Chef Matthew - Grateful Graze Ranch Kitchen

What are we cooking today?

Choose what you've got, and I'll help you figure out what to make.

What kind of beef are you cooking?

Ground Beef — what can I help you with?

Cooking with Ancestral Blend

What's in it?

Grateful Graze Ancestral Blend is 90% ground beef, 7% beef liver and 3% beef heart.

You can use it much like regular ground beef, but it's especially good in seasoned dishes where the other flavors complement the liver and heart.

Chef Matthew's Tip: If you're new to Ancestral Blend, I wouldn't make your first experience a plain hamburger patty. Start with tacos, chili or a good meat sauce. Once it's seasoned and combined with the other ingredients, the organ flavor is much less noticeable.
USDA guidance: Like other ground beef products, cook Ancestral Blend to an internal temperature of 160°F.

A Few Ideas for How to Use It

Let's get supper on the table fast.

You've got about 30 minutes.

You've got time to make something worth waiting for.

Great. What are you making?

Ground Beef Cooking Time & Temperature

USDA food-safety guidance: Ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

Use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying only on cooking time.

Chef Matthew's Tip: Don't keep cooking after you need to. Once you've reached the safe temperature, unnecessary extra cooking just gives away moisture and flavor.

What do you have on hand?

Select everything you have.

Chef Matthew's Ideas

Steaks — what can I help you with?

What sounds good?

Which steak do you have?

How are you cooking your steak?

Steak Temperature & Doneness

USDA food-safety guidance: Beef steaks should reach at least 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest.

Use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying entirely on minutes per side.

Chef Matthew's Tip: Check near the center of the thickest part before taking the steak off the heat.

Which roast do you have?

Which cut do you have?

How are you cooking your brisket?

Chef Matthew's Tri-Tip

Tri-Tip cooks more like a thick steak or small roast than a brisket. It has great beef flavor, but it can become chewy if overcooked or sliced the wrong way.

You'll Need

  • 1 Grateful Graze Tri-Tip
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Garlic powder or minced garlic
  • Your favorite steak seasoning, optional
  • Grateful Graze Beef Tallow, optional for searing

Here's How

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Before seasoning, take a good look at the direction of the grain. Tri-Tip's grain changes direction across the roast, so noticing it now will make slicing much easier later.
  3. Season generously with salt, pepper and garlic.
  4. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of Grateful Graze Beef Tallow if needed, then sear the Tri-Tip well on both sides.
  5. Transfer to the oven and roast until the center reaches your desired temperature, keeping the USDA minimum below in mind. Use a meat thermometer rather than relying only on time.
  6. Let the Tri-Tip rest before slicing.
  7. Slice thinly across the grain. Because the grain changes direction, you may need to turn the roast as you carve.
USDA Safety Guidance: Whole-muscle beef should reach at least 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest.
Chef Matthew's Tip: With Tri-Tip, how you slice it matters almost as much as how you cook it. Look at the grain before cooking so you know where to change your slicing direction later.
Make It a Meal
  • Roasted potatoes
  • Grilled vegetables
  • Fresh tomato salad
  • Garlic bread
Ready to make it?
SHOP TRI TIP →

Short Ribs — how do you want to cook them?

Ready to make it?
SHOP SHORT RIBS →

What do you have?

Soup Bone / Beef Shank

Don't let the name fool you. This meaty cross-cut shank can do a lot more than make soup.

Chef Matthew's Marrow Bones

These marrow bones are ideal for making a rich homemade beef stock or broth. Roasting the bones first develops deeper beef flavor before they go into the stockpot.

Chef Matthew's Tip: Looking for marrow bones to roast and serve with crusty bread? Choose our Canoe-Cut Marrow Bones. They're split lengthwise to expose the marrow and are much easier to roast, scoop and serve.

Here's How

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Arrange the marrow bones on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until deeply browned.
  3. Transfer the roasted bones to a stockpot.
  4. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic if desired.
  5. Cover with cold water and bring slowly to a gentle simmer.
  6. Simmer gently for several hours, skimming the surface as needed.
  7. Strain the finished stock.
Chef Matthew's Tip: Keep the stock at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. Low and slow helps develop a rich, clean-tasting stock.
Storing Your Stock: Cool finished stock promptly and refrigerate within about 2 hours. Use refrigerated cooked stock within about 3–4 days, or freeze it for later.
Shop the Grateful Graze cut for this recipe.
SHOP MARROW BONES →

Chef Matthew's Roasted Canoe-Cut Marrow Bones

Canoe-cut marrow bones are split lengthwise so the marrow is exposed. That makes them the best choice for roasting and serving the marrow.

