Grass fed beef taste

[Drew Cutter]

One of the most common complaint about grass fed beef is the taste . What can be done about this . Type of grass the cattle eat ? Where the cattle is raised ? whether its angus or some other beef cattle ? I would like to buy a side of beef for the freezer (I'm currently in the learning process ) .

[TSYORK]

Grass fed beef is not a "bad taste," it's just a different taste than what most people are accustomed to. If one is not opposed to it, you can grain feed for the last 60 days of the animals life, which will deintensify the "grass-fed" flavor.

[wstevenl]

No offense to the last commenter but grain feeding for the last 60 days would then make the beef grain finished beef and it would no longer have the health benefits of grass fed/finished beef.

I have eaten grass fed ground beef from a farmer that was pretty new to cattle but was trying to do it right, rotating paddocks, etc. and it was really good... not even a strong beef flavor.
I have also had a couple steaks from a pretty big farm that sells pricey grass fed beef online and at a local shop and it was AmAzing! Tender but not mushy and very good tasting. We wouldn't have dreamed of using steak sauce on it.
I'm going to be butchering my first steers in a couple of months so most of my knowledge is from reading but I believe that the #1 requirement is that the steer be eating his fill of good pasture and gaining weight when harvested. If you weight until the pasture is getting sparse to butcher I think you'll have problems. The other easy thing to do is butcher in the spring when there is alot of wild onions/garlic .... that can ruin the meat.

[Drew Cutter]

This is what information i was looking for . I bet most people don't know this . Now how do you get a farmer to do this for you if your interested in purchase beef from him ?

[Drew Cutter]

If getting farming to feed his cattle grain on the last 60 days is out , then how do find out whether the farmer is managing the grass to produce beef that is closer to the beef we buy in a store .

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Go there and look at his operation. Any real grass farmer would be happy to show a prospective customer his farm as the whole grass fed principle is different from what consumers are used to seeing. Every grass farmer including myself is proud of our results in growing and managing both good pastures and our animals. If he won't show you his place more than likely his cows aren't on high quality pasture but on normal permanent pasture without supplemental feed and the farmer is trying to get extra $$ by advertizing as grass fed. A poor pasture will give you poor tasting and quality meat.

We butcher 4-5 2yo steers a year (doing the butchering ourselves) for our meat and our extended family, and we've found there is no difference in breeds or aging in the quality of meat, but fall butchering is best when they've been fattened by the fall grass. Winter or spring butchering is OK as long as the cow is still gaining and receiving adequate feed either through pasture or hay.

[John Schneider]

We raise organic grass fed beef and all of the above comments are completely accurate. You cannot cook your steaks well done as the taste will intensify beyond what I would consider "good". What grass/browse the cattle eat makes a difference also. We have found through trial and error that alfalfa/grass mix is best and we winter feed a rich alfalfa hay. The taste is amazing and our customers love it. We tell our customers that they need to learn to eat their steaks medium or simply don't buy from us.

[Drew Cutter]

I'm loving the answers . Is grass , grass . In other words if a cattle ranch , farmer grow a certain type of grass in his pasture will he get a better quality beef over someone who doesn't pay attention to what type of grass he grows ? What about weed control ?

[offthegrid]

I recommend buying a trial amount with any beef farmer before buying a side of beef. Not all climates and pasture conditions are the same, so you'll have to see if you like the taste. The first time I tried grass-fed ground beef I thought it tasted different - more grassy - but subsequent purchases of other cuts from the same supplier tasted great. Maybe I got used to the taste, or maybe the cut made the difference? Probably both -- I think you need to try more than one thing before making up your mind.

And I'd say that most farmers who sell "grass-fed beef" are probably not going to be interested in feeding grain for 60 days; they specifically market the grass-fed beef to customers who don't want 60 days of grain in their meat.

[Phillip]

Originally Posted by Drew Cutter

One of the most common complaint about grass fed beef is the taste.

It's not as much the taste, but the texture. If cooked wrong, grass fed beef will be dry, hard to chew and not taste all that great because of it.

Originally Posted by Drew Cutter

Type of grass the cattle eat ? Where the cattle is raised ? whether its angus or some other beef cattle ?

All of the factors you have stated can each slightly affect taste.

[Karin L]

Drew, I don't think it's the grass alone that does the trick. It's also the cattle that are selected to be finished; what I mean is the type of breed or crossbreed. Some will have marbling better than others; and others will be more leaner than others.

