Cooking Tips
Pasture Finished Jersey Beef and Pastured Chicken
Our beef and chicken is very tender, juicy, and delicious when cooked correctly. However, due to the low fat and water content it is easy to over-cook resulting in dry or tough meat. Unlike meat from the grocery store that may have high saturated fat and may be injected with water, our meats are lean, contain more unsaturated fat (lower melting point), and low in water content. The beef is aged naturally for at least two weeks resulting in as much as 20% weight loss due to evaporation of water. The chicken is air-cooled, European style, rather than the common ice water method. This results in far less water retention. The result, for both beef and chicken, is the concentration of flavors. And what you buy is the actual meat, not a lot of extra water and fat.
The following suggestions will help your cooking process turn out wonderful:
Thaw the meat in the refrigerator or in cold water. Refrigeration may take 1 to three days depending on the size. Cold water may take a couple hours or so. Never thaw in a microwave since the meat will begin to cook resulting in dry tough spots.
When cooking in an oven, first coat the meat in a thin layer of your favorite cooking oil. The oil will help hold in moisture and aid in browning. Always add water to the pan (chicken 1/4 cup, roast 1/2 cup). Cover pan with aluminum foil (chicken may be wrapped in aluminum foil). The foil may be removed for the last few minutes for browning. Keep in mind that adding vegetables also adds water. Reduce the cooking temperature about 50 degrees. Usually, cooking time should be 25 to 30% less.
When cooking in a crock-pot just make sure there is always adequate water. We use ours on high and it turns out wonderful. If you have problems, try cooking on low for a slightly longer time.
When cooking on the grill, sear both sides of the meat for about 1 minute each. Then turn the grill to medium heat or move to lower heat and cook each side for three to four minutes. Never use a fork to turn the meat since the puncture will break the seal made by searing and cause moisture to be lost. Remove from heat just before done since it will continue to cook for a minute or so. Let sit in a covered platter for four or five minutes so the juices can redistribute themselves before cutting. Remember that just 1 or 2 minutes too long will make the difference between the best steak you ever ate and a dry tough one.
Whole chickens are absolutely delicious cooked on a covered grill on low heat. Ours takes about 1 hour per pound. A must is to add a pan of water. Actually, the pan of water would aid anything cooked on the grill. Another method is to place an opened aluminum can of your favorite beverage, or water, in the body cavity and sit the chicken upright on the grill.
Remember that lean meats can easily be over-cooked. Also, lean meats do not shrink much during cooking so finished size is not an indicator of doneness. Always, use lower heat, shorter cooking time, add water, and never thaw in a microwave.