Where’s the Beef!

[jbogg]

A buddy of mine and I recently split a half a side of beef. We both received around 80 pounds apiece. Myself and the family have been dabbling in keto for the past few months, and as a result, we are eating a lot of beef. Trying to be health conscious I wanted to find some grass fed grass finished without hormones or anabiotic‘s. Through a referral I was told about a local guy only 25 minutes from me that has been doing this for a couple of years.

This local farmer also uses the same processor for his steers and pork that I do for my wild game. Everything is usually trimmed nicely and vacuum sealed in a heavy duty wrap.

I just picked up the beef within the last week, and I am severely disappointed. The ribeyes and strip steaks were so tough we literally almost could not chew it, and the ground beef, which was supposed to be 80/20 was so full of hard gristle that it was not good when made into hamburgers. I’m curious if this is typical of grass fed grass finished? I was expecting for there to be reduced flavor due to the leaner meat, but I did not think there would be such a drastic difference in tenderness. I plan on talking to the farmer about this, but wanted to benefit from others experience before doing so.

 

[Boondocks]

That is grass fed for you. The farmer did nothing wrong. Thats why grain fed allways does it for me.

 

[fishfryer]

A buddy of mine and I recently split a half a side of beef. We both received around 80 pounds apiece. Myself and the family have been dabbling in keto for the past few months, and as a result, we are eating a lot of beef. Trying to be health conscious I wanted to find some grass fed grass finished without hormones or anabiotic‘s. Through a referral I was told about a local guy only 25 minutes from me that has been doing this for a couple of years.

This local farmer also uses the same processor for his steers and pork that I do for my wild game. Everything is usually trimmed nicely and vacuum sealed in a heavy duty wrap.

I just picked up the beef within the last week, and I am severely disappointed. The ribeyes and strip steaks were so tough we literally almost could not chew it, and the ground beef, which was supposed to be 80/20 was so full of hard gristle that it was not good when made into hamburgers. I’m curious if this is typical of grass fed grass finished? I was expecting for there to be reduced flavor due to the leaner meat, but I did not think there would be such a drastic difference in tenderness. I plan on talking to the farmer about this, but wanted to benefit from others experience before doing so.

You got what you asked for seems like. Those longhorn dyers that walked from Texas to Kansas railhead were real similar, yours might be a bit more tender.

 

[crackerdave]

Live and learn,I guess.

Makes me to cravin' a good ol' prime grain-fed ribeye.....

 

[Big7]

A buddy of mine and I recently split a half a side of beef. We both received around 80 pounds apiece. Myself and the family have been dabbling in keto for the past few months, and as a result, we are eating a lot of beef. Trying to be health conscious I wanted to find some grass fed grass finished without hormones or anabiotic‘s. Through a referral I was told about a local guy only 25 minutes from me that has been doing this for a couple of years.

This local farmer also uses the same processor for his steers and pork that I do for my wild game. Everything is usually trimmed nicely and vacuum sealed in a heavy duty wrap.

I just picked up the beef within the last week, and I am severely disappointed. The ribeyes and strip steaks were so tough we literally almost could not chew it, and the ground beef, which was supposed to be 80/20 was so full of hard gristle that it was not good when made into hamburgers. I’m curious if this is typical of grass fed grass finished? I was expecting for there to be reduced flavor due to the leaner meat, but I did not think there would be such a drastic difference in tenderness. I plan on talking to the farmer about this, but wanted to benefit from others experience before doing so.

That's the grass fed beef hoax for you. Grass ain't got a whole lot of protein and is not conducive fat marbling.

When we were killing beef at our farm back in the 80's and 90's we ALWAYS put them on corn and soybeans for 2 months with a little bit of horse alfalfa.

We used corn and soybeans because that was what we farmed so we always a bunch on hand for finishing the beef.

NO WAY I WOULD BUY GRASS FED THAT HADN'T BEEN FINISHED!

