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grassfed beef?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 17:05
by fordtruckbeast
Anyone try salami with grassfed beef? From what i understand regular cattle are pellet fed for 4 months before slaughter to fatten them up and give them a more different flavor. From other people İve heard that cooked grassfed beef(like brisket) has a distinct taste of gaminess that not everyone would enjoy.
On a different note, İf İ am making a all beef long fermented salami what cut of beef would yall recommend? İ am relatively new to charcuterie. İ am guessing a large whole muscle would be better because it hasnt been contamined.... But are there any cuts that would give an all beef salami better flavor or are they all the same? Like does chuck or fillet mignon produce same results?
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 21:31
by jcflorida
Can't speak to relative flavors of various beef cuts, but I've made 100% beef salami using brisket and brisket fat several times.
I followed cajuneric's recipe here:
http://twoguysandacooler.com/making-a-100-beef-salami/
Liked it a lot, and found that I liked it a little better adding 0.2% ground coriander and 0.1% mace.
PS: Also made 100% pork salami using the exact same ingredients, good, but didn't like it as much.
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 22:44
by Lorenzoid
Call me a philistine, but to my palate:
Eaten as a steak, even "100% grassfed" beef (that is, cattle that are not finished on grain) doesn't taste all THAT different from grain-finished beef. Yes, there is a difference in flavor--I'd call it more "minerally" than "gamey"--and if the beef (for steak, that is) is dry-aged the difference is more pronounced. The difference does not seem as pronounced to me as the difference between beef and game, such as wild venison. Dry-cured sausages made with horse or donkey (can be found in France) also have a minerally tone. I like the minerally taste, and if I were eating a steak, especially dry-aged, I would go for grassfed, but I sure wouldn't pay extra for grassfed beef for making salami. I suspect that, knowing my palate, I would perceive the fermentation and spices as masking the minerally tones. But since I have never to my knowledge eaten a dried salami made with grassfed beef, this is conjecture.
I, too, have used brisket and brisket fat for all-beef salami, and it tastes excellent to me. I suspect brisket is sort of the standard. Chuck would probably work, too, if you trim the soft fat out and add in a harder fat, such as ... brisket fat. The harder fat is what gives the salami that fat-speckled appearance; soft fat would melt or smear. I think pork backfat may be even harder, but that's getting away from your questions.
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 06:15
by cmunson3
I make a lot of deer sausage and bresoala/lomo and pastrami out of deer and find that the curing/ salting takes the deer flavor (that I happen to enjoy) out of the meat to a great degree. Probably be the same with grass fed beef. We raise cattle, so I guess all our hamburger is grass fed. Never really thought about it that way. Tastes like beef to me. If you aren't opposed to pork, this Texas beef producer, tends to prefer pork fat regardless of the lean meat used, but we've made plenty of good all beef sausage.
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 16:53
by Poivrot Farci
Depends on the breed, age of the animal and aging of the meat. It takes a long time for 100% grass-fed beef to put on enough market weight, far more than the 22-30 months most steer are slaughtered at. But time is money and if the land isn't owned, that can cost a lot. In Europe, where land is often owned for generations, steers are raised exclusively on grass for at least 4 years. Due to residual fears of Mad Cow (BSE), steers are slaughtered before 30-ish months or else the spine has to be removed and that slows things up. Some lean breeds like Charolais will be very lean, gamey and even tough depending on the age. Small frame English breeds like Devon, Angus or Hereford will be good if they are fed properly. But since you are grinding and heavily salting, the nuances may be lost. I've used 100% grass fed beef for bresaola (21 day dry aged) and have had excellent results.
For the price, I'd suggest cuts from the round. Outside round (silverside), eye of round or knuckle. They are lean, firm cuts with limited connective tissue, sinew, tendons or fat that aren't very popular in the US and are relatively inexpensive.
Chuck can be soft (tender) and might not mix as well. Using filet mignon would be very expensive and like chuck might not firm up well after curing.
