# Longhorn beef?



## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

I could use some help here, and I'm hoping this is the place to get it.

I've been buying beef for the last several years from a butchershop that specializes in grade prime beef, probably Angus and Hereford. Most of their business goes to the restaurant trade, but they also have a storefront. It's delicious, but on the spendy side. And the health issues of so much corn fed beef are a concern to me. But let me tell you, the flavor and tenderness are exquisite.

Now recently I've had an offer of some real honest to goodness pasture raised longhorn beef from someone I know for certain I can trust. I have a choice as to whether or not I want it to have a finish on corn or just straight pasture, depending on the time of year it's slaughtered. He says the turnaround time is slow; if I commit for a whole or half now, the earliest I'll get it is probably October.

For me this means buying another freezer, but he's offering it at a price that's more than fair. 

So I'm wondering about the flavor and tenderness. I did ask him if he was to choose a way of preparing it to best represent longhorn beef, how would he cook it? He thought for a bit and then said "On the grill." He didn't say in stew or slow cooked; from the grill has to be somewhat tender and flavorful.

Yet tastes vary. I know a lot of folks love supermarket beef but I can't stand it. The weird sodium solutions that are often added are horrible to me. I'm not sure if he's just accustomed to dry and leathery (he did say it's leaner; not near as much marbling) or if it's similar in flavor. 

He did offer to bring me a couple of steaks next time he comes my way in about six weeks, so I can try some, and I'm looking forward to it. 

I guess I'm just nervous about committing to 300-600# of bleh beef. That'd end up being a mighty big pile of hamburger.

So what are your impressions of longhorn beef? And what do you think of skipping the finish on corn? Will that cause it to be too lean for this formerly prime grade girl? Or should I do like my grandmother did and put a pat of butter on the steak when it hits the plate?


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Boy, I have had it and it was mucho tender and juicy. I am a professional cook. I can tell you the temp, time and means of cooking wlll affect the outcome. I have only personally consumed "steak", and I did put butter on it....but, that is how I make all my steaks.
I like a corn finish, myself.
Is he anywhere near my area? I might be interested.


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## Gabriel (Dec 2, 2008)

Try the sample steaks he's offered and go from there, being aware that how you cook it plays a large part.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Thanks so much for your responses. 

Texasdirtdigger, unfortunately not close to you, or I'm certain he'd do right by you. It's good clean beef; nothing to accelerate growth. I've read that grassfed steaks actually needs lower cooking temperatures than the sear method I'm accustomed to. Has that been your experience? I'm one that likes it plenty rare. 

What differences do you find in a corn finish versus a straight from the pasture steer?

Gabriel, I'm really looking forward to the steaks. What cooking differences do you find apparent?


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

you will find way more marbling in a corn fed animal. the meat may be more tender, but its because of the fat.
Try some first. you'll either like it or hate it. but the chef is correct. it must be cooked differently.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Quote Yet tastes vary. I know a lot of folks love supermarket beef but I can't stand it


I really would wait on the free steaks.....if you can not cook the supermarket steaks were you like them I do not see how you are going to cook the lean steaks were you like them


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

We are blessed enough to be close to the world famous Meers in OK. they use exclusively longhorn beef for their burgers. It is actually quite good...strictly grassfed beef will sometimes taste abit different then corn fed or even grain finished beef..but I agree..sample it and go from there.


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## FEF (Jan 30, 2007)

Horseyrider said:


> I could use some help here, and I'm hoping this is the place to get it.
> 
> I've been buying beef for the last several years from a butchershop that specializes in grade prime beef, probably Angus and Hereford. Most of their business goes to the restaurant trade, but they also have a storefront. It's delicious, but on the spendy side. And the health issues of so much corn fed beef are a concern to me. But let me tell you, the flavor and tenderness are exquisite.
> 
> ...



If you like high quality grade beef, I think your concerns are valid. I think it was at Purdue University? where they took the fat from chicken and injected it into lean pork. Their taste panel thought they were eating pork. They took pork fat and injected into lean beef and the panel thought they were eating beef. The fat in the meat seems to carry the flavor. Longhorns tend to be a lean meat.

But, yeah, take the steaks and see what you think. You may love the meat. Of course, meat will vary from animal to animal. I assume you've been buying cuts that you like best from the butcher shop? So will you wind up with cuts you don't want? Beef is just too costly, IMO, to take a chance. So we buy only Choice beef and CAB when we can get it. And we buy only the cuts that we like.


