September 2008

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Grass-fed beef

SEPTEMBER 2008

Sunset.com

The secret to healthier steaks and burgers

In the Western kitchen

Lean & green

Grass-fed beef is gaining fans everywhere. Here’s how to cook it right by amy machnak | photographs by Iain BAgwell

Where to buy it Some markets sell grass-fed beef but often only have a few cuts, and suppliers (and quality) can fluctuate. Also, some beef marketed as “grass-fed” is finished on grain.

Best bet for 100 percent grass-fed meat in a wide range of cuts? Order from a rancher approved by the American Grassfed Association (american grassfed.org or 877/774-7277), or try Eatwild.com (866/453-8489).

Grilled grass-fed rib-eyes with herb lemon butter SERVES 4 TIME About 15 minutes Nothing shows off the natural, clean flavor of grass-fed beef like a thick, juicy steak.

(For two other delicious butters—caper, tomato, and olive; and Cabernet gorgonzola—see sunset.com/grassfed) 4 grass-fed bone-in rib-eye steaks (1 lb. each and about 1 in. thick) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Vegetable oil Herb lemon butter (recipe follows)

1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium heat (350° to 450°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 5 to 7 seconds).

2. Sprinkle each steak generously with salt and pepper; rub with oil. Grill steaks, covered, turning once, until done the way you like, 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare.

3. Transfer steaks to a large platter and top each with a slice of herb lemon butter.

PER SERVING, WITHOUT BUTTER 383 CAL., 47% (180 CAL.) FROM FAT; 48 G PROTEIN; 20 G FAT (8 G SAT.); 0 G CARBO (0 G FIBER); 117 MG SODIUM; 136 MG CHOL.

Herb lemon butter MAKES 1 cup, enough for 16 steaks TIME 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes to chill Compound butter (butter blended with flavorings) is a great and simple way to add taste and texture to a dish.

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Visit sunset.com/grassfed for our favorite grassfed-beef suppliers 90

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cup unsalted butter, softened cup each chopped fresh basil, cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, mint, and oregano 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice Finely shredded zest of 1 lemon 1/4

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tsp. each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Whirl ingredients in a food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes.

2. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Using a rubber spatula, scrape butter lengthwise onto plastic. Lift top edge of plastic up and over butter to meet bottom edge of plastic. Roll butter toward you, evening it out into a log about 4 in. long. Twist ends of plastic to seal. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Remove plastic and slice off 1/4-in. portions (1 tbsp.) to serve over steaks.

Make ahead: Up to 1 week chilled, or up to 1 month frozen, wrapped in several layers of plastic.

PER TBSP. 54 CAL., 96% (52 CAL.) FROM FAT; 0.2 G PROTEIN; 5.8 G FAT (3.6 G SAT.); 0.6 G CARBO (0.2 G FIBER); 1.7 MG SODIUM; 16 MG CHOL.

Vietnamese-style steak salad SERVES 4 TIME 13/4 hours, plus at least 1 hour to marinate Lemongrass nicely complements the clean flavor of grass-fed steak. rub 3 stalks fresh lemongrass 2 quarter-size slices fresh ginger 1 garlic clove, quartered 1 medium shallot, sliced 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 11/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided 2 grass-fed New York steaks (8 oz. each), fat trimmed, or 1 skirt steak (1 lb. total)

vinaigrette 1/2

cup vegetable oil 8 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

Food styling: Randy Mon

Beef that’s conscientiously raised, good for you, and incredibly tasty—now that’s something to sink your teeth into.

A “new” alternative to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef is increasingly available in supermarkets and from sources online.

Grass-fed operations are easier on the environment than grain feedlots are, and easier on the animals too (grass is, after all, a cow’s natural diet). Grass-feeding also gives the meat a truer beef flavor that’s not masked by the marbling of fat typical in grain-fed beef. Plus grass-fed beef is lower in saturated fats and higher in omega-3s and other essential nutrients.

Because it’s so lean, though, it cooks in a flash (marbling slows heat conduction). So before you grill that grass-fed rib-eye, see our cooking tips on the following pages.

cooking tip NO. 1: lower the heat GRASS-FED BEEF COOKS fast. INSTEAD OF SEARING BURGERS AND STEAKS, PUT THEM OVER A MEDIUM FLAME

Grilled grass-fed rib-eye with herb lemon butter Sunset September 2008

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In the Western kitchen

Vietnamese-style steak salad

COOKING TIP NO. 2: ADD MOISTURE With A LARGER CUT (LIKE A ROAST) THAT NEEDS LONGER COOKING TIME, MARINATE OR BRAISE THE MEAT TO keep it from DRYING OUT 1/3

cup fresh lime juice (from 3 or 4 large limes) 2 tsp. sugar 2 tbsp. Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce*

salad 4 oz. thin rice-stick noodles* 1/2 cup shredded carrot 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber 2 qts. chopped napa cabbage 1/4 cup each chopped cilantro, chopped fresh mint leaves, and chopped green onions

1. Make rub: Pull off tough outer layers of lemongrass and cut off stem end and coarse leaves. Chop tender core and whirl in a food processor until very finely chopped, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add ginger, garlic, and shallot and whirl until a paste forms, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add oil and 1/4 tsp. salt; pulse to combine.

