Grass fed???

A recent post got me wondering so here’s an honest question…

What is your attraction to grass fed meat?

Growing up in the upper Midwest, fresh grass fed tastes “off” to me. It’s not as sweet. (aging covers up the difference)

Is it taste, environmental, animal welfare, or some health benefit I’m not aware of?

There are probably others here who can speak more authoritatively about this. Most of my knowledge has come over time – and I have been sort of skeptical or agnostic. But reading Franklin Steak I am more intrigued now about trying more grass fed meat (particularly beef).

On taste, grass fed is a richer, more “beefy,” taste – which some may not like. These are somewhat generalizations, but my understanding is that grain fed tends to have a less strong taste, and thus appeals to those who may not like strong beefy flavor. Some argue that this is a more natural flavor, and thus we should like it, as it is what meat used to taste like. I am not sure I would go that far. I think if you like the taste of grain-fed, then more power to you.

On health, grass fed beef (and by grass, what is really meant here is a mix of grass and other plant material) tends to be higher in nutrients that are beneficial to humans. I don’t have the book in front of me so can’t remember the different nutrients – some omegas, others. It is also healthier for the cows, and thus produces healthier, and thus tastier, meat. On the other side, grain-fed tend to be more susceptible to disease – thus leading to the use of hormones and antibiotics with grass fed beef.

On the animal welfare front, I think this is where things can overlap but are not necessary. So some feed grass pellets to cattle in closed pens and claim they are “grass fed.” These tend to be less nutritious and, some argue, less flavorful. It is obviously less pleasant for the cattle. Many of the more “pure” pasture grass-fed ranchers also tend to treat their animals well – the argument being that animals with less stress also produce better meat.

Environment is also better, but again this is not necessarily related. That is, those who are serious about grass fed and pasture tend to also be serious about environmental concerns – so there is a correlation between grass-fed and environmentally beneficial practices. But you could also have grass-fed beef ranches that could also be less careful about environmental practices.

It is all pretty fascinating – and with many such things one has to dig a bit deeper to figure out who is doing what, for what reason, and then assess the overall result. If you are really interested I would urge you to buy and read Franklin Steak – it is written in a very easy and accessible style, and covers raising cattle, butchering, and cooking. As someone who tends to be more interested in the cooking side, I am more interested in the ranching and butchering than I thought I would be!

i think you first need to distinguish between grass-fed, grass-finished, and grain-finished. almost all beef you can buy is grass-fed then grain-finished (includes soy and other non-grass feed). given the extreme rarity of actual fully pastured meat (end-to-end) and the variety of regions and breed, it’s impossible to generalize one way or the other. that said, the goal of grain-finishing is indeed to bulk up and those breeds are bred for certain results which we associate with great beef - lots of intramuscular fat, rich taste, but not necessarily iron/mineral-type flavors that you usually encounter in spain and italy, for example.

Exactly

I agree with the iron/copper/metal flavor descriptor for some boutique-y grass fed beef. Not as much as Wild venison (which oddly is mostly corn finished around here) but still. Our family hunted and dad was “frugal” so I grew up eating a lot of venison and kinda hated it. Maybe that’s where my grass-fed aversion stems from.

I will check out the book.

A very thoughtful and well stated post. Says more eloquently what I might have tried to say on why I prefer grass-fed.

ron - if you haven’t yet done so, i recommend strongly you read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I think it’s a crucial read for anyone interested in food and the food system.

Great recommendation Yaacov, a wonderful book. I enjoy all of Pollan’s books especially The Botany of Desire.

I have had some grass fed beef including thru finishing. Distinctly more gamey, tougher, and much less fat than grain finished beef. It was from a lady who raised her cattle next to us at 8,000ft and was sold as a half or full cow. We got a half. Not the best flavor for my tastes but still good and fun to try.

I suppose being itb, I can make a couple comments. Feeding grains do two things. 1. It quickly adds weight and weight = money.

  1. It likewise adds fat and marble to the meat that enhances flavors.

There are two primary calving seasons in most of the US. Spring calves, born March-May; and fall Sep-November. The vast majority of cattle goes to market at around 850-1000 lbs standings weight. This translates into 8-10 months old depending upon breed and genetics. At around 450-600 lbs, most calves are completely weaned and eating minerals as needed. This will be around 6-7 months. Add the 6-7 months to April or May and you’re into late fall or winter. A. Most grass is gone B. It’s turning cold and the animal is converting more food to energy to stay warm than putting on weight. C. It takes a lot of hay alone to sustain an animal alone in cold weather. Result being, you feed them grain to get them to desired weight as quickly as possible and off to market so not to bear the expense of more winter feeding.