You'll Need

  • Grateful Graze Canoe-Cut Marrow Bones
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Toasted sourdough or crusty bread
  • Parsley and lemon, optional
  • Pickled onions, optional

Here's How

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Arrange the bones cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Season the exposed marrow lightly with salt and pepper.
  4. Roast for about 15–20 minutes, until the marrow is hot, soft, bubbling and lightly browned.
  5. Watch closely near the end. You want the marrow softened and roasted, not completely melted out of the bones.
  6. Serve immediately with toasted bread and a small spoon for scooping the marrow.
Chef Matthew's Tip: Beef marrow is wonderfully rich. Something bright and acidic balances it well — parsley, lemon, pickled onion or a simple dressed green salad are all good choices.
Serve It With
  • Toasted sourdough or crusty bread
  • Parsley-lemon gremolata
  • Pickled onions
  • Simple dressed greens

Chef Matthew's Braised Oxtail

Oxtail is full of connective tissue and deep beef flavor. Give it enough time and it becomes incredibly rich and tender.

You'll Need

  • Grateful Graze Oxtail
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Grateful Graze Beef Tallow, optional for browning
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3–4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups Grateful Graze Beef Broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Fresh thyme or rosemary, optional

Here's How

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Season the oxtail generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of Grateful Graze Beef Tallow if needed, then brown the oxtail well on all sides.
  4. Remove the oxtail and add the onion, carrots and celery to the same pot. Cook until they begin to soften, then add the garlic.
  5. Pour in the Grateful Graze Beef Broth and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  6. Return the oxtail to the pot. The liquid should come partway up the meat rather than completely covering it.
  7. Cover and braise for about 3–4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and pulls easily away from the bone.
  8. Let the oxtail rest briefly before serving. Spoon some of the vegetables and rich braising juices over the top.
Chef Matthew's Tip: Oxtail rewards patience. If the meat still seems tough, keep cooking it gently. For an even richer sauce, make it a day ahead, refrigerate it, remove the hardened excess fat, and reheat slowly.
Make It a Meal
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Buttered noodles
  • Rice
  • Roasted root vegetables
Ready to make it?
SHOP OXTAIL →

Organs & Traditional Cuts

Some of the most traditional cuts of beef are also the ones people are least sure how to cook. Pick what you've got and I'll walk you through it.

Not ready for a plate of organ meat?

Grateful Graze Ancestral Blend combines 90% ground beef, 7% liver and 3% heart. Use it in familiar seasoned meals like tacos, chili, meatloaf or pasta sauce. It's an easy way to introduce liver and heart without making them the centerpiece.

What kind of chicken are you cooking?

Which chicken breast do you have?

Which chicken thighs do you have?

About how much does your chicken weigh?

Check the package weight and choose the closest range.

Backs, Necks & Feet

These traditional chicken parts are especially useful for building flavor in homemade stock, soups and sauces.

Chicken Liver & Hearts

These traditional cuts cook differently from ordinary chicken meat. Choose what you have and Chef Matthew will walk you through it.

What kind of goat are you cooking?


Never Cooked Goat? You're in the Right Place.

Goat doesn't have to mean learning an entirely new way to cook. The biggest thing to remember is that goat is generally lean, so choosing the right cooking method for the cut makes a big difference.

Want an easy first experience?

Start with ground goat for tacos or meatballs, loin chops for a quick dinner, or a shoulder roast for something slow-cooked and tender.

Tender cuts such as loin chops and sirloin do well with quicker cooking. Hard-working cuts such as shoulder and shanks shine with slower, moist cooking.

Chef Matthew's Tip: Don't be intimidated by goat. Start with a dish you already know. Tacos, meatballs, pot roast and kabobs are all familiar meals — you're simply changing the protein.

What sounds good?

What kind of pork are you cooking?

Pork Chops & Cutlets

Tenderloin & Loin Roast

Shoulder & Pulled Pork

Great for Pork Shoulder Roast, Boston Butt and Picnic Shoulder.

Baby Back or Spare Ribs

Ham

First, check your package label.

Ham may be fully cooked or may require cooking. Follow the package wording rather than assuming from the word “ham.”

Ground Pork — What Sounds Good?

Which Sausage Do You Have?

Bacon & Jowl Bacon

Hocks & Neck Bones

Pork Liver & Heart

Traditional cuts can be delicious when they're prepared the right way. Choose what you've got.