Do you use grass-fed beef?

[mandieg4]

The last three steers we have processed have been 100% grass fed, and we won't do it again. The first one tasted fine. The second one was so awful we couldn't eat the meat plain, it had to be heavily seasoned. The third was better than the second but not as good as the first. All three were taken to the same butcher, about the same age, and from the same herd. They were tender though, I will give them that. From now on we will grain feed for about a month before we take them to the butcher like we used to do.

 

[hqueen13]

The last three steers we have processed have been 100% grass fed, and we won't do it again. The first one tasted fine. The second one was so awful we couldn't eat the meat plain, it had to be heavily seasoned. The third was better than the second but not as good as the first. All three were taken to the same butcher, about the same age, and from the same herd. They were tender though, I will give them that. From now on we will grain feed for about a month before we take them to the butcher like we used to do.

Did you ask the butcher what could have caused the variance? That seems odd that all the conditions were the same but the meat was different...

 

[Denim Deb]

Maybe something they ate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e0Gsn4khss

 

[citylife]

The last three steers we have processed have been 100% grass fed, and we won't do it again. The first one tasted fine. The second one was so awful we couldn't eat the meat plain, it had to be heavily seasoned. The third was better than the second but not as good as the first. All three were taken to the same butcher, about the same age, and from the same herd. They were tender though, I will give them that. From now on we will grain feed for about a month before we take them to the butcher like we used to do.

That IMHO was contamination at the butcher shop. Or in the gutting process they had urine or other seapage. It does not sound to me like it has anything to do with what the animals ate.

I think I would take the rancher one of his steaks back and say hey........ lets light the grill. I want you to taste this. And tell me what you think?

 

[me&thegals]

I think the breed matters. We used to have pastured Belted Galloway beef. It was marbled, very fatty, very good beef. That's just the way that breed puts on muscle/fat, and it actually prefers low-quality feed. Ours were not confined whatsoever and walked around all day.

If you have a very lean pastured meat, I would treat it like venison for cooking...

 

[Beekissed]

The grass fed beef I had was Highland. I'd always heard they were really tasty but I was incredibly NOT impressed.

 

[me&thegals]

I've heard that about Scottish Highlander. I would definitely put a vote in for Belted Galloway, though.

 

[newmochick]

I am still eating on my first grass-fed beef (Angus) and picked up my second this week. I have not had a toughness problem. Could the tenderness issue be how long it hung before being processed? Mine hung for 3 weeks. I thought I had read somewhere that you need to hang that long for the natural "enzymes"/chemical degradation to tenderize the meat but not sure. If a butcher processes both grain and grass fed beef, may be hanging the grass fed for only 2 weeks?