What Did Your Meat Eat?

Grass Fed or Grain Fed, and Why It Matters

How do you want your food? Free ranged, or confinement? Genetically modified, or natural? “Enhanced,” or pure? With or without growth hormones and antibiotics?

There are already too many choices involved in providing healthy, conscientious foods for your family. Now add “grass fed, or grain fed” to the list, and then qualify it, because it’s legal to advertise some “grass fed” meats that are finished with grain diets.

Why should you care what your meat ate anyhow? The answer depends on whom you ask.

The Case for Grass

Those of us with only one stomach can’t digest grass. Cows are different. They have a double gutted system which includes a 45 gallon fermentation tank called the rumen. This converts cellulose into protein and fat, using stomach bacteria as a catalytic converter.Until the 20th century, virtually all beef was grass fed. In American supermarkets today, it’s nearly impossible to find any beef that didn’t come from a feedlot. However, to convert the cow’s natural digestive process, man had to mess with nature. Francis Thicke, an organic dairy farmer in Fairfield and candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, puts it simply.“Grass loves by nature to stay in one place. Cows love by nature to graze. The madness of modern agriculture reversed the process,” he told us.
In 100 years, corn has shortened the average life of a steer from 5 years to 15 months, while adding body fat to its carcass. Grass can’t take a baby calf from 80 to 1,200 pounds in a year and a quarter. For that matter, corn can’t do the job alone either - it takes protein supplements, antibiotics and growth hormones.

Michael Pollan wrote about the consequences for cows taken off pastures and put into feedlots:

1.) Their new diet contains too much starch and too little roughage, so rumination all but stops. Then gasses inflate the rumen like a balloon, pressing against the animal's lungs. Unless action is promptly taken (forcing a hose down the esophagus), the bloated animal suffocates;

2.) Corn turns cows’ rumens unnaturally acidic, causing them to pant, salivate, paw at their bellies and eat only dirt. This can lead to diarrhea, ulcers, bloat, liver disease and a general weakening of their immune system.

This has further consequences for meat eaters - the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Acidic rumens breed pathogenic E coli bacteria. Unheard of before the 1980s, E coli now lives happily in the intestines of most U.S. feedlot cattle. According to Pollan, the microbes that find their way into hamburger used to get killed off by human stomach acids, but by acidifying cow guts with corn, modern agriculture destroyed the food chain’s natural defense system.

Other health arguments for grass fed beef include much higher omega-3 fat counts, more vitamin E and conjugated linoleic acid, a nutrient associated with lower cancer risk. Thicke sums it up.

“Our cows harvest their own food and spread their own fertilizer and they love their work. This makes more sense than the modern mode of hauling fertilizer and feed in trucks making round trips,” he said.

The Case for Grain

Iowa was built on corn grown to feed animals, giving Americans the highest powered diet in the history of the world, at bargain prices. Grain fed meat costs less to produce, at least with all the current political subsidies in place.Some environmental and humane advantages of grass fed livestock are debatable. Cattle raised on pasture produce more methane than feedlot animals. Even with U.S. beef cattle spending only six months outside feed lots, huge parts of the American West are used for grazing livestock that pollute water, erode topsoil, kill fish and displace wildlife. Bringing cows to market weight on rangeland alone would multiply the damage. The USDA's Animal Damage Control (ADC) program was established in 1931 to eradicate, suppress, and control wildlife considered detrimental to grazing livestock. Opponents dubbed ADC “All the Dead Critters” and “Aid to Dependent Cowboys,” so the federal government changed the name to “Wildlife Services.”

Government “services” include poisoning, trapping, snaring, denning, shooting, and aerial gunning. In “denning,” government agents pour kerosene into a den and ignite it, burning young critters alive. Among the animals intentionally killed are badgers, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, gray fox, red fox, mountain lions, opossum, raccoons, striped skunks, beavers, nutrias, porcupines, prairie dogs, black birds, cattle egrets, and starlings. Animals unintentionally killed include pets and endangered species. The agency, whose motto is “Living with Wildlife,” intentionally kills more than 1.5 million a year.

