Grass fed vs. commercially raised
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lemurcat12 wrote: »rhtexasgal wrote: »Out of 12 people, 11 of them easily pointed out the grass fed beef burgers because they thought they tasted "cleaner" and they had more flavor!
Interesting. Comparing lean to lean (95%, say), I don't think there's likely to be any noticeable difference, as there's not enough fat to matter, but perhaps one was fresher.
When I get grass-fed (from a local farm), I don't have as much control over the fat content, so I think there's more fat than when I buy ground beef from some other source (as I will go for the leanest option). Likely this makes the grass-fed tastier/more flavorful, but it's because there's more fat, not the usual difference between them.
For what it's worth, often when you buy heritage/farm-raised pork they will use different breed of pigs with more fat, so unlike the beef, where it tends to have less fat, the pork cuts will likely have more (conventional pork in the US is quite lean due to consumer demand). More fat is contrary to the preference of some dieters (since more calories), but is typically more flavorful.
wild hogs in my area are WAY fattier than what we buy as pork from the store...that's for sure. I've never really thought about it much, but beef fat tastes a lot better (assuming similar cooking methods and not bacon) to me now that I think about it (my favorite beef cut is still sirloin though).0 -
So, this is interesting. Last week a neighbor and I were discussing a farm over the hill. Grass fed cattle. We can order down to a 1/16 of the critter. So is it fair to say less fat, more lean beef? I can check with the owner about their consumption in terms of corn. They are in the fields 'grazing' every day so IDK how much they eat indoors.lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »michaelallanson wrote: »Grass fed beef tends to be less fatty.
Does it? That wasn't the focus if this comparison, but how much less fatty? Do you have a link or source?
I will try to find something, but my understanding has always been that one of the benefits of grain-fed (and knocks on grass-fed) was that grain-fed=more fat, and grass-fed is supposed to be too lean so not taste as good/be harder to cook. This has a reference to that: http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/resources/grass-fed-beef-grain-fed-beef
This gives numbers but may not be the best source, of course: http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp
(I do buy grass-fed for regular use, and think it tastes just as good, but I guess for Christmas prime rib or the like I've gone to the butcher (and no doubt purchased corn-fed), not my regular farm source.)
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vinegar_husbands wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »michaelallanson wrote: »I guess I didn't realize that "grass fed" beef could be finished with corn. If that is the case than their fat content may not be a lot better. I buy my beef from a farmer friend and it is grass fed start to finish and not corn or grain finished. The fat content is very low.
If you buy beef labeled 'grass fed' in the US then it was not corn finished. But it is no guarantee that the cattle were pastured all year or raised without antibiotics or hormones. The feed is the only thing that is guaranteed.
Not actually the case. https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/your-grass-fed-beef-real-heres-how-tell-and-why-it-matters
Has to be certified by the AGA (which you have mentioned), and only so many brands of beef are.
Where in that article does it say that beef can be fed grain and labeled "grass fed"?
The difference in the AGA label and the USDA label was in access to pasture (AGA requires year round, USDA may be confined for months at a time) and the use of hormones and antibiotics (AGA does not allow, USDA did). Both require(d) grass/forage feed only.0 -
rhtexasgal wrote: »Out of 12 people, 11 of them easily pointed out the grass fed beef burgers because they thought they tasted "cleaner" and they had more flavor!
They actually do. My husband and I got a quarter cow last year and it was grass fed, no antibiotics, no hormones and the meat is the best I have ever had. The burgers are to die for and everyone who has had them have said that they are hands down the best they've ever had. We actually have a friend who wants to go in on a cow with us the next time we get one just because of the burgers.
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agree with the OP...pretty significant in butter.
But likely not enough fats there to begin with to really care about in the whole meat, particularly if one chooses a lean cut. Literature finds minimal (being bias toward grassfed using that term) health benefit from grain fed, even with the difference in the fat profile.
Blind taste tests usually favor grain finished.
I prefer the taste of grain finished beef to grass fed. We don't eat much beef though. In general, it's one of my least favorite meats. I buy antibiotic free grain finished beef typically.0 -
I don't find there to be some magic difference in grain vs. grass fed beef. It could be that I prefer sirloins when we eat out (very little fat anyway, particularly after I meticulously trim them like I like to do), as most of the meat we eat at home or at family cookouts is beef from a friends cattle ranch that are all pasture raised cows.0
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I don't find there to be some magic difference in grain vs. grass fed beef. It could be that I prefer sirloins when we eat out (very little fat anyway, particularly after I meticulously trim them like I like to do), as most of the meat we eat at home or at family cookouts is beef from a friends cattle ranch that are all pasture raised cows.
This is pretty much the same for me. All the foodie stuff I read asserts that grain-finished tastes better, but probably because I tend to eat leaner cuts of beef anyway the grass-fed I buy tastes just fine to me.0 -
I don't trust Mother Earth News, but this is worth checking out in a more reputable source. Besides eating dairy and meat that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, I buy cooking oils that are high in monounsaturated fat, like olive and sunflower, and low in polyunsaturated fats.
I, too, like leaner, chewier, grass-fed beef, although I buy the fattier 85/15 grass-fed ground beef and it's yummy.0 -
Try bison...promise you will like it. Be careful not to over cook it. Less cals, fat and cholesterol.
All cows start out eating grass...then most of them end up eating feed before going to the slaughter house.0 -
Charolais. Voila.0
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@lithezebra Why don't you trust Mother Earth News? Too hippy?0
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I do enjoy bison. I just wish it were less expensive.mattyc772014 wrote: »Try bison...promise you will like it. Be careful not to over cook it. Less cals, fat and cholesterol.
