I've been hearing a lot of people telling me that the beef at the grocery store is terrible, and getting worse....
Well it turns out that they are 100% right!
Grocery store beef is NOT the same as it used to be.
After a few weeks of digging around for answers, I've found 3 big reasons why...
#1 Cows aren't living as long
The name of the game in industrial agriculture is efficiency. For years cattle have been bred to finish faster and faster.
The ability to slaughter at a young age is great for the bottom line, but not so good for quality.
Older animals have a more robust flavor, its just a result of living, using their muscles and eating diverse food for longer.
Ideally you'd harvest older animals with higher quality beef, and then age the beef properly for incredible texture. The best of both worlds.
But corporate meat packers don't have time for that (more on this below)
So younger animals = softer (almost mushy), less flavorful beef
That's strike 1.
#2 They are feeding cattle "byproducts"
Generally when you're thinking about huge corporations, starting with "how are they making things worse by trying to squeeze out every buck?" is a good idea.
And it turns out that feedlots are cutting every corner they can find.
With grain, cattle, and fuel prices rising, they are looking for ways to save money by "cutting" the feed ration with lower quality additives.
One way is increasing the percentage of byproducts like DDGS (Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles....yummmy!)
If feeding cows a byproduct that needs an acronym isn't appetizing to you, it shouldn't be.
These byproducts have been stripped of any real nutrition.
They are a bland, dead food, which predictably creates bland, lousy beef.
#3 They process it too fast (and age it wrong)
Over the years the commodity beef market has gotten more and more centralized.
Bigger plants process faster. So, instead of letting the beef hang properly, it gets packaged almost as soon as it cools down.
And once it's cut up, it is immediately bagged up to "wet age" in its own juices.
Wet aging is what leads to the metallic flavor some people complain about, and keeps the beef nice and full of water--which consumers pay for!
You may think that's not a big deal but let me spell it out in different terms:
If' you're paying $20/lb for some steaks, then you're also paying $20/lb for the unnecessary and residual water in those steaks...water weighs about 8 lbs/ gallon, so the value of that water corresponds to $160/gallon (8lbsx$20). Pricey water! (Sorry, couldn't resist the math reference). Granted there's only several ounces of water in the steak...but the value of that water is outrageous.
At Downs Ranch, we dry age our beef which means that as the water evaporates from the meat, the flavors intensify.
After 14 days of dry aging, the weight of the meat can be 15-30% less. So, when you buy beef from us, you are paying only for PREMIUM BEEF, not extraneous water.
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There you go. Three big reasons that beef quality is truly getting worse.
The explanation turned out to be simple - CORPORATE CONTROL OF THE FOOD SYSTEM.
Speeding things up and cutting costs.
Rushing a process that just can't be rushed.
Turning a traditional, nourishing food into a bland commodity imitation.
Compare their process to our cattle....
- Downs Ranch beef lives roughly twice as long as an average feedlot animal.
- Our beef spends that time eating diverse, nutrient-dense grasses and legumes from Certified Organic pastures. (no cheap fat from corn)
- And then they are harvested at a small, family-owned facility, where the beef is dry-aged for 14+ days.
It's no wonder people lose their minds about the flavor, freshness, and quality when they make the switch.
If you are ready to ditch the corporate "beef" we have some great options for you to try out.
I am fired up to help more people than ever before to stop worrying about the junk at the store, enjoy their beef again, and feel the health benefits of eating real food.
But in the meantime, can you do me a favor? If you found this interesting, would you share it with a friend?
I have heard about decreasing meat quality from countless people at this point, and I think a lot of folks would benefit from a glimpse into what's really going on.
Thanks for reading,
Jenika
PS - If you're ready to ditch corporate beef and buy directly from a local rancher, Shop our Products
