# Imported Beef



## rjordan393 (Sep 15, 2010)

I been away from eating supermarket beef for a few years and ate mostly chicken and pork. I recently cooked an eye of round roast and then after that i cooked an meatloaf. Both did not turn out well at all. The flavor of the roast was not the same as I remember in the past and had a toughness to it.
The meatloaf was the same. Years ago, These two meats always turned out well.
So I went online and did a search to find out where our beef is coming from.
I was surprised to learn that if the American Grassfed Label is not on the package, then the beef was imported and you cannot determine which country exported it. Now this explains why my beef did not turn out well.
It must have something to do with what the cattle were fed.
There are a dozen or more countries that export beef to the U.S.


Now American Grassfed beef is available but you might have to travel to buy it or order it online. But I decided not to buy any beef from the supermarkets unless the American Grassfed label is on the package. So it appears I'll be restricting my diet to pork, chicken and fish.
They still taste the same. Your thoughts?


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

There are probably a lot more products where we really don't want to know where they come from. Yes, what they eat and how they are raised does make a difference. In PA I suspect if you do some research you will be able to find a locally raised beef critter that will taste good. You don't seem to be concerned about price and that will help.

Note, recently bought some porterhouse steaks and had high expectations. Even the tenderloin side was disappointing. I ate one, the other three will go for stew. Using porterhouse steaks for stew is really sad but have to give them some flavor somehow. 

Bud


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

I won't buy meat from anywhere except our local butcher for just that reason. All my meat comes from the MatSu Valley, the butcher and his family grow most of the animals themselves, but they buy stock from their neighbors occasionally. Sometimes we can buy a whole caribou or moose just like we can order up entire cows/pigs. 

Only thing they don't raise, or have a local supply line on, is Turkey. We skip it and make something else; lamb, ribs, etc.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Wife's family used to run a banquet business and serve a thousand plus roast beef or prime rib dinners every weekend, I worked as a waiter on the side. So they always had a walk-in freezer filled with meat. And they always made sure my freezer was filled as well. Hard to believe you can have too much of a good thing, but there is only so much one family can eat and it quickly boiled down to just me and I soon reached burn out. Took years before I got back to eating beef and now I wish I had a few of those full prime ribs.

Bud


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

rjordan - I just read that all cattle are grassfed & then grains are added. That was under the Angus Beef trademark. That's our expensive beef.

I'm confused now. Beef is sooo expensive! There are lots of cattle ranches around.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Oh, you wrote American Grassfed.


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## rjordan393 (Sep 15, 2010)

Many years ago, Congress pass a law that stated anything imported into the U.S. had to have the country of origin stamped on it. But I believe Canada and Australia sued to have it repealed and congress gave in to them.
Big mistake as I see it.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Just my opinion.


Any beef that is not feedlot fattened will be tough and tasteless no matter what country's grass it eats.


Try a different supermarket as all do not sell the same product. Certified Angus is usually the more tasty choice.


Ground beef must have enough fat to develop flavor
90-10:90-93% lean not for me unless it is ground round or better
85-15: 85% lean is best for grilling but hard to find. Good lean flavor.

80-20: 80% best supermarket value with full flavor
73-27: 73% lean is fine for starting fires on the grill and not much else.


Steaks or roasts must be marbled with fine fat veins to have great flavor.


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## rjordan393 (Sep 15, 2010)

It all comes down to what country supplies the best tasting beef. The sudden change in taste after many years of cooking for myself, got me to take notice. Supermarkets can switch suppliers at any time; so it would be pointless to play peek a boo when shopping for beef. However I will try an 

Angus roast to see if I like it. The only apprenhenion I have is what country supplies it.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

rjordan393 said:


> It all comes down to what country supplies the best tasting beef. The sudden change in taste after many years of cooking for myself, got me to take notice. Supermarkets can switch suppliers at any time; so it would be pointless to play peek a boo when shopping for beef. However I will try an
> 
> Angus roast to see if I like it. The only apprenhenion I have is what country supplies it.


I read several of the Certified Angus Beef sites last night but couldn't find countries other than Ohio, US. It's so prevalent here, even in Walmart, it must also be from around here. I drive past cattle everyday. Maybe I'll call them.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Someone on TV said once "its easier to learn where you're clothes are made than where your food comes from"

Over 10 yrs ago I used ti see beef labels "Mexico, Argentina, USA". I asked the manager what that meant. He said it was born in one country, raised in another an butchered in another.

Later those labels disappeared. I asked why. He said it confused people.


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## rjordan393 (Sep 15, 2010)

Here is the latetess report that I found on the net for imported beef. Some people might have objections to any of the countries listed. I intend to voice my concerns to my congressman to have all beef imported, to have the origin stamped on the package.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

For meat labeled as ground beef. The meat can come from anywhere on the cow. It just has to meet the lean to fat ratio on the label. For example, 90/10, it could be all from sirloin and have fat added to meat 10% fat. Or 80/20, can all be from the chuck with enough lean meat added to bring it up to 80% lean.

If a package is labeled as Ground sirloin, ground round, etc.. then ALL the meat must come from that muscle group. 

