The market is ruthless and producers have to fight for your attention with fancy-sounding claims, labels, certifications and another marketing arsenal. Navigating the maze of offers and getting the best quality for your money could be a challenge.

Choosing the best cut packed with flavour requires some knowledge, but it’s not difficult. Understanding the basics about red meat will set you in the direction of becoming the bbq queen or king. Experience will launch you to claim your title confidently.

Tag along and learn what develops the flavour of beef and how to serve it to perfection.

The Diet And Wellbeing

Many factors influence the flavour, nutrition and overall quality of beef. Animals genetics, age, gender to name a few. What makes the most visible difference is diet. What cattle eat will determine the taste and fat content. Therefore, It is important to know how to read the labels.

Before we dive in it is important to understand the beef marbling. In other words, the amount of intramuscular fat that is in the cut of red meat. These fat tissues determine the intensity of the flavour that we perceive with our sensory skills, taste and smell. It also defines the tenderness of the meat. A good steak will have a decent amount of marbling that you can see on the cut as thin white threads.

Grass vs Grain Fed Beef

Cattle eat grass most of their life, so what’s the catch here. What plays the role is the final few months before harvest.

Grain-fed cows spend their life on the range, eating grass before they will be moved to a feedlot, where the farmers will feed them grains, usually corn, to accelerate their weight gain. This not only increases the yield of a cow but also affects the flavour. The grain-fed meat has a higher amount of fat content. More fat results in more flavour. The grain develops a more buttery flavour in the beef. Some people even say that it tastes sweeter.

Grass-fed cattle eat grass the whole time. Farmers can still move it into a feeding lot but will feed it grass in the form of hay. The cows will bulk less and develop more lean meat. You can clearly see it in the comparison side by side. Grass-fed will have less marbling but the meat will be redder in colour. It is generally perceived as a healthier option because it contains less fat and a better balance of omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. People who are used to eating grain-fed beef will notice the grassy flavour notes of this meat.

As you can see, all cows eat grass so the term Grass-fed is a bit of a marketing tool. What changes the outcome is the final months of the cows’ diet. If it eats grain or sticks with grass. The more accurate term is grass or grain-finished.

Which one is the true flavour of beef? This is very subjective to say. You will probably claim that the true flavour is the type you grew on. This type of meat will come naturally to your taste.

Try both types and see the difference for yourself. Is the grass flavour significant and does the grain-fed beef taste more buttery?

Pasture Raised

Another type of label that may be confusing. The USDA doesn’t have a clear definition for pasture-raised beef. Even the definition itself is very vague with a lot of nuances.

Most cows spend their lives outside on pastures. Their wellbeing is decisive for the quality of meat. A stressful environment produces cortisol hormone that negatively impacts the flavour and texture.

Space is one of the factors that may affect the cows’ stress. Cows can have more or less free-roaming areas where they can engage in natural movement and activities. Farmers may let them walk for days without being in sight or closely monitor their whereabouts and control the exposure to stress.

Some farms go to extreme lengths to care for their cattle. They will separate cows that don’t go along well. It is difficult to enjoy a stroll on a fresh meadow while your nemesis is present.

The best way to find out how are the cows treated is to start a conversation with the farmer or your butcher. If you are privileged enough to have a cattle ranch in your area, give it a visit and see the wellbeing of their cows for yourself.

Organic

A very popular buzzword these days. Cows residing on an organic farm live on a chemical-free diet. Farmers don’t interfere with their hormone levels that may be otherwise used for muscle growth and other factors.

When buying Organic meat, you will eat clean food and consume more nutrition as studies suggest.

The only drawback is the price. Obtaining an Organic licence, and maintaining, it is costly. An alternative to this is uncertified organic. An emerging trend especially among small producers. It is difficult to verify when a farm claims that it doesn’t use chemicals. It all lays in trust and your own judgement. Definitely go for organic produce if you can.

The Genetics

There are many breeds of cattle out there. Each with its unique traits and characteristics. Some are significant while the others are more subtle. Angus breed is one of the most popular types of beef. And I am also sure that you heard the term Wagyu or Kobe already.

Angus

These cattle are native to Aberdeen county in Scotland and the current mainstream beef source. Farmers love it because It is very adaptable and easy to maintain. Its remarkable marbling qualities develop tender and rich meat.

Alert! Don’t assume that everything labelled Angus is only the best. Even the best genetics can yield poor quality steak if the cattle live in poor conditions. Pay close attention to the farm and supplier or look for Angus certified products for concrete assurance.

Wagyu And Kobe Beef

The Creme de la creme. Wagyu translates to “Japanese Cattle”. This term covers any of the four breeds of cows native to Japan. Their meat is considered the best beef there is and one of the top-premium food that you can put on your plate.

Wagyu cattle are unique for their intermuscular fat, marbling, because of their genes. This fat contains mainly oleic acids or unsaturated fat and is therefore very healthy. On top of that, Wagyu meat is the beef with the most tender, velvety-smooth texture, because Its fat melts at very low temperatures. Slice thin strips of medium-rare Wagyu and feel how it melts on your tongue. The flavour is insanely rich and almost overwhelming. Because of that, most people claim that they cannot eat too much of it at once.

When we discuss Wagyu we have to mention Kobe. A harbour city right next to Osaka, Japan. Aside from stunning mountains and panoramic views, this area produces the best Wagyu beef.

Same as Champagne originates only from the Champagne region in France. To give the steak a Kobe label, it has to be made in this region. There is no such thing as American Kobe as there is no American Champagne.

American Wagyu

We can find Wagyu cattle farms in many countries now. The farming leader is still Japan. Australia is second and the United States third.

While American Kobe is an advertisement trick, the American Wagyu is the real deal. This cattle will have one parent pure Angus cow and another Wagyu. Marrying two of these will develop meat with beefy flavour, that Americans are used to, and velvety-soft texture.

Aged Beef

When you browse the butchers’ offer, you will likely come across the Dry-Aged and Wet-Aged Beef phrase. We can either cook the beef fresh, right out of the butchers’ knife. Or we can let it rest like a fine wine and develop more complex flavours.

Wet-Aged

The butcher will vacuum-seal the fresh meat and let it rest for a few days at a controlled temperature, a little bit above 1℃. The inner enzymes in meat will start tenderizing the meat and progress the taste but not as significant as during the dry ageing.

Dry-Aged

The beef is stored in an environment with strictly controlled humidity and temperature where it will reduce its moisture. The meat will then age for several weeks. During this time the natural enzymes will slowly break down the muscles and elevate the tenderness.

This process will let develop more complex flavours and additional nutty or earthy notes with a bit of sourness similar to Parmesan cheese. It is recommended for people already familiar with the beef taste, looking for ways to advance their dining experience.

Dry-Aged beef absorbs not only flavour but also price as it takes a long time to produce. On top of that, the carcass yield is lower as the muscles lost some moisture and volume.

Final Thoughts

Cooking method and cut of beef will decide the final flavour. That is up to your own preference. But, think for a moment how may your favourite cut taste like if the cow had different diet or if it was dry aged. Consider what is an useful information to know and what is mere marketing.