427906 Sat Aug 04 10:36:13 -0700 2007 69 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2813628 I was just wondering what everyone thought was better. As a steak lover I know that different steakhouses use different techniques. My favorite is PL and they definitely use corn to feed their cattle. So based on that I will say corn feds better. I am not sure who uses grass but I know CraftSteak gives you a choice of either picking corn fed or grass fed. Does it taste any different? Sat Aug 04 10:36:13 -0700 2007 76968 steakrules85 1 2814210 You might give this recently active thread a look... http://www.chowhound.com/topics/424804 I think like alot of things, when it comes to taste, it's personal preference. As far as what's good for yourself as well as the earth, grassfed seems to be the choice. Sat Aug 04 16:08:28 -0700 2007 2813628 64003 bulavinaka 2 2819870 And if that's too much work, it's digested here http://www.chow.com/digest/3343 Mon Aug 06 19:45:20 -0700 2007 2814210 40495 Sister Y 3 2822528 I had a grass-fed ribeye from Alderspring a few nights ago and thought it was the tastiest steak I’ve ever eaten. I also like Tallgrass beef. But it’s a matter of individual taste. Tue Aug 07 13:17:37 -0700 2007 2819870 55316 mpalmer6c 1 2833029 The best beef I have ever had was grass fed (free-range pasture) and dry aged for 10 days to 2 weeks after butchering. Corn is a unnatural food stuff for cattle and causes a lot of stomach problems. It is usually fed to cattle just before slaughtering to bulk them up for maximum profit. The best farmers let them roam in the pasture in the summer, and feed them silage in the winter. Fri Aug 10 10:11:25 -0700 2007 2813628 22220 Kelli2006 1 2834170 For those who missed it, here is Slate's taste test of corn fed and grass fed beef (grass fed won): http://www.slate.com/id/2152674 Fri Aug 10 14:37:33 -0700 2007 2813628 55316 mpalmer6c 1 2834302 From a taste perspective that's up to you. From a health prespective, it's no conest. Fats are used by the body for a myriad of purposes, not the least of which is controlling inflammation. Precursors to pro- and antiinflammatory products come in a large part from omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Our diets are already way too high in omega 6/ omega ratios, which is steadily becoming more implicated as too much inflammation causes or exacrebations of many ailments. Corn (and wheat) are high in omega 6s. (proinflammatory precursors.) For the wide variety of foods humans eat, that's fine. Cows eat what's availabe. If they prefer corn (I'm not a rancher) and they get it it, this is reflected in what's in their muscle. Guess what fatty acids are high is grass? Fri Aug 10 15:13:16 -0700 2007 2813628 95291 Richard 16 1 2837087 Folks, please address the deliciousness aspect of this question. "Big issue" topics such as industrial farming practices are hot buttons which spiral quickly away from the matter at hand, and thus will be removed. Now back to the chow. Sorry for the interruption. Sat Aug 11 20:08:55 -0700 2007 2813628 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3124072 There is absolutely no comparison. Corn-fed beef is far better than grass-fed beef any day of the week. I moved to California ten years ago, and have YET to find a restaurant that serves grass-fed beef that is better than corn-fed. The meat is much more tender. Grass-fed beef is granier and does not look or taste as good. If you have had corn-fed beef from the midwest, you know what I mean. Claim Jumper is one of the few restaurants who gets the beef for one of their steak dinners from the Midwest. I also feel the same about corn on the cob. Corn in Iowa is so good and so sweet you can eat it right off the cob right in a field. Wed Nov 14 08:00:16 -0800 2007 2813628 142893 Ravynnelyn 2 3190045 But cows don't get to eat fresh corn on the cob right in the field in Iowa. As good as fresh corn might be, you couldn't live on it and be healthy! Some people eat for the taste (sweets, fats) and to hell with their health, while others like I am are most interested in the healthiest foods, that taste good, also! Sat Dec 08 03:59:29 -0800 2007 3124072 60280 nutrition 1 3125668 Forgive the pun, but they are two different animals. As one who has raised prime steers and loves a good steak, there is nothing in the world to compare to a corn-fed USDA Prime dry aged steak. Wed Nov 14 14:42:16 -0800 2007 2813628 12296 steakman55 2 3127825 "...nothing in the world to compare to a corn-fed USDA Prime dry aged steak." Lets celebrate for that. It would be sad if the better meats (Grass Fed Limantour, Wagyu) were down at the corn-fed level. Thu Nov 15 10:48:10 -0800 2007 3125668 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 3190049 I am not a steak person, but in Argentina, I enjoyed their Beef steak special, almost every night. Nothing like it in the Midwest. My guess is that they are happy grass fed cows out on the range! Sat Dec 08 04:02:23 -0800 2007 3125668 60280 nutrition 3 3470833 They are indeed grass fed, and sooooo delicious. Fri Mar 07 14:39:09 -0800 2008 3190049 95577 yamalam 2 4925207 I agree. My uncle used to be a Butcher, and his family sent my family a bunch of grass fed beef steaks once, also telling us how much better they were. I definitely believed them, until I took a bite. I will now take corn fed to grass fed any day. Fri Aug 07 04:32:44 -0700 2009 3125668 1081227 DishDelish 3 4925786 I used to feel that way until i got the really great stuff. Grass fed seems not to be as consistent until you find a great producer. The steaks I get now have even more marbling than most of the corn fed steaks I've eaten and are far more flavorful. The not as good stuff can be tough and too lean. Argentine beef is all grass fed and regarded as some of the best beef in the world. I visited once and have not eaten anything close to that quality (grass fed or corn fed). Some people are good at raising great grass fed beef and some are not. Fri Aug 07 08:29:29 -0700 2009 4925207 10691 JeremyEG 4 4926411 Argentina! Bah!!! The beef produced in Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Brasil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Honduras is equally good. Fri Aug 07 11:44:16 -0700 2009 4925786 36661 Sam Fujisaka 5 4926725 I've had beef from Uruguay and it was indeed wonderful. How do the others compare? Is it all raised similarly (breed, feed, etc)? JeremyEG Fri Aug 07 13:38:09 -0700 2009 4926411 10691 JeremyEG 6 4957016 Yes, breed and feed are roughly the same across the region. Tue Aug 18 14:40:13 -0700 2009 4926725 36661 Sam Fujisaka 7 4957297 Bramahs for the heat? Ate it a lot in Bolivia. Tue Aug 18 16:11:24 -0700 2009 4957016 93538 Passadumkeg 8 4958671 Zebu crosses with Pardo Suizo, Santa Gertrudis, Canchim, Ibage, and others. Wed Aug 19 07:23:13 -0700 2009 4957297 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 3135327 For taste, and pure beefy deliciousness, whether in a burger or a steak, nothing tastes better than corn fed US Beef. My butcher, rated one of the top butchers in NY tells me he wouln't eat the grass fed, even though he carries it because of demand. He feels it is inferior in quality, taste, appearance, and satisfaction quotient. IMHO , the rush for "grass fed " beef is a fad, along with a lot of other PC nonsense that has convinced people to pay more for a product that isn't better. Sun Nov 18 02:06:34 -0800 2007 2813628 10838 Fleur 2 3137886 Grass fed a fad? How so? Cattle have been grass fed since people domesticated them; corn was too expensive to be considered animal feed. The cattle were put out to pasture and then moved when they wore down the grasses where they were. The reason more people think corn fed is better is because it's all they're used to eating. Saying grass fed beef is a fad is like saying that the idea of eating locally and seasonally is some 'new' trend. Mon Nov 19 06:03:22 -0800 2007 3135327 14083 cooknKate 3 3137904 http://www.asiakan.org/history/history_beef_kansas.shtml Mon Nov 19 06:13:25 -0800 2007 3137886 10651 bbqboy 3 3891726 I do not care for the taste of all grass fed beef, to me it's got a gamy quality that I don't care for. I tried it in a blind taste test at my University. People have a real confusion over what corn-fed means. Cattle in the US spends most of their lives at cow-calf operations on forage (pasture-grass or hay provided by the rancher if forage is scarce with some concentrate supplementation depending on the quality of the forage. Typically the ration is about 70% forage). Cattle are then sold to feed lots where they get a higher concentrate diet (corn, grain, whatever is most economical as a concentrate feed stuff). The assertion that US beef cattle if they are "corn-fed" means alls they get is corn is utterly false. Good cattle nutrition balances the ration between both fibrous dry matter (grass) and concentrate feed (corn, other grains). If you want to argue that a "natural" cattle diet is only grass you're wrong, they would also eat some grain heads by grazing as well. However a wild "natural" diet is also not the most efficient diet for growth and health of the animal specially if it's living in an area where grazing is of low quality or scarce. Not all grazing areas are created equal and concentrate supplementation can off sent nutrient deficiencies