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Guess what, folks? A drug made by Merck to treat asthma has been found to make cattle bulk up with heavier muscle and less fat, making more money for the factory rancher. The problem is, the taste is more bland. This is used by the major suppliers to supermarkets and has been going on since 2011.
Zilmax lets a feedlot owner get more meat from the cow without having to give it any additional food and water. Leonard reported that the drug could add 33 pounds of extra meat to a cow, making the animal about $30 more valuable.
What was that slogan, 'Better living through chemistry'.
As far as the marbling being required for flavor, I am extremely fond of grass fed beef because it has, guess what, FLAVOR that corn fed doesn't. This even with being leaner.
I first discovered this entirely by accident almost 40 years ago when a little market near us accidentally got some grass fed beef in and, because of the idea (long story about where it came from involving horses, corn, the internal combustion engine, farmers who grew corn for horses, and the USDA) that well marbled (corn fed) beef is somehow superior, it was on sale, so I bought some not knowing what I had. (Sort of a blind taste test, if you will.) Took it home, cooked it, marveled at the idea that beef actually had so much flavor, and went back to get some more but it was all gone. Took over two decades for me to find more, and I had to drive two hours one way to pick it up, but I did it. Had to be marginally more skilled in cooking it, but only marginally.
It's sort of like the difference between eggs from free range hens and caged hens. One has deep orange yolks and much better flavor; the other has lighter yolks and less flavor. (When my daughter, at 17, moved into her own apartment, after a couple of weeks and a shopping trip on her own, she called me to see if I'd bring her some "real eggs" because she'd discovered what was available in the supermarket didn't come close.);
I find it interesting that some say that grass fed isn't as good because it's leaner and all the flavor comes from marbling, while at the same time there's complaints because it has TOO MUCH flavor compared to supermarket (corn fed) beef. Can't have it both ways, folks.
And, yes, I know, all cattle are basically raised on grass, and finished either on grass or corn. But the finishing greatly impacts the flavor. Just to get that out of the way.
Most people haven't tasted it, so how would we (or they) know?
Go away logic troll.
Based on my own personal anecdotes over the last 40+ years. It's the internets didn't you know everything is true or you can't post it. BTW I'm a French male model.
I've always finished my own cattle with Canadian barley, a cool, clean grain with almost no flavour (flavor) of its' own.
The USA big boys use corn. Not only is it a greasy, strong flavoured (flavoured) grain, it is able to disguise other procedures used down the food chain after the rancher has sold his feeder cattle.
Some of it is breed genetics but more than half of it is management. Perhaps a lot more.
The "grass fed" movement is really strong here in Alberta and all the way down through Montana, an area blessed with cold enough winters to naturally kill parasites (no Ivermectin) but nice enough to grow fantastic dry grass.
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