2. Sprinkle steaks with remaining 1 tsp. salt; then cover both sides with lemongrass rub. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 6.

3. Make vinaigrette: Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until light golden, stirring gently, 92

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being careful not to burn (it will continue to darken off the heat). Pour garlic and oil through a strainer into a small, heatproof mixing bowl. Drain garlic chips on paper towels. After oil has cooled slightly, whisk in lime juice, sugar, and fish sauce.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for high heat (450° to 550°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 2 to 4 seconds).

4. Make salad: In a 4-qt. saucepan, bring 2 qts. water to a boil and add rice noodles.

Cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Add carrot, cucumber, cabbage, and chopped herbs and green onions.

5. Oil cooking grate. Grill steaks, covered, using a wide spatula to turn once (you want to keep as much of the crust on the steaks as possible), about 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest at least 5 minutes.

6. Pour dressing over salad and toss thoroughly. Divide salad among 4 bowls. Slice steaks (trying to keep crust on the slices)

Ed Jonas works his Blacktail Mountain Ranch with one idea in mind: to produce the healthiest, tastiest beef in the world. Jonas, an East Coast lawyer turned Montana cowboy, has bred two of the leanest cattle breeds—the Scottish Highland and the Piedmontese—to create what he calls the HighMont.

Nutritional testing of HighMont beef shows that it’s lower in cholesterol than turkey, with a fat content roughly a third that of regular beef.

No wonder local physicians endorse it for their red-meat-loving patients (it’s on the menu in some Montana hospitals). What’s even better is the deep, minerally, beefy flavor.

Jonas’s approach to ranching is simple and candid, and he encourages anyone who’s curious about it to “come to Montana and see for yourself.” Year-round, the cattle roam on open pasture, drink from a mountain spring, and receive all the personal attention Jonas can give.

“I help deliver them [at birth], raise them, bring them to be processed, and then package and ship out orders,” says Jonas. “You can’t get fresher meat than that.”

INFO Ground beef $6 per lb., New York strip steak $20 per lb.; blacktail mountainranch.com or 406/844-0404.

Right: Andrew Geiger

Rancher we love

In the Western kitchen

Grass-fed burgers with chipotle barbecue sauce

COOKING TIP NO. 3: DON’T OVERCOOK RARE TO MEDIUM-RARE GRASS-FED BEEF is TENDER, BUT MEDIUM TO WELL DONE is TOUGH AND CHEWY and arrange over salads. Sprinkle with garlic chips. *Find in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores.

Make ahead: Rub, vinaigrette, and salad can all be made several hours ahead; toss salad together while steaks grill.

PER SERVING 584 CAL., 59% (342 CAL.) FROM FAT; 24 G PROTEIN; 38 G FAT (6.5 G SAT.); 37 G CARBO (3.5 G FIBER); 729 MG SODIUM; 49 MG CHOL.

Grass-fed burgers with chipotle barbecue sauce Serves 4 Time 35 minutes You’ll have plenty of the spicy, tangy sauce left over. Have it with grilled chicken or ribs. sauce 1/4

cup packed light brown sugar cup ketchup 2 tbsp. canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (about 3 chiles), plus 1 tbsp. sauce 1 tbsp. Worcestershire 2 tbsp. molasses 2 tbsp. orange juice concentrate 1 tsp. minced garlic 1/2

burgers 11/4 lbs. grass-fed ground beef 2 tsp. each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 red onion, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 in. thick crosswise 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided 4 slices Swiss cheese 4 sesame hamburger buns 94

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4 slices ripe tomato 4 leaves butter or romaine lettuce

1. Make sauce: Purée all sauce ingredients in a food processor until very smooth.

2. Make burgers: In a bowl, combine beef and 11/2 tsp. each salt and pepper (if using preformed burgers, sprinkle with salt and pepper). Form into 4 patties about 3/4 in. thick, making a slight depression in each to help keep burgers flat as they cook. Put on a plate, cover, and chill until ready to grill.

3. Preheat a grill for medium heat (350° to 450°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 5 to 7 seconds).

4. Sprinkle onions with remaining salt and pepper and 1 tsp. oil. Grill, covered, until softened, turning once, 8 minutes total.

5. Meanwhile, rub burgers with 2 tsp. oil and grill, covered, turning once, about 6 minutes total for medium-rare. In the last few moments of cooking, lay a slice of cheese on each burger. Lay bun halves, cut side down, on grill to toast slightly.

6. Transfer buns to a platter and fill with burgers and onions. Spoon about 11/2 tbsp. barbecue sauce on top and add a slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf.

Make ahead: Sauce: 1 week chilled.

PER BURGER, WITH 11/2 TBSP. SAUCE AND TRIMMINGS 612 CAL., 50% (306 CAL.) FROM FAT; 36 G PROTEIN; 34 G FAT (14 G SAT.); 41 G CARBO (2.3 G FIBER); 1,175 MG SODIUM; 112 MG CHOL. N