in poor grazing areas. So I agree that grass-fed has a large hype component that preys upon ignorance about true agricultural practices as well as ignorance about cattle nutrition. As far as taste goes, that's subjective. I'd be interested to see what people prefer in blind taste tests where you don't know if it was "grass fed" or "corn fed". The irony is that the practice of supplementing specifically corn as a cattle concentrate was encouraged post Depression to help keep corn farmers to go out of business. The cattle industry stepped up and cattle did what cattle do best, recycle plant stuff into tasty beef. Now the practice is largely being demonized from a variety of sources. Tue Jul 22 12:44:02 -0700 2008 3137886 212188 vanalyn 4 3906507 Among other things, I work on livestock feeding systems in the developing world. Cattle (for meat, dairy, and dual-purpose) benefit from improved grasses and forage legumes that research insitutes like ours develop. Grain finishing is not an option in most of the developing world. Sun Jul 27 18:22:36 -0700 2008 3891726 36661 Sam Fujisaka 2 3138091 None of you all have eaten beef in Argentina! The beef there is entirely pastured, and the best of it tastes better than corn fed beef. There is a minerally funk to Argentine beef that I don't think corn fed beef has. The fat also does not leave the same heavy feeling in your belly as the fat from a corn fed steer does. And, though the marbling may not be as heavy as it is in prime US beef, the animals are not butchered the same way as in the US, so there is always enough fat on the cut you are eating to keep the meat juicy and flavorful. Mon Nov 19 07:21:51 -0800 2007 3135327 19646 laguera 3 3138479 I have... in Peru & Mexico... in all cases the Argentinian beef has been superior tasting to any corn fed U.S. beef I've had including Peter Luger's and Boa Steakhouse. You could argue that people are going to favor what they are familiar with... I was much more familiar with U.S. beef than I was with Argentinian when I first tasted that... all I can say is the Prime Corn Fed is fairly, objectively low on taste... succulent & juicy but tasteless. I don't think most Americans will understand how U.S. beef has been bred to eliminate all character until they travel a little more and open their minds. Another myth perpetrated by the beef industry is that Black Angus is the best eating breed... depending on the cut of meat & dish.... Limantour & Wagyu will produce much better beef for tartares, steaks & roasts... if you are looking for very flavorful cuts of meat like Flank, Skirt etc.,... the difference between Sebu (while a bit chewy) & Black Angus is night & day. Mon Nov 19 09:05:28 -0800 2007 3138091 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 3138631 Yes! (though I think there is a lot of Angus stock in Argentina.) I much prefer the Argentine beef to any of the US corn-fed beef. The fat on those cows tastes fantastic and is really much easier on the system. Not that this is at all scientific, but I can eat 5 oz. of vacio in Argentina and feel fine, whereas if I eat 5 oz. of corn fed beef (flank or skirt, say) I feel like exploding. I have to say, though, that most of the grass-fed beef here, whether it is domestic or imported from Australia or Uruguay, sucks. Most of it is watery and flavorless, so I understand why a lot of Americans prefer the corn fed. Argentines also favor a lot of the "tougher" cuts (like vacio and tire de asado) that have phenomenal flavor. They are not as obsessed with the meat being tender as Americans are. I can't think of any Americans who would even consider throwing a cut like tire de asado on the grill. But yum, how good it is! Mon Nov 19 09:45:55 -0800 2007 3138479 19646 laguera 3 3181607 I was going to say this. Having just come back from a trip to Argentina, I ate steak so good that it brought tears to my eyes. It tastes beefier than corn-finished beef. It is at a whole other level than the meat you get in American steak houses. Wed Dec 05 09:22:46 -0800 2007 3138091 75002 Megiac 2 3471145 Cattle cannot in fact digest corn properly, nor derive sufficient nourishment from it, as strong an indicator as anyone should need to conclude that corn-fed beef is intrinsically unhealthy beef, in the same way that a human living on cheeseburgers and Big Gulps is an unhealthy person. Fri Mar 07 16:21:26 -0800 2008 3135327 11478 Will Owen 3 3891750 I can point you to several bovine nutrition professors who would utterly disagree with you on this. Try Dr. Ed De Peters at the University of California at Davis, he was my professor for 4 years and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to