Delicious broiled or grilled, skirt steak is easy to prepare and loaded with flavor. Our organic grass-fed skirt steak is wonderful served in a variety of ways, and will work wonderfully in your favorite Mexican fajitas recipe.  In case you’ve never tried Fajitas, the basic idea is simple: marinate and grill or broil skirt steak (or use our organic chicken if you prefer), grill or saute onions and peppers, and wrap everything up in warmed flour tortillas, adding your choice of sides such as guacamole, salsa, rice or beans. We recommend serving with Margaritas or ice-cold beer! Try this recipe by Chef Tyler Florence:

Ingredients

Marinade (Mojo):

1 orange, juiced

2 limes, juiced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

3 chipolte chiles, in adobo sauce

3 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 pounds skirt or flank steak, trimmed of fat cut into thirds or 8-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

Lime juice, olive oil, optional

12 flour tortillas, warm

Guacamole, recipe follows

Good quality store bought salsa

Directions

In a small 2 cup measuring cup, or something similar size and shape, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate the beef for 2 to 4 hours to tenderize and flavor the beef.

Preheat a ridged grill pan on high heat.

Drain the marinade from the beef. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.

Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil, if using. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.

While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. Turn any free burners on a medium low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.

You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm, if not repeat the heating at 1 minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.

To serve:

Spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions, and salsa. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.

May also be served with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Guacamole:

5 ripe Hass avocados

3 to 4 limes, juiced

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 serrano chile, chopped

1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drizzle olive oil

Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn’t brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

The New York Times health blogger Tara Parker-Pope recently reported on new research from the California State University in Chico, which reviewed three decades of research comparing the nutritional profiles of grass-fed versus grain-fed beef.

The report, “A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef,” was published in the latest issue of Nutrition Journal. The researchers identify the benefits of grass-fed beef as follows:

• Grass-fed animals has lower levels of unhealthy fats and higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are better for cardiovascular health.
• Grass-fed beef also has lower levels of dietary cholesterol and offers more vitamins A and E as well as antioxidants.
• Meat from animals raised entirely on grass also had about twice the levels of conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, isomers, which may have cancer fighting properties and lower the risk of diabetes and other health problems.

With research pointing more and more people toward grass-fed beef, farmers are responding by learning to produce better tasting, more consistent cuts of meat. They are relearning what all farmers used to know before the era of nonorganic, industrial farming. They use heritage breeds that thrive on grass rather than on grain, as well as crossbreeds developed with advanced genetics. They are experimenting with different types of grass for optimal nutrition and sustainability. And they are aging the beef to make it as tender and juicy as possible. The more they learn, say organic farmers who produce grass-fed beef, the more they can continue to improve the taste and texture of steakhouse-style cuts.

100% Organic Grass-fed Greensbury Beef

Don’t overcook! That’s usually the big headline when it comes to cooking flavorful meat. Because 100% grass-fed beef is lower in fat content than conventional beef, you should take special care not to overcook it. Whether you’re choosing grass-fed beef for your own health, the health of the environment, or the happiness of the free-ranging cattle (or all three), you may find that you have to adjust some of your favorite recipes to get the best results.

What makes grass-fed so special?

Before we talk about cooking with it, here’s a quick primer on why grass-fed beef is different.  Cattle that are truly grass-fed spend their entire lives in pastures eating grass, rather than being “fattened up” on grain in order to produce the more conventional American style of beef and marbled steak. That’s good news for the cows, because grass is their natural diet and best for their health.

When you buy 100% grass-fed beef (rather than grass-fed beef that is grain finished), you get many nutritional and health benefits. Its lower saturated fat content is good for heart health. Grass-fed meats can have up to one third less fat as a similar cut from a grain-fed animal.

Additionally, grass-fed beef contains Omega-3 fatty acids. People with ample amounts of omega-3s in their diets are less likely to have high blood pressure and 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. Omega-3s are essential for proper brain functioning and may reduce the risk of cancer.

Grass-fed meats are also one of the richest sources of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). CLAs may be one of our most potent defenses against cancer. A Finnish researcher showed women with the highest level of CLA in their diets had a 60% lower risk of breast cancer than those with lower levels. Compared to grain-fed cattle, meat from grass-fed cattle contains three to five times more CLA products.

