# How do you cook beef?



## Liffey (Jan 12, 2017)

Uhh sooo, vegetarian here... I just picked up 20lb of raw beef with the end goal of transitioning my dog to beef/THK base mix. I have no idea how I should prepare it. It's in big chunks like the size of a chicken breast. Should I boil it? Pan-fry? How do I "skim the fat off"? Do I need to thaw it out before I cook it? I have not eaten meat in years and have never cooked beef in my life. Due to his GI issues we're not starting off with raw meat. 

Any tips? How much should I give him to start? He's eating Fromm right now and I want to be super slow and easy transitioning him. He's 85lb so I think he should be eating about 1.5-1.7lb/day but I'm not quite sure what to start with and how to get there.

Help?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I really can't help much. I worry about the smell of beef cooking, might make you feel sick. I would probably cube it -- 1-1.5 inch cubes, put it in the roaster, and cook it at 300 for about 2 hours for 2-3 pounds. Then I would just drain the fat, if I was going to cook it at all. 

But for a vegetarian (something a meat-eater like me cannot quite put my mind around), that is going to smell. Really, beef is a better choice if your reason for being a vegetarian is that you don't really want to kill animals to live. I mean, a dog can eat a chicken a day, but it will take months maybe a year, I mean if you figure 800 pounds in 365 days that is a little more than 2 pounds of meat a day. So 1 cow life as opposed to 365 or even half that, 187 chicken lives. And, old dairy cows, when they fall and can't get up again, they will sell the meat as freezer-beef. I always thought that would be a good source if I was going to go raw. 

Ah well. I love meat. I hope chickens aren't in charge of the pearly gates because I'd be cooked.


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

I would cut the beef into smaller pieces and then boil it. You can actually put the cooked beef into a strainer after it's done and then rinse it, this will get rid of the excess fat. I would thaw it before cooking.

I have no tips on how to do a slow transition between kibble and either cooked or raw food, as I just fasted a meal and switched all at once onto raw. But my guy was already really sick, so I didn't have much to lose. I cold switched my pit bull, but she has an iron gut and can tolerate anything. My female GSD was already eating a mix of raw and kibble when she came to live with me, so I just cut out the kibble and went from there. 

Is your boy still intact? If so, I doubt 1.5-1.7 lbs will be enough food, so you may need to up the amounts a bit. Good luck!


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## Liffey (Jan 12, 2017)

GypsyGhost said:


> I would cut the beef into smaller pieces and then boil it. You can actually put the cooked beef into a strainer after it's done and then rinse it, this will get rid of the excess fat. I would thaw it before cooking.
> 
> I have no tips on how to do a slow transition between kibble and either cooked or raw food, as I just fasted a meal and switched all at once onto raw. But my guy was already really sick, so I didn't have much to lose. I cold switched my pit bull, but she has an iron gut and can tolerate anything. My female GSD was already eating a mix of raw and kibble when she came to live with me, so I just cut out the kibble and went from there.
> 
> Is your boy still intact? If so, I doubt 1.5-1.7 lbs will be enough food, so you may need to up the amounts a bit. Good luck!


Thank you this is helpful. I think I'll boil it. My guy is neutered. He has never been a big eater or food-motivated and has always maintained a pretty lean frame, but I'll play it by ear.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

If you have a bit of 'ick' factor, I recommend stopping by the thrift shop and picking up a few utensils (strainer, spoon, storage bowl with tight fitting lid) in a different color from your normal kitchenware that you can designate for dog meal prep. My husband was a strict vegetarian for a long time, and was (justifiably) not thrilled with the idea of his salad spinner being used to thaw and strain miscellaneous dog food products. 

Peace of mind.

I hope this diet works well!


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

Liffey said:


> Thank you this is helpful. I think I'll boil it. My guy is neutered. He has never been a big eater or food-motivated and has always maintained a pretty lean frame, but I'll play it by ear.


I did homecooking for my boy for a little while when he was still struggling with raw (before I gave up and just put him on commercial raw which fixed everything), and boiled meat that was well rinsed went over the best. All you can really do is play it by ear as far as amounts go. Just keep an eye on his body condition and increase/decrease based on that.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Don't dogs need some fat though? I mean they put chicken fat or animal fat into dog food. If you boil, drain, and rinse it, how much nutrition is actually getting into the dog? Won't a lot of the nutrients be lost in the boiling?