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## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

We have butchered several 1/2 LH's. All were raised/finished on grass. We love the meat, yes it is less fat but that is our preference anyway.. Alot of it is your personal preference and cooking.. When we butchered our first one I was concerned that it would be tough and too lean but have not found that to be the case and we have butchered several more since then. Since he offered definately take him up on the samples.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Less fat, does not mean it does not have a slight marble..I perfer the taste and tenderness a corn finish imparts. I would cook it a bit less.... a sear would be ok.... for rare taste choice... It should actually be a bit more delicate. You really won't need to "cook" a steak. It will toughen, if "cooked" to long. I don't think you can possibly go wrong with this purchase.


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## Gabriel (Dec 2, 2008)

5 tips for cooking grassfed beef.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Very important is that the meat gets to age. When we got "bad" grass fed beef it was "organic" and for some reason they don't let them age it? But our own grass fed beef, aged, was tender as could be and wonderful.


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## Chickadee_42us (Jan 24, 2003)

My SIL has longhorn on his place in southeastern Texas and the beef we have had while there is fantastic. I cannot agree with the horrors of statements that longhorn beef is stringy and tough!
Anyway, I have a gripe and find it a little 'weird' that when purchasing beef from the local grocery chain they label it all 'Angus'. We know that every beef product being sold to the cattle industry is not ANGUS.


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## FEF (Jan 30, 2007)

Chickadee_42us said:


> My SIL has longhorn on his place in southeastern Texas and the beef we have had while there is fantastic. I cannot agree with the horrors of statements that longhorn beef is stringy and tough!
> Anyway, I have a gripe and find it a little 'weird' that when purchasing beef from the local grocery chain they label it all 'Angus'. We know that every beef product being sold to the cattle industry is not ANGUS.


No, not every beef is Angus. But today about 80% of the beef cow herds in the US have some Angus "influence" so there's a darn good chance that meat is "angus".


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Chickadee_42us 

Anyway, I have a gripe and find it a little 'weird' that when purchasing beef from the local grocery chain they label it all 'Angus'. We know that every beef product being sold to the cattle industry is not ANGUS



Chickadee_42us

read this http://www.cabpartners.com/news/media.php


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## Sherr415 (Jan 7, 2011)

We have a small herd of cattle mostly angus. When we are ready for a beef,
we just get approx 700 to 900lb calf off the grass around sept. We have been doing this the last 3 times. I prefer just grass fed.(keep the corn with all those chemicals on it out of my beef.)
There is so many things that can go wrong before that meat is on your plate.(Use a good butcher)Each time I cook a different beef its a little trail in error. Seasons change every year so your grasses change.Kinda like with a milk cow.Her milk changes flavor depending on what she eats.I bought some steaks from the supermarket awhile back and whatever that is they put on it.(YUK)
I will continue with my grass fed beefs even my kids (all living away from home with families of their own like it. And their spouses were use to store bought meat.
Longhorn meat is lean beef, I'd add oil or butter to it if needed.
I'd try the sample steaks before buying another freezer.


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## FEF (Jan 30, 2007)

myersfarm said:


> Chickadee_42us
> 
> Anyway, I have a gripe and find it a little 'weird' that when purchasing beef from the local grocery chain they label it all 'Angus'. We know that every beef product being sold to the cattle industry is not ANGUS
> 
> ...


Good link, thanks. Here's a link you might find interesting, too. It's a list of all the USDA certified branded beef programs. Take a look at how many of them use the word "angus" in their title. You can click on each brand and find out the specifications required to qualify. Of course, nowhere near all the beef sold under a name in the supermarket is part of a USDA certified program. 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams...reas&page=BeefPrograms&resultType=&acct=lsstd


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

the west was built on Longhorn beef, it fed the country untill imported softer europian stock came over with some investors, then the propaganda started, Longhorn is lean, it is hardy, it is healthy but it is no differint than any other lean meat you could eat, i would get it and just know not to cook it like you would meat that has differint marbling, Low and Slow, ever had a Venison steak?


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Yes, I've had venison and really enjoyed it. 

Long and slow is fine with me. Hey, even the chuck roasts from a grade prime cow have to be cooked long and slow; they sure do have to be skimmed more though. A rib eye steak from a grade prime steer is really rich; the marbling assures fat/moisture throughout. But I'm not against the idea of a leaner meat with a dab of butter or oil, as this meat is supposed to be much more naturally balanced in Omega 3s. 

I do, however, object to chewy, or leathery, or mealy/livery tasting. I do know it will come without the grocery store *solution* of salt water preservatives and chemicals to make the taste "uniform." That's why I won't eat grocery store beef; the additives taste horrible to me. Around here, it's virtually impossible to find grocery store meat without it.

So it sounds like while I might do an occasional steak on the grill, the bulk would be the usual mix of ground and roasts, but the customary steak cuts would be better utilized in stir fries (higher heat but more fat) or Swiss steak (long and slow to break down fibers).

