7 Reasons Grass-Fed Beef Benefits Are Overhyped...

I just grab what's on sale breh

I've tried both objectively against each other cut for cut. Didn't notice any difference in taste or texture. Biggest difference....................price.

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While they may be overhyped, the article discounts the fact that it does have a better fat profile and more nutrient rich...even though they admit it's true. Even if it's minuscule, it exists.

I buy local or eat meat I've hunted/got from other hunters as much as possible. It tastes better, imo. And it's no harder to cook if you know how to cook meat/lean meat.

I also find some of the things stated in this article to be a bit ridiculous. Such as the "well, corn is descended from a grass, so it's grass" argument, which is utterly stupid. Might as well just call everything a plant and have no differentiating since it all descended from the same beginning and ignore the botanical/nutritional differences between different plants. It's like saying dogs are wolves while ignoring the biological differences.

Sassie_Lassie wrote: »

*shrugs* My husband and I got a quarter cow that was grass fed. I can honestly taste, see and smell the difference in that beef vs what you get at the store. The hamburgs we made from the ground beef are hands down the best I -- and anyone else who has eaten them -- have had.

I recently bought grass fed steaks at Costco, they may have been the most flavorless meat I've had in my life. Even marinated it was still bland, just tasted like marinade. I envy you! At least you got what you paid for.

I like the concept of GF beef, but unless it is something I can work prodominately into my diet I am not sure there is a benefit or if it's worth the extra money for just a few occassions a month. Buying part of a cow would be awesome, it is not really an option for me.

JanetYellen wrote: »

I'm poor. I don't have a choice.
Now, show me an article on farm raised salmon being ok.
That wild caught alaskan stuff is almost $9 a pound.
Killing me.

Do you have an Aldi nearby? I can get frozen wild caught salmon there for $5 or less a pound.

Sassie_Lassie wrote: »

*shrugs* My husband and I got a quarter cow that was grass fed. I can honestly taste, see and smell the difference in that beef vs what you get at the store. The hamburgs we made from the ground beef are hands down the best I -- and anyone else who has eaten them -- have had.

I've had the opposite experience, it tastes the same to me and the ground beef burns really easily. I only use it for tacos and sloppy joes because otherwise no one in my family will eat it. We mooch off of a relative's cow share so I get it for around $1lb, but otherwise I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

JanetYellen wrote: »

I'm poor. I don't have a choice.
Now, show me an article on farm raised salmon being ok.
That wild caught alaskan stuff is almost $9 a pound.
Killing me.

Keep at eye at your local stores. I got a bag of frozen 6oz wild caughts on sale for almost 50% off, like $7-8 for the bag. I was in heaven. If I had freezer space I would have bought 2 bags. Mine was US caught also.

I get most of my pork and beef from my mom/grandmothers farm up in the north of the state. Same with eggs. If not I would buy what is on sale at the store as the small difference is not worth the price for me.

I've only noticed a difference when buying from local small-scale ranchers.

No idea what they're doing differently, but the meat is visibly leaner, has a different taste (not really better in my opinion - just different), and is annoying to cook because you have to use more precise techniques and even then it gets dried out way too easily. There's no room for error. Forget using their chuck roast to make pot roast in a slow cooker or oven. The long and low cook makes it like sawdust.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if it'd work well in my pressure cooker? Not that I'll risk wasting $15-20 to find out.

JenHuedy wrote: »

Sassie_Lassie wrote: »

*shrugs* My husband and I got a quarter cow that was grass fed. I can honestly taste, see and smell the difference in that beef vs what you get at the store. The hamburgs we made from the ground beef are hands down the best I -- and anyone else who has eaten them -- have had.

I've found that processing makes a much bigger difference than feeding. I was raised in a farming family. The beef & pork we eat is raised the same as the beef & pork we send to the grocery store, but it tastes much better when it comes from a custom processor than a standard meat packing factory. Generally, custom processors/butchers hang the meat longer and take a few other steps that affect the flavor and tenderness of beef.

Here's an argument that it's likely more about differences in the quality of the meat used:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/the-burger-lab-which-makes-a-better-burger-grass-fed-or-grain.html

I buy grass-fed (the main difference I notice is that it's leaner), and I do it more because I want to support small local farms and what I consider the ethical treatment of the animal (although, yes, I think it's okay to eat it). The farm I buy from happens to grass feed. I don't think the health difference is significant (and any calorie advantage from leaner beef is likely offset by the fattier pork chops, although the taste difference for pork from the local farm is much more significant so worth the extra calories).

Years ago my dad used to raise the meat our family ate and his cattle were usually a big success. The times they weren't it was because of the breed of cow/bull he used. The heifers always finished off real nicely but the Black Angus would get fatty if they had the same grain formula for the finishing. But the taste of the meat was better than what came from the grocery store. His meat was so tasty that friends would buy calfs and pay him to raise them up and finish them off. But believe me, it was expensive meat!