[quote]BarneyFife wrote:
Swivel-
How was the taste of the raw trimmings, and that has got to be about the tastiest looking meat I have seen.[/quote]
In general, the allure of raw meat lies more in the texture than the taste.
[quote]chillain wrote:
BarneyFife wrote:
Swivel-
How was the taste of the raw trimmings, and that has got to be about the tastiest looking meat I have seen.
In general, the allure of raw meat lies more in the texture than the taste.
[/quote]
If he’s talking about trimmings of fat, then he’s talking about taste. The fat is the best part for taste. When I trim meat, I salt and pepper the trimmings, put them in a pan and fry them up. Cracklings. Croquant. Tasty.
Just bought some ground, grass fed beef (hamburger) last night. We’re lucky here in AZ, we have plenty of indoor “farmers” markets. I bought mine at Henry’s, 2.49 a pound which isn’t much more than “regular” ground beef here.
Also bought some more buffalo. Love that stuff.
Thanks for the poster that also posted links. Free on shipping on raw meat? WTF, gotta love that!
I was suspicious of Henry’s grass fed beef because it’s so cheap. Their website says it’s grass fed from start to finish, though.
[quote]Hot AZ wrote:
Just bought some ground, grass fed beef (hamburger) last night. We’re lucky here in AZ, we have plenty of indoor “farmers” markets. I bought mine at Henry’s, 2.49 a pound which isn’t much more than “regular” ground beef here.
Also bought some more buffalo. Love that stuff.
Thanks for the poster that also posted links. Free on shipping on raw meat? WTF, gotta love that!
[/quote]
I’ve been eating nothing but grass-fed for almost a year. The taste is incredible. I wish it were cheaper, but when it goes on sale, I buy extra and freeze it.
Last weekend I found some grass-fed bison. It is the most flavorful meat I’ve ever tasted. It puts beef to shame.
I bought some grass fed bison steaks last night at Henry’s. Of course, I’m on the VDiet so I can’t eat them until this weekend… the torture.
smallnomore - I see you’re in AZ also. Have you gotten your meat at any butcher shops here?
I hate to the the one to burst all the “grass-fed beef” bubbles out there, but there is no such thing. Now they may be finished on grass to clear the grain - but everyone feeds grain - be it corn, grain sorghum, peas, or soybeans.
Finishing cattle on grass will clear the grain flavor in the meat, which makes it taste “more natural”.
It’s just a marketing tool. A way to brand beef to escape being a price taker.
I wish I were wrong, but I have a degree in beef cattle management and 16 years of experience in the beef industry.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
I hate to the the one to burst all the “grass-fed beef” bubbles out there, but there is no such thing. Now they may be finished on grass to clear the grain - but everyone feeds grain - be it corn, grain sorghum, peas, or soybeans.
Finishing cattle on grass will clear the grain flavor in the meat, which makes it taste “more natural”.
It’s just a marketing tool. A way to brand beef to escape being a price taker.
I wish I were wrong, but I have a degree in beef cattle management and 16 years of experience in the beef industry.
[/quote]
interesting info. whatever they’re doing i like the taste.
what is the “finishing” process exactly ?
what are the regulations , if any, for calling something “grass fed” ?
if cattle are mostly grass fed and supplemented with grain does that still give better/different flavor ?
what about the fat profile of the meat ?
at my local store they sell stuff labeled “100% grass fed” the company is hardwick beef from vermont. you’re saying these guys feed grain also ?i imagine if something was “mostly” grass fed the fat still be better than grain fed , but i don’t know.
[quote]Hot AZ wrote:
I bought some grass fed bison steaks last night at Henry’s. Of course, I’m on the VDiet so I can’t eat them until this weekend… the torture.
smallnomore - I see you’re in AZ also. Have you gotten your meat at any butcher shops here? [/quote]
I haven’t tried any butcher shops. I could ask around and try to find some, though.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
I hate to the the one to burst all the “grass-fed beef” bubbles out there, but there is no such thing. Now they may be finished on grass to clear the grain - but everyone feeds grain - be it corn, grain sorghum, peas, or soybeans.
