I’m talking about beef here people. You may or may not have noticed grass fed beef cropping up here and there in restaurants, butchers or supermarkets, but it’s still somewhat rare. You are probably wondering what the difference is between the two, allow me to enlighten you and tell you why the grass fed is so much better both in flavour and for your health. To begin explaining the differences, we need to start with the cow itself. The cow is normally fed grain in the form of corn in order to fatten it up more quickly for sale. While this results in a nice marble (which is clearly the big buzz word at the moment in the culinary world) of the beef, it doesn’t do it any favours in the flavour or health department.
When a cow (or lamb, pork etc) is fed grain, besides making it fatter, it changes the omega3 : omega 6 ratio. We have been told non stop how good omega 3 fatty acids are for us, but most people have no idea why. The reason omega 3 is good for us is because in the modern diet our omega 6:3 ratio is too high. Our balance should be around 2:1 omega 6 to omega 3, this minimises inflammation in our body (lowering the risk of heart attacks among other things) and is optimal for our health. The problem is in the modern western diet this ratio has blown out to 10:1, so we are at the point where we need to start taking supplements to bring that ratio back into balance. Besides eating more fish, chia seeds, flax seeds and canola, we can start eating grass fed beef. Grass fed beef (and any other animal)is what nature intended for us, which is proven by the beneficial amounts of omega 3 fatty acids contained within. The reason nutritional advice advocating trimming the fat off your meat is sound (despite the fact that nutritionists don’t seem to realise it) is because when that meat is grain fed, you are blowing out your omega 6:3 balance even further. When your meat is pasture/grass fed, that fat actually becomes beneficial because the omega 6:3 balance is the way it is supposed to be.
In addition to the health aspects, if animal welfare is important to you, then grass fed is definitely the way to go. Grain fed cattle is usually reared in high density feed lines, which compared to being pasture reared is clearly detrimental to cattle’s well being. We are already well aware of the issues regarding cage eggs and free range eggs for chicken, it is much the same with cattle. An animal is obviously going to produce healthier, better tasting meat when it is raised in a natural environment than it is crammed into a small space with a heap of other animals.
So, enough about the health and ethical aspects of grass fed beef, what about the taste? Well, the taste my friends, is out of this world. The first time you bite into a grass fed steak you will be immediately struck by the very strong, beefy flavour that you never get with grain fed beef. Grain fed beef may be a bit more tender due to the fat marbling, but the taste is definitely more dull. While a grain fed steak needs to jazzed up a bit with mustard, jus, or sauce, a grass fed steak I have found needs little more than a bit of salt and pepper for a fantastic flavour. Even the fat on grass fed beef tastes good, as opposed to fat on grain fed beef which I find a bit hard to swallow. And the great thing is, with grass fed beef, you don’t need to cut that fat off or feel guilty for eating it!
Now that we’ve been through why it’s so great, let’s talk price. Don’t worry people, the news is good. Most supermarkets don’t stock grass fed beef, but alot of farmers are getting on board due to the increased demand and selling large packs of it for prices no more expensive than what you get store bought, grain fed beef for. Generally even the smallest packs are too big for the average person’s fridge, but that is easily remedied by splitting it between 2 or 3 households. If you are lucky (like me), there are also supermarkets that specialise in bulk selling. I get 5kg of grass fed yearling steak, sliced to my liking for $45, which is actually cheaper than what I can get at the supermarket. Alternatively, if you want your butcher to start stocking grass fed, tell them and tell your friends to tell them. Butchers are like any other business, if the demand is there they will stock it in order to improve sales or stop you from going elsewhere.
If eating unprocessed food is the first step in a better diet (more on that in a future article), eating grass fed meat is the next logical step. If we are to eat as nature intended, it would be logical to feed our livestock the food nature intended for them. As pointed out above, it is far better for us in addition to being a hell of alot tastier, give the grass fed a try and find out just how much better it is. If you are keen to take control and have a better understanding of your diet and how to eat, stay tuned. In the coming weeks I will explore common misconceptions regarding processed food vs unprocessed food and the role the nutrition industry (including nutritionists and government guidelines) is playing in keeping us overweight and unhealthy.
The Men's Domain 