Grass-fed cattle live an active and healthy lifestyle, which alters the muscle integrity of the meat. Animals raised in feedlots and on grain receive almost no exercise, making their meat less flavorful due to stressful, stagnant conditions.
The differences in the meat mean that consumers don't always know that a grass-fed steak must be treated differently than it's grain-fed counterpart. Have you heard grass-fed steak is tough? We’re here to debunk this myth. The healthy muscle texture in grass-fed steak means that for your steak to be tender it must be cooked carefully.
It's also important to note that grass-fed steaks vary in taste and texture due to natural farming practices, differing pastures, breed, and characteristics of animals. This is what makes grass-fed great. If your steak tastes the same every time, you're experiencing an unnatural side-effect to grain-fed, chemical-ridden protein.
How to cook a perfect grass-fed steak:
The trick is to create a sear and allow the meat to finish cooking at a lower temperature. Toughness is the result of overexposure to heat, causing muscle fibers to contract and become chewy and overly dry.
Your best steak yet:
2 tablespoons of coarse salt
2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
1-2 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 grass-fed steak
- Combine the salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl.
- Rub the mixture into both sides of the steak
- Allow the meat to come to room temperature
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over a high flame
- Once the skillet is properly heated, add butter
- Sear the steak for 2 minutes on each side
- Turn off the flame and insert a meat thermometer into the edge of the steak for an accurate reading
- Leave the steak in the skillet, place it in the oven and allow it to finish cooking about 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cut, until the internal temperature hits 120-135
- Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before carving
*Grass-fed beef has a different internal doneness than grain-fed
