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Break the Mold--Try Unique Holiday Recipes
Tired of cooking the same ol', same ol' holiday recipes? Try something new. Try preparing a meal with grassfed meat. Special cooking tips apply. Don't worry, though. You won't mess up if you learn a few basics of grassfed cooking. Whether it's Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving, (or maybe a romantic evening!), make it special with these holiday recipes.
There are four basic principles for cooking grass-fed meats. One, Put away your timer, get a good meat thermometer, and be prepared to use it. Grass-fed meats are significantly lower in fat than meats you're likely to find on grocery store shelves. Since fat works as an insulator, it changes the way your meat cooks. Lean roasts will cook in the oven faster than roasts that are higher in fat. Two, Turn down the heat. If the heat is too high when grass-fed meat is cooked, the moisture and the fat will exit quickly, which will toughen the protein. Until you're thoroughly familiar with cooking grass-fed meats, it's best to set the flame a little lower when you're grilling or frying, and to set the oven temperature lower, than is customary. Three, Learn when to use dry-heat cooking methods and when to use moist-heat methods. This is a tip that works for all meats--both conventional and grass-fed. When cooking meat, there are two methods. The first is the dry-heat method. This is the process whereby fats and water are pulled from the meat, thus firming it up until it reaches the desired doneness. Dry-heat cooking methods include pan-frying, broiling, roasting, barbecuing, grilling, stir-frying, and sautéing. Dry-heat cooking methods are appropriate for tender cuts of meat--loin cuts, for example--those that come from the animal muscles that do the least work. When you press down on an uncooked lamb loin chop, it's soft and squishy. The job of the cooking process is to remove the water and fat until that lamb chop toughens just enough to make it firm but juicy. Doing so requires a dry-heat method. Moist-heat methods are used for tougher cuts of meat and include braising, stewing, crock-pot cooking, and boiling. Tougher cuts typically come from the animal parts that do a lot of work, such as the shoulders. When muscles do a lot of work, they develop a connective tissue protein called collagen, which is what makes the meat tough. When a cut of meat contains collagen, your job as the chef is to break down the collagen, thus making the meat tender. When you press down on a corned beef brisket, it's tough. Boiling that meat breaks down the collagen, thereby tenderizing the meat. Four, Ease up on the seasonings and sauces. The most common mistake made by chefs and home cooks is not trusting that prime cuts of grass-fed meat have sufficient flavor to stand on their own. As a nation, we've become accustomed to the flavor and texture of conventionally raised, factory-farmed meats. We assume we need to give the meat flavor through the use of seasonings and sauces. This may be true of the meats sold in grocery stores or served at most restaurants. But animals raised on pasture produce meats that have a distinctive flavor. Grass-fed meats should be seasoned delicately so as not to mask or compromise their true flavor. (Reprinted with permission from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook: Healthy Cooking and Good Living with Pasture-raised food, by Shannon Hayes [Eating Fresh Publications 2004]. For more information see HTTP://www.eating fresh.com.) Concerned that holiday recipes may cause unwanted weight gain? Grassfed recipes keep French women slender. Why? Grassfed Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce
Directions for this holiday recipe: Wipe lamb with damp paper towel. Dry with paper towel. Combine butter and oil and brush mixture over the meat. Preheat oven to 450. Place lamb in a roasting pan which has sides for holding sauce. Roast lamb for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning often, until meat is brown on all sides.
Serving 8 guests? This holiday recipe will be just right.
Turkey with Honey and Ginger Glaze12 lb pastured turkey Directions for this holiday recipe:
Dissolve honey and wine together. Add ginger root; sprinkle with salt and pepper; pour honey-wine mixture over bird. Cover pastured turkey loosely with foil to prevent burning the skin. Cook at 350° for 25 minutes to the pound. Baste every 30 minutes. When done, you will have a delightful, dark brown glaze. Serve with dressing.
Pecan Stuffed HamThis holiday recipe featuring grassfed ham is a refreshing twist on ordinary ham. 6 to 7 lbs grassfed, boned, rolled ham (casing removed) Directions for this holiday recipe: Have butcher remove a cylinder of meat lengthwise from center of ham, leaving a 2-inch shell. (Meat removed may be ground and used for ham salad.) Saute onion in butter 2 or 3 minutes. Combine with cornbread mix, pecans, parsley, egg, and mustard to make dressing. Fill ham cavity lightly with dressing. Place ham on rack in shallow roasting pan and bake 1 hour in 325° oven. Mix orange juice and honey and baste ham. Continue baking for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Let ham rest 30 minutes before slicing. This holiday recipe serves 8-10.
Shish Kabob Holiday RecipeThis is the spectacular holiday recipe: its a meal-on-a-skewer. As the meat takes longer to cook, grill vegetables on separate skewers during last 10 minutes of meat's cooking time. When putting chunks of meat on skewer do not overcrowd; heat should reach all sides of meat and turn to brown evenly. Kabobs may be marinated with French dressing or a zesty sauce several hours before grilling and brushed during grilling. Suggested combinations: 1-2 inch thick grassfed lamb cubes, mushrooms, cooked onions, green pepper chunks; lamb cubes, sliced bacon, mushrooms, tomato wedges, cooked small potatoes, pineapple chunks, cherry tomatoes.
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