January 19th, 2010

Grass-fed Steak

So I finally cooked the grass-fed New York strip steaks I overpaid for at Whole Foods the other day. I managed to open the doors and windows before the house had a chance to really fill up with smoke. That's what I get for using a cast iron pan rather than a grill. I need a BBQ. I have fought with buying one for a while now, because I know that I will want something that is significantly more than what we really need as a family. I guess we are not really a small family anymore. Five people is a medium-to-large family these days.

The steaks turned out great. I have discovered the secret to following instructions I find online. Follow all the directions, but add five minutes to whatever cooking time they list. For some reason everything turns out better that way.

My steak was about 1/2 an inch bigger than K's, and I cooked her to a just about perfect medium rare. Mine turned out to be a very juicy and tender rare. Not raw mind you. I actually managed to cook a steak rare and have it actually cook the way I like them. As for the difference in flavor, I could barely perceive any difference between this steak and a good quality feedlot steak. I'm not talking bargain steaks from the racks at WinCo, but a quality steak from Raleys. Mine did not have a lot of extra fat, which was kind of sad, but I snagged some from K's plate. That was the only place that you could really taste a difference. It was... richer and a little "beefier."

My Meals Today:

Breakfast:
3x Eggs, scrambled in Butter
6 oz. Bacon
2x tablespoons of Salsa

Snack:
1x Banana
4 oz. Mixed Nuts

Dinner:
8 oz. New York Strip Steak, grass-fed
1/2 Sweet Potato (w/ Butter and a tablespoon of Brown Sugar)
4 oz. sauteed Baby Portabello Mushrooms

Additionally, I went to the grocery store to buy myself a Tejava Tea. Most deliciously strong black tea with no additives or extra crap. They were out. So, I bought myself a Smart Water. Htwoonly would be proud. Go water!

Review:

1. No Sugar. I will give myself a C. I had a tablespoon of brown sugar on my sweet potato. Meh... I just could not have the sweet potato without it.
2. No Grains. I get an A. No grains today.
3. Move around a little every day. I get a D. Today sucked. I was just completely exhausted this morning.
4. Lift heavy things. I get an A today. After my afternoon nap, before dinner, I went upstairs and did two big sets of Squats and Push-ups. I pushed myself to failure both times.

Overall Grade: B- Not bad. The sugar dragged me down a little.