Cook 100% grass-fed and pastured meat to the correct doneness
Use a good meat thermometer.
Put away your timer.
Turn down the heat.
Learn when to use the right cooking method for the right cut of meat.
WHY 100% Grass-fed and pastured meat is significantly lower in fat than meat in grocery stores. Leaner cuts cook faster than fattier cuts. We recommend using a thermometer instead of cooking times.
Avoid cooking too hot and too fast . Moisture and fat will exit quicker at a higher temperature, so my recommendation is to get a quick sear on both sides with high heat then turn the temperature down to finish.
Avoid using a fork to turn meat when it is hot. Juices flow out and that will make the meat tough. Instead, use tongs or a pancake turner.
Until you are thoroughly familiar with cooking 100% grass-fed or pastured meat, it is best to set the flame a little lower when you are grilling or frying. This also means setting the oven temperature lower than what is customary.
We recommend rare to medium rare for steaks for tenderness.
HOW Pan-frying, broiling, roasting, barbecuing, grilling, stir-frying, and sautéing
Cuts to use: tenderloin, rib eye or rib steak and rib roasts, T-bones, top sirloin, sirloin tip, flank, skirt, tri tip, flat iron, hanger steak, top round or London Broil, rump roast, bottom round, ground beef.
Rest steaks: 5 to 10 minutes after removing from heat. Rest larger roasts for 15 to 25 minutes after removing from heat.
Rare: 115-120 Fahrenheit , 125 degrees after resting.
Medium: 125-130 Fahrenheit, 135 degrees after resting.
Well: 135-140 Fahrenheit, 140 to 145 degrees after resting.
Pork chops and pork sirloin can be cooked to the pink:145-160 Fahrenheit.
Moist heat cooking: braising, stewing, crock-pot cooking, and boiling
Cuts to use: chuck roasts, arm roasts, brisket, shanks and shank steaks.
Moist heat cooking is good for muscles that work a lot and develop a lot of protein called collagen. Your job is to break down the collagen to make the meat tender using a sealed vessel and high heat moisture.
Cook 3 to 6 hours, depending on the size of cut, until the meat falls off the bone or is tender.
Super slow cooking
Cuts to use: pork chops, rump roasts, beef chuck roasts, arm roasts, steaks, top rounds.
Oven roast: 170 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours. This makes the meat juicy and flavorful because the lower temperatures keeps the juice from escaping.
Figure around 1 hour and 10 minutes of cooking at 170 degrees Fahrenheit per pound of meat as a guide, but your thermometer tells all. Follow the rare, medium and well done degrees guidelines above.
Summary:
Follow the cooking temperatures above. USDA recommendations for internal temperatures are too high for pastured and 100% grass-fed meat.
Rest your meat if you want to keep your meat moist and tender.
Use high heat only in the beginning to sear. Then turn the temperature down so you don't lose internal fat and moisture.
Know which style of cooking is best for which cuts.