Finest Grass Fed Beef

Frequently Asked Questions About Grass Fed Beef:

What is Grass Fed Beef?

Grass Fed Beef is cattle that are mainly reared in pastures, grazing on the grass for their diet. Our Irish Grass Fed cattle enjoy grazing lush pastures most of the year when it is warm enough between spring & autumn & the winter months eating silage (cut grass from the summer months, stored in bundles) in the large protected cattle sheds. The wet climate in Ireland creates the rich lush pastures that are familiar when driving anywhere around the country where our Grass Fed cattle are a familiar sight in the fields.

What is the difference between Grass Fed & Grain Fed Beef?

The 2 main differences between Grass Fed & Grain Fed beef are; the fat content & the flavour. Grass Fed beef has a richer flavour because of having a lower fat content, as grass diets generate a leaner animal. Grain Fed cattle have a higher fat content & gain weight quicker because of the additional supplements combined with the grain. This makes them produce beef faster for commercial benefit & give juicier meat that has a more apparent fatty taste.

Is eating Beef good for you?

Eating Beef is good for you, but like anything, it needs to be in moderation. Beef is high in nutrients, vitamins, minerals & protein, everything that the human body needs to function properly. Eating lean Beef is better for you than high fat content Beef, Grass-Fed Beef is healthier than Grain-Fed Beef because of the lower fat content.

Does Beef taste good?

Beef is one of the Best tasting meats because of the strong flavour & many varied cuts with different textures. Good quality Beef with a deep rich red colour is always guaranteed to give a delicious flavour, the darker the colour after this means the PH is too high & will eat tougher & not taste right. Beef is the most popular of all the meats because it so varied with the choice of cuts, the flavour is strong & very forgiving with the texture when rested after cooked.

What are the health benefits from eating Beef?

The health benefits from eating good quality Beef range from Vitamins converting food into energy, repairing wounds & bones. Protein helps build muscle mass, increases the natural growth of hair, nails, bones & muscles. Minerals help to make sure the vitamins & protein function correctly, they help growth, brain function, heart function & muscle function.

What nutrients do you get from eating Beef?

The nutrients you get from eating beef are B type vitamins; niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, B6, B12, vitamin D, zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, pantothenate.  Beef is one of the best sources of Protein, is low in fat with no additives.

What are the best Beef Steaks for grilling?

The best Beef Steaks for grilling are, in order of tenderness;

• Fillet Steak
• Sirloin Steak
• Ribeye Steak
• Tomahawk Steak
• Cote de Beouf
• T-Bone Steak
• Flat Iron Steak
• Flank Steak
• Rump Steak
• Hanger (Onglet) Steak

Fillet is the most tender of all the grilling steaks from Beef, Lamb or Pork.

What temperatures give your Beef Steaks different levels of doneness?

• Internal temperature needed to enjoy a Beef Steak that is Blue (bleu):         45°c
• Internal temperature needed to enjoy a Beef Steak that is Rare:                       50°c
• Internal temperature needed to enjoy a Beef Steak that is Medium Rare:    55°c
• Internal temperature needed to enjoy a Beef Steak that is Medium:               60°c
• Internal temperature needed to enjoy a Beef Steak that is Medium Well:    65°c
• Internal temperature needed to enjoy a Beef Steak that is Well Done:           73°c

How do you thaw out frozen Beef safely at home?

The best way to unfreeze Beef before cooking is to leave in the bottom section of your fridge (the coldest section) in the vacuum bag to let the meat gradually thaw over a few days. The vacuum sealed bag protects the meat from drying out & any exposure to other foods; it also prevents any raw meat juices from running over other foods causing contamination.

Why do you let Beef “Rest Before Serving”?

Resting your Beef after cooking for a few minutes: a) lets the meat relax; to become more tender. b) allows the middle of the meat to reach optimal temperature; this finishes the cooking of the Beef. c) the piece of Beef will soak up the juices on the board; this makes your Beef more juicy or flavoursome. It is important to let the meat relax to achieve the desired serving results.

Can you age Beef in the vacuum bag?

The best way to “Age Beef in the Bag” is to keep it in the bottom of your fridge, at a temperature just above 0°c. The best results are when the beef has been cut & packed within a few minutes into a vacuum sealed clear recyclable pouch, because it has had less exposure to the air & will have a lower bacteria count, making it fresher & lees likely to smell once removed.

Can you refreeze Beef?