How to get the best results in your kitchen

1. 1. Experiment with lower temperatures. Try cooking your steaks at a lower temperature, to prevent moisture loss and toughness. A grass-fed steak tastes better when it’s on the rarer side, since it will retain better flavor and more of its nutritional content if it’s not too well done.
2. Try shorter cooking times. Generally grass-fed beef cooks faster. Assume a 20-30% reduction in cooking times, and use a meet thermometer to prevent overcooking, which leads to point number three…
3. Use a meat thermometer.  If you’re shooting for medium rare, you will want a temperature of 125 degrees. But remember:  your meat’s temperature will rise at least 5-10 degrees after you remove it from the heat source. So, if you’re pan-frying a grass-fed sirloin steak, for example, you may want to take it off the stove at 115.
4. Slow cook. You can get great results from grass-fed beef by using a slow cooker, since you aren’t as likely to overcook.
5. Marinate overnight. Give the meat plenty of time to soak in the flavor.

Watching what you eat has become a big part of American life, with more and more people trying to make healthy choices or lose weight. The food industry has spent the last decade marketing all kinds of products to health-conscious and weight-conscious consumers – and “low fat” has become synonymous with healthy.

Fat is bad for you, right? That’s the common wisdom. But the truth is that the latest research shows that fats aren’t all bad. In fact, some fats are so good for you, you can’t live without them!

Among these good fats are omega-3 fatty acids. Foods high in omega-3s include walnuts, flax seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, and coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, sturgeon, and anchovies. And here’s a surprise: omega-3s are also found in grass-fed beef.

Omega 3s: the secret healthy ingredient in grass-fed beef

Grass-fed beef is raised on a grass-only diet. At Greensbury, our grass-fed beef is also certified organic, raised on family farms in free-range pastures, and dry aged for 21 days for maximum tenderness and flavor.

If you’re asking yourself whether most cows eat grass, the answer is yes. But most cattle are raised on a diet enriched with grain, which produces the characteristic marbling and rich taste of steakhouse-style beef.

So why choose grass-fed beef? It’s good for the environment, and it’s good for the animals, which are naturally grass-only eaters. But grass-fed beef is also good for your health. Grass-fed beef is slightly higher in omega-3 fatty acids, which studies indicate may help prevent heart disease and bolster the immune system. And grass-fed beef is one of the richest known sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which recent data suggest may help prevent breast cancer, diabetes and other ailments.

Benefits of Omega 3s

Omega-3s improve health by encouraging the production of body chemicals that help control inflammation in the joints, the bloodstream, and the tissues. The benefits of omega-3s include:

• reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke
• helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• helping to reduce joint pain and other rheumatoid problems
• potentially boosting the immune system and helping protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease.

Cooking with Omega 3s

If you want to create a meal truly rich in omega 3s, consider serving the following with your grass-fed beef:

• spinach salad with walnuts and dried cranberries
• whole grain bread enriched with flaxseed
• appetizer of smoked salmon or seared tuna
• anything made with eggs rich in omega 3s

Looking for a dessert that packs a healthy punch?  Try a Walnut Torte With Coffee Whipped Cream, made with a minimal number of ingredients…and lots of walnuts.

Grass-fed cattle

There’s beef. Then there’s organic beef. And then there’s truly superior grass-fed organic beef – the kind that is only raised by a select group of American family farms. Does the difference really matter? If you want a choice that’s good for you, good for the planet, and good for your taste buds, here’s a quick primer on what separates the best from the rest.

1.     Raised right.  The best beef comes from happy cows. If you think that sounds crazy, you haven’t visited a small organic farm specializing in grass-fed beef. The cattle spend most of their lives roaming free on beautiful rolling pastures, eating high-quality, pesticide-free grass. Cattle that are humanely treated, unstressed and healthy (and free of added hormones or antibiotics) produce a higher standard of beef. Not only is this beef delicious, but also better for you, with less saturated fat and more beneficial Omega-3s and CLAs.

2.     Dry aged. Few people do it well, and almost nobody does it for grass-fed organic beef. But once you taste juicy grass-fed ribeyes, tenderloins and other steakhouse favorites that have been dry aged for 14-21 days to tenderize the beef and enhance the flavor, you’ll never want to go back to wet-aged cuts, which have become the industry norm. Wet aging is easier and less expensive. It tenderizes the beef, but it doesn’t concentrate the flavor. Dry-aged organic beef must be kept in a temperature-controlled, closely watched, refrigerated environment for at least 14 days. The difference between wet aging and dry aging is widely recognized – and dry aging is usually reserved for only the highest quality beef.

