The perfect steak on the stove in the winter? Yes, please! Here's how.

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January 26, 2024

Steaks aren't reserved for summer grilling only.

You can cook the perfect steak on the stove in the winter! My favorite method? Bacon fat basted steak!

The next time you're cooking BACON, please don't toss the fat left in the pan. Instead, strain the chunks and pour the fat into a jar. It can be kept on the counter for about a month and in the fridge for about 3 months.

Your bacon fat reserve can be used for cooking eggs or veggies or anything you want to impart a bacon-y flavor into. Most notably, it can be used to cook steak on the stove. Here's how.

1. Thaw your 100% GRASS-FED STEAK.

You can put it in the fridge the day before for a slow thaw. Or do a quick thaw in a bowl of cold water on the counter.

2. Bring the steak to room temp, starting about 30 minutes before cooking.

This ensures that your steak cooks evenly. If it's too cold, you can overcook the outside and undercook the inside.

3. Dry and season.

Pat your steak dry with a towel. Then coat generously with CELTIC SEA SALT and pepper on all sides.

4. Heat your pan on high heat. Add a little bacon fat.

Cast iron is perfect for this, but you can also use stainless steel. Ideally what you want is a heavy pan that will be heated evenly, creating an even crust and cook. You know your pan is hot enough when you sprinkle a drop of water on the pan and it "dances". Once heated, add some bacon fat. Adding fat is especially important for leaner steaks.

5. Sear the first side.

Add your steak to the pan and hear the immediate sizzle. Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes, until it's deep brown on the bottom and slides easily in the pan. The key here is patience. Don't poke and turn the steak. Let it sear.

6. Sear the second side. Add more bacon fat and herbs.

Turn and sear the other side. Add more bacon fat and your favorite aromatic herbs like rosemary, garlic, or thyme. Continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes. Tilt your skillet every so often so the fat pools in the corner. Use a spoon to baste the flavorful bacon fat over the steak. Be generous!

7. Test for doneness.

For the perfect cook every time, I highly recommend a meat thermometer. Here are some temp and cooking time guidelines:

Rare: 125 F (about 6 minutes total cooking time)
Medium-Rare: 130-135 F (about 7-8 minutes total cooking time)
Medium: 135-140 F (about 9-10 minutes total cooking time)
Medium-Well: 140-150 F (about 10 minutes total cooking time)
Well-Done: 155 F (about 12 minutes total cooking time)

8. Rest and serve.

Once cooked, transfer the steak to a cutting board. Cover with a lid or pan and let rest for 10 minutes. Do not skip this step; it's imperative for a juicy steak. Slice against the grain and serve with those delicious bacon-y pan drippings.

Yum yum yum! Serve alongside your favorite CHEMICAL-FREE VEGGIES. At this time of year, I love roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts (and you can cook those in bacon fat, too).

Do you cook steak in the winter? Ready to try this bacon-y method? What's your favorite way to prepare a steak?

I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or CONTACT US.

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PS: We have a couple STEAKS ON SALE NOW, so it's the perfect time to try this stove-top cooking method!

From Grass To Glow: Tallow Skin Care

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What’s really in a grocery store turkey?

It’s that time of year again—the turkey takes center stage. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a Sunday family dinner, a golden-brown bird is often the star of the show. But if you’re grabbing a conventional turkey from the grocery store, you might be wondering: what’s actually in it besides turkey? Why not add weird stuff to our holiday dinner? Many conventional turkeys are “enhanced” before they even make it to the freezer aisle. That usually means they’ve been injected with a solution of water, salt, and sometimes sugar or broth. It’s meant to keep the meat "moist and flavorful", but it also means your turkey may contain up to 15% of stuff that isn’t turkey. Always check the fine print on the label—you might be paying turkey prices for salty water. I sure hope you like your turkey with a side of salt! Those injections can leave a grocery store turkey surprisingly high in sodium. And when you see “natural flavorings” or “seasonings” on the label, it isn’t always just herbs and spices—it can also mean more hidden salt and flavor enhancers. So what exactly are these “boosters”? Think modified food starch for texture, “natural flavorings,” caramel coloring, and sometimes even MSG for that extra hit of savory flavor.Here’s the kicker: take a look at this turkey below—it’s sold by a major brand and proudly labeled ALL NATURAL. But read closely, and you’ll see it actually contains about 4% “other ingredients” that aren’t clearly listed. Makes you wonder, right? Turns out the real stuffing happens long before Thanksgiving—it’s all corn, soy, and unnatural junk. Conventional turkeys are typically raised on large farms where antibiotics may be used to prevent illness in crowded conditions. The USDA regulates withdrawal periods before processing (meaning the birds shouldn’t have antibiotics in their system at slaughter). So does that mean the birds really aren't antibiotic free after all? How confusing for the consumer! As for what the conventional turkeys are fed: Grains:Corn, wheat, and barley aren’t just wholesome-sounding grains—they’re the cheapest way to pack calories into a turkey, fueling rapid growth. Efficiency, not nutrition, is the goal here.Seed Oils:Soy, canola, and flaxseed are tossed in, not out of kindness, but to boost fat content and keep growth on track. Soy especially dominates, since it’s cheap and plentiful—most of it genetically modified. So these turkeys are definitely not low PUFA.Protein sources:Turkeys grow fast, and that means they need protein—lots of it. Beyond soy, feed mills mix in other plant-based proteins to supercharge growth in young poults. The formula isn’t about balance or natural diets; it’s about pushing birds to market weight as quickly as possible. Seed oils, sugar and more, OH MY! Certain “self-basting” turkeys may also contain a touch of sugar or dextrose, oils, or even phosphates to help retain moisture during roasting. My gosh this list keeps going on and on... And the star of the show... Conventional turkeys are genetically bred to grow quickly and large, especially in the breast area—because that’s what most shoppers want. It’s something Big Ag has down to a science: decades of selective breeding for size and speed at the expense of health and flavor. The result? A bird designed for profit margins, not taste. Compared to wild or heritage turkeys, today’s supermarket turkeys are bland, bloated, and bred to fit industry demand, not the dinner table. These turkeys don’t look much like wild turkeys anymore. So what's in a Miller's turkey that makes them so darn special? ✔ Pasture Raised✔ Corn & Soy Free✔ Traditional "White" Breed - Has nice sized breasts✔ Washed in Water and Only Water✔ Nothing Added - No artificial flavors, no colors, no synthetic ingredients, no preservatives✔ Vaccine, Chemical, Antibiotic, Drug, and GMO FreeWondering what's in our turkey feed? Here you go! Soy & Corn Free Turkey Feed Shop our Pastured Turkey (P.S. whole turkeys are coming soon!) The next time you are in the grocery store and see those giant turkey breasts wrapped in plastic, remember: that bird didn’t get that way by accident. It got that way by design.

