A Great, Grass-Fed Steak

How to Prepare a Great, Grass-Fed Steak

Did you know that what it takes to prepare a great grass-fed steak is different than any other? If you want a tender, melt in your mouth steak, thawing it out on the morning of your meal is not going to cut it. Planning and patience is key and here's why: Your grass-fed beef was not raised as a couch potato in some feedlot, but rather it was able to roam and get plenty of exercise. It is this lifestyle that produces a leaner and more healthful meat. With this leaner beef comes more toned muscle tissue with connecting fibers. These connecting fibers need to relax and soften in order for your steak to take on great, grass-fed steak status.

So, here we go. This is what we do …

 

Step 1

Take a steak out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. Leave it there for a minimum of 2 days, but not more than 4 days.

Step 2

Take the steak from the refrigerator and put it on the counter for a minimum of 2 hours. (I leave my steak on the counter all day.) Your steak will now be at room temperature and will relax.

Step 3

This is the time when you determine how relaxed your steak is. To do this, simply take your finger and press down on the steak in various places. A relaxed steak will feel soft, whereas a less relaxed steak will feel firm. Your goal is for the entire steak to feel soft. Put it on a flat surface and lightly sprinkle with salt. (I use Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.) Rub the salt into the steak. Do this to both sides. Next, use a Jaccard tenderizer to poke tiny holes into the meat. This allows the salt to be dispersed all the way through the meat, and these tiny holes will allow cooking time to be reduced by about 40%. After this step is completed, allow the steak to mellow at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

Step 4

Prepare your grill or skillet. When using a skillet, it should be medium hot. Add a generous amount of real butter. Heat until it bubbles. Add steak and sear for approximately 1 minute on each side. Turn off heat, cover and let set for 1 more minute. Remove cover and move skillet from burner. Let your steak set for about 30 seconds. It is now ready to enjoy!

Please note: This amount of cook-time is for a medium rare steak. Remember that each stove or grill is different. Have patience with the cooking time. You will quickly learn what is best for your appliance.

If you prefer to flavor your steak add this flavoring with the salt and then use the Jaccard tenderizer. Just remember that grass-fed beef has its own natural flavor so don’t think you have to add a flavor enhancer like you would grain-fed beef.

If you don’t have a Jaccard tenderizer, these can be purchased at Academy Sports for around $20.

www.BF-Farms.com

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

Diana's Verde Chili

Diana's Verde Chili

With fall approaching and cool weather in sight, go ahead and put Diana's Verde Chili on your meal plan for the week; you will probably want to use it again and again throughout the season! This fabulous dish features our farm's lamb sausage. We realize that lamb can sometimes be tricky to cook well. That's why we are here to help! Well actually, that is why the amazing Diana is here and we are lucky to call her friend! Check it out!

Ingredients:

• 12 tomatillos
• 2 jalapenos
• Small red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 lb. BF Farms lamb sausage – mild
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice

Preparation:

My first mistake was not cooking the brown rice first…so I gladly suggest that you cook the brown rice first. I always learn by trial.

Heat your oven to 450 degrees under a broil setting.  Cut your tomatillos in half. Then take the seeds and membrane out of the jalapenos (or leave them in if you like the extra heat) and cut in half. Peel the onion then slice it in half also.  Put all the veggies on a baking sheet with a lip (jelly roll pan).  Drizzle olive oil on the veggies, and toss with hands coating the veggies well.  Sprinkle with a 2 tsps. of cumin, salt and pepper to taste.  Put into oven and roast/broil for 5-10 minutes.  Keep a constant eye on the veggies, since they can burn quickly.  I like a little char on mine, so the tops looked burnt on mine.  Pull the sheet out and set aside to cool.

In the meantime… start browning the lamb sausage, with the minced garlic and salt/pepper.  While this is going on, toss your roasted veggies into a blender or food processor.  The cooler they are the better this is.  Process until it resembles salsa.  Add this “salsa” to the browned meat along with the cooked rice.  Add enough water to just barely cover the ingredients, put a lid on it and let it simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes or so.  Serve hot with either shredded cheese or sour cream.  I tried it both ways and loved it.

*A side note – Traditionally, Verde Chili is made with cubed pork, or shredded chicken and doesn’t include rice.  I had the beautiful lamb sausage from BF Farms, and used it instead.  I think it’s just as good, maybe better.*

www.BF-Farms.com

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's #1 source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

The Babies are Here!

The Babies are Here!

The lamb babies are here, and more are arriving as I type this blog! Lambing season is one of the most exciting times at BF Farms.

For months we anticipate, watching the bellies of our pregnant ewes grow in the hot summer sun, knowing that many are carrying twins. We check on them more frequently than usual, making sure they are receiving adequate water and mineral, checking their bodies as they grow. They stay close to the water trough to get some relief from the heat and their backs sway with the weight of their bundle. Lying down is their favorite past time, as should be towards the end of a pregnancy. Am I right, mamas?

