Grass-Fed vs. Traditional Beef for Jerky
In today's world, more people than ever before are becoming conscious of natural foods. One very popular controversy is grass-fed beef versus traditionally raised beef. Grass-fed beef comes from cattle which have been allowed to graze naturally, living primarily off, not surprisingly, grass! This is a much more natural method of raising cattle than popular commercial methods, which involve grain-based diets.
Some consumers prefer beef from cows that are few with grass for health reasons, while others simply prefer the taste. Since beef jerky is such a popular beef product, it's no surprise that you can now find many varieties of jerky which are made from grass-fed beef. Here, we'll review the two options.
Traditionally Raised Cattle
Raising cattle on a grain based diet began for several different reasons. Large farms have a very hard time keeping cattle fed via grazing alone. This wasn't an issue many years ago, when most farms were smaller and had less cattle. As commercial farming grew, farmers realized that it was much more economical to feed cattle grain instead of grass. This also allowed the farmers to control the cattle's diet, adding certain medications, hormones or vitamins.
Since grain is not a cow's natural main food source, this change in farming was a controversial one. The recent return to grass-fed beef is being welcomed by many as a more natural way of raising beef.
Beef from cattle raised on grain has a much milder taste than grass-fed beef. This is the taste which many of us are accustomed to, since it's what we've grown up on. However, it's not actually a true beef taste.
Grass-Fed Cattle
Some smaller farms have stuck with grazing throughout the years. In addition, many larger farms are now returning to this method, which is actually more traditional than today's €traditional€ method of feeding cattle.
Grass-fed beef can be quite a surprise for first-time tasters. We've grown up on beef from grain-raised cattle, and have gotten very used to the milder taste. It still tastes like beef, but there's a very noticeable difference.
If you've never tried it before, give it a try. You'll notice a taste which many people compare to wild game. Others insist they can taste a €grassy€ flavor in the beef. This kind of beef is lower in harmful fats than grain-fed beef, and it's often leaner as well.
Which Makes the Best Jerky?
If you're looking at this question from a purely health-related standpoint, then grass-fed is the way to go. However, be prepared for a different taste sensation. Preparing jerky intensifies the flavor of any meat, and so that gamy or grassy flavor will also be intensified.
If you've tried it and found the different flavor off-putting, don't worry too much about choosing grain-fed beef for your beef jerky. However, you can make healthier choices by seeking out jerky products which are labeled as certified organic.
Check out http://www.biltongandbeefjerky.com.au/beefjerky-c-2.html for high quality beef jerky.
Some consumers prefer beef from cows that are few with grass for health reasons, while others simply prefer the taste. Since beef jerky is such a popular beef product, it's no surprise that you can now find many varieties of jerky which are made from grass-fed beef. Here, we'll review the two options.
Traditionally Raised Cattle
Raising cattle on a grain based diet began for several different reasons. Large farms have a very hard time keeping cattle fed via grazing alone. This wasn't an issue many years ago, when most farms were smaller and had less cattle. As commercial farming grew, farmers realized that it was much more economical to feed cattle grain instead of grass. This also allowed the farmers to control the cattle's diet, adding certain medications, hormones or vitamins.
Since grain is not a cow's natural main food source, this change in farming was a controversial one. The recent return to grass-fed beef is being welcomed by many as a more natural way of raising beef.
Beef from cattle raised on grain has a much milder taste than grass-fed beef. This is the taste which many of us are accustomed to, since it's what we've grown up on. However, it's not actually a true beef taste.
Grass-Fed Cattle
Some smaller farms have stuck with grazing throughout the years. In addition, many larger farms are now returning to this method, which is actually more traditional than today's €traditional€ method of feeding cattle.
Grass-fed beef can be quite a surprise for first-time tasters. We've grown up on beef from grain-raised cattle, and have gotten very used to the milder taste. It still tastes like beef, but there's a very noticeable difference.
If you've never tried it before, give it a try. You'll notice a taste which many people compare to wild game. Others insist they can taste a €grassy€ flavor in the beef. This kind of beef is lower in harmful fats than grain-fed beef, and it's often leaner as well.
Which Makes the Best Jerky?
If you're looking at this question from a purely health-related standpoint, then grass-fed is the way to go. However, be prepared for a different taste sensation. Preparing jerky intensifies the flavor of any meat, and so that gamy or grassy flavor will also be intensified.
If you've tried it and found the different flavor off-putting, don't worry too much about choosing grain-fed beef for your beef jerky. However, you can make healthier choices by seeking out jerky products which are labeled as certified organic.
Check out http://www.biltongandbeefjerky.com.au/beefjerky-c-2.html for high quality beef jerky.
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