Grass fed vs. Corn fed beef

[Bipolarcy]

I've seen a lot of discussion on this topic of late and even watched a video by some butcher brothers comparing the two. Nearly everyone seems to think grass fed beef is the best, even the two butcher brothers, who said grass fed beef has a stronger beef taste than corn fed, whatever that means. I vehemently disagree. Corn fed beef, the kind you find in Iowa, is most definitely better than any beef you find outside Iowa. Move away from Iowa and you'll see what I mean. We get free range or grass fed beef from Texas where I live and it is stringy, tough and nearly inedible at times depending on the cut you get. I long for good old well-marbled Iowa beef. Corn fed beef is more fatty and fat is where the flavor is in most meat cuts. Am I wrong here? Grass fed cuts are smaller, mostly because they don't have the marbling that corn fed beef has.

Anyway, I just wondered if I'm alone in thinking corn fed beef is far superior to grass fed because most of the discussion I've seen says just the opposite.

 

[HititHard]

You’re not wrong but you can get corn fed beef from a lot more places than Iowa. My favorite beef of all time was Wagyu finished on corn and potato waste.

 

[Bipolarcy]

You’re not wrong but you can get corn fed beef from a lot more places than Iowa. My favorite beef of all time was Wagyu finished on corn and potato waste.

I understand that, but in Iowa, any meat you got was going to be corn fed. Here, it's hit or miss, mostly miss. I like how grass fed beef is an advertising point now, like it's something special. Not to me.

 

[TitanClone]

Grass fed is generally tougher IMO. That said grass fed is the epitome of sustainable energy. Grass grows everywhere, cow eats grass, cow s*** feeds dead grass, repeat.

 

[TXCyclones]

This deserves a poll.

 

[BCClone]

If you want to know what grass fed beef tastes like, walk outside on your lawn then take off your shoe and eat it, pretty similar.

 

[1100011CS]

Grass fed is generally tougher IMO. That said grass fed is the epitome of sustainable energy. Grass grows everywhere, cow eats grass, cow s*** feeds dead grass, repeat.

And, *supposedly* grass fed is better for you. More nutrients or something.

 

[Stormin]

Corn Fed Beef. Grass Fed is tough and doesn’t have the flavor or marbling.

 

[HititHard]

One of my good friends in the feed yard business sells online it’s all corn fed in the imperial valley. You won’t get a bad steak from them. The bone in rib-eye is incredible.
oneworldmeatco.com

 

[bsaltyman]

Corn >>> grass

 

[CyCrazy]

Grass feed beef sucks.

 

[Clonefan94]

The only way to enjoy grass fed beef, imo, is if you get are able to get ahold of a prime cut that has been dry aged. That's the only way I have enjoyed it. The lesser cuts just don't have enough fat, are too tough and there is definitely a different taste.

I will also say this. My wife worked for a French Pharmaceutical company a few years back. Whenever the execs would come into town, they went to dinner every night at a steak joint. They said you just don't get a steak like that in Europe where a lot of it is grass fed. Of course, being French, they bitched non-stop about the wine, but the corn fed beef was always worth the trip.

 

[Gunnerclone]

What does Costco have? That’s the only decent place to get beef in Ohio.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I've had some killer grass fed from Kansas. It was finished with a sweet grass. My cousin finishes with corn, and his parents used some sorghum mixed in before him but I think he finds that to be fake magic.

The way I see it, corn fed more fat, larger in general. I think you have to dry age it get the 'beefier' flavor OP is referencing from the YouTube video.

I've eaten steak everywhere except but on the west coast. It's good everywhere, but I will say when I came back to Iowa from DC, I almost fainted at how much better the beef was.
I think they're both good personally, but it's hard to beat my cousin's corn finished Iowa beef. Best hamburger I've ever eaten.

 

[DevilDog]

We love our corn feed beef we get from our local farmer.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

What does Costco have? That’s the only decent place to get beef in Ohio.

That's strange. I felt driving down to New Philly that the farms were much smaller compared to here. Would think you could get yourself a side down there.

 

[CyberJJJ]

Corn >>> grass

Uh, my ISU agronomy classes taught that corn in fact IS a grass!

 

[19clone91]

I would say grass fed tastes just as good as corn fed, people who say otherwise have their Iowa corn goggles on. Different but just as good.

Grass-fed is better for the cow, and for us, heath-wise.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

And, *supposedly* grass fed is better for you. More nutrients or something.

It's just leaner.

 

[1100011CS]

Grass fed tastes better unless you have your Iowa corn goggles on