In The Kitchen: How to Cook the Perfect Grass-fed Beef Roast

My customers ask me how to cook a grass-fed roast all the time. I totally get why. You went out of your way to get that meat, probably having spent a little extra money to get healthy food. The last thing you want to do is to cook it wrong. You want to experience that delicious flavor and tender grass-fed beef.

I have used different cooking methods over the year when I prepare grass-fed roast beef for my family. My motto is to keep it simple.

SLOW COOKER

Braising relies on heat, time and moisture to break down the tough connective tissue that binds the muscle fibers together. Slow cooker cooking is a form of braising.

I use my slow cooker to get the best results. Remember that you can’t rush grass-fed beef. We didn’t rush the cattle when we raised them so please don’t rush the meat when you cook it.

Low temperatures and long cooking periods give the best results. I will put a roast in the slow cooker at 8:00 am to be ready to eat at 5:30 pm. Meat has natural tenderizers called enzymes that help break down connective tissue. When you cook at low temperatures this is able to happen.

Salt is another important step. It breaks down proteins which helps make your roast tender. You should only use kosher or sea salt. A rule-of-thumb is to use approximately 1 teaspoon salt per pound of meat.

I don’t do much meal planning. I basically “wing it.” Usually at breakfast I know what my day will hold on the farm and plan accordingly for our evening meal. This means that the meat I will cook is probably still in the freezer. Not to worry though, I get excellent results when I use a frozen roast.

Keeping with the theme of simplicity I rub the roast with salt and pepper or a seasoning mix/olive oil paste that we love. Place it in the slow cooker with about a cup of broth or water. Turn the slow cooker to its lowest setting and forget about it until supper time.

OVEN

Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air envelopes the food, cooking it evenly on all sides. Roasting can be done from an open flame, such as a barbeque, oven or other heat source. Roasting can enhance flavor through caramelization or browning on the surface of the meat. Roasting uses indirect diffused heat and is suitable for slower cooking of a larger, whole piece of meat.

I like to roast my grass-fed meat in the oven when I know that I will be around the house. You do not want to overcook grass-fed roasts since they are usually leaner.

Roasting also fits in with my motto of simplicity.

Always pre-heat your oven to 450F.

Rub roast with a paste of olive oil and your favorite spices. I use a variety of spice blends, but always go back to my old stand-by of dried onions, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. I use a cast iron dutch oven for best results.

Place dutch oven, uncovered in your hot oven for 15 minutes. This will help to lock in all the juices and create a beautiful caramelized crust.

After searing, turn heat down to 275F and cook until desired doneness is reached. To guage doneness here is a handy chart for you.

YES PLEASE! I WANT A QUICK GUIDE TO INTERNAL TEMPERATURES FOR GRASS-FED BEEF

I find that it is always a good idea to have moisture in the pan during the cooking process. Adding a cup of bone broth with some aromatics such as onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, garlic or peppercorns works well.

Allow your roast to rest for 10 to 15 minutes after removing from oven to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

Either way you cook your grass-fed roast you will have a delicious meal to enjoy. It can’t get much easier than that!

Do you have friends who would love to learn how to cook the perfect grass-fed roast? All you have to do is share this post with them. They will love you for it!