Verde Farms, a pioneer in the better-for-you beef industry and the U.S.’s number-one organic beef brand, just launched its newest Steak Bites, now available on Amazon Fresh. Made from USDA Organic, 100% grass-fed and finished beef, these new steak bites are pre-cut, ready to cook, and designed for quick, protein-forward meals, making it easier than ever to enjoy steak as part of your diet.
But who says steak has to just be a dinner staple? William Eck III, Verde Farms’ in-house meat expert, disagrees, sharing his best tips and tricks for incorporating steak into breakfast, lunch, snacks & a protein-only cup. As a Le Cordon Bleu graduate and HACCP-trained food safety expert with more than 20 years of experience, Eck shares his best high-protein shortcuts that work from breakfast through dinner.
Redefining steak for all-day meals
While many people think of steak as a “dinner food” or special-occasion centerpiece, everyday home cooks can add steak to quick morning routines without spending 30 minutes at the stove.
“If you’re into meal prepping, you could pre-cook your steak to a temperature below your desired doneness (cook it rare if your desired doneness is medium rare, and so on) and keep a container of it in your fridge. For a keto-friendly morning option, throw the steak into a pan with veggies of your choice and butter, cook for a few minutes, then add beaten eggs for a quick, filling, high-protein breakfast scramble. If you don’t mind some carbs, do the same and add hash browns or diced potatoes for steak hash,” says Eck.
“Another breakfast option would be to put the steak in a high-heat skillet and cook to preferred doneness with some scrambled eggs. Wrap it in a tortilla with cheese and pico de gallo or other toppings for a quick breakfast burrito/taco, depending on your burrito-rolling skills. For extra crunch, put the tortilla on the skillet to make a quesadilla. The tortilla wrap is a nice option for a breakfast on the go.” All of these options are great uses for Verde Farms’ new pre-cut steak bites- no cutting required- for fast, minimal prep.
Butcher & chef insights
For a quick “grab-and-go” protein option for lunch, salads, and snacks throughout a busy workweek, Eck recommends chuck roasts, which you can slow-cook in a large batch and shred for multiple uses. He also suggests using a top round roast for roast beef and slicing it thin for homemade sandwich lunch meat.
“Ribeye or strip steak can be pre-cooked and cut into strips and put on a salad. You can slice a sirloin tip roast into strips, marinate it with seasonings and curing salt, and make homemade whole-muscle jerky. Using Steak Bites can create multiple options as well. I myself have cooked a batch of the Steak Bites in the crockpot with seasonings and pepperoncini, batched them into containers, and put them in my lunch box for a ready-to-go lunch,” he shares. For non-dinner applications, cuts with some marbling (tenderloin, ribeye, strip steak) tend to be more tender. Avoid super-lean steak unless you slice it extremely thin, like lunch meat.
To avoid reheated steak turning tough or dry, Eck recommends reheating steaks in a skillet over medium heat with 1/8–1/4 cup water (depending on the skillet’s width) and a lid, essentially steaming the steak so it retains moisture and doesn’t dry out. If speed is essential, wrap it in a moist paper towel and microwave it for 30 seconds. However, overcooking is a real risk.
Assembling a high-protein, steak-based snack
“A key to steak staying tender when eaten on the go is to use tender cuts to start, like ribeye. Also, slice them thin and across the grain so there’s less mass to bite through and shorter muscle fibers,” Eck shares. “For pure protein, my personal preference would be to use some Steak Bites tossed with salt and pepper. Cook them in a high-heat skillet for a few minutes. No need to drain the fat, as lean cuts yield minimal fat, and the fat and seasonings will essentially be their own sauce. Animal fats do solidify at most room temperatures, though, so warming for a few seconds in a microwave, if possible, helps.” Other options include a steak Caesar salad wrap or a steak-and-brown-rice bowl using steak bites.
To make steak fun (and taste delicious), quick dressings and marinades can complement breakfast and lunch dishes without masking its natural flavor. For example, Eck recommends a simple herb vinaigrette of salt, pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and thyme, a well-balanced marinade that won’t overpower the meat and will let the beefiness shine. It can also double as a salad dressing to pair with greens of your choice, fresh red onion, tomatoes, and some steak Bites.