share his data with you as to the digestibility of corn as a cattle concentrate feed. Tue Jul 22 12:56:28 -0700 2008 3471145 212188 vanalyn 4 3892846 Thank you, thank you, vanalyn. I am so tired of people being coerced into what to believe. It's not a simple solution, and the corporate beef and commodity industries are certainly not in any way to be respected, but the other side of the issue has to speak in real terms. The feed is not the problem. The husbandry is. I know it's a battle of simple propaganda, but condemning grain feeders as the problem is a detrimental tactic hurting the remaining independents. Cattle can digest grain, as can we, but the farmer simply needs to take care. Tue Jul 22 18:44:57 -0700 2008 3891750 102066 almansa 1 3138170 Here's another vote for corn-fed; it tastes better. I imagine grass-fed IS healthier...that's why I eat a lot of venison and try to limit my beef. Mon Nov 19 07:41:53 -0800 2007 2813628 10471 danna 1 3180095 I really don't care about the arguments about whether it's healthier, or if cows are supposed to eat corn, or any of that. All I care about is taste. I've always been a huge beef lover ever since I was a little boy. I wouldn't even trim the fat off my steak because I thought that was delicious, too! But for the last, oh, 15 to 20 years--something seemed wrong to me. I never seemed to enjoy my steak like I used to. It seemed strangely tasteless and so mild to me. I just attributed it to getting older--I thought maybe my taste buds were getting less sensitive. But then I tried out some pasture raised grass fed beef (no hormones, no antibiotics) from a farm 30 miles north of me. It was the most delicious steak I've ever had. To make sure I wasn't fooling myself, I recently bought a NY Strip steak from my local grocers, and sure enough, it tasted mild and bland to me. The grassfed beef is more expensive, but it is worth it to me. I definitely prefer that strong, robust flavor over corn fed beef. Tue Dec 04 18:00:18 -0800 2007 2813628 147842 wangbang 2 4925215 You know, I totally believe this. I really think it is just about personal taste. Some really do like the grass fed better, while others really do like the corn fed better (like myself). It is like any food. Some like milk chocolate, some like dark. It is all part of the uniqueness of our personal taste buds. Fri Aug 07 04:40:58 -0700 2009 3180095 1081227 DishDelish 1 3190008 My father grew up on a farm 100 years ago and said his father always fed the animals (cows and pigs) that they were going to slaughter corn. I lived in Mexico 10 years and most of the beef there is grass fed. Some of it is very good. The most tender beef I have ever had was a whole beef tenderloin frozen bought at Sam's Club in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was from New Zealand and when we opened the vacuum pack, it smelled like clover. The flavor was wonderful when cooked and it was so tender you could cut it with your fork. Sat Dec 08 02:49:07 -0800 2007 2813628 143360 RevImmigrant 1 3190160 Corn definitely taste more like what we Americans are used to calling a "good steak", but our South American friends are used to grass and they prefer that. Having tasted both I like the flavor of USDA Prime corn fed although it could be a cultural bias. By the way, if your eating red meat why are you fretting over health benefits? Sat Dec 08 06:31:46 -0800 2007 2813628 147869 eatnbmerry 2 3191100 There is no problem eating red meat like your favorite steaks. It is the marbeled fat, that give a lot of the taste, which is the problem. The difference I noticed in the Argentine steaks is the decreased marbeled fat and more 'juiceymoist' red meat. Since like Jack Spratt I 'can eat no fat', I generally avoid lesser quality beef. American corn fed beef appears very marbeled with more whitish fat throughout. After marinating, which is so popular, the taste is altered significantly. Sat Dec 08 14:33:56 -0800 2007 3190160 60280 nutrition 3 3192089 Thanks for the info. However, I for one DONT EVER marinate prime beef (grass or corn) unless you consider a dash of salt/peper a marinade. Also, like I said before it's a cultural bias as to taste, since we Americans (and many other foodies) feel strongly that the marbeling IS what gives the unique flavor. In fact, that rule applies to most, if not all meats (pork, lamb, etc.). Sun Dec 09 04:04:16 -0800 2007 3191100 147869 eatnbmerry 4 3194258 The taste is in the marbeled fat and what you put on it for flavor alright, That is why it is considered not so great for the arteries and the heart. Whereas the better taste of argentine beef is in the flesh. Mon Dec 10 01:49:34 -0800 2007 3192089 