This prompted a bumper sticker that reads “Wildlife Services, “Living with (Dead) Wildlife.”

In the Pudding

Most people think corn-fed beef is superior, but that is a matter of taste. Corn-fed cows develop well-marbled flesh, which lends a melt-in-the-mouth texture and a softer flavor that most American and particularly Japanese diners prefer. Grass fed beef is leaner and has a heavier flavor, preferred by traditional diners in parts of Europe, particularly among those who chew more than the average American.

Generally speaking, because of its lower fat content, steaks and roasts of grass fed meat taste better undercooked, rare or medium rare. For this reason, burger is by far the most popular form of grass fed meats. Jerky is also a crowd pleaser.

Buying Grass Fed Meat

Iowan Steve Wallace has assembled a coalition of ranchers who raise cattle fed 100% grass diets. Wallace Farms is adding new family farmers to the group, to increase production. Grasstravaganza, Thankful Harvest and Klinge Farms also offer grass fed Iowa beef.

Some Iowa buffalo and elk ranchers offer meat that is grass fed, too, but sometimes these animals also eat grain. Heartland Elk eat only grass and hay unless drought intervenes.

Grasstravaganza beef can be found occasionally at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market. New City Market at 48th and University sells Wallace Farms burger, steaks and roasts year around. All these ranchers sell directly to the public via mail order.

Grasstravaganza
641-449-3254, grassfedmeat@yahoo.com.

Klinge Farms
563-783-2456

Thankful Harvest
712-365-4433, tagerman@netllc.net

Wallace Farms
630-466-8723
info@wallacebeef.com

Heartland Elk
Metro Market
2200 Woodland
heartlandelk@hotmail.com

Iowa Beef: Rekindling an Epic Romance

There’s no denying the power of beef. The word itself is a synonym for substance. Politicians don’t ask, “Where’s the bran?” During the second half of the 19th century, beef became an international obsession and a status food which transformed the American range into the world’s largest feed lot. Between the Civil War and 1880, Midwest cattle populations increased 30 times. Because Iowa’s fertile soil grew the most grain, the state’s beef became the gold standard of the new food economy, when food drove all economies.

For a century, the status of Iowa Beef extended to New York City steak houses and beyond. In 1959, current Des Moines restaurateur Harry Bookey, then 11, told Russian Premiere Nikita Khrushchev that the USSR might have a edge in satellite technology but that our beef was superior. Khrushchev, a staunch Russian chauvinist, conceded the point.

When Khrushchev visited here, “Iowa Beef” represented the culmination of one of the great romances in the histories of both agriculture and human migration. Once Europeans got word about the fertility of Iowa’s black soil, immigrants flocked across oceans, mountains and hostile prairies to realize the American dream of owning land from which they could make a good life. By the end of the 19th century, those immigrants made Iowa a rich state built on fields of grain and pastures of plenty. The wealth of that romance was self contained. Fields produced corn in such abundance that farmers fed it to cattle who had grazed their youth away in clover. Those corn finished cattle moved short distances to packers and lockers. Iowa Beef was birth-to-burger Iowan and famous for its superior marbling.

Brisket at The Q in West Des Moines

Big changes came by the 1980’s, after it became more economical to ship grain out west, where land was cheaper, and finish cattle there instead of on Iowa farmland that could be plowed over and planted with corn and beans. By the end of the 20th century, most industrial batches of hamburger came from multiple plants, multiple states and even multiple continents.

Statistics tell the story. In 1970, 70 % of Iowa farmers raised cattle. Today less than a third do. Iowa led the nation in beef production between World War II and the 1980’s, peaking in 1969 at 7 million head of cattle. This year our inventory is around 3.8 million, up 40 % from ten years ago but now less than 4 % of nation’s herd. Despite that big increase in the last decade, our feedlot population is now at a post World War II low - 1.8 million. That suggests Iowa has a cow brain drain, its bright young calves are leaving the state. The further the center of the beef universe got from Iowa, the more its luster dulled. American beef consumption dropped by a quarter in the last decade as cholesterol paranoia and burger borne pathogens, from industrial plants out west, scared consumers.

