# Question on grass fed beef



## farm mom (Oct 10, 2006)

We have purchased two sides of beef in the last several years of grass fed beef. However, we have found the beef is often gamey or very sharp tasting. The other night we threw out a whole roast because it was terrible (the roast was cooked in the crock pot all day). Is this what grass fed beef is like sometimes or are the farmers/slaughterhouse we are purchasing from doing something wrong?


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

Just my opinion, but, thats what you can get with grass fed beef.


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

I raise and eat, grass fed beef, and I don't have that kind of problem. I do know that the meat has to be cooked slow and usually with some extra moisture, to make up for the lack of fat. I can't figure out why yours is "gamey". I did butcher a steer one time, fed on grain, who was so strong tasting, that I had to soak every piece of meat in milk, before we could eat it. We never did figure that one out. The last beef I butchered was an 8 year old cow, and she was grass fed, with about 1 lb of calf creep a day for 60 days, she was never penned up, just got really fat on the grass, but the beef is great. Sorry I don't really have an answer for you....
P.J.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

IMO, you don't eat grass fed beef because it's tender or tastes better, you eat it because it's good for you (omega-3's) or it's cheaper to raise or it's better for the environment or all three. Or you eat it because you like hamburger.  Now, I'm not saying there's not some excellent grass fed beef out there, because I'm sure there is, but most that I've had has been mediocre as far as the traits that you think make good eating meat, which to me means it's tender and has some fat on it.

One thing about the health benefit of it: You will lose a major part of that benefit if you feed grain before slaughter to "finish" the meat. All you are doing is putting the omega-6 fats back into the animal. For the best quality grass fed meat, butcher it after a month or two of the best pasture so that the animal is fattening on grass, not grain. 

Jennifer


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## chicky momma (Jul 25, 2006)

All we eat any more is grass fed beef. Have never noticed a gamey taste or anything like what was talked about. Just fabulous taste etc... the only difference that was noticeable was that any fat was yellow. Thought it had spoiled the first time we got some. The farmer said no...thats what its supposed to look like. See how we've been taught? Lisa


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I've never eaten anything other than grass fed beef and it's always beautiful, certainly not gamey or sharp in any way at all. Your description makes me wonder what your beef was because bull meat will have this type of flavour. I don't like bull beef because of the considerably stronger flavour.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

We bought half a beef from a neighbor that was part Highlander it wasn't too bad. He said from then on he was only raising grass fed Higlander's. He gave us a roast to try and we couldn't eat, tasted like venison. And that's not what I want when I'm eating beef. There is some good grass fed beef out there, a guy I know raises Angus and he slaughters at 9 months and it very good. I raise Longhorns run them on grass as yearlings while feeding up to 6 pound of grain a day and still get all the benefits of grassfed, but with enough fat (it grades Choice)to make it good eating.

Bob


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## dezeeuwgoats (Jan 12, 2006)

What I've noticed with grass fed is that the fat especially tastes a tad 'fishy' to me. Not bad, just a hint. Then when I thought about the omega's.....the good fats in fish....I figured that was why.

Had the brother in law gives us a whole bunch of grass fed beef - they didn't like it, but we loved it. Have only had grass fed for awhile now. I don't like gamey meat, but store bought just doesn't seem to have any flavor at all. We've done young and older, male and female and never had a problem with the meat. Never a bull, though, always a steer.

Sincerely;
Niki


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## chicamarun (Dec 26, 2006)

We raise grass-fed and sell it. Part of selling it is actually TEACHING people how to cook it - it cooks quicker because of the lower fat content and also I always suggest that people ADD fat to it with the rub they use. 

I do know that with a crock pot - I've had a lot of stuff just taste wrong. But then again I have also had stuff that tastes incredible. I'm still learning some of the cooking aspects and have actually switched over to a smaller crock pot because of the moisture content. Usually when something tastes "gamey" I would think moisture because most true "game" is drier because of lower fat.


