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Considering a Meat Subscription? Why Buying Ranch Direct Beef Is Even Better

meat subscription

It was formerly the case that you could trust your local butcher to source top-quality cuts of meat. And maybe if you live in a small town or have the right connections, you still can. But between the supply chain and the globalization of the world’s meat production, it’s more difficult than ever to know where your food comes from. Especially when ordering from online meat companies! Meat subscription boxes are a simple and direct way to support cattle ranchers who are doing it right. But have you considered ordering directly from the ranch without being on the hook for ordering more products every month? 

Easily Traceable Ranch Produced and Distributed Meat 

When you sign up for a conventional meat subscription, your beef could come from any number of farms depending on the distributor. With Rocker 3 Ranch, you always know what you’re getting and who you’re getting it from (down to the animal’s sire and age). 

By contrast, when you shop Oreganic’s bundle boxes, every cut is traceable down to the animal’s sire,  grazing location, and age. We know beef, and we’re not into any bull when it comes to raising the highest quality, grass-fed, grass-finished beef. That’s why we go the extra mile to meet stringent USDA organic certifications.

Ranch-Direct Meat Is Guaranteed Higher Quality 

Here are a few reasons grass-fed organic meat stands out from non-organic meat subscription boxes.

Better For the Environment

Sustainability is a trickle-down effect. Because we focus on producing quality rather than on volume, we can reduce our impact on the land. For example, organic ranchers use rotational grazing to minimize soil erosion and allow forage plants to renew energy reserves, rebuild vigor, deepen root systems, and provide long-term maximum production.

Our goal at Rocker 3 Ranch is to leave the environment better than we found it and entrust its care to future generations. As cattle have grazed on grasses for generations, it’s only natural that they continue this way. Here’s some more in-depth reading of the organic livestock requirements we follow per the USDA.

More Strictly Regulated For Hormones, Antibiotics, and Steroids

In every way, we follow more stringent guidelines than conventional beef ranchers. For example, our beef is fed 100 percent certified organic grasses (alfalfa and wild grasses raised on our land), managed without antibiotics or growth hormones, and follows a complex system of USDA-approved plans involving crop treatments and grazing grounds. The organic certification keeps us accountable for every step the animal makes throughout its life journey. This means that the animal is protected from environmental toxins or pollutants from pesticides it could encounter on grazing grounds or from water sources. 

Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Organic Beef Is Humanely Raised 

As organic beef ranchers, we care for our livestock’s needs in several ways. They must have year-round access to the outdoors, be raised on certified organic land and crop production, and in the case of grass-fed, grass-finished beef, not be fed any grain products, ever. 

And as the research shows, the pasture-based diet is even better for the animal. Grass-fed beef has better digestive health, allowing microorganisms to thrive in the stomach of the animals. This is linked with a reduction in disease and inflammatory conditions like hock lesions and mastitis. So even for our cattle’s well-being, it pays to eat plants.

Considering An Organic Meat Subscription? Buy On-Demand From A Ranch Instead

We want to get organic, grass-fed, and finished beef into the hands of every consumer we can. Because if you’re comparing our beef to other generically raised products, there’s simply no parallel for quality or flavor. Organic beef is the clear frontrunner in our customer’s minds (read our reviews). So, treat yourself to a cut of our Oreganic Short Rib or Top Sirloin. You’ll hit reorder as soon as you taste our beef! 

3 Flat Iron Steak Recipes Made To Impress For That Special Occasion

flat iron steak

Nothing says “I love you,” like surprising your sweetheart with a home-cooked meal. And around here, steak is always on the menu! Of course, no steak cut goes unappreciated. But for those unfamiliar with flat iron steaks, here are a few reasons why we love this cut.

The flat iron is a prime piece of the front shoulder that often gets upstaged by more common cuts: rib eye, sirloin, and prime rib. But there’s plenty to love about a good flat iron steak. It cooks faster than other cuts of meat due to its leaner profile, which is great for frying or pan searing. No grilling necessary! Flat iron has the same depth of flavor as other thicker cuts of meat, but the flat iron is a no-fuss, forgiving cut of meat. Splash it in some marinade, braise it for some fajitas or carne asada, and be on your way! 

Try one of these popular renditions of flat iron steak for that special occasion.

