Cooking Grass-Finished
Beef Right

What a revelation, what an epiphany! We tried just about every method for lean grass-finished steaks--cold drying, fruit juice marinades, Crockpot, Instant-pot, low temperature pan frying. All ended up with mixed results, never with homerun results. Until we finally tried the Air Fryer.

Thaw steaks completely, massage a tablespoon of olive oil into each cooking side and pepper. Allow the meat to rest for 4-6 hours in the fridge, removing them to warm up for 20 minutes before cooking. Salt lightly just before cooking. Then:

That's it. 375/6/6/6. So far we are batting 1,000 with ribeye, sirloin, T-bone, tenderloin and filet mignon. For filets, wrap them in bacon or pork belly strips and attach with toothpicks. Instead of additional salt, try a little soy sauce--you shouldn't need more pepper, that might only hide the beef flavor.

This is for people who want the absolute best steak experience from their grass-finished beef. The butcher hangs the beef for 11–12 days. You can extend that process at home.

Thaw the steak completely. Wash it gently and pat it very dry. Set it on a wire rack in your refrigerator, uncovered, with a paper towel underneath for drips. Flip every two days. Stop the paper towel after day 4.

The magic is withdrawing more water out of the meat. Water boils--so internal water will boil the meat from the inside. If you've ever boiled any beef, you know it turns it tough. Cold-drying tenderizes and intensifies flavor. Your steak will look darker and firmer. That's exactly what you want.

Then use the 666 method. The difference is remarkable.

While the steak rests after the 666 method, make this. It takes 90 seconds.

Doug says: "There should be a Renaissance painting of this in the Uffizi."

Serve with rice, kimchi, and a simple salad. Two people eat like kings for about $22.50--that's the steak, half a bottle of Cab, rice, kimchi, and salad. Try getting that at a steakhouse.

Having conquered steaks with 666, the next question was: what about roasts? Slice a 3-pound chuck roast into 3 pieces (about 2 inches thick). Then create a Korean-style marinade:

As tender as the filet, very moist and tasty. It tastes a bit like Korean barbecue but not overly much--it still tastes like delicious grilled beef. I don't believe I will ever eat roast beef any other way.

When you get your quarter beef cut, ask the butcher for soup bones. Grass-finished bones make extraordinary broth--darker, richer, more mineral-dense than anything commercial.

Use it as the base for soups, as cooking liquid for rice, or just drink a mug of it. Once you have a bone broth program running, you'll never go back to store-bought stock.