Grass-Fed vs Grain-Fed Beef – What’s The Difference?

[Acala]

How about cattle that eat a balanced mix of grains and grasses? It's not completely true that cattle don't naturally eat grains. Cattle will often eat the seed heads off of many different plants.

Unlikely that a wild ruminant animal would get much seed at all. Natural grass seed is tiny, sparse, and seasonal. It would not be a significant portion of the diet.

 

[specsaregood]

If you are ordering online, price out Beetnik, though I can't really afford to get it online unless there is a crazy sale or Groupon or something.

Sometimes grassfed means nothing because they also feed them grains, you want 100% grass fed or grass finished.

I linked here before; but might as well again: http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/buy_meat_online.htm
I've ordered from him a few times, he's a total nut (in a good way) about grassfed only. I had a hunch he was an rp supporter, and found I was correct via FEC lookup.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of grassfed steaks, I've tried em from a variety of sources and they are just a bit too gamey. If I want a steak, I'll buy some corn-finished stuff and treat it like a dessert. But I don't eat steaks all that often, but we use a fair amount of groundbeef and you can't beat slankers (link above) 78%! grassfed ground beef. And if you are adventurous try the "Primal Ground Beef" (Beef trim, beef liver, beef heart, beef spleen, beef kidneys). It makes a damn good chili.

 

[dannno]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of grassfed steaks, I've tried em from a variety of sources and they are just a bit too gamey. If I want a steak, I'll buy some corn-finished stuff and treat it like a dessert.

The best thing I've ever eaten was a grass-fed filet mignon wrapped in bacon, I don't know what this is about grass-fed steak not tasting good, you must be cooking it wrong. I get 100% grass fed/finished steaks from New Zealand and locally, they have WAY more flavor than the corn fed stuff, which again, does not have much if any beef flavor at all.

Are you properly seasoning the steaks with some salt and pepper beforehand, and some olive oil? Are you really giving the outside a good sear and only cooking it to medium rare on a smokin hot cooking surface? As was mentioned earlier, grass-fed takes less time to cook. The only thing I can think of is that cooking grass-fed might require a little more attention and finesse in cooking it properly, but when done properly the flavors don't compare.

I also recently had some grass fed lamb chops that had way more flavor than the grain/grass combo fed lamb chops I got from the store a week ago.

Pastured chicken doesn't take as long to cook, and has far better flavor, even most good chefs will tell you this.

I had a wild boar shank that was the best pork I've ever had.

The best ground beef I've ever had is 100% grassfed wagyu beef from New Zealand, it has a higher fat content than grain fed cows here in the US (that you can see) but still has great beef flavor.

Really not buying any of this crap about anything fed grains making it taste better. The only reason I every consider buying it is because it is near half the cost... but I know it's not going to taste as good and be bad for my health.

 

[specsaregood]

The best thing I've ever eaten was a grass-fed filet mignon wrapped in bacon, I don't know what this is about grass-fed steak not tasting good, you must be cooking it wrong. I get 100% grass fed/finished steaks from New Zealand and locally, they have WAY more flavor than the corn fed stuff, which again, does not have much if any beef flavor at all.

Are you properly seasoning the steaks with some salt and pepper beforehand, and some olive oil? Are you really giving the outside a good sear and only cooking it to medium rare on a smokin hot cooking surface? As was mentioned earlier, grass-fed takes less time to cook. The only thing I can think of is that cooking grass-fed might require a little more attention and finesse in cooking it properly, but when done properly the flavors don't compare.

It's not a matter of not knowing how to cook it, its a matter of taste. They taste differently; people have different taste preferences. I think that grassfed beef tastes a bit (definitely smells a bit) like fish. Which makes perfect sense since they have similar fat profiles. The omega3's are what gives fish that fishy smell. I've noticed that from all the sources of grassfed beef I've tried, same with lamb. I can't stomach lamb leg or shank as it is just too fishy. However, ground lamb an ground beef don't bother me for some reason. It is what it is, I've never been a fish fan and the few fish I like are low in o3's.

edit: also grassfed flatiron or flank steaks I like. It's just the bigger thick cuts that just aren't appealing.

 

[Acala]

It's not a matter of not knowing how to cook it, its a matter of taste. They taste differently; people have different taste preferences. I think that grassfed beef tastes a bit (definitely smells a bit) like fish. Which makes perfect sense since they have similar fat profiles. The omega3's are what gives fish that fishy smell. I've noticed that from all the sources of grassfed beef I've tried, same with lamb. I can't stomach lamb leg or shank as it is just too fishy. However, ground lamb an ground beef don't bother me for some reason. It is what it is, I've never been a fish fan and the few fish I like are low in o3's.

edit: also grassfed flatiron or flank steaks I like. It's just the bigger thick cuts that just aren't appealing.