Flat Iron Steaks Make For Great Tacos 

Tired of ground beef? Time to mix things up. There are a million ways to prepare great flat iron tacos, from fajitas to carne asada. Try a dry rub on for size or to increase tenderness, bump up your marinating time. For inspiration, try this amazing recipe with a chili chipotle marinate and let the steak soak for a few hours before pan-frying for an amazing depth of flavor.

The beauty of tacos is their versatility. Love your tacos with the tangy twist of pineapple, bell pepper, and sweet onion? How about cilantro, radish, and salsa crema? Choose a theme whether it’s TexMex, Hawaiian BBQ, or all about that fire-breathing chili pepper heat!

Beef And Broccoli With Flat Iron Steaks

Do you know that beef and broccoli dish you order from every Chinese menu? Here’s how to recreate it at home! We love the simplicity of a beef and broccoli dish. The flat iron, cut into rich, tender strips, is pan-seared and laid atop a bed of crisp broccoli contrasted perfectly with a side of jasmine rice. The sesame seeds are the perfect nutty contrast to this dish. For that extra wok-inspired flavor, dash in some sesame oil while the steak is frying. Your sweetheart will love it (this knocks a box of chocolates out of the park). 

Traditional Flat Iron Steak With Chimichurri 

This recipe is just the thing for those who prefer not to reinvent the wheel. Traditional preparation of flat iron steak with chimichurri is a timeless classic. A little salty, a little spicy, and absolutely delicious. Perfecting the preparation technique means not overcooking the flat iron steak, so it remains juicy and retains some of its pinkness when serving. For all the details, try this recipe, and if you’re ambitious, make your own chimichurri. A fresh combo of cilantro, chili flakes, and olive oil sends this steak over the edge. 

Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Flat Iron Steaks For That Special Occasion

A top cut of beef isn’t an everyday kind of meal. For those special occasions where you want to dress things up a bit, shop our steak bundles and find something special for a birthday or anniversary. Missing out on some of the essentials like ground beef or roast meat? Why not add to your cart and earn free shipping on orders over $199 for OR, WA, CA, ID, and NV residents. Buying Oreganic means a cut of beef you can always trust. 

Slow and Sustainable: What Makes A Grass Fed Beef Box Better

grass fed beef box

In our fast-paced world, what we eat can easily become less about quality or flavor and more about convenience. Call us old-fashioned, but at Oreganic Beef, we think it shouldn’t be that way. When your food reflects a rancher’s hard work and sustainable practices over the generations, nothing comes close to the nutritional value or taste! This is what our grass-fed beef boxes are all about. 

But before we jump in on the amazing benefits of grass-fed beef, we’ll be straight shooters about this one. Grass-fed beef is more expensive (and with good reason). So if you’re looking for other options to compete on price, you’ll always find something cheaper. But if you care about the quality and the lifecycle of the food you eat, here are three reasons why a grass-fed meat box is worth it.

A Grass-Fed Beef Box Is More Expensive Because Higher Quality Meat Is Produced Slowly

There’s a reason fast food is cheap and the meal at a fine dining establishment is spendy. There’s a major difference in quality. So we won’t give you the runaround. When it comes to organic beef, you will pay more than commercially-raised beef. But you know the old saying: you get what you pay for. 

Organic grass-fed and finished beef take longer to raise than feedlot beef. In some cases, up to a year more of feeding costs, land maintenance, and caretaking to ensure the animal eats enough to reach its full potential. But with patience and a lot of labor, you get a superior product seasoned with the region’s flavors instead of an animal rushed through its lifecycle.

More Isn’t More When it Comes To Beef: Be Picky And Willing To Invest In What Is Good For You

Depending on your diet, you could eat meat once weekly or several times throughout the week. We’re not here to tell you what to do or how to eat, but we are interested in delivering the highest quality cuts of beef. 

We care about the people who consume our products. This means we focus on producing meat in smaller quantities because we understand that this is best for the animal and the end product. The American and global, diet concentrates a lot on large quantities of meat. While we are big proponents of animal protein, doctors recommend that lean, high-quality protein sources are the ticket to a healthier life.

A real upside to buying a grass-fed beef box is that you’re casting a vote for more humanely raised, higher-quality relationship to meat. 

