Buying grass fed beef

This Week In The HSI Forum

You are what you eat, but if you eat meat, you’re also what your food ate.

In terms of nutrition, grass-fed beef is far healthier than corn-fed beef. In this Thursday’s e-Alert “Hoosier Friend?” (see below), in a discussion of fat intake, I quoted Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., who wrote in the December 2002 issue of his Nutrition and Healing Newsletter: “If you can, buy organically raised, ‘grass-fed’ beef and pork and free-range chicken and turkey.” Dr. Wright explains that organic and free-range meat contains less omega-6 and much more omega-3 fatty acid content, as well as less residue from pesticide, insecticide and herbicide.

But if you’re not fortunate enough to have a grocery that offers whole foods and other healthier fare, an HSI Forum thread titled “A good source for grass-fed beef?” provides some excellent tips on how to find meat from livestock that’s spent its days grazing in the open pasture.

A member named Elena starts the thread off with a complaint about some very tough grass-fed beef she tried. In addition, she found it gamey. She asks, “Any suggestions for a source of TENDER grass-fed beef?”

A member named Gidget responds, saying, “I grew up on grass-fed beef & it was hardly ever tough.” She explains that sometimes, just prior to slaughter, livestock will become frightened and release chemicals into the body that change the taste of the meat. She says, “We had that happen. We had to grind the whole lot into hamburger. It was delicious that way but not very tasty as steak.” And a member named Michelle says she had a similar experience with gamey steaks that tasted much better as hamburger.

A member named Charles observes that, “Most grass-fed meat providers recommend an oven temperature of from 175-225 degrees. The lower the temperature, the longer it will take to cook, but the outcome will always be best at the lowest possible temperature. You might also try marinating the beef in pineapple juice for a few hours, or overnight.”

As for where to find grass-fed beef, several members offer web sites to check. Meanwhile, Roz suggests asking about grass-fed beef at your local health food store. When she did just that, she was given the name of a farmer who could supply the beef.

But for a truly unique beef-buying experience, it will be hard to beat this suggestion from a member named Lynn: “A great grass-fed meat source is a small 2-person meat store in Lewellen, Nebraska, called J&J Big Game Processing. Jack Armstrong, the owner and a Native American medicine man, sells mostly buffalo. He’ll drive out in the pasture, shoot one or two very quickly, so they don’t suspect imminent death, perform a ritual ceremony, hang the carcass, and then butcher it. Jack also carries certified elk, organic pork, and lamb, and makes a variety of sausages from any of the meats.” If you’re ready to include some grass-fed beef in your diet, this thread is a good place to start, for sources as well as cooking tips.

Other topics on the HSI Forum this week include:

• Vitamin D – info needed
• Sea salt
• Candida
• Making healthy chocolate
• Painful joints
• Taking child’s temp

To reach the HSI Forum, just go to our web site at www.hsionline.com, click on “Forum,” and add your voice to the wide range of topics concerning health care and nutrition.