grass-fed meat

U.S. Wellness Meats Nutrition

Omega 6:3 Ratio of Fish and Chicken
CLA
Vitamins A and E
Reduced Fat
All Natural

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fats get a bad reputation, but the truth is there are good fats and bad fats. And omega-3s are really good fats.

These fatty acids, which are essential for human growth and development, are most often associated with coldwater fish and certain fruits and vegetables, but they also occur in abundance in U.S. Wellness Meats' forage-fed beef. Our meat is a rich source of this healthy fat because our animals spend their lives eating the green forage plants that are naturally rich in omega-3s themselves. Just by eating their natural diet, our cattle absorb these valuable fats and then pass the nutrition on to you. The result is beef that has nearly 60% more omega-3s than beef from cows that have been raised on a low-omega-3 grain diet.

CLA

CLA may not be a household term, but here at U.S. Wellness Meats we've become pretty obsessed with it. That's because recent studies have shown that conjugated linoleic acid, CLA for short, can have a powerful effect on our health.

In separate studies, scientists have shown that CLA can lower an individual's risk for cancer and arteriosclerosis (clogged arteries), as well as reduce body fat and delay the onset of diabetes.

For Americans, beef and dairy fat are the best sources of CLA, but research has shown that an all-grass diet can significantly increase the level of CLA in beef and dairy. Because green plants are rich in the linoleic acid necessary to produce to CLA, grass-fed animals typically produce two to four times the CLA of their grain-fed counterparts.

CLA has become so valued for its health benefits that many health food stores sell CLA supplements, but naturally-occurring CLA is metabolized more effectively and used better by the body than these synthetic supplements, which are prone to oxidation during shelf-life.

All of this makes U.S. Wellness Meats beef one of the best sources of CLA available.

"The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease." —WebMD  Facts about Omega-3

 

Vitamins A and E

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential to proper nutrition, a key to healthy vision and bone growth as well as an essential antioxidant. Our most common source of Vitamin A is the beta-carotene that occurs naturally in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables and is converted into Vitamin A by our bodies. But forage-fed beef is an additional source of the vital nutrient. Cattle that are raised on grass consume significantly larger amounts of beta-carotene than do those raised on grain, and the result is meat that is a valuable source of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Another essential antioxidant that is linked to a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, Vitamin E also occurs in larger amounts in U.S. Wellness Meats grass-fed beef than in grain-fed beef

Reduced Fat 

Because U.S. Wellness Meats cattle are raised and finished in their natural environment, eating their natural diet, their four-chain stomach operates at a healthy level of pH 7. In contrast, grain-fed cattle have a very high stomach acidity of pH 4, brought on by their unnatural, high-starch diets. Thanks to their healthy diet, forage-raised cattle have high amounts of healthy fats, like omega-3s and CLA, and minimal amounts of the unhealthy omega-6 fats that have come to be associated with beef.

As Americans have grown accustomed to grain-fed beef as the norm, they have come to associate the fattiness of grain-fed animals with tender and tasty meat, but we know better! Because fats occur in proper ratio in our grass-fed cattle, U.S. Wellness Meats is both lower in overall fat and more flavorful.

The real difference is that you'll need to get used to cooking your meat at lower temperatures. Where grain-fed beef cooking is all about using high heat to break down fat, grass-fed beef cooking depends on lower temperatures to gently coax the flavor out of the meat.   And even better, it's good for you

All-Natural

We feed our families with the same U.S. Wellness Meats we sell on our site, so you can be sure that we are absolutely committed to the highest standards of quality and safety.

+We never use pesticides or herbicides on the pastures where our cattle graze.

+We don't use additives or preservatives of any kind.

+We never give growth hormones or feed-grade antibiotics to our animals. When essential, we might nurse an individual animal through a calf illness with antibiotics, but we treat this as something we don't employ lightly. In those rare cases in which we do use antibiotics, our animals must go through an extended withdrawal time that is twice the industry standard. Older animals that require antibiotics are simply removed from the U.S. Wellness Meats program.

+We graze our animals on a careful rotating schedule so that they are always eating the freshest, lushest forage plants. This is also good for the land, since it ensures all forage plants 30 days of rest between grazings.

+We ensure that our animals always drink only clean, pure water.

+We are dedicated to humane, free-range, stress-free animals.

Center Cut Shoulder Roast With Cranberries

1 tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sugar

2 to 3 pound piece of center cut shoulder roast (clod)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sherry vinegar or good wine vinegar
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 orange
Cayenne

Directions:
Put the butter in a casserole or a skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Put the sugar on a plate and dredge the meat in it until all the surfaces are coated. Reserve the remaining sugar. When the butter foam subsides, brown the meat on all sides--this will take about 15 minutes — seasoning it with salt and pepper as it browns.

When the meat is nicely browned, add the vinegar and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the cranberries and remaining sugar and stir. Strip the zest from the orange (you can do it in broad strips, with a small knife or vegetable peeler) and add it to the skillet. Juice the orange and add the juice also, along with a pinch of cayenne. Turn the heat to low and cover; the mixture should bubble but not furiously.

Cook, turning the meat and stirring about every 30 minutes, for 2 hours or longer, or until the meat is tender. When the meat is done, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Turn off the heat and let the roast rest for a few minutes, then carve and serve, with the sauce.

With Minimal effort: Faster Center Cut Shoulder Roast with Cranberries:Substitute a 2- to 3-pound piece of tenderloin (filet mignon) for the chuck or brisket and reduce the cooking time to about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is 125 to 130 degrees (medium-rare); you can cook it longer than that if you like.

U.S. Wellness Meats: Shopping for Grass-fed

KYLE LEON            TOM VENUTO