Grass Fed Beef Cooking Tips

There’s nothing average about our Piedmontese Beef. Like all Piedmontese beef & grass fed beef of any breed, Our beef cooks differently from the grain-fed beef found in most supermarkets and butchers. This guide will help you get the best results. Think of Grass Fed Piedmontese Beef as the new FAST food! If you remember that it cooks faster at lower temperatures you will be pleased with the results.

Quick Tips In a Nutshell

1)Keep It Frozen ~ Until you are ready to use it.

2)Thaw it completely before you cook it! You can thaw in the refrigerator for a day or so or in a bowl of cool water on the counter if you are in a hurry.

3)Please DO NOT MICROWAVE

4)Bring steaks and roasts to room temp before cooking

5)Lower the heat in your regular recipes by 25 to 50 degrees

6)Shorten the cooking time by 30% to 50%

7)Steaks can go from perfect to overcooked quickly due to the low fat content so watch carefully

8)Remove from heat when beef is 5 degrees shy of your desired internal temperature, it will continue to cook once removed from heat. Use the temperature chart below for reference.

9)Cook. Rest. Slice. Let your beef rest at least 10 minutes before slicing (20 for roasts). This allows time for the beef to continue the cooking process and a lets the juices to circulate back into the meat. Slicing before it has properly rested sends the juices dribbling onto the cutting board. And that’s not where we really want them.

10) ENJOY!!

Because our beef is lean, has little to no marbling and lower in fat than conventional grain-fed beef, its flavor is accentuated by cooking at a slightly lower temperature and for less time . So, unless a recipe specifies grass-fed beef or Piedmontese beef, reduce the temperature in the recipe by 25 to 50 degrees when cooking with our Beef. Even at the lower temperature, cooking time for our lean grass-fed beef will be about 30% to 50% less than for conventional beef, watch it closely.

How Do You Like It?

Whatever your preference,

here’s a handy list of recommended final temperatures for every shade of “done”.

120- 125* F 125- 130*F 130-135*F 135- 140*F 140-145+*F

Very Rare Medium Rare Medium Medium Well Well Done

Use a digital meat thermometer to get the most accurate reading. And keep in mind, to achieve the desired temperature, remove beef from the heat source when it’s 5 degrees shy of your target temperature – the residual heat will finish cooking the meat in about ten to twenty minutes depending on the size of the steak or roast. Because all thermometers can vary get to know your thermometer. Our family prefers that I take the steaks off the grill at around 128 degrees, still pink and juicy but not too rare.

Cooking Roasts

For Rare to medium results;

When cooking roasts it is best to sear the beef first. This can be done either on the stove top in a hot pan with a little oil (I like grape seed oil for it’s high smoke point) until brown then place in a preheated 225 degree oven until desired temperature is achieved. Don’t overcook! Or you can place your roast in a preheated 450 degree oven then immediately lower the temperature and cook to desired temp. PLEASE use your thermometer and don’t forget that even at lower temps it will still cook at least 30 percent faster that conventional beef. For roasts I use a thermometer that I can leave in the meat and check without opening the oven door.

For well done

Cooking in a crock-pot is also an easy way to achieve great results for well done meat. If you prefer, cooking in the oven on very low 200-225 degrees, with about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan and onions also is a great way to get well done goodness.

For Great Grilling Results

*No forks – Use tongs to turn your steak or roast; a fork punches holes in the meat and allows the natural juices to escape, causing it to lose flavor and juiciness!

*Keep a lid on it – To ensure that our beef cooks evenly, leave the lid down on the grill.

*Start Steaks at Room Temp

Steaks should be at room temperature before you start cooking. That way they spend less time in the pan getting to temperature. It’s a gentler method of cooking and will deliver tender and juicier meat to your plate. Just keep in mind that it will cook quickly! Because of the low fat content steaks can go from perfect to OVERCOOKED very quickly.

*Don’t Play with Burgers

Don’t press and pat the burgers with a spatula. This squeezes out the delicious juices, and doesn’t make them cook any faster. Spatulas are just for flipping! Start with a burger that is thinner in the middle, thicker on the edges.

That’s all for now folks! I will be adding recipes later.

