My beef finishes tough

[wtrapp]

I agree with most everything said here. Genetics, Hang Time, etc. I sell freezer beef every March. Most of the calves will be 12 months old. My market is for live weights of no more than 1,000 lbs. I have to feed these calves through the winter but they get hay and free choice feed until the last couple of weeks when the only get the grain. The butcher hangs between 18-21 days depending upon the carcass weight. I haven't had any complaints on tenderness or flavor. The breed I have will either be straight Herefords or Black Baldies. I've tasted both and can't tell one from the other. Also while they are hanging in the cooler they looks the same (no matter if the hide is red or black).

I just had to emphasize this. Kinda made me chuckle when I was reading it.

Glad I made you chuckle. No harm was intended.

 

[simtal]

what temperature do you cook your meat at?

 

[Suzie Q]

So far we have had 2 beasts killed. The first one Sansey was a Santa Gertrudis x Jersey cross. He cost us $15.00 and was reared on a cow that was feeding 3 calves as she had too much milk.

We do not put on grain. We are in Australia so I do not know if having no snow makes a difference.

The meat was beautiful.

The next one was a droughtmaster heifer and I can still remember that first T-bone steak we had. YUMMMMM.

Again on grass, no grain. "Grassfed is better"!!!!

Heifers are supposed to be more tender than steers.

I have not tasted the Bazadais meat yet. They say very tender with no fat. They say once you have tasted it you will never go back to other meat. I am interested to try it in the future, but we already have another droughtmaster heifer picked out for the next one to go. I just can't imagine getting a better t-bone than that one we tried last time.

I would have to check on hanging time, but I am sure we get our beasts back much sooner than the days written on here. Again I don't know if temperature of where we are has anything to do with that.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Again on grass, no grain. "Grassfed is better"!!!!

In your opinion

 

[ANAZAZI]

I have eaten old cows, heifers, bulls, freemartins, young cows, steers, crossbreds, purebreds,continentals, dairy breeds, english breeds, grassfed, grain+grassfed, you name it! All were good if they could hang long enough!

 

[Suzie Q]

Again on grass, no grain. "Grassfed is better"!!!!

In your opinion

No the reason it was in inverted commas was because it was not my opinion. Because I have seen it on bumper stickers on cars and talked to other people who have told me that.

I always put sayings in converted commas.

 

[TexasBred]

Regardless even a bumper sticker is just one person's opinion and nothing to hang your hat on. Sort of the "Honk if you love Jesus" stickers and when you honk they flip you off.

 

[ChrisB]

Off topic:

Bumper sticker: "Honk if you love Jesus! Text if you want to meet Him!"

 

[TexasBred]

Off topic:

Bumper sticker: "Honk if you love Jesus! Text if you want to meet Him!"

Ain't that the truth...I use to think half the folks I met on the road were drunk...but they were just texting.

 

[Suzie Q]

That's a very good bumper sticker.

Yes but to me it was news that there were other people out there that thought that. As when we had our beast done and I went to pick the meat up from the butcher he took me on a tour of the meat he had hanging and explained to me that our meat looked different because it was not grain fed and made me feel that he was looking down on our meat because it was not grain fed.

So seeing the bumper sticker and hearing it from other people did make me feel a bit better, and let me know that I did not have to feed them grain if we did not want to.

 

[vclavin]

I do believe taste is a personal thing. What tastes "best" is individual preference. My son-in-law bought some highly praised grass fed beef. He raved about the awesome taste. We gave him some grain fed beef (high fiber not high energy) for comparison. .... He gave the grass fed beef away and wanted more grain fed. The difference may also be carcass quality.. lots of variables.
Valerie

 

[JustSimmental]

Here is a little information from Arkansas extension, which might help clear this up:
I think it has a lot more to do with genetics than anything, but it could be excited at harvest, depending on how they were handled, etc.... I do know that most Limms and Charolais tend to lack external fat, which would decrease their hang time on a dry aged basis.

Characterization of breeds based on their biological type.

Very high lean, low marbling, low milk, late puberty

Charolais - very high growth
Chianina - very high growth
Limousin - moderate growth

High lean, moderate marbling, high milk, moderate puberty

Simmental - very high growth
Maine Anjou - very high growth
Gelbvieh - very high growth
Brown Swiss - high growth

Moderate lean, moderate marbling, high milk, early puberty

South Devon - moderate growth
Tarentaise - moderate growth
Pinzgauer - moderate growth

Moderate lean, low marbling, high milk, very late puberty, heat tolerant

Brahman - high growth
Sahiwal - low growth

Low lean, high marbling, moderate milk, moderate puberty

Angus - moderate growth
Hereford - moderate growth
Red Poll - low growth
Devon - low growth

Very high milk, high marbling, early puberty

Holstein - moderate lean, high growth
Jersey - low lean, low growth

 

[skyeagle]

I have a 1/2 acre pasture that I will finish on the last 30 days. That way the mussels can
start to get soft and tender.I will feed about 3lbs of corn also Any hay they what. Works for me