In a sense I was lucky in that I had not eaten any beef for thirty years when I decided to go primal and start eating grass fed beef only. So I didn't have anything to compare it to. Now I love it! I eat it raw (dried).

 

[dannno]

It's not a matter of not knowing how to cook it, its a matter of taste. They taste differently; people have different taste preferences. I think that grassfed beef tastes a bit (definitely smells a bit) like fish. Which makes perfect sense since they have similar fat profiles. The omega3's are what gives fish that fishy smell. I've noticed that from all the sources of grassfed beef I've tried, same with lamb. I can't stomach lamb leg or shank as it is just too fishy. However, ground lamb an ground beef don't bother me for some reason. It is what it is, I've never been a fish fan and the few fish I like are low in o3's.

edit: also grassfed flatiron or flank steaks I like. It's just the bigger thick cuts that just aren't appealing.

That seems odd, I've never noticed a fishy smell with my meats, and slow cooked grass fed lamb is phenomenal with a little bit of mint apple jelly (i'll be making my own jelly soon with honey). It's probably one of my favorites.

I don't know if it is really a matter of 'tastes', grass fed beef has more beef 'flavor' and 'taste' and grain fed has less. It's either there or it isn't.

 

[dannno]

In a sense I was lucky in that I had not eaten any beef for thirty years when I decided to go primal and start eating grass fed beef only. So I didn't have anything to comapre it to. Now I love it! I eat it raw (dried).

Does the raw/dried have a fat content? What is that exactly? I notice beef jerky has very little if any fat content (right?), so unless you reserve the fat yourself and use it some how I'm thinking it's mostly worthless, no?

 

[specsaregood]

That seems odd, I've never noticed a fishy smell with my meats, and slow cooked grass fed lamb is phenomenal with a little bit of mint apple jelly (i'll be making my own jelly soon with honey). It's probably one of my favorites.

I don't know if it is really a matter of 'tastes', grass fed beef has more beef 'flavor' and 'taste' and grain fed has less. It's either there or it isn't.

Maybe you just have a diminished sense of taste and smell.

 

[Acala]

Does the raw/dried have a fat content? What is that exactly? I notice beef jerky has very little if any fat content (right?), so unless you reserve the fat yourself and use it some how I'm thinking it's mostly worthless, no?

It depends on which cut you use. I use round roast, which is pretty lean, and I trim off any fat, because I use some of the dried beef for making pemmican. I don't want any unrendered fat in the pemmican. Because it is lean, the dried beef would not be a meal unto itself - like pemmican - but I mainly eat it in the locker room right after a workout when I am looking for a protein hit. So it is good for that.

 

[dannno]

Maybe you just have a diminished sense of taste and smell.

No, it's very common knowledge that grass fed beef has more beef flavor, I've never heard of beef smelling like fish in my life.

 

[BamaAla]

I linked here before; but might as well again: http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/buy_meat_online.htm
I've ordered from him a few times, he's a total nut (in a good way) about grassfed only. I had a hunch he was an rp supporter, and found I was correct via FEC lookup.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of grassfed steaks, I've tried em from a variety of sources and they are just a bit too gamey. If I want a steak, I'll buy some corn-finished stuff and treat it like a dessert. But I don't eat steaks all that often, but we use a fair amount of groundbeef and you can't beat slankers (link above) 78%! grassfed ground beef. And if you are adventurous try the "Primal Ground Beef" (Beef trim, beef liver, beef heart, beef spleen, beef kidneys). It makes a damn good chili.

Same here. I like grass-fed ground beef just fine, but the steaks just don't do it for me. I hate to admit this too, but wild caught salmon just doesn't taste as good as farm raised to me either. That's not a problem because I eat a fraction of salmon to beef.

I'm not claiming that I'm the greatest cook in the South, but I think I've got a pretty good handle on grilling a steak. I've tried many different things, but the steaks just aren't as good to me. I wish they were, and I'll keep trying, but in two years I just haven't cracked it.

 

[tod evans]

Been growing and eating bovine flesh for decades and my preference is yellow marbling from corn...

Any number of farmers in these parts'll let you walk out back and point to the "grass fed" steer you want, load it in the trailer and deliver it to your butcher of choice...