Then as sure as the seasons change, new life is born! When we hear the first baby cry, we know many more are coming and ready ourselves to care for a new generation of sheep. When we first began our sheep adventures on the farm, we tried to step in and help in the birthing process. We thought, "Of course we would step in and see how things were going because we are the farmers!  We typically receive extra care as humans so why wouldn't they?" We ended up doing more damage than good, entering in to a first time mommy and baby bonding situation that really needed to happen naturally. We have learned our lesson and now watch the miracles happen from the sidelines, allowing nature to take over. These mamas give birth in less than 10 minutes...to babies half their size...can you imagine?  Our ewes are strong. They certainly don't need our help.

We believe that the best nutrition for our lambs is to nurse with their mamas for as long as possible. They form a bond, nurse until they are strong enough to eat, and then begin to graze on our grasses when they are ready. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? We as humans strive for the same beginnings with our babies. Milk from mother is the best way to build up resistance against disease and illness. There's a reason why they call it "liquid gold"!

At BF Farms, we want the most natural and organic processes for our animals. We give them access to the most nutritious substances available so that you can have the most nutritious meat around. We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of your meals.

Do you have a lamb recipe you would like to share with us? If so, email it to nicole@bf-farms.com and your recipe could be the subject of our next blog post!  How exciting is that?

www.BF-Farms.com

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's #1 source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

Hunters and Gatherers

How many of us would consider prehistoric Hunters & Gatherers as our cousins?

Daniel Lieberman, PhD and professor of biology at Harvard University, says that if we want to reduce some of our late-life ailments, we need to pay more attention to our cousins – the Hunters & Gatherers.

Lieberman believes that humans today would be much healthier eating the Hunters & Gatherers’ diet than one based on grains and simple carbohydrates. The Hunters and Gatherers’ diet consisted mostly of wild meat (grass-fed), nuts, seeds, berries, vegetables, and tubers; whereas, the American diet today comes from 50% grain, grain products, and potatoes. And if you consider the fact that most meat comes from animals fed grain, this percent gets much higher – and even approaches 100% with some people.

We know that asking someone to never eat any grain products would be like asking newlyweds not to have sex! But if you think Dr. Lieberman is on to something, you may want to check out his book, The Story of the Human Body.*

Some of his facts and beliefs:

• The first thing a grain-fed diet does is rot our teeth.
• The diseases associated with mineral deficient grain are scurvy, pellagra, beriberi, goiter, & anemia.

These are what he calls the “mismatched diseases”:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease, osteoporosis, and colon cancer.

He describes a mismatched disease as one caused by eating a diet which we are genetically unprepared for.

Do you reckon that the genetics of our body today is similar to that of our prehistoric cousins, the Hunters & Gatherers? If so, then maybe we can understand why, when we feed our body something it is not designed for, this can cause health problems.

At BF Farms we believe grain-fed cattle can cause certain health issues – in cattle as well as in humans.

* We do not pass judgment or endorse Dr. Lieberman’s theory of human evolvement.

www.BF-Farms.com

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's #1 source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

Diana's Meatloaf

Diana's Meatloaf is the best!

If you're hungry for a great meatloaf, give Diana's Meatloaf a try. I think you'll agree, it's the best!!

Ingredients:

2 lbs grass fed ground beef (BF Farms' ground beef, of course)
2 eggs beaten
½ cup panko bread crumbs
3-4 tbsp. of olive oil
Fresh oregano, thyme, & rosemary chopped
A pinched of crushed dried fennel seeds
(You can forgo the fresh herbs and fennel seed and simply use a tablespoon of dried Herb de Provence.  I have done both.)
Salt and pepper to taste…but you want more than a pinch.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands to ensure you aren’t over mixing it.

I use a glass loaf pan.  If you are using metal, I suggest a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the loaf pan. 

Place mixed ingredients in the loaf pan….drizzle olive oil over the top of the loaf and a pinch or two of kosher salt.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.  In my oven 30 minutes just about does it.  Of course it will continue to cook for a few minutes as it rests on the counter. 

While the meatloaf is baking, I like to make a little balsamic “sauce” to go over the meatloaf when served.  Put ¾ cup of good, well-aged balsamic vinegar (I use Teaoli’s traditional) and two cloves of garlic (cut in half) in a small pan, over low to medium low heat, and heat while the meatloaf bakes.  I don’t want to say cook…because you really just are infusing the garlic with the balsamic, not making a reduction, so you don’t want it to simmer. I serve this over each slice of meatloaf once I have plated it. 

This meatloaf is a family favorite.  It’s also very good when I mix 1 lb. of BF Farms ground lamb with 1 lb. of their ground beef.

Diana, thanks for sharing your family recipe!

www.BF-Farms.com

BF-Farms, LLC, your Oklahoma source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.