3. Expertly butchered. Once upon a time, everyone had a neighborhood butcher. Today, butchering is a disappearing art…but there are still experts, many of whom learned their skills from fathers or grandfathers. The best organic beef recalls the days when skilled butchers took pride in knowing how to achieve the best taste and texture with the perfect cut.

The grass-fed difference

Grass-fed ranchers feed their animals only pasture grass, as well as some legumes and hay – never grain, which is not part of a cow’s natural diet.

Only a decade ago, few consumers were aware of the distinction between grass-fed and grain-finished beef. But a series of disease scares – including the late 2003 discovery of a “mad” cow in the U.S. that led to the destruction of hundreds of animals – has helped spark greater interest in grass-fed beef.

Today, there is more and more interest in grass-fed beef’s health benefits. For example, although grass-fed meat is low in “bad” fat (including saturated fat), it gives you two to six times more of a type of “good” fat called “omega-3 fatty acids.” Read the PBS story “Green Beef Catches On” for more about the grass-fed revolution.

Better quality, better taste

The best beef comes from farms that are certified organic. But for beef that’s truly a cut above, look for sources that are also personally committed to practices that result in exceptionally high-quality, good-tasting meats.

At Greensbury, we love visiting our network of trusted family farms, because we’re reminded with every visit how much they care about preserving traditional farming methods and caring for their animals.  Certified organic beef with no antibiotics, no added hormones, no pesticides, and no herbicides if a great choice for you and the environment.  When you choose organic grass-fed beef that has been raised on a nurturing farm, dry-aged and expertly butchered, you’re treating your body and palate to a true American classic.

There’s nothing wrong with cooking a steak or hamburger inside the house, using your stove. But let’s face it: summertime is grilling time, and there’s nothing quite like the taste of juicy organic beef that’s been grilled to perfection in the great outdoors.

We sometimes get asked whether there’s a special technique for grilling organic grass-fed beef, as opposed to conventional beef. The answer is no. But you should be prepared for a steak that looks and tastes different than what you may be used to.

High-quality grain-fed steaks have the abundant white marbling you may associate with a classic steakhouse meal. Grass-fed beef is much less marbled. It’s also lower in saturated fat and higher in healthy omega-3 fatty acids (which are also found in fish such as tuna and salmon). While marbling has traditionally been the sign of a superior steak, we think you’ll be surprised by how fantastic grass-fed steaks taste. Many people find grass-fed beef especially full of flavor, and they love the health benefits. Others prefer organic beef that has been grain-finished.

Whether you opt for grass-fed or not, following these simple guidelines for grilling will help you avoid turning a good steak or burger into a flavorless meal…every backyard cook’s worst nightmare!

1)    CHOOSE THE BEST BEEF! We can’t stress this enough. Meat is our business, and we can tell you that an inferior product makes an inferior meal. And grilled steak generally shows no mercy, since you can’t “bury” the taste under a bunch of other ingredients. Organic beef sustainably raised on family farms is not only a delicious choice, but also an environmentally friendly one.

2)    Heat, clean and oil your grill.  The grill needs to be HOT. If you’re using charcoal, that means you shouldn’t be able to hold your hand over it for more than 2 to 3 seconds.  On a gas grill, use medium high heat. Ideally, use a stiff wire brush to scrub away any leftovers from your last grilling adventure when the grill is hot, and oil the rack using tongs and a folded paper towel.  For more about the finer points of grilling, direct heat, indirect heat, charcoal versus gas, etcetera, visit the Barbecue Bible website.

3)    Bring your meat to room temperature. Let them sit on your kitchen counter for about 20 minutes. This will help your hamburgers or steak cook more evenly and faster.

4)    Season. Salt and pepper is all you really need for great hamburgers and steaks. But of course there are endless choices if you want to get creative: rosemary or thyme, hot peppers, whatever you like!

5)    Cook. Turn the meat once during cooking. Adjust time for size of steak or burger and desired doneness. The most foolproof way to test a steak for doneness is to use an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature for rare beef is about 120 degrees; medium-rare is between 125 and 130 degrees; and medium is 135 to 140 degrees. With practice, you’ll learn how to tell doneness visually and through touch (with a “poke test“).

6)    Let the meat rest.  The meat will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the grill, and will be juicy and ready to eat after about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Bobby Flay's L.A. Burger

The 4th of July is a great excuse for a burger, in our opinion. Whether you indulge at a community picnic, a backyard cookout, or an urban rooftop barbecue with view of the fireworks, why not start your own American tradition and go organic this 4th? Here are some hamburger recipes that will taste even better made with organic grass-fed beef and organic produce. 

