5 Bar Beef : Local Grass-fed Steak!

If you told me a few months ago that we could get grass-fed beef from an Orange County rancher, we would have laughed you right out of the kitchen. Orange County is known for many things, but cattle-ranching is not among them. Previously celebrated for endless orange groves and wide-open farmland that stretched to the sea, O.C. is now the infamous home of trashy reality television and an absurdly overvalued housing market. The real gems of the O.C. are found (with a little searching) in the most surprising places, and 5 Bar Beef of Silverado Canyon is as rare as they come!

Real beef raised by a real cowboy!

Frank Fitzpatrick doesn't mess around when it comes to raising high-quality beef. From the moment we spotted him at the farmer's market, we knew he was the genuine article. From the brim of his Stetson to the heels of his boots, every part of this dude just screams cowboy. He believes in raising his cattle naturally, holistically and the way they were meant to be raised - on open land with real grass.

A lot of people find the grass vs. grain argument confusing. What's the big deal, right?! WRONG! 

• Cows aren't meant to eat grain, they have complex stomachs that allow them to turn indigestible fiber (cellulose) into energy. The cattle we eat in North America are prairie animals, and are supposed to eat grass.
• Most beef available for purchase comes from cows that are fed a mixture of things no self-respecting cow would ever eat, including corn products, the fat of slaughtered cows, antibiotics, and hormones.
• Commercially-raised cattle are kept in enclosed spaces often knee-deep in their own feces. Diseases thrive in this unsanitary environment and permeate the meat, leading to ever-increasing cases of food-borne illness and beef recalls.
• Grass-fed beef is naturally leaner (and healthier) than grain-fed.

This beautiful pan was made by my soon-to-be Brother-in-law as commissioned by the head chef at Maestro's Steakhouse

Different Technique:

Unlike fatty grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef is best cooked at an extremely low temperature. No searing, no charring, no sizzling high heat! This delicate meat must be treated with care and warmed gently to cook the meat without drying it out. Marinate the meat to keep it moist; we like to blend high-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Tenderizing the meat also prevents toughness. Check for done-ness by feel, rather than color. Grass-fed beef will stay redder and rawer-looking than grain-fed.

Note the unique texture of the raw filets