Grass-Fed Grass-Finished Beef Cooking Tricks

 I’m not an expert chef, but here are some things I’ve learned (and what friends have found helpful too):

1. Expect it to behave differently. The fats and proteins in grass-fed beef are leaner and more delicate, so need to be treated differently — and expect a unique flavor and texture.
2. Add healthy fats. Since the meat is lean, it helps to cook with plenty of tallow, butter, or olive oil. These not only add moisture but also enhance tenderness and flavor.
3. Consider marinating. Some people marinate their steaks for several hours (or even overnight or a week) to help with tenderness and moisture. I haven’t done this myself yet, but I see it is worth experimenting with.
4. Use high heat to sear. A hot cast-iron skillet with a generous amount of beef tallow works great. Sear both sides quickly to lock in juices, then finish gently on lower heat so it does not over cook.
5. Watch the temperature closely. Grass-fed beef can go from perfect to overdone quickly in seconds. I aim to stop cooking a minute before it reaches about 120°F (for medium-rare) since it continues to cook as it rests.
6. Adjust for different cuts. Each cut seems to have its own personality — some need a fast sear, others benefit from a slow, gentle cook. I can only cut and eat pieces as it cooks to test the differences on this point.
7. Account for uneven thickness. If a steak isn’t uniform, one end will cook faster. You can either trim or separate the thinner section to cook separately, or press it with a steak weight for even cooking.
8. Try aging for tenderness. Some people do additional fridge aging to naturally tenderize the meat. We plan to offer aged steaks sooner or later.
9. Slice smaller if it’s tough. If a cut turns out firmer than you like, slicing thinner pieces across the grain can make a big difference while eating.

Everyone probably has a slightly different preference on cooking grass-fed beef.  But those are a few more thoughts from my experimenting.

Books

I have these two books, often recommended, but not that helpful to me so far, maybe I need to spend more time with them.

​- The Grass fed Gourmet Cookbook by Hayes

​- Cooking Grass fed Beef by Hayes

Two others that look promising or at least for a good review:

​-Pure Beef by Curry

​-Tender Grassfed Meat by Fishman