I'll have to ask this guy about his prep methods. He may be accustomed to a different flavor, but I trust him totally to tell the truth as he knows it. It's funny how it even came out. He's been my farrier for almost twenty years, and I knew he had cattle. He also ropes and works for a rodeo out of a neighboring state, riding pickup. I just never knew he did anything with the longhorns but rope them. He made me laugh under my breath a little when he said "You know, people just like to know where their food comes from." 

Gabriel, thanks for the beef cooking tips! That made me glad to see that it's generally accepted information. I bought that book and another one on cooking grass fed beef a year or so ago. Interesting reading.

Thanks so much for all your help! Now, off to read Myersfarms' link.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Round up a group of Longhorns in Texas or New Mexico. Drive them overland for hundreds of miles eating only native grasses along the way. Then when you get them up to Kansas load them into railcars packed tight like sardines so they don't go down on the trip. Rattle their teeth out on the train ride to Chicago, put them under a lot of stress unloading them and moving them to the kill floor and then butcher them out.

Compare that to trucking black beef calves to a feedlot in western Kansas, feeding them out on grain where they do very little walking. Then walk them across the road and through a slaughter facility designed by Temple Grandin where they are calm and walking along one minute and dead the next.

Which process would develop a reputation for tough and stringy meat?

Now a carrot will never be an apple, and a Longhorn will never be an Angus.
But how they are raised, handled, and harvested plays some role in the end product.


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## FEF (Jan 30, 2007)

Up North said:


> Round up a group of Longhorns in Texas or New Mexico. Drive them overland for hundreds of miles eating only native grasses along the way. Then when you get them up to Kansas load them into railcars packed tight like sardines so they don't go down on the trip. Rattle their teeth out on the train ride to Chicago, put them under a lot of stress unloading them and moving them to the kill floor and then butcher them out.
> 
> Compare that to trucking black beef calves to a feedlot in western Kansas, feeding them out on grain where they do very little walking. Then walk them across the road and through a slaughter facility designed by Temple Grandin where they are calm and walking along one minute and dead the next.
> 
> ...


Uh, I don't think many Longhorns or anything else is driven hundreds of miles to the railhead anymore. But nice try.

IMO, that's one of the benefits of a diverse beef industry: variety. But today the uninformed are often put off by a piece of tough, lean beef when they really wanted a tender marbled cut. When someone tells me they've been enjoying prime, high quality beef, I have to caution them when they start considering buying a lean cut. One in four Select (low marbled) steaks will likely be tough. One in six commodity Choice steaks will likely be tough. Mid-Choice or better (CAB) is about one in eight and when you get to Prime, a tough steak is *practically* unheard of. Yes, aging and tenderizing makes a difference if that's what you're looking for.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

I really appreciate your discussion on this topic for me. It's great to be able to learn from those who are more experienced.

The drift I get (unless I really misunderstand here) is that longhorn has a _reputation_ for being tough, due to the historical tradition of moving it to market; but that doesn't necessarily reflect reality. And I agree; a carrot will never be an apple. But I also agree that how it's handled and aged will have huge impact, and that while perhaps different from my prime beef, it still may have a place in my kitchen. 

I've been to my farrier's place. Here in our part of the state, most of the pastures are rich black loam, and his appears to be no exception. He's meticulous with his stewardship of both land and critters. When the day comes to ship, a handful of steers will be gently pushed into a plain ol' stock trailer and hauled no more than 25 miles to a small independent processor. My farrier expressed a preference for this processor because of how he wraps the meat. This processor wraps first with plastic and then with brown paper, where the other uses plastic only. He felt it led to too much freezer burn. (Have to say here that my prime beef butcher wraps first in plastic sheet, then in brown paper, and again with brown paper. Every single individual portion is wrapped in three layers, and there's almost never any freezer burn.)

When I was a kid, my folks got their meat (again, prime) from a guy who used to run the butchershop where my grandparents shopped. This old guy really knew what he was doing. I remember wandering back into the back with my mom, and looking between sides of beef at cuts he was carefully aging for my parents. He said (with some sadness and disdain) that most people want bright red meat in the case; and the darkening from good aging made people think the meat was rotten. Correct aging certainly makes a huge difference in tenderness, but I have no doubt it will also increase the processing costs. I don't mind paying that, but I'm not sure what's reasonable to ask for. 

Your thoughts on aging for optimal deliciousness?


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

we usually hung for 2 weeks, but then our butcher suggested something else. he ages for one week hanging, then cuts and vacuum seals the cuts, then lets them sit refrigerated for another week of aging. the steaks taste fine.


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