Re: tough meat - And how to avoid it!

[Guest guest]

OK, I'll bite. I just feel the need to quash a MYTH I see developing here in

our

midst...grass-fed meat is NOT tougher than grain-fed meat. Granted, 90% of

what's out

there really IS tough though, but that is NOT because it's grass-fed.

That toughness is related to breed of animal, age at harvest, and amount of fat

inside the

meat. It is also directly related to cooking temperature and time. Most cooks

tend to RUIN

perfectly good meat every day! Properly raised and processed grass-fed beef is

FORK

TENDER every time! Hamburgers made properly with good grass-fed beef and cooked

properly are juicy, moist and tender every single time!

If cattle are the wrong breed, and only a few breeds can do well on grass (the

English

purebred breeds are best but even among them, only certain purebred lines), they

will not

average a 1.5-2# daily gain and will therefore be too old at finishing thus

having a

correspondingly high amount of connective tissue in the meat. If the forages are

not fully

nutrient dense, the cattle will not be capable of gaining adequate weight nor

will they be

able to fatten properly. Likewise, mineral deficient or low biologically active

soil will not

create healthy pasture. SO, every step of the way is fraught with the

possibility of

toughening the meat.

Dairy breeds are selectively bred to have good connective tissue to hold up to

the rigors of

many years of delivering calves, milking and grazing, so the eating qualities of

the meat

are a distant selection trait. Likewise, most modern beef breeds, like Hereford

and Angus

have been bred for maximum weight gain in the feedlot pounding down truckloads

of corn

and soybeans. These cattle can't get fat on grass due to 50 years of favoring

the wrong

selection traits. These cattle, which make up 90+% of what's out in the auction

barns give

grass-fed a bad name. When finished on grass, they are low-fat alright, and

quite healthy

to eat, but it won't be fun!

Personally, I would not recommend drying meat out in the refrigerator. A good

processing

plant can wet-age or dry-age but it's done in a safe and controlled environment.

Who

knows what bugs or odors are swirling around a refrigerator.

With regard to cooking grass-fed meat, I can tell you for a fact that 99% of the

people tend

to use too hot a flame to " sear " the meat (not a good idea even though this

concept is

deeply ingrained in people's minds!), and people tend to overcook meat too

much. A

" well-done " portion of meat has had the enzymes killed, the vitamins destroyed

and the

protein denatured, it's tough, dry and flavorless. I recommend people go first

to one

degree less when they order, eg, if they like it " well " go to " medium-well " all

the way down

to eventually going to " rare " , the most healthy and flavorful way to serve

grass-fed meat.

100% Grass-fed meat has not been to the confinement lot, the main source of E.

coli

0157, Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella and other pathogens. With ground meat

this is

also true but one must factor in the cleanliness of the grinder. You can buy

ground meat

sealed in cryovac at the processing plant which is far less likely to have a

speck of

contamination. I'm not afraid of eating our own grass-fed ground beef raw. It's

important

to remember to AVOID squeezing grilling burgers with the spatula because that

loses the

juices containing the good fat (Omega 3, CLA) plus it's where the flavor and

good mouth

feel come from. It's an old habit from cooking grain-fed meat that can ruin a

good grass-

fed burger.

Two really good ways to " tenderize " tougher cuts of grass-fed meat are to SLOW

COOK in

a crock pot at 200-250 degrees for 6-8 hours. This can be done with root

vegetables, say

with a good roast (any roast, be it arm, chuck, shoulder, rump or round will

work fine),

and an entire meal will be ready when you get home from work, all for about 10

minutes

of assembly time in the morning. The other technique involves MARINATING the

steaks,

this is good with round steak, overnight in a marinating sauce, prior to

cooking. The rules

of slow-cooking and low-heat cooking still apply to marinated meats.

Happy eating,

Will

[Guest guest]

Thanks Will!

I know when I got our 1/4 beef, I started cooking it the good old fashion way.

It was like shoe leather but had good flavor! LOL. I have now slowed down my

cooking and lowered the temp and the steaks are now nicely tender. I will say it

is a bit tougher than what you get at Cub, but in a good way.

Some store meats are so tender they are like mush in your mouth. I like a little

chew to my foods and find it is more pleasant to eat. Meats were not made to be

like mashed potatoes! Chewing them and our salvia is what helps us digest them

and our bodies are better able to utilize them.

