| There's beef. Then there's organic beef. And then | | | | beef. |
| there's truly superior grass-fed organic beef - the | | | | 3. Expertly butchered. Once upon a time, |
| kind that is only raised by a select group of | | | | everyone had a neighborhood butcher. Today, |
| American family farms. Does the difference really | | | | butchering is a disappearing art...but there are still |
| matter? If you want a choice that's good for you, | | | | experts, many of whom learned their skills from |
| good for the planet, and good for your taste | | | | fathers or grandfathers. The best organic beef |
| buds, here's a quick primer on what separates the | | | | recalls the days when skilled butchers took pride |
| best from the rest. | | | | in knowing how to achieve the best taste and |
| 1. Raised right. The best beef comes from happy | | | | texture with the perfect cut. |
| cows. If you think that sounds crazy, you haven't | | | | The grass-fed difference |
| visited a small organic farm specializing in | | | | Grass-fed ranchers feed their animals only |
| grass-fed beef. The cattle spend most of their | | | | pasture grass, as well as some legumes and hay - |
| lives roaming free on beautiful rolling pastures, | | | | never grain, which is not part of a cow's natural |
| eating high-quality, pesticide-free grass. Cattle that | | | | diet. |
| are humanely treated, unstressed and healthy | | | | Only a decade ago, few consumers were aware |
| (and free of added hormones or antibiotics) | | | | of the distinction between grass-fed and |
| produce a higher standard of beef. Not only is this | | | | grain-finished beef. But a series of disease scares |
| beef delicious, but also better for you, with less | | | | - including the late 2003 discovery of a "mad" cow |
| saturated fat and more beneficial Omega-3s and | | | | in the U.S. that led to the destruction of hundreds |
| CLAs. | | | | of animals - has helped spark greater interest in |
| 2. Dry aged. Few people do it well, and almost | | | | grass-fed beef. |
| nobody does it for grass-fed organic beef. But | | | | Today, there is more and more interest in |
| once you taste juicy grass-fed ribeyes, | | | | grass-fed beef's health benefits. For example, |
| tenderloins and other steakhouse favorites that | | | | although grass-fed meat is low in "bad" fat |
| have been dry aged for 14-21 days to tenderize | | | | (including saturated fat), it gives you two to six |
| the beef and enhance the flavor, you'll never | | | | times more of a type of "good" fat called |
| want to go back to wet-aged cuts, which have | | | | "omega-3 fatty acids." Read the PBS story |
| become the industry norm. Wet aging is easier | | | | "Green Beef Catches On" for more about the |
| and less expensive. It tenderizes the beef, but it | | | | grass-fed revolution. |
| doesn't concentrate the flavor. Dry-aged organic | | | | Better quality, better taste |
| beef must be kept in a temperature-controlled, | | | | The best beef comes from farms that are |
| closely watched, refrigerated environment for at | | | | certified organic. But for beef that's truly a cut |
| least 14 days. The difference between wet aging | | | | above, look for sources that are also personally |
| and dry aging is widely recognized - and dry aging | | | | committed to practices that result in exceptionally |
| is usually reserved for only the highest quality | | | | high-quality, good-tasting meats. |