Recipes

All our recipes are tried and true. We only publish what we and our customers have cooked, eaten - and liked! If you have a special dish you'd like to share with us, drop us a line: we might publish it on our site!

Introduction

The most important part about cooking with any grass-fed meat is the cooking time.

It may take to 40% less time than for 'regular' meat.
That means: If you were to normally grill a steak for about 10 minutes, you would want to pull the grass-fed steaks off at around 6 minutes to check to see if they are done.

The reason the cooking time is so drastically different lies in the fat content of the meat.

  • Grass-fed meat has less fat (and fewer calories) and therefore needs less time to cook.
  • It means less wasted fat in your drip pan and less heat wasted that is required to melt that fat.
  • You will be able to prepare tasty, tender, flavorful meals while wasting less and enjoying more!

Here are a few tips to remember when cooking or grilling with our cuts:

  • Remember the time. Even a few minutes overcooking can really dry out ( and toughen) your meat, especially the smaller cuts.
  • Cook with moisture. Add water, broth, butter, oil and cover your cuts to keep in the tenderness!
  • Expect the meat to have texture. Our meat will not have the flabby, fat texture of conventional cuts but is real meat - just like your grandparents ate!
  • To grill, sear outside of steaks at a high heat to keep juices in, finish cooking using a lower heat.
  • We recommend cooking pork to an internal temp of between 140-150F ( USDA recommends 160-170F )
  • We recommend cooking lamb to an internal temp of between 120-145F ( USDA recommends 145-170F )
  • We recommend cooking beef to an internal temp of between 120-140F ( USDA recommends 145-170F )

(For a wonderful in depth look at the health benefits of eating grass fed meats, visit Eat Wild!)

Beef Recipes

Tangy Slow-Cooker Potroast Print

  • 3-4lbs boneless chuck (or similar) roast, fully thawed
  • 2 tsp. of Hungarian Paprika
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 TB. Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 cup red wine like cabernet or pinot noir (or for a slightly different but delicious variation, use grape juice!)
  • 3 Tb. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 TB. honey or brown sugar
  • 1 8oz. can of tomato sauce (or you can use a small can of tomato puree or chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 1-2 large carrots, sliced in small chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.

Heat your olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Generously rub the roast with salt & pepper and rub in paprika. Sear on both sides for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine broth, wine, tomato sauce or tomatoes, vinegar and honey and set aside. Put quartered onions, carrots and garlic in slow cooker. Place meat on veggies and scrape all those flavorful bits from the pan in as well.
Pour tomato-wine mixture over meat. Cook on High for 1 hour and then on Low for 6-8 hours more.

Great Hamburgers Print

1/4# ground beef patty per burger, (the cut of the season!)

Everyone knows how to cook a hamburger - right? Well... the difference between a hard, charred lump of protein and a rich, juicy, flavor-filled bite of heaven can be quite a spread.

Start with fully thawed meat!
If you are thawing the meat on the grill, you will end up with red insides and charred outsides!
(I should know as I have done it enough ....)
Place your patty over the direct heat from your grill (high or medium-high) for just about 30 seconds to sear the outside - much like you would a steak.
Then reduce your heat or move your burgers to indirect heat for another 2-4 minutes per side.
Resist the urge to press or flatten your patty!
Much of the precious "juiciness" is lost that way.

Take your burger off the grill 30 seconds before it is totally done and let it rest.

By doing so, your burger is absorbing the juices and finishing the cooking with its own heat.

Enjoy with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and anything else you can pile on!

Great Beef Brisket Print

A Slow-cooker Recipe

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 TB Cajun seasoning 
  • 2 Tsp. lemon pepper 
  • 1 TB Worcestershire sauce 
  • 3-4 lbs trimmed beef brisket 
  • 1 sliced onion (optional)

Combine sugar, seasoning, lemon pepper and Worcestershire and spread on brisket. Place brisket
in oblong slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

This recipe delivers a juicy, slightly spicy roast that is wonderful with potatoes, carrots and big warm buns!

