A Great Grass-fed Steak vs. a Good Grass-fed Steak
Planning ahead is essential to preparing a great grass-fed steak vs. a good grass-fed steak. Usually, it’s simply time and patience. Keep in mind that your grass-fed beef was not raised as a couch potato in some feedlot, but rather it was left to roam and get plenty of exercise. It is this lifestyle that produces a leaner and more healthful meat. With this leaner beef comes a more toned muscle with connecting fibers (sometimes called protein fibers). It is these connecting fibers that need to relax and soften 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, but no more than 4 hours. Your steak will now be at room temperature and will begin to 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. The parts of the steak that feel firm can be massaged. Just pick up the steak and massage the firm parts. It is the connecting fibers that create the firm areas, and the massaging breaks down these fibers.
After you have finished massaging your steak, put it on a flat surface and sprinkle lightly with salt. (We use Himalayan Pink Salt.) Rub the salt into the steak. Do this to both sides. Next we use a Jaccard tenderizer which pokes 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 1 hour, but not over 2 hours.
Step 4.
Prepare your grill or skillet. When using a skillet, it should be medium hot. Add a generous amount of real butter and heat until it bubbles. Add your steak and sear for approximately 1 minute on each side. Turn off heat, cover and let set for 1 more minute. Remove lid 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 a steak with a specific flavor, add this 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 with grain-fed beef.
If you don’t have a Jaccard tenderizer, these can be purchased at Academy Sports for around $20.