Off tastes in meat

[Kathy Millar]

One of my friends/customers told me that some of the grissly/fatty bits on the steaks had a bad flavour. Is this what you see referred to as "off flavours" in grass-finished beef? This is the first time I have had this comment and the meat was from about a 28 month old steer. No one else has commented and I do notice the meat is stronger flavoured overall but that seems to please the wild game eaters in the crowd. Here in Canada we are used to very bland, grain finished meats. Wish I could get more Brits and hunters for customers, they also really like my Shetland X Border Cheviot lambs! :D

[Broomcroft]

I've not heard of that Kathy with grass. Did they come off grass or silage/haylage. If silage there could be an issue with that to pass on an undesirable flavour caused by Butyric acid in the silage. Which in itself I think is caused by poor fermentation.

PS. Unrelated but I've just been into a butchers shop for the first time for ages. I couldn't believe how red all the meat was. I'd forgotten.



Edited By Broomcroft on 1194713798

[Kathy Millar]

All my Dexters just get grass in summer until it runs out (July!!) and then good quality hay. I once had a lamb that tasted so bad (sort of bitter and strong smelling) that I couldn't eat it. It was the one that had hurt itself jumping a barrier (ruptured itself). I am sure this steer was fine .

[wagra dexters]

Kathy, I far prefer to eat 10-15 month old calf rather than 30 month old calved heifer. The older ones are gamey by comparison, which a lot of people might like in their beef, but I don't. This is our third calved heifer, pasture & lucerne fattened after weaning, and they all tasted the same. Best curried!
If I had never eaten game I might think it had an 'off' taste. Perhaps your steer was a bit gamey, rather than 'off'.

Margaret.



Edited By wagra dexters on 1194956816

[Kathy Millar]

I'd love to take them in so young but my butchering costs are so high that I would make very little. For me, they are all bone at that age.

I do think you may be right about the gamminess. It was brought up and I think she did say it may have been that. This is the first time anyone has made that comment!

[Felicity]

Dear Kathy

I think your meat was probably just a bit gamey tasting I have found that if I hang the forequarters for three weeks or so sometimes the meat is very strong and gamey and not to everybodys taste.

Felicity

[Sylvia]

I have a theory that people who are used to supermarket meat are so used to meat with no flavour at all that when they do get any with a decent old-fashioned flavour they think something is wrong.

[wagra dexters]

You are possibly right, Sylvia, but I haven't eaten any shop-bought beef for 17 years, and I still don't like gamey, 30 month old calved heifer.

By choice, I'd rather not eat kangaroo either, as a steak or roast, but both can be used to produce a fine meal, given the right treatment.

Margaret

[welshdexterboy]

Margaret------------- are you saying you have eaten Skippy????? :p

[Duncan MacIntyre]

I will forgive Margaret for eating Skippy.

I must say that Rudolph was quite tender and tasty.

Duncan

[wagra dexters]

Not sure about Skippy himself, but certainly several of his relatives over the years.

Why? What would you have us do? Waste all that good omega-3?

Electric farm fences are like cavaletti to them, but they hit the tree-line before we can get off a second shot, so please don't envisage mass slaughter. That only happens on the highways.

We breed our own kangaroo problem by providing a constant water supply.

Back to the point, some folk prefer yearling beef, but I am partial to the very occasional nice bit of farmed venison

Margaret



Edited By wagra dexters on 1195620343