Grass-Fed Beef: The Real Diet of Man
Prime rib is truly fit for feasts and special occasions, and the marbling of the better cuts (white sections of fat that run through the meat) doesn’t have to lead to artery-clogging consequences. While beef fat is saturated, good quality grass-fed beef will have a superior balance of fatty acids over conventional beef products. Grass-fed beef is high in CLA – which our bodies use to convert fats to muscle and energy. Factory animals, on the other hand, are fed cereal and grain (like processed GMO corn) that have a high concentration of omega-6s — something that most of us have too much of in the first place. Since there have been huge changes in animal husbandry after the industrial revolution (around 99% of beef consumed today is produced from grain-fed feedlot cattle, while almost all animals were pastured as few as 200 years ago), grass-fed beef is a cornerstone of the paleo diet.
So the secret to a healthy and amazing prime rib starts with quality grass-fed meat. If you have never cooked grass-fed beef before, you should be aware that while it tastes great (I think it’s far superior), it tends to be leaner overall, and can dry out easily and become tough. Do not overcook it! I’ll only say that once! 
Here’s a prime rib recipe from Dr Al Edwards, a close personal friend whose cooking skills I’ve always admired. On his recent visit to Toronto, he prepared the following meal to the delight of many.
Note that his use of red wine and soy sauce in the marinade make it not strictly paleo, but I believe that it’s a reasonable compromise since both are great ingredients with their own health benefits, and they are only used to marinate the meat so that it will become even more tender.
Start with a good cut of meat, with the fat and ribs intact. Marinate the beef in the following:
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup of red wine
- 1/4 cup of Tamari soy sauce (wheat-free)
- Small handful of fresh chives, roughly cut
- 6 cloves of garlic crushed
- The top part of a rosemary sprig
Place all of the above ingredients into a large plastic freezer bag. Poke holes in the roast, on all sides, and insert into the bag. Tilt the bag back and forth to cover the meat in the marinade, then refrigerate anywhere from 4-6 hours or overnight.
Other ingredients:
- I bag of miniature red onions (peeled)
- 10 Cremini mushrooms sliced in large pieces
- 1/3 c balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 c raw honey
- 1/3 c maple syrup
Brown the meat on all sides in a cast iron skillet. I used olive oil mixed with some (non-paleo) organic butter for the taste, although you may wish to use a true paleo oil with a higher smoke-point tolerance such as virgin coconut oil.
Browning the roast
Remove the beef to a tray or cutting board, then put into the skillet one small bag of miniature red onions (or others of your choice) that you have peeled. Brown these.
Add the cut Cremini mushrooms and some roughly chopped chives. When they have partially cooked, reinsert the roast into the pan.
With onions and chives
Mushrooms added, meat is now basted.
Mix 1/3 c of good balsamic vinegar, 1/3 c raw honey and 1/3 c of maple syrup to constitute a basting and cooking liquid. Pour some of the liquid over the roast and insert the it into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Since I used a cast iron pan, the skillet went right into the oven–eliminating the need for a separate roasting pan. After the 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook the roast to your taste (internal temp around 120 or slightly more). The remaining basting liquid will be used periodically during the cooking.
When the roast has reached your preference as to doneness, remove it from the pan so that it can rest. In the interim, crush the cooked garlic so that it becomes a kind of pulp that will better incorporate with the jus created from the basting liquid and the natural juices from the meat.
Slice the roast and serve it with the onion jus, and a generous portion of roasted vegetables. Don’t be surprised if your neighbours come knocking…
Cooked to perfection
Finally, only cut as many ribs from the roast as you need at one time. The roast will keep for quite a few days, and the leftovers will be great. I had mine sliced over avocado with some grilled yellow zucchini.
Perfect paleo snack
Tags: grass-fed beef, paleo, prime rib, recipe
