Recipes
Cooking Tips
Since grass finished is lower in fat than grain finished, the most important tip is to keep the meat moist.
~ Use ingredients that will add moisture such as chopped onions, shredded carrots or zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, or cheese.
~ Lower the temperature on the stove/grill or 50° in the oven, as grass finished cooks quicker.
~ Preheat your cooking surface.
~ Coat your pan or grill with a little bit of cooking oil so your beef doesn’t stick.
~ Don’t poke your meat! This releases the tasty juices into the pan. Use tongs to flip instead.
~ Check for doneness about 30% earlier, as grass finished is best served medium-rare to medium.
~ Let the beef sit covered in a warm place for 8-10 minutes after removing from heat to let the juices redistribute. This will also allow the internal temperature to rise another 5-10 degrees.
Grass Fed Steak
1-2 tablespoons coarse salt
1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter, tallow or rendered lamb fat
Either 1 sirloin, sirloin tip, tri-tip, top round or London Broil, rib eye, porterhouse, t-bone, top loin (NY Strip) or tenderloin (filet mignon) steak. Steaks should be at least 1 ¼ – 1 ½ inches thick.
Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into both sides of the steak then allow the meat to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200 °, then heat a large cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet over a high flame. Once the skillet is so hot that you can see a little smoke rising off of it, add the butter or fat. Sear the steak for two minutes on each side. Turn off the flame, and insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the boneless edge of the steak – do not insert it into the top, as there is not enough thickness for the thermometer to take an accurate reading. Leaving the steak in the skillet, place it in the oven and allow it to finish cooking, about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the cut, until the internal temperature reads 120-135 °. Allow the meat to rest five minutes before carving and serving.
Recipe taken from Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lovers’ Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously, by Shannon Hayes
Grass Fed Beef Roast
1 grassfed chuck roast about 3 lbs
2 cloves of garlic peeled
4-5 carrots peeled and cut into thirds
1 sweet onion sliced into 8 wedges
1 cup beef broth
1 pint fresh sliced mushrooms optional
1-2 tsp garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper
McCormick’s Montreal steak seasoning optional..but it adds great flavor
Place roast in slow cooker and make two small slits on top. Place garlic clove in the slits and sprinkle garlic salt, steak seasoning and black pepper on top. Place carrots and onions around the sides of the roast. Pour beef broth over roast. Cook 8 hours on low.
Grass Fed Cheeseburger
1 small onion, coarsely grated
1½ pound grass-fed ground beef
1¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Hamburger buns and desired toppings (for serving)
In this hamburger recipe, adding onion delivers moisture; forming thicker patties prevents them from cooking too fast and drying out. Both steps are key when working with grass-fed ground beef. Using your hands, gently mix onion, beef, 1¼ tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper in a medium bowl. Gently shape into four 1½”-thick patties (loosely formed patties will be more succulent). Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Season patties with salt and pepper, place in skillet, and immediately reduce heat to medium. Cook 4–6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve on buns with desired toppings.
Grass Fed Carne Asada Lime Tacos
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
3 lbs flank or skirt steak
1 white onion, chopped
2 fresh limes, plus extra for toppings
a bundle of cilantro
teaspoon of salt
teaspoon of pepper
1/2 stick of butter
corn tortillas