Cooking Pasture-Raised Meat

[mlovejoy321]

This may not be the best category to post to, but PBC is what I use and you all are a pretty smart bunch...

For various reasons most of the meat (ribs, brisket, pork shoulder) I cook now is from a local farm where the meat is pasture-raised. I find it takes a lot more time to cook in the PBC than I remember what it took to cook meat I bought from the grocery store in the past. For example, this past weekend I cooked two SL ribs on the PBC (hung 4 halves). Cooking temp stayed pretty consistent starting at about 270F and finishing at 225F and pulled them off after 4.5hrs because it was time to eat and they could have stayed on longer. They were still very tasty and there were no complaints from the family, but not quite tender enough for me. I assume the issue is that this meat has less fat then other types of meat. Does anyone else have similar experience? Are there tricks besides just cooking longer that I should consider?

Thanks!
Mark

[fzxdoc]

I don't cook grass-fed beef very often. Not a big fan because of the inconsistency in flavor--sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not, as in weirdly herby/grassy.

A few years ago a friend gave me a bunch of cuts from one of his grass-fed steers, and after the first couple of not-entirely successful-but-not-bad smokes I ended up doing the rest of the cuts of meat with QVQ or SVQ to give the family the tenderness they were looking for. The taste was fine, but the tenderness was always lacking.

The QVQ brisket from that steer was particularly outstanding, cooked with Polarbear007 's method. I wrote up the cook here: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/sous-vide/470975-“two-week-qvq-pastrami”?p=781885#post781885
See Polarbear's method in the OP on that same topic.

Kathryn

[Potkettleblack]

If they are pasture raised, as opposed to grass fed, shouldn't be an issue. But you said SL ribs, so I assume we're talking pastured hogs, not cows. I think you just didn't cook them long enough. Shouldn't be an issue of fat, as commodity pork is low fat. Can't run BBQ to a clock, and really just can't serve it before it's time.

Or, you could have kept the temp a bit higher.

[DavidNorcross]

In my experience grass fed has a great flavor but is tough, just not enough fat for my liking. I have had better results when cooking on the rare side, but still ends up chewy.

[texastweeter]

Low fat content, usually harder worked muscles. Agree with fzxdoc inconsistent (and we raise it), and occasionally borders on livery. I eat a TON of wild game though, including piney woods rooters. Try crutching with foil to help speed as well as tenderize.

[Jerod Broussard]

I had a veterinarian supervisor who couldn't believe I ate deer but not liver. I don't ever recall wanting to puke eating deer.

[Stuey1515]

I had to google piney woods rooters to see if you were taking the p!ss 😂
We aren't very imaginative over here, we just call 'em pigs

[mlovejoy321]

This is the information I was hoping for. Thank you everyone for the information. I'll plan to allow enough time to run longer and crutching with foil to minimize those pieces that dry out. Will post back. Thank you!