 

[tree cutter 08]

Makes them old black fuzzys taste even better!

 

[jbogg]

That's the grass fed beef hoax for you. Grass ain't got a whole lot of protein and is not conducive fat marbling.

When we were killing beef at our farm back in the 80's and 90's we ALWAYS put them on corn and soybeans for 2 months with a little bit of horse alfalfa.

We used corn and soybeans because that was what we farmed so we always a bunch on hand for finishing the beef.

NO WAY I WOULD BUY GRASS FED THAT HADN'T BEEN FINISHED!

I’m not sure that I would call it a hoax. there’s plenty of evidence showing grass fed/grass finished to have actually higher amounts of protein, than corn finished. I don’t think anybody’s arguing about the fact that corn fed has a greater marbling and flavor. I was prepared for that, just wasn’t prepared for such a drastic difference in meat texture. I’ve been eating big woods deer for most of my life that ate a diet of mainly browse year-round, until acorns in the fall. Most of the deer I have eaten were more tender than this steer. I’m guessing most of the corn you fed to your cattle back in the 80s and 90s was not GMO’d.

 

[jbogg]

Makes them old black fuzzys taste even better!

I got four deer last year for the freezer, and just finished the last pack of venison a week ago. Hunting season needs to get here fast. I’m hoping there’s a bear in my future this year. Hit a dry spell last year.

 

[pjciii]

I personally can not stand grass fed beef. Grain fed can be found that don't use hormones or antibiotics. You ask the right questions looking for the grass feed. Try the same questions for grain feed. It is going to be difficult to eat all that beef that the family doesn't like. Heck, sell it to someone else. Just say your moving stuff out of the freezer to get ready for hunting season. Your butcher at your regular grocery store can enlighten you about taste, what you want and where you can get it.

 

[Milkman]

Another thing is if your family is accustomed to never frozen beef the frozen will taste different.

 

[turkeykirk]

Wonder if you got the right meat back.

 

[SarahFair]

My FIL bought half a grass feed cow from UGA (I believe?)

They cooked us all steaks and it was not good.
Not much flavor and chewed it through eternity. Everytime I go out there my MIL tries getting rid of it by sending it my way, but I politely decline.
She hates it and continues buying her steaks from John's

 

[Shotgun1]

Two things beef needs to be at its best, fat marbling and long ageing. To me grass fed just ain't gonna cut it. Just my not so humble opinion.

 

[greg_n_clayton]

That is grass fed for you. The farmer did nothing wrong. Thats why grain fed allways does it for me.

What Boondocks says ! I was raised raising beef cattle. We always put our beef up and fed them grain for months before slaughtering !

 

[Boondocks]

Be careful you can choke to death on it.Grain fed will cost more but get choice and you will enjoy it.

 

[pjciii]

I was thinking about this awhile. I know for the money spent but you could salvage it if you cut it all up for stew beef. Crock pot should break it down and you can do just about anything for the sauce. Just a thought.

 

[jbogg]

I was thinking about this awhile. I know for the money spent but you could salvage it if you cut it all up for stew beef. Crock pot should break it down and you can do just about anything for the sauce. Just a thought.

^^^^^
This. None of it will be wasted. I’m going to try wet aging it for 22 days, and see if that helps. If no improvement then it’s all going in a crock pot.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Grass is high in protien and makes muscle, corn is high in carbs and makes fat. I saw a recomendation from a grass finished beef farmer on how to cook it. He says to reverse sear it. So you bring it up to temp slowly next to the flame. When its at rare/medium rare/etc... then you take and sear it last.

 

[DrK]

Aging. Even Kobe and Wagyu beef are aged

 

[notnksnemor]

I've bought from the same locker, butchering beef from the same farmer for the last 15 years.
Get to know your producers and let them know what you want. If you told them you wanted grass fed, and you got grass fed, you know what it tastes like now and can change your request on future orders.