How to Grill Grass-fed Steak

Our Grass-fed Cooking Story

I imagine many of you have cooked steak before or possibly you never have, so let me share our experience.

Occasionally I hear from friends that they did not enjoy grassfed steak when they tried it from somewhere else before, I believe chances are it was because of how it was cooked or possible where the beef came from. That's right, a farmer that doesn't raise grass-fed beef correctly can impact the flavor. It is not as simple as just putting any cow on grass and then taking them to the butcher. However, today lets just stick with the cooking grass-fed steaks part, because if you are reading this you already found your farmer ;)

I will be honest, the first time I remember trying grass-fed only beef was probably 20 years ago and it was not a good experience. My family and I decided we would not raise grass-fed only beef for our small farm after trying this other farmer's beef. Well I am not sure if it was the farmer or maybe because we were naïve about how to properly cook grass-fed meat. Anyways, years late we decided to give it a try raising grass-fed only beef and we haven't looked back! Since doing it, we love the flavor and the health benefits!

So we got some education about how to cook grass-fed beef. Lets dive into an article from Shannon Hayes that has some wonderful books on how to cook grass-fed meats. Here is her suggestions, so next time you pull out some Wanda Farm Steaks you are prepared.

How to Cook the Perfect, Tender, Grass Fed Steak

By Shannon Hayes

The simplest, most commonly heard distinction made between grassfed and factory-farmed meat is that grassfed is leaner. As we’ve just seen, that is not always the case. The real difference lies in the fact that, by virtue of a beef animal’s active and healthy life, there is true muscle integrity in the meat. This is wildly different from the feedlot animals, which get little or no exercise, resulting in more flaccid (and, hence less flavorful) cuts. This does not mean that grassfed steaks are less tender – on the contrary. Cooked more gently, grassfed meat is wonderfully tender. The healthy muscle texture does, however, mean that grassfed steaks will be more variable than grainfed meats. Taste and texture of steaks will vary based on breed, farming practices, pastures, and individual animal characteristics. Thus, the trick to cooking a delicious steak is to work with the variability and take advantage of that beautiful muscle quality.

We should be treating this meat as “tenderly” in the kitchen or on the grill as the farmers treated the animals in the fields. When cooking a grassfed steak, we want to achieve a delicious sear that creates a pleasant light crust on the exterior of the meat, then allow it to finish cooking at a much lower temperature; this allows the naturally-occurring sugars to caramelize on the surface, while protecting those muscle fibers from contracting too quickly. Tough grassfed steaks result from over-exposure to high heat, which causes the muscle fibers to contract tightly and become chewy and overly dry. Also I would add we prefer the steak to be cooked no more than medium rare!

THE BEST STEAK – Grilling Outside

Recipe adapted from Farmer and the Grill: A Guide to Grilling, Barbecuing and Spit-Roasting Grassfed Meat…and for saving the planet, one bite at a time, by Shannon Hayes

(The amount of seasoning you will use will vary based on the size of your steak. If it is close to one pound, use less. If it is closer to 2 pounds, use more.)

• 1-2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• Either 1 sirloin, sirloin tip, tri-tip, top round or London Broil, rib eye, porterhouse, t-bone, top loin (NY Strip) or tenderloin (filet mignon) steak.

Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into both sides of the steak, then allow the meat to come to room temperature while you prepare the grill.

Start the grill and warm it until it is hot. If you are using a gas grill, turn off all but one of the burners once it has come up to temperature. If you are using charcoal, be sure all the coals have been raked to one side. Use the hand test: the grate will be hot enough when you can hold your palm 3-4 inches above the metal for no more than three seconds.

Sear the steaks for 2+- minutes on each side directly over the flame, with the lid down. Then, move the steaks to the part of grill that is not lit. Set the lid in place and allow the steaks to cook, without flipping them, until they reach 120-135 degrees**, about 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the steak. This will vary depending on how you want your steak cooked and thickness of steak. Remove the steaks to a platter and allow them to rest a few minutes before serving.

THE BEST STEAK – Indoors

Recipe taken from Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lovers’ Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously, by Shannon Hayes

(The amount of seasoning you will use will vary based on the size of your steak. If it is close to one pound, use less. If it is closer to 2 pounds, use more.)

• 1-2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter, tallow or rendered fat
• Either 1 sirloin, sirloin tip, tri-tip, top round or London Broil, rib eye, porterhouse, t-bone, top loin (NY Strip) or tenderloin (filet mignon) steak.

Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into both sides of the steak then allow the meat to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200 °, then heat a large cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet over a high flame. Once the skillet is so hot that you can see a little smoke rising off of it, add the butter or fat. Sear the steak for two minutes on each side. Turn off the flame, and insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the boneless edge of the steak – do not insert it into the top, as there is not enough thickness for the thermometer to take an accurate reading. Leaving 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 reads 120-135 °. Allow the meat to rest five minutes before carving and serving.

Best of Luck with your Grilling!

I hope this post will help you with all your grilling this coming season. We would love to hear your experiences or cooking tricks! Please comment below.