Pasture Raised Rib-eyes

Ross in Ventura

Ross in Ventura

is One Chatty Farker
Joined
May 16, 2008
Location
Ventura...
Yesterday Jackie and I went to the Farmers Market Ventura, there was a stand selling Pasture Raised Beef we thought we would try some.
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A bit expensive
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Rubbed with Duck fat, salt and pepper. cooked @400* for 1-hr. on a raised grid
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Then the corn @400* for 20-min. turning every 5-min.
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Seared @ 500* on CI grate for 3-min. a side
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The Rib-eyes were tender and very flavorful, the potato and corn were wonderful as well

Watkins Cattle Co. : http://watkinscattleco.com/

Thanks for looking

Ross
 
Was there a noticeable difference in the flavor of grass fed meat v. corn finished store bought meat?

I am curious because while I love to support the local business, I don't get down with the whole "green eco-garbage" thing and don't intend on supporting in any way. If the meat is better, I can see the point but I can also say that it should be cheaper now since some genius in DC decided it would be better to burn the food we feed our cows vs. feeding the cows so people can eat.

Sorry I ranted there but I really am curious, does it taste better or different?
 
Those sure do look nice. One question I have is what exactly does "Pasture Raised" mean? From my experience (slaughtering/cutting) over 400 beef a year, I would take pasture raised as grass fed. But looking at them steaks there is quite a bit of marbling in them. Which tells me they had to be fed corn. No corn = no/very little marbling. Now are they just in a pasture instead of a feed lot and still being fed corn? There are so many ways for beef to be certified.

If I am reading your picture right it's showing $23/lb.? I about fell out of my chair when I read that. I know all natural/grass fed etc. cost more but WOW!! And meat prices are different all around the country. I sell choice ribeyes at work for around $7.49/lb.
 
tamadrummer said:
Was there a noticeable difference in the flavor of grass fed meat v. corn finished store bought meat?

I am curious because while I love to support the local business, I don't get down with the whole "green eco-garbage" thing and don't intend on supporting in any way. If the meat is better, I can see the point but I can also say that it should be cheaper now since some genius in DC decided it would be better to burn the food we feed our cows vs. feeding the cows so people can eat.

Sorry I ranted there but I really am curious, does it taste better or different?
Click to expand...

They tasted wonderful but they are very expensive

Ross
 
Grass fed is more flavorful, IMO, and at the risk of being "green eco-garbage," it is healthier since it is not full of antibiotics that are in feed-lot beef -- needed to keep the cattle alive eating a food they can't properly digest while walking around in their own feces.

I can tell a difference between a good grass-fed ribeye and the ribeyes Kroger sells in family packs.

There is a vendor at our local Saturday Morning Farmer's Market that sells pasture raised beef. You can place a custom order from them durning the week, and they will bring it to the market on Saturday, too.

CD
 
BBQ4FUN said:
Those sure do look nice. One question I have is what exactly does "Pasture Raised" mean? From my experience (slaughtering/cutting) over 400 beef a year, I would take pasture raised as grass fed. But looking at them steaks there is quite a bit of marbling in them. Which tells me they had to be fed corn. No corn = no/very little marbling. Now are they just in a pasture instead of a feed lot and still being fed corn? There are so many ways for beef to be certified.

If I am reading your picture right it's showing $23/lb.? I about fell out of my chair when I read that. I know all natural/grass fed etc. cost more but WOW!! And meat prices are different all around the country. I sell choice ribeyes at work for around $7.49/lb.
Click to expand...
http://watkinscattleco.com/

Ross
 
BBQ4FUN said:
If I am reading your picture right it's showing $23/lb.? I about fell out of my chair when I read that. I know all natural/grass fed etc. cost more but WOW!! And meat prices are different all around the country. I sell choice ribeyes at work for around $7.49/lb.
Click to expand...

I was about to ask the same question.
WOW!!!

They ARE good looking steaks, but... WOW!!!
 
Ross in Ventura said:
They tasted wonderful but they are very expensive

Ross
Click to expand...

Two good ribeyes with two sides and a bottle of wine at a prime steakhouse would set you back at least a hundred bucks, plus a tip, so in comparison, I'd say your meal was probably a bargain.

However, 23 bucks a pound is pretty high. I need to find the price list for the guys who sell at my local FM.

CD
 
BBQ4FUN said:
Those sure do look nice. One question I have is what exactly does "Pasture Raised" mean? From my experience (slaughtering/cutting) over 400 beef a year, I would take pasture raised as grass fed. But looking at them steaks there is quite a bit of marbling in them. Which tells me they had to be fed corn. No corn = no/very little marbling. Now are they just in a pasture instead of a feed lot and still being fed corn? There are so many ways for beef to be certified.

If I am reading your picture right it's showing $23/lb.? I about fell out of my chair when I read that. I know all natural/grass fed etc. cost more but WOW!! And meat prices are different all around the country. I sell choice ribeyes at work for around $7.49/lb.
Click to expand...

I did some Googling, and Pasture Raised and Grass Fed both refer to cattle that are fed grass and other forage for most all of their diet. Free range would refer to cattle raised entirely on pasture grasses, as I understand it.

You can get a well marbled grass-feed steak (and I have had some), it just takes a lot longer to raise the cattle to equal the fat content of your average corn-fed cattle. The primary reason for corn feeding is to fatten the cattle up faster, which is more profitable for the beef producer.

This was an interesting quote: "Traditionally, all beef was grassfed beef, but in the United States today what is commercially available is almost all feedlot beef. The reason? It’s faster, and so more profitable. Seventy-five years ago, steers were 4 or 5 years old at slaughter. Today, they are 14 or 16 months. You can’t take a beef calf from a birth weight of 80 pounds to 1,200 pounds in a little more than a year on grass. It takes enormous quantities of corn, protein supplements, antibiotics and other drugs, including growth hormones."

There is a lot of confusion created in the marketing of beef, because, as you said, "There are so many ways for beef to be certified."
 
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