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Grass Fed Beef-Problems w/Roasts!!

post #1 of 8
2/12/08 at 5:21am
Thread Starter 
I get a side of beef butchered from a local source each year. The cattle are fed a 100% grass/hay diet and the butcher dry ages the meat for 21 days for me.

I have had great success with the steaks (delicious!) and the ground beef is to die for. HOWEVER, I am having little success with the roasts and I'm at my wits end and about to turn them all into ground beef. I have quite a few roast in the freezer I'm about to give up on.

Should I be modifying my recipes to account for the fact that my beef is grass fed? My roasts are always turning out dry....I've done the dutch oven, the crock pot, and the dry heat oven. The roasts are TERRIBLE. Last night I cooked a roast in the dutch oven for 3hrs at a VERY low simmer, turning every 30 min. The meat was inedible. For what its worth, I had to put the roast (covered) in the warmer for about 10min after it was done to make the gravy....maybe this killed it, but so fast????

I'm so frustrated...anyone have any suggestions for cooking roast from grass fed beef? This meat is much leaner than beef from grain fed cattle-maybe this kind of beef is no good for roasts?
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post #2 of 8
2/12/08 at 5:38am
Which cut are you using. Many people believe that eye round and other cuts from the hip and leg make good slow roasts or braises. The fact is that these cuts are just too lean, especially coming from naturally raised beeves, to yield anything but dry stringy results. Round is best for grilling or broiling rare to medium rare with the help of marinades or making lean ground beef.
Try using the chuck (from the fore leg) for roasts. It has much more fat and sinew to slowly melt during the slow roast or braising process, thus yielding and tender, flavorful pot roast or stew.
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post #3 of 8
2/12/08 at 5:45am
I'm not sure dry aging helps lean cuts or lean beef.

Don't throw away the dry roast. Put it in the food processor and chop it for spaghetti sauce.

Do you have a meat slicer? You could take the roast cuts and slice them very thin for bulgogi or stir fry.

Sirloin roast and round can and should be roasted med. rare. Slice the leftovers thin for sandwiches.
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post #4 of 8
2/12/08 at 8:07am
Foodfoto has got it right with this comment.

For roast you should use cuts from the loin area: tenderloin, sirloin, top sirloin (this is based on US beef cuts) anything else will be tough for roasts.

Sear the surface on the grill or in a cast iron skillet (no oil). roast at 275F. If you can, layer some fat from other parts on the roast for juiciness. Use a meat thermometer for doneness.

Luc H.
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post #5 of 8
2/14/08 at 9:21am
Thread Starter 
For my most recent debacle, I used a sirloin top roast.

I really think my problem is the low fat content.

I don't have a meat slicer, but since I do have so many roasts and do buy in bulk, all cuts, then I think it would be appropriate to buy a grinder and slicer.

Hmmmm...I guess a lot of stew is in my future. I'm just so disappointed that my roasts are not turning out well, its such a seemingly easy meal to cook.
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post #6 of 8
2/14/08 at 10:02am
I think you need to determine what kind of roast you want to do, then match the cut to the cooking method. From what you describe in your first post (crock pot and dutch oven) you are making a pot roast with a slow braising technique. For this type of cooking, you need tough, fatty, sinewy beef, like chuck (fore leg.) Sirloin and round (hind leg) is just too lean for this type of cooking method.

Use sirloin and round for dry heat (high heat first to brown, then low, about 300˚F, until done) and only cook to an internal temperature of about 118˚-124˚F, then rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain of the meat (very important!) Any higher than that, or if you cut it improperly, and you have the equivalent of shoe leather.
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post #7 of 8
2/14/08 at 2:55pm
Like so many others have stated, knowing your cut is essential to success. Cheap, tougher cuts are suited for braising; tender cuts suited for roasting. If the fat content is the concern, try larding your roast before roasting. AND do not ever cover your pan when roasting. I never roast above 275ºF as the roast loses too much moisture using high heat.
Just my opinion though....
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post #8 of 8
2/14/08 at 7:31pm

Bring back an old technique?

Back in the day when all beef was grass-fed, dry cuts would be larded or barded. Several of my old cookbooks discuss this as a prelude to roasting. Any thoughts on that as a way to moisten the meat so the roasts wouldn't have to be turned into stew, hamburger or whatever?
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