Finishing cattle on grass will clear the grain flavor in the meat, which makes it taste “more natural”.
It’s just a marketing tool. A way to brand beef to escape being a price taker.
I wish I were wrong, but I have a degree in beef cattle management and 16 years of experience in the beef industry.
[/quote]
I had a cattle rancher try telling me this, too.
Corn and grass are different. I grew up in a rural area. I was in FFA. I know how most cows are fed. I know there is a difference in the feed of grass-fed cows.
There have been numerous studies in various scentific journals discussing the differences between corn-fed and grass-fed beef:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGGL%2CGGGL%3A2006-22%2CGGGL%3Aen&q=grass+fed+beef+site%3A.edu&btnG=Search
Have all of these scientists been hoodwinked?
There is such a thing as grass-fed beef, despite what people with a vested interest in the status quo of beef would tell you.
http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/AGEC/Jun1506a.htm
Producers, Others Chewing over Standards for Grass-fed Beef
Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-467-6575,paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Rick Machen, 830-278-9151,r-machen@tamu.edu
Jose Pena, 830-278-9151,jg-pena@tamu.edu
UVALDE ? The beef cattle industry is experiencing increased consumer demand for specialty beef products, including grass-fed beef, said a Texas Cooperative Extension economist. And a standard for “grass-fed” beef needs to be established for both producers and consumers of this product.
"As with organic and natural beef products, there will need to be a standard developed for producers so they can legitimately designate and market their product as grass-fed beef,"said Jose Pena, Extension economist in Uvalde. “This standard will also allow consumers to know just what they’re getting when they buy a product labeled ?grass-fed.'”
The beef cattle industry is diversifying to meet consumer demand for specialty products, Pena said. But developing a standard for grass-fed beef products acceptable to the industry and consumers will be difficult.
“Though the food industry is anxious to capitalize on this under-served niche market, consumer research shows beef-buying decisions are based on taste and eating satisfaction,” he said. “Consistency is the key to providing a product, such as grass-fed beef, which serves a special market. But to achieve consistency, a production standard needs to be established.”
There has been some disagreement on grass-fed beef standards. Producer, trade organization, meat industry and consumer responses to a 2002 U.S. Department of Agriculture request for comment on these standards were “all over the board,” Pena said.
“The main point of disagreement was the percent of grass in the diet of the ruminant livestock being marketed,” he said. “Most comments indicated grass-fed should mean more than the 80 percent grass or forage material in a lifetime originally proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many commented the percentage should be as high as 98 percent to100 percent for grass or forage consumption in an animal’s lifetime.”
As a result, the agriculture department developed a revised draft standard for comment, suggesting 99 percent or more grass or forage consumption as the as the primary energy source over the lifetime of an animal, Pena said. The exception would be milk consumed before weaning.
The standard would also apply to other ruminant animals, such as sheep and goats.
This year, the USDA has requested another round of comments on grass-fed beef to be used in developing a voluntary standard. Once that standard is established, the organization’s Agricultural Marketing Service can verify it’s proper application through an audit of the production process.
“This will be an important step in the development of the grass-fed beef enterprise,” Pena said. “But care needs to be taken during the creation of a labeling standard and verification process that it does not detract from the processes now in place for the vast majority of meat already being consumed.”
“There’s still a lot to be worked out to determine standards so producers know what they have to do to legitimately identify these specialty products and so consumers can know what they’re getting,” said Rick Machen, Extension livestock specialist. “And while specialty beef product differentiation can be difficult and occasionally confusing, it will ultimately help the beef industry.”
Differentiating these products and making them available to consumers will help the beef industry retain consumers who otherwise might switch to pork or chicken, Machen said.
Gerry Shudde, a cattle rancher in Sabinal who has been producing grass-fed beef for several years, said health-conscious consumers are his primary customers.
