My steers taste like buffalo

[f4leggin]

The steers I butchered last fall had a pretty strong flavor - I haven't raised beef before, so I didn't know if this was normal. Some people like it, some don't. The tenderness was great - just a strong flavor. The beef was hung for 14 days, I finished them with pellets and corn.

The other day I had a buffalo burger for the first time - and that is exactly what my beef tastes like. I would like a less gamey tasting beef. Can some explain where that game flavor could be coming from? They were on alfalfa hay, and the pellets all winter - I added the corn in increasing amounts daily for the last two months. I wish I could tell you what the pellets were - some sort of grain that someone gave me to feed them.

Any suggestions (including what to finish this years steer with) would be appreciated. The steer from last year is about 12 months and has been on hay (alfalfa and oat) all winter, our grass is just coming in.

Thanks - Jill

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

What was his finishing weight?

 

[kscowboy]

Not pretending to be an expert but I start them on corn , then add more corn , then keep adding corn till i can't afford no more corn for at least three months prior to butchering at approximately 1150 lbs and around 15 months. they also have either pasture or free choice grass / fescue hay. don't know what alfalfa can do to taste but pellet feeds could have an impact definitely , maybe too short a finish if only two months.

 

[f4leggin]

Packaged weight was around 750 pounds (I had two of them) a piece. I think they were around 1100 pounds on the hoof.

Jill

 

[somn]

Packaged weight was around 750 pounds (I had two of them) a piece. I think they were around 1100 pounds on the hoof.

Jill

If you had 750# of packaged beef you would have had about a 1147# carcass and about a 1850# live animal. Age might have come into play on the gamey flavor.

 

[grannysoo]

Feed them corn and eat them young.

 

[dun]

That gamey flavor as you call it is BEEF flavor.

 

[MikeC]

Might be that they hung too long. Hanging 14 days in a cooler that isn't cool enough will allow bacteria to grow faster, thus depositing a "gamey" taste.

I hang mine according to temperature..........not days...........................

Also, you cannot age a carcass that isn't completely covered with fat as long as a lean one.

 

[somn]

That gamey flavor as you call it is BEEF flavor.

It is only your opinion Dun that it is BEEF flavor. Most call it what it is a gamey flavor. More beef sold today tastes like something other than wild game than it does wild game there is a reason for that. Most consumers what to taste beef not buffalo.

 

[mnmtranching]

Maybe what you had is what is known as a "Dark Cutter" Was the animal all riled up before slaughter? Wild acting etc?

 

[dun]

Most consumers what to taste beef not buffalo.

Most consumers have no idea what beef tastes like. They've grown up on the youn slaughter age stuff that hasn;t developed any beef flavor yet. A 3 year old or older animal tastes a whole lot different then the baby age beef that is usaully eaten.

 

[somn]

Most consumers what to taste beef not buffalo.

Most consumers have no idea what beef tastes like.

That is one of the dumber statements to come out of your mouth to date Dun. Regardless of age the animal is slaughtered at it is still Beef and the flavor of younger prime beef is perferred by consumers to the buffalo flavor. Now your entitled to your opinon but don't go around spreading more of your propoganda about how beef needs to taste like nasty old dried out buffalo and venison before it can be called beef. I can see my beef checkoff dollars being spent on advertisement for buffalo tasting beef. Big bold letters that read. THE NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION WOULD LIKE YOU TO GO OUT AND PAY BIG MONEY FOR THAT BUFFALO TASTE YOU CAN GET FOR FREE BY SHOOTING THE DEER THAT RUNS ACROSS THE BACK YARD. BEEF IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER.

 

[hayray]

If you have not fed the cattle for enough days on grain then you can get a strong flavored taste that is more associated with grass fed beef, if so they are more likely to have yellow fat. Usually just putting them on some grain for a month or two before slaughtering is not near enough to get carcass characteristics of grain fed. Then additionally is the meat dark, if so, then as some one mentioned, a dark cutter from having too many endorphins in the system from stress, good idea to haul to the processor the day before slaughter. Also, some processors do not properly bleed a animal out correctly and that can taint the meat, espcecially if the hanging locker is not clean and smells, that can attatch to the meat. We have a couple processors in my area that sometimes the beef comes back with a putred odar no matter what kind of beef you take to them. Then we have some processors that do things by the book and the meat is always clean smelling and bright colored. Also, if vaccuum packed if there are any tears in the bag you will ruin the whole cut from freezer burn and that ruins the cut also.

 

[f4leggin]

OK - thanks for the info - I think I will talk to my butcher to get their opinion on the flavor from last year. And, I will put my one steer from last year on grain asap - he's such a little guy (July calving) - I want to get this right because I got 5 bull calves this year.

Thanks again - Jill