A number of signs suggest that Iowa beef is making a comeback: It’s now the era of the locovore as fresh and local foods are trendy in culinary, political and medical circles. Both the federal government and Illinois have begun funding significant incentives to encourage more local production of foods. Stories are rife about reopening Iowa Best Beef, the non kosher arm of Agriprocessors of Postville, as well as the farmer-owned Iowa Quality Beef company of Tama.

Carpaccio at Fleming's in West Des Moines

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey keeps a close watch on beef trends.

“Nationally the beef herd is as low as it has been in the last 3 decades,” he said, adding that Iowa cattlemen have been working on a South Dakota model of owning cattle from birth to marketing though Iowans have yet to put together a viable business plan. Northey thinks that ethanol could figure prominently in increasing Iowa’s feeder herd.

“We are seeing more cattle feeding in Iowa again, in part because Iowa has an abundance of distillers grain due to ethanol production in the state. This makes wonderful cattle feed and makes the cost of feeding very competitive with feeding costs for cattle in other parts of the country. It is reasonable to expect that if more production would come back to the state that we may see more meat processing again in the state,” he said.

Atlantic’s Alan Zellmer is taking advantage of such distillers grain to raise Iowa cattle of such quality that they are again attracting overseas attention. Early this decade he started raising wagyu, a Japanese breed that is legendary for its marbling and its healthy profile of good cholesterols.

"When we started this project eight years ago, all the beef was raised for the Japanese market. Now it's almost entirely local, domestic," he said, adding that, in late September the market for high end steaks started coming back from a year long slump. Steakhouses had been hit harder than any other segment of the restaurant business after the stock market crash last October.

Pete Woltz of Timber Ridge in Osceola also finishes beef that nutritionists love. He buys Iowa calves and puts them in his Clark County pastures, supplementing their grass diets with a flax seed, vitamin E and glutens.

“Our cattle are given no antibiotics, no growth hormones, and no feed additives. We began this project about 2 years ago. During that time Iowa State University testing has shown our beef to contain nearly five times the amount of ALA omega 3's as corn fed cattle, 25% more unsaturated fats,” said Woltz, who directly markets in Iowa.

In Central Iowa, suburban sprawl challenges the locovore and the cattleman. LaVonne Griffieon’s family have been raising Limousin cattle in Ankeny since the 1960‘s. They began marketing their beef directly this year by opening The Farm Shed, a store on their property. Griffieon says it’s a matter of survival for a way of life.

Short ribs at Alba in Des Moines

“Thirty years ago this farm was 3 miles north of Ankeny. Now its surrounded on three sides by subdivisions. Ankeny has annexed 7000 acres of prime farmland in the last six years,” she cautioned.

Francis Thicke, who is running against Northey in next year‘s election, says a pork company has created a model that could work for Iowa cattlemen.

“What may be possible is for Iowa beef producers to create new markets – independent of the consolidated meatpacking industry – for high-quality Iowa beef that commands a premium price. A model for that is Niman Ranch Pork, through which Iowa pork fills a national demand for premium pork products. One possibility for a premium market that could be developed by Iowa beef producers is grass-fed beef,” he said.
Limousin also figure in a trend that resembles that model and that could restore prestige to Iowa cattle farming.

Red veal is red hot, supported by the growing demand for healthier and humanely raised meats. The Strauss Free Raised Veal company has been growing a humanely raised line by integrating farmers committed to their model, much like Niman Ranch has done with pork. Strauss farmers raise Limousin calves, the preferred breed for top of the line veal, with mother cows out doors on natural diets. Most industrial veal is raised in confinement, on formula diets that restrict their intake of iron - to turn their meat white. Red veal now commands prices that make it a delicious option to shipping calves out west for finishing. Strauss Veal’s president explained why.

