Post: #1

I've switched to grass fed beef to improve my health but I can't stand the taste/smell of it. For those of you that eat it, is this normal at first? Or should I consider some major seasoning additions?

Post: #2

I've never noticed a distinct smell to it, but the taste and texture is different. It depends on how you cook it I guess as it is generally leaner than basic ground beef. Adding some seasoned salt will make it taste fine. I throw on some grass fed butter post cooking and it is pretty good.

At first I didn't like the taste of natural peanut butter. Now I can't got back to regular peanut butter, it tastes like plastic. When you're fed garbage you're entire life you get accustomed to the taste.

Post: #3

My family split up a grass fed cow this year. None of us were impressed with it. I didn't notice that it tasted particularly different and definitely no weird smells, it just wasn't high quality beef. The roasts in particular were awful.

Maybe we just got a bad cow, but we're not planning on doing it again.

Post: #4

Are you sure you did not buy spoiled meat? IME, grass-fed beef smells and tastes the same as non-grass-fed beef.

Post: #5

I love grass fed. Though Ive lived in NZ for nearly half of my life where it is standard and I cant actually imagine what grain fed tastes like. Try getting used to it, but if it still tastes horrible, then maybe you just prefer the grain fed taste.

Post: #6

Here's a favorite recipe of mine involving grass-fed ground beef. It's filling, healthy, easy, and if you have the spices on hand incredibly tasty.

Brown a pound of ground beef in a saucepan. While the beef is cooking, dice up a bell pepper (any color) and an avocado. Once the beef is finished cooking, throw it into a large bowl and season with salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, and garlic powder to taste. Use the grease in the pan to cook the pepper for a few minutes until just softened, then toss in the avocado for thirty seconds to warm it up before dumping the mixture into the bowl. Combine and enjoy!

Post: #7

(06-09-2014 09:47 PM)nek Wrote:  I've switched to grass fed beef to improve my health but I can't stand the taste/smell of it. For those of you that eat it, is this normal at first? Or should I consider some major seasoning additions?

Good grass fed beef is a little gamier than grain fed beef. There is also a little bit of a sour smell too raw and cooked. I think it's an acquired taste, and if you stick with it, you'll never go back to the factory shit.

Post: #8

And after doing a little research it appears I can get it cheaper from a local farm than at Walmart or Dillon's. They appear to sell bundles that include sausage and bacon

Post: #9

Find a local beef farmer and buy beef that has been fed corn before being processed.

Post: #10

I liked grass fed more when I had it..

Post: #11

Grassfed is the norm for most of the world outside the US. In my experience, when people come to the US from elsewhere , they think the beef tastes bad.You def get used to the taste of what's available. If you don't like the taste of grassfed, stick it out until you don't notice anymore. You'll find cornfed now tastes weird. Plus the grassfed will not only not kill you, but it's actually good for you.

Post: #12

It's funny oftentimes people dont like better quality food b/c its not what wee are used to. Whether were talking peanut butter, almond butter, grass fed beef or even chicken.

When in Dominican or even South America where chickens aren't all crazy hormones and steroids some people complain about the roast chickena nd things like that, I personallly love it but yeah takes a while to get off what you are used to

Post: #13

Grass fed meat is natural. The true acquired taste was adapting to and preferring the hormone injected meat regularly available throughout the country. That's what you've adapted to.

It's like saying fruit and veggies are an acquired taste. No, you've acquired the preference for processed foods packed with sugar. It alters the chemicals in your brain and therefor your cravings.

Nothing natural is an acquired taste. If it doesn't taste good to you, you're desiring food you shouldn't due to cravings and the chemical process going on inside your head.

Post: #14

A little update: I've been sticking to it for a few days and just had a burger on a lunch outing. Noticing the taste preference changing a bit but the big thing I notice is how much more lethargic I feel after eating a 'normal' burger vs. the grass-fed one.

Post: #15

Grass fed doesn't have the fat that regular meat has, fat makes it taste better.

Post: #16

I've bought a side for a few years now. It is a bit more "gamey"...but I find I enjoy it more.

Post: #17

OP,

Not all grass-fed beef is the same. Try buying from a different higher-end place. Best grass-fed beef I've bought in Toronto comes from New Zealand. It very expensive unfortunately.

Also if you're going for the health angle, make sure it's 100% grass-fed: grass-fed and grass-finished. The 'grass-fed' label can be a bit of a con, where they feed the cow grass at first but during the last few months they switch to grain to fatten it up.

Post: #18

My theory is that its the shitty grasses and long winters we have here in North America. Cows are picky as fuck with grass and they like certain types. They will want a certain type if they feel weak or sick, another if they are just hungry and want to grow. In Canada in almost any place hay bails will make up the bulk of their feed in the colder months versus cows whom could still get real grass in in more mild climates year round or close to.