ORGANIC HAMBURGERS

To spice it up, try Chef Bobby Flay’s Spanish-style hamburger, the Bolo Burger. Or add a little West Coast flair to your grill with Flay’s avocado-topped L.A. Burger. If you’re in the mood for a smokier flavor, Chipotle Burgers bring on the heat. An open-faced Chili burger will keep even the hungriest eater busy. For more traditional burgers, stick with our Greensbury chef’s grilled basic organic burgers. 

SIDE DISHES

Onion Strings make a fun, flavorful accompaniment to any burger. Have you jumped on the slow cooking trend? Try these slow-cooked baked beans. And it wouldn’t be 4th of July without a potato salad; choose a classic German potato salad or go a little wild with this Fingerling Potato Salad with Chili-Cilantro Salad.

Heading to the beach sometime this summer? Here’s a tip from our Greensbury team: when you’re packing your car full of boogie boards and frisbees and such, leave room for a cooler packed with ice and frozen organic meats and grass-fed beef.

No need to waste precious vacation time searching out speciality markets or butchers. Whether you’re staying for a long weekend, a week, or more, you can make the good times even better by making sure you have all the ingredients for some great nights of grilling. Even if all you need is burgers and hotdogs, why not enjoy the peace of mind you get from serving your family all-organic meat? 

Here’s a surefire recipe for making delicious organic grass-fed hotdogs on the grill, along with a crowd-pleasing potato salad:

• 4 hotdogs
• 4 hotdog buns
• 2 pounds small or medium red potatoes
• cup or more mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• cup minced sweet onion
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 all-beef hotdogs
• 4 hotdog buns
• Ketchup, mustard and relish
• Course sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

The great thing about going organic is that you don’t have to give up flavor. In fact, many people find organic meats have a superior taste.  We’ve eaten a LOT of steaks in our day, and we think you can’t go wrong with our organic rib eyes or New York Strips. But it’s important to do a little experimenting to decide whether to order grain-finished or 100 percent grass-fed beef.

Grass-fed, grain-finished organic beef: This is your more traditional marbled, steakhouse-style beef. At Greensbury our beef is always organic, and always vegetarian-fed. The cattle primarily eat grass. But they are fed organic grain as well. 

100% grass-fed beef. The flavor of grass-fed is definitely different. Some people absolutely love its leaner, cleaner taste profile. The health benefits of grass-fed beef make it a great choice if you want to eat beef regularly. Lower in calories and saturated fat than conventional beef, it also has more vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and a number of health-promoting fats, including omega-3 fatty acids and “conjugated linoleic acid” (CLA).

More and more people are making careful choices about the meat they buy and consume. Check out the CHOW blog for an interesting first-person perspective on choosing grass-fed beef.

If you’re planning to fire up the grill this Memorial Day weekend, here are some helpful tips for pleasing a crowd:

What to buy

• Choose organic New York Strips for a festive barbecue. First, it’s easy to grill multiple New York Strips at once. Second, although they have a lot of flavor, they’re not overwhelmingly large or rich, so they’re surefire crowd pleasers.
• Organic top sirloin is budget-conscious alternative with plenty of crowd-pleasing flavor. Try grass-fed sirloin for less saturated fat and healthy omega 3′s. 
• For guests who don’t eat red meat, organic chicken breasts and organic chicken sausages taste great grilled. 
• If you’re cooking out for kids, give them a healthier version of the classic favorites: organic grass-fed hamburgers and organic grass-fed all-beef hotdogs. 

How to grill 

• Let steaks sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling.
• Clean the rack for the grill thoroughly.
• To prepare your charcoal grill, make a medium-hot charcoal fire. You can test it by holding your hand above it. When the coals are hot, enough you will have to move your hand away after 2-3 seconds. (To prepare a gas grill, use a medium-hot temperature, and allow grill to heat up until it passes the above test.)
• Set the rack for the grill 3-4 inches from the fire.
• Pat the steaks dry with paper towels.
• Turn the steaks only once during cooking, to give them time to brown nicely.
• For one-inch medium-rare thick steaks, cook for about 4 minutes per side. Adjust time for size of steak and desired doneness.
• The most foolproof way to test a steak for doneness is to use an instant read thermometer.
• For great marinades, sauces, and techniques, check out a popular grilling cookbook like the one below.