"We began by providing organic beef without any antibiotics or hormones, " Shudde said. “Pretty soon we had lots of consumers who were concerned about their health coming to us for our organic beef. It was the same thing with our grass-fed beef product. They wanted meat that was produced by cattle feeding the way nature intended them to be fed.”
While Shudde plans to continue to produce organic beef, he does not want to be a "certified"organic meet provider due to the expense and restrictions required.
“But I probably wouldn’t have any problem with being certified as a grass-fed meat provider,” he said. “We already feed our cattle 100 percent grass, and that would meet the highest possible standard the USDA might finally set.”
Shudde uses Longhorn cows and Devon bulls to produce his grass-fed beef.
“These are two of the oldest breeds in Texas and are suited to grass feeding,” he said. “Other larger breeds aren’t so well suited because they’re a size where they can’t usually be fed grass alone. And I think grass feeding is also better for the cattle because it’s a more normal diet for them.”
Grass-fed beef has more cancer-fighting conjugated linoleic acids and omega-3 fatty acids than commercial beef, Shudde said. And research conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension and California State University shows grass-fed beef contains more beta-carotene and vitamin E than meat produced through “conventional cattle feeding strategies.” Flavor consistency, however, has been a challenge for grass-fed beef producers, he said.
“The flavor of the beef will change depending on the type of grass the cattle are eating,” Shudde said. “Those of us who are producing grass-fed beef need to work on a more consistent flavor for the product based on the grasses we choose feed ? or are able to feed ? our cattle.” In spite of the challenges of developing a standard for grass-fed beef and producing a consistent product for the consumer, making it available to the consumer will benefit the beef industry, said Richard Wortham, executive vice president for the Texas Beef Council.
“If you offer consumers a variety of beef products to meet their lifestyle or nutritional needs, then you are adding value for the consumer,” Wortham said. “And even though the products are different, they have the same ?popular’ characteristics of being safe, wholesome, nutritious and an excellent source of protein.”
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[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
There is such a thing as grass-fed beef, despite what people with a vested interest in the status quo of beef would tell you.
…[/quote]
The article you posted makes me believe that here is currently no real regulation on grass fed beef.
That means buyer beware and claims of grass fed beef may not be real.
Seems to reinforce RJ’s position that people are getting hoodwinked although it is quite possible that it is available.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
That means buyer beware and claims of grass fed beef may not be real.[/quote]
I agree.
A lot of beef that isn’t “grass fed” is grass fed.
In Kansas, at any rate, most ranchers feed hay. A bale a cow per winter is what some ranchers figure. But they also feed grain. Its whats called a balanced diet. You give them both. We also feed ours a “protein lick”. Its some pitch black shit that comes in a 55 gallon drum that has been cut in half. We put it out in the winter. We also feed a lot more grain in the winter then in the summer.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
CaliforniaLaw wrote:
There is such a thing as grass-fed beef, despite what people with a vested interest in the status quo of beef would tell you.
…
The article you posted makes me believe that here is currently no real regulation on grass fed beef.
That means buyer beware and claims of grass fed beef may not be real.
Seems to reinforce RJ’s position that people are getting hoodwinked although it is quite possible that it is available.
[/quote]
Exactly. The producers are trying to create a unique product from what is basically a commodity. Beef is beef. That’s the way it has been since Charles Goodnight drove all of those cattle to the rail heads. Since that time all ranchers have been price takers. That means that they can’t set prices for their products - they can only take what is offered.
By introducing branded beef, whether by breed (anyone heard of certified Angus?) or being grass fed, or by being hormone free - the producers are trying to create their own markets by which they can set prices for their products.
The thing is that when growing beef, the producer will look for the most efficient method available to put muscle on the cattle. Muscle = beef.
Grass is the most inefficient means to put weight on cattle. People will put cattle on wheat pasture simply because it is so much cheaper than grain. Thereby it is most efficient - for a while.
Most cattle on wheat are calves that weight from 300 - 700 pounds. When the wheat is gone they are usually sold to feed lots and put on grain rations.