Refreezing Beef is not the best for the meat, but if the raw meat is still in the vacuum sealed bag & has only been thawed out for 2 days at a very low temperature, then it is okay to do this. The meat must be only a few degrees above freezing to prevent natural bacteria growth. A reason to refreeze beef would be: to cut a large piece of steak into smaller portions for future use.

Grass-Fed Beef Cuts Listed & Diagram Showing Where They Are Cut From On The Cow:

1) Beef Cheeks;
Single muscle pieces from the side of the head, approximately 400-grams in weight, boneless gelatinous meat, ideal for low & slow cooking, with a rich flavour that is like pulled pork when cooked. (Wholesale, Retail)

2) Beef Neck;
Coarse muscles, boneless from above the shoulder, approximately 5 Kilos in weight, fibrous textured meat, ideal for stews & casseroles, strong flavour & very tender when cooked at a lower temperature (Wholesale)

3) Beef Chuck;
Coarse muscles, boneless from the shoulder, approximately 10 Kilos in weight, fibrous textured meat, ideal for stews & casseroles, strong flavour, mainly used for mince or braising steak (Wholesale)

4) Beef Mince;
fine ground trimmed Beef Chuck from the shoulder, best flavour & texture to make this with, 500-850-gram vacuum packs, making your home cooked beef mince recipes superior in flavour & consistency of texture. Let the seasonings bring out the true Grass-Fed flavour of the beef.

5) Beef Flat Iron Steak;
marbled slightly coarse textured beef from the Featherblade, this has had all fat removed from the outside, the middle silver skin membrane has been removed to leave a Flat Steak piece that is amazing on the Barbecue. Cut at an acute angle (after resting) to give tender sumptuous steaks (Wholesale, Retail)

6) Beef Fore Quarter Shin;
Fibrous muscles, boneless front leg, approximately 2.5 Kilos in weight, coarse textured meat, ideal for slow cooks like stews & casseroles (Wholesale Retail)

7a) Beef Brisket;
marbled semi coarse muscles from the breast area, boneless approximately 7 Kilos in weight, perfect for pot roasting or low & slow cooking on the Barbecue, tender meat cut into slices when smoked (Wholesale, Retail)

7b) Beef Brisket Burgers;
made using our trimmed Beef Briskets, with 22% fat & seasoning, meaty texture with a natural flavour, available in 7oz or 4oz sizes (Wholesale, Retail)

7c) Beef Salt Brisket;
this is the flat part of the Packer Brisket that has been placed in Brine Water for 7 days minimum, the excess fat has been removed & cut in half to leave a piece of Salt Beef Brisket approx 1.8 Kilos. The flavour is typical of our Grass-Fed Beef, a rich beefy taste with a texture that pulls apart very easily. These are ready to cook in the bag & slice for bagels or sandwiches (Wholesale, Retail)

8) Beef Brisket Point for Burnt Ends;
the top muscle of the Beef Brisket above the flat part, approximately 2 Kilos in weight, well marbled piece of beef, very moist in nature, low & slow cooked for brisket slices or Beef Brisket Burnt Ends, best results when cooked on the Barbecue (Wholesale, Retail)

9) Beef Jacobs Ladders;
marbled meat from between the chuck & brisket, single layer of tender meat covering the bones, approximately 3 Kilos (for 6 Bone piece) 1.6 Kilos (for 3 Bone piece), brilliant for Low & Slow on the Barbecue or oven (Wholesale, Retail)

10) Korean Beef Ribs;
these are slices of Beef Jacobs Ladder cut across the bones to give sections of the rib with delicious meat in between the bones. Korean Beef ribs are cut approx 15 mm thick & have 3 bone pieces in each slice. Perfectly grilled on a Plancha or Normal Barbecue (Wholesale, Retail)

11) Beef Rib Fingers;
These are the meaty marbled pieces removed from in between the rib bones in the Beef Jacobs Ladder. Approx 7 cm long & as thick as your thumb, they have a great flavour & very tender. Simple to cook in a stir fry recipe, try grilling them on the barbecue & using them in a wrap! (Wholesale, Retail)

12) Beef Carvery Rib;
ready to cook bone in piece of Fore Rib cut from between the Chuck & the Sirloin, 5 Bone approximately 9 Kilos in weight, available as 2/3/5 Bone sections, perfect for roasting in the oven, an easy carve beef joint, soft textured meat with plenty of flavour with fat marbling (Wholesale, Retail)

