Our meats are not just top quality, they’re also:

100% Grass-Fed

Raised Free Range on Massive Pastures

More Sustainable/Eco Friendly

100% Grass-Fed

New Zealand’s mild climate and pristine environment allow these animals to be raised on pasture year round.  They are never fed grain of any kind.

As a result, our meats are more humane, healthier, more delicious and more sustainable – better for everyone!

Read More:

How Grass-Fed Meats are More Humane

How Grass-Fed Meats are More Delicious

How Grass-Fed Meats are Healthier

Free Range

Free range is a term that can mean a lot of things, from simple “access to the outdoors” to being raised on pasture year round with plenty of room.  Our meats fall into the second category, and the amount of room animals have is huge.  For example, the 25,000 Merino at Nokomai Station occupy 100,000 acres.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

Read More:

What Free Range Means to Us

More Sustainable & Eco Friendly

Grass-fed animals are easier on the land, easier on the air, and release less greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.  In addition, all purchase through NewZealMeats.com include carbon offsets.

Read More:

Grass-Fed Meats are More Sustainable

Grass-fed vs. Grain-Fed Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Chef Ed Matthews of One Block West in Winchester, Virginia had an opportunity to review Silere Alpine Origin Merino and compare it to conventional lamb.

Here’s a taste of what he had to say:

“We tasted the Silere leg against the Aussie leg in the kitchen, and then sampled them in the dining room. The texture of the Silere is very fine and as a result, the meat is extremely tender. The flavor is very mild. Customers liked all the samples. Those who are not big lamb fans preferred the very mild Silere and those who love the gaminess of lamb preferred the Aussie lamb. Everyone liked the texture of the Silere lamb better.”

Want to read more?  Click here for the full review and some great recipes.

The loin is one of the most highly prized lamb cuts – exquisitely tender and flavorful.  Here we’ve paired elegant alpine origin merino with mint, roasted eggplant cubes, and romesco – a Spanish sauce made from herbs, toasted nuts, garlic and peppers.

Servings: 4-6      Drink Pairing: Garnacha Wine

Ingredients:      

4 Alpine Origin Merino Loin Fillets

1 slice of artisan-style Bread

1 large Eggplant

¼ C Sherry Vinegar

1-2 t Chile Flake

½ t Honey

3 cloves of Garlic

¼ C Almonds

2 Jarred Roasted Bell Peppers, drained

4 Roma Tomatoes

¼ C Hazelnuts, peeled

½ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for roasting eggplant

Salt & Pepper

Garnish: Fresh Mint

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Get an empty frying pan hot over medium heat.  Add the hazelnuts and almonds.  Toast them, tossing or stirring frequently, until they start to smell nutty.  Take the frying pan off the stove and let them cool.

3. In a separate pan, fry the bread slice in oil until it’s crispy and golden brown.  Remove it from the oil and put it on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.

4. Cut the top off the eggplant. Dice the eggplant into half inch cubes.

Toss the cubes in extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking pan.  Spread the eggplant cubes out on the paper.

5. Roast the eggplant cubes in the oven until they turn light brown on the edges, then remove them from the heat and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

6. Use a blender or food processor to turn the garlic cloves, parsley, paprika, roasted peppers, chile flakes, sherry vinegar, tomatoes, nuts and fried bread into a paste.  Then continue to blend, while drizzling in the ½ cup of olive oil, until a sauce forms.

7. Trim any silverskin off of the loin fillets.

Optional: use butchers twine to tie the fillets and draw it tight to form the meat into pieces of more uniform thickness (so it will cook more evenly).

Season the fillets with salt and pepper.

8. Place the loin fillets in a hot, oiled frying pan over medium high heat and cook until the bottom has been seared to a brown crust.  Then move the frying pan to the oven and roast them to your desired level of doneness.

They will likely cook more quickly than conventional lamb.  For example, an internal temperature of 110 degrees should yield medium rare after resting.

9.  Put the meat on a plate, loosely cover it with aluminum foil, and let the fillets rest for ten minutes.

10. Slice the loin fillets.  Serve them with the romesco sauce, roasted eggplant cubes, and fresh mint leaves.

A sous vide water bath is a high-precision cooking method that cooks steaks and other cuts exactly to your desired level of doneness while keeping them extra moist and tender.  The results when it’s used to cook New Zealand grass-fed beef are truly superb.

These ribeye steaks end up a perfect rare on the inside with a flavorful seared crust on the outside.  If you prefer your steaks cooked further, simply set the sous vide bath temperature hotter – to a few degrees above the internal temperature you want your steaks to have.

In the photo we’ve paired the steaks with a wine sauce and a sweet onion butter, but ribeye steaks are so beefy that they stand just fine on their own with any sides.

