Grass fed beef sucks???

[backhoeboogie]

The title of this thread is provocative. It is also degrading towards beef in general. Every cow there has ever been ate a little grass in its lifetime.

 

[toby]

Have found that beer feed and massaged beef is very good. Had it once at a remote radar site in N. Japan when 8 of us pooled our money to buy some Kobe Beef and have the Japaneese cook fix it for us one Sunday PM. Probably need a couple of pumping oil wells to afford it today. :roll:

 

[cmjust0]

My ex FIL pulled a steer right off the pasture and wheeled him to the slaughterhouse one year.. The beef wasn't that great, honestly.

Does that mean that grass fed beef sucks? Not as I see it..

Think about deer for a minute.. As far as I'm concerned, the way a deer's gonna taste is about 90% related to the harvest and processing. Two people can take two identical does and end up with totally different quality meat.. Was it gut shot? Did it run a half mile before it fell? Did you leave a bunch of tallow and stringy crap in the meat? Did you try to make steaks outta meat that should be ground, or patty out burgers from course meat that shoulda been in sausage or chili or stew?

I dunno why beef would be any different. That's why when I tasted the grass fed beef, I didn't think "Ew! Grass fed is gross!"

Instead, I wondered what the hell happened at the slaughterhouse.

 

[KMacGinley]

Wow: There are too many variables to answer this question one way or the other. For example: The sugars needed for marbling is glucose and sucrose, which is why corn tends to marble cattle more easily. Grain byproducts such as gluten etc, have little of this present, which is why cattle fed byproducts will put on fat, (YG 4) but not marble as well.

The same is true with grasses. Some are higher in Carbohydrates; Crabgrass, some cool season grasses, the more mature grasses have higher fiber and lower sugar. So to say that all grassfed beef is worse is ridiculous. Someone that knows what they are doing can finish cattle well on grass and provide a tender and tasty product. I would rather have a grassfed british breed calf than a grainfed Piedmontese.

 

[badaxemoo]

Can we be honest with the public and admit grass finished beef is "NOT" all that tasty!

I saw a recent survey that showed that about 1/3 of consumers prefer the flavor of grass-finished. That means 2/3 of consumers prefer the flavor of grain-finished beef.

I like both types of beef, but prefer grass-finished.

I've heard some people complain that some grass-finished beef tastes "gamey", but quality grass-finished beef just tastes beefy to me and generally has more complex flavors than grain-fed. It's kind of like learning to like fine wines, cheeses, or beers.

Grainfed Beef = Fresh Cheddar Cheese
Grassfed Beef = Aged, sharp, Yerba Santa Shepherd's Cheese

Grainfed Beef = Miller Beer
Grassfed Beef = New Glarus Brewery Fat Squirrel

Grainfed Beef = sweet, white wine
Grassfed Beef = dry, cabernet sauvignon

Don't get me wrong. I like all of this stuff. It depends on my mood.

But if you HAVE to feed your guests corn-fed beef to suit their tastes, maybe you should try to cover it with Velveeta sauce to make it EXTRA YUMMY and chase it down with some of that wine that comes in a box. ;-)

 

[KMacGinley]

Don't forget nachos as a side dish and Cool whip for desert.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Wow: There are too many variables to answer this question one way or the other. For example: The sugars needed for marbling is glucose and sucrose, which is why corn tends to marble cattle more easily. Grain byproducts such as gluten etc, have little of this present, which is why cattle fed byproducts will put on fat, (YG 4) but not marble as well.

The same is true with grasses. Some are higher in Carbohydrates; Crabgrass, some cool season grasses, the more mature grasses have higher fiber and lower sugar. So to say that all grassfed beef is worse is ridiculous. Someone that knows what they are doing can finish cattle well on grass and provide a tender and tasty product. I would rather have a grassfed british breed calf than a grainfed Piedmontese.

Mac you are dead on if you have good bermuda you can pull it apart and it will smell like watermelon the sugar content is so high.
The cow is converting the grass or corn sugar to fat it is no difference.
It is like the organic beef question what is organic? Lets see the chicken litter is considered a pollutant to the water system but its organic and ok to fertilize the pasture with.

 

[ENNOT]

MAc is correct that certain grasses will make better beef than others. There has been quite a bit of research on different forages and how they affect the taste of the meat. ie. They say grazed wheat gives a differentt flavor than rye grass/alfalfa.

The other thing with grassfed beef is genetics. British breeds finish off better than say a continental breed. Cattle that are bred to perform in the feedlot will finish different than an animal breed to live totally off grass. Look at all the ranches that are doing performance testing on pasture only (Diamond D Angus in MT for example). Those cattle are bred specifically to convert on grass and finish. Tallgrass Beef is one of the biggest grassfed operations in the US and they stand by Diamond D genetics.

Also age will affect flavor of the animal. Grassfed heifers are better of being slaughtered earlier than steers.

There are alot of scenarios to just say that grassfed beef tastes like garbage.

