Bavette d’aloyau (flap steak), cut from the bottom sirloin of grass-fed beef. Marinated for 2 days in olive oil, fresh garlic, rosemary and thyme, then quickly grilled over high heat to rare-medium rare. Rested, then thinly sliced across the grain and served with a reduction of dry red wine, red wine vinegar and shallots with knobs of cold, pastured butter whisked in to form an emulsion. Finished with Fleur de Sel and freshly-ground black pepper..
2-inch thick filets of grass-fed beef tenderloin are dry brined overnight with sea salt and fresh thyme before being pan-roasted to rare in an iron skillet. The steaks are then topped with Gorgonzola and blanched asparagus tips and finished to medium-rare in a 500 degree oven. Seasoned with smoked black pepper and served over porcini demi-glace..
Pan-roasted Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola, Asparagus and Porcini Demi-glace
Quick Demi-Glace, Home Version (adapted from Saveur Magazine)
1/4 lb. uncured bacon, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sprouted wheat flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-1/2 quarts homemade beef stock, divided
1/4 cup good red wine (not cooking wine)
1 cup porcini mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
10 sprigs fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 leaves fresh sage
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Render bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Add onions and carrots and cook until somewhat softened, about 8 minutes. Use a sifter to sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook another 10 minutes. Add wine, herbs and 8 cups of stock and simmer uncovered until reduced in volume by three-quarters, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Strain sauce, discarding solids. Return to pan with remaining stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours (add the mushrooms during last 20 minutes). Demi-glace may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for up to three months.
“Meat from grass-fed animals has two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain- fed animals. Omega-3s are called “good fats” because they play a vital role in every cell and system in your body. For example, of all the fats, they are the most heart-friendly. People who have ample amounts of omega-3s in their diet are less likely to have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat. Remarkably, they are 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. Omega-3s are essential for your brain as well. People with a diet rich in omega-3s are less likely to suffer from depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity), or Alzheimer’s disease.” Eat Wild
Ethically-raised cattle spend their entire lives eating quality forage, not the byproducts of industrial ethanol production. Free from hormones, pesticides and antibiotics, traditional ranching is a sustainable, environmentally friendly practice, as is intended by God and nature.
Evidence is very strong that grass-fed, grass-finished beef is lower in total fat and calories and significantly higher in vitamin E, beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acid and CLA’s than animals raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Far superior in taste, grass-fed beef is at its best when simply prepared using just a few ingredients..
Rib-eye Steak
Take a 1 1/2 inch-thick bone-in ribeye steak and season it liberally with coarse salt and freshly-ground pepper. Drizzle it with raw olive oil and cover it with fresh rosemary, parsley and lemon slices (Steamy Kitchen). Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.
Allow steak to come to room temperature for 1 hour while pre-heating a cast iron skillet in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes. Take the skillet from the oven and place it on a burner over high heat. Place the steak in the pan and allow to sear undisturbed for 30 seconds. Turn the steak and sear for 30 seconds more. Put the lemons and herbs on top of the steak and place the pan back into the oven for 2 minutes. Turn the steak and cook 2 minutes more for medium-rare (Alton Brown). Remove the steak to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 2 minutes.
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Nobody knows for sure exactly when and where chili con carne was first made, but we can generally agree that the original recipes read something like this..
“Cut up as much meat as you think you will need (any kind will do, but beef is probably best) in pieces about the size of a pecan. Put it in a pot, along with some suet (enough so as the meat won’t stick to the sides of the pot), and cook it with about the same amount of wild onions, garlic, oregano, and chiles as you have got meat. Put in some salt. Stir it from time to time and cook it until the meat is as tender as you think it’s going to get.” –Texas, early 1800s
With deep, dark beef and chile flavors, this is an intensely flavored dish.
Deep Chili
Smoke onions, garlic, jalapeños and a plum tomato over mesquite for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, roast a variety of chiles such as Guajillo, ancho, arbol and New Mexico in a slow oven for an hour.
Pull the stems from the peppers and shake out the seeds. Transfer to a food processor and chop into a fine powder. Add the roasted onion, garlic, jalapeños and a tablespoon of cider vinegar and blend into a paste.
Brown a couple of pieces of pork belly in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add small chunks of grass-fed beef chuck or bison and sear until seriously browned.
Add 1/2 cup of the chili paste and just enough water to cover the meat.
Add toasted cumin seed, Mexican oregano, a little sea salt, a few shards of true cinnamon and 3-4 whole cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours, adding the chopped, smoked tomato during the last half hour.
Add 1 ounce of Mexican chocolate and stir until melted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve with beans, cornbread or tortillas on the side if you like.