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## Faith Farm (Dec 13, 2004)

We also raise and sell grass fed beef for a living. I have 6 freezers full of the
yummy stuff. Learning how to cook good healthy food is part of the process.
Read "The Grass Fed Gourmet" by Shannon Hayes for an education you will
appreciate. 
When you start down the road of healthy meats you won't go back to 
store bought. Grass fed is almost always tender and very tastey. Once in
a while as in any foods you may get an off piece but the benefits of true
grass fed out weigh any other type of meat. :cowboy:


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Since you bought the meat from a slaughterhouse, you have no way of knowing what the animal might have eaten. If it was early spring, I'd say it was eating wild onions. Onions and garlic are favorites of cows.

Ask how long the meat was hung to dry age or was it wet aged. Most store bought meat is wet aged, using chemicals to tenderize it quickly. Dry aging to tenderize the meat lends a certain taste to the meat. It's very much in demand, but it isn't exactly what most people are used to. Over aging can give meat an off taste.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## farm mom (Oct 10, 2006)

Thanks all, what is the appropriate time frame to age grass fed beef?

These cows were all steers. The grass was good, straight good grass. Maybe I'll have to ask a few more questions of the farmer. They are very good friends of ours and I didn't want to offend them. Some of the steaks were good. Occasionally you would be eating a good steak then get a bite where you would just say "whoa, that was strong." Interesting and not quite sure what to think.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

I know how you feel about offending your neighbor. I bought a side of Angus from a neighbor and it was tough as shoe leather. I thought about donating it to the food bank, but then I realized that the people they feed don't have the best teeth in the world. That wouldn't be fair. 

We had a truly horrible experience with a big slaughter house. I'm sure the meat wasn't treated right, and it varied so much that I'm sure it didn't all come from the same animal. I'm looking for a good USDA facility to process my own beef when it's ready.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

When I took our last cow to the slaughter house and told them she was grass fed, they were sceptical, and told me I'd probably only get hamburger meat. They called after they had slaughtered her and ask how I wanted my steaks cut, she was fat. Maybe it's because she was an older cow, no baby and lots of belly deep grass. I do think the leaner bulls and steers might be stronger tasting, because, they can't hang then long enough to get them aged properly. I sure hope you can figure this out, because store bought meat is not fit to eat, kinda like store bought eggs 
P.J.


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## Shagbarkmtcatle (Nov 1, 2004)

We raise grass-fed beef, it is aged 14 days minimum and the beef is approx 18 months when slaughtered.
This age provides a smaller carcass. We do not use any growth hormones or grain products. As Chickamarun said, slow cooking is the way to cook this meat. It is delicious. I question whether you had something contaminated in processing because I never heard of the same steak having two different tastes. If you are used to buying meat from a local store, you will find grass-fed does not taste the same. Store meat lacks any flavor.
What breed was it? Is your supplier using growth hormones? When he said grass-fed, is it truly grass-fed? ( do they get corn silage?)


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

AQs you are finding out grass fed beef doesn't taste as good as grain fed. That's why grain fed beef is so much more popular than grass fed. A number of years ago, I filled my freezer with venison. My wife and I both shot deer and a neighbor hit one with his car and didn't want it. For many months, that was all we ate. I didn't really like venison, but after awhile I got used to it. We had company coming over, so I bought some beef hamburger and cooked that. After so many meals of venison, the beef tasted awful. I had aquired a taste for venison. I think that once you get used to eating grass fed beef, you'll enjoy it better. If not, you can always switch back to grain fed. It isn't just meat that you aquire a taste for. The same can be said for duck eggs instead of chicken, goat milk instead of cow's milk.


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## furholler (Feb 1, 2005)

Alan Nation of the Stockman Grassfarmer, says it has to do with the aging and the temp at which it is aged. In Argentina, they age, or hang, the beef outside in 90 degree heat. I can't remember how long, though. This lets the hormones and adreneline an other chemicals to be worked out of the carcass.

The other thing is what the cattle eat. In other words, quality grass finished beef is grown on grass high in protien to promote good marbling. It all comes down to the grass. Genetics can also play a small role.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I think Haypoint has probably got it in one if your beef was steer rather than bull. Your just not used to meat tasting as meat should - and remember that cattle are grazers by nature, not grain eaters. I've never eaten grain fed animals but know plenty that have traveled overseas and have. Without exception it is described as bland, tasteless and about as exciting as eating a piece of cardboard. So it's all down to what you get used to.