 

[Susie David]

We finish both ways and advertize that fact...we appeal to a broader customer base that way. We have found that it takes a couple of months longer to grass finish but the beef does have a more pronounced beef flavor and we educate our customers to that fact.
The best we have in the freezer right now is a grass finished three year old heifer, now she got fat on alfalfa. Nice yellow fat and real beef flavor...we kept a quarter and sold the rest to our seasoned customers...got reat reviews.
We have noticed that some animals just do better on grass than others and we move the ones that need the grain to the grain pen for finishing.
Just my two bits worth....Dmc

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Following my new wife's 'we must healthier' demands, I finished my last two beefers on crested wheat/meadow brome grass (summer) and alfalfa hay (winter). No doubt it was lean, but I'm going back to the old, unhealthy, fat dripping from every corner, barley fed beef. Your arteries may harden at every bite, but I don't believe there is _anything_ that could possibly come close to it.

caveat: I've never tried a southern grass finished animal. I understand they're good eating, so hopefully I'll get the chance.

Rod

 

[Herefordcross]

I didn't read all of the posts but, grass fed beef tastes TERRIBLE!!! IMO Tried it ten ways til sunday and still tastes terrible!!

 

[john250]

My preference is corn-fed.
I never had any purely grass fed beef, but a few years ago I was feeling pinched financially and I fed one on mostly pasture and hay. You had to add a pat of butter to the skillet to fry a hamburger it was so lean. If you like it that way, more power to you. My cholesterol is 124 and I burn more calories than I consume many days so I'm going to go with what I like.
Having said that--there is an expanding market for grass fed beef and considering the price of corn we are going to be glad it is an option.

edited to add: the price spread between select grade (which could include grass fed) and choice (which has certainly had mostly grain) is very wide. If you sell into commercial markets I think you almost have to feed grain. If you sell "off the farm" then it is whatever you can agree with a buyer.

 

[KenB]

My preference is corn-fed.
I never had any purely grass fed beef, but a few years ago I was feeling pinched financially and I fed one on mostly pasture and hay. You had to add a pat of butter to the skillet to fry a hamburger it was so lean. If you like it that way, more power to you. My cholesterol is 124 and I burn more calories than I consume many days so I'm going to go with what I like.
Having said that--there is an expanding market for grass fed beef and considering the price of corn we are going to be glad it is an option.

edited to add: the price spread between select grade (which could include grass fed) and choice (which has certainly had mostly grain) is very wide. If you sell into commercial markets I think you almost have to feed grain. If you sell "off the farm" then it is whatever you can agree with a buyer.

Been there, done that. :lol:

 

[Wewild]

My cholesterol is 124 and I burn more calories than I consume many days so I'm going to go with what I like.

What percentage of the market do you put yourself in?

 

[ONLY-BEEF]

Can we be honest with the public and admit grass finished beef is "NOT" all that tasty! Why do we put friends and family through the torture of eating our grass finished beef at a supper ect. and then having to tell us how GOOD it was ;-) ?? I raised grass finished beef for years and still do for some select consumers but when I pull a steak out of the freezer "to impress" I grab corn finished beef. How about you??

Just to make it clear we are in NO way talking about tenderness but rather JUST taste.

Mister S.R.R. ifen yur talken taste then i have ta go with the corn fed. my youngest has took ta finishen a few steers a year on corn and the taste is starten ta win me over! Now i am comparen range grass fed beef ta penned corn fed beef.

Folks will always try and say the kind a beef they rise is the best but ifen they was ta be honest as ya asked theyed have ta say taste corn feds the best tasten compared ta grass fed.

Now mind ya yur gonna have ta put up with some fat ya may not want.

 

[john250]

My cholesterol is 124 and I burn more calories than I consume many days so I'm going to go with what I like.

What percentage of the market do you put yourself in?

I have no idea what %.
Looking around me at the Convenience store I'd say I'm in the minority. But those folk are buying 32 oz soft drinks, not steaks.
A desk worker who never walks anywhere probably needs to look at grass fed beef. Beef is a great meal, whether it is grass fed or prime rib. And it comes in many flavors. :lol:

 

[Wewild]

My cholesterol is 124 and I burn more calories than I consume many days so I'm going to go with what I like.

What percentage of the market do you put yourself in?

I have no idea what %.
Looking around me at the Convenience store I'd say I'm in the minority. But those folk are buying 32 oz soft drinks, not steaks.
A desk worker who never walks anywhere probably needs to look at grass fed beef. Beef is a great meal, whether it is grass fed or prime rib. And it comes in many flavors. :lol:

Seems you are lucky one way and not so lucky the other.

 

[john250]

My cholesterol is 124 and I burn more calories than I consume many days so I'm going to go with what I like.

What percentage of the market do you put yourself in?

I have no idea what %.
Looking around me at the Convenience store I'd say I'm in the minority. But those folk are buying 32 oz soft drinks, not steaks.
A desk worker who never walks anywhere probably needs to look at grass fed beef. Beef is a great meal, whether it is grass fed or prime rib. And it comes in many flavors. :lol:

Seems you are lucky one way and not so lucky the other.

Aren't we all.

 

[Wewild]

Aren't we all.

Good answer. How long you counting on your back to hold up?

 

[john250]

Aren't we all.

Good answer. How long you counting on your back to hold up?

If I live till tomorrow morning, I'll be happy. My back is shot. Never was the strongest kid on the farm. Mechanization gets me through it. Slow but steady would describe me. Ibuprofen helps in a pinch, as does Jack D. Still the luckiest guy on the block. My banker likes me and my feeder calves are popular. We completed preg checks today and we're 94% settled, so I'm upbeat.

I only wish I had been smarter, sooner. C'est la vie.