There is Grass Fed, Grass Finished, Pasture Raised and Corn Fed. Grass fed means that the cow was fed only grass, it could be pasture raised or raised in the barn or feed lot. Grass Finished means that whatever it was fed, for the last 90 days, it was fed with grass. Pasture raised means that it was was raised out in the pasture all of it's life. It could have been left to feed on it's own or it could have been fed hay or supplemented with grain. Corn Fed means just that. The majority of its feed came from corn. It could also have left to roam the pasture to eat hay, but most of it's feed was corn. 

What you want to find is pasture raised grass fed. That means it was raised in the pasture and the majority of it's feed came from grass. 

Living in Colorado, which has a lot of cattle ranches, you would think that the beef in the grocery stores would be good. Well, it ain't. The only place I have found in my area to get good beef is at Whole Foods. The regular grocery stores have pale meet. Not like what they have back in Minnesota. 

We also bought a 1/3 of a cow. It wasn't graded, but damn, everything we have had has been delicious. And I am used to getting choice and prime back in Minnesota and from Whole Foods. The beef is nicely marbled, the grown beef is about 85/15. It has been great as burgers, taco's, sloppy joes, and meatloaf. We have had wonderful stews and pot roasts. If you are interested in going that way, find someone who has bought a half or quarter of a cow before and see how they liked it. If they did, ask from whom they bought it and see if they are interested in doing it again. That is always a good sign.


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## rjordan393 (Sep 15, 2010)

On my last trip to two supermarkets, the only thing I see on the ground meat package is the meat and fat content. But I'll keep looking and thanks for your reply.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

I want to correct something I wrote. If the cattle is raised in a cold environment, and is pasture raised, it MAY be fed with some grain in addition to hay and silage. If the animal is pasture raised and grass finished, it means the cattle was probably raised on grass all of it's on grass but the majority of it's meat and flavor forming time being fed grass. Not just the last 90 days. 

Sorry for the misinformation.


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## Deaknh (Mar 24, 2018)

I'm pretty sure any meat imported from other countries is irritated. No thanks.


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## Deaknh (Mar 24, 2018)

ktownskier said:


> I want to correct something I wrote. If the cattle is raised in a cold environment, and is pasture raised, it MAY be fed with some grain in addition to hay and silage. If the animal is pasture raised and grass finished, it means the cattle was probably raised on grass all of it's on grass but the majority of it's meat and flavor forming time being fed grass. Not just the last 90 days.
> 
> Sorry for the misinformation.


It can mean that, but is by no means a guarantee. Unless you know the farmer raising the cattle, it's really just a crapshoot.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I live within view of an Interstate highway, where I see daily near 100 cattle trucks coming from Canada, with a load, headed for Denver Colorado, to their vast stockyards, and processing plants. 

So I figure that much of the beef commercially available within one thousand miles of Denver, is imported from Canadian ranches. 

As with others , I suggest that you find a local rancher, or processing plant, with their own local growers. 

Then see how they breed, and grow their beeves.


ED


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Not sure what the big deal about Canadian beef is. I bet you can't even see the border in the prairie between them and US. It's just a virtual line.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

Deaknh said:


> I'm pretty sure any meat imported from other countries is irritated. No thanks.


Why would they irritate the meat? Do they want to piss it off? Or just piss us off by making the meat tough?

Or did you mean irradiated? If it is irradiated, it must be marked so. Of course that means your dealing with a reputable company. And as we all know, all companies are reputable!:devil3:

In some ways, I agree with irradiating all food, it does kill a lot of pathogens without harming the good stuff. When done properly.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

LOL... maybe he was talking about mad cows! ;-) We really don't want mad cow disease (BSE)... but irritated cows might be funny.



ktownskier said:


> Why would they irritate the meat? Do they want to piss it off? Or just piss us off by making the meat tough?
> 
> Or did you mean irradiated? If it is irradiated, it must be marked so. Of course that means your dealing with a reputable company. And as we all know, all companies are reputable!:devil3:
> 
> In some ways, I agree with irradiating all food, it does kill a lot of pathogens without harming the good stuff. When done properly.


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## Deaknh (Mar 24, 2018)

ktownskier said:


> Deaknh said:
> 
> 
> > I'm pretty sure any meat imported from other countries is irritated. No thanks.
> ...


Darn auto correct. Irridated, yes.


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

A little old post but what the heck. I have eaten a lot of beef over the years in both the US and Canada. That would be for home use, backyards, BBQ, and restaurants. I have never noticed a difference. If you buy a cheap cut, no marbling, it will be tough and tasteless. The only thing I have to say is I would never by beef at Walmart. I would not buy meat to feed my dogs from Walmart.


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## rjordan393 (Sep 15, 2010)

I got replies from Walmart, Pricechopper and Shoprite and they all said the same. "We get our meat from U.S. suppliers". They did not say where the suppliers get the meat from.
I also got a reply from my Congressman. The reply was a full page of a lot about nothing. In other words; the U.S. does not want to offend the countries exporting beef whereas U.S. citizens may have objections in purchasing beef from certain countries or all of them.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

And I still love my meat I bought from the rancher. It was inspected, just not graded, but from what I could see on the steaks and roasts, it had a lot of intramuscular fat (marbling) and while we did get a lot of ground beef, I am looking forward to the rib roasts this fall. 

And the next beef we buy.


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