People sometimes say that grass-fed steak is tough. But often the problems they experience are because they treat it like conventionally grown steak. Our flavorful beef comes from cows that have the room to move around, giving their muscle fibers texture and flavor that you won’t find in a cow that has been cooped up on a feedlot. Once you know how to coax the best out of grass-fed beef you will be rewarded with steak that is tender and flavorful. Here are some mistakes to avoid.
1. Cooking Grass-Fed Steak Right Out of the Fridge
Cold meat cooks unevenly, causing tough portions. Put the steaks on a cooling rack placed in a baking sheet, season well on both sides, and let them stand for an hour to come to room temperature.
2. Too Much High Heat
The blazing hot heat used to cook conventional beef will cause those flavorful muscle fibers to stiffen. To gently cook a steak, try a reverse sear. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, then put your steak in, still on the cooling rack and baking sheet.
3. Not Using a Thermometer
Grass-feed beef cooks fast. A meat thermometer will tell you when your steak is ready to remove from the oven. Take the steak out when it’s about ten degrees before your preferred final temperature, which is 120 degrees for rare, 125 for medium-rare. 130 degrees will get you medium steak, but we don’t recommend cooking over medium-rare.
4. Not Searing Hot Enough
While the time in the oven will make the inside of the steak tender and flavorful, the surface needs to be browned for the best flavor. Heat up a cast iron pan until it’s very hot. The hotter the pan, the less time the steak will be exposed to the high heat. Once it’s almost smoking, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat until it shimmers. Add a tablespoon of soft butter and the steaks. About two minutes on each side (don’t move them while they sear) will give them that luscious, bronzed exterior. Take them from the pan, let them rest for 5-10 minutes, and they’re ready to eat.
Now that you know how to cook a mouthwatering grass-fed steak, treat yourself to the finest quality grass-fed and finished steaks anywhere.