Tenderness & Flavor
Grass fed beef has a reputation for being tough and this can be true. At Brown Paper Beef we use three tools to ensure our grass finished beef doesn't live up to this bad reputation.
First off, we finish our beef on our highest quality pastures. This allows them to achieve the rapid weight gain necessary to marble. Second, we use certain breeds and frame sizes that have been proven to produce tender grass fed beef. And finally, we dry age our beef for 21 days, two weeks longer than the industry standard of 7 days (or less). In fact, much of the beef you buy at the supermarket is "wet aged" which means it "ages" in the package on the way to the store!Dry Aging
Dry aging means that your beef is hung in a refrigerated storage locker for a period of time. In the case of Brown Paper Beef it's hung for 21 days. The temperature is carefully regulated to between 32° and 35° F. Humidity is likewise regulated to a nominal 85%.
Tenderness
During the aging period enzymes naturally present in the beef break down the connective tissues in the meat, making it tender. Tenderness increases with every day of dry aging up until about day 16. So why do we age Brown Paper Beef for 21 days and not just 16?
Flavor
Dry aged beef has a wonderful flavor. As the beef ages, it loses moisture which concentrates the beefy flavor. Additionally, the enzymatic action changes the flavor of the beef. We continue to age past 16 days because we're after that wonderful flavor that only dry aging can produce. Dry aging is the secret to the flavor of the steaks you get in high-end steak houses. We don't want our beef just to be tender. We want it to taste great too!
Weight Loss
Dry aging will cause some weight loss, approximately 10-15%. The weight loss is mostly due to moisture loss, so you're not really losing any meat in the process, just excess water weight.
Cooking Temperature is Important
All meat will dry out if cooked at too high temperatures and grass fed and finished beef is no exception, but because grass finished beef is lower in fat than grain fed beef, this will happen at a lower temperature. Therefore it's important to cook your Brown Paper Beef for a shorter time and to a slightly lower internal temperature than you would supermarket beef. If you follow this recommendation, your beef will be every bit as tender as grain fed beef.
Grass Just Tastes Better
Beef picks up its final flavor during the finishing process. When beef is finished on grain, it will have a different flavor than grass finished beef has. Most people think it tastes beefier, more natural and more like beef should taste.