Chef Resources : Tips from Lewis Waite Farm for enjoying your grass fed/grass finished beef

Tips from Lewis Waite Farm for enjoying your grass fed/grass finished beef

BETTER FOR YOU since the beef is exclusively grass-fed

Compared to grain-fed beef, research has found that beef raised exclusively on a grass fed diet:

• is naturally lean, less than half the total fat and less saturated fat and 100 fewer calories in 6 oz.
• has as low as 2:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids where grain fed beef has up to 20:1 ratio
• has a polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio similar to wild game
• is 3-5 times higher in conjugated lineolic acid
• is 4 times higher in vitamins A and E
• has more beta carotene
• carries minimal risk of E.coli contamination

Because we raise our beef from start to finish, we can assure you that our beef have been given:

• no grain except for small amounts to young calves under severe winter weather conditions
• no daily low level antibiotics
• no hormone growth implants or feed supplements
• no pesticides, insecticides, pour-on or internal wormers
• no feed additives or animal byproducts

Grass Fed and Finished Beef is recommended in the new Fat Flush Plan Book by Ann Louise Gittleman. -
The book outlines some of the healthy points that are listed above and lists numerous grass-fed beef resources as well. Jo Robinson, the co-author of The Omega Diet and the author of Why Grass-Fed is Best!, is quoted in the book explaining all the healthy benefits of exclusively grass-fed meats.

Cooking your Dry-Aged Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished Beef
Grass-fed beef is best when rare or medium rare. Lower heat is recommended which means cooking for a slightly longer time, turning steaks more often.

Great Big Juicy Burgers
Take your ground beef package out the day before serving and let it thaw. Add seasonings to marinate the meat that will cook with it tomorrow. The day of serving, open the refrigerator and see what vegetables and/or herbs you may have. Dice the vegetables and herbs you have selected until there is about 1 part vegetables to 2 to 4 parts of meat. Mix the veggies and the meat and the herbs. Add an egg per pound and some oatmeal (if desired meatloaf style) to the mix and form serving size patties. Grill these or pan fry them for nice juicy burgers!!

Grilled, Broiled Steaks and Stir- Fried, Kabob pieces of Steaks or Roasts
To season the meat, rub the meat surface with your favorite herb combinations or insert garlic cloves in slices cut in the meat. You can also marinate the meat in your favorite flavors for at least a couple of hours before cooking. The dry aged meat is leaner than typical grocery store cuts so be sure not to overcook.

Boneless Roasts - Sirloin Tip, Top Round, Bottom Round, Eye of the Round
These roasts can be marinated but may require at least overnight marinating to fully absorb the flavors. To begin cooking, use an uncovered pan with 1 to 2 cups of liquid in the pan. Brown the roast to seal in the juices and cook on lower heat 250 to 300 until meat thermometer reads 145 degrees for medium rare and 155 degrees for medium. Slice at a right angle to the grain of the meat.

Braising Roasts and Chuck Pot Roasts
Brown these roasts to seal in the juices before cooking. Oven sear at 500 degrees for 30 minutes - turn to seal all sides. Pan sear on high heat with a small amount of oil turning often. Use a covered pan with moist heat for these roasts. Add liquid with the desired flavorings, using more liquid for pot roasts. Simmer covered on the top of the stove or place in the oven covered at 300 degrees. Cook until a fork goes into meat easily. Add vegetables like onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, etc. during the last portion of the cooking time. Crock pots are a great and easy way to cook these roasts and their complimentary vegetables!!

ENJOY!

Tips for Cooking Your Grass-Fed Beef

1. The main reason for tough grass-fed beef is overcooking. This beef is intended for rare to medium-rare cooking. If you like well-done beef, then cook grass-fed beef cut in smaller pieces at very low temperatures in a sauce to add moisture.
2. Since grass-fed beef is extremely low in fat, coat with virgin olive oil, truffle oil or a favorite light oil for flavor enhancement and easy browning. The oil will also prevent drying and sticking.
3. We recommend marinating your beef before cooking, especially lean cuts like the New York Strip and Sirloin Steak. A favorite marinade using lemon, vinegar, wine, beer or bourbon is a great choice. Some people use their favorite Italian salad dressing. If you choose to use bourbon, beer or vinegar, use slightly less than you would use for grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef cooks more quickly so the liquor or vinegar won't have as much time to cook off. For safe handling, always marinate in the refrigerator.
4. If you do not have time to marinate, just coat your completely thawed steak with your favorite rub, place on a solid surface, cover with plastic and pound your steak a few times to break down the connective tissue. As an added benefit, you favorite rub will be pushed into your grass-fed beef.
5. Stovetop cooking is great for any type of steak... including grass-fed steak! You have more control over the temperature than on the grill. You can use butter in the final minutes when the heat is low to carry the taste of fresh garlic through the meat as steak chefs do.
6. Grass-fed beef has high protein and low fat levels. The beef usually will require 30% less cooking time and will continue to cook when removed from heat. For this reason, remove the beef from your heat source about 10 degrees before it reaches the desired temperature.
   
7. If you use a thermometer to test for doneness, watch the thermometer carefully. Since grass-fed beef cooks so quickly, your beef can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked in less than a minute.
   
8. Always use tongs to turn your beef... never use a fork! Precious juices will be lost.
   
9. If roasting, reduce the temperature of your grain-fed beef recipes by 50 degrees. This usually means around 275 degrees for roasting, or at the lowest heat setting in a crock pot. The cooking time will still be the same or slightly shorter, even at the lower temperature. Again, watch your meat thermometer and don't overcook your meat. Use moisture from sauces to add to the tenderness when cooking your roast.
   
10. Never use a microwave to thaw your grass-fed beef. Either thaw your beef in the refrigerator or, for quick thawing, place your vacuum sealed package in cold water until it is thawed.
    
11. Bring your grass-fed meat to room temperature before cooking. Do not cook it cold straight from the refrigerator.
    
12. Always pre-heat your oven, pan or grill before cooking grass-fed beef.
    
13. 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 a medium or low to finish the cooking process. Also, baste to add moisture throughout the grilling process. Don't forget grass-fed beef requires 30% less cooking time so don't leave your steaks unattended.
    
14. When roasting, sear the beef to lock in the juices and then place it in a pre-heated oven. Save your leftovers... roasted grass-fed beef slices make good, healthy, luncheon meats instead of processed "lunch-meats".
    
15. When you are preparing hamburgers on the grill, use caramelized onions, olives or roasted peppers to add low fat moisture to the meat while it is cooking. We add no fat to our ground beef (they are 90%-93% lean), so some moisture is needed to compensate for the lack of fat. Make sure you do not overcook your burgers. At least 30% less cooking time is required.

We hope this beef is delicious and provides you and your family with the boost of a healthier diet.

We welcome your comments and favorite recipes! Please let us know!