Kimi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

www.Jremedies.com

Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in

prison?

[Guest guest]

All of the feedback is very helpful, so far. I¹m finding that more than

anything, I really need to think WAY ahead to plan meals, which is probably

the biggest lifestyle change for me. I¹ve always been kind of a last-minute

operator! Soaking grains and marinating meat, then slow cooking it all takes

a bit of strategy. I just had to dump a failed sourdough starter‹after a

week of feeding, warming and molly-coddling the stone-ground rye and

distilled water mixed with the whey I made from organic whole milk yogurt.

It lay there like a rock when I tried to get my dough to rise. I even put

it on top of the water heater for optimum warmth and privacy. Six hours

later, nothing. I just went to Turtle Bread and bought a dang loaf. I want

to try again, but since I have ready access to a really good bakery, I¹m

wondering if I just let that one go... I¹m about to pound a few country

pork chops, stick them in the crock pot and see what happens. Any pork chop

wisdom out there? (loin, bone-in) Do you think buttermilk would do

something? (As opposed to my former cream of mushroom soup solution.)

On 2/28/06 9:50 AM, " Kimi " <kwolffden@...> wrote:

> Thanks Will!

>

> I know when I got our 1/4 beef, I started cooking it the good old fashion way.

> It was like shoe leather but had good flavor! LOL. I have now slowed down my

> cooking and lowered the temp and the steaks are now nicely tender. I will say

> it is a bit tougher than what you get at Cub, but in a good way.

>

> Some store meats are so tender they are like mush in your mouth. I like a

> little chew to my foods and find it is more pleasant to eat. Meats were not

> made to be like mashed potatoes! Chewing them and our salvia is what helps us

> digest them and our bodies are better able to utilize them.

>

> Kimi

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> www.Jremedies.com

>

> Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in

> prison?

>

>

[Guest guest]

The suggestion for refrigerator aging came from

someone at 1000 Hills Cattle Company. He told me he

does it and it really improves the tenderness. It is

also recommended in several cookbooks I have used. I

do it all the time and have never had a problem But I

cook it, so i suppose that would kill the bugs.

--- Will Winter <holistic@...> wrote:

> OK, I'll bite. I just feel the need to quash a MYTH

> I see developing here in our

> midst...grass-fed meat is NOT tougher than grain-fed

> meat. Granted, 90% of what's out

> there really IS tough though, but that is NOT

> because it's grass-fed.

>

> That toughness is related to breed of animal, age at

> harvest, and amount of fat inside the

> meat. It is also directly related to cooking

> temperature and time. Most cooks tend to RUIN

> perfectly good meat every day! Properly raised and

> processed grass-fed beef is FORK

> TENDER every time! Hamburgers made properly with

> good grass-fed beef and cooked

> properly are juicy, moist and tender every single

> time!

>

> If cattle are the wrong breed, and only a few breeds

> can do well on grass (the English

> purebred breeds are best but even among them, only

> certain purebred lines), they will not

> average a 1.5-2# daily gain and will therefore be

> too old at finishing thus having a

> correspondingly high amount of connective tissue in

> the meat. If the forages are not fully

> nutrient dense, the cattle will not be capable of

> gaining adequate weight nor will they be

> able to fatten properly. Likewise, mineral

> deficient or low biologically active soil will not

> create healthy pasture. SO, every step of the way is

> fraught with the possibility of

> toughening the meat.

>

> Dairy breeds are selectively bred to have good

> connective tissue to hold up to the rigors of

> many years of delivering calves, milking and

> grazing, so the eating qualities of the meat

> are a distant selection trait. Likewise, most modern

> beef breeds, like Hereford and Angus

> have been bred for maximum weight gain in the

> feedlot pounding down truckloads of corn

> and soybeans. These cattle can't get fat on grass

> due to 50 years of favoring the wrong

> selection traits. These cattle, which make up 90+%

> of what's out in the auction barns give

> grass-fed a bad name. When finished on grass, they

> are low-fat alright, and quite healthy

> to eat, but it won't be fun!

>

> Personally, I would not recommend drying meat out in

> the refrigerator. A good processing

> plant can wet-age or dry-age but it's done in a safe

> and controlled environment. Who

> knows what bugs or odors are swirling around a

> refrigerator.