Grass-Fed Beef Boxes Are An Investment Back Into Your Community

We all rely on farmers to eat. Buying your food more directly from producers is a vote toward keeping the good ones in business. While you might not have a grass-fed beef ranch out your back door, supporting ranchers and food growers is one practical way to keep access to high-quality, sustainably raised beef. 

So again, if you are looking for the cheapest ground beef at the store, it’s not from a grass-fed producer. The small guys, looking to compete with larger producers, will inevitably generate higher costs by not taking any shortcuts. And they will ask for more because of it.

For the Steak-Lover In Your Life, Choose Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Oreganic Beef

At Oreganic, the quality of our beef speaks for itself. We are passionate about our high-quality products because we know that once you taste the difference, nothing will compare. 

 An organic grass-fed beef box isn’t just for the family. It’s meant for sharing, a date night, or as a surprise gift for that steak lover in your life. Bring your whole family into the slow, sustainably raised beef movement with an Oreganic flat steak box or melt-in-your-mouth Oreganic short ribs.

Why Frozen Meat Is The Freshest & Answering “How Long Can Meat Be Frozen?”

how long can meat be frozen

How long can I keep my beef in the freezer? This is a question we get a lot. From the moment you pull a steak from the freezer to that finishing garlic butter sizzle as it slips off the grill, get the most flavor from your frozen beef with these food preparation and storage tips. 

How Long Can Meat Be Frozen? 

Most of our cuts of beef, from steaks to roasts, keep nicely in the freezer for up to 12 months. For packaged ground beef, it’s closer to three to four months. Use this FDA refrigerator and freezer storage chart for safely storing all types of meat!  

But here’s the catch. Not all meat is vacuum-sealed or flash-frozen at the height of quality like Oreganic beef. So, if you stock your freezer with meat every six months to keep from making that extra trip to the grocery store, you’ll want to hear this. 

Which Is Best To Buy : Fresh Or Frozen Meat?

There is a common misconception about frozen meat. Maybe you’ve heard frozen meat is less fresh than the bright red-colored beef you see shrink wrapped on those styrofoam meat trays in the deli. But it’s not true! Meat that is vacuum-sealed, flash-frozen, and shipped is much fresher than the unfrozen steaks you see at the store. 

Unfrozen beef oxidizes faster than frozen beef

This is because, as soon as red meat is exposed to oxygen, the enzymes in the beef begin to break down. When fresh, unfrozen beef is in transit from the meat packaging facility to the distributor for sale in grocery stores, the clock is ticking on its “sell by” date.

Bright red meat doesn’t indicate freshness (and here’s why)

We’ll let you in on a little insider industry secret. Most grocery stores keep meat in-house between 10 to 14 days, during which the steak’s oxidation process is ongoing. That is why meat packagers often use an FDA-approved technique called modified air packaging

This is the practice of infusing oxidized meat (which inevitably turns greyish in color) with a mixture of gasses, including carbon monoxide, to change its color to a vibrant, attractive red. Yes, carbon monoxide: the same toxic substance found in cars and furnace exhaust! 

While consumer advocacy groups widely criticize the practice, it is still used by grocery store chains to make the meat appear artificially at peak freshness. 

Just say no to preservatives and buy flash-frozen beef 

How long can meat be frozen? Frozen meat, specifically Oreganic beef, which is individually vacuum-sealed and flash-frozen at sub-zero temperatures, keeps well for up to a year. In addition, flash-freezing prevents enzyme breakdown during transportation, eliminating the need for preservatives. 

Flash-freezing meat (in minutes rather than hours) keeps ice crystals from forming on the meat’s exterior. This prevents the meat from drying out and shields its juices from the effects of freezer burn. 

Flash-frozen beef keeps its same flavor profile as the day it was packaged. There’s no thick ice crust formation like what you see when you pull a forgotten item from the back of your freezer. 

What Causes Frozen Meat To Go Bad?

Frozen meat can go bad, but it’s usually due to an issue with packaging, storage temperature, or the age of items in the freezer. 

Spoiling From improper storage temperature

Meat can spoil in your freezer due to a power outage or electrical malfunction of your freezer. Your freezer should always be set to zero degrees Fahrenheit. If you notice that your freezer has experienced a power loss or reached a sustained temperature above 40 degrees for two hours or longer, be safe and throw everything out. Suppose your foods inside the freezer are still below 40 degrees. In that case, you can safely relocate the meat to another freezer. 

