What Does Grass-Fed Beef Taste Like?

This week at the farmers market someone asked me what grass-fed beef tastes like. I've had it before from vendors at the farmers market in Bloomington, but frankly it's been a few years so I'm not sure I can accurately summarize the differences between grass and grain-fed. And beyond that, I don't eat a lot of beef anyway, buying it perhaps once or twice a month, and some months not at all.

My immediate remembrance: there wasn't a huge difference, but I remember the taste as pleasant. I recall reading that some people describe it as being a little gamey, which I think can be attributed to the lower fat content (feeding cattle grain makes them gain weight, primarily in the form of fat); the meat is more lean, like game would be, and the taste is well, more meaty.

There's definitely a perception that grass-fed beef doesn't taste good, but if you think about it, it makes sense that we're more likely to react unfavorably to an unfamiliar taste. And certainly people who raise cattle using conventional methods have an investment in making people believe their product tastes better. Here's an excerpt from my April 16 post, Rising Demand for Meat Takes Toll on the Environment:

Not everyone is familiar with the advantages of grass-fed beef, which is leaner and healthier to eat, as well as better for the environment. When I started looking for sources of local food in the area, I called a local meat market and asked if they carried any locally produced beef. The woman told me that 'all the cattle around here are raised on grass, and you wouldn't want that. All our beef is grain-fed.'

I figured there ought to be a lot of information online about grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef, though only one article really addresses the taste issue directly.

• Raising the Steaks: If you feed cows grass, does the beef taste better? by Mark Schatzker at Slate.

For more about the health and environmental benefits (and there are many) of eating grass-fed beef, see:

• Eat Wild is a web site dedicated to providing information about grass-fed animal products of all kinds. They have a good links page that will lead you to a lot more information.
• Greener Pastures and the Greener Pastures FAQ, from the Union of Concerned Scientists discusses many of the environmental and health issues, and touches on the question of taste.
• Grass-Fed Beef on The Sustainable Table provides an overview and cooking techniques.
• Cattle Feeding on Wikipedia covers some of the basic issues.

I know some of our readers consume grass-fed beef. Would any of you care to share your thoughts on how it tastes?