As an aside to that, I once had to finish some grower pigs on grain and milk. They were free ranging but we were new to the area and I hadn't established a network of food collection. They were the worst pigs I had ever eaten. The meat looked beautiful but tasted bland simply because I was used to pigs finished on fruit, vegetables etc. Persevere acquiring a taste for grass fed beef and you will be eating some of the best beef available.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## georgiarebel (Jul 7, 2005)

chicamarun said:


> We raise grass-fed and sell it. Part of selling it is actually TEACHING people how to cook it -


I've only tried a sample of grass feed beef (hamburger), but like it. As far as removing the "gamey" taste my grandmother :angel: said to cook the meat in clove to remove the taste. We've always done so and never had a problem. I also believe the way the animal was killed and dressed has a lot to do with it too. 

GR


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

We have tried grass fat beef, both purchased and home grown. Tough and nasty tasting, never again!


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## Brisket (Sep 29, 2007)

The best beef I have ever had, I did go to the butchers and examine his operation and you could have eaten off the floor in the bathroom, he had a hanging walk in freezer and a prepared walk in freezer. We picked up our beef and it was all ready and packed, the butcher explained how good the animal looked and cut every cut precise, asked how do you want your hamburger packaged in one or two pound bags, every cut was double wraped. he charged me 50.00 to shoot the bull and .35 cents a pound to cut. check your butchers operation out.


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## GANGGREEN (Jul 13, 2006)

There are entirely too many generalizations in this thread. Not all grass fed beef is the same, nor is all grain fed beef the same. Grain fed doesn't necessarily taste better than grass fed, nor vice versa. 

Some breeds of beef finish well on quality grass while others don't. In addition, not all pastures are the same. Quality of hay in the winter plays a role. The amount of hay fed in the winter plays a role, plenty of fresh water, free choice minerals, etc. etc. etc.. 

In general, when you take a breed that finishes well on grass, put him/her on quality pasture and feed quality hay in the wintertime in adequate quantity, then slaughter in a stress free environment, properly age, cut and cook, grass fed beef can taste as good, or better, as grain fed. I've had awesome grain fed beef, awesome grass fed, horrible grain fed and horrible grass fed. In my opinion, too many people purchase a side of beef from a friend or neighbor without really doing much homework and then get disappointed if the quality isn't what they'd like. In the end, they end up blaming it on the fact that the animal was "grass fed" without considering any other factors. 

In my experience, grass fed does taste different than grain finished cattle but I certainly wouldn't say that one tastes better or worse. And, as for getting beef that was like shoe leather, I seriously doubt that grass feeding/finishing would have been the culprit there. Several things impact the tenderness of a cut of beef and the most important one is likely genetics. Never allowing an animal to lose condition and slaughtering when the animal is on the gain also plays a role. 

I have a group of Highland cattle here on the farm and feel confident that the quality of each and every one will be very high when their time comes. 

:banana02:


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## JulieLou42 (Mar 28, 2005)

My last steer was 1/2 Jersey, 3/8 Guernsey, 1/8 Angus and fed orchard grass from pasture and mostly Timothy grass hay during the winter months. Born July '06, and slaughtered @ 10.5 months, wt. 750#. He was on his mother's milk all that time. He had an occasional treat of COB with alfalfa pellets and never seemed to mind not having any.

He'd gotten mean...always was feisty...is why he was so young, and had horns, too. 

EXCELLENT eating, though...very tender and tasty. His fat wasn't as yellow as I thought it might have been. He was dry hung for two weeks.

Perhaps the steer that you had was not slaughtered in the field with his head down? Had stress hormones in him?


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## farm mom (Oct 10, 2006)

Thanks everyone for your insight. Unless you are raising it yourself it is hard to know. I know these guys feed purely grass, no grain, no other additives. Not sure if they were shot at home then taken to the slaughterhouse. Maybe they were hauled there and the stress of shipping affected the meat. Not sure how long it is hung. We still have some beef left so we will continue to try. We have always cooked all the meat slow except the steaks that we grill on high for 4 min. a side or so and eat them medium rare. Hmmm....


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