13) Beef Tomahawk Steak;
cut from the Carvery Rib between the Chuck & the Sirloin, with the extra-long bone, with the outer fat layers removed to expose the eye of the meat, same textured meat as the RibEye Steak, tender when cooked with the reverse sear method, approximately 1.1 Kilos, a tasty sharing beef steak (Wholesale, Retail)

14) Beef Cowboy Steak;
cut from the Carvery Rib between the Chuck & the Sirloin, with a short bone with the outer fat layers removed to expose the eye of the meat, approximately 1 Kilo in weight, a tender beef steak ideal for sharing, also called “Cote de Beouf” (Wholesale, Retail)

15) Beef RibEye Steak;
cut from the Carvery Rib between the Chuck & the Sirloin, with the outer fat layers removed to expose the eye of the meat, boneless piece with excellent fat marbling, approximately 3 Kilos, cut into steaks available as 200/350-grams each, ideal to cook under the grill or on the Barbecue (Wholesale, Retail)

16) Beef T Bone Steak;
the combination of Sirloin & Fillet Steak on the bone as a single steak. Two different textures & flavours, these are cut as a 16 or 32-ounce steak. The Grass-Fed flavour of these steaks is superb when cooked under the grill or over live fire. The larger steak is a great sharing piece for extra value for money. (Wholesale, Retail)

17) Hanger Steak;
cut from inside the diaphragm, two muscles separated by a single silver membrane, also referred to as skirt steak, a fibrous texture with a strong flavour, very tender when cooked, approximately 1 Kilo in weight, excellently cooked over a live fire (Wholesale, Retail)

18) Beef Sirloin Steak;
cut from the back area between the Fore Rib & the Rump, tender meat with a lesser amount of marbling than the RibEye Steak, soft texture with a delicious flavour, approximately 5-7 Kilos in weight, cut into steaks 200/350-grams, ideal for cooking over live fire, under the grill or in a skillet (Wholesale, Retail)

19) Beef Rump Steak;
cut from between the Sirloin & round cuts in the Hind Quarter, made up of the end muscles of the round cuts (Topside, Silverside & Knuckle) & the Picanha Steak (Rump Cap), a mixture of leaner muscles & the coarser more flavoursome Picanha Steak, approximately 8 Kilos whole cut into 200/400-gram steaks, perfect for grilling & one of the cheaper steak cuts. (Wholesale, Retail)

20) Beef Picanha Steak;
cut from the top muscle of the Rump Steak, it has good marbling & great flavour, approximately 1.8 Kilos in weight, with the fat covering the top for added flavour, for best cooking results, cook on the Barbecue (Wholesale, Retail)

21) Beef Fillet Steak;
cut from the inside of the rib cage next to the Sirloin, the most tender of all the beef cuts, a smooth consistent texture cut into 200-gram steaks, an easy to grill or pan fry steak. (Wholesale, Retail)

22) Beef Flank Steak;
one of the larger skirt steaks from the hind quarter flank area, these are P.A.D (Prepared And De gristled), zero waste on these steaks, a great piece to cook on the Barbecue as there is some fat marbling through it. Ours are approximately 700-grams each (Wholesale, Retail)

23a) Beef Tri Tip;
cut off the end of the whole Beef Rump. This is a popular Barbecue piece with fat cover on one side, giving extra flavour & moisture. Approx 1.6 Kilos with good marbling throughout, has an excellent soft texture that slices beautifully once rested after cooking. (Wholesale, Retail)

23b) Beef Steak Strips;
these hand cut strips of beef are created from the Beef Tri Tip & ready to cook. Fully trimmed with zero waste, they have a great flavour & texture perfect for all your stir fry recipes or for stroganoff style dishes. The meat is tender & works very well with your added seasonings. (Wholesale, Retail)

23c) Diced Beef;
these delicious cubes of Beef Tri Tip are ready to cook with excellent flavour & marbling. The cubes are approx 15 mm square & ideally suited to meat recipes like Steak & Ale pie, casseroles, home made beef kebabs, slow cooker dishes. Vacuum sealed in 500-gram pouches (Wholesale, Retail)

24) Beef Ox-Tails;
as the name suggests, these are meaty tails that have an amazingly rich flavour, & when cooked low & slow; Melt in your mouth! Trimmed up & left as a whole piece because you can cut them fresh at home in between the bones with a sharp knife. Approx 1.2 Kilos, are vacuum sealed for freshness (Wholesale, Retail)