Grass fed beef vs grain fed?

I’ve never had grass fed, but I ordered a whole cow due to costs at the store and such and wanted to stock up. I understand it has less marbling but also is healthier than grain fed.

I was told to cook it slower so it’s tender. Is the flavor that much different? What should I expect as far as flavor and what’s the best way to cook it? I usually slow cook grain fed steak 10 minutes each side at a low temp fed then sear it at a high temp.

Actress Kristen Schaal grew up on a CO cattle ranch. She told a story in a WTF podcast about how one of the cows died.

She said the family ate it, "but the meat wasn't any good because it was grass fed."

Even a cattle rancher wanted some grain-finished beef.

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Grass fed doesnt taste right to me

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I'm not a huge fan either and it cooks differently too.

Maybe you should of tried a few pieces of grass fed before ordering a whole cow, I hate it

I like grass fed ground beef for whatever reason, but I'm not a fan of the steaks or roast cuts.

ill offer the counterpoint: i love it, and if you stick with it, i suspect you will to. Know that if that ruminant animal ate the way mother nature intended and it was fully grass-finished, then i argue your eating the single most nutritious food available to us. When we treat cows like pigs and feed them corn and soy, the nutrient profile changes and the animal get fatter, but is essentially obese - your eating a sicker-than-optimal animal. Much like our society, where appx 50% of our population is obese, largely due to ingestion of processed foods, seed oils at top of the list. they are in most everything we eat, we are being poisoned by them, and noone seems to really care. your doing the right thing

i cook the majority of mine in a green egg. i grill all primal cuts at a temp of appx 225, ~5 minutes/side, 3 flips so twenty minutes total, on average. then place in a soft insulated chest for appx 30-45 minutes. this give a med rare i like. the meat is denser so takes longer to cook, and the soft chest allows the center to warm and cook slower. i cut into 2" thick steaks and cook similarly chucks, shoulders, and even round steaks, though these cut at 1" thick. i keep a simple chimichurra-type sauce (olive oil, garlics, parsley) to add when eating if too dry. i eat these cuts cold out of the fridge as leftovers, cut into bite-size chunks and add the chimi. i brown and braise the shanks, necks, and other cuts in olive oil and onion, with juice of the meat, no outside stock. the remainder gets ground, and i eat hamburger steaks and some raw. A 1k lb animal may yield 50-75lb of ground im guessing. season all of the above to taste with s&p

most consider grass finished tougher, id argue its a firmer, denser bite, but smoother throughout. the most pleasantly surprising part is the chewiness and palatability of the gristle and fat, which is completely different from grain fed. i remember often chewing on but not beaing able to finish store bought gristle, tendon, etc cause it was too tough and unpleasant. now, these bits are my favorite part. Ive learned that seed oils contribute to inflammation and joint pain in humans due to some alteration of cartilage, and i assume the same effect is caused in these beeves. and just on flavor, its hard to enjoy a normal steak now. sort of like graduating to a micro brew from Mich ultra. when you go back to the mass produced, you instantly recognize the difference in quality

happy eating OP. it will take time to learn how to handle it to your liking, but i urge you to stick with and you will see the benefits. main tip is remember it is denser than grain fed, so lower heat and slightly longer cooking time generally speaking

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Grain fed in a feed lot needs to be given antibiotics because the grain is bad for them. Google it.

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I suspect that is true for all factory-produced beef. My BiL doesn't do it. Just grass, hay, and corn, all of which he grows. I'm sure you can get used to grass fed beef, especially with a lot of chimichurri on it. Bison is very good. I like the sweetness of it.

I try to incorporate more grass-fed into the mix, mainly for the health benefits. But like others suggest, it’s just not as tasty. I buy grass-fed ground beef if I’m blending with something else or covering it well (tacos, chili, etc.). Steak, burgers, brisket?….gimme that fat arse grain fed beef please

Absolutely correct! The cholesterol medication companies don’t want you to know that, though.

I cut out sugar a year ago and it’s still high. I lost weight but cholesterol is high