Freezer burn from packaging without a vacuum seal

Ever experienced those frustrating ice clumps inside your bags of frozen vegetables? Freezer burn is a common phenomenon for anyone with a freezer. But the good news is that proper packaging techniques for frozen beef will help the foods retain flavor and stop the invasion of ice crystals into your frozen foods. 

Freezer burn dries out food by drawing out its moisture and forming an ice mass outside the food. This leaves foods like meat more tasteless and dry when they are prepared. 

With Oreganic’s vacuum-sealed meats, as long as you keep the original packaging intact, you will never need to worry about freezer burn! Rest assured, your frozen steaks will stay as juicy and tender as the day they were packaged. 

Age of beef

We would like to tell you that all meat will stay fresh in your freezer forever. But since we dry-age our beef, some fermentation breakdown has already occurred with the meat before it is flash-frozen. This doesn’t mean it is bad to consume meat safely stored longer than a year, but it likely won’t taste as fresh as it could if you prepared it sooner.

Meat that lingers in the freezer a bit too long (for over a year) will inevitably lose some moisture and shape, making it a bit less appetizing. However, if you still want to cook the meat, using a brining technique may bring back some of the richness lost over time. 

Stock Your Freezer With Oreganic Flash-Frozen Beef And Know You’re Getting The Freshest

We hope you use these freezer storage tips to get the most flavor from our high-quality grass-fed and finished beef. Flash-frozen beef from Oreganic is securely vacuum-packed and individually chilled to seal all the amazing nutrients and flavor. 

We guarantee delivery within 72 hours if the order meets our cut-off shipping date (before Tuesday at 8:00 AM). Every cut of Oreganic beef is certified USDA-organic and processed without the use of any preservatives or artificial ingredients. So shop now and experience the grass-fed difference! 

Prep Your Freezer For Winter With Grass Fed Meat Delivery

grass fed meat delivery boxes

Winters are made for hearty meals; now is the time to stock your freezer with high-quality red meat for the season. Think organic stew meat for the slow cooker, ground beef for a savory winter meatloaf, or T-bones for a memorable at-home date night. The possibilities are endless! But before you hop in the car and head to the grocery store, consider our favorite perks of ordering grass-fed meat delivery right to your front door.

Get Exactly As Much As You Need (No Subscription Required)

Our grass-fed meat delivery service is different because we operate on demand. There is no monthly or annual commitment, subscription signups, or pausing deliveries like other services. We make it simple: we deliver what you want when you want it, every time. 

Guaranteed Delivery Within 72 Hours of Shipment

Each order of our grass-fed-and-finished beef is securely vacuum-sealed and flash-frozen for freshness. Then it’s shipped right to your front door. Need the meat you order online to arrive by a specific date or time? No need to worry about shipping delays with Oreganic. We guarantee delivery within 72 hours of your order date if you place it before 8:00 AM on Tuesday (when our weekly shipment dispatches). If you place it on Wednesday or later in the week, it goes out with the following week’s shipment. 

You Can Build Your Own Box with Oreganic Grass-Fed Meat Delivery

Choose from a selection of our dry-aged organic steaks, beef bones for making homemade broth, and ground beef for that catch-all meal in your household. If you prefer a curated box, choose from our bundled boxes for crockpot cooking, steak lovers, the grill, and more! And if you’ve never tried our 100% grass-fed and finished organic beef before, we promise you will immediately notice a difference. Our meat quality is a cut above the rest. It has less fat, and richer flavor thanks to the wild and harvested Oregon alfalfa grasses our animals graze on year-round. 

Prioritize Your Favorite Cuts and Stock Your Freezer How You Want

We get it. When you order from other grass-fed delivery box companies, you might get stuck with cuts of beef you didn’t choose or even like. And if you are preparing meals for picky eaters at home, this is really frustrating. Stock up on more of what your family loves with Oreganic’s grass-fed meat delivery boxes. We ship only what you want, so you’re squared away for the winter. Grass-fed beef keeps really well in the freezer, but most of our customers eat through what they order in a hurry because it tastes so good!  

