AUSTIN, Texas (August 30, 2010) — For the first time and just in time for grilling this Labor Day weekend, Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI) is having a nationwide one-day meat special on September 3, offering ground grass-fed beef at $3.99/lb., a significant savings for this increasingly popular meat known for its positive impact on the cattle, the environment and local communities, as well as being a leaner alternative to grain-fed beef.
Because grass-fed cattle are typically leaner than cattle that are fed grain, almost all cuts have less fat than grain-finished beef. In addition, meat from pasture raised animals that spend their entire lives grazing has a more favorable ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.
Preparing grass-fed beef differs from grain-fed beef. Cooking tips include:
- Don’t cook grass-fed beef cold; it is best when removed from the refrigerator 15 minutes or so prior to cooking.
- When cooking on the grill, let the flames burn down more than is recommended for other meat. Also, it doesn’t need as much cooking time.
- In order to retain precious juices, always use tongs, never a fork, to turn your beef and don’t flatten during cooking.
- When cooking in the oven, lower the oven’s cooking temperature by about 25°F and the cooking time will stay about the same.
“Grass-fed beef is amazing because the animals are in their natural habitat, eating grass the way cows are born to do,” said Kevin Gillespie, co-owner and executive chef of Woodfire Grill in Atlanta and Top Chef Fan Favorite. “To me, grass-fed beef has a cleaner taste to it – you can taste the natural flavor of the meat.”
A video on grilling with grass-fed beef and more information is available here: wholefoodsmarket.com/grassfedbeef.
In May, Whole Foods Market announced all of its U.S. stores were offering grass-fed-and-finished beef by partnering with grass-fed producers from across the country who are either independent, selling beef from only their own property or belong to a small, locally focused producer group.
“Years ago, I became tired of the excesses of industrial beef products and began to understand that the welfare of our herd and the stewardship of our land was being compromised. Now my daughter and I operate in cooperation with nature, as my great grandfather and grandfather did,” said Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures in Georgia and supplier to Whole Foods Market. “‘You take care of the land and the herd, and they will take care of you,’ is the most central of our family’s core values.”
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Editor/reporter note: Find high resolution photos at: wholefoodsmarket.com/pressroom/photo-gallery/.