>

> With regard to cooking grass-fed meat, I can tell

> you for a fact that 99% of the people tend

> to use too hot a flame to " sear " the meat (not a

> good idea even though this concept is

> deeply ingrained in people's minds!), and people

> tend to overcook meat too much. A

> " well-done " portion of meat has had the enzymes

> killed, the vitamins destroyed and the

> protein denatured, it's tough, dry and flavorless. I

> recommend people go first to one

> degree less when they order, eg, if they like it

> " well " go to " medium-well " all the way down

> to eventually going to " rare " , the most healthy and

> flavorful way to serve grass-fed meat.

>

> 100% Grass-fed meat has not been to the confinement

> lot, the main source of E. coli

> 0157, Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella and other

> pathogens. With ground meat this is

> also true but one must factor in the cleanliness of

> the grinder. You can buy ground meat

> sealed in cryovac at the processing plant which is

> far less likely to have a speck of

> contamination. I'm not afraid of eating our own

> grass-fed ground beef raw. It's important

> to remember to AVOID squeezing grilling burgers with

> the spatula because that loses the

> juices containing the good fat (Omega 3, CLA) plus

> it's where the flavor and good mouth

> feel come from. It's an old habit from cooking

> grain-fed meat that can ruin a good grass-

> fed burger.

>

> Two really good ways to " tenderize " tougher cuts of

> grass-fed meat are to SLOW COOK in

> a crock pot at 200-250 degrees for 6-8 hours. This

> can be done with root vegetables, say

> with a good roast (any roast, be it arm, chuck,

> shoulder, rump or round will work fine),

> and an entire meal will be ready when you get home

> from work, all for about 10 minutes

> of assembly time in the morning. The other

> technique involves MARINATING the steaks,

> this is good with round steak, overnight in a

> marinating sauce, prior to cooking. The rules

> of slow-cooking and low-heat cooking still apply to

> marinated meats.

>

> Happy eating,

> Will

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Will,

Specifically what breeds are good on grass. I have a friend who will

raise beef on grass for me but don't want to make the mistake of

trying to fatten the wrong breed on grass. You said that only certain

English lines will do.

Dave

-- In , " Will Winter " <holistic@...> wrote:

>

> OK, I'll bite. I just feel the need to quash a MYTH I see

developing here in our

> midst...grass-fed meat is NOT tougher than grain-fed meat. Granted,

90% of what's out

> there really IS tough though, but that is NOT because it's grass-fed.

>

> That toughness is related to breed of animal, age at harvest, and

amount of fat inside the

> meat. It is also directly related to cooking temperature and time.

Most cooks tend to RUIN

> perfectly good meat every day! Properly raised and processed

grass-fed beef is FORK

> TENDER every time! Hamburgers made properly with good grass-fed beef

and cooked

> properly are juicy, moist and tender every single time!

>

> If cattle are the wrong breed, and only a few breeds can do well on

grass (the English

> purebred breeds are best but even among them, only certain purebred

lines), they will not

> average a 1.5-2# daily gain and will therefore be too old at

finishing thus having a

> correspondingly high amount of connective tissue in the meat. If the

forages are not fully

> nutrient dense, the cattle will not be capable of gaining adequate

weight nor will they be

> able to fatten properly. Likewise, mineral deficient or low

biologically active soil will not

> create healthy pasture. SO, every step of the way is fraught with

the possibility of

> toughening the meat.

>

> Dairy breeds are selectively bred to have good connective tissue to

hold up to the rigors of

> many years of delivering calves, milking and grazing, so the eating

qualities of the meat

> are a distant selection trait. Likewise, most modern beef breeds,

like Hereford and Angus

> have been bred for maximum weight gain in the feedlot pounding down

truckloads of corn

> and soybeans. These cattle can't get fat on grass due to 50 years of

favoring the wrong

> selection traits. These cattle, which make up 90+% of what's out in

the auction barns give

> grass-fed a bad name. When finished on grass, they are low-fat

alright, and quite healthy

> to eat, but it won't be fun!

>

> Personally, I would not recommend drying meat out in the

refrigerator. A good processing

> plant can wet-age or dry-age but it's done in a safe and controlled

environment. Who

> knows what bugs or odors are swirling around a refrigerator.

