How to cook pasture -raised meats
When it comes to cooking pastured or grass-fed meats, remember that these meats are lower in fat than the usual grocery store grain-fed meats, so it requires lower heat and less cooking time.
GRILLING
Bring your beef or lamb to room temperature before grilling. Always use tongs to turn your meat instead of a fork (piercing the meat allows all the juices to escape). Sear meat for a minute on each side (no more than that) then move them to the edge of the coals to the lower heat for 3-4 minutes on the first side then 2-3 minutes for the second side. If your steak is still a little too rare for your liking then throw it back on. Remember – once it is overcooked, nothing will help! Let meat rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices to evenly redistribute.
BRAISING
For braises, cook the meat gently. Sear the meat for flavor, and then add the liquid. Bring liquid to a boil, skimming off impurities that form on the surface. Lower the heat to a simmer, or better yet, place in the oven and finish cooking there at a low heat, about 300 degrees F. For roasting these meats, use a lower heat, and consider using your favorite marinade. See SquareOne Braise for more details.
BRINING
Nutritionally, a SQ1F pastured chicken is far superior to a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) chicken. Running around on green pasture, eating insects, and foraging lead to great taste, but pastured chickens have more muscle tone than their factory raised counterparts. The secret to cooking moist and tender chicken is brining.
There are numerous scientific explanations to why this works, but I’ll leave that to the internet for those of you who are interested in the what, why, and how. Our SquareOne Brine is a simple brine recipe that we have been using for many years that will ensure tender pastured poultry every time.
GRILLING
Bring your beef or lamb to room temperature before grilling. Always use tongs to turn your meat instead of a fork (piercing the meat allows all the juices to escape). Sear meat for a minute on each side (no more than that) then move them to the edge of the coals to the lower heat for 3-4 minutes on the first side then 2-3 minutes for the second side. If your steak is still a little too rare for your liking then throw it back on. Remember – once it is overcooked, nothing will help! Let meat rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices to evenly redistribute.
BRAISING
For braises, cook the meat gently. Sear the meat for flavor, and then add the liquid. Bring liquid to a boil, skimming off impurities that form on the surface. Lower the heat to a simmer, or better yet, place in the oven and finish cooking there at a low heat, about 300 degrees F. For roasting these meats, use a lower heat, and consider using your favorite marinade. See SquareOne Braise for more details.
BRINING
Nutritionally, a SQ1F pastured chicken is far superior to a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) chicken. Running around on green pasture, eating insects, and foraging lead to great taste, but pastured chickens have more muscle tone than their factory raised counterparts. The secret to cooking moist and tender chicken is brining.
There are numerous scientific explanations to why this works, but I’ll leave that to the internet for those of you who are interested in the what, why, and how. Our SquareOne Brine is a simple brine recipe that we have been using for many years that will ensure tender pastured poultry every time.