W/O COOL - Carcass Quality Means Nothing

[BK9954]

At the restaurant I work for we cut our own ribeyes. For a while they came in saying product of Mexico. Still decent ribeyes. Havent checked to see if they still say where they come from. If you eat at a steak house, possible you have eaten foriegn beef. These came from our distributor. Paying $6.92 a pound.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Grit aaa can bring the DNA testing on but they may not like all the results they get. Don't you think they might have some angus cross steers from Brazil? CAB is one off many branded beef programs today. Not that big a deal anymore.

 

[dieselbeef]

35 million cows slaughtered in the US every yr...wow

 

[cmay]

Grit aaa can bring the DNA testing on but they may not like all the results they get. Don't you think they might have some angus cross steers from Brazil? CAB is one off many branded beef programs today. Not that big a deal anymore.

By far the largest branded beef program. One BILLION pounds of beef sold per year. It is a pretty big deal.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Grit aaa can bring the DNA testing on but they may not like all the results they get. Don't you think they might have some angus cross steers from Brazil? CAB is one off many branded beef programs today. Not that big a deal anymore.

No other beef association is set up, geared up, or managed to succeed in the DNA testing of cattle like AAA. Like it or not AAA is leading the way...again. CAB was - is the best thing that ever happened for the beef producers in this country. And hopefully the AAA will get the DNA deal right and run with it.

 

[ga.prime]

Grit aaa can bring the DNA testing on but they may not like all the results they get. Don't you think they might have some angus cross steers from Brazil? CAB is one off many branded beef programs today. Not that big a deal anymore.

By far the largest branded beef program. One BILLION pounds of beef sold per year. It is a pretty big deal.

Haha, yeah. True Grit, why didn't y'all get some of those CAB ribeyes or delmonicos from Piggly Wiggly?

 

[True Grit Farms]

Grit aaa can bring the DNA testing on but they may not like all the results they get. Don't you think they might have some angus cross steers from Brazil? CAB is one off many branded beef programs today. Not that big a deal anymore.

By far the largest branded beef program. One BILLION pounds of beef sold per year. It is a pretty big deal.

Haha, yeah. True Grit, why didn't y'all get some of those CAB ribeyes or delmonicos from Piggly Wiggly?

Personally I don't have the trust to buy a quality steak from a grocery store. When I want a good steak, I buy my meat at M&T, or the Butcher Block. And I prefer M&T meats myself, it's hard to beat a dry aged piece of beef.

 

[ga.prime]

Well, I've bought plenty of them from Piggly Wiggly and from Thriftway in Mt. Vernon and never felt like I got something other than advertised. I've also bought from M&T and they're not any better than CAB. None of them are always perfect. They all have good or great flavor. Tenderness is variable.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I picked up a couple steaks at a publix in georgia, and bbq'd them off the stern of the sailboat somewhere off the bermuda triangle... those were the best damm steaks I ever had.

 

[ga.prime]

Publix has a great meat department. I don't get there often because the nearest one is a ways off, but every year around Christmas they put beef rib roast on sale at something like half the usuall price and I always get one.

 

[Jogeephus]

Fresh carcass from Brazil will be hung on the same rail your angus is, if it grades you will eat it and not know the difference. Some of that beef will be cut in Nebraska.

DNA testing needs to be mandatory to qualify for CAB. It's coming very soon the AAA is already geared up for it. It's a mega marketing tool, probably even better than the black hide.

Just because it has a black hide doesn't make it good meat. CAB is as much if not more about grade than it is about bloodline. Packer plant in Georgia has already been doing the genetic sampling but this is more for liability protection than anything else.

 

[Ky hills]

I like the CAB product, it isn't available here in town but is carried by Meijers in Lexington and Richmond. I wish we did have a Publix grocery around here, used to go there when staying in Florida, very good store. As I understand it there is a store in Lexington that carries CHB. I have sold calves through a Hereford influence sale that they are qualified for CHB. I don't know of any way that I could market my Angus and Angus sired calves so that I could get in on the CAB market. I think that since the black hide qualification is now kind of vague as far as breeds but no doubt they do contain some Angus genetics. DNA tests would limit the supply of cattle for CAB, but could certainly be used for a premium product line within CAB.

