One of the best and most eye-catching ways to cook meat is the full roast. From braising to oven roasting, cooking a large cut is incredibly satisfying and delicious, perfect for a weekend dinner or holiday celebration. To approach a recipe of this type, the first step is to obtain a high-quality product. One of the best places to get meat is Stemple Creek in Marin County, California. Run by fourth-generation farmer Loren Ponica and his wife Lisa, Stemple Creek is a family farm with a passion for high-quality meat. Its quality is second to none with a customer base ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants to home cooks seeking more sustainable meat options. The best part? Stemple Creek products are available for shipment nationwide.
What Makes Stemple Creek Beef So Special? In addition to their animals being grass fed and grained on organic pastures, Stemple Creek is also deeply involved in The Marin Carbon Project, focusing on regenerative agriculture practices that combat the effects of global warming. While Stemple Creek offers a wide variety of steaks and chops, some of your best options are their stellar great roasts. Properly cooking a full roast requires a few different tips and techniques compared to a smaller steak or chop. To help, Stemple Creek is here to give you their ideas and advice on how to make your next barbecue dinner the best ever.
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The different types of roasts
At Stemple Creek, there are a wide variety of potential cuttings to choose from. For the three most common animals used for roasts (beef, lamb and pork), the slaughter of these animals is generally broken down in a similar way. This is due to the fact that they are four-legged mammals with mostly similar body structures. The main difference will be the size (beef is the largest, lamb is the smallest), which means that each part of the animal will produce different sizes and proportions of meat. For example, pork and beef tenderloin roasts are common cuts, while lamb tenderloin is not. This is because a lamb tenderloin is too small to be suitable. Instead, the lamb tenderloin is cut into the tenderloin chop, the same cut as the porterhouse or T-bone for beef.
For the best central beef roasts, Stemple Creek recommends prime rib, top sirloin, or New York roasts. Although less marbled, cuts like the top round or eye of the round are also great if your plan is to grill and slice thinly. By thinly slicing these lean roasts, you ensure maximum tenderness and texture. For lamb, Stemple Creek prefers shoulder or leg. But for those looking for something smaller, they recommend the sirloin. As for the pork, they like the sirloin and tenderloin roasts. A great aspect of pork is that the skin is delicious too. For hearty meat with crispy crispy pork, ask your butcher to leave the skin intact for a whole pork tenderloin roast.
What is grass-fed meat?
All of the lamb and beef at Stemple Creek are fed organic pastures. What does this mean for flavor? It all comes down to fat. “Specifically, the fat has a different taste, it has more complexity because the diet is not the same every day. The grass in the pasture has different stages, so it has a certain seasonality, ”Stemple Creek said. Compared to conventional free-range meat, the flavor of grass-fed meat is more pronounced (especially beef), with a unique and juicy flavor.
When it comes to pork, pasture farming is paramount. Pigs are natural foragers and when raised organically, these animals will consume a lot of natural foods such as acorns and fruits, giving organic pork a deep and richer flavor than the soft white meat of pigs from factory farms.
Cooking tips on seasonings and temperature control
When it comes to cooking barbecue, Stemple Creek is a fan of keeping it simple. Some of her favorite additions include fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. For the lamb, they love the addition of fresh rosemary, an herb that perfectly complements the herbaceous flavor of good lamb.
One of the most important elements of cooking a great cut of meat is temperature control. Stemple Creek prefers its meat cooked to medium done, a temperature that is much easier to guarantee on a steak than on a larger roast. The key is to invest in a good quality meat thermometer and avoid simply checking the doneness of the roast with your fingers. To cook over medium heat, cook the meat to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the heat and let it rest. While resting, the meat will continue to cook, reaching about 140 degrees. In Stemple Creek’s opinion, it is better to undercook than overcook because you can always bring meat to temperature. For a simple guide on how to achieve that great roast cooking, Stemple Creek follow these simple instructions:
- Brown upside down for a meat roast.
- Preheat the oven or grill to 250 degrees.
- Put the roast in and check the temperature every 20 minutes until it reaches about 120 degrees.
- When it reaches 120 degrees, turn the heat up to 500 degrees for about 5 minutes, until there is a bubbly golden brown on the outside.
- Take it out, let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Cut it into slices and serve.
One great thing about roasts is that once you are done with your starting meal, there are often plenty of leftovers left for other recipes. Stemple Creek likes to chop up leftover roast beef and pork with veggies along with eggs as a breakfast hash. You can also chop up your roasts and add them to dishes like noodle soups (ramen, for example) and sandwiches.
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