What factor(s) could cause my beef from a local farm to taste & smell ‘off’ this time around?

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well - this is a 3 year old thread - but -
We needed more hamburg in the freezer, so we took a cull cow that was FAT (supposed to be a fall bred, but was open). We told the butcher to pull the loin and anything he thought would work for a good steal. He called and said she was super tender and he could almost cut her up like a steer. Wow - OK.
Wellll - not so OK. Yes, steaks are super tender. But the taste is horrible. This cow has marbling more than any Choice steer we have eaten - obviously Prime.
It's the FAT. If we cut every bit of fat off before we cook it, it's do-able - definitely tender. She was strictly hay/grass fed. Butchered in April, so just getting a bit of real grass. I know all the "old timers" claim "older" steers had more flavor. Well, I sure can do without THIS flavor. I love venison - so it's not the "gamey" flavor. Of course, our venison is all grain fed with all the corn and bean fields around. LOL Ours is definitely better tasting than from Rhode Island.
AND GRASS FED BEEF IS NOT HEALTHIER. Anyone that says it is, I want to see the actual PROOF - not what joe blow claims. RESEARCH PROOF. The only real research that I know of was done by Texas A&M. Proves grain fed is slightly healthier than grass fed.

Ground beef from grass-fed and grain-fed cattle: Does it matter? - Department of Animal Science

Posted on December 7, 2013 by maggielberger By Stephen B. Smith, Ph.D.Regents Professor, Department of Animal Science The internet is awash in websites proclaiming the nutritional benefits of ground beef from grass-fed cattle. However, researchers in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M...

animalscience.tamu.edu

 

[Ridgetop]

A friend bought a lamb one year at Fair and the taste was terrible. Turns out the FFA kid didn't have a lot of money for feed and had bought feed containing fish meal. Never heard of that, but he found it somewhere cheap and finished his lamb on it. It tainted the meat. I have heard about wild cattle and those that were frightened or spooked at time of slaughter were tough, but never the term "dark cutter". Interesting.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Well - this is a 3 year old thread - but -
We needed more hamburg in the freezer, so we took a cull cow that was FAT (supposed to be a fall bred, but was open). We told the butcher to pull the loin and anything he thought would work for a good steal. He called and said she was super tender and he could almost cut her up like a steer. Wow - OK.
Wellll - not so OK. Yes, steaks are super tender. But the taste is horrible. This cow has marbling more than any Choice steer we have eaten - obviously Prime.
It's the FAT. If we cut every bit of fat off before we cook it, it's do-able - definitely tender. She was strictly hay/grass fed. Butchered in April, so just getting a bit of real grass. I know all the "old timers" claim "older" steers had more flavor. Well, I sure can do without THIS flavor. I love venison - so it's not the "gamey" flavor. Of course, our venison is all grain fed with all the corn and bean fields around. LOL Ours is definitely better tasting than from Rhode Island.
AND GRASS FED BEEF IS NOT HEALTHIER. Anyone that says it is, I want to see the actual PROOF - not what joe blow claims. RESEARCH PROOF. The only real research that I know of was done by Texas A&M. Proves grain fed is slightly healthier than grass fed.

Ground beef from grass-fed and grain-fed cattle: Does it matter? - Department of Animal Science

Posted on December 7, 2013 by maggielberger By Stephen B. Smith, Ph.D.Regents Professor, Department of Animal Science The internet is awash in websites proclaiming the nutritional benefits of ground beef from grass-fed cattle. However, researchers in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M...

animalscience.tamu.edu

We had that old small framed cow cut into filets, ribeyes and hamburger. She was about 9 or 10 yrs old in good condition.

I get THAT taste your talking about. It's hard to describe. Only thing I can call it is old beef.

We seasoned the holy pizza out of it. That helps. Probly won't do it again tho

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Dark Cutter is a common term used in carcasses.
Murry - yes, it is pretty nasty. As soon as you open the package, you can SMELL the taste. Once we get rid of the fat, it is a "decent" eating experience. Let's just say, we will NEVER do that again.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Another possibility for the tainted meat is the diet of the animal pre-slaughter. We already mentioned the difference between grass fed vs grain fed, but other feedstuffs fed to livestock can result in "flavored/off flavor/tainted" meat as well.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, I don't like grass fed beef. This was an aged cow (maybe 5) and had been on baleage all winter - butchered in April, so little bit of grass. Baleage is mixed grass with some clover. Nothing in her diet to taint the taste. Evidently I do not like aged/grass fed beef like some of the breeders that say "they need to get some age to a steer before it has good flavor".