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

You could bypass this dilemma by feeding it raw.


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## thegooseman90 (Feb 24, 2017)

selzer said:


> Don't dogs need some fat though? I mean they put chicken fat or animal fat into dog food. If you boil, drain, and rinse it, how much nutrition is actually getting into the dog? Won't a lot of the nutrients be lost in the boiling?


 yes they do. And fat is a better source of energy than carbs which seems to be everyone's go to. There's also zero reason to cook the meat. I'm always shocked by the amount of people who want to feed "raw" but he they cook it. Boiling and straining ground beef will lose a good amount of the fat in the beef


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

For a dog with severe GI problems, the excess fat can make things a lot worse. There is still fat in the meat, it's not like you are rinsing it all away. And as for the raw vs. cooked debate, everyone needs to try what they feel most comfortable with. The OP feels cooking is the right move at this juncture, and I respect that.


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## Liffey (Jan 12, 2017)

1) This is not ground beef. It's whole chunks.

2) We're *not* doing raw specifically because of his ongoing GI issues that could be IBD. Commercial raw is INSANELY expensive. It may be prudent later down the line, but for right now, cooked meat is still better than kibble and I want to see how he does with it.

3) The chunks are frozen together, how do I break them apart lol 

4) I will need to get a new cutting board and some knives or something. I'm not down for using my one and only cutting board for raw beef plus all my own food...

Also, to be clear, he will get THK base mix with some tripe mixed in. So it's not just the beef. But slow with the transition, so starting with just a couple tablespoons of THK and a couple oz of beef while still mostly eating Fromm.


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## Liffey (Jan 12, 2017)

Is it okay to semi-thaw the meat, chop it into 2oz or 4oz chunks, and re-freeze it?


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Liffey said:


> Is it okay to semi-thaw the meat, chop it into 2oz or 4oz chunks, and re-freeze it?


Yep, that's how I have done it for years. Tripe is probably good for him. You don't want to cook tripe because your house will never smell the same. Raw tripe is like medicine for our dog(s) if they have a stomach upset.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

I'm right there with you -- I've been veg*n (vegan or lacto/ovo) for 20+ years, and I've got a raw fed dog, who started out on home cooked beef. I seriously was just at a grass fed cattle farmer's place buying kidney and neck bones. Gross, but whatever.

DEFINITELY get a large stock pot that will be FOR THE DOG. You might find one at a thrift store, as was recommended, or else at WM. I also have a red plastic cutting board, red slotted spoons, red ladle, red-handled knife, etc. (available at Dollar Tree, Walmart, etc. for cheap). RED in my kitchen means it goes in a separate cabinet for DOG MEAT PREP stuff. There's zero chance of my food ever coming in contact with any of the dog food prep stuff. I also clean with 10% bleach solution when we're done.

When I need to cook meat (i.e., when my dog was on home cooking, or when I've got a foster who can't eat raw), I boil it. If you want to throw in some chopped fresh liver or kidney, do that at the same time. Open up every window, put on your whole house fan, and run the kitchen exhaust. I usually have a diffuser going with a strong EO at the same time, as the smell is GROSS. I would also do enough for at least 2 weeks so as not to have to do it very often -- freeze in packets that are about 2-3 days worth of food. A Foodsaver is great for this, but use Gallon freezer bags if you don't have one. I also have a red ceramic dish that I use to cool meat off before freezing it (I can spread it in a single layer so it cools fast).

I use a slotted spoon to pull the meat out and put it into the storage bag. I don't bother rinsing -- what's clinging to it at that point isn't much. Then there's a choice on how to get the big blob of fat off your broth: 

