The Way To Cook


Information Credit : Excerpts from Shannon Hayes book "the Grass-fed Gourmet"


Rules of thumb when cooking with grass-fed meats:

            • Turn down the heat
            • Use a meat thermometer
            • Use less seasonings and sauces
            • Learn about dry-heat cooking for fancier, fresh cuts
            • Learn about moist-heat cooking for less tender cuts

Dry-Heat Cooking (for use on tender cuts)

            • Fats & water are pulled from the meat, firming it up until it reaches desire done-ness. You want a firm but juicy product
            • Salt meat before cooking, then pan fry steak on hot skillet for 2 Min per side then oven bake at 200(F) for 8-12 Min
            • Tip : Ensure all cuts are fairly equal in size and width

Moist-Heat Cooking (for use on tougher cuts when brazing, stewing, slow cooking)

            • Tougher cuts come from parts of the animal that does more work thus having more connective tissue called "collagen". Moist-heat breaks this down. (i.e : Stewing meat, chuck/neck roasts, shank,brisket)

Super Slow Roasting (some cuts that work with both methods)

            • Shoulder, neck and chuck roasts , chops , steaks , top rounds, eye of round.
            • Put in the oven and roast slowly for several hours at 170 (F). Juice will not escape while under low temperature.

Recipes

Rillette

You will need:
            1 kg pork shoulder cut into pieces
            ½ kg lard
            ½ cup dry wine
            1 bulb of garlic peeled
            2 bay leaves
            1 sprig rosemary  
            1 Tblsp unrefined salt
            1 tsp fennel seeds
            1 tsp chile flakes
            1 tsp paprika
Mix all the ingredients in an enameled cast iron pot, cover and bake at 350 for at least two hours. When it is done, the meat will shred easily and can be mixed thoroughly into the fat, making a somewhat smooth paste. Pick out the rosemary sprig and bay leaves.
Once chilled this is a very nice spread for the lard biscuits!


 

 

Biscuits (Savory Scones)


You will need:

            2 cups flour
            1 tblsp baking powder
            ½ tsp salt
            4 tblsp chopped cracklings
            2 tblsp chopped chives            90 g. fat
            2/3 cup milk  
Mix the dry ingredients, stir in the cracklings, the chives and the lard. Combine until crumbly and even then add the cold milk. Mix just until it is even then roll or press out to about 2 cm thickness on floured surface. Use round cutter for making shapes. Brush the tops with milk and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.


 

 

Fiona's Yummy Brisket

 

1 Brisket cut into small cubes

4 Tblsp Rendered Beef or Pork Fat

1-2 Tsp Salt

3 Tblsp Marmalade (a nice plum jam is great too)

2 Tblsp Sugar

3 Tblsp. Soy Sauce

1 cup Red Wine

 

Sprinkle salt over brisket chunks, mix thoroughly and then braise the brisket in the frying pan with the fat for about 8-10 minutes until mostly everything is browned slightly.

Pour contents of frying pan into a thicker type pot with a lid; make sure that all the juices and fat stays with the brisket. Add the marmalade (or jam), sugar and soy sauce and mix into the meat. Add wine and set the pot on top of the stove on low heat or inside the oven on low-mid temperatures.

Let cook for about 1.5 hours or until the brisket meat has become soft.

 

This is also a good recipe to make in your slow cooker after the frying pan stage.

 

Tip: Rice (or quinoa) goes well with this recipe.