Wine Pairing: Super Tuscan

Ingredients:                               Makes 2 Servings

2 Grass-Fed Ribeye Steaks

1 stick Butter

1 t Chopped Thyme

1 t Chopped Chives

1 t Chopped Rosemary

1 t Chopped Sage

2 T Italian Parsley Leaves

1 T Minced Garlic

Large pinch of Salt

Oil for Searing (canola, peanut, grapeseed, etc)

Directions:

1. Fill your sous vide bath with water and set the temperature to 120˚F.  Dry off the steaks.

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the minced garlic and salt.  Cook over low heat until the garlic turns translucent. Remove the pan from the heat and add the herbs.

3. Brush or rub the steaks with the herb, garlic & butter blend. Let the butter cool until it re-thickens on the steaks.  Vacuum pack them in sous vide bags.

4. Once your water bath has reached temperature, add the bagged steaks and cook for anywhere between one and four hours – whatever suits your schedule.

5. When you’re ready to serve the steaks, remove them from the bath and bags.  Sear them on all sides in a very hot oiled frying pan or skillet.  Serve with your choice of sides (we recommend fried eggs and home fries).

The two primary reasons for the New Zealand beef’s quality are:

1. The genetics of the cattle – Silver Fern Grass-Fed Beef is certified Black Angus – read more about Black Angus beef

2. How the cattle are raised – pasture-raised – 100% grass-fed, free range cattle produce meat that is flavorful and lean.

Beyond these obvious reasons there’s another important one – economic incentives.  In the US, beef raised for domestic consumption doesn’t have far to travel.  Americans have become used to cheap, plentiful grain-fed beef, and so the industry is designed to provide the most beef at the lowest cost.

New Zealand cattle farmers are in a very different situation.  New Zealand is not close to any of the major beef consuming countries, which means the costs of refrigerated transportation to market make it impossible for them to compete with local or semi local (Canada & South America in the case of the US) beef producers on the basis of lowest cost.

Because they know they can’t compete on price, instead New Zealand farmers have set their sights on the premium beef market, and have focused on refining & vastly improving the quality of their grass-fed beef exports to appeal to high-end markets (P.L.Charteris, 1999).

Works Cited

P.L.Charteris, S. M. (1999). Pasture-Based Beef Production in New Zealand. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from Beef New Zealand: http://www.beef.org.nz/statistics/plc991.pdf

Ready to take your tacos in a new direction?  In this recipe spiced grass-fed beef is balanced with pickled daikon, salsa verde and salty salmon roe.

Drink Pairings: Red Rice Ale from Japan or Scheurebe Wine from Germany

Ingredients:                       (Makes 18 Tacos)

Salsa Verde Sauce:

6 White Anchovy Fillets (aka Boquerones)

1 C Olive Oil

1 Lemon’s Juice

½ Lemon’s Zest

½ bunch Parsley

Leaves from ½ bunch Oregano

½ bunch Mint

½ bunch Chervil

Leaves from ½ bunch Thyme

1 Garlic Clove

Pickled Daikon:

1/2lb of Daikon Radish, peeled & cut into matchsticks

1 t Coriander

1 t Green Cardamom, outer pods discarded

1 t Black Peppercorns

2 Bay Leaves

1 C Apple Cider Vinegar

Spiced Grass Fed Beef:

2 1/4lb Top Sirloin (or other steak cut), cut into bite-sized pieces

1 T Smoked Paprika

1 T Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Spice Blend)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Optional: Porcini Powder

18 Corn Tortillas

1 C + 2 T Ikura (Salmon Roe)

Directions:

Part 1: Pickling the Daikon Radish

1. Put the apple cider vinegar in a pot with the herbs and spices.  Put the daikon sticks in a ceramic, glass or other non-reactive bowl.

2. Bring the vinegar to a simmer, then pour it over the daikon to cover.  Let the vinegar cool, then wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to your refrigerator for at least an hour.

Part 2: Making the Salsa Verde

1. Discard any woody stalks from the mint, parsley & chervil.

2. Chop the herbs in a food processor with the anchovies, lemon juice/zest & garlic.

3. Once the ingredients are chopped, continue to run the processor while you drizzle in the olive oil to form a sauce.  Taste & add salt as needed.

4. Optional: Let the sauce rest for a few hours in the refrigerator to let the flavors develop.

Part 3: Cooking the Beef & Building Tacos

1. Season the meat with the spices, porcini powder (if desired) and salt.

2. Saute it in an oiled pan until it’s cooked the way you like it.

3. Fill the tortillas with the beef, daikon and ikura.  Sauce them with the salsa verde & serve.

Chimichurri sauce has a refreshing herbaceous flavor with a bit of heat from the jalapenos and garlic.

