GRASS FED/FINISHED BEEF, TENDERLOIN FILET
By:
EVOO Cookbook
This is our special occasion beef dish, since it is our commitment to reduce the amount of beef we eat in a year. Just choosing a more environmentally sustainable beef product (grass fed antibiotic free, etc) isn’t enough to reduce the harsh impact that raising beef has on the environment. The world population has such a strong “taste” for beef that collectively, even if carefully produced and harvested, the demand is just too great to reduce greenhouse gases significantly, without also reducing the quantities all people demand. So instead of once a week, we recommend eating beef once a month, and/or just for birthdays. If everyone consciously ate just a little less, it would make a difference on our health and environment. And without eliminating beef completely, which is probably impractical anyway, we still enjoy dishes like this one.
Of course, EVOO is still using more than our share of beef. But for now, the idea of eating grass fed beef is still a new idea, we feel it is a good way to introduce how tender and delicious it is, and some would say even better than grain fed beef.
When inquiring about grass fed beef at the super market, be sure to ask more than is the beef pasture raised. Some ranchers are putting grain out in the fields, or finishing with grains before taking to the market. Feeding grain to cattle is totally unnatural for the animal, makes them sick, sometimes requiring veterinary intervention. These cattle fatten quicker so can be brought to the market younger.
What we look for is grass fed and finished beef that is pastured all its life, fed no grain or antibiotics. In order to be flavorful, ranchers are even planting different grasses in the pasture. They process these cattle later, for example, at 27 months rather than 18 moonths. It actually takes grass fed beef longer to reach desired weight and therefore, quality. Ranchers willing to do it are the ones we want to support by buying their beef.
TENDERLOIN FILET
Ingredients:
- 4-6 ounces each, filet of tenderloin of beef, grassfed, finished
- 1 tablespoon Flavors of Brittany
- 1 tablespoon seasalt
- 1 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
Method:
Cover one side of filet with seasonings and salt. Drizzle with EVOO to moisten. Let stand at room temperature before grilling just 10-15 minutes. Meantime prepare grill. Indoors, preheat, lightly oil. When ready add meat. Cook about 3 minutes on first side, then turn to unused spot on grill to cook other side, about 1-2 minutes. The desired doneness for grassfed beef is just one or two levels less than for grain fed not pastured beef. For us this size steak cooks less than 6 minutes total to 125 degrees; there will be about 5 degrees carry-over-cooking as it rests.
Serve immediately with crumbled bleu cheese.
TO RECIPES
printable page