60280 nutrition 5 3194430 Touche NuTrition, May we all die healthy lol! Mon Dec 10 05:59:14 -0800 2007 3194258 147869 eatnbmerry 1 3190177 I grew up eating lots of cornfed, but my first taste of grassfed, in Argentina, changed me forever. Now our fave chef runs an upscale burger place and uses grassfed. I won't eat a sitdown burger anywhere else, except maybe Burger Bar in LV's Mandalay Bay for comparison's sake. Sat Dec 08 06:42:30 -0800 2007 2813628 10576 GroovinGourmet 2 3194421 I hear so much about the great, grass-fed beef in Argentina. Does anyone know of a shop or mail order place that makes it available to Americans at a reasonable cost? I'd be willing to order some if I could get it without breaking the bank, but have no idea where to look. Mon Dec 10 05:53:10 -0800 2007 3190177 19518 rockandroller1 3 3197137 The kicker is that countries without a humgous beef lobby... can import Argentinian beef for quite cheap. Mon Dec 10 20:08:13 -0800 2007 3194421 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 3199681 Speaking from the view of a butcher for over 40 years and a small cattle farmer....Corn fed tastes best! Hands down. America's grasslands do not compare to Argentina. You just cannot compare the two. Corn Fed Prime American Beef 14 to 21 days dry aged straight from the small farm to the processor, landing next on your dinner table. USDA Grade and Freshness plays a huge role. If you buy from a supermarket, you most likely don't know what true corn fed beef tastes like. It's been sitting in a warehouse, cryovac'd, and shipped all over the country before you ever take it home. I process grass fed beef on a daily basis for local producers in the area. I can smell the grass. No thank you! If you like wild game then you will like grass fed. It's essentially the same. I will take corn or grain fed beef anyday! Tue Dec 11 15:50:52 -0800 2007 2813628 149384 JCMBUTCHER 2 3470844 Do you know what it is about Argentina's grasslands that makes Argentine grass fed beef so damn tasty? Or what it is about American grasslands that doesn't? Fri Mar 07 14:42:33 -0800 2008 3199681 95577 yamalam 2 3471464 Yep. It's a little-known fact that cellulose has a different molecular structure south of the equator. Fri Mar 07 18:20:02 -0800 2008 3199681 58743 alanbarnes 1 3337759 The only way grass fed tastes good is if the cook knows how. It is just like venison, and a bad cook can put one off grass fed forever. Been there, done that, and trust me, the more reliable taste is grain fed, which can be done humanely. Mitchum was right on-"Beef, it's what's for dinner!" But only USDA, and only grain fed:) Sun Jan 27 11:04:41 -0800 2008 2813628 161034 beefeater101 2 3338810 I have to disagree. I live near a well renowned cattle ranch that has grass fed beef,and it is the only kind I cook. It is easy to cook, and I love it. I suspect the ones saying corn fed only have a dog in this race as they say. Sun Jan 27 17:11:24 -0800 2008 3337759 115481 karenfinan 1 3338984 Driving through France (or taking the TGV) you see nothing but white cattle grazing, also in Northern Italy. The breed is Charolais, they eat nothing but grass or hay and cereal in the winter, and the meat is delicious, tender and sweet. They are not artificially pumped up with corn and hormones. I never eat beef here in the US because to me it tastes funny. I do occasionally eat buffalo (grass fed) which tastes more like the charolais, I just wish they would offer more cuts besides ground. Beef in England is delicious too, other breeds but also grass fed. Sun Jan 27 18:04:31 -0800 2008 2813628 120073 cassis 2 4926064 are you sure about that? just because you see the cows in the pasture doesn't mean that they aren't finished out on corn before slaughter. You could drive past my Dad's pasture too and see the odd Charolais grazing, but that doesn't mean it's not going to spend a month or so on corn at the end. Fri Aug 07 09:59:43 -0700 2009 3338984 10471 danna 1 3357026 is there such a thing as grass fed cows being raised in south florida for eating? i can no longer do the prices at whole foods. are there other options? Fri Feb 01 15:19:33 -0800 2008 2813628 22373 Shirley U. Jest 2 3469317 You may want to check and see with your local co op or do an internet search. My local community grocery store is starting to supply grass fed beef, the local farmer's markets are carrying it, and the community supported agriculture also has a meat share option. These foods can be hard to find, but worth the reward. Fri Mar 07 08:27:41 -0800 2008 3357026 94635 adventuresinbaking 2 3470922 you can find (any state) local sources for grass-fed beef and other pastured products on