Cows were never indigenous to these parts, this movement towards getting cows back to natural grazing is good, but maybe ranchers should be paying attention to the types of grasses these cows are eating. Not all grasses are the same and will give you meat that has a different taste and texture once the cow is slaughtered.

Grass science is focused on growth, appearance, and strength. Golf and Baseball poured big money into seeking out grass types that can grow like weeds, not break, hold color. I don't think much though has been given into grass types of grazing animals here in North America. A different strain is going to yield you different proteins, nutrition, and taste that would be reflected in the meat. I know for goats and lambs in some places they hack it by feeding the coats herbs like Oregano and sage which helps flavor the meat, maybe ranchers can start doing that with cattle.

Post: #19

It should taste better. Where are you getting your meat from?

Post: #20

Look up some hotel butter recipes or maitre d'hotel butter. Here is a simple one. Mix and then form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate or freeze. Cut a disc and put ontop of a hot steak and oila your not so flavorful beef tastes great...add whatever spices you like really.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (it’s essential the butter is at room temperature)

1 ½ teaspoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Post: #21

(06-15-2014 10:11 PM)kosko Wrote:  My theory is that its the shitty grasses and long winters we have here in North America. Cows are picky as fuck with grass and they like certain types. They will want a certain type if they feel weak or sick, another if they are just hungry and want to grow. In Canada in almost any place hay bails will make up the bulk of their feed in the colder months versus cows whom could still get real grass in in more mild climates year round or close to.

Cows were never indigenous to these parts, this movement towards getting cows back to natural grazing is good, but maybe ranchers should be paying attention to the types of grasses these cows are eating. Not all grasses are the same and will give you meat that has a different taste and texture once the cow is slaughtered.

Grass science is focused on growth, appearance, and strength. Golf and Baseball poured big money into seeking out grass types that can grow like weeds, not break, hold color. I don't think much though has been given into grass types of grazing animals here in North America. A different strain is going to yield you different proteins, nutrition, and taste that would be reflected in the meat. I know for goats and lambs in some places they hack it by feeding the coats herbs like Oregano and sage which helps flavor the meat, maybe ranchers can start doing that with cattle.

Agricultural sciences are pretty nuts about grass feed varieties for cows, but again Canada is pretty limited on choice and then again its only Hay for half the year if not corn.

There was one research cow that they had at the university of wisconsin where they had surgically installed a port hole into one of the cows stomachs. research techs would open it up and grab out a handful of half digested grass from the cow's stomach and test it for all sorts of things.

Post: #22

Posted this on another thread, relevant:

"There's a huge amount of variation. Quality meat will have two main differences- firstly, the meat will usually be much better quality due to the following factors:

a) the rate of growth (slower is better)
b) and food it eats (grass fed better than grain)
c)the breed of animal makes a big difference- generally the 'rare' or traditional breeds rather the commercial, grow-fast-on-grain breeds produce a better carcass with much more marbling. Marbling is where there are veins of vat throughout the meat, producing a much more succulent cut with subtle variations in flavour, much like a good whiskey.

Secondly, beef should be hung for a good period (up to a month) after slaughter to bring out flavour. Mass produced stuff is obviously not, it's cow in and then out in Tesco vac-packs as quick as they can. "

Anyone else on here dabble in farming?

Post: #23

It's definitely gamier. It has a stronger, meatier taste and smell. It smells like if you were in a cow pen at a dairy farm or something. I buy it from Whole Foods, they grind it in house from meat that's shipped from a farm somewhere in PA. It also seems to spoil much quicker. And when it spoils, the smell of the spoiled beef is really strong.

Post: #24

Nice recipe!

Seasoned butters are a wonderful thing.....especially for steaks. I've seen recipes using gorgonzola cheese, wine, Dijon mustard and almost any kind of herb or spice you can imagine. The possibilities are endless.

(06-16-2014 01:44 AM)SDGuerro Wrote:  Look up some hotel butter recipes or maitre d'hotel butter. Here is a simple one. Mix and then form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate or freeze. Cut a disc and put ontop of a hot steak and oila your not so flavorful beef tastes great...add whatever spices you like really.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (it’s essential the butter is at room temperature)

1 ½ teaspoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Post: #25

(06-10-2014 09:33 AM)Bobco Wrote:  Find a local beef farmer and buy beef that has been fed corn before being processed.

Feeding corn before slaughter defeats the purposes. Thus, a baaaad idea!!!

One of the main points for eating grassfed is to eat cows meat that are eating a natural diet - that cows would eat in nature. Cows would NOT eat corn.. corn screws up their fat and screws up their omega 3 to 6 ratio and potentially adds GMOs to their fat.