Order On Demand With Grass-Fed Delivery Boxes From Oreganic

At Oreganic, we’re a multi-generational family ranch, which means great care and hard work goes into every single order we package and ship. There’s nothing mass-produced or generic about our beef. We take pride in caring for every animal through its entire lifecycle, and the quality beef in your order reflects that. So if you’re looking to increase the quality of nutrition for the whole family, take advantage of our grass-fed meat delivery service without stepping outside your home. Now that’s service! 

Winter Comfort Dishes Featuring Our Grass-Fed Ground Beef

grass fed ground beef

Keeping the family fed is a task all its own! If you struggle to string together a weeknight menu through these long winter months, consider grass-fed ground beef your mainstay. Versatile, flavorful, and high in nutrients and protein, this ingredient is key to some of your family’s treasured favorites. Does anyone else hear the dinner bell ringing?

Grass-Fed Ground Beef Crumbles Deliciously Over Dinner Nachos

Can you imagine a meal more popular than nachos for dinner? We can’t. Crunchy tortilla chips layered in velvety cheese and pico de gallo, black beans, avocado, and a healthy layer of grass-fed ground beef. Dice onion and saute it with the beef and taco spices for a spicy Southwestern flavor. Dollop a splash of sour cream, and you’re on your way to a satisfying meal. 

Take On This Meaty Winter Classic: Shepherd’s Pie 

This dish is a freezer-friendly win. Make ahead, layer into a Pyrex, and thank yourself later. Peas and carrots are delicious when layered in with a rich, savory helping of grass-fed ground beef. Top it all with buttery mashed potatoes, and you’re all set! A meal fit for a day of outdoor play or lugging that long-awaited Christmas tree through the door. Take this recipe for a spin and see how much your household loves it. 

Sloppy Joes Are A Sure Win, Especially With Kids

Sometimes dinner is less about fancy and more about fun. Sloppy Joes to the rescue! This sandwich has stood the test of time, and kids will love this humble, picky-eater-approved meal. Like chili, Sloppy Joes have a sweet, savory flavor that’s best paired with a pillowy hamburger bun. Alongside spaghetti, keep this on rotation for those cold winter months, and order your grass-fed ground beef ahead of time to stock up your freezer

A Grass-Fed Ground Beef Hamburger Stroganoff 

Need dinner on the table in 30 minutes? This cozy meal has got your back. Straight from the playbook of comfort meals, hamburger stroganoff is a versatile dish loved for its rich mushroom gravy. Egg noodles, sour cream, and grass-fed ground beef all converge in this hearty winter meal (best served with garlic knots).

Keep the family nourished with some grass-fed ground beef as the meal’s protein, or brown up a top sirloin steak and cube it before spooning it over a bed of noodles. It feels and tastes fancy without all the effort. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers and Louisiana Dirty Rice

Are your weeknight meals lacking in fun? This one’s sure to spice it up. Stuffed bell peppers are an easy and delicious dinner. Grass-fed ground beef packs in the protein, while a side of dirty rice adds some cajun flair to every dinner plate. 

Rinse and core the peppers, shaking out the seeds. Fill with browned ground beef seasoned with celery, green pepper, and onion (the Cajun holy trinity) and all your favorite spices, and combine it with the dirty rice to pack into the hollowed peppers.

Bake with a topper of cheese, more dirty rice as a side, and pretend it’s Mardi Gras on Bourbon street. A tip on getting that crispy cheese lid on your peppers: turn on the broiler for the last 5 to 10 minutes they’re in the oven.

Make Your Comfort Meal Gameplan With Oreganic Ground Beef

Never struggle through another weeknight meal. With grass-fed ground beef by your side, you can make a surprising diversity of meals that will please every palate in your home. Straight off the ranch, this ground beef isn’t your average grocery store pre-packaged protein. 
Our ground beef is lean by definition, about a 90/10 grind. We dry-age our ground beef for at least 14 days to ensure you receive higher quality, better-tasting meat. It’s easy, fun, and filling to cook with ground beef. And the best part is you can start stocking your freezer now!

Does Grass-Fed Beef Taste Different? We Say, Yes!

Does Grass Fed Beef Taste Different

Does grass-fed beef taste different? It’s a question we get a lot. Long answer short: our grass-fed and finished beef tastes different in the best possible way! Great-tasting beef takes time and care to raise, and we owe this to the animal’s diet of healthy grasses while on the ranch. Unparalleled care for the land and animals we raise, along with our dry-aging secrets, are responsible for Oreganic beef’s distinctive flavor.

