Grass Fed Ground Beef (2 lb pack)

People who make a living thinking about burgers think that grass-fed beef makes the best-tasting ones. We agree! Add some to your next shellfish order and enjoy a Hama Hama surf-and-turf at home.

This is grass-fed ground beef from our own herd, raised in the Hamma Hamma valley. These steers lived well.

To buy beef, place an order for oysters or clams and select Grass Fed Ground Beef as an add-on.

Farm Practices: The animals receive no antibiotics or growth hormones, are fully grass-fed, and spend their entire lives on our farm. The pastures were cleared by homesteaders and used to produce meat and dairy for the logging camps during the old growth logging era. The fields are not certified organic, but we use fertilizer and herbicide exceedingly carefully, to protect water quality. (We occasionally spot spray noxious weeds.) We've had a small cattle herd since the 1970s but this is the first time we've packaged our beef for retail sales. The cows are a mix of Hereford and Black Angus.

What you'll receive: Two pounds of 80% lean/20% fat ground beef, packed in a saddlebag of two 1-lb portions. This product ships frozen and can only be ordered as an add-on to shellfish orders. (We don't ship it on its own.) It may defrost slightly during shipping because we pack our refrigerated boxes with gel ice packs rather than dry ice (dry ice would harm the shellfish). You can return it to the freezer, or continue to defrost it under refrigeration and cook within 5 days. The saddlebag can be cut down the middle, which makes it easy to cook one pound now and freeze one for the future.

What to expect: The flavor and quality that pastured beef is known for. Grass-fed beef tends to be less marbled than conventional beef, which means it can cook up "dry" if you treat it like conventional beef. Some producers of grass-fed beef quietly finish their cattle on grain to offset this. Ours is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. Like oysters and clams, grass-fed beef is prized for being a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and minerals such as zinc and iron.

How to cook it: If you're making burgers, here are our tips:

• Use a cast-iron, carbon steel or stainless steel skillet 
• Wait to season the beef until right before you cook it. Form the patties and let them come to room temperature, then generously season both sides with salt and pepper
• Preheat the empty skillet over very high heat (you can put the pan directly on the grill, if you're cooking outside)
• Once the pan is ripping hot, add a little oil. Make sure the oil has a high smoke point (like avocado oil, rice bran oil, or even canola). Now is not the time for your delicate extra-virgin olive oil, which will scorch!
• Add the patties and let sear, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes. Unless you're making smashburgers, resist the temptation to press down with the spatula – you want the juices to stay in, not press them out
• Flip the burgers, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to sear for 2-3 minutes. If you're feeling cheffy, tilt the pan, add some butter and let it melt, then spoon it over the burgers continuously to baste them as they finish cooking to your desired doneness
• Enjoy!