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 17:55
by Butterbean
Not a fan of real grass-finished beef myself. I raise cattle and prefer to finish them on grain. Pellets aren't used. They are fed high quality grass or hay with a small supplement of grain to raise the caloric intake to help them put on fat quicker. Here, the fat in grass-finished cattle has a yellow color from the carotin - grain-finished is a nice white color and doesn't have "that taste" I dislike. Of course some mislabel their products because grass-fed brings more than grain-fed. I know a few who do this.
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 14:20
by fordtruckbeast
How do You know what part is soft fat and what part is hard fat of the cow?
Lorenzoid wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 22:44
Call me a philistine, but to my palate:
Eaten as a steak, even "100% grassfed" beef (that is, cattle that are not finished on grain) doesn't taste all THAT different from grain-finished beef. Yes, there is a difference in flavor--I'd call it more "minerally" than "gamey"--and if the beef (for steak, that is) is dry-aged the difference is more pronounced. The difference does not seem as pronounced to me as the difference between beef and game, such as wild venison. Dry-cured sausages made with horse or donkey (can be found in France) also have a minerally tone. I like the minerally taste, and if I were eating a steak, especially dry-aged, I would go for grassfed, but I sure wouldn't pay extra for grassfed beef for making salami. I suspect that, knowing my palate, I would perceive the fermentation and spices as masking the minerally tones. But since I have never to my knowledge eaten a dried salami made with grassfed beef, this is conjecture.
I, too, have used brisket and brisket fat for all-beef salami, and it tastes excellent to me. I suspect brisket is sort of the standard. Chuck would probably work, too, if you trim the soft fat out and add in a harder fat, such as ... brisket fat. The harder fat is what gives the salami that fat-speckled appearance; soft fat would melt or smear. I think pork backfat may be even harder, but that's getting away from your questions.
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 21:40
by Lorenzoid
fordtruckbeast wrote: ↑Sun Mar 27, 2022 14:20
How do You know what part is soft fat and what part is hard fat of the cow?
Someone with more knowledge may correct me, but it's my understanding that the intramuscular beef fat--the wispy veins of fat that run throughout the meat--is a softer fat, and the thick fat on the outside of common cuts such as a brisket and chuck is a harder fat. I believe I can tell the difference by feel.
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 13:07
by fordtruckbeast
Poivrot Farci wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 16:53
Depends on the breed, age of the animal and aging of the meat. It takes a long time for 100% grass-fed beef to put on enough market weight, far more than the 22-30 months most steer are slaughtered at. But time is money and if the land isn't owned, that can cost a lot. In Europe, where land is often owned for generations, steers are raised exclusively on grass for at least 4 years. Due to residual fears of Mad Cow (BSE), steers are slaughtered before 30-ish months or else the spine has to be removed and that slows things up. Some lean breeds like Charolais will be very lean, gamey and even tough depending on the age. Small frame English breeds like Devon, Angus or Hereford will be good if they are fed properly. But since you are grinding and heavily salting, the nuances may be lost. I've used 100% grass fed beef for bresaola (21 day dry aged) and have had excellent results.
For the price, I'd suggest cuts from the round. Outside round (silverside), eye of round or knuckle. They are lean, firm cuts with limited connective tissue, sinew, tendons or fat that aren't very popular in the US and are relatively inexpensive.
Chuck can be soft (tender) and might not mix as well. Using filet mignon would be very expensive and like chuck might not firm up well after curing.
Thanks for the input. İ just bought an bottom round and decided to taste it... Oh boy was that was tasteless meat... İm not sure if this would translate into a delicious salami.... İ mean it was also very very lean... Chuck isnt a tender cut why would it be soft.... İ think brisket or chuck have more flavor from the start and that would translate into more flavor end product. Or thats my theory....
Re: grassfed beef?
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2022 02:44
by Bentley Meredith
Interesting comment. I always felt that fresh, grass fed beef had a metallic flavor. That is not the best description, but about all I can come up with. That harsh Boudin flavor when it is made with all hog liver!
Lorenzoid wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 22:44
Call me a philistine, but to my palate:
Eaten as a steak, even "100% grassfed" beef (that is, cattle that are not finished on grain) doesn't taste all THAT different from grain-finished beef. Yes, there is a difference in flavor--I'd call it more "minerally" than "gamey"...