Grassfed Texture page

[patrickh]

So, we've been buying chuck roasts and steaks from a local farm and we haven't been to fond of the texture. Unless we run it through the grinder a couple of times, everything is rather chewy. I've tried various cooking methods and they all end up the same. Is this something that you just have to get used to, or could it be our supplier?

PS ~ The supplier we use also supplies most of the WH stores in the southeast.

[lemontwisst]

Perhaps the texture of the meat is different between different breeds of cows, I'm not sure. Is it an option to find out the breed raised by this farm and see if there are different grass-fed suppliers in your area that raise a different breed and give that a try?
I didn't notice any difference in the texture of the meat when I switched to grass-fed, but maybe that's just because I find it so damn tasty!

[patrickh]

Their website lists it as all Black Angus.

[sbhikes]

Did you slow cook it? That's the only way I can eat it. Then it's really tender.

[patrickh]

Yes. In fact, the last meal was Chili that was cooked on low for 6-8 hours. Still chewier than the cornfed stuff.

[patrickh]

Has anyone noticed a significant difference in texture between different sources of GFB?

[Linny]

I find grass in general more firm/tough because it's leaner. Look for a different breed. Last year we got Texas Long Horn and it was okay. This year we got Scottish Highland which is a bit more fatty and tender.

[Ayla2010]

I have not come across that, I find all the meat we buy from the same butcher, is all so tender, and delicious.
Never going back to supermarket meat thats for sure.

[solstice]

we do a lot of venison and it usually is quite tasty...marinades for steaks, etc are key though! Also...while reading an old cookbook a while back, I came across the technique of "larding" where you weave hardened (I think) fat into a lean cut of meat to make it more tender/juicy. Here is a different link about it:
Dry meat? Try larding, an old technique for meats - D DeMilo's column on Newsvine

[Cryptocode]

I'm have difficulty with the GFB we just bought. It's tasty, but every cut so far has to be slow-cooked a long time, as in pot-roast. Even Top Round. Is this normal. We tried a Top Round steak and it fought back: stick a fork in and it bounced back up.

If this is normal I wouldn't choose it except for its nutricional value.