"Grass-fed" beef gets an upgrade
The USDA has tightened the rules for what kind of meat can be called "grass fed." Until now, looser regulations allowed animals that had actually been fattened on grain to be marketed as "grass fed" if they had been pastured at some point in their lives. The new regulations require that grass-fed animals be just that: entirely grass-fed throughout their lifetimes. (That's what most consumers have always assumed it meant.)
How will this affect the end product? True grass-fed meat will likely be leaner and without the marbling that we've come to associate with high quality beef. (Marbling is a result of feeding the animals corn and grain, which they convert to fat.) But it also means that the meat will be higher in omega-3 fats and lower in omega-6 fats.
Read more on The Ethicurian.
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Posted by: Zoe Harrison | Oct 28, 2009 8:53:51 PM
I work with La Cense Beef, they are a grass fed beef
company. Anyone interested in all natural beef should take a look.
Posted by: David Andrews | Jul 21, 2009 3:07:06 PM
Grass fed beef can have the same marbling and texture of "regular" beef. Range beef is tougher beef, and has a strong, almost gamy taste, so proper grass fed beef is grass fed and then grass finished. It is the finishing process that makes beef tender, not so much corn or soy or any other grain. Finishing is where the beef is put in holding pens and fed (usually grain). It was once thought that the grain made the beef tender, but now we know it was keeping them in pens so that they get no exercise that did that, much as a human "couch potato" gets fat (and tender) with no exercise. It is very difficult to see or taste any real difference between proper grass fed beef and grain fed beef. One test to make sure you have grass fed beef is to check the fat left in the pan after cooking. True grass fed beef fat will still be liquid as it cools to room temperature; grain fed or finished beef will be white and almost solid (think lard). Atkins did approve of real grass fed and finished beef.
Posted by: Laurel | Oct 22, 2007 12:50:51 PM
You're darn tootin' Atkins was right.
We've been eating grass-feed beef from a local farmer for about 6 months. I must say it does have a stronger flavor than supermarket beef. It definitely takes some getting used to. The texture is very different too, maybe because no water has been added. It's extremely dense, maroon in color, and nearly zero fat. Atkins wouldn't approve of the lack of fat.
All in all I don't think we'll be buying it again, once this half-a-steer is gone due to the strong flavor. I say just take your fish oil and call it done.
