Safe Handling & General Cooking Tips

Thawing & Storage

Like all perishable foods, meat must be thawed and stored properly to avoid spoilage and food borne illness. Follow these food-safe practices:

• Refrigerate or freeze beef as soon as possible after purchasing. (If it will take longer than 30 minutes to get it home, keep it cold in a cooler in your car.)
• To thaw meat, place it in the meat compartment or in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Do not defrost frozen meat at room temperature because it creates the perfect environment for bacterial growth. For quicker thawing, run cool water over vacuum packed pouches.
• Place package on a tray to catch any drippings and place in refrigerator the day before it is needed.
• Allow about 24 hours to defrost smaller packages of meat like 1 lb. of ground beef or stew or a couple of steaks.
  • Allow 4 to 7 hours per pound to defrost large oven roasts or thick compact pot roasts.
  • Allow 3 to 5 hours per pound to defrost small oven roasts or thin pot roasts.
  • Allow 24 to 36 hours to defrost a 3-4 lb. whole chicken.
• Cook ground beef soon after defrosting, as it deteriorates more quickly than other cuts.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly after serving, within 2 hours after cooking. To speed up the chilling, divide large quantities into smaller portions or spread food out in shallow container.
• Remember that ground beef, beef for stir-fry, beef for stew and beef for kabobs are more perishable than whole muscle cuts (roasts and steaks).

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Timetable for Storing Meats

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General Cooking Tips for Pasture Finished Meats

Special note: Compared with meat from grain fed animals, Pasture Finished meat has roughly half the saturated fat, lower cholesterol levels and higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. All of these things give the fat in pasture-finished meats a smooth, liquid quality that more readily cooks off at higher temperatures. If fat is lost as you cook, tenderness and flavor are compromised. Follow these few simple rules when cooking your Pasture Finished Meats and you’ll be pleased by the results every time!

Remember to always wash your hands before and after touching raw meat. All utensils, cutting boards, counter tops and other objects that have come in contact with raw meat need to be washed and sanitized properly.

• Thaw meats properly, then warm slowly: Meats can toughen when subjected to dramatic temperature changes... such as going from the refrigerator to the oven, grill or frying pan. So once thawed, place meats (still on a plate or pan to catch moisture) on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes to warm up to room temperature before cooking. (USDA recommendation: DO NOT exceed 2 hours.)
• Marinate: Marinating your meats for up to 24 hours before cooking adds both flavor and tenderness. Use lemon, lime, vinegar (try balsamic or red wine vinegar), wine, beer, bourbon or even your favorite Italian salad dressing, as well as your favorite herbs and spices you wish to add. This can be done in a resealable bag in the refrigerator (Place the bag on a plate or shallow pan to catch any juices that may leak out.). If your meats are still frozen, try thawing them out in the marinade (following our thawing guidelines listed above).
• Coat with oil: Since grass-fed meats are low in fats, add a light coat of oil - such as virgin olive oil – before searing, grilling, broiling, braising or roasting.
• Tenderize: Place steaks on a solid surface, cover with plastic, and pound them a few times with a mallet or rolling pin or other such device. This helps to break up the connective tissues and also pushes in any rubs or spices you have already applied.
• Sear just before cooking: Searing caramelizes the meat's sugars to lock in the juices - and adds flavor. Heat a pan with oil on high heat, sprinkle desired seasonings on the meat, and sear the steak or roast on all sides until browned. Hint... Meats may stick and tear if the searing oil is not hot enough, and the sugars won't caramelize properly.
• Preheat: Always preheat your oven, pan, or grill before cooking.
• Don’t overcook it! This is the most common reason for tough or dry result. Generally speaking, grass-fed beef is for rare to medium-rare cooking. If you don't like red or pink in your beef, then cook or braise on very low temperatures in a sauce. And remember, grass-fed beef requires lower cooking temperatures with shorter cooking times than grain-fed beef.
• Use a meat thermometer: Oven-proof thermometers stay inside the meat, whereas ‘instant-read’ thermometers are poked in, read, and removed. Be sure to put the thermometer’s tip into the deepest, thickest part of the meat, yet not touching bone. Use the following temperature guidelines for testing doneness of your beef roasts or steaks:
  • Rare=120 degrees (red in center)
  • Medium-rare=125 degrees (very pink in center)
  • Medium=130 degrees (lightly pink in center)
  • Medium-well=135 degrees (no pink remains)
  • Well=140 degrees
  Remember that the meat still cooks after it is removed from the oven, so remove it just before it reaches its desired ‘doneness’. Suggested oven temperatures for roasts ~ 275 degrees.
• Baste and Use tongs: During the cooking process, basting helps to keep the meat moist. Any time you turn your beef, use tongs in order to avoid losing juices through fork or knife punctures. Practice using your finger to test for softness or doneness, instead of cutting the meat open.
• When cooking pre-made hamburger patties turn often and until an internal temperature of 160 is reached. Do not press the moisture out of the patties. (Patties cook rather quickly because they are thin.)

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