Chef's Healthy Choice: Grass-fed Beef
by Judi Sandall
Chef School Review Columnist
Recent buzz on the American culinary scene concerns an emerging trend—grass-fed beef. Health-conscious consumers as well as discerning chefs want naturally grown food, and grass-fed beef fits the bill.
Grass-fed beef, much like free range chicken, has gained in popularity with Americans who like to eat beef but are concerned with what happens to the cow before it becomes the rump roast or sirloin steak they buy at market. Grass-fed beef comes from cattle that graze in the pasture, receiving no hormones, antibiotics, or additives to promote faster growth. Cattle on this high fiber, forage diet produce leaner beef than cattle fed a diet of corn and grain.
Culinary Suggestions for Grass-Fed Beef
The existing rules for cooking beef don’t apply to grass-fed beef. Dodson’s Grass-Fed Beef Farm suggests the following cooking tips for aspiring chefs:
- Don’t overcook—grass-fed beef generally takes 30% less time to cook and should be cooked rare to medium rare or, for those who want it well done, cooked in a marinade at a lower temperature
- Coat it with oil to prevent it from drying out and sticking to the pan
- Use a light marinade for very lean cuts
- Remove from heat 10 minutes before the beef reaches it’s desired ‘done’ temperature—it continues to cook even after removed from the grill.
- Reduce cooking temperature by 50 degrees (cooking time may also be shorter than indicated).
- Never thaw grass-fed beef using a microwave; bring it to room temperature before cooking.
- Always preheat your oven, pan, or grill.
- Never use a fork to turn the beef—juices are lost—always use tongs.
With the increasing popularity of grass-fed beef, tomorrow’s chefs need to be prepared for the changes to traditional culinary beef-cooking methods. Enrolling in culinary school cam provide you with instruction about the latest techniques and food trends, keeping you on the cutting-edge chef of tomorrow’s culinary scene.
Author
Judi Sandall
Source(s)
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 10:31 AM
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Later: Is the Slow-Cooking Craze a Crock?
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