Grasses Are Key to More Nuanced Flavor

The life of Oreganic cattle includes long, sunny days foraging on thousands of acres of natural, organic grasses. Because good things take time, we wait to harvest an extra six to ten months for a healthier, happier product. Because of this fact, grass-fed beef has less saturated fat than grain-fed

Make no mistake, it’s easier to get beef to a harvestable weight on a crowded feedlot with a diet of corn and grains. But it’s not as good for the animal (or for you) in the long run. We’re proud that the animals on Rocker 3 Ranch are raised on native Oregon grasses (and alfalfa during winters). Our locally-raised beef has an unmistakable quality you can taste. 

Uncompromising Flavor, From Unparalleled Care for the Animal and the Land

Fans of grass-fed and finished beef taste the difference. Our beef’s complex flavor profile is due to the higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids and variation in its diet. You may also notice the steaks have a darker purplish meat color than what you see at the grocery store. The beef’s varied grass diet gives each cut of beef a more well-rounded taste depending on the season and what the animal was grazing on! 

Our Grass-Fed Beef is Dry-Aged & Perfectly Tender 

You can’t rush good flavors and good animal caretaking. That’s why dry-aging our beef is a mark of quality here at Oreganic. Lactic acid is produced as a steak dry ages, causing a slight fermentation similar to a nice aged cheese or wine. As the meat rests and loses some water weight, the animal’s fats and salt proteins come forward. Make no mistake, the beef is actually made more tender by this process (it doesn’t resemble something like jerky). We dry-age all of our steaks for a minimum of 30 days to bring the fat flavors of the meat forward and provide a downright delicious texture.

Does Grass-Fed Beef Taste Different? Give It a Try!

While it’s a labor of love, we believe grass-fed and finished beef is better for the land and you. So taste the difference of Oreganic beef and order directly to your home today. Enjoy free shipping for orders of 20 pounds of any combination of ground beef, burger patties, and steak burger, and bring our quality beef to your table.

A Fool-Proof Chuck Roast Recipe That Rivals Grandma’s

chuck roast recipe

If you’re like us, you remember Sunday roasts as big family affairs with fluffy potatoes, buttery biscuits, and the star of the show: the roast. Why just enjoy the richness of this meal one day of the week? Our favorite chuck roast recipe is easy, delicious, and rivals grandma’s. 

Just another chuck roast recipe? 

Call it chuck roast or pot roast, but either way, you’re in for a crowd-pleasing delicious meal. The “chuck” is cut from the animal’s front shoulder, which gives the beef incredible flavor but not a lot of fat. Because of this, the recommended cooking method is low and slow, allowing the beef to become tender and juicy. We know you probably have a chuck roast recipe or two up your sleeve, but trust us when we say this simple beaut will soon become your go-to. 

Oreganic’s Slow Cooked Balsamic Chuck Roast 

This recipe requires all-day in the crockpot for maximum flavor and minimum fuss. 

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds organic boneless chuck roast
  • 1 cup beef bone broth (we love this one
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar 
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon liquid aminos 
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup (can substitute with honey, molasses, or coconut syrup) 
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced 
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper  
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme 

Directions 

  • Add the chuck roast directly into a crockpot. 
  • In a small bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients. Pour this slowly over the roast. 
  • Cook for 8 hours on Low. 
  • Once cooked, carefully remove roast into a serving tray and pour over the remaining sauce. Drizzle with reduced balsamic glaze and serve with sides of your choice (we recommend garlic potatoes and steamed green beans). 

The secret to our chuck roast recipe? Oreganic’s 100% grass-fed and finished beef. 

Every incredible recipe (even the simplest ones) starts with top-tier ingredients. At Oreganic, our beef is 100% grass-fed and finished and USDA certified organic. The resulting beef has more flavor and is better for you. Shop now and bon appétit! 

5 Things You Can Do With Stew Meat (Besides Stew!) As Cooler Weather Approaches

stew meat in bowl

In our family, cooler weather means it’s time to shift gears from grilled meats and burgers to comforting and hearty dishes. This fall, we’re focusing on the delicious things we can make with stew meat, from personal beef pot pies to Asian-inspired beef skewers. So let’s dive right in! 