If ya'll want to try what the locals prefer look for Beefmaster cattle that are fed out at home....

 

[AFPVet]

Some farms do both grass and grain. If you have the right balance, you can still get a quality cut. The trick is to feed them mostly grass and just enough grain to get that extra 'marbling'.

 

[specsaregood]

No, it's very common knowledge that grass fed beef has more beef flavor, I've never heard of beef smelling like fish in my life.

And now you have

http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/...-raw-milk-ever-taste-off-reader-question.html

Girl Gone Domestic July 17, 2009 at 12:46 am I will never forget the time I was cooking some grass fed ground beef and my Dad walked into our house and said “Having fish for dinner?”

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/798608

Our grass fed beef tastes like fish, why?

We splurged this last year and bought 1/4 of a grass fed cow. I am fine with the slightly tougher texture, etc, but neither hubby nor I like the taste of this meat. I have had grass fed before from Whole foods and liked it, but this stuff tasts like FISH (it is very reminicent of the aftertaste of fish oil capsules taken for health).

http://paleohacks.com/questions/127207/trader-joes-frozen-grass-fed-beef-how-old-is-it-likely-to-be

Interesting. My TJs sells their grass-fed beef in the meat case (not frozen). I have noticed a few times that it has that fishy smell

http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2013/02/does-grass-fed-beef-taste-gamey-ask-the-readers.html

Is the taste somewhat fishy? Grass fed beef is higher in the Omega oils that other beef. We have found the extent of the “flavor” to us it is fishy depends on how long the beef was “hung” after slaughter

 

[dannno]

Hah, you fuckers, I told you so..

Get some GOOD beef that actually has some good grass to eat and get back to me..

Does Grass-fed Beef Taste Gamey?

We grow weary of people claiming that grass-fed beef is always chewy and tastes gamey or livery. Some probably does, but ours certainly doesn't. A chewy texture can come from grass-fed beef that is raised in places where there isn't much grass for much of the year (most of the US, for example) or from cattle that is provided inconsistent feed. Usually these problems go together since ranchers who don't have access to green pastures year-round will truck in commercially-grown grass to feed their animals.

As for tasting livery or gamey, that happens for the same reason: cattle that don't have consistent access to high-protein, sweet grass. If cattle are thrown sour grass, they will have sour-tasting meat. If they are stressed and afraid prior to processing, that can also impact the flavor of their meat in a negative way.

http://www.estanciabeef.com/news/does-grass-fed-beef-taste-gamey

But for many of us who were raised on grain-fed beef, the flavor and texture of grass-fed beef can seem a little, well, off. At its best, lean, grass-fed beef will have a deeper, more beefy, and earthier flavor than grain-finished, but it may not be as tender as corn-finished beef. Other times the taste and texture can both be less than appealing. But that may have something to do with the quality of the grass-fed beef we’re eating. And the quality of grass that the cows are eating.

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2011/04/27/grass-fed-beef-grass-matters

 

[dannno]

And now you have

http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/...-raw-milk-ever-taste-off-reader-question.html


http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/798608


http://paleohacks.com/questions/127207/trader-joes-frozen-grass-fed-beef-how-old-is-it-likely-to-be


http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2013/02/does-grass-fed-beef-taste-gamey-ask-the-readers.html

We have found the extent of the “flavor” to us it is fishy depends on how long the beef was “hung” after slaughter

There ya go.

Get some good fresh high quality grass fed beef.

 

[specsaregood]

There ya go.
Get some good fresh high quality grass fed beef.

Maybe yours isn't grass finished.

 

[specsaregood]

Hah, you fuckers, I told you so..

Get some GOOD beef that actually has some good grass to eat and get back to me..

No link?

 

[dannno]

Maybe yours isn't grass finished.

The fuck it isn't, it is a special lowline bread of cattle that is fed a specialized diet of specific grasses. And the rest usually comes from New Zealand, which has no shortage of grass.

 

[dannno]

No link?

Added links..

The point is if the cow isn't getting enough good grasses then the meat is going to suffer. If you hang the cow for too long after slaughter it's going to smell fishy and it probably doesn't matter what its diet was, just that grain fed beef have the economies of scale working for them and so they aren't going to let their beef sit around as much since they need to move it faster.

Maybe if we didn't use so much water for watering grains we would have enough water for to keep some grass going and move cow pastures to more hilly and grassy locations instead of moving them closer to where their grain feedlot is.