Cooking Instructions

Tips for Cooking Your Fair Oaks Angus Grass-Fed Beef

1) Grass-Fed Angus beef is terrific and the magic is in the cooking.

Use the 50/30 Rule: 50% less heat and 30% less cooking time

2) The easiest way to prevent overcooking is to use a good cooking thermometer-not a meat thermometer.  A chef’s thermometer has a small dial and is used to periodically check the internal temperature. I strongly prefer the digital thermometers (about $25), but the dial ones ($8-15) will work as well. You want to measure the temperature in the thickest part of the meat.

3) Here is the most important part! Grass-Fed beef continues to cook even after it has been removed from the heat source, therefore, you want to stop cooking the meat just before it has reached the desired doneness; it will finish cooking on its own from the residual heat.  Now, let it Rest and Bloom!

Below are the recommended final temperatures for meats. Remove meat from the heat source 5-10 degrees prior to achieving the desired temperature and allow them to finish cooking via residual heat.

Beef
Rare – 120 degrees
Medium rare – 125 degrees
Medium – 130 degrees
Medium well – 135 degrees NOT RECOMMENDED
Well – 140 degrees              NEVER

4)  Steaks are intended for rare to medium rare cooking. If you like well-done beef, then cook grass-fed beef cut in smaller pieces at very low temperatures in a sauce to add moisture.

5) If you use a thermometer to test for doneness, watch the thermometer carefully. Grass-fed beef cooks ever so quickly; your beef can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked in less than a minute.

6) Always use tongs to turn your beef... never use a fork! Precious juices will be lost.

7) If roasting, reduce the temperature of your grain-fed beef recipes by 50 degrees. This usually means around 275 degrees for roasting, or at the lowest heat setting in a crock pot. The cooking time will still be the same or slightly shorter, even at the lower temperature. Again, watch your meat thermometer and don't overcook your meat. Use moisture from sauces to add to the tenderness when cooking your roast.

8) Never use a microwave to thaw your grass-fed beef.

9) If time allows, bring your grass-fed meat to room temperature before cooking.

10) Always pre-heat your oven, pan, or grill before cooking grass-fed beef.

Coco’s tips! 

When cooking steaks, I do not turn them until the juices are showing on the top of the beef.  Then I only turn once.  The beef will look 20% more rare than it is because of the vivid red color of healthy meat.  New cooks have a learning curve and I suggest you start out on hamburgers before the precious steaks.

I also love to pan fry my breakfast steaks (or a rib eye steak) in an iron skillet with a little olive oil and a dusting of garlic salt [not garlic powder].  When the skillet is medium hot, add oil, wait until it warms and sprinkle salt and then add your steak.  Turn meat when juices rise and cook on second side until the juice begins to peep through.

Hamburgers!  Nice medium coals, put patties on the grill or in frying pan and wait for juices to rise to top and turn once…wait for the peeping of the juice to cooked side and you are there!

Crock Pot:  The cooking time will be considerably less than for ordinary beef.  

Short Ribs:  My tip is to braze until they are golden brown all over then follow your favorite recipe.

Click here for the Grass-fed Gourmet Cookbook.