Does grass-fed beef taste different than grain-fed beef?
Yes, for several reasons. First, grain imparts a deep “beefy” flavor to meat. The term “beefy” is something we have learned to identify with commercial feed-lot beef. However, previous to grain-intensive feeding programs, when cattle finished on grass, the expectation was that beef would have a deep “beefy” flavor also; it just had a different flavor profile. Some people think that grass-fed beef is more assertive, and others feel it’s more subtle in flavor. We think it simply tastes like the best beef in the world. The second point is that grass-feeding concentrates the flavor components of natural forage. Chlorophyll, for instance, is converted in the cow’s stomach to terpenes which are related to the aroma compounds in herbs and spices. So grass-fed beef tastes different, and can even vary from month to month, depending on the forage components. We like these variations and we love the flavors. That’s why our mission states that we are preserving the true flavor of the American West
