As some of you know, last summer Brant and I bought a quarter of a grass fed cow and split it with a friend. We don’t recognize a lot of the beef cuts (swiss steak???), so our meals often end up with some crazy improvisations and a prayer that the particular cut that we are using is somewhat similar to the one called for in the recipe. Now that we are just 10 weeks away from picking up our pasture-raised pig we need to make some freezer space for all that pork. Time to eat some more beef!

Grass-fed beef cooks differently than standard corn-fed beef. Cows are fed corn because the grain causes them to gain weight faster and the result is a higher fat content in the meat. Grass fed beef is not as fatty, so you cook it at a lower heat for a shorter amount of time. Since our cooking experience has been limited to corn-fed beef, we saved some of our nicer cuts of meat until we had a better idea of how to cook them properly.

Enter last week’s sirloin steak. I found this marinade recipe on Cook’s Illustrated and wow… it was TASTY! The subtle flavors infused the meat without being overpowering. I didn’t want to waste the leftover marinade, so I just placed it in a bag and froze it for next time. As I thaw my next steak, I will also thaw the marinade and voila,  a delicious dinner will be ready in a jiffy!