Grass-fed Beef Cooking Tips and Tricks

• Thawing
  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 but let it sit for about 30 minutes before cooking.
• Tenderizing
  Tenderizing breaks down tough connective tissue, so some people like to 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. You can find Jaccard tenderizers at amazon.com. 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.
• Temperature
  Medium to medium high cooking temperatures only. Grass-fed beef is ideal at rare to medium rare temperatures. If you prefer meat well done, cook at a low temperature in a sauce to add moisture. A slow cooker is ideal.
• Steaks
  Liberally salt and pepper and coat with a thin layer of olive oil. 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. For safe handling, always marinate in the refrigerator.
• Burgers
  When grilling burgers, use medium heat for 5 minutes before turning, then grill 3 minutes on the others side.. Our grass-fed burgers are lean! (they are 85% to 90% lean) Make sure you do not overcook your burgers . . . 30% less cooking time is required.
• Roasts
  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.
• Cooking Tips
  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 medium heat, turn the heat to low and add butter and garlic to the pan to finish
  cooking.
  When grilling, sear the meat over medium high heat on each side and then reduce the
  heat to medium or low to finish.

Adapted from the American Grassfed Association