Beef Study

[Oldtimer]

Interesting article-- Interesting study...Just one more reason we need M-COOL so we can identify, promote, and market US BEEF....

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Editor: Dr. Steve Hammack, Professor and Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Emeritus

December 2005

This newsletter is published by Texas Cooperative Extension - Animal Science. Media, feel free to use this information as needed and cite TAMU Beef Cattle Browsing Newsletter, Dr. Steve Hammack.



WHICH BEEF IS BEST - U. S., CANADIAN, OR AUSTRALIAN?
Nebraska researchers used 24 taste panels consisting of 273 people in Denver and Chicago to compare strip loin steaks from domestic (US), Canadian (C), and Australian grass-fed (A) sources. Steaks were cut at 1" thickness and matched for tenderness and marbling. However, aging (time from when steaks were vacuum packaged until they were frozen) varied, being 8 to 11 days for US, 24 days for C, and 67 to 73 days for A. Panels evaluated paired steaks to compare US and C or US and A. Compared to C, US scored statistically higher for flavor, tenderness, and overall acceptability, and tended to score higher for juiciness. US was favored by 44% of panelists, 29% by C, and 27% favored neither. Compared to A, US scored higher for all four characteristics. US was favored by 64% of panelists, 19% by A, and 16% favored neither. A silent sealed-bid auction was conducted among taste panelists for the steaks they evaluated. In every case, panelists paid significantly more (ranging from $1.37/lb to $2.23/lb) for the steak they preferred. Those preferring US paid a higher differential than those preferring C or, especially, A. Average price paid was $3.95/lb for US vs $3.57 for C and $3.68 for US vs $2.48 for A. U. S. consumers slightly favored U. S. beef over Canadian and favored U. S. over grass-fed Australian. (J. Animal Sci. 83:2863)

http://beef.tamu.edu/academics/beef/browsing/dec05.html

 

[skcatlman]

OT , buddy maybe you should read things before you post them. Yes, US beef was prefered in a test but when the fix was in. The test result is laughable. It is like me asking a rancher which truck they want to pull a a 20 foot stock trailer with The big diesel 1 ton dually 4X4, the V-10 gas 1 ton dually 4X4 or the the 1/2 ton 2wd totota. Common the test was not fair. Like aging beef more than 14 days. After 14 days the moisture loss starts to affect taste and texture not to mention bacterial growth and how long was the aussie beef hanging over 2 months and the canadian close to a month. While the US beef got the optimum hang time 8 to 11 days. What a joke!!!
You should really scared. In reality the foreign meat from Canada looks like it will be prefered if treated the same as US beef, so unless you convince the packers to do the same thing as the test did canadian beef will be taking over your market and US comsumers will be asking for it, and because of COOL ge able to find it. So hurry up with the M-COOL already i want the packers coming up here and fighting over my calves. I want all US consumers eating Canadain beef as their first choice can i help design the COOL Canadian label a big red maple leaf with a number one on it for first choice. I am going to have to copywrite the logo Canadian beef american's first chioce. Thanks for the COOL thing just what we canadians wanted the premium market in the US . Keep up the good work r-calf ! LMAO :lol:

 

[Oldtimer]

Saskabush--Glad to see you've seen the light on M-COOL...

Oh I read it--Don't know why they had different age periods--maybe that is the normal for each country...If you notice the article indicates that this was in the bag "wet" aging- which Meat Standards Australia says can be done for up to 3 months...(see Below) Maybe the good professor could enlighten you to why each was aged as it was, since it has your panties in such a wad ;-) :lol: ....Eh

On the Australian grassfed, maybe you have to, to just be able to chew it ...On Leachmans interview the other day they talked of eating Brazilian beef (Nellore Zebu)- all killed when several years old...Even aged--they said that the only way it was edible to folks used to Northern beef was to cut it in wafer thin slices- which then made it chewable....

How can beef be aged?Beef can be aged in carcase form, on the bone in primals, or in vacuum packaging for long periods. In practicecarcases tend to be aged only for five days. Further ageingcan be carried out, but good chilling and food safetyconsiderations need to be taken into account. Primals canbe aged up to 14 days on the bone, although the edges ofthe meat may tend to spoil and will need to be trimmed. Product from a boning room is packaged in vacuum-sealedplastic bags that are oxygen free. Meat can be safelystored this way, under refrigeration for up to 12 weeks.Meat that is aged beyond this time may develop 'off'odours and give the beef what is described as a 'liver' taint.

I know that different fed/finishing requires different aging....On my barley finished (which I presume the Canuck cattle would be) I prefer 14- 21 days (dry aging)- but I also raise them to a high level of finish....

 

[skcatlman]

OT the reason for the different aging is simple if everything was the same the US beef couldn't win a US consumer preference test. The trial had to be fixed so US beef would be chosen. :lol: Is that how little confidence americans have in the product that this trial had to be fixed.
As for my choice in undergarments you may like wearing wemen's undergarments that is your choice, i'm not judging you but i only wear men's undergarments.
As for the edibility of brazillian nelore beef. It is all in the method of preparation. It is easy to cut down other countries beef when nobody is there to dispute what you are saying. Besides has Leachman never heard of braizing. It was developed to make use of very tough cuts of meat to make them easy to consume. The indeginous north americans first did this with old bull bison that they couldn't make pemmican out of. So if it works for old tough bison bulls with no fat it certainly should work with beef.
OT why would you feed barley i though you would want to finish on corn. Once past 14 days of dry aging the taste, texture and biochemistry of the carcass changes like the fat begins rancidify. Not to mention that bacterial growth will alter the taste. Read the article you posted after 14 days the spoilage becomes a factor. 14 days should be the max but 21 will do for old cows or bulls you want steaks out of but remember that there is going to be spoiled meat. Personally I only butch young stock (under 18 months) for personal consumption which doesn't need more than 10 days of aging at the most. I guess if one is used to eating top quality beef you don't need to dry age it 21 days.

 

[Oldtimer]

Thats the idea tho Saskabush-- all meat is not the same, and so therefore can't/shouldn't be treated the same....

I'm thinking the new Canuck word should be DUH instead of EH :roll:

Canadian usually means barley fed- US usually means corn fed- Aussie is usually grassfed....All different- all take differing times of aging....

My old butcher of 50+ years experience has no set time period--says each animal has its own, depending on age, breed, size, finish, fat cover, etc. etc... He uses what he calls the slap test-- goes thru the cooler every day and slaps the hanging carcass and when he hears the right "splat" sound and feels the right sliminess on the outer layer, he knows they are ready to cut...And this usually occurs somewhere in that 14-21 day period.....

Are you aware there is a difference in "dry aging" and "wet aging" time periods.... :???:

 

[3MR]

Im just guessing here, but I would bet a good steak, the length of aging would have to do with what a normal steak from the given area would be aged upon being available in the survey area.

Additionally, they were all wet aged. Wet and dry aging are significantly different. Specifically in the length of the aging process and spoilage.