grass feed beef, yea or nay?

[percysunshine]

All Australian beef is grass fed.

 

[koshergrl]

Corn Fed Beef cattle in HUGE cattle farms where over 70% of all beef sold in America comes from.

I'm not sure that's accurate. My experience with the beef industry, from living in areas where ranching and farming are the primary industries, is that cattle are born in one place (not stockyards), and raised a certain age on a combination of pasture and home feed lots (pastured in the summers, brought to the homeplace and fed over the winter) until it's time to sell. Then they are taken to the big feed lots, their weight is brought up, and they're transformed into beef.

I'm sure fully 70 percent of all beef cattle spend time in stockyards. But that's not where they spend their entire lives, or even a majority of their lives. Anyone who has lived near a stockyard will tell you this. They are constantly being changed out....they only stay there for a bit.

 

[koshergrl]

And yes it would be great if all beef had free range all the time...but that's impossible. BLM and the forestry dept controls most of the pasture land...and cattle aren't even indigenous to the US. They're MOUNTAIN animals and they're terribly destructive (which is why blm and the forest service restrict their access to public lands).

 

[Skull Pilot]

I've had both.

Grass fed is a lot harder to cook as it much leaner.

I find that grass fed beef is best if marinated to add some fat then cooked low and slow.

 

[percysunshine]

And yes it would be great if all beef had free range all the time...but that's impossible. BLM and the forestry dept controls most of the pasture land...and cattle aren't even indigenous to the US. They're MOUNTAIN animals and they're terribly destructive (which is why blm and the forest service restrict their access to public lands).

"cattle aren't even indigenous to the US."

An invasive species?

Kill them all

...and send the tobasco sauce back to Honduras....and the chocolate beans back to Equidor ... and the pepper shakers back to India ... and the cinnamon mints back to Sri Lanka ... and the coffee beans back to Java ...

Screw Starbucks.

 

[silas]

Yea, corn is not natural for cows or gas tanks for that matter. Have you seen the price for meat these days? It's because of corn being used for things it should not have been, like to finish off cows.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Corn Fed Beef cattle in HUGE cattle farms where over 70% of all beef sold in America comes from.

I'm not sure that's accurate. My experience with the beef industry, from living in areas where ranching and farming are the primary industries, is that cattle are born in one place (not stockyards), and raised a certain age on a combination of pasture and home feed lots (pastured in the summers, brought to the homeplace and fed over the winter) until it's time to sell. Then they are taken to the big feed lots, their weight is brought up, and they're transformed into beef.

I'm sure fully 70 percent of all beef cattle spend time in stockyards. But that's not where they spend their entire lives, or even a majority of their lives. Anyone who has lived near a stockyard will tell you this. They are constantly being changed out....they only stay there for a bit.

I don't mean to imply they stay there from birth/slaughter. Of course not.
The point I show is the unbelievable conditions in crowded feed lots made only possible thru corn feeding.
(BTW - they are not fed just corn you know...they are also fed leftover products from human food factories, like fermented vegetables, stale bread and even candy...no kidding)

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I'd like to get off the industrial food habit, but the cost of free range food is just too damned expensive.

It isn't difficult...really.
And it isn't as expensive as you think.

Step #1
Don't buy meat and seafood from a grocery store. "Free range" and organic food is grossly overpriced in box stores.
Step #2
Buy a chest freezer...you can pick one up for $200 or less.
Step #3
Find a reputable butcher that carries a guarantee that everything he sells is from local farms. If he acts annoyed at your asking - then move on - a reputable butcher will not only be glad to tell you exactly where the meats come from but most are proud of their products and enjoy talking about it.
Step #4
Buy in bulk packages. I can buy about 4-5 weeks worth of meat for about $150...that's right. Check it out: Meat, Seafood, Deli: The Butcher's Block | Bloomington, IN » Bulk Packages

Step #4 - You will get bored quick with the above...so be sure to buy a few roasts, steaks, sausages etc.

It isn't as expensive as you think - you just have to get out of the grocery stores!...and - holy hell is the meat a better quality!!!

 

[9thIDdoc]

If you want the best for the least money either raise it yourself or buy it on the hoof locally and do your own butchering and processing. it's nice to know how the meat was handled and what is really susauge and hamburger.

Venison is free range and about as healty as it gets.

 

[percysunshine]

Pinneapple juice is the best marinade in the universe.

Are cows indiginous to Hawaii?

 

[NGSamson]

the new rage if grass feed beef.....myself it just reminds me of spending summers on a farm and eating the damn stuff....i am a steak ho.....i like my steak well marbled....melting on my tongue...grass feed dont do that

sometimes food trends are not good trends

yay !

 

[koshergrl]

And yes it would be great if all beef had free range all the time...but that's impossible. BLM and the forestry dept controls most of the pasture land...and cattle aren't even indigenous to the US. They're MOUNTAIN animals and they're terribly destructive (which is why blm and the forest service restrict their access to public lands).

"cattle aren't even indigenous to the US."

An invasive species?

Kill them all

...and send the tobasco sauce back to Honduras....and the chocolate beans back to Equidor ... and the pepper shakers back to India ... and the cinnamon mints back to Sri Lanka ... and the coffee beans back to Java ...

Screw Starbucks.

Uh..I'm just saying that 100 percent pasture fed cows isn't feasible, environmentally.

 

[koshergrl]

Corn Fed Beef cattle in HUGE cattle farms where over 70% of all beef sold in America comes from.

I'm not sure that's accurate. My experience with the beef industry, from living in areas where ranching and farming are the primary industries, is that cattle are born in one place (not stockyards), and raised a certain age on a combination of pasture and home feed lots (pastured in the summers, brought to the homeplace and fed over the winter) until it's time to sell. Then they are taken to the big feed lots, their weight is brought up, and they're transformed into beef.

I'm sure fully 70 percent of all beef cattle spend time in stockyards. But that's not where they spend their entire lives, or even a majority of their lives. Anyone who has lived near a stockyard will tell you this. They are constantly being changed out....they only stay there for a bit.

I don't mean to imply they stay there from birth/slaughter. Of course not.
The point I show is the unbelievable conditions in crowded feed lots made only possible thru corn feeding.
(BTW - they are not fed just corn you know...they are also fed leftover products from human food factories, like fermented vegetables, stale bread and even candy...no kidding)

I know what they're fed.

There isn't enough forage available in this country for cows to last through the winter...

And who said pigs don't eat grass? Pigs do eat grass. So do geese...three geese eat as much as a cow (useless trivia, unless you plan to have geese).

Silage is made ofa variety of different fermented things. Here in my part of the country, they make it from pea stalks/hay. There are huge silage pits where the stuff is dumped, you want to smell something foul...

 

[Zander]

the new rage if grass feed beef.....myself it just reminds me of spending summers on a farm and eating the damn stuff....i am a steak ho.....i like my steak well marbled....melting on my tongue...grass feed dont do that

sometimes food trends are not good trends

I payed extra for some "grass fed" beef earlier this year. Here is the website for the place....Novy Ranches Grass-fed Angus Beef

It was nice steak. But it didn't taste any better than the corn fed steaks I've been eating for years. I think the best bang for the "nutritional" buck is to buy organic lettuce and certain other veggies. Steak is steak....at least that is my arrogant opinion!!!

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Pinneapple juice is the best marinade in the universe.

Are cows indiginous to Hawaii?

Depends on the meat.
Nothing like a good gingered-reduced plum sauce for pork.
Another for pork is balsamic vinegar.
Beer for chicken.
A wine reduction for beef.