Meat Madness: What Message is Shaping Your

Opinions about Beef?

Lynn A Bliven Association Team Coordinator Cornell Cooperative Extension Allegany/Cattaraugus County

Where life begins the Cow-Calf Farms• Cows are bred & give birth to a calf every year.• For the first few months of life, calves drink their mother’s

milk & graze on pastures.• Calves are weaned at 6-8 months old, weighing 400-500

pounds. Then eat grass & forages.• 1-in-3 female calves are kept on the cow-calf farm as breeding

animals (“replacement heifers”).

What is forage?

Stockers & Backgrounders• Stockers and backgrounders graze cattle on many

different kinds of pastures all across the United States. These cattle gain weight and, in effect, convert forage and grass into protein.

Types of feeds:• Silage, corn silage: The entire

corn plant, chopped and stored “wet”, fermented. Ensiled corn.

• Shelled corn: Dry, whole kernel corn.

• Cracked corn: Dry, whole kernel corn which is ground into smaller pieces.

Feedlots• Mature calves are moved to feedlots. • Typically spend 4-6 months.• Have constant access to water, room to move

around & are free to graze at feed bunks containing a carefully balanced diet.

• Veterinarians, nutritionists and cattlemen work together to look after each animal.

Marketplace Confusion

Free Range

Natural

Sugar-free

Whole Grain

Fat-Free

Grass-Fed

Local

Low-Fat

Organic

High Fiber

Gluten-free

Fortified

Added Protein

No GMO

Enriched

Sustainably Raised

Reduced sodium

Low Calorie

All Beef Is…• Grass-fed• Natural• Nutritious• Safe

Natural?Grass-fed?Organic?

Dry-aged?Pasture raised?

Free range?Humane?

Prime?

So what is:

What is: Natural?

So, is feeding expired baked goods “natural”?

Potato peels? Citrus rinds?

• “minimally processed, no artificial ingredients”. • Commonly used on products raised without

antibiotics or hormone implants.

Certified Naturally Raised?

• Cattle can be grain-finished or grass-finished (look at the label for details)

• Have never received antibiotics or growth promoting hormones

• May be given vitamin & mineral supplements• Must be certified by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing

Service

What is:

Grain-finished?• Cattle spend most of their lives grazing on pasture,

then spend 4-6 months in a feedlot• Fed scientifically & healthy balanced diet of grains,

such as corn, wheat or soybeans• May judiciously be given FDA-approved antibiotics or

growth promoting hormones• May be given vitamin and mineral supplements• Have continuous access to clean water & room to

grow & roam

What is:

What is:

• Varies, implies a grass diet.• Sometimes specified as “ 100%” or “strictly”.

Grass-fed?

Grass (Forage) Fed – Grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. The diet shall be derived solely from forage consisting of grass (annual and perennial), forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), browse, or cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain) state. Animals cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season. Hay, haylage, baleage, silage, crop residue without grain, and other roughage sources may also be included as acceptable feed sources. Routine mineral and vitamin supplementation may also be included in the feeding regimen. Grass (Forage) Fed Marketing Claim Standard (October 16, 2007, Federal Register Notice (72 FR 58631)) - PDF

So, are steers fed hay inside a barn all winter grass-fed?

Does grazing in a field of “young corn” mean grass-fed?

Where is this grass fed beef coming from?

Grass-finished?

• Cattle spend their entire lives grazing on pasture

• May judiciously be given FDA-approved antibiotics or growth promoting hormones

• May be given vitamin and mineral supplements

• Can be difficult to produce year-round in North America due to changing seasons & weather conditions

What is:

What is:

• Certified organic feed, can include grain.• Housing, health, & handling specifically defined.• Processing done at a certified facility.• No antibiotics, no hormone implants allowed.

Organic?

Could this farm be certified organic?

What is:

• “Access to the outdoors”.

Pasture Raised or Free Range?

What is:• Most locally raised beef carcasses “hang” 10-14

days in the cooler.• Technically, “dry aging” is for individual primals

for a period of 21 days or more.

Dry-Aged

What is:

• Only USDA Graders can assign USDA Quality Grades.

• There are NO USDA Graders in NYS.

Prime?

% IMF (intramuscular fat):

2.5-3.9%

3.9-8.5%

8.5-12+%Beef Research Report, Iowa SU 1998

% of US Beef Supply in the 3 top USDA Grades:

NBQA 2011

31.5%

61.5%

2.7%

Slight Small Modest

Moderate Slightly abundant Moderately abundant

Define what is important to you, seek it from local sources.

1. “What do I want?” Common answers are “affordable, healthy, safe, humane meats.”

2. VISIT farmers’ markets, ASK around, and TALK with area farmers.

3. If you like what you see/hear…buy it! Buy small quantities to sample, figure out what you like.

What is important to me?

• Pasture, when it is available.• Haylage, balage, some grains, but not straight corn.• “Free choice” hay.

• No food waste from industrial food processing.

• Treat sick animals as needed.

Healthy animals, healthy feed

• Animals have access to the outdoors, shade/ shelter, water, feed, and pasture (seasonal).

• General farm and livestock appearance.

Clean, humane farm conditions

• A good eating experience!• Adequate marbling & fat cover.

High Quality Meats

• Animals of the appropriate age.

