Better Batch Cooking: One Box Becomes Weeks Of Meals

Here’s a little the secret. Most resolutions don’t fall apart because you lack willpower. They fall apart because they aren’t backed by good systems. Research in psychology finds that intentions account for only a fraction of what people actually do in real life; environment, habits, and simple “if this, then that” routines do most of the heavy lifting.

Batch cooking is a system that turns your freezer from a storage facility into a meal delivery service. Instead of starting from scratch every night, you’re reheating, recombining, and finishing meals that are not just quick, but delicious, real, food – saving time, money, and headache. 

And when you fuel  that system with regeneratively raised, nutrient-dense meat, you’re not just saving time. You’re making it easier for your future self to choose real food, even on the days when willpower is gone and options are slim. That means you can stick to your goals, feed your family well, and feel better. Without compromise. Talk about convenience.

There are two ways to batch cook:

1. For the Week: Cooking meals for the week ahead, keeping the meals in the refrigerator.

2. For Anytime: Cooking meals or components of meals (like the protein portion) for a future date and re-freezing. This gives you variety that can thaw and reheat quickly for those meals where you just don’t have time. 

Batch Cooking with Grinds:

Grinds are the workhorse of a busy kitchen. They’re usually the best value and the most versatile — our bundle & save ground beef box is the best bang for your buck and with some finesse in the kitchen, it can make the most of your time, too. A few ideas:

• Taco meat, but make it big: Brown several pounds of ground beef or Ancestral Blend with simple seasonings. Portion it into containers or freezer bags. Through the week, it becomes tacos, burrito bowls, stuffed baked potatoes, nachos, or a quick protein add-in for scrambled eggs.

• Ground meat “snack”: Cook ground beef very simply with salt and maybe a little mirepoix (chopped onion, carrot, and celery) or even just onion. No heavy sauce, no complex spices. This becomes a flexible, ready-to-eat protein you can spoon into breakfast bowls, mix into leftover vegetables, or eat on its own when you need something fast and substantial in the middle of the day.

Braising 101:

With collagen rich cuts (like chuck roast, osso bucco, or short ribs) slow-cooking does double duty. How? It gives you velvety-rich, tender meat; all while supporting gut, joint, and skin health. To get started:

1. Pick a cut to cook on a weekend or day off:

• Short ribs (simmered until they fall off the bone)

• Chuck roast (cooked until it shreds with a fork)

• Osso buco (made from shank, rich with marrow and gelatin)
  
  

2. Start the braise (a foolproof process for easy prep):

• Start by seasoning and searing the meat on all sides — this builds deep, caramelized flavor.

• Add aromatics like onions, garlic, or herbs for extra depth.

• Pour in a liquid (broth, wine, beer, tomatoes, or water) until it comes halfway up to the top of the meat

• Cover the pot with a lid to create gentle, steamy heat.

• Cook low and slow — in the oven at 250-300ºF, a slow cooker, or on the stovetop (at a low simmer) — until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced into a rich sauce (usually 4-6 hours).

• That’s it: sear for flavor, add liquid for moisture, give it time.

Serve it hot that day, then let the rest cool. Portion leftovers into containers you can freeze.

For storage, you can use:

• Sturdy BPA-free plastic containers

• “Shoulderless” glass containers or jars (the kind that are straight-sided without a narrow “neck” – these are less likely to break in the freezer) and leave some room at the top for expansion so they don’t crack in the freezer

Batch Cooking Makes Better Meat Easy

As you get into the rhythm of batch cooking and freezing, you’ll develop depth and variety in your freezer. One jar might be shredded chuck for taco night., Another, short ribs with their own sauce ready to reheat. Another, a rich braise ready to pour over polenta or potatoes. This makes for convenience and variety. And we all know variety is the spice of life. 

Batch cooking turns a box of meat into  weeks of ready-to-go, nutrient-dense meals, without feeling like you live in the kitchen.