Recipe (and the great dinner he prepared for us ) thanks to my father-in-law Arthur Barton!

Beef Steak Sandwiches Print

Very simple, very fast and really good.

  • 1 pound Sandwich Steak, thawed 
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • garlic powder 
  • salt 
  • pepper

Heat frying pan, add a little butter.
Place seasoned steak flat on pan and fry for less than a minute on each side.

Place on bagel or bun, top with fresh, ripe tomatoes, lettuce, cheese... Enjoy!

Kassandra's Beef (or Lamb) Enchiladas Print

Serves 4-6

  • 1 lb. of ground beef or lamb
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 2 Tb. minced fresh parsley (yes, you can cheat and used dried!)
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic or 1/2 t garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 8 flour tortillas

Sauce

  • 1 med. onion, chopped finely
  • 1 Tb. cooking oil
  • 1 can small can tomato sauce
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 med. green pepper, chopped (optional)
  • 1 can chopped green chilies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Making the Sauce
Saute onion, green pepper (if using) in oil until soft. Add chili powder and cook 1 min longer. Add remaining ingredients and set aside.

Making the Filling

Brown meat in pan.
Combine cottage cheese, parsley, garlic (powder), salt & pepper and stir into meat.
Place about 1/3 cup filling on each tortilla and roll up.
Place tortilla, seam side down in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish.
Pour sauce over all of the tortillas. Cover and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese and heat for another 5 minutes.

A fast and easy weekday meal!

Glazed Meat Loaf Print

Submitted by our customer Elisabeth from MA. She says: "This makes a lot, definitely enough for up to 8 people - but I think one of the best parts of meatloaf is the sandwiches the day after! You could also shape the mixture into 2 loaves and freeze one (uncooked) for a busy day."

Meatloaf

  • 1lb each ground pork, beef and lamb (or any combination)
  • 1 large onion, chopped and sauteed in a bit of oil
  • 2 t salt,
  • 1 t pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 c half and half
  • 1 c milk
  • 2c stale bread, broken up and soaked in hot water till it soft, then squeezed moderately dry
  • 2 T soy sauce

Glaze

  • 1/2 c ketchup
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1 T good barbecue sauce.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix everything together well, shape into one large or two smaller free-form loaves, put in the oven at 375 for half an hour.

Stir together glaze ingredients.
Spread on meat loaf, return to oven and bake for another half hour - 40 minutes; it's pretty forgiving about the time.

Go withs: mashed potatoes, broccoli, gravy, salad.
My husband thought it was world class!

Ropa Vieja Print

Submitted by our customer Jessica C. She says: "The name of this recipe means 'Old Clothes' in Spanish, due to the way the meat looks after cooking. It’s delicious and makes the most of any cut of beef."

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lb beef roast such as chuck
  • Favorite steak or meat dry seasoning mix
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup water or broth
  • 2 onions
  • 5 cloves minced garlic (more, or less depending on your taste)
  • 2-3 poblano or cubanelle peppers, chopped (heads up: chop with gloves on. These peppers can vary in heat and the hot ones can leave an oil on your hands that burns for hours. Once cooked though, they’re not hot.)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup of dry red wine

Salt and pepper, or rub favorite seasoning mix, all over meat and then brown it in olive oil.

Place the meat in a crockpot on low or a covered pot on the stove and add the water/broth. Simmer for several hours (when using the crockpot, overnight or for a workday is good.)

Remove the meat, let it cool and shred it. Return it to the pot, retaining the cooking liquid.

In a separate pan, sauté the onions, garlic and peppers in olive oil until soft; add to pot. Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to simmer and cook for about a half hour.

Serve over noodles or rice.

Lamb Recipes

Kassandra's Lamb Enchiladas Print

Serves 4-6

  • 1 lb. of ground lamb
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 2 Tb. minced fresh parsley (yes, you can cheat and used dried!)
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic or 1/2 t garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 8 flour tortillas

Sauce

  • 1 med. onion, chopped finely
  • 1 Tb. cooking oil
  • 1 can small can tomato sauce
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 med. green pepper, chopped (optional)
  • 1 can chopped green chilies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Making the Sauce
Saute onion, green pepper (if using) in oil until soft. Add chili powder and cook 1 min longer. Add remaining ingredients and set aside.