• Beef: 16-32 mos.• Lamb/goat: <1year• Pigs: <1year• Poultry: <1year

• Properly wrapped for long freezer life.

• Beef animals should “hang” between 1-2 weeks.

• USDA inspected is good, not necessary.

Humane, clean processing

USDA & NYS Regulations

• USDA Inspected: Livestock (beef, pork, goat, lamb) meat can be sold to the public.

• “Custom” & NYS 5A: Livestock meat cannot be sold. Consumers can buy a live animal (or portion of live animal) from a farmer & have it processed at a 5A.

• NYS 20C: Can process (butcher) & sell livestock killed at USDA inspected facility.

What about claims?

• Higher in CLA• Lower in cholesterol or saturated fat.• Sustainable scale.• Family farms.• Grass-based.• Humane.• Lean.

Beef Primal Cuts

There are eight wholesale cuts that are then used to make retail cuts.

Beef Cuts

The fore shank and brisket come from the shoulder and chest of cattle.

It’s most common retail cut is the brisket.

FORE SHANK AND BRISKET

Beef Brisket

The Beef Brisket is a very course textured muscle. The heavy layer of fat and the sternum or breast bone have been removed. Due to

the course texture of this muscle, cooking in liquid is recommended.

The round is the hind quarter of cattle, similar to the ham of a hog.

The rump roast is a common example of a retail cut from the round.

THE ROUND

Round Steak

This steak is identified by the round leg bone and three muscles. At the top of the screen is the top round, at the lower left is the bottom round, and lower right is the eye of the round.

Rump Roast- Boneless

When the rump is removed, boned, rolled and tied, a retail cut called the Beef Round Rump Roast is made. This represents a cut only moderately tender, moist heat is often used. However with a cut from choice and prime cattle, it is often cooked with dry heat.

Tip Steak

The Tip Steak is cut from the tip roast. Like the roast this steak is identified by four individual muscles within one large muscle mass.

The chuck is the neck region.

You may recognize the boneless chuck roast as a retail cut from the chuck.

THE CHUCK

Chuck Blade Steak

The Beef Chuck Blade Steak is similar to the beef chuck blade roast. It is usually cut less than one inch thick. The blade bone shown in this slide has the typical shape of the "sevenbone", a term frequently used in the meat trade.

Chuck Arm Roast

The Beef Chuck Arm Roast is identified by its thickness as a roast, the large round bone in the center of the cut and the many small muscles of which it is made. This roast may or may not have a cross cut rib bones showing but if present would be at the bottom of the picture.

Shank Cross Cut

The Beef Shank Cross Cut is identified by a cross section of the arm bone and many very small muscles, each surrounded by connective

tissue.

The rib cut is the rib section of the animal.

We derive several retail cuts from this area including prime rib, and back ribs.

THE RIB

Rib Eye Steak

The Beef Rib Eye Steak come from the large end of the beef rib and is made by removing back and rib bones.

Rib Roast, Small End

The Beef Rib Roast, Small End, contains several ribs, a portion of the backbone and one large muscle, the rib eye.

Back Ribs

The short loin consists of the loin and short ribs of the animal.

THE SHORT LOIN

T-Bone Steak

This steak has the characteristic "T" shaped vertebrae and the large eye muscle. The smaller muscle located below the T-bone is the tenderloin.

Porterhouse Steak

The Porterhouse Steak is similar to the beef loin T-bone steak. However the tenderloin muscle is much larger and an extra muscle

is located in the center of the porterhouse steak on the upper side.

Tenderloin Steak(Filet Mignon)

The most tender retail cut from the entire beef carcass is the Beef Loin Tenderloin Steak. This steak has a fine texture, is circular in

shape and is usually about three inches in diameter.

The sirloin is the waist of the animal, located between the ribs and round.

The top sirloin steak is the favorite retail cut from this section.

THE SIRLION

Sirloin Steak, Round Bone

The Sirloin Steak, Round Bone is located further back on the sirloin area of the beef loin. This particular sirloin steak has the greatest amount of lean and the least amount of bone.

Sirloin Steak, Round Bone

The Sirloin Steak, Round Bone is located further back on the sirloin area of the beef loin. This particular sirloin steak has the greatest amount of lean and the least amount of bone.

The flank is the area between the body and the hind legs.

You may be familiar with the flank steak often used for beef jerky.

FLANK AND SHORT PLATE

Flank Steak

The Beef Flank Steak is the only steak in the carcass containing an entire large muscle. Also, although most other steaks are cut across the muscle fibers, the flank steak fibers run the full length of the steak. To help tenderize these long fibers, you will notice the knife scores across the cut. Since the flank steak is one of the less tender

steaks, it should be cooked with moist heat cookery.

Other cuts consist of less desirable sections and are often cubed as stew meat or ground.

OTHER CUTS

Ground Beef

Pricing

On the hoof

On the rail

By the piece

Pricing

The important message

• Shopping locally allows you to choose based on a relationship rather than a claim.

• You want a good eating experience.

• Buying local has many benefits (the “triple bottom line”).

• Talk to farmers to learn more.

Questions

Credit for content and photos:

Michael J. Baker, Cornell University

Beef Extension Specialist

Matt LeRoux, Ag. Marketing Specialist

CCE - Tompkins County

Audrey Monroe, RD, LD

Kansas Beef Council