We know, we know—filet mignon is soooo 90's. But we don't care. It'll always be one of our favorite cuts of meat. Make sure you get a grass-fed filet. It's really easy, but considering the steep price tag, you want to do it right.
Sometimes, when you’re in the mood for tacos, there is only one that will truly hit the spot: Classic Tex-Mex Tacos. It may be sacrilege in some circles, but there’s something about a crunchy hard tortilla shell and piles of lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Our Tex-Mex taco recipe, made with grass-fed ground beef, hits all the must-haves for your next old-school taco bar.Of course, you can buy a ready-made taco kit at the grocery store, but making your own spice mix from scratch is incredibly easy—and it tastes even better. If you're feeling adventurous, it’s even possible to make your own crispy taco shells at home. This meal is guaranteed to be a crowd favorite as long as you have the delicious ground beef, an overflowing toppings bar, and the crunchy hard shells.Ingredients:1 medium onion chopped3 garlic cloves diced1 pound Ferguson Farms grass-fed ground beef2 teaspoons chili powder1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon oregano1/2 teaspoon garlic salt1/2 teaspoon onion salt1 teaspoon smoked paprika1 teaspoon cayenne1 teaspoon ground black pepper1 tablespoon all-purpose flour1 4oz can green chiles1 cup beef stock or broth12 corn tortillas (for frying on your own) OR store-bought hard taco shellsVegetable oilSuggested Toppings for your Tex-Mex Taco Bar:Cheddar cheeseLettuceTomatoesAvocadoGuacamoleSalsaSour creamCilantroHot sauce Method:Heat oil over medium-high in a pan, cook onion until soft (7-9 minutes). Add garlic, cook until fragrant.Add the grass-fed ground beef and saute until cooked through.Set up colander on top of the bowl and drain meat from the pan. Put aside the meat in a colander, and return the fat to the pan.Add all seasonings and flour to fat in the pan and stir. Add canned green chiles and beef stock, stir well. Cook over medium heat until the liquid reduces (10-14 minutes). Add ground beef back to the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.To fry regular soft corn tortillas, add oil to a pan until it is about 1/2 inch deep. Heat until just under smoking (around 350 degrees F). If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil by dipping in a corner of a tortilla—if it starts to gently bubble, it’s ready. Add the tortilla to oil and cook for about 10 seconds. Then, using tongs and a fork, gently fold the tortilla in half, leaving at least an inch of space for the taco fillings, and hold in place for about 20 more seconds. Carefully flip and cook for another 30 seconds - until golden and crisp. Place tortillas on paper towels to drain excess oil and immediately sprinkle with saltNote: the exact timing varies with what brand of tortillas you buy and your type of pan. You may need to experiment to get the right shape the first few tries - worst-case scenario, you’ll have… creative nachos!Fill tortillas shells with meat mixture, and serve with your choice of toppings. Makes 12 tacos
Understanding the anatomy of beef goes a long way towards making sense of the many different cuts. The position of the muscle and the way it is used dictates in large part the preparation options for meat cut from that muscle. The harder a muscle is working... the stronger it is... the tougher the cut. These cuts often have the most flavor and when prepared properly, can also be the most delicious. Here is a breakdown of some of the more popular cuts and how to use them.
Taste: The flavor of locally raised grass-fed beef beats the taste of big-business, feed-lot meat every time. Besides the better diet and more-wholesome surroundings, local cattle are handled humanely right up to the moment of processing. Calm cows are tasty cows. Literally.Price: Buying a half or quarter will save you money. At Ferguson Farms, buying in bulk means saving an average of 15% over the usual packaging. You will need a freezer to store a quarter of our beef, but a new 9-cubic-foot freezer has a one-time cost of about $400 to $450. Its yearly energy cost will be about $38. And you can use the freezer for other food, too – like ice cream!Convenience: You’ll never have to worry about what’s for dinner because your freezer will be full of grass-fed beef.Humanity: Do you care about how animals are treated? So do we. Ask your local farmer about their care, handling, and living conditions, and you’ll see what I mean.Health benefits: Parents don’t want to be serving their kids the growth hormones and antibiotics that come with commercial meat. Dietary experts recommend unrefined, minimally processed foods – like grass-fed beef. Studies have shown that if you choose lean grass-fed beef, you’re giving your body monounsaturated fat (the same healthy fat found in olive oil), and it decreases your risk of heart disease by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol.Buying a cow not only helps you, but it also supports local farmers. Check our FERGUSONFARMS.FARM for delicious cuts of meat customized just for you!
In the United States, most cows start living similar lives. In the early spring, calves are born, drink milk from their mothers, and are then allowed to roam free and eat grass or other edible plants they find in their environment. This continues for about 7–9 months. After that, most conventionally raised cows are moved to feedlots. Large feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). There, the cows are kept in confined stalls, often with limited space. They are rapidly fattened with grain-based feeds that are usually made from a base of soy or corn. Typically, their diet is also supplemented with small amounts of dried grass. The cows live in these feedlots for a few months before being brought to a slaughterhouse. Of course, it’s not that simple. The different feeding practices are complicated and varied. In fact, the term grass-fed isn’t clearly defined. That said, grass-fed cows eat (mostly) grass, while grain-fed cows eat (mostly) an unnatural diet based on corn and soy during the latter part of their lives, and to maximize growth, the cows are often given drugs, such as antibiotics and growth hormones.