Does exploding milk kefir mean it's bad? Not necessarily.

We get this question from customers on the regular --> "My kefir exploded. Is that normal? Does that mean it's bad?" The answer? Bubbly volcanic kefir is 100% ok. Kefir is known as the "champagne of dairy" for a reason! In case you haven't tried it, milk kefir is a fermented drink made with milk. It's similar in taste to yogurt (a little stronger in my opinion) but has more probiotics. As I've heard it said, yogurt is good for cleansing the gut. Kefir, on the other hand, adds to the gut. People working to heal or enhance the function of their digestive system often turn to kefir as part of this process. Even though kefir has been around for thousands of years, it seems that there's still some mystery around it. I mean, it's just not as popular as yogurt, particularly in the US. Bubbles in kefir are a natural part of the fermentation process. To make kefir, you need to add culture to milk. Different from yogurt culture, which is strains of probiotic bacteria only, kefir is a symbiotic culture of probiotic bacteria AND yeast. Once the culture is added, you let it ferment at room temp. The culture eats up the milk sugar (AKA lactose), creates bubbles (AKA CO2), and grows more of the culture. When you get bubbly kefir, that's a sure sign that it's fermented. It's also a sure sign that it's probiotic. After all, the more CO2, the more eating and duplicating the bacteria and yeast did. After we make it, kefir will continue to ferment. It will happen more rapidly at room temp and more slowly in the fridge. But, it's still happening. More and more bubbles are created over time. And, if that container is air tight, lots of pressure builds up within the container. If you don't open the kefir and it's super fermented, there is the potential for lots of bubbles upon opening. Here's a short video of a kefir explosion: And, here's a little story about the worst kefir explosion I've heard of. Years ago, we used to sell blueberry kefir. With that added sugary fruit in the end, the culture would really take off. A customer sent us a picture of blueberry kefir on her kitchen ceiling!! It really exploded. I wish I could have been there to help her clean it up! Open slowly or burp kefir to stop it from exploding. Not a fan of your kefir exploding? Thankfully, there's an easy solution. Open slowly. Simply crack the lid a little, and let the gas escape before opening all the way. You could even burp your kefir every day or two in the fridge to prevent it from getting too bubbly. The only way to stop kefir from fermenting and creating more bubbles is to freeze it. However, I don't recommend that. First off, kefir tends to get clumpy when thawed. Second, there's some probiotic loss when freezing. The longer it's frozen, the more probiotic loss. If you need to freeze kefir for later, I don't recommend freezing it for more than 3 months. You know kefir really went bad by the smell and look. When you make kefir with raw milk, it's slowly turning into kefir cheese. So when I say it goes "bad", it's really just knowing when it's too sour or pungent to palate. It's not necessarily a safety issue. Here are two things to look for: Putrid Smell: OK, kefir smells funky, even good kefir. But, especially if you've been drinking kefir for a while, you should be able to tell when it smells putrid. Like, you absolutely aren't able to consume it.Massive Separation: A little separation in kefir is normal. You will see the whey (a yellowish liquid) separate from the thicker white part. But, if it's all separated, and the white creamy part has turned into a mass of clumps, it's probably not the best to consume anymore. *Side note: I think this is why most kefir comes in a container that's NOT clear. When you make kefir with pasteurized milk, it's a different story. Since there isn't a natural community of microorganisms that are regulating themselves, it has the potential to go bad in a dangerous way. In addition to the signs listed above, here's one more thing to look for: Visible Mold: Especially green, orange, red, or black mold, which is a clear indication that the kefir is bad and should be tossed. All in all, this is really about trusting your gut and being connected to your food. How bubbly has your kefir been? Have you ever had it explode? Do you drink kefir for its yumminess or probiotic benefits? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our community (no account required). Or, contact us to keep it private 😊

The perfect steak on the stove in the winter? Yes, please! Here's how.

More from the blog

From Grass To Glow: Tallow Skin Care

What’s really in a grocery store turkey?

Does exploding milk kefir mean it's bad? Not necessarily.

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