Cooking & Storage Tips – Misty Brook Farm

Cooking and handling grass-fed and pastured products requires a bit of extra care and attention. At Misty Brook, we do our best to steward every part of the farm: from the health of the soil, to the end product before it goes to your kitchen. We do our best to raise the highest qaulity meat we can, but the end of the road is not our Farm Store or the retail store where you purchase our product: its in your hands! Our focus on high quality means we want to set you up for success, too. Utilizing some simple cooking techniques and having a basic understanding of how our grass-fed beef is different than the commonly-found grain-fed or finished beef you might be used to cooking is key to a fuss-free and delicious meal! See our tips and tricks below, adapted from the American Grassfed Association

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Cooking Technique Tips

Grassfed beef is ideal at rare to medium-rare temperatures.
A slow cooker is ideal!
Because grassfed beef is low in fat, coat it with extra virgin olive oil or another light oil for easy browning. The oil will also prevent the meat from drying out and sticking to the cooking surface.
Very lean cuts like New York strips and sirloin steaks can benefit from a marinade. Choose a recipe that doesn’t mask the flavor of the beef but will enhance the moisture content.
Pan searing on the stove is an easy way to cook a grassfed steak. After you’ve seared the steak over high heat, turn the heat to low and add butter and garlic to the pan to finish cooking.
When grilling, quickly sear the meat over high heat on each side and then reduce the heat to medium or low to finish. Baste to add moisture.
Never use a fork to turn the beef! You don’t want those flavorful juices to escape. Always use tongs.
When roasting, sear the beef first to lock in the juices and then place in a pre-heated oven. Reduce the roasting temperature by 50 degrees F.

Handling and Thawing Tips

Never use a microwave to thaw grassfed beef! Eitherthaw in the refrigerator or, for quick thawing, place the vacuum sealed package in cold water for a few minutes.
Before cooking, let meat sit at room temperature for no more than 30 minutes. Don’t cook it cold straight from the refrigerator!
Always pre-heat the oven, pan, or grill before cooking grassfed beef.
Grassfed beef cooks about 30 percent faster than grain fed beef. Use a thermometer to test for doneness and watch the temperature carefully. You can go from perfectly cooked to overdone in less than a minute! The meat will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat, so when it reaches a temperature ten degrees LOWER than the desired temperature, it’s done.
Let the beef sit covered in a warm place for 8-10 minutes after removing from heat to let the juices redistribute.

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