Tennessee Farm Fresh Name Phil and Charlene Budd as Producers of the Month…if you are interested in storing up some local meat for your dining pleasure

Tasty Tender Lean Beef

The Piedmontese is a medium-sized breed with an extraordinary ability to convert forage and pasture into beef. It has a fine body structure, extremely high muscularity and a thin, elastic skin. It also combines a high dressing-out percentage with a large number of excellent retail cuts that exceeds the yield of other beef breeds.  Go to he website to learn more…Anaborapi

Devastating Middle Tennessee Flooding

There’s no other way to describe it. The staggering amount of rainfall over the weekend was unbelievable and the amount of damage caused throughout Middle Tennessee is overwhelming. But even with the downpours and flooding, our farmers are still here and for that, we are very thankful. With farms spread across Middle Tennessee, those in the counties west of Nashville seem to have suffered the most. But there is a bright side. Farmers are experts at both planning and doing. They take stock of what needs to be done and then they do it. Debris is now being cleaned out of fields. Fence lines are being repaired. And if needed, new seedlings will be planted in gardens to replace any lost in the rain and flooding.

Visit your favorite farmers this Saturday at the market. Find out what happened on their farms over the past weekend. And know that they will keep bringing delicious, locally grown/raised farm goods to you at the Franklin Farmers Market both this weekend and all summer long.

Mom’s Day

In all of the frenzy of the last two or three days, you may have forgotten about it. So here’s a friendly reminder: Sunday is Mother’s Day. But don’t worry. You don’t have to look all over town for the perfect gift, because you’ll find it at the market.

Moms love flowers and you will find some gorgeous ones at the Blooming Baskets booth. Lovely live flower baskets filled with perennials and annual flowers which Mom can leave in the basket all summer or transplant into her yard. Blooming Baskets also have beautiful black iron hanging baskets filled with a variety of colorful blooms…the perfect present!

Or go one step further and give Mama a head start on nice little garden this summer with plants from Paradise Produce. From zinnias to sunflowers and cilantro to tomatoes, Paradise Produce has a full range of flowers, herbs and vegetables plants to start a garden.

For that little touch of luxury, check out the wonderful soaps that Peaceful Pastures has for Mom. You’ll also find shea butter at the Peaceful Pastures booth too.

How about a picture-perfect handcrafted gift for your mother? Take a look at the fantastic pottery from Clay and Fire. Vicki’s skillful hands turn clay into real works of art that are both colorful and functional.

Despite being hit by flooding, Eden Farms of College Grove still has some of most beautiful plants at the market. Stop by their booth this Saturday and find just the right one for your mother.

It’s a rule: Mom doesn’t have to cook on Mother’s Day. It’s your turn to do so. How about a tender delicious steak from Triple L Ranch? They’ve got them ready for you to throw on the grill. Or BB’s BBQ has got the yummy smoked barbecue that’s great for lunch or dinner. Then there’s the special baked goods from the Norton Family Farm…fruit pies, cream cheese stuffed muffins, lots of cakes and their very popular chicken salad. They’ve also got gift baskets of preserves and jellies for Mom too. If your mama has a big sweet tooth, stop by the Pink Sugar Bowl boothfor the special Mother’s Day gift box. There’s three yummy whoopie pies and a half a dozen cookies, looking oh so delicious in a black gift box tied up with pink and black ribbons. And if you just can’t decide on what your mom would like to eat, then stop by the Beaverdam Creek Farm booth and ask about their special gift certificates. It’s a great way for Mom to pick out exactly what she wants from the tasty fresh food of Beaverdam Creek Farm.

So remember this: You may call her Mom, Mama or Mother but a gift for her from the Franklin Farmers Market goes by just one name: Perfect.

Your Help Is Needed

Earlier this spring on the Windy Acres Farm, there was a fire in one of the shop buildings. Ron Harness, who works on the farm, was seriously injured in the fire and is still recovering from his burns. As a result, Ron is facing huge medical expenses. We’re asking you to please help Ron and his family by making a donation to a special fund set up for him. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. Please send donations to:

The Ron Harness Fund

Orlinda Baptist Church

P.O. Box 7

Orlinda, TN 37141

Traffic Alert: If you normally go through downtown Franklin as you drive to the market, you’ll need to take an alternate route as the parade for the 60th Annual Franklin Rodeo will take place this Saturday.

Summer Market Hours: 8am – 1pm

This newsletter is made possible with funding support from the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program.

www.picktnproducts.org

5. Davidson, M.H.; Hunninghake, D.; Maki, K.C.; Kwiterovitch, P.O.;Kafonek, S. Comparison of the effects of lean red meat vs. lean white meat on serum lipid levels among free-living persons with hypercholesterolemia. Arch Intern. Med. 159:1331-1338, 1999.

Reference: Beef Nutrition