
GRAIN-FED beef is dominant in most American families’ dining tables. Some people prefer grain-fed beef because it always shows marbling pattern in the meat. It contains more fat and water inside. When cook this kind of meat, it requires high heat. The insulation from the fat and water keeps the meat tender after high heat cook. But it shrinks a lot and has little flavor itself. Moreover, the fat in grain-fed beef is not healthy at all.
Grass fed beef is flavorful, succulent, and nutritious. It has less fat, more vitamin E and B, beta-carotene, minerals, Omega 3S and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). However, grass-fed beef is not as popular as grain-finished one. Most people are familiar with how to cook store-bought meat but not grass-fed beef. My friends and customers always complained that grass-fed beef was too tough. It is true if they were not appropriately cooked. Preparing and cook grass-fed beef is different from those conventional-produced meat. There are several basic rules for cooking grass-fed beef.
1. Decrease the heat. I believe this is the most important rule for cooking grass-fed meat. In general, medium heat is enough. Grass-fed beef has less fat and water content because the cattle exercise on the pastureland in their whole lives. They are healthier and leaner. High heat will evaporate the water quickly and toughen the protein. Lower heat can keep the moisture.
2. Use a meat thermometer. The size and thickness of each cutting varies. A meat thermometer is very helpful to estimate the desired doneness. For roasts and steaks, 115°F~ 120°F is for rare, and 130°F ~ 140°F is for medium rare.
3. Use less condiment, spices, or sauces. Grass-fed beef has its own distinctive flavor. Unrefined sea salt, black pepper, and a few simple herbs are good enough. Strong condiments will cover the authentic beef flavor.
Below is a recipe of Classic Grilled Grass-fed Steaks. Using grill is much easier to cook grass-fed steaks than pan-sear.

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