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Do Beef Grades matter THAT much?

Slippy
Slippy Posts: 214
in EggHead Forum
Thought this was some good insight... https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/what-i-learned-at-brisket-camp/ 
Rockwall, TX  •  LBGE, Big Hat Ranger offset smoker, Really old 22" Weber Kettle, Pile of Pecan and Post Oak... 
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Comments

  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    The grade on slow cook beefs obviously matter so they don’t dry out. On other cuts of beef I think there is more to consider. Grass fed beef has a distinctly different taste than the beef you normally eat. I bought some Wagyu grass fed burgers a couple weeks back and I almost spit out the first bite just cause it was so different but a couple bites in I really started liking it. I’ve bouggt some good looking prime steaks from Publix that looked amazing but had little flavor. There’s lots of articles out there to read about how beef grades don’t matter as much since people know they can just pump the cows up with grains at the end to raise the grade. 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,785
    To me the grades matter in that you can work within the grade to find the best marbled cut.  And depending on the variety offered find a very good deal in the mix.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 17,261
    Article was interesting, thank you for posting.
    True; selection of grades do matter, and being able to distinguish the best of the lot helps significantly.
    The source of these grades are just as important, I believe, as well, as there is a tremendous difference in prime, say, from RS, Costco to SRF, or Creekstone, etc.
    Brisket is a special treat in our home, and the cost associated with buying a grade up is worth it to us, based on the many we have cooked with the BGE.
    I have to say, I am not much of a fan of wagyu for brisket, I have had a few, and they have just too much fat for our taste (Although the leftovers made excellent vegetable beef soup, and chili but I did not buy wagyu for those purposes).
    Interesting read for sure.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Lit said:
    ... Grass fed beef has a distinctly different taste than the beef you normally eat. I bought some Wagyu grass fed burgers a couple weeks back and I almost spit out the first bite just cause it was so different but a couple bites in I really started liking it. ...
    There was a book out a few years ago about a guy's search for the best steak. Can't recall the title at the moment, but one of his big discoveries was that grass fed differs widely in taste. The 1st he had changed his mind in favor of grass fed over grain fed. But later, he had some from some place in New England, and it tasted awful. The consistent best for him was from a place in Idaho.

    I've had a similar experience. There's an organic place not to far away whose beef has a taste unlike any I've had. There pastures have been clean for going on 40 years now. The farmer says the cattle feed on their choice of 6-7 different grasses, including some millet. Technically a grass, and not a grain. But there is an Amish grass fed supplier from a few counties away whose beef I have to say does not taste good at all. My DIL's family keeps a small herd in Idaho, and while the beef is quite lean, and somewhat tough, the flavor is worth the chew.
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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,259
    Growing up we raised our own beef. Charolais/Holstein crossbreeds. Grass fed the majority of their lives, but finished in a box stall with sweet feed, corn, and alfalfa. The best tasting beef I have ever had.
    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,583
    so these guys cooked by time, select and wagu coked for the same amount of hours, brilliant
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
    edited September 2018
    Truthfully the only beef that I really prefer prime are the sirloin cuts. I find the other cuts too fatty and if I ever eat a filet it’s with a pan sauce. I am not a wagyu fan. The only time I cook a filet over coals is bone-in. 
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  • Philly35
    Philly35 Posts: 859
    I know some will say fat is where the flavors at, but I agree with @GrillSgt. I don’t like a bunch of fat in my steaks. 
    NW IOWA
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,583
    sirloin strip steaks really are better as a prime cut. ribeye though i will take a top choice piece over prime even if its dry aged. prime rib roast is usually way to fatty if its really prime
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
    I’m glad to find others that think like me. I find wagyu texture off putting. 
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  • HoosierBBQ
    HoosierBBQ Posts: 111
    My favorite steak is a Wagyu #7 strip.  I wish I could get the same flavor from a choice steak, but to me it's a significant difference.  Bottom line is it's all personal preference. The article fails, IMO, when it talks about cooking everything the same way.  I'll take most steaks medium rare, but when doing a Wagyu I go more medium to render the marbling more. The timing can often be different as well.  
    Grilling year round in Orlando, FL on a large BGE & Santa Maria
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
    edited September 2018
    Definitely a matter of taste. There is no right or wrong. I was just glad to see that I wasn’t the only one. 
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