Cooking Tips
Grass-based farms are not industrial factories. Grass fed meats reflect individual conditions on specific farms. Some animals will be fatter, some larger, some leaner, some older, and some younger when they are ready for processing. Animals harvested in the spring might taste different then those harvested in the fall. The diversity of grasses on which the animals graze impacts the flavor of the meat. The various animal breeds have distinctive flavor and marbling qualities.
In general, grass fed meat is lower in insulating fat. If the heat is too high when grass fed meat is cooked, the moisture and the fat will exit quickly, which will toughen the protein. That’s why we suggest you use a thermometer when cooking our meat.
Cooking with the dry-heat method – This is the process whereby fats and water are pulled from the meat, thus firming it up until it reaches the desired doneness. Dry-heat methods include pan-frying, broiling, roasting, barbecuing, grilling, stir-frying and sautéing. Dry-heat cooking methods are appropriate for tender cuts of meat. Tender cuts, such as from the loin, typically come from the animal parts that do the least amount of work.
Moist-heat methods are used for tougher cuts of meat and include braising, stewing, crock-pot cooking, and boiling. Tougher cuts typically come from the animal parts that do a lot of work, such as the shoulder.
Some cuts that work with moist-heat methods also work with the dry-heat methods I call super-slow roasting. In this technique, the cuts are put in the oven at 170 degrees and allowed to roast for several hours. The resulting meat is extremely flavorful and juicy, because the juice does not escape at such a low temperature. Meats roasted several hours at very low temperatures will stay rosy and pink longer.
In general, grass fed meat is lower in insulating fat. If the heat is too high when grass fed meat is cooked, the moisture and the fat will exit quickly, which will toughen the protein. That’s why we suggest you use a thermometer when cooking our meat.
Cooking with the dry-heat method – This is the process whereby fats and water are pulled from the meat, thus firming it up until it reaches the desired doneness. Dry-heat methods include pan-frying, broiling, roasting, barbecuing, grilling, stir-frying and sautéing. Dry-heat cooking methods are appropriate for tender cuts of meat. Tender cuts, such as from the loin, typically come from the animal parts that do the least amount of work.
Moist-heat methods are used for tougher cuts of meat and include braising, stewing, crock-pot cooking, and boiling. Tougher cuts typically come from the animal parts that do a lot of work, such as the shoulder.
Some cuts that work with moist-heat methods also work with the dry-heat methods I call super-slow roasting. In this technique, the cuts are put in the oven at 170 degrees and allowed to roast for several hours. The resulting meat is extremely flavorful and juicy, because the juice does not escape at such a low temperature. Meats roasted several hours at very low temperatures will stay rosy and pink longer.