But even those that remain on grass are supplemented with either cotton seed meal, or soy bean meal because most grass has a very low protein content.
There is currently no federal guidlines as to what grass-fed beef has to be.
It is indeed buyer beware when reading the marketing info.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
It is indeed buyer beware when reading the marketing info.
[/quote]
this is true for sure. among supermarkets in my area there is a vast difference in the quality of meat even though it’s the same usda grade. meat sucks @ stop n shop. big y is ok. but price chopper blows them all away. and it’s not all price choppers either , there’s one in particular that ALWAYS has really good meat. i guess the proof is in the pudding.
[quote]swivel wrote:
rainjack wrote:
It is indeed buyer beware when reading the marketing info.
this is true for sure. among supermarkets in my area there is a vast difference in the quality of meat even though it’s the same usda grade. meat sucks @ stop n shop. big y is ok. but price chopper blows them all away. and it’s not all price choppers either , there’s one in particular that ALWAYS has really good meat. i guess the proof is in the pudding.[/quote]
Just a hint - the older, more rotten the beef is - the better the flavor.
That meat that you bought that you were slicing and eating raw was probably aged (read that hung in a locker to rot) for at least 6 months. Not that there is anything wrong with it - that’s exactly what Ruth Crists does, as well as all of the other premium chop houses.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
swivel wrote:
rainjack wrote:
It is indeed buyer beware when reading the marketing info.
this is true for sure. among supermarkets in my area there is a vast difference in the quality of meat even though it’s the same usda grade. meat sucks @ stop n shop. big y is ok. but price chopper blows them all away. and it’s not all price choppers either , there’s one in particular that ALWAYS has really good meat. i guess the proof is in the pudding.
Just a hint - the older, more rotten the beef is - the better the flavor.
That meat that you bought that you were slicing and eating raw was probably aged (read that hung in a locker to rot) for at least 6 months. Not that there is anything wrong with it - that’s exactly what Ruth Crists does, as well as all of the other premium chop houses. [/quote]
as long as you cut the mold off what the hey !
[quote]rainjack wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
CaliforniaLaw wrote:
There is such a thing as grass-fed beef, despite what people with a vested interest in the status quo of beef would tell you.
…
The article you posted makes me believe that here is currently no real regulation on grass fed beef.
That means buyer beware and claims of grass fed beef may not be real.
Seems to reinforce RJ’s position that people are getting hoodwinked although it is quite possible that it is available.
Exactly. The producers are trying to create a unique product from what is basically a commodity. Beef is beef. That’s the way it has been since Charles Goodnight drove all of those cattle to the rail heads. Since that time all ranchers have been price takers. That means that they can’t set prices for their products - they can only take what is offered.
By introducing branded beef, whether by breed (anyone heard of certified Angus?) or being grass fed, or by being hormone free - the producers are trying to create their own markets by which they can set prices for their products.
The thing is that when growing beef, the producer will look for the most efficient method available to put muscle on the cattle. Muscle = beef.
Grass is the most inefficient means to put weight on cattle. People will put cattle on wheat pasture simply because it is so much cheaper than grain. Thereby it is most efficient - for a while.
Most cattle on wheat are calves that weight from 300 - 700 pounds. When the wheat is gone they are usually sold to feed lots and put on grain rations.
But even those that remain on grass are supplemented with either cotton seed meal, or soy bean meal because most grass has a very low protein content.
There is currently no federal guidlines as to what grass-fed beef has to be.
It is indeed buyer beware when reading the marketing info.
[/quote]
RJ - What about a situation of a smaller farm that raises their own cattle and slaughters them as well? I can certainly see an issue occurring with large scale cattle farming operations and be less-than-truthful about what exactly their feed their livestock.
I guess I am thinking about some of the smaller farms here in New England that raise (what they claim to be) grass-fed beef. These are not major operations by any stretch of the imagination, but then again, I am not 100% sure if I could tell just going to their farm to pick up the beef what their exact practices are.