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Grass-Fed Meat-Cooking Tips

Click here to see the specific cooking methods we recommend for various beef cuts.

• Grass-fed meat has high protein and low fat levels, so the meat will usually require 30% less cooking time. Since meat continues to cook after being removed from the heat, remove your meat when it is 10 degrees below the desired temperature.
  
• The biggest culprit for tough grass-fed meat is overcooking. This meat needs to be cooked to Rare to Medium Rare. If you like well done meat, then cook grass-fed meats at very low temperatures in a sauce to add moisture.
  
• Since grass fed meat is extremely low in fat, use your favorite light oil for easy browning and to prevent drying and sticking. Especially lean cuts like NY Strip and Sirloin Steak should be marinated. Choose a marinade that doesn’t mask the delicate flavor of grass-fed meat but does enhance the moisture content. A favorite marinade using lemon, vinegar, wine or beer is a great choice. Some people use their favorite Italian salad dressing.
  
• Stove top cooking is great for grass fed meat. You have more control over the temperature than on the grill.
  
• Never use a fork to turn your meat...precious juices will be lost.
  
• Reduce the temperature of standard recipes by 50 degrees i.e. 275 degrees for roasting or at the lowest heat setting in a crock pot. Cooking time will still be the same or slightly shorter even at the lower temperature, so watch your meat thermometer and don’t overcook your meat. Use moisture from sauces to add to the tenderness when cooking your roast.
  
• Never use a microwave to thaw your grass fed meat. Either thaw your meat in the refrigerator or quick thaw be placing your vacuum sealed package in water for a few minutes.
  
• When grilling, sear the meat quickly over a high heat on each side to seal in its natural juices and then reduce the heat to medium or low to finish the cooking process. Also, baste to add moisture throughout the grilling process.
  
• When roasting, sear the meat first to lock in the juices and then place in a pre-heated oven. Left over roasts make healthy luncheon meats with no additives or preservatives.
  
• When preparing hamburgers on the grill, use caramelized onions, olives or roasted peppers to add low fat moisture to the meat while cooking. Some addition of moisture is helpful to compensate for the lack of fat in grass fed meats.
  
• Information taken from www.scushico.edu/agr/grsfbef/recipes/cooking-tips.htm
  

If you are looking for recipes to use with grass-fed meats we recommend you look at our Recipes and Link Pages

Recommended Methods for Preparing Beef Cuts

Steaks:

Tenderloin, Rib Eye, New York, Top & Petite Sirloin & Flat Iron - grill, broil or panfry*
Flank, Skirt, & Ranch (Chuck) Steaks - marinate**, grill/broil, and slice thin; ranch steaks can also be braised (moist heat***)

Roasts:

Sirloin Tip - oven roast* (bake @ 50 degrees lower than cookbook says)
Eye of Round - oven roast* or moist heat***
London Broil - marinate**, grill or broil*, and slice thin
Tri Tip - grill or broil*, and slice thin
Chuck Roast - moist heat***
Brisket - moist heat*** or slow smoking

Miscellaneous:

Short Ribs - moist heat***, or broil to reduce fat followed by moist heat (can be crisped in oven if desired)
Soup Bones - great for stew/soup but requires long slow cooking in moisture***
Stew - moist heat***
Fajita Strips & Kabob - best marinated** and grilled or pan fried*; or moist heat***

* Except when using moist heat we recommend cooking our meat to Medium-Rare (145 degrees) for maximum tenderness and flavor.

** When marinating we recommend leaving the meat 6-24 hrs in an acidic solution. Soy sauce, red wine vinegar, citric juices, yogurt, beer and wine will all increase tenderness of meat.

*** Moist heat means cooking the meat with a liquid, usually in a covered pot. This includes using a crock pot.