 

[Lucky]

Last couple times we bought Ribeyes from our local butcher they had a funny smell that didn't cook out. Gave them to the dogs and haven't been back for steaks. Still buy other stuff but not beef.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

Yes, I don't like grass fed beef. This was an aged cow (maybe 5) and had been on baleage all winter - butchered in April, so little bit of grass. Baleage is mixed grass with some clover. Nothing in her diet to taint the taste. Evidently I do not like aged/grass fed beef like some of the breeders that say "they need to get some age to a steer before it has good flavor".

I don't like grass fed beef.
Even grass fed " grain finished" is not for me. I find the meat has a very earthy, nasty, smell and taste. My opinion is Beef has a different taste depending on environment and geography.
The fat always has the most flavor, good or bad it absorbs it all.

 

[moses388]

@BritishWhiteGal - Your thoughts on grass-fed beef. Does your grass-fed beef smell?

 

[BritishWhiteGal]

What breeds are you talking about here?!?!?!? I have never, ever, had problems with my BW.
If a cow eats endophyte infected fescue grass it will smell awful and you shouldn't eat it. It doesn't harm the cow, just the meat. So check and see, does your pasture have fescue?
My grass-fed beef might smell a bit different just because it is not full of chemicals and hormones, but it tastes AMAZING and we literally cannot eat store-bought beef anymore. (Along with a lot of fellow British White breeders) Yes, it has a slightly different taste, but an awesome taste.
My biggest area of particularity is marbling lol. The BW is prized for its marbling so for me it must be perfect.... I really concentrate on calves having a stress free start. But that is the only area I have ever had problems with, and that steer was an Angus

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Genetics plays a huge part in grass-fed beef taste from my experience. I have a line of moma cows that their calves finish nicely on grass and the taste of the meat is 2nd to none. The rest of my herds calves if finished on grass taste like your eating the bark off a tree, so they all head to the sale barn.

 

[BritishWhiteGal]

Genetics plays a huge part in grass-fed beef taste from my experience. I have a line of moma cows that their calves finish nicely on grass and the taste of the meat is 2nd to none. The rest of my herds calves if finished on grass taste like your eating the bark off a tree, so they all head to the sale barn.

Yeah, you are right, My cattle are years of careful breeding and selection....

 

[moses388]

Genetics plays a huge part in grass-fed beef taste from my experience. I have a line of moma cows that their calves finish nicely on grass and the taste of the meat is 2nd to none. The rest of my herds calves if finished on grass taste like your eating the bark off a tree, so they all head to the sale barn.

Researchers should identify the genetic trait(s) responsible. Someday maybe a DNA test telling if your calves should be grass-finished or grain-finished? Maybe beef sire directories would have a section of "grass sires." ??

 

[BritishWhiteGal]

@moses388
If you need an Angus grass sire....
Bear Mtn Justify
We love him for our few pure Angus show cattle and steers. I feel like word of mouth and personal experience is worth more than a case study. But thats kinda off track oops

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

BWG I apologize if I insulted your cattle . I know a lot of people love grass fed.
Didn't mean anything bad about them except I don't care for the taste and I do believe it has a different smell.
My wife and I tried GF beef from a lot of different areas and found it wasn't for us.
I do find it an interesting debate in regards to the claims that grass fed being healthier than grain fed.

 

[BritishWhiteGal]

BWG I apologize if I insulted your cattle . I know a lot of people love grass fed.
Didn't mean anything bad about them except I don't care for the taste and I do believe it has a different smell.
My wife and I tried GF beef from a lot of different areas and found it wasn't for us.
I do find it an interesting debate in regards to the claims that grass fed being healthier than grain fed.

No, you didn't offend me at all!
(After all, you've never tasted a BW )
Yeah learning about all the nasty stuff they inject in feedlot beef really repulses me. We do eat some grain fed beef, as we show steers occasionally, but we know what we put in them!!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

"What breeds are you talking about here?!?!?!? I have never, ever, had problems with my BW.
My grass-fed beef might smell a bit different just because it is not full of chemicals and hormones"

