There is a misconception that all grass fed and grass finished beef is dry and leathery. The truth is, it depends on a combination of things including the breed, the forages they have access to and the cooking method. Pineywoods Cattle ran wild for close to 400 years and thrive on wild growing grasses, herbs, shrubs, trees and weeds. They eat more like goats than the average cow. The chefs and butchers we work with are consistently surprised by the marbling and flavor that our Pineywoods Heritage Beef has.
With fall here, I'm ready to cook roasts again. The 100 year old farmhouse I live in is not the warmest place during the winter months. A tasty cut of Pineywoods beef roasting in the oven not only fills the house with a wonderful aroma, it helps keep the kitchen nice and toasty.
One of my favorite roast recipes was inspired by my husband. He loves to drink red beer (beer, tomato juice, salt and pepper). I like it too! I had seen a recipe that used beer for the liquid. I asked my husband if i should add beer or tomato sauce to the roast, he said "why don't you add both.". What resulted was the most savory and delicious roast I have ever had.
Here's my recipe:
4lbs Pineywoods Heritage Beef Brisket
a 12 ounce bottle of beer
3.5 ounces of organic tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste
homemade poultry season (see below)
Brown brisket on all sides - you can also use chuck or rib roast. Browning the roast brings out a lot of flavor. This is known as the Maillard reaction. It is important to pat the roast dry prior to browning - otherwise the beef steams instead of brown. I've browned roasts in bacon grease, lard, tallow (beef fat) and schmaltz (chicken fat). I've found that the best results occur over medium to medium high heat. This should be a slow browning process, so take your time and be sure each side is fully browned. Once browned, mix beer and tomato paste and pour over brisket. Season, cover and put in the oven at 350F for 3-3.5 hours. I find that the roasts turn out most juicy and tender when cooked in a Dutch oven, as good or better than a slow cooker.
It sounds odd to use poultry seasoning on beef, but it tastes fantastic! Here's the recipe for my home made poultry seasoning:
3 tablespoons dried thyme
3 tablespoons dried sage
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 a tablespoon dried savory (optional)
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!