All cows start out eating grass...then most of them end up eating feed before going to the slaughter house.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Not sure about the rest of the world, but Americans tend to eat too much omega-6. Fish oil supplements are good, though in trials they have failed to provide the benefits seen in epidemiologic data for those that eat foods high in omega-3. I like to get it from food.
The original study that started the Omega - 3 fish eating hype was recently reanalyzed and found to methodologically poor so it's not surprising. The big issue was that the researchers got their data on heart disease from asking Inuit community members if people died from heart disease a lot rather than actually bothering with primary health records. This fact along with failure to note the same results with fish oil should be an indication that the study was wrong.0 -
If you decide to purchase grass-fed beef from a ranch, when the cow goes to the slaughterhouse, you can specify the amount of fat you want in your ground beef. For our order, I asked for the equivalent of what the grocery stores sells in this form - 93/7 ... there is a little fat when I cook ground beef for tacos but I can use a paper towel to pat away the grease versus having to drain the pan.
On a side note: some of you are suggesting bison ... it IS quite yummy and much leaner than beef. I have made burgers before from ground bison and I added some finely chopped onion so the water content from the onion kept the meat a little moist. Once cooked, you couldn't really taste the onion.0 -
_Terrapin_ wrote: »
So, this is interesting. Last week a neighbor and I were discussing a farm over the hill. Grass fed cattle. We can order down to a 1/16 of the critter. So is it fair to say less fat, more lean beef? I can check with the owner about their consumption in terms of corn. They are in the fields 'grazing' every day so IDK how much they eat indoors.lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »michaelallanson wrote: »Grass fed beef tends to be less fatty.
Does it? That wasn't the focus if this comparison, but how much less fatty? Do you have a link or source?
I will try to find something, but my understanding has always been that one of the benefits of grain-fed (and knocks on grass-fed) was that grain-fed=more fat, and grass-fed is supposed to be too lean so not taste as good/be harder to cook. This has a reference to that: http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/resources/grass-fed-beef-grain-fed-beef
This gives numbers but may not be the best source, of course: http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp
(I do buy grass-fed for regular use, and think it tastes just as good, but I guess for Christmas prime rib or the like I've gone to the butcher (and no doubt purchased corn-fed), not my regular farm source.)
My coop split a cow last year. I got 1/32. It was a great experience. The ribeyes were more flavorful and tender than what I'd been buying at the supermarket. I had a lot of dental work done last year so meat being easier to chew was very noticeable. We got a variety of other cuts as well, including stew beef and ground beef. He also threw in some bones for free which have been great for making stock.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Not sure about the rest of the world, but Americans tend to eat too much omega-6. Fish oil supplements are good, though in trials they have failed to provide the benefits seen in epidemiologic data for those that eat foods high in omega-3. I like to get it from food.
The original study that started the Omega - 3 fish eating hype was recently reanalyzed and found to methodologically poor so it's not surprising. The big issue was that the researchers got their data on heart disease from asking Inuit community members if people died from heart disease a lot rather than actually bothering with primary health records. This fact along with failure to note the same results with fish oil should be an indication that the study was wrong.
Epidemiologic data, at least, does show less heart disease in those that eat more omega-3 rich fish. Not all that data is on the Inuit community.0 -
CooCooPuff wrote: »
I do enjoy bison. I just wish it were less expensive.mattyc772014 wrote: »Try bison...promise you will like it. Be careful not to over cook it. Less cals, fat and cholesterol.
All cows start out eating grass...then most of them end up eating feed before going to the slaughter house.
Venison is tastier IMO, and if you already own a gun, cheaper. Even if you take it to a processor for butchering it still comes out to about $2-$3 per lb. depending on the size of the animal.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Not sure about the rest of the world, but Americans tend to eat too much omega-6. Fish oil supplements are good, though in trials they have failed to provide the benefits seen in epidemiologic data for those that eat foods high in omega-3. I like to get it from food.
The original study that started the Omega - 3 fish eating hype was recently reanalyzed and found to methodologically poor so it's not surprising. The big issue was that the researchers got their data on heart disease from asking Inuit community members if people died from heart disease a lot rather than actually bothering with primary health records. This fact along with failure to note the same results with fish oil should be an indication that the study was wrong.
Epidemiologic data, at least, does show less heart disease in those that eat more omega-3 rich fish. Not all that data is on the Inuit community.
These also tend to be cultures with better diets such as Japan I would imagine. I'm not convinced that omega-3 is the key although a diet with plenty of fish may have benefits for other reasons. The search continues.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: », but Americans tend to eat too much omega-6. Fish oil supplements are good, though in trials they have failed to provide the benefits seen in epidemiologic data for those that eat foods high in omega-3. I like to get it from food.
The original study that started the Omega - 3 fish eating hype was recently reanalyzed and found to methodologically poor so it's not surprising. The big issue was that the researchers got their data on heart disease from asking Inuit community members if people died from heart disease a lot rather than actually bothering with primary health records. This fact along with failure to note the same results with fish oil should be an indication that the study was wrong.
Epidemiologic data, at least, does show less heart disease in those that eat more omega-3 rich fish. Not all that data is on the Inuit community.
These also tend to be cultures with better diets such as Japan I would imagine. I'm not convinced that omega-3 is the key although a diet with plenty of fish may have benefits for other reasons. The search continues.[/quote]
I'll have to do some searching I guess, but I'm pretty sure the long term American epidemiological studies all show this. Like those decades long studies being done by Harvard and Brigham Young.0 -
I'm looking forward to EPA and DHA having a cheap vegan source available in the future instead of relying on the diet of cattle: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/-/fatty-acids-from-gm-oilseed-crops-could-replace-fish-oil0
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