this website: http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html --just click on your own state-- but the climate in florida and california is not the best for most breeds of cattle (heat waves will kill them). so, for the best quality & selection of humanely raised animals, you can feel good about ordering from a small producer in the midwest! try thousand hills company: http://www.thousandhillscattleco.com/index.html Fri Mar 07 15:03:10 -0800 2008 3357026 46030 soupkitten 3 3902142 Except for that huge swath of Northern California that remains cool most of the year. Fri Jul 25 15:27:05 -0700 2008 3470922 203391 rockfish42 1 3469277 I was raised on corn-fed, but after a while, I had to stop eating it- every time I ate a steak I'd have stomach issues, and don't even get me started on hamburgers. I switched, about a year and a half ago, to all grass-fed meats, and I haven't had a spot of trouble since (and I'm a total carnivore). But when my parent's cook steak and I pop by to have dinner with them, it's still the corn-fed kind, and I can't eat more than a few bites without feeling sick (and getting sick later). The local grass-fed I buy is delicious, not gamy and has a perfect fat-to-lean ratio (Baucom's Best). And if I want to splurge, my boyfriend and I pop by Dean and Deluca and pick up a Niman Ranch grass-fed porterhouse, and it is oodles more delicious than any corn-fed steak I could buy in a high-end steakhouse. Fri Mar 07 08:16:51 -0800 2008 2813628 168706 Neeya 1 3471061 As a farm girl who grew up in ranching country, this question makes me laugh. It isn't corn fed or grass fed that makes the big difference. Biggest difference is the breed, then the finishing (even most range animals are finished with some kind of grain either corn or oats before going to slaughter) and then the hanging/aging time. Not to mention if the meat was ever frozen. (Don't be fooled into thinking that just because it is raw and unfrozen in the grocer's case that it never got frozen.) So what you really want to ask is what breed? Probably the only people who can answer this are producer-vendors like those at farmers' markets. Personally, think free range, oat finshed Herefords are considerably better than most Angus. But either are pretty good if dry hung for a few weeks. Fri Mar 07 15:46:33 -0800 2008 2813628 169994 pengcast 1 3471136 Pengcast is spot on but....our corn fed beef is illegal in Europe and Asia. Think about. Argentine and Kobe beef is NOT corn fed. Think about it. Mr Steak, that I raised since he(it?) was a baby, in New Mexico, was grass fed and he (it?) was delicious. I'm thinking about it. Try gutting, skinning and butchering, with help, your oun steak. Think about it. Fri Mar 07 16:18:08 -0800 2008 2813628 93538 Passadumkeg 2 3471310 I like corn-finished beef. I dry age my own. I have visited Argentina and been taken out for beef there by people with the money to buy the best (we were processing a really big loan and the hosts were the borrowers--price was no object--we got the best). The beef was fine, but nothing head and shoulders above what we have, in my opinion and that of others who were there (we agreed Peter Luger was still better). I myself have hosted dinner at Peter Luger for a group of Spanish borrowers, and they (I think truly) felt it was about the best steak they ever had. You believe what you want to believe. Fri Mar 07 17:26:31 -0800 2008 3471136 10668 johnb 1 3880433 If anyone in this post is interested in the health or science-based claims about grass-fed beef found on this page, then please read Greener Pastures, a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists on this topic. http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/sustainable_food/greener-pastures.html I have read in other papers that professional tasters found significant differences in the flavor and textural properties of butter from grass-fed cows. One paper found that butter from corn-fed cows had a significant "rancid" component to the flavor, which was virtually absent in butter from grass-fed cows. Fri Jul 18 08:57:02 -0700 2008 2813628 138683 NO SLICE 2 3891737 The integrity of the "Union of Concerned Scientists" is questionable at best. http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/145 Tue Jul 22 12:51:33 -0700 2008 3880433 212188 vanalyn 3 3892859 Again, thank you. The same doctors rose up in force against the Atkins diet, citing undocumented detriment to heart health. The diet really seemed to be quite favorable to cholesterol and blood pressure levels, but the vegan UCS was opposed to increased beef consumption. Tue Jul 22 18:48:11 -0700 2008 3891737 102066 almansa 1 3881132 That's great that Craft Steak lets you choose! I think in my experience, corn fed beef tastes better but I respect the grass-fed beef movement tremendously. Fri Jul 18 12:03:02 -0700 2008 2813628 112406 Chew on That 1 3881330 Most peopke prefer the flavor of corn finished beef. They've been feeding beef corn since the 1600's, and it has always been considered the higher quality. More important, however, are 1) the breed, and 2) the husbandry in determining the quality of the final product. 