 

[HDRider]

I think there are more than you might think. Sure the masses who shop at Wallyworld don't give a flip because price is all they care about. But most grocers I know have standing orders for choice or better and their suppliers have to fill these orders or lose their business and I don't think you are going to fill these orders with grass finished animals from Argentina. True, Walmart may jump on this but this might lower their meat quality and they might lose their market share - assuming of course the south american beef is that much worse than ours. What's bad is some special interest groups have sold the public the idea that grass finished animals are somehow more healthy. More environmentally friendly and all that nonsense. Sure, the less fat you consume the better but also the less fat a steak has the less tender and less flavorful. It seems this is coming back to haunt them because why on earth would you spend $12/lb for grass fed beef when you can buy it for $4-$5 now.

I still believe quality will always sell but if you think there is something sinister in all this then I think you may want to mark my words that they will have to convince everyone our grading system is somehow flawed and marbling has nothing to do with dining pleasure. To do this, they will have to change our grading system and I'll be willing to bet they are working on this at this very moment and you will hear talk of this within the next few years. And when you do, maybe you'll remember this post and say, that guy wasn't crazy after all.

If you truly wanted to do something for the american producer the best thing would be to do away with the Wholesome Meat Act and deregulate the meat processing industry. This would allow for unencumbered trade of local beef from field to table without the regulations that only protect the big boys in the meat industry. Just imagine what you could do with the savings you could pocket by not having 1000-2000 miles of freight in a pound of beef. The jobs it would create. Not to mention the smaller carbon footprint. :lol2:

I beat this drum every chance I get.

I was at a meeting a few weeks back hearing an assistant to the Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture speak. When the Q&A came I asked how they were going to help (I am a funny guy I know) on this very subject. He gave me all the nice words I wanted to hear, but all I heard was blah, blah, platitude, blah, blah knowing nothing would change.

Later some of the folks came up to me and said you can use so and so to process animals, and I would explain how I needed USDA facilities, and they MIGHT say oh they are, or they would just look back at me blankly.

Most farmers just don't care, or don't understand.

I went on my semi annual expedition earlier this week with the USDA to let my feelings be known on this subject. It is a great exercise in futility, and quite frustrating. One USDAer actually laughed at me. Like I said, I'm a funny guy.

 

[HDRider]

There is nothing illegal about labeling meat "product of the USA". It is just against our trade deals to make it mandatory. Any packer can do it at any time. If there was a demand for it by the consumer, it would be happening. If you think it would be a big seller, you do it. Let capitalism decide, and keep the government out of it.

Exactly. :cowboy: Just try to find a packer for your use. The closest one to me is over 100 miles one way.

 

[Jogeephus]

HD, I know what you mean. I've asked the same questions but the bottom line is they are not going to allow something that will put themselves out of a job. But to be honest, it shouldn't and wouldn't. Of course you will hear them talk about how americans have the right to safe food and how they are the only thing keeping us all from dying of food poisoning but tell me how many people get sick each year from having their deer processed at non USDA and usually non anyone inspected deer processing facilities? And how many get sick each year from food coming from USDA facilities?

The USDA and their regulations have essentially allowed for a monopoly among the big meat processors and packers because it is so difficult to meet the USDA standards for small processors. And small processors is what we need in this country. This equates to skilled jobs in the local community rather than bringing in immigrants to do the jobs in the big meat factories. IMO, I think the state's should have control over in state commerce and processing but to they are on the federal teet and must dance to the feds music so they can keep their mouth on the teet.

 

[cmay]

There is nothing illegal about labeling meat "product of the USA". It is just against our trade deals to make it mandatory. Any packer can do it at any time. If there was a demand for it by the consumer, it would be happening. If you think it would be a big seller, you do it. Let capitalism decide, and keep the government out of it.

Exactly. :cowboy: Just try to find a packer for your use. The closest one to me is over 100 miles one way.

100 miles doesn't sound too bad to me. My wife has to travel almost 100 to the nearest Wal-mart. I have to travel 20 miles to buy gasoline. I have 2 usda custom processors within 60 miles.