Grass-Fed Beef?

Last week, A Hamburger Today had an article on which type of beef makes the best burgers: grain- or grass-fed. They referenced a Discovery News article that had some great info, including the finding that grass-fed beef actually has a larger carbon footprint. Carbon emissions on a typical grain-based feedlot are higher per kilogram, but since the animals gain weight more rapidly, the overall methane output is less. An Australian study found that on average, grain-fed cattle produce 38% less methane than their grass-fed counterparts. However, some researchers find that in grass-fed pastured, the grazed land can act as a carbon sink, offsetting the higher methane production. Eating the grass and subsequently fertilizing the pasture with waste creates healthy soil which can trap carbon.

Additionally, other environmental factors make grass-fed beef a compelling choice. There is abundant evidence that commercial feedlots have significant negative effects on air and water quality. The practice of maintaining waste lagoons is a huge contributor. In the most extreme cases, these lagoons can rupture, causing fish kills and massive groundwater contamination.

The NRDC has a great article on the effects of commercial feedlots on the surrounding environment and human health. As manure decomposes, gases including ammonia and hydrogen sulfide are released. This gas is dangerous at low levels and symptoms can range from diarrhea to death. Additionally, nitrates from waste lagoons can seep and contaminate ground water. Lastly, use of antibiotics is prevalent in commercial feed operations, due to the volume and close proximity in which these animals are kept. These antibiotics also make it into waste, groundwater, and our food supply, which only exacerbates the problem of drug-resistant bacterial diseases.

The distinction between these 2 types of beef is something I've been paying especially close attention to lately, with the arrival of Turtle Mist 100% grass-fed beef from Gelbveih cattle. The last post was about the pot roast I made; the arrival of the snow this past weekend gave me a great opportunity to further experiment. I defrosted a 1.5 pound chuck steak, ground it using the coarse die on the KitchenAid, and separated into 2 batches - a 6 ounce burger and the remainder for chili.

The Burger
This was one of the best burgers I've ever had. My initial concern was that the chuck by itself wouldn't have enough fat to keep the burger moist, but this turned out not to be an issue. I formed the patty, seasoned the outside with salt and pepper, and seared on a flat-top griddle over high heat for 3 minutes on each side. The result was a perfect medium-rare burger.

It wasn't as juicy as a grain-fed chuck patty, but it was plenty moist, with enough juices to soak part of the bun, and the grass-fed flavor was amazing. There was an obvious dense quality to the meat as compared to typical grain-fed chuck, but I enjoyed the texture immensely. I would not recommend cooking past medium or the patty would likely be tough and somewhat dry.

The Chili
The idea to make chili was largely inspired by a discussion with my officemate last week. We were talking about making Cincinnati chili, and he'd found an article sharing the technique of boiling the ground beef (as opposed to browning) before adding to the chili. This takes the excess fat off and gives the meat a great texture.

I decided to use this method, slightly modified. I took the remaining ground chuck (raw) and added it to the Crock Pot. Then a can of pintos and a can of diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, 3 cloves of garlic, and some dried local chiles drom this summer. 8 hours on low and it was amazing.

Since the grass-fed beef is so lean, there was no need to drain the excess fat from the meat before simmering. And the gamier flavor is ideal for chili.

Which is better?
Based on my recent experiments, I'll be sticking with grass-fed beef for the foreseeable future. It's a little pricier than grain-fed, but I'm finding that I eat smaller portions since its a denser, leaner protein. I still need to experiment with other cuts; I've got some tenderloin and a hangar steak that I'm looking forward to preparing, but so far, the pot roast, chili, and burger all get high marks.

However, as important as taste and texture are, the environmental, ethical, and nutritional concerns must be considered. Although I'm more carnivore than not, I believe that animals should be treated humanely. I like to know the meat I'm eating enjoyed a decent existence grazing in pastures and not being pumped full of chemicals in a pen. Additionally, anything I can do to stem the tide of commercial feedlots is a worthy effort in my book. These factors coupled with grass-fed beef being leaner and high in omega-3's tells me this is the right choice.