Found out grass fed beef has way less marbling than I assumed after reading a USDA grading report

Spent 20 minutes digging through the USDA's website after a customer argued with me about it. Turns out grain finished beef grades higher like 80% of the time. Nobody talks about that in the shop. Has anyone else had customers insist grass fed is always better for steaks?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayden_martin2922h ago

The marbling thing is tricky because grass fed can have better flavor compounds from different fats but you lose that buttery texture people expect. There's actually studies showing grass fed has higher omega-3s but they break down way faster during cooking so the health benefit is smaller than people think. A buddy of mine tested both side by side with a thermometer and the grain finished stayed medium rare longer while the grass fed dried out quicker. Kinda makes the premium price hard to swallow when you factor in how finicky it is to cook right.

kelly.emma20h ago

But doesn't grass fed beef actually have a higher moisture content before cooking compared to grain finished? I thought the faster drying was more about how the fat renders out during cooking rather than the water evaporating first. Its a subtle thing but it changes how you'd season or prep it to keep it from getting tough.