Fall calves are mostly on their mothers milk along with hay and some of the grains they may eat alongside their mothers. In March or early April when the grasses start coming back in, they are on grasses until decision time. Do they get sold and go to the feedlots for finishing or stay on the pasture longer and be sold as grass fed. A lot goes into that decision with one item being the condition of your pastures. If we’re having a drought and the pastures are thin, we get them off as fast as we can, because there are the Spring calves with their mothers to continue feeding. Since hot weather impedes weight gain, we have to consider market prices in our decisions.

Most grass fed operations are contract based, just like the no antibiotics or no hormone cattle. They are often specifically raised under those conditions and presold before birth. Honestly, it’s not a large market because many of the buyers don’t pay the farmers a large enough premium to justify the extra work requirements and loss of total weight. There is a huge disconnect between what the customer may pay at retail and what the farmers receive.

didn’t even know about that one, thank you.

how to change your mind is my current obsession. nothing to do with food, per se. more food for the mind.

We get some 100% grass fed filets from Hastings S of Brookings Oregon and right on the ocean. Great texture and taste that we both enjoy. Tri-tip great there too but now I have a source for prime tri-tip now that is just exquisite.

From my uneducated viewpoint, I tend to stray from grass-fed beef because I just can’t seem to find any that has enough marbling / fat. If I am eating beef, I want as much marbling as I can get in any particular cut. Grass-fed, to me, almost always has noticeably less tasty fat that corn/grain-finished.

The difference between grass raised/fed, is the difference between life and death to many. The health benefits to proper Grass Fed beef is too big to ignore.

I agree with the grass fed/finished debate. It so easy for a producer at say grass fed, but hell most all beef and lamb can claim that. I’m lucky enough to have access to some great beef growers. It’s all about grass finished. MUCH more healthy for humans. MUCH harder for growers to honestly do. I’m not sure exactly but it takes many more months to achieve proper weight without grain. It also depends on location and time of year if pasture is even available.

I acquired some grass finished beef that was held back due to the time of year. I don’t know how old it was at slaughter but it was big. The rib eyes were HUGE. Fred Flintstone would have been proud of them. There were Damn gamey too. It really took some getting used to.

One other point not talked about much is dry aging. Most great beef is dry aged around 25 days I believe. Lots of butchers don’t want it hung that long as it looses weight and can spoil. I hang my deer for around 12-14 days at 38 degrees. Lots of the gamey character mellows and the meat gets MUCH more tender during the process.

Here, local farm-raised beef from Tagaytay & Batangas are grass fed. They don’t have much marbling; so, in my opinion/household, local grass fed beef is for stews and the like (my favourite being “bulalo” which is very close to the French pot-au-feu, and features beef knee cartilage and bone marrow). For steaks & roasts at home, we use USDA prime or choice grade (both of which are readily available in Metro Manila); and, once in a while, Japanese A5 grade beef (Miyazaki, Ohmi, etc.).

When out and about in Europe, I have whatever beef is the local specialty. I, honestly, don’t care or bother to ask what/how it is fed or raised. I care only how it tastes.

Who the hell is eating beef for the health benefits?!? I don’t eat steak often, but when I do, I’m certainly not thinking, “Hey, this grass fed ribeye will be so much healthier for me.” I want what, to me, tastes better.

Sounds like an opinion of a young guy who has not faced much health problems. champagne.gif

I understand. I never thought about it much either. But the health benefits of grass fed + the terrible health risks of grain fed is astonishing. Now, if someone only eats meat once a month or whatever, then yeah, I wouldn’t worry either.

But, if you have kids, you ought to be thinking about grass fed over grain fed (and the hormones and antibiotics that go with it). I wish I had understood this many years ago.

Just my opinion. YMMV.

I tend to agree with Steve here. I do think age makes a difference. And definitely for us with a small child that is a consideration. Our daughter is only three and does not eat much steak. But we are trying to instill in her an appreciation for good food that is sourced well and is good for us.

My preference for grain-fed steak in no way indicates I’m not educating my children about healthy eating and quality food. Additionally, “grass fed” has absolutely nothing to do with fewer “hormones and antibiotics.”