Tendergrass Farms is a small collection of family farms committed to raising the highest quality pastured, organic beef, pork and poultry. Their personal standards exceed any outlined by the USDA resulting in a product they call "Beyond Organic". Each of their animals is free to forage in open grassy pastures. Additionally, Tendergrass partner farms abstain from using hormones and antibiotics that most meat producers rely on to increase yields.

This is the second time I've been fortunate enough to sample and review Tendergrass products. Several months ago I reviewed their grass fed beef flat iron steak and their pastured pork spare ribs. The company now has a new look and website. They also have an expanded selection of pastured meats available for purchase online.

Founding Farmer, David Maren provided several products from the vast Tendergrass lineup for review. David and his family raise pastured turkeys for Tendergrass. The quality of products David sent for the first round of reviews was exceptional. I was really excited to see what he had to offer this time around. I used their new e-commerce website to make my selections. The process was incredibly easy. The site is informative and very user friendly. The meat arrived at my doorstep frozen and packed in dry ice just a couple days after placing my order. If you have any reservations about having meat shipped, you needn't be concerned. The folks at Tendergrass know what they're doing. Your order will arrive professionally packed, vacuum sealed and frozen.

I selected three different cuts of grass fed beef for review: ribeye steaks, sirloin steaks and filet mignon. To vary things up a bit, I also chose a pastured turkey breast and two packages of the "Beyond Organic" pork Italian sausages.

Grass Fed Beef Sirloin Steaks: The sirloins were the first product that I sampled. In fact, I pulled them out to thaw as soon as the package arrived. Each steak was approximately 8 oz. and individually sealed. I've always loved sirloin for it's robust beef flavor. These steaks absolutely delivered on that point. They were very lean, but quite juicy despite the fact that I over cooked them a bit.

Grass Fed Sirloin Steak

Grass Fed Ribeyes: It's hard to beat a good ribeye. Few cuts of beef have as much flavor as a well marbled rib steak. Tendergrass grass fed ribeyes have just the right ratio of fat for my liking. Though they're a bit leaner than the ribeyes I typically get from our local meat market, they were still packed with flavor. I marinated the steaks before they hit the broiler, but I don't think I needed to. In addition to an exceptional flavor, the steaks were also quite tender. They sliced very easily. Of all the products that I've sampled from Tendergrass Farms, these grass fed ribeyes may have been my favorite.

Grass Fed Ribeye Steak

Grass Fed Filet Mignon: I finished off the beef selections with the king of steaks, the Filet Mignon. Known for it's butter like tenderness, the filet is a cut usually reserved for special occasions. Thanks to Tendergrass Farms, we turned an ordinary Wednesday into a special occasion, by grilling up four of these petite steaks. Tendergrass filets average around 4 oz. in weight. They are cut in the neighborhood of 1" thick. I seasoned these little gems simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. They grilled for just a couple of minutes on each side. Filet is a cut that you definitely don't want to overcook. Miraculously, I managed to hit medium-rare on all four steaks. True to form, Tendergrass grass fed filets were nearly fork tender. Though I prefer a heartier cut, it's easy to see what the filet is adored by so many. It's truly a delicacy. (Sorry, no pictures for the filets)

There are so many benefits to eating grass fed beef. Not only is it a healthier option, it's also a way to support small, family farms that take pride in providing a higher quality product. You don't have to sacrifice flavor either. Grass fed beef from Tendergrass Farms has all the rich, meaty flavor you expect from a great steak.

Be sure to check out www.grassfedbeef.org to learn more about Tendergass Farms. You can also purchase your own grass fed beef or pastured pork and poultry. Check back with The "Q" Review for Pt.2 of our feature on Tendergrass farms where I'll spotlight their pastured turkey and pork.