Where’s the LOCAL beef
Here’s your chance to support local ranchers committed to bringing Marin, Sonoma and Napa beef lovers healthier and more humane options.
Panorama Meats Introduces Super-Local Organic Grass-Fed Beef to Whole Foods Market Stores in Marin, Napa and Sonoma Counties
Panorama Meats, Inc., the nation’s largest producer of USDA Certified Organic and 100 percent grass-fed and finished beef, has developed a unique program that brings beef raised on its Marin County, Napa County and Sonoma County ranches directly to Whole Foods stores in those three counties.
The new Blithedale store in Marin County became the first store in the region to carry the super-local beef, which is raised at Lunny Ranch in Inverness and Diamond W Ranch in Petaluma and is also processed locally in Merced. The beef is being rolled out to the remaining Whole Foods stores in Marin County, Napa County and Sonoma County during the next few months.
“This is the first of many programs from Panorama that connect local ranchers with the stores in their backyards,” said Mack Graves, CEO of Panorama Meats. “Our goal is to offer a truly local, completely grass-fed organic beef to as many consumers as possible.” Panorama, he added, is working to develop similar programs involving its family ranchers in other parts of the country.
Panorama cattle are raised entirely on pastures of natural grasses, legumes and range forage. Cattle are never implanted with hormones, fed animal by-products or treated with antibiotics. All animals are raised in compliance with the Born and Raised in the USA® verification program.
Panorama’s ranchers treat their animals humanely in low-stress environments and employ pasture-rotation and land-management practices that promote animal health and protect delicate rangeland ecosystems. More information about Panorama is available at www.panoramameats.com.
Facts about organic, grass-fed beef:
- 100 percent grass-fed and grass-finished beef programs require a commitment to the land; ranchers must carefully manage their natural resources. Most grass-fed ranchers are independent, selling beef from their own property, or belong to a small, locally-focused producer group.
- Beef cattle are born with the ability to convert grasses, legumes and herbaceous plants into protein. Meat from animals that spend their lives grazing has a more favorable ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. In addition because grass-fed cattle are typically leaner than cattle that are fed grain, almost all cuts have less fat than grain-feed beef.
- 100 percent grass-fed and grass-finished beef has a distinct, vibrant flavor.
General Cooking tips:
- Grass Fed:
- Since it’s leaner than grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef usually takes about 30 percent less time to cook. Test with a meat thermometer.
- When using grass-fed beef in favorite recipes, lower the cooking temperature of the oven by about 25°F. The cooking time will stay about the same.
- When cooking on the grill, let the flames burn down more than normal for other meat.
- All Beef:
- Don’t start with cold beef straight from the refrigerator. Starting ice cold can result in poorly cooked meat, so let the meat warm to almost room temperature.
- Always use tongs, never a fork, to turn the beef. Piercing causes precious juices to be lost.
- Remember to let the meat rest to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing.
- If you are using a meat thermometer, a rare steak will register 135°F, medium-rare to medium will register between 145°F and 155°F.
- Thaw the meat in the refrigerator. Don’t defrost it in a microwave oven.
All meat sold at Whole Foods Market must meet the company’s strict quality standards, which require that animals are raised on a vegetarian diet without being administered antibiotics or added growth hormones. In addition, all producers must meet specific and rigorous animal welfare standards that apply to all stages of an animal’s life and environment.
More information can be found online atwholefoodsmarket.com and recipes can be found online at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes.
