Steak-Off

As I was leisurely walking through the Hamilton Farmer’s Market, I had a conversation with a friend discussing the merits of grass-fed beef over grain-fed beef. We talked over the specifics of feeding and the differences in the quality and flavor of meat. After much debate, many questions remained unanswered such as:

Is grass-fed meat healthier than grain-fed meat? Are there environmental advantages to grass-fed meat? Do they taste different?

We decided there was only one way to tell: A Steak-Off. We decided to purchase sirloin steaks: one from a local merchant (grass-fed) and another from Price Chopper (grain-fed). We then planned to cook both for dinner that night and compare any differences.

After a 3-minute drive to my townhouse and $17.60 poorer, I thought back to my meat consumption growing up. As a child, I did not think meat had much variation. Sure I knew the difference between a steak and lamp chop, and heard of the various types of meat like tenderloin, porterhouse, flank and rib-eye. However, I never really considered how the nutritional value of the product, environmental impact, and treatment of the animal all come into play. I mostly cared for the taste, especially when it came to my mom’s famous lamb chops on the grill. However, with all these unanswered questions lingering in my mind, I sought to understand how and why an animal's diet can have a profound influence on not just us, but on our society as well.

After researching a bit on the topic, I found that there are several differences between grass-fed and grain-fed products. Grass-fed products tend to be much lower in total fat than grain-fed products. Also, grass-fed meat gives you up to six times more of the "good" fat known as omega-3 fatty acids. These fats play a vital role in every cell and are particularly essential for your brain. Interestingly, the reason that grass-fed animals have more omega-3s than grain-fed animals is that omega-3s are created in the leaves (particularly the chloroplasts) of plants (Animal Grass Fed Beef, 2010). When cattle are taken off grass and shipped to a feedlot to be fattened on grain, they lose their valuable store of omega-3 fatty acids.

Traditionally, all beef was grass-fed beef. This makes sense considering these animals are designed to forage. I can just envision an idyllic scene of a cow outside in a pasture happily chomping on grass. Their happy go-lucky lifestyle reflected beneficially on our health as we did not have diseases like diabetes and obesity that are extremely prevalent in society today. After the switch to grain, we can see that there have been profound effects on the cow’s health, our health, and on the environment. Grain-fed animals can be harmed in a variety of ways. Michael Pollan wrote in the New York Times about the consequences to cows when they are taken off of grazing lands and put into feedlots to be fed grain:

“Perhaps the most serious thing that can go wrong with a ruminant on corn is feedlot bloat. The rumen is always producing copious amounts of gas, which is normally expelled by belching during rumination. But when the diet contains too much starch and too little roughage, rumination all but stops, and a layer of foamy slime that can trap gas forms in the rumen. The rumen inflates like a balloon, pressing against the animal’s lungs. Unless action is promptly taken to relieve the pressure (usually by forcing a hose down the animal’s esophagus), the cow suffocates” (NY Times, 2002).

Furthermore, when cattle are grain-fed, Pollan adds, “This can cause a kind of bovine heartburn…this condition can lead to diarrhea, ulcers, bloat, liver disease and a general weakening of the immune system that leaves the animal vulnerable to everything from pneumonia to feedlot polio” (NY Times, 2002).

Despite these alarming consequences, the meat industry insists on grain-fed (primarily corn based) in order to make them as fat as possible as fast as possible. It is all part of the profit gain for these big meat companies that have to compete against one another. On the other hand, grass-fed beef has other advantages. It is more environmentally friendly as it uses less fossil fuel and environmental pollutants than grain-fed beef. These environmental advantages coupled with the fact that is it far healthier, more humane, still left out one question which my dinner for that night would answer: What (if any) are the differences in taste?

So, after marinating both steaks with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried herbs, 12 minutes total grilling time (6 minutes per side), I came out with slightly overcooked steaks. Nonetheless, I was determined to complete this taste test. In terms of appearance, the grass-fed steak had little to no visible fat or marbling as compared to the grain-fed steak. As for taste, the grass-fed steak in my opinion was more flavorful, but a tad chewier. However, I for one would give up some tenderness for its flavor. I also felt that the grass-fed beef tasted clean—without all of the antibiotics and hormones—if that makes any sense.

The verdict: Grass-fed is the way to go. I will certainly try to purchase products from animals that have not ingested anything other than mother’s milk and pasture—just as Mother Nature intended. It is important that people are informed about where their meat comes from and thus become aware of the potential harmful consequences of their choices. After this Throwdown, I thought about my next undertaking. Thoughts on Wild Atlantic Salmon versus its Farm-Raised Counterpart?

http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/magazine/power-steer.html?pagewanted=6