Method 1: use a ladle to put the cooking water into quart mason jars to store in the fridge (after closing them, I wash the outside of the closed jars with Dawn to get the dribbles off because I don't want that on my fridge shelves); when cool, pull the congealed fat off the top and toss it out (we sometimes would do this as we pulled a jar out to use -- the fat will make a "cap" in the top of the jar that you have to scoop out and throw away). BTW, I usually use Eco brands of dish soap, but when I'm dealing with greasy dog food mess, it is Dawn, and only Dawn because of the grease-cutting power. Even if you don't usually use that brand, I'd suggest getting a small bottle for $1 for dog food cleaning. I clean the kitchen sink with a wet paper towel with a squirt of Dawn to get any dribbled fatty broth broken down...then I rinse, scrub with Comet with bleach rinse, and spray with bleach solution and let stand 10 min before rinsing. I want NOTHING of that mess left in my sink. This is not a mess I clean with just vinegar, Method, or 7th Gen...way too gross. Since the windows are open and fans are on, this is one time the fumes from the caustic cleaning products aren't an issue for me.

Method 2: let it cool in the stock pot, and pull the congealed fat off before jarring the cooking broth.

I would not send fat down the sink (it clogs drains).

Definitely don't toss that cooking water if you're using a base mix though -- there's good nutrition in there. Use it to reconsititute your base mix (even half broth, half water will add tons of flavor).


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

" 1-1.5 inch cubes, put it in the roaster, and cook it at 300 for about 2 hours for 2-3 pounds. "

what's left ? very dead meat - over dried - 

try this cooking method - sous-vide -- no smells ! you select the temperature -- "just" cooked - around 150

keep in bag -- toss in freezer till ready to use - then all you do is thaw the prepared meat 

you can add an appetite initiator -- a pinch of garlic .

all the nutrients are KEPT - nothing boiled away to toss down the drain.

https://lifehacker.com/5868685/sous...t-tender-and-flavorful-meat-youve-ever-tasted


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## thegooseman90 (Feb 24, 2017)

Liffey said:


> 1) This is not ground beef. It's whole chunks.
> 
> 2) We're *not* doing raw specifically because of his ongoing GI issues that could be IBD. Commercial raw is INSANELY expensive. It may be prudent later down the line, but for right now, cooked meat is still better than kibble and I want to see how he does with it.
> 
> ...


 just let it unthaw til the meat can be broken up. You can re-freeze it when you're done preparing it. I went to a thrift store once to drop off some stuff and spotted a meat grinder for like $10. I used it for making chum for fishing but if you could find something like that it might would make it easier on you to be able to grind it and add organ meats and veggies and whatever to his food. Make?them into little patties and cook em up. Or I like carms sous vide suggestion. I'll never make steaks any other way! 

Just out of curiosity has he ate raw meat and had a bad reaction or something?


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## Liffey (Jan 12, 2017)

Haha you guys are so amazing. I can't believe I've gotten all these responses in just an afternoon. I really appreciate it! 

I definitely am going to use separate cutting boards and knives. Today, I thawed the 10lb bag out in cold water in the sink and just sliced off chunks and put them into separate baggies of 4oz and threw them all in a trash bag and put that in my freezer. And cleaned everything with bleach after lol. 

I'm actually giving him canned tripe at the moment because he loves it and I put his supplements and probiotic in it. If he won't eat the THK mix (which he won't) I'll mix tripe in. So he will be getting a couple tablespoons of tripe every day for sure.

@Magwart thank you so much for all that you wrote!! It was very helpful! My vet said hold off on the organ meat for now, especially if he's getting THK base mix, and just keep it simple. The smell of cooking meat doesn't really gross me out - I mean, I spent like a whole hour slicing up raw chunks of beef today. It doesn't even look like food to me. It's just dog food lol. It smelled kinda bad but like it smells when you walk into a butcher shop. Not very strong. My dog was pretty interested! He came over and sniffed around. I hope that's a good sign. 

Thank you all so much, I would be lost without this forum!


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## Liffey (Jan 12, 2017)

Good news, he loooooooved the boiled beef! It's so great to see him enjoying his food.


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

One of my greatest joys is watching my boys excitement over every single meal that I have given him since going raw and I'm positive had I begun with home cooked first, his reaction would have been the same, so I just want to say big kudos to you. 

Oh, I love meat but still have to deal with the ick and smell factor and clean factors with some things. I clear the house of family members when making bone broth with lamb or goat bone. Lol

Just wanted to share in your excitement and hope that this continues for you.

One more thing, fwiw, I swapped using bleach as it irritated me and now use Hydrogen Peroxide to wipe down the counter.


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