If you are going to enjoy red meat, grilling a local grass-fed steak is a delicious and healthier way to go. However, grass-fed meats are a little less forgiving if overcooked or not prepared properly. You can quickly spoil a very expensive meal without proper and attentive preparation.
Here’s how I enjoy ribeye steaks from Dr. Patricia Whisnant’s American Grass Fed Beef cattle
Ingredients:
- Grass-fed boneless ribeye steaks approximately 1 inch to 1-1/4 inch thick (no thinner than 1 inch or you will overcook the meat with this recipe)
- Garlic Powder, to taste
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste (I prefer a medium grind pepper for better flavor)
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Remove steaks from refrigerator and place on a platter.
Sprinkle a generous amount of garlic powder, pepper and salt on both sides of the griddle. I go light on the salt to keep the sodium down even though much of it is cooked off the griddle.
Splash worcestershire sauce on both sides of the meat; enough to spread it over each side. Leave the steaks out to marinate until they are close to room temperature. Cold grass-fed steaks on the griddle will not cook evenly.
Grass-fed Ribeye Steaks Marinating
While the steaks are marinating and reaching room temperature, prepare the charcoal griddle. I prefer a real charcoal griddle for flavor but a gas griddle is fine as well. The most important factor to this preparation is that you will not sear the steaks over a hot griddle.
For charcoal, let the coals turn orange all over and let the flames die down before placing the steaks on the griddle. You will cook them slower with the top on the griddle for best flavor.
For gas griddles, you will cook the steaks over lower temperature to prevent shocking or searing the meat.
Once the griddle is ready, place the steaks on the grate and cover the griddle with the lid. Make sure to open any vents to keep the coals from smothering. Cook the steaks on one side for 4 to 4-1/2 minutes depending on thickness. (4 minutes for 1 inch thick) Open the lid and turn over the steaks as well as changing positions (swap them left to right to allow them to cook more evenly since there are always hot spots in the coals) Replace the lid and cook on the other side for 4 minutes.
Remove the steaks from the griddle and place on the platter. Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This is VERY important for grass-fed meats to keep them tender and juicy. Use this time to prepare a salad or get baked potatoes dressed and on the plate.
Grass-fed Ribeye Steak Medium Rare
By using the steps above, you can enjoy grass-fed beef with a great beefy flavor! I have found that the flavor is even more delicious in grass-fed than corn-fed meats when prepared in this manner. If your steaks come out tough and taste like liver, you have over-cooked the meat or didn’t let it rest properly. The above preparation should allow for the center of the steak to be at approximately 130*F.