Differences in beef

[retrieverman]

raised on good grass and using calm stock we do arrive at tender flavorful lean meat. Some you need to add a bit of oil at cooking. We have had wild ones before and they end up tough and difficult. I think a lot of the tenderness comes from the disposition of the animals. A lot of fear is tense and takes away, burns up vitamins and minerals in a constant fight or flight stage.

Sorry, been really busy. I got the weights different, Wagyu was near 150 pounds more at live weight, Wagyu hang 693, Charlais hang 638.

14 days hang, could not go longer on the leaner meat.

What percent yield are y’all getting?

The last 4 show steers my brother and I have had killed yielded a little over 60% of the hanging weight.

 

[Chaparral]

We generally yield close to 55% but have seen variations from nearing 40% to almost 60%. When we have sold to people from regions of Africa they want basically everything so the yields are near 95% I expect. Much of the loss can be bone in versus bone out and trimming of fats. We also do not use places which plump the meat with injecting salt water. It is so hard to make good comparisons.

Our main feedstock right now is shifting from Angus/Charolais to Akaushi. We keep a Belted Galloway for milk and will add another cow who can supplement milk. We do pick up highland, jersey, and their crosses to raise up as we have continued demand for the lean, tender meat. We are a small operation.

 

[retrieverman]

My brother buys steers from a local guy that has a small herd of well bred charolais cows and is AI’ing to high bred show steer bulls. We‘ve split one steer for the last 4 years, but my nephew is finally old enough and has one this year. I’m buying a whole steer this year and am going to split it with my kids and in-laws.
Here’s how they’re starting out. They weight around 575# each now and will be killed at the end of April 2023.

 

[Raido Free America]

I worked in the retail, and wholesale meat business since I was a kid, with my dad. and have cut stakes for just about every restaurant in NE Ok. working part time for Tulsa Beef, and Provision, while working as a Fire Fighter. The difference in color of these two animals is interesting! I have seen this many times before, and still don't know for sure what causes it. the breeders say it's the breed, the feeders say it's the feed, sugar beets in particular, used a lot in eastern Colorado, and other reasons, but as far as I know the darker color doesn't effect the flavor, or tenderness?

 

[Chaparral]

I have no clue in the colour difference outside of genetics. My one darker heifer was from a Brangus mom, the other three Angus and one is also darker. One Wagyu calf is bright white, one pitch black. Darker mom had bight white Heifer. Sorry, not really an answer.

 

[OkieJoe72]

A little off topic but thought it was worth sharing. I acquired a young black angus bull a few months back that I didn’t need, and I had an upcoming butcher date without having a steer ready. The bull came straight off the pasture, and he went across the scale at around 1300 lbs. He hung for three weeks, and I got 60% yield. My total cost was around $2.89/lb. This was my first time having a bull butchered, and I have no complaints. There is definitely less fat, but nobody has complained about the taste. It might be a little tougher than a steer, but I’ve definitely had worse from store bought beef.

 

[O4L]

I am posting this for informational purposes only.

We raise a few cattle and feed them practically all the same. We raise on grass and hay with feed once a week to keep them gentle and used to coming in. In winter we increase the grain. We only use antibiotics if an animal is ill and we do not add any hormones. We give free choice to salt and mineral salt. We do immunize and worm. up until recently our main result was very lean high quality meat.

This year we took two steers which were born near the same date through two separate breeding programs. the steers were raised side by side after weaning. They were given an additional two to five pounds of extra feed every day for three months and extra feed this past winter. Both were close in weight at weaning, the first steer weighed roughly 150 pounds more at ( sorry, this should read live weight ) hang weight.

The first two photos are an F1 cross. Bull 100% Akaushi (Red Wagyu), cow 100% production Angus. Marbled very well.

The third photo is an F1 cross. Bull 100% production Charlais, cow 100% production Angus. lean but not as lean as we are used to, exterior fat deposits.

What would you grade those as?

First two look like High Choice and the third looks like maybe Low Choice to me but I'm no expert.

 

[Chaparral]

Prime then choice. But that is due to the marbling. Both will be tender.

 

[turkeyrun]

A little off topic but thought it was worth sharing. I acquired a young black angus bull a few months back that I didn’t need, and I had an upcoming butcher date without having a steer ready. The bull came straight off the pasture, and he went across the scale at around 1300 lbs. He hung for three weeks, and I got 60% yield. My total cost was around $2.89/lb. This was my first time having a bull butchered, and I have no complaints. There is definitely less fat, but nobody has complained about the taste. It might be a little tougher than a steer, but I’ve definitely had worse from store bought beef.

I bought a bull from a 4H girl. She had raised from a calf. Had him on grass, straight from pasture to butcher. He was right at 1300#.
He was the only bull, hand fed, handled and gentle. I feel this helped keep the steaks tender.

 

[Raido Free America]

A little off topic but thought it was worth sharing. I acquired a young black angus bull a few months back that I didn’t need, and I had an upcoming butcher date without having a steer ready. The bull came straight off the pasture, and he went across the scale at around 1300 lbs. He hung for three weeks, and I got 60% yield. My total cost was around $2.89/lb. This was my first time having a bull butchered, and I have no complaints. There is definitely less fat, but nobody has complained about the taste. It might be a little tougher than a steer, but I’ve definitely had worse from store bought beef.

We all eat a lot of bull meat, if we eat commercial hamburger.meat. They usually butcher older bulls for this, because they are even leaner than the young ones, but also tougher.