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The difference between grass-fed and corn-fed beef
NPR’s personalities test beef cooked in Tiny Desk Kitchen.
Mon, Apr 12 2010 at 1:54 PM
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Related Topics:

Healthy Eating, Organic Cooking

Photo: JulieaBrown1/Flickr

NPR’s Allison Aubrey delves into The Truth about Grass-Fed Beef and compares beef from grass-fed cows (what cows are supposed to eat) with beef from corn-fed cows (what cows are often forced to eat). She then cooks both in her Tiny Desk Kitchen and gives NPR personalities Ari Shapiro and Susan Stamberg a blind taste test.
 
 
It’s not very surprising that Shapiro and Stamberg both pick the corn-fed beef, probably for the reason that Stamberg points out — she’s “been so programmed over the years” to eat corn-fed beef. Both tasters agreed that the difference in preference was not so great though, and Shaprio said he would still chose the grass-fed over the corn-fed because he knows it’s more sustainable.
 
Aubrey points out in the accompanying piece to the video that grass-fed beef is higher in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids because the grass provides those nutrients to the cows. It’s also generally leaner.
 
I haven’t conducted a taste test between grass-fed and corn-fed beef, but last year I served guests burgers made from grass-fed ground beef, and I had several people tell me that they were the best burgers they had ever had. I hadn’t told them the beef was local and grass fed; they were just so impressed with the burgers that they had to say something.
 
Have you ever done a taste test between the two types of beef? What were your conclusions?
 

A little off-topic, but I wanted to add this. I first saw this video earlier today on OrganicNationTV. It’s a great blog, and I’m always learning something when I read it. Earlier today, they announced that they won a Treehugger Best of award, so I thought I’d take a moment to congratulate them. They won Best Food Twitter Feed. Follow them on Twitter @OrganicNation. 

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

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Comments: 5
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anonymous
Holli Brown Aug 30 2010 at 7:20 PM

In her report she cooked both the grass fed and the corn fed beef the same amount of time. You need to cook the GRASS FED Beef in 30% LESS time than the Corn Fed. Possibly this is why it seemed to not taste as good. Just a thought!

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anonymous
Lauren Jun 23 2010 at 7:46 AM
Grass Fed Beef is delicious in my opinion! I would agree that because most people have been eating corn fed beef their entire lives they may tend to prefer it just because it taste familiar. However, the health benefits that grass fed beef has over grain fed beef are significant as it is lower in calorie and fat, and also high is beta-carotene and omega 3 acids. I work with La Cense beef which sell 100% grass fed beef directly to consumers, and would have to recommend that if you have not tried
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it you about absolutely must!
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anonymous
Ann Apr 13 2010 at 2:52 PM

Growing up with a bunch of farmers around where I lived, they all said they preferred corn-fed beef, but I always thought that seemed a little unnatural. I never could taste a difference. Good to know the other, background, differences. Plant and Garden Blog

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anonymous
sisiay Apr 13 2010 at 12:35 PM
I agree with the above comment about all of the different factors than affect [any] meat, but overall I stand by this generalization: I try to only cook with grass-fed beef (from either grassland beef co or sometimes we buy from Hearst ranch). I have noticed that steaks tend to be "inferior" to grain fed (well, good grain fed anyway. i've never had a grass fed steak that can match up with a Peter Luger steak). But it also depends on the cut. Fattier cuts like rib-eyes I find to be more successful
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than strips/sirloins in terms of texture. And DO NOT overcook. The most expensive piece of grass fed meat will become shoe leather. Grass fed ground beef, on the other hand, is WORLDS better than grain fed. I don't know why, but it is. We have grass-fed burger parties often, and everyone asks where we get our beef. It's just unbelievable how much better the flavor is (I think when it's ground, it's easier to incorporate the fat and meat without any texture/toughness issues).
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anonymous
Carrie Oliver Apr 13 2010 at 9:40 AM
I host artisan beef (pork, lamb, poultry, etc.) tastings around North America, we should get you to one of these! One of my problems with the NPR video on grass fed vs. grain fed beef is that the general diet (grass or grain) is just one of many factors that influence flavor & texture. For a taste test to be meaningful, one needs to know the name of the farm, breed, growing region, specific diet, husbandry practices (including whether growth promotants were used), and aging time and technique.
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You also need to know the relative talents of the rancher and butcher. Otherwise, it's like grabbing two un-labeled red wines off the shelf and comparing them - if you prefer one to the other, how would you know how to buy more of it if you had no idea what it was in the first place. In other words, I could offer NPR beef from four grass-fed ranches or four grain-fed producers or a mix and they'd find them all different from each other and they'd have a preference. Does this make one better than another? No! It makes one best for each individual, perhaps, but there's no such thing as a "perfect steak."
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