks. They are naturally more tender cuts of meat because of their fat content. Sear to seal juices inside of the meat on a hot pan or grill on high heat for short amount of time, then finish bringing meat to temp on low to medium heat. Allow to rest for 8-10 minutes.