Grass Fed Beef

[Manton]

Actually, certain times of year there is a farmer's market in my little suburban NY village where I can get grass fed beef from an upstate farm. I hardy ever go, though. Mostly I just forget to think of it when it is around (Saturday only, half day). I have never seen the farm where the beef supposedly comes from, so for all I know they are snowing me just like Whole Foods.

There are, as far as I know, no cattle ranches in or around Santa Cruz. You'd think there would be one in Watsonville, and maybe there is, but if so I don't know about it, and the two best independent markets in the county don't sell beef from there. One sells beef from Harris Ranch in the southern San Joaquin; the other gets its meat from up north somewhere.

 

[milosz]

Super Target carries a line called Laura's Lean Beef - supposedly, it's primarily grass-fed with grain to supplement. Hard to find out how true that is, but it's no more expensive than other beef and can't be any worse.

My understanding is that most bison meat is grain-fed now, BTW.

 

[pejsek]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Thanks to the boycott, there will be no lines. You have to pick up a steak or two at Prather Ranch while you are in the city.

If you are at the Ferry Building you really should stop off at Golden Gate and get a couple of USDA Prime hanger steaks. Not grass fed, but just about as good as it gets.

I've really wanted to like Prather. So far, though, I've been consistently underwhelmed.

If Manton is feeling really adventurous he might want to steel himself for a visit to the cheese counter at Rainbow Grocery.

 

[Dakota rube]

Originally Posted by hws

More fun is to smoke grass with the cow before eating it!

In small towns in America, it is possible to visit farms where they will allow you to buy beef, lamb and other meat from them. And in these cases you can see how the animals are raised and fed. Whole Foods is ok where there is no other option but I think that the word organic is overused and misused now. What is bobo money?

Your speech patterns appear to be changing.
Having an identity crisis?

 

[Piobaire]

I get free range from a back alley butcher. It's risky, but worth it.

Love bison. Want something really good? Take a small piece of foie, and hand make a burger from ground bison with the foie in the middle. Trust me, it is heaven.

 

[BWB]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

Thereaks room for both. I have a corn fed steak 3-4 times a year, and I have grass fed steaks in argentina 3-4 times a year. I don't buy that much beef at home aside from that, so I like to get it from a small farmer, grass fed, more for health/political reasons than taste - beef I buy at home gets curried or stewed or stir fried and you would have to be pretty impressive to tell the difference.

I had a wagu steak last month, just cause I wanted to try it, but it was too well marbled for me, really.

Is authentic Wagyu available in the US. I read on Lobels site that American Wagyu is cross bread with another steer. Either way, I've had neither.

 

[BWB]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Love bison. Want something really good? Take a small piece of foie, and hand make a burger from ground bison with the foie in the middle. Trust me, it is heaven.

OMG that sounds so good.

 

[hws]

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

Your speech patterns appear to be changing. Having an identity crisis?
This is what happens when I have my very mischievous nephews and leave the computer unattended but signed in at styleforum. Many of the posts are mangled translations of parts of conversations we've had.

Who knows what they're up to on facebook!

 

[Baron]

I wish my local Whole Foods carried more cuts of grass fed. The last time I was there they only had NY strip. I'd like to see a few more options. I get bison from the farmer's market and it's great harder to cook than beef.

 

[Crakaveli]

there's plenty of options around here for grass fed beef from farms. thank you internet.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by BWB

Is authentic Wagyu available in the US. I read on Lobels site that American Wagyu is cross bread with another steer. Either way, I've had neither.

in Australia at a resteraunt that has its own meat ranch

 

[globetrotter]

I took some brazilians today for lunch at a good chicago steak house and they had big Kansas City strips. this is a prime example of corn fed wet aged beef. they have very good grass fed beef in Brazil often - they are from sao Paolo and take meat very serioously there. they loved the beef, and I knew they would, but a lot of that was because it was a novelty (and about 3 times as thick and three times as marbled as what they are used to. if they had these steaks a dozen times, I am not sure that they were prefer them to south american free range grass fed beef. I think that it is an interesting question

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by pejsek

If you are at the Ferry Building you really should stop off at Golden Gate and get a couple of USDA Prime hanger steaks. Not grass fed, but just about as good as it gets. I've really wanted to like Prather. So far, though, I've been consistently underwhelmed. If Manton is feeling really adventurous he might want to steel himself for a visit to the cheese counter at Rainbow Grocery.
Boo! Golden Gate is a fine butcher, but I find their beef to be several steps below Prather.

 

[pejsek]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Boo! Golden Gate is a fine butcher, but I find their beef to be several steps below Prather.

Well, maybe I'll give Prather another try. Anything you'd suggest?

I wasn't trying to make any extravagant claims for GG, but I did want to call attention to their hanger steak. When it's available as Prime it truly is one of the crowning glories of the meat-eating world--several cuts above what one might expect and certainly superior to Prather's hanger.

It's a short walk from GG to Prather. Visitors to our fair city might as well spread the wealth a little and load up on cryovac bags for the trip home.

 

[ld111134]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

I took some brazilians today for lunch at a good chicago steak house and they had big Kansas City strips. this is a prime example of corn fed wet aged beef. they have very good grass fed beef in Brazil often - they are from sao Paolo and take meat very serioously there. they loved the beef, and I knew they would, but a lot of that was because it was a novelty (and about 3 times as thick and three times as marbled as what they are used to. if they had these steaks a dozen times, I am not sure that they were prefer them to south american free range grass fed beef. I think that it is an interesting question

Which steakhouse GT?