Drink Pairings: Malbec or Cabernet Franc

Ingredients:       (makes 4 entrée or 6 appetizer servings)
Steak & Marinade:

1 Grass-fed Beef Flank Steak

¼ cup Brown Veal Stock

½ Yellow Onion, finely sliced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil to Coat

Chimichurri Sauce:

1 cup Olive Oil

½ bunch Fresh Mint

½ bunch Fresh Oregano, stems removed

½ bunch Fresh Thyme, stems removed

1 bunch Fresh Parsley (Italian/Flat leaf)

½ bunch Fresh Chervil

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled

2-4 Jalapenos (depending on size of jalapenos & preference)

Juice of 1 Lime

Directions:

Marinate the Steak:

1. Trim the flank steak of any surface fat & silverskin.

2. In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine the steak, garlic, onion and olive oil.

3. Seal the container and store it in your refrigerator to marinate for at least six hours (preferably overnight).

Make the Chimichurri Sauce:

1. Remove the seeds & ribs from the jalapenos.  Chop them into large pieces.

2. Put the jalapenos, herbs and garlic in a food processor.  Start the processor running and slowly drizzle in the olive oil as breaks down the ingredients.

3. Once the sauce is formed, put it in a covered container in your refrigerator until you need it (the sauce will taste better if the flavors are allowed to marry for a few hours before use.

Cook the Steak:

1. Remove the chimichurri sauce from the fridge and let it come to room temperature (or gently heat it in a saucepan just before serving).

2. Drain the marinade off of the steak, reserving the onion slices.  Cut the steak across the grain into two equal halves. (Alternatively you can leave the steak whole & grill it.

3. Oil two cast iron skillets or stainless steel frying pans and get them very hot.  Cook the halves in the pans, flipping once, until they reach your desired level of doneness (we recommend removing them from the heat a few degrees shy of medium rare).

4. Move the steaks to a clean plate and loosely cover them with tin foil.  Let them rest for ten minutes before thinly slicing them against the grain.

5. While the steaks are resting, saute the sliced onion in one of the pans you cooked the steaks in.  Once they’ve started to brown, add the veal stock and stir to deglaze the pan.  Simmer until the stock has thickened.

6. Serve the steak with the onions, other sides of your choice and the chimichurri sauce.

Chile powder can be earthy, fruity, hot or any combination of the three.  The powder you choose will heavily influence the finished character of this dish.

These sautéed mushrooms are deglazed with a mixture of maple sugar and lime juice at the end, giving them an intriguing sour-sweet flavor.  If you’d rather have a more conventional mushroom side, simply omit the lime & maple.

Drink Pairings: Priorat wine from Spain or a right bank Bordeaux

Ingredients:                Makes 2 Servings

1 Grass-fed Beef Strip Steak

1½ T Unsalted Butter

1 T Olive Oil

1 T Chile Powder

1 pound Mushrooms

Juice of 1 1/2 Limes

2 T Maple Sugar (substitute Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup to taste)

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Set your oven to 400˚F.  While the oven is preheating, dry surface moisture off of the steak and rub it with the chile powder and salt.

2. Get a well-oiled, oven-safe pan very hot on the stove.  Add the steak and sear it on all sides until it develops a crust.

3. Move the steak (in the pan) to the oven to roast until it reaches your desired level of doneness.

4. While the steak is roasting, sauté the mushrooms in a separate pan with one tablespoon each of olive oil and butter.

5. Remove the steak from the stove when it is a few degrees below your target doneness, top it with the remaining butter, cover it with foil, and let it rest for five minutes.

6. Stir together the lime juice and maple sugar.  When the mushrooms have cooked through, pour the juice into their pan.

7. Serve the steak (sliced or cut into two portions) with the mushrooms.

This simple short rib sandwich builds upon the rich flavors of this braised grass-fed short ribs recipe with caramelized onions and tangy tsatsiki sauce.  You can braise the short ribs ahead of time and stash them in your fridge for quick sandwiches later.

Drink Pairings: German Pilsner or Belgian Dark Ale

Ingredients:    (Makes 4 Servings)

1 1/2lbs Grass-fed Beef Short Ribs

4 Burger Buns (Brioche highly recommended)

2 medium Onions

3 cups shredded Napa Cabbage

3 Garlic Cloves

2 T chopped Parsley

2 T chopped Dill

1 ¼ cup full-fat Yogurt

1 Lime’s Juice

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Braise the short ribs according to this recipe & let them cool completely (this can be done a day or two in advance).  Reserve 1 cup of the braising liquid for reheating.

2. Make the Tsatsiki Sauce - Mince the garlic cloves.  Combine them in a bowl with the cabbage, herbs, yogurt, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  The sauce can be made up to several hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

3. Peel & thinly slice the onions.  Slowly cook them in an oiled frying pan over medium heat, stirring rarely, until the onions have a golden brown color and are quite sweet.  This will likely take up to an hour.  Don’t rush them by turning up the heat, they might become bitter.

4. Pull the bones and any silver skin from the cooled short rib meat.  Add the meat and reserved braising liquid to a frying pan and heat to a simmer.  Cook until the braising liquid has reduced to a glaze consistency.

5. Toast the buns.

6. Spread the bun tops with tsatsiki sauce.  Top the bottoms with the short rib meat and caramelized onions.  Serve.