As of most of us have come to realize in the past few years, not all beef is created equally.  At one end of the spectrum you have cows raised in the industrialized beef system, that gain the majority of their weight during a period of rapid growth in feedlots where they consume large amounts of corn, and put on a significant amount of fat.  At the other end of the spectrum, you have cows who spend their entire life on pasture, eating grass, growing at a much slower, more natural rate, in the manner that nature intended.  The two ends of the spectrum are very different, and result in animals of very different composition.  The corn-fed cow commonly found in grocery stores is much higher in fat, the majority of which is gained during the rapid feed process before slaughter.  In contrast, the grass-fed cow is significantly leaner, and the fat it does have tends toward the unsaturated type (good fat).  These differences in fat and composition make grass-fed beef a very different animal from the corn-fed beef most of us are used to, and requires that it be prepared differently for the best results.

The key component to keep in mind when preparing grass-fed beef, is that the fat content is much lower.  As fat cooks, it melts into the meat, tenderizing and protecting against overcooking.  Since grass-fed beef is so lean, there isn't as much fat to tenderize the meat, resulting in a much smaller margin for error for overcooking.  The general recommendation is to cook grass-fed beef at a lower heat than normal, and to monitor the meat very closely.  The problem with overcooking the meat, is that without the high fat content melting into the meat and tenderizing it, the meat can begin to dry out very quickly, becoming quite chewy and tough.  This means that if you are cooking the beef by itself, you probably don't want to cook it much beyond medium-rare.  

If you prefer your beef more well-done, or simply want to add some protection against overcooking, you can solve many of these low-fat "problems" by simply adding fat or moisture.  For example, a pad of butter can be added on top of a steak while on the grill.  The majority of the butter will melt off of the steak, adding only a limited amount of fat to the meat itself, but insulating and tenderizing the beef at the same time.  With a nice steak, you usually don't want to muddle the flavor up with too many other ingredients, but for other cuts of meat a good option to consider is tenderizing the meat with a marinade or sauce.  The marinade will add moisture throughout the cooking process, protecting the meat from drying out and turning tough.    

Grass-fed beef is a delicious, pure of beef, with a natural meaty flavor.  It can be a more challenging product to prepare, but that's part of the fun.  Below are some additional preparation tips from Carrie Wilkerson of Wilkerson Farms, as well as one of Carrie's favorite recipe for beef roasts (from Southern Living Magazine).

Grass-fed Beef Tips from Wilkerson Farm:
(Willow Springs, NC)

•    Cook at lower temperatures.  High heat can overcook the outside of beef cuts while the interior remains underdone.
•    Grass fed and primarily grass fed beef is leaner than grain fed beef.  It cooks faster so adjust your cooking times accordingly.
•    Turn steaks and roasts with tongs.  A fork pierces the beef allowing loss of flavorful juices.
•    Turn ground beef patties with a spatula.  Do not press.  Pressing causes the loss of juices and results in a dry burger.
•    Salt beef after cooking or browning.  Salt draws out moisture and inhibits browning.

Easy Roast

1 roast (we used London Broil, but any of our roasts will
work great)
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 cup of your favorite red wine (we used Merlot)
14 oz. can beef broth
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 packet brown gravy mix

Place the onion slices in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Place the roast on top.  Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the roast.  Let your slow cooker on low and check after 3 hours.  Enjoy!

Search:
Browse all recipes