Making the Filling

Brown meat in pan.
Combine cottage cheese, parsley, garlic (powder), salt & pepper and stir into meat.
Place about 1/3 cup filling on each tortilla and roll up.
Place tortilla, seam side down in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish.
Pour sauce over all of the tortillas. Cover and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese and heat for another 5 minutes.

A fast and easy weekday meal!

Lamb and Black Bean Chili Print

Submitted by Carol P. of Canton, NY. She says, "Flavor improves with age; reheat in microwave. Microwaving cuts the cooking time way down for this chili."

  • 1 lb. lean ground lamb
  • 2 Tbsp. veg. oil
  • 1 lg. green pepper, chopped
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 med. onion, diced
  • 4 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne peppers
  • 1- 16oz can peeled, whole tomatoes with their liguid
  • 2- 16oz can black beans with their liguid

Optional

  • 4 cups cooked black beans
  • Fresh cilantro, minced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Crumble the ground lamb with a fork in a 2-3 quart microwave-safe casserole.
Cook on high for 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time.
Transfer the meat to a strainer to drain excess fat and wipe the inside of the casserole with a paper towel.
Return the meat to the casserole dish and add the oil, green peppers, onion, and garlic.
Cover and cook on high for 5 minutes, stirring once.
Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, beans, tomatoes, and cilantro and mix well.

Cover tightley and cook on high for 15 minutes.
Stir in the minced jalapeno and cook on high, uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with rice and warmed tortillas, offering garnishes, such as sour cream, grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, chopped tomotoes, red onioin or diced avacado with lime juice.

Serves 6-8

Shepherd's Pie Print

Submitted by our customer Randy. He tells us: "This is my version of Shepherd's Pie. You can, of course, use ground beef instead of ground lamb, but then it's a Cottage Pie."

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/4 lbs ground lamb
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or two cloves minced)
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1/4 lb white mushrooms, diced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • salt and black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1 1/2 cups beef stock (or lamb stock if available)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
  • 6 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (instant mashed potatoes work fine)
  • 10 ounces frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan or oven-safe pan. Add the lamb and saute until broken up and beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms and tomato paste. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 4-6 minutes.
  4. Stir flour into water to form a slurry.
  5. Add beef stock and Worcestershire sauce to pan; when it starts to bubble, add flour slurry. Stir until slightly thickened. Add thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
  6. Use your favorite mashed potato recipe, or prepare instant as directed on package. Set aside.
  7. When 20 minutes have passed, add frozen peas to pan. Recover and simmer another 5 minutes.
  8. If your saute pan is not oven-safe, transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano. Bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes.

Lamb Shanks Print

Forwarded by Allison, one of our customers; original recipe is by Nigella Lawson on the Food Network. Allison says: "I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do (it is good without the jelly)."

  • 1 lamb shank
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 garlic clove, bruised
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 2 tablespoons red port
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red currant jelly

Directions

Put everything, other than jelly, together into a freezer bag, tie securely, and leave in the refrigerator to marinate overnight. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Take the lamb in its package out of the fridge to come to room temperature.
Put the lamb shank along with its marinade into a roasting tin and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the shank.

Turn the shank over halfway through cooking.

By the time it is done it should look bursting with bronze color; remove from the pan and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

While it is resting, put the roasting tin on the stove and stir in a little water and 1/2 teaspoon red currant jelly to make a light gravy.

Slice lamb and drizzle with gravy.

Barbecue-style Lamb Print

Kassandra says: "This is my family's choice when it is really cold out up here in our long winters!"

  • 1 pound lamb meat cut into small (bite size) chunks
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion or dried onion flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons vinegar
  • 2 Teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup catchup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked egg noodles tossed with salt and a little butter

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook egg noodles according to package directions; drain and toss with salt and a little butter and keep warm.

