Cooking Grass-fed Beef

If you are trying to make the switch to grass fed beef, you may be running into issues. Maybe you are disappointed that the meat is dry or tough. I've been there, but here are some answers as to how to avoid this!

There are significant differences between meat that was 100% grass fed and the grass-finished meat that is found in most stores. And that's a feature, not a bug, since you are looking for healthier food! The animal lived a healthier and more natural life because it only ate food that its body was evolved to eat. This care gives us meat that is more nutritious and we feel better about the quality of the animal's life.

However, those differences also mean that we need to learn techniques for cooking grass fed beef. Since it has less intra-muscular fat, it requires different techniques. We want you to be successful with your purchase, so be sure to give this a read.

The following tips from the American Grassfed Association should be helpful. The AGA is an advocacy organization, and Deck Family Farm is proud to be certified by them.

At the bottom there's a bonus technique to make ground beef juicier. It's so simple and makes a huge difference. I was amazed when I came across it on the YouTubes!

Tips from the American Grassfed Association

• Grass fed beef is ideal at rare to medium-rare temperatures. If you prefer meat well done, slow cook at a low temperature in a sauce to add moisture. A slow cooker is ideal.

• Because grass fed beef is low in fat, coat it with extra virgin olive oil or another light oil for easy browning. The oil will also prevent the meat from drying out and sticking to the cooking surface.

• Very lean cuts like New York strips and sirloin steaks can benefit from a marinade. Choose a recipe that doesn't mask the flavor of the beef but will enhance the moisture content. For safe handling, always marinate in the refrigerator.

• Never use a microwave to thaw grass fed beef. Either thaw in the refrigerator or, for quick thawing, place the vacuum sealed package in cold water for a few minutes. Let it sit at room temperature for no more than 30 minutes.

• Don’t cook it cold straight from the refrigerator. Instead, let it come to room temperature before cooking.

• Tenderizing breaks down tough connective tissue, so use a mechanical tenderizer like the Jaccard. It’s a small, hand-held device with little “needles” that pierce the meat and allow the marinade or rub to penetrate the surface.

• Another way to tenderize is to coat a thawed steak with your favorite rub, put it into a plastic zipper bag, place on a solid surface and, using a meat mallet, rolling pin, or other hard object, pound a few times. This will not only tenderize the meat, but will also incorporate the rub, adding flavor. Don't go overboard and flatten the beef unless the recipe calls for it.

• Always pre-heat the oven, pan, or grill before cooking grass fed beef.

• Grass fed beef cooks about 30 percent faster than grain fed beef. Use a thermometer to test for doneness and watch the temperature carefully. You can go from perfectly cooked to overdone in less than a minute. The meat will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat, so when it reaches a temperature ten degrees LOWER than the desired temperature, it’s done.

• Let the beef sit covered in a warm place for eight to 10 minutes after removing from heat to let the juices redistribute.

• Pan searing on the stove is an easy way to cook a grass fed steak. After you’ve seared the steak over high heat, turn the heat to low and add butter and garlic to the pan to finish cooking.

• When grilling, quickly sear the meat over high heat on each side and then reduce the heat to medium or low to finish. Baste to add moisture.

• Never use a fork to turn the beef. Always use tongs.

• When grilling burgers, use caramelized onions or roasted peppers to add low-fat moisture to the meat.

• When roasting, sear the beef first to lock in the juices and then place in a pre-heated oven. Reduce the roasting temperature by 50 degrees F.

The Baking Soda Trick

Additionally, I recently ran into the technique where you add a small amount of baking soda to your ground beef, which prevents the meat from giving up all it's water when you are cooking it and also enhances the Maillard reaction. You end up with plump, moist ground beef with lovely brown color. It is a completely natural and healthy additive that you might find makes the meat more delicious. It took me a minute to get used to it because it works incredibly well, but now I really prefer it.

All you do is put the 1/4 tsp of baking soda in a bowl with a little bit of water and salt. Mix that together a bit and then massage into 1 pound of thawed ground beef. Then cook as you normally would.

Here's a video from America's Test Kitchen that explains it well.