Cooking Tips for Our Grass Fed Beef
Every cut of beef is a great cut – providing you know the appropriate way to prepare and cook it. Chuck steak is one of my favourite cuts, but not if I was to throw it on the BBQ! Did you know that there are only around 12 eye fillet steaks (less than 4kg of beef) on a 450kg animal? Choosing to eat only such cuts is therefore not very sustainable, but there’s a better reason to enjoy all the cuts – it’s better for your health and longevity too! You can also enjoy a variety of meals and flavours.
So, Derek and I have put together some hints so you can know the best way to cook the nourishing grass fed beef from our hampers. There’s so much more enjoyment and variety to be had from grass fed beef than just a rump or eye fillet steak!
So let me explain some general tips about the different cooking techniques.
Grilling and pan frying steaks
Bring your beef to room temperature. Rub with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Place on a medium to high heat and wait until the juices rise; turn once and cook for around half the time of the first side (second side cooking time will vary depending on the choice of rare, medium, well done). Always let your steak rest before serving.
Stews (stovetop) and casseroles (oven)
Cooking stews is fantastic. It’s so satisfying to throw everything in the pot and know that the cooking is being done for you while you get on with other things—like time with the kids, yoga or evening sport. You’ll be back in a few hours to a nourishing, hearty meal!
Browning the meat at the start of a slow cooked meal ensures delicious rich flavours. The flavours will lift off the bottom of the pot as the liquid (stock/wine) is added.
Your body will thank you for the wonderful health benefits of the collagen released from slow cooking of these cuts – leave the bone in when cooking, where possible, and certainly don’t cut out the collagen lines. Learn more about the anti-inflammatory and anti-aging health benefits of slow cooking and choosing the bone and collagen rich cuts.
Slow cooking meals can be done on the stove top, in the oven or in a slow cooker – which are quite reasonable to buy and can sit, cooking away all day.
Stir fries
A hot pan is critical for tender, juicy, caramelised beef strips. Cooking the beef in batches may be necessary to keep the required heat in the pan and to prevent ‘stewing’.
Roasts
Rub generously with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
These outer edges will crisp up beautifully and be the choice ‘bits’ that everyone will want to steal. No wonder the blokes always want to carve the roast—they get first dibs at these!
Roasting times will vary depending on size—but look for the juices to come out pale pink or clear (well done) when tested with a skewer – depending on how well you like it cooked. We suggest still a bit pink inside.
It’s critical to allow the roast to rest before serving—you will be rewarded with juicy beef. And remember, there will still be a bit of cooking inside when the roast is resting.
Oh, and don’t forget the gravy!……. Made with pan juices (skim off a little of the fat if you like), add stock, pepper and sea salt, and a bruised sprig of rosemary or thyme. (Use cornflour to thicken). A whisk is a must to avoid lumps! Derek (the king of gravy in our house) is going to share his gravy making tips in a later blog!
Slicing your beef
When slicing beef – whether a cooked roast or slicing raw beef into strips for stir fries, ensure that you always cut ‘across the grain’ – or across the meat fibres.
Enjoy!
So go – chop, brown, simmer, stir, roast and enjoy!
Learn from here the best way to prepare each cut from our grass fed beef hampers.
Kirrily
