Cow being too lean?

NEfarmgirl · #1 07/01/10, 04:17 PM

We took our first steer in to be butchered last night; it was a holstein we had gotten from the dairy. It was 22 months old and weighed right at 1100 lbs. It was on pasture spring through fall and was fed hay during the winter. We gave it grain the last couple of months before taking it in. Last night the person doing the butchering called and said our cow was too lean and we need to give them more grain. We wanted grass fed beef but a lot of people said to give it corn to help with marbling. DH and my brother were there when they started processing it and both said it had a nice layer of fat??? All of the cows this person processes are strictly corn fed and we have bought meat from him and I have to trim a lot of fat off of the roasts. Did we screw up and will have dry meat or should cows fed mainly grass/hay be more fatty? We were told the meat will be fine but it will not have as much fat on it.

sammyd · #2 07/01/10, 05:52 PM

The leanness is up to you not your butcher.

springvalley · #3 07/01/10, 07:42 PM

that is a new one on me, I have never heard the butcher call and say your steer is to lean. As Sam said that is not his business, if you like lean beef that is great.>Thanks Marc

Callieslamb · #4 07/01/10, 08:06 PM

I think if you like the beef, you don't need to worry about what others think. If it wasn't so hard to find a butcher these days, I would suggest hinting that if your beef is too lean for him, you can find someone else.

FEF · #5 07/02/10, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEfarmgirl

We took our first steer in to be butchered last night; it was a holstein we had gotten from the dairy. It was 22 months old and weighed right at 1100 lbs. It was on pasture spring through fall and was fed hay during the winter. We gave it grain the last couple of months before taking it in. Last night the person doing the butchering called and said our cow was too lean and we need to give them more grain. We wanted grass fed beef but a lot of people said to give it corn to help with marbling. DH and my brother were there when they started processing it and both said it had a nice layer of fat??? All of the cows this person processes are strictly corn fed and we have bought meat from him and I have to trim a lot of fat off of the roasts. Did we screw up and will have dry meat or should cows fed mainly grass/hay be more fatty? We were told the meat will be fine but it will not have as much fat on it.

I would expect he's telling you that the meat has little/no intermuscular fat (marbling). Most people prefer marbling in their meat and the butcher was afraid you would be disappointed. There's research showing that fat carries the taste of the meat, whether chicken, pork or beef. Since you prefer lean (unmarbled) beef, this is not a problem for you, but the butcher might not have known that?

The outer layer of fat is laid down last in the finishing phase. It will probably be cut off and is different from the IMF (marbling). If he has adequate nutrition, IMF is laid down all through the animal's life. There are several advantages to marbled beef. Marbling carries the flavor, it makes the beef jucier, marbled beef is more likely to be tender.

But it's all choices. I prefer grainfed, marbled beef. You're lucky because you can choose and raise meat to suit your individual taste. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.....