Welcome!
Wondering how to cook your locally sourced, pasture-raised, grass-fed steak? Look no further, BlossomPure is here to help. Below, we've outlined a basic guide to cook your grass-fed beef to tender perfection!
First, some tips:
- Grass-fed beef is best cooked rare to medium rare, or 'slow and low' in liquid heat (think slow cooker)
- If you prefer well-done beef, choose a tougher cut, such as chuck roast, brisket or short ribs, and braise it low and slow until fork-tender
- For best results, coat your steak in extra-virgin olive or coconut oil, as grass-fed meat is very lean, this will keep it from sticking and help with browning
- Grass-fed beef cooks about 30% faster than its grain-fed counterpart, so cook it to 70% of what you normally would
- Marinating steaks or using a tenderizer will soften the tough connective tissues, as will coating your steak with coarse salt (that you'll rinse off)
- Always let your beef get to room temperature, and let it rest after cooking
- Make sure to preheat your pan or grill beforehand
- Sear your meats to create a crust and prevent moisture from escaping
- One of the best ways to thaw meat is in a bowl of cold water. (Conveniently, our meat is vacuum-sealed for the occasion!)
- Grass-fed beef reaches done-ness earlier than grain-fed. Check out this handy table:
Our favourite recipe:
THE BEST STEAK – OUTDOORS
Recipe adapted from Farmer and the Grill: A Guide to Grilling, Barbecuing and Spit-Roasting Grassfed Meat…and for saving the planet, one bite at a time, by Shannon Hayes
(The amount of seasoning you will use will vary based on the size of your steak. If it is close to half a pound, use less. If it is closer to 2 pounds, use more.)
- 1-2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- Either 1 rib-eye sirloin, sirloin tip, tri-tip, top round, porterhouse, t-bone, top loin (NY Strip) or tenderloin (filet mignon) steak. Steaks should be at least 1 ¼ – 1 ½ inches thick.
Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into both sides of the steak, then allow the meat to come to room temperature while you prepare the grill.
Start the grill and warm it until it is hot. If you are using a gas grill, turn off all but one of the burners once it has come up to temperature. If you are using charcoal, be sure all the coals have been raked to one side. Use the hand test: the grate will be hot enough when you can hold your palm 3-4 inches above the metal for no more than three seconds.
Sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side directly over the flame, with the lid down. Then, move the steaks to the part of grill that is not lit. Set the lid in place and allow the steaks to cook, without flipping them, until they reach 120-135 degrees**, about 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the steak. Remove the steaks to a platter and allow them to rest a few minutes before serving.
THE BEST STEAK – INDOORS
Recipe taken from Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lovers’ Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously, by Shannon Hayes
(The amount of seasoning you will use will vary based on the size of your steak. If it is close to one pound, use less. If it is closer to 2 pounds, use more.)
- 1-2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter, tallow or rendered lamb fat
- Either 1 sirloin, sirloin tip, tri-tip, top round, rib eye, porterhouse, t-bone, top loin (NY Strip) or tenderloin (filet mignon) steak. Steaks should be at least 1 ¼ – 1 ½ inches thick.
Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into both sides of the steak then allow the meat to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200 °, then heat a large cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet over a high flame. Once the skillet is so hot that you can see a little smoke rising off of it, add the butter or fat. Sear the steak for two minutes on each side. Turn off the flame, and insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the boneless edge of the steak – do not insert it into the top, as there is not enough thickness for the thermometer to take an accurate reading. Leaving the steak in the skillet, place it in the oven and allow it to finish cooking, about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the cut, until the internal temperature reads 120-135 °. Allow the meat to rest five minutes before carving and serving.
Enjoy!
The three R's:
- Reduce heat (temperature range)
- Reduce cooking time (meat continues cooking even after removed from grill!)
- Reduce drying out (remember, grass-fed meat isn't as 'marbled')
By K.Dann-Alwan, June 18th, 2018