>

> With regard to cooking grass-fed meat, I can tell you for a fact

that 99% of the people tend

> to use too hot a flame to " sear " the meat (not a good idea even

though this concept is

> deeply ingrained in people's minds!), and people tend to overcook

meat too much. A

> " well-done " portion of meat has had the enzymes killed, the vitamins

destroyed and the

> protein denatured, it's tough, dry and flavorless. I recommend

people go first to one

> degree less when they order, eg, if they like it " well " go to

" medium-well " all the way down

> to eventually going to " rare " , the most healthy and flavorful way to

serve grass-fed meat.

>

> 100% Grass-fed meat has not been to the confinement lot, the main

source of E. coli

> 0157, Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella and other pathogens. With

ground meat this is

> also true but one must factor in the cleanliness of the grinder. You

can buy ground meat

> sealed in cryovac at the processing plant which is far less likely

to have a speck of

> contamination. I'm not afraid of eating our own grass-fed ground

beef raw. It's important

> to remember to AVOID squeezing grilling burgers with the spatula

because that loses the

> juices containing the good fat (Omega 3, CLA) plus it's where the

flavor and good mouth

> feel come from. It's an old habit from cooking grain-fed meat that

can ruin a good grass-

> fed burger.

>

> Two really good ways to " tenderize " tougher cuts of grass-fed meat

are to SLOW COOK in

> a crock pot at 200-250 degrees for 6-8 hours. This can be done with

root vegetables, say

> with a good roast (any roast, be it arm, chuck, shoulder, rump or

round will work fine),

> and an entire meal will be ready when you get home from work, all

for about 10 minutes

> of assembly time in the morning. The other technique involves

MARINATING the steaks,

> this is good with round steak, overnight in a marinating sauce,

prior to cooking. The rules

> of slow-cooking and low-heat cooking still apply to marinated meats.

>

> Happy eating,

> Will

>

[Guest guest]

Remember, at Thousand Hills we are going for the top-of-the-top. It's for that

reason that

we are so breed specific. There are people finishing dairy steers on grass and

there is a

market for it. Others pick up feeder calves of mixed heritage and grass finish

them as well.

If the meat will be ground, it isn't as critical. We sell steaks and we sell to

restaurants. No

one going to Lucia's wants to bite into a tough steak.

We specify that we prefer that all our producers raise Hereford, Black/Red

Angus, British

White, Murray Grey, Shorthorn, Galloway, or Devon. Within these breeds there are

extreme

variations as well and some lines are strictly feedlot material. Cattle crossed

with the

Continental-French breed such as Charlois, Simmental, Limosin and others just

won't work

in our program. Same is true, of course for anything with Bramin blood. We

particularly

recommend Devon bloodlines from the Bakewell Reproductive Center. This genetic

stock

comes from England via New Zealand. They have never been bred for the feedlot

program.

These are the breeds that can get fat on grass and finish in less than 24

months. There

are exceptions to every rule, even these, but it's really doing it the hard way

if you don't

start with the right genes.

Soil, pastures and rotational grazing techniques are all part of the process as

well as

genetics. I'm glad to hear you may be getting on the bus. We have hit the point

where we

are selling virtually everything we are producing yet we are adding 1-2 new

stores every

week. In the very near future we will be struggling to find good beef. It's

time to RECRUIT

new farmers!

GRASS IS THE FUTURE!

WILL

[Guest guest]

Sara, I'm really intrigued by this idea of dry-aging ... I've never

heard of it.

So does this allow you to enjoy organic grass-fed steaks on the

grill? With all this talk about slow-cooking, and with my own

similar experience of tough meats purchased from our beloved organic

farmers, I was feeling I'd have to forgo the grilling.

Does it work for chicken too? The free-range chickens are so

much " firmer " to the bite, that I only feel comfortable using them in

slow-cooked recipes with a lot of liquid, but I do love a marinated

grilled chicken breast! I know grilling is not necessarily endorsed

by NT because slow-cooking methods are preferred, but we like a

variety of foods in our diet, not all stews and roasts!

~ Angie ~

>

> The suggestion for refrigerator aging came from

> someone at 1000 Hills Cattle Company. He told me he

> does it and it really improves the tenderness. It is

> also recommended in several cookbooks I have used. I

> do it all the time and have never had a problem But I

> cook it, so i suppose that would kill the bugs.

>

>