Anyone who watches my Instastories on the regular might know that I received a package from @growandbeholdfoods last week and proceeded to freak out about the quality and packaging and the different kinds of meat that they sent. Now, I’m not one to freak out over a steak but I'll explain to you why I was getting so excited.

As a person who loves food- eating it, cooking it, and learning where it comes from I appreciate good quality food and believe it is worth the extra mile to get quality ingredients. I also believe in getting what i pay for, meaning, if I buy a 50$ piece of meat I would like it to taste presentable, I would like it to be packaged well, I would like it to be cold when I put it into my refrigerator whether it been shipped to me or I pick it up from the store and I would like to have the option of storing it in my freezer for later without worrying about freezer burn or fumbling through a bunch of stuff to find it.

I know, my standards are pretty high but truthfully, I don’t think it's too much to ask. With grow and behold, I got exactly what I asked for, along with portion sizes that matched what was on the site exactly so I didn’t have any surprises about serving sizes. Once my order was made, I got constant email notifications about when my order would be shipped, when it was in transit, and when it arrived. Each product was packaged in clearly labeled boxes and each portion was vacuum sealed. They stacked nicely in my freezer and would not have any worry of freezer burn.

They were packed in a styrofoam box with enough dry ice to keep it cold on a hot summer day. The packaged arrived at 11:30 on a day that was over 90 degrees hot outside and when I arrived home at 6:30 pm the food was still cold, the dry ice was still frozen. Not only that, the next morning, there were still frozen ice cubes despite the box being open and left outside the night before, without the meat inside. For a working parent, that is all the peace of mind I need when I’m ordering a grocery delivery.

@growandbeholdfoods has a strict adherence to quality everything from the way they raise their meat to the way they package it. You can taste the difference. I know you have heard people say that and rolled your eyes but let me explain it a little better.

On a regular basis, we buy meat from the local grocery. Some of it is okay but mostly it tastes fatty, a bit like saw dust, and the meaty flavor gets a bit watered down. Tasting this short-rib recipe from grow and behold for the first time was like music. You could taste the earthiness of the grass, the meat was soft, juicy and full of complex iron rich flavor. It wasn’t something I felt guilty eating or something that felt wasteful. I actually wanted to finish every bite! It was an experience, and one I enjoyed at that!

When I go to a steak house and they slap down a giant steak on my plate bursting with huge pockets of fat everywhere with flavor is so bland it makes me happy they included sauce on the side I feel disappointed that this is the industry standard. Especially regarding veal! The pale white incredibly fatty meat makes me upset about a young animal spending its life in captivity, especially because the end result is usually disappointing. (Not that I'm some sort of animal rights activist or anything but you got to admit, the idea of a tiny baby cow locked up is kind of sad.) The rose veal from grow and behold is incredibly tender and delicious but the fat is evenly distributed through the tissue showing a happy cow that spent its time free.

The meat from grow and behold tastes like, well, meat. What meat is supposed to taste like. The fat is well marbleized throughout the tissue, the fascia is neatly stripped and the cuts are clean and even to make for an easier and better cook. It is so much easier to make a great recipe with a quality piece of meat- there is so much less that you have to add to it, so much less effort to make something taste good, when it already tastes incredible on its own.

I love this recipe because not only is it interesting and yes, of course, delicious (!!!) you can make it pretty far in advance and in a manner that is convenient for you. Short on time at the end of the recipe? Grill it, quickly to finish it off, the meat will be tender despite being a tougher cut and quick heat. The kiwi and pear in the marinade break down the meat to make it softer and the tenderness of the veal allows for a perfectly tender flanken.

If you have no time or patience to stand over a grill but got an oven or crock pot free? Go for the longer cook and taste the most incredible melt in your mouth piece of meat that you have had in your life.

I adapted this recipe from NYTIMES.com and many of the reviews said that the added sugars are nice but not necessary due to the sweetness of the pear and kiwi, so feel free to leave it out if you wish.

This recipe has got a little heat, nice of amount of sweet and can be served as an appetizer or main dish. Either way, make sure to serve it with fluffy white rice (sushi rice is my preference) and some extra chili peppers for heat.

For 15% off your grow and behold order use the code cookinginheelss15

*While I was sent the product to review, all opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this post.

Galbi (Korean Short Rib) made with Veal Flanken from@growandbehold

You can also watch my reaction and how I made this in the video below!

3 pounds grow and behold veal short ribs, cut in 1/2-inch slices across the bones (flanken-style)
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup rice wine, I used sake
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne or gochugaru
1/2 tbsp gochujang (korean chili paste)
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small Asian pear, peeled, cored and quartered (or use an ordinary pear or tart apple)
1 kiwi, peeled
1, 1-inch chunk of ginger, peeled
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
sliced scallions and cilantro to garnish

Rinse short ribs in cold water, pat dry and place in a wide shallow bowl. In another bowl, mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, black pepper, cayenne/gochugaru and gochujang.
Put onion, garlic, pear, kiwi and ginger in the work bowl of a food processor. Grind ingredients to a smooth purée, then add to soy sauce mixture. Add sesame seeds. Thin with ¼ cup water. Pour marinade over short ribs and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
To Grill: Bring to room temperature, drain and discard marinade. Cook short ribs on a hot grill or under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned but juicy.
To braise: preheat oven to 350F. In a large stock pot, add the meat and marinade. Bring to a boil and then cover the pot and put it in the oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the meat is fork tender. remove meat from sauce and discard sauce or use it to pour over rice.
Crock pot: place the meat and marinade in the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until ribs are fork tender. remove meat from sauce and discard sauce or use it to pour over rice
Pile meat on a platter and serve immediately with lettuce leaves on the side and cilantro and scallions on top. Accompany with sliced hot peppers, ssamjang and steamed rice, if desired.

Making Korean Short Ribs with Grow and Behold