95% of commodoty beef is fairly terrible. There can be traces of as many as 1,400 breeds in any given animal. The treatment is environmentally and medically irresponsible. On the flip side, the majority of grassfed cattle are still raised in feedlots on a less expensive hay diet. It's very misleading. I'm a fan of corn fed beef, but I am also an opponent of corporate agribusiness. That's why I get my beef from an independent producer who runs a completely sustainable operation, treats his purebred steer humanely, and uses no hormones or antibiotics. It tastes far better than any other beef I've had. The other thing to consider, though, is that grass fed beef is actually healthier than most seafood - lowfat and high in Omega 3's. Fri Jul 18 12:57:16 -0700 2008 2813628 102066 almansa 2 3902153 I'm intrigued by the 1,400 breeds comment. What sort of genetic markers are we talking about? Is a non-pure bred cow really that much of a problem if all other factors are equal? Fri Jul 25 15:30:06 -0700 2008 3881330 203391 rockfish42 3 3903112 Think of cattle as members of the tuna family, then consider the difference between mackerel and bluefin. Imagine coming up with thousands of crossbreeds. What would they eventually taste like? Probably not bad, but probably not what you were looking for to begin with. Sat Jul 26 05:00:23 -0700 2008 3902153 102066 almansa 4 3904302 That's comparing different species. I'd imagine you'd end up with the dog breeding equivalent of breeding back to something that looks vaguely like a wild dog/wolf. Though now I'm just arguing about semantics. Sat Jul 26 16:38:38 -0700 2008 3903112 203391 rockfish42 1 3916951 Corn fed beef is not sustainable. I say this as a serious carnivore. I do buy it on occasion but it seems silly to have this discussion with no talk of sustainability. It's like asking which car is better, a Prius or an Escalade. Probably an Escalade, but if we all drove them, we'd be in deep trouble. Grass fed beef is harder to raise well. I just tasted a grass fed porterhouse with more marbling than many corn fed steaks I've eaten but that's certainly not the case all the time. It seems to be a combination of the right breed, and proper maintanence of the grazing area. It's not easy and it's often done poorly. Like finding a good sushi chef or handyman, it seems to be about finding someone who is skilled in his or her profession. Eat well everyone. JeremyEG Wed Jul 30 18:41:29 -0700 2008 2813628 10691 JeremyEG 2 3942718 We own a small farm in Florida and have raised beef throughout my entire life, some for consumption, some for breeding, and some for sales. I would much rather eat beef that has been under my control from genetics, diet, health, and weight control. Our cattle are range fed and near completion, they are put in a smaller pasture and grain fed along with their natural diet. The end result is better marbling with much of the taste distributed throughout the cut of meat. We cannot eat enough meet to keep up with our supply, and therefor, our beef is sold at a local cattle auction to be shipped out of state to feed lots. It takes a good pasture to maintain desired weight for a beef herd, and in Florida it seems that cross bred cattle can achieve the weight goal in hot Clements. A Brahman Angus cross will bring the best results to give a hearty animal tuned to adapt to our location. The Brahman is a breed that has evolved to adapt to heat, drought, and light pasture, while the Angus is one of the most pound for pound well sought breeds for yield. Because we cannot afford to have only the best cuts of beef in our freezer, near the end of the year I find myself going to a local butcher and buying the cuts we like best( while my freezer is full of flank steak and hamburg). How I yearn for the next year when fresh choice cuts of free range non frozen beef are introduced to my Webber Grill, and watch the smoke rise and the sun go down as I sip a cold-one keeping watch and time on my perfection and gazing out over the pastures with the full satisfaction of feeding my guests and knowing that they are being served the best. Fri Aug 08 22:52:53 -0700 2008 3916951 217118 2jsflyingranch