Really? What makes you think any of the beef we are talking about is full of chemicals and hormones? And what makes you think feedlot cattle are full of ANYTHING that is harmful to us?
Hormones - yes, many feedlots use hormone implants - foolish not to. They are not adding or making any difference in the hormones in the meat. This is totally a false accusation with NO PROOF. Do you eat Broccoli? There, you just ate more hormones than if you ate all 600# of meat on one carcass that was injected with added hormones.
It is people making BROAD statements constantly that have NO scientific basis.
I'm not trying to pick a fight. It is just things like this that give us a bad name. You spit out a statement as if it is fact - and it is NOT. Give us the proof. Not just your thoughts or feelings.
Grass fed beef enthusiast have been spitting out untruths about how healthy their grass fed beef is over grain fed. FALSE. Read my article I listed. This is the ONLY research proof of anything. There are articles that say they have more Omega 3 or blah blah blah. If you take a carcass (no matter how it is fed) you can PROVE 1 has more of something over the another. That is not PROOF. Research with multiple results is needed.
There is definitely a place for grass fed beef. I am not arguing that. There is nothing wrong with it if you can stand the taste. It takes longer to finish and will be tougher - GENERALLY. Older the animal, the tougher the meat. That is scientific fact - not my opinion. My steers are 12-13 months old when harvested. I believe the average for a feedlot is somewhere around 15-18 months.
Like I said, I am not fighting with you, just tired of people being "insulted" because things are against their beliefs - even though they have no proof.
"What breeds are you talking about here?!?!?!?" This sounds like you think your breed is better than others. I think my breed is better than others, too. Makes us even. LOL

 

[BritishWhiteGal]

"What breeds are you talking about here?!?!?!? I have never, ever, had problems with my BW.
My grass-fed beef might smell a bit different just because it is not full of chemicals and hormones"

Really? What makes you think any of the beef we are talking about is full of chemicals and hormones? And what makes you think feedlot cattle are full of ANYTHING that is harmful to us?
Hormones - yes, many feedlots use hormone implants - foolish not to. They are not adding or making any difference in the hormones in the meat. This is totally a false accusation with NO PROOF. Do you eat Broccoli? There, you just ate more hormones than if you ate all 600# of meat on one carcass that was injected with added hormones.
It is people making BROAD statements constantly that have NO scientific basis.
I'm not trying to pick a fight. It is just things like this that give us a bad name. You spit out a statement as if it is fact - and it is NOT. Give us the proof. Not just your thoughts or feelings.
Grass fed beef enthusiast have been spitting out untruths about how healthy their grass fed beef is over grain fed. FALSE. Read my article I listed. This is the ONLY research proof of anything. There are articles that say they have more Omega 3 or blah blah blah. If you take a carcass (no matter how it is fed) you can PROVE 1 has more of something over the another. That is not PROOF. Research with multiple results is needed.
There is definitely a place for grass fed beef. I am not arguing that. There is nothing wrong with it if you can stand the taste. It takes longer to finish and will be tougher - GENERALLY. Older the animal, the tougher the meat. That is scientific fact - not my opinion. My steers are 12-13 months old when harvested. I believe the average for a feedlot is somewhere around 15-18 months.
Like I said, I am not fighting with you, just tired of people being "insulted" because things are against their beliefs - even though they have no proof.
"What breeds are you talking about here?!?!?!?" This sounds like you think your breed is better than others. I think my breed is better than others, too. Makes us even. LOL

Sorry I offended you.
I genuinely wanted to know what breeds, wondering if the breed was doing badly on grass. Or if it just wasn't a grass breed.
I am not against a feedlot in any way.. They are necessary.
Yes, a grass fed beef takes longer to finish although Im not sure I agree they are tougher. I am not going to argue with you about feedlot hormones even though I could write 10 paras on the subject... LOL I dont want to pick a fight.
No, I dont think BWs are superior every breed is different. For grass-fed, maybe. Maybe feeding out a BW Is too easy and I really dont know anything on the real subject... you never know I guess. lol

 

[Lucky]

It is people making BROAD statements constantly that have NO scientific basis

It's unbelievable the amount of this that goes on in Social Media sites. You can pick any topic and someone out there thinks they're an expert but has no proof other than a "feeling or belief". The really crazy part is the amount of people that believe them.

 

[Travlr]

It's unbelievable the amount of this that goes on in Social Media sites. You can pick any topic and someone out there thinks they're an expert but has no proof other than a "feeling or belief". The really crazy part is the amount of people that believe them.

The really crazy part is when someone is an expert and can speak to the nuances and logic involved instead of just quoting some internet article they cherry picked off of the ethernet, and people insist on "proof" as in "anything that looks official", as though they aren't being given it from the source.

Most of us here on this forum are more expert than the typical internet authority.