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