Cooking Piedmontese Beef

PREP & THAW: If you don’t plan to use Certified Piedmontese beef right away, transfer the individually sealed packages directly to the freezer. According to the FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service), beef will keep in the freezer for four to six months.

There are 2 ways to thaw frozen beef: In the refrigerator or under cool running water. For best results, transfer meat on a pan or plate to the refrigerator the day before you plan to use it. (Allow about 24 hours of defrosting time for every five pounds of meat.) Items thawed in the refrigerator should remain safe and of good quality for an additional one to two days; it’s best to cook meats thawed in the refrigerator right away, but they can be safely refrozen.
Certified Piedmontese beef can also be thawed in its sealed package under cold running water. This method requires about one hour for every pound of meat. Foods thawed under cool water should be used right away and should not be stored for later use or refrozen.
* If you do wish to thaw beef in your microwave, you need to remove the beef from its original packaging and use the defrost setting on your microwave. The film may contain a protective metallic layer in the packaging film for extra protection.

COOKING GUIDE: Certified Piedmontese is a leaner beef, which means it cooks faster than you may have come to expect from beef. When cooking Certified Piedmontese beef, set your grill, oven, or stovetop temperatures as you would with traditional beef, but keep in mind that the overall cooking time will be notably shorter (by as much as 33%). Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that your beef reaches the exact desired doneness. Be sure to let cooked steaks and roasts rest before cutting, so that the meat retains its juices. Steaks will require a couple minutes of rest at room temperature before cutting, while roasts may require five to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the roast.

TEMPERATURE GUIDE:
Rare 120°F to 125°F A rare steak is seared on both sides over a very hot surface for only one to two minutes per side. The inside of the steak should be warm throughout and bright red in color.
Medium–Rare 125°F to 130°F Sear a medium-rare steak on both sides over a very hot surface. The inside of the steak should be mostly pink. Most chefs agree that medium-rare is the ideal doneness for Certified Piedmontese beef.
Medium 130°F to 145°F A medium steak will be seared on both sides with a mostly light pink center.
Medium–Well 150°F and Above A medium-well steak will feature a thin line of light pink in the center of the cut. First sear over medium-high to high heat, then move to medium heat to continue cooking.