busyPersonally, I prefer grass-fed, free-range livestock products when I can get them. I'm okay with supplementing pasture with grains, as many farmers do. I just don't think feedlots and other mass-confinement practices are good for animals or humans eating them. I particularly like shopping at a nearby Amish meat market; we often buy a package or two of meat per year there. (It is MUCH cheaper in bundles.) Those animals have a fairly natural life, and I can see cows, horses, pigs, chickens, etc. outdoors on the way to the shop. Our food co-op is also a good source, as is the farmer's market in warm weather, and one of the international food stores carries farmed lamb. My preferences are based on a mix of philosophical, practical, and culinary points.
The article does raise a point that grass-fed beef is easier to wreck. If you're going to swap beef into venison recipes, buy grass-fed. If you're going to try grass-fed for the first time, read instructions on how to cook venison (also very lean) nicely. The grass diet makes for a leaner cow with less marbling, which is awesome if you want a low-fat diet, but you have to cook it gently or it will turn to leather. I recommend a crock pot for many cuts. Another good safety catch is to use a sauce with enzymes or acids, to help keep the meat moist and tender.
March 29 2011, 23:27:12 UTC 10 years ago
is that cattle convert the grass people can't eat
into something people can eat.
Yes...
March 29 2011, 23:33:40 UTC 10 years ago
Humans evolved as omnivores. A diet resonant with this will include a majority of plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.) and small amounts of meat, eggs, dairy, etc. Plus insects, if you consider those edible, as some people do. Chimpanzees, our closest relatives, are very fond of termites.
Re: Yes...
March 30 2011, 03:32:28 UTC 10 years ago