Grass-finished beef is naturally leaner than grain-finished beef (switching to grass-fed beef can save the average beef-eater 17,733 calories per year--without requiring any change in eating habits!), so some cooking tips might be helpful:
High heat tends to "cook out" much of the fat. If high heat and fast cooking methods are used, you may end up with a dryer product than you desire.
When grilling, sear the outside of the steak over high heat to seal in the moisture, then reduce the heat for a slower finish to the steak. Grass-fed steaks are best served medium or medium-rare. Remember, beef keeps cooking for up to 5 minutes AFTER you remove them from the heat source, so stop cooking the meat just before it reaches desired doneness.
- Avoid using the microwave to thaw your grass-fed beef.
- Bring your grass-fed beef to room temperature before cooking.
- Always pre-heat your oven, pan or grill before cooking grass-fed beef.
- The main reason for tough grass-fed beef is overcooking.
- Since grass-fed beef is extremely low in fat, coat with virgin olive oil or favorite unsaturated oil for flavor enhancement and easy browning and to avoid drying and sticking.
- Generally speaking, grass-fed steaks do not like the broiler.