Location and the type of soil at that farm or ranch depends on what grass grows best there. For instance, where Agmantoo is, fescue grows better than brome, where up here brome grows better than fescue. He has different soil than I do. However, fescue will grow well up here too, but not the same variety or cultivar as what he has. Same goes with legumes. Grass is not just grass; there are different species of grass: coarse varieties versus soft varieties; C4 grasses vs. C3 grasses; annuals vs. perennials; small grained grasses vs. large grained grasses; grasses that grow better on sandy soils vs. clay soils and vice versa; grasses that grow better on loamy soils better than sandy soils and vice versa; grasses that grow better on clay soils better than loamy soils and vice versa; grasses that can be stockpiled and winter grazed vs. ones just suitable for spring/summer grazing; grasses that are better suited for hay production vs. pasture production and vice versa. The list is endless.

But like I said, it's all to do with the interaction between the soil, vegetation and the type of animals involved, as well as management.

As for weed control, that also depends on management. Primarily using livestock as a means to control weeds instead of the way of chemicals.

So there are a lot of things involved.

[Drew Cutter]

I like the way Joel Salatin does it . Cattle / cows in the pasture first , rotate them out with either boiler chickens or egg laying chickens , then have hogs in the pasture after the chickens.

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Hogs will destroy the pasture if given an opportunity. Crows will break up the majority of the patties (atleast they do here).

[John Schneider]

Grass is not grass. We have noticed large differences in the taste when the cows were finished on different types of pastures. The best we have found is when they are finished on a rich type of legumous hay while still eating their normal pasture grasses like fescue, kentucky blue, etc.

[Drew Cutter]

Not a big fan of using hogs . I don't understand the difference between using a broiler chicken and egg laying chicken on a pasture.

John S. , if grass make such a difference in taste , how does the consumer say i want my beef raise on xyz grass when he goes to order it from the butcher ?

[offthegrid]

Originally Posted by Drew Cutter

If grass make such a difference in taste , how does the consumer say i want my beef raise on xyz grass when he goes to order it from the butcher ?

You don't. You find a farmer that raises their beef on the grass you like. Which may take some time to find the right farm. And of course, their choice of butcher/processor will make a difference in the quality of the cuts as well.

Have you actually tasted the grass-fed beef, and if so, did you dislike it? I would shop around before assuming that you don't like grass-fed beef.

[copperhead46]

I think that most people who have never eaten "grass fed" beef think the taste is strong because they have never eaten real beef. I have given people ground beef and they say it taste like steak!! they just love it!! I always give a prospective customer a couple of packages of beef to try, before they commit to buying a side of beef. So far, they all like it and want more. I am a little worried about one that due for butcher in a few weeks, my grass is just about gone, so I've been feeding a good bermuda hay to supplement, but I'm thinking I'll go get some alfalfa pellets to add to his hay. I have both sides sold, and I sure want them to be happy with it.
Drew, you might check with some local organic or natural food stores in your area, they might be able to turn you on to a local grass fed producer.
P.J.

[DJ in WA]

We just had our first steer in 5 years butchered (been getting heifers to sell). Fed him grass plus a pint or two of grain and a few apples daily.

My wife generally does not like beef, but she sampled a bite of steak I was eating, then she came back for more! Dang! Guess there'll be less for me now. Very nice. I was expecting more wild or gamey flavor but not so.

[genebo]

I had a steer processed in late June and sold a 1/2 to a neighbor. They'd never eaten grass fed beef before. The lady enthused about how good the beef tasted.

Another neighbor told me that the first neighbor fixed him a rib-eye steak sandwich that was out of this world. I told him it was one of my Dexters, which shocked him. He raises Angus.

Was it the grass fed, the dry aging, or just that it was a Dexter? I think all of these plus he was truly at his peak on good grass with a lot of clover in it, and he was gently raised and tenderly handled at the processors.

That last one is supposed to be very important. Stressed out cattle are reported to make poor beef.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[haypoint]

If you are eating meat out of the grocery store and switch to grass fed beef, you'll notice a change in taste and texture. Grain fed animals tend to have less fat and it is the marbling that gives that moist tender meat. But the local meat will generally be an improvement.

If you are eating grain fed meat locally raised and switch to grass fed, you might not be as impressed.


Most people would rather have the flavor of locally raised, grain fed beef. Second choice is locally raies grass fed beef. The stuff in the store ranks last.


I don't buy the idea that just because something is locally raised it it automaticly better. But when it comes to beef there is a lot of beef that comes from culled dairy cows. You might imagine that NY strip you bought is from some 2 year old angus from some grassy knoll. But you never really know, do you. Local stuff you do know.

If you want to eat grass fed, fine. Harder to market it if you are selling sides. That fact is the reason feed lots exist.