While water is coming to a boil:
Heat medium frying pan over medium/high heat, melt butter and saute onions until translucent.
Add chunks of lamb and cook, tossing now and then, until browned.

Add the vinegar, brown sugar, catchup, water and Worcestershire when the lamb is 3/4 cooked (about 10 minutes). This will form a lovely barbecue sauce.

Let the sauce cook down while the meat finishes cooking: about 6 minutes longer.

Place a noodles on platter or in a bowl and top with lamb and barbecue sauce. Steamed spinach or green beans are a good side dish with this!

Lamb Gyros Print

  • 1 lb. lean ground lamb
  • 1 large tomato, cut in half, then thinly sliced
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 whole pita breads, cut in half, warmed

Seasonings for Lamb

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 1/2 tsps. dried oregano leaves, crushed
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp. pepper

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 8-oz. carton plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1/3 cup seeded, chopped cucumber
  • 2 Tbsps. finely chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp. granulated sugar

Prepare Cucumber Yogurt Sauce by mixing all ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate.

In large bowl, combine lamb seasoning ingredients; mix with a wooden spoon or by hand for 2 minutes or until very well blended.

Shape into two oval 1/2 inch thick patties.

Place patties on rack in broiler pan so meat is 3-4 inches from heat. Broil 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear, turning once.

(You can also grill the patties on a medium-hot grill for the same length of time).

Let rest for a minute or so, then carve patties into thin slices.

Place equal amounts of lamb, tomato and onion in each pita half; serve with cucumber Yogurt Sauce.

Pork Recipes

Pork Shoulder Steak Print

Kassandra says: "My husband lays claim to this dish that sounds very strange, but tastes out of this world.
He offered to cook lunch (when can you say no to a man willing to work in the kitchen for you??) and came up with this dish!"

  • Fully thawed pork shoulder steak (use as much as you need, but the meat should fit comfortably in a pan without overlapping)
  • 3/4 c pink lemonade (from concentrate is fine)

Heat a medium-heavy pan till it is just about ready to start smoking. (No need to add any type of fat to your pan as the shoulder steak has extra!)

Place your fully thawed steak in the pan and sear on both sides until a nice light brown.
And now for the unusual part: Add 3/4 cup of pink lemonaide (we use the frozen concentrate, diluted as it still has some of the pulp in it) and let simmer until the liquid is mostly simmered away.

You may need to turn the heat down so you do not burn the steak.
(Rumour has it that the same amount of coke or ginger ale will make a great steak as well!)

This is a great steak to serve with a hot baked potato and huge salad!

(serves as many as you're cooking for!)

Miscellaneous Recipes

Kielbasa with Rice Print

Serves 3-5

Kassandra says: "I love this dish, but can't take credit for it. My brother-in-law the wine and food connoisseur Dave Barton passed this one along. I'm still trying to get him to write down his Ham recipe. THE BEST! "

  • 1 c raw white or bown rice, cooked & drained
  • 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
  • 10 oz. creamed corn
  • 1lb Pork or Lamb Kielbasa, sliced 1/4 " thick
  • 1 Tb. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 t chopped garlic or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • dash of black pepper or if you are daring, cayenne!

Optional condiments

  • sour cream
  • salsa
  • shredded cheese

Briefly saute the Kielbasa in a heavy skillet, add cooked rice and remaining ingredients and combine well.
Return to stove and cook, stirring now and then, until everything is well heated through.

Serve with sour cream, salsa, cheese...mmmmm!

Grilling Marinade Print

A simple a yet very good marinade that I like to use. This is my favorite marinade for Boneless Lamb Leg Steaks!

  • 3/4 cup Salad oil
  • 1/2 cup apple cider or other full-flavored vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1/4 cup firmly pressed brown sugar
  • 1 Bay leaf (remember to remove before grilling )
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

You can vary the amounts in this recipe for a sweeter or more sour marinade - all to your taste!

Marinate your meat for at least 2 hours and as long as 8, then grill until it's done to your liking.

Enjoy!