What exactly is stew meat? 

Stew meat is used in recipes that often need longer-than-usual cook times (for example, the classic beef stew), so they need to be up for the task. Often, these cuts of meat are high in collagen, making them tough when raw but deliciously tender when simmered slowly in sauces. Typically, you’ll see stew meat made from cuts like:

  • Chuck
  • Bone-in short rib 
  • Bohemian
  • Oxtail 
  • Fatty brisket
  • Cross-cut shanks 

The result? An incredibly versatile cut of meat that’s better for more than beef stew. Here are our top five picks. 

Option #1: Personal beef pot pies 

Move over, stew. The king of winter eats is definitely a personal pot pie. With its stew-like filling and buttery crust, a pot pie will take your stew to the next level. We love this recipe from Food Network (just sub the beef for Oreganic’s 100% grass-fed and finished stew meat!). 

Option #2: Beef bourguignon

Feeling fancy? Spice up those long winter nights with beef bourguignon. Usually served with roasted carrots, potatoes, and onions, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser full of all the richness and none of the toughness. 

Option #3: Slow cooker beef enchiladas 

Remember when we said stew meat is best cooked slowly until tender? Slow cooker meals don’t disappoint! Add beef, enchilada sauce, salsa, green chilies, garlic, onion, and seasoning into the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Once done, cut corn tortillas into small pieces and layer on top of the meat mixture with a cup of cheese. Cook 30 more minutes on high, and you’re ready to enjoy! 

Option #4: Easy beef stroganoff  

There’s nothing better than a delicious meal that whips up in a flash. This beef stroganoff recipe is rich, hearty, and perfect for the whole family. Stew meat cooked to perfection and served over buttered noodles? Say no more. 

Option #5: Asian-inspired beef skewers 

The warmth and umami of Asian flavors make it perfect for those cooler days. Combine hoisin, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and sriracha, and marinate your stew meat overnight. Next, skewer the beef pieces and grill over low heat until tender. Best served with rice and roasted broccoli.  

Find 100% grass-fed and finished stew meat (and more) in our organic Crockpot Comfort Box 

The winter months are long, but a warm meal with delicious organic beef can warm up any day for us. Our USDA-certified organic Crockpot Comfort Box features boneless chuck roast, short ribs, and stew meat, all sourced from our family farm in Madras, Oregon. Get yours today

Turn Up the Flavor with This Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon Recipe

bacon wrapped filet mignon recipe

There are plenty of ways to cook filet mignon. You can grill it, reverse sear it, or throw it under the broiler without sacrificing flavor or juiciness. But when it comes to iconic steakhouse meals, nothing beats the bacon-wrapped filet mignon. 

What Is The Filet Mignon?

This small but mighty cut comes from the tenderloin, one of the most sought-after cuts of beef for its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and mild flavor. Considering each tenderloin yields less than 10 lbs. of filets, it tends to come with a higher price tag than many other cuts.  

Preparing Your Filet Mignon To Cook

Just like with any steak, you’ll want to remove your cut of meat from the fridge at least 45 minutes prior to cooking. This allows it to come to room temperature, which helps with more even cooking. Right before cooking, generously salt and pepper all sides of the filet mignon. 

The Ultimate Simple Bacon-wrapped Filet Mignon Recipe

Ready for the simplest, totally decadent main dish? All you need is 

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Oreganic filet mignon steaks
  • 2 pieces thin bacon
  • 2 tablespoon butter, more if needed
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions For The Oven

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees 
  • Wrap the steak with the bacon and secure with a toothpick
  • Heat an oven-proof skillet* (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When melted, add the steak to the skillet and sear on both sides until a really nice color (about 1 minute per side)
  • Remove the skillet from the stovetop and place into the oven to finish cooking. Cook until medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. 
  • Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

*Make sure you’re using an oven-safe skillet when cooking using this method! When we say cast iron, we mean it. 

Oreganic’s 100% Grass-Fed and Finished Filet Mignon

Whether you decide to go all-in with this bacon-wrapped filet mignon recipe or prefer a more conservative approach (hello, garlic herb butter), we guarantee our filet mignon will be butter soft and packed with flavor. We proudly source all of our beef from our family farm in Madras, Oregon. You can learn more about us (and shop all of our cuts) at our website, oreganicbeef.com.