Grass-fed beef cooks roughly 30% faster than conventional grain-fed beef.

We’ve been beef lovers for a long time, but have only started consuming grass-fed beef for about 2 or 3 years. Some people say the flavor profile is different and although I won’t disagree with that, I think that when raised properly, the difference is very subtle.

The primary difference we’ve experienced is how to cook grass fed beef. I’m no chef, but I enjoy grilling a good steak and had a routine already because, like I said - we’ve loved beef for a long time ;)

Well my routine was no good. Over time I’ve come to prepare the steak earlier, use a lower cooking temperature and cook the meat for a shorter period of time when grilling, pan searing, etc.

1. Grass-fed Beef Prep

Most of our beef is stored and ships frozen. Be sure to thaw it out the day before. We let it thaw in the vacuum pack and then put it in the fridge. Fancy folks will call this wet-aging, but it’s only for one night so let’s not get carried away ;) Anyway, the next day remove your beef from the vacuum pack and set it out for about an hour per inch of thickness. Our ribeyes are cut 1.5 inches so we’d leave them out a couple hours to reach room temperature.

Why? You don’t want to overcook your grass-fed beef. Starting at room temperature allows your beef to reach the proper internal temperature faster.

2. Grass-fed Beef Cooking Temperature

If you burn wood cooking with a conventional grill, get a thermometer. With pan searing, pellet grills, etc… it’s easier since you can set the temperature. Although, some would say that takes away from the grilling experience. The point is, know your cooking temperature and lower it at least 50 degrees or so.

Why? Higher temps burn off fat quicker. Grass-fed beef is lean. Your lower temp will allow you to get to the proper internal temperature without burning off that buttery flavor.

3. Grass-fed Beef Cooking Time

We started this post with the overall gist of cooking grass-fed beef. It cooks faster - about 30% faster. If you like a rare steak, it could even be 50% faster. I’ve got a meat thermometer on my Christmas list this year. The reason is because I don’t quite have my routine down with grass-fed beef yet and the most reliable way to know when the perfect time to pull beef off the grill is…. by knowing the proper internal temperature.

We pull most cuts at 120 - 125 degrees internal temp. Remember that the beef will continue to cook a bit after you remove it from the grill and let it rest. If you prefer your cuts done a bit more, go for 130 degree internal temp, but we really don’t recommend going any higher than that.

Why? Cooking too long will dry out your beef. A well done grass-fed steak will not be a good experience.

Additional Info

These tips did not cover spices, marinades, and recipes. We will be sharing lots of those soon, but the main purpose of this post is to share what we’ve learned cooking grass-fed that allows us to have the best experience.

Also, when cooking roasts, stew meat, or other cuts in a crock pot the cook time is longer NOT shorter. The list above is for grilling. Crock pot, smoking and slow cooking other cuts still requires lower temps, but longer cooking times. We’ll share some of those recipes as well, so stay tuned.