Red veal chop at Sbrocco in Des Moines

“ As America’s proverbial bread-basket, Iowa producers have unlimited opportunities to increase the value of their livestock by responding to the demand for traceability, all natural, locally produced and locally fed, grass finished and more. Non-traditional markets are posing huge opportunities,” said Randy Strauss.

A number of the state’s finest chefs believe in the magic of Iowa Beef. Rube’s Steakhouse made a national name serving beef they raised themselves in Montour, Iowa. They also have supplied other steakhouses, such as Jesse’s Embers. Caffrey’s Steakhouse also uses an all Iowa line. Andrew Meek at Sbrocco features beef from Kristine and Ryan Jepsen’s Grass Run Farm in Dorchester, a certified organic pasture raised and grass finished farm. Matt Steigerwald of Lincoln Café exclusively uses Iowa beef: wagyu from Majinola Meats; and grass fed from the Jepsen’s farms. George Formaro has used Vande Rose Farms’ all Hereford beef from Oskaloosa plus the Iowa Best line at Centro, Django and Gateway Market Cafes. Court Avenue Brewing Company and BOS use Vande Rose‘s beef too. Dean Richardson of Phat Chef’s likes beef raised and finished on Calhoun County family farms where he grew up. Troy Trostel at Greenbriar is currently using Majinola’s wagyu as he waits for his long time Iowa beef suppliers, Iowa Best Beef, to reopen.

One new development has long term potential. Tenderizing technologies can now soften tough cuts without marinating. That’s why you see many new steaks - Denver, Cordelico, Cabrosa - at the supermarket. Many of those cuts (flap meat, ball tip, etc.) used to become burger. That’s suggests a message Iowa Beef could market - Why go out (of state) for burger when you can come home to steak?

Andrew Meek & Strauss Veal - Back to the Future

Andrew Meek is the bellwether of Des Moines’ restaurant renaissance. This city’s prestige grew in direct relationship with the introduction of good regional products in its best cafés. Meek advocated more of those than anyone else. At Sage, he was among the first to use Niman Pork, La Quercia prosciutto, Northern Prairie chevre and Sheeder Farms poultry - the fouding quartet of Central Iowa’s artisan food revival. He introduced Des Moines to Malloy Game Birds, Grass Run Farm’s beef, Nueske’s cured meats and Christopher Elbo chocolates. Meek designed entire dinners to feature Templeton Rye whiskey and Sunstead Farms tomatoes.

After closing Sage last year, he could have easily skated on his reputation. Recent visits to Sbrocco suggest he‘s still pushing the envelop.
Sbrocco looks like a good fit for Meek. This wine bar is the most sophisticated venture of Full Court Press, a local company that invigorated downtown with a half dozen distinctive, independent restaurants. Riedel stemware, vintage jazz, and a good, affordable wine list draw sippers and diners to an historic Court Avenue building remodeled with salvaged heirlooms and funky style. Copper ceiling tiles have been welded into bar tops, Deco banquettes escaped the Embassy Club and stained glass windows found refuge from several churches. Two things from the pre-Meek era might be missed. A cheese station made way for more tables and home made breads disappeared altogether. There was no bread service at all.

Lunch options ranged widely. Tempura battered halibut cheeks & frites, Meek’s signature New Bedford scallops (with cauliflower puree and cider syrup), and “Savannah style” crab cakes with pommery mustard sauce all showed off the chef’s exceptional Rolodex - dockside contacts he maintains from his previous life in Savannah. Braised Niman meatballs in La Quercia prosciutto red sauce, butternut squash ravioli, and beef brisket lettuce wraps all flaunted his Iowa stewardship. The chef’s entrees are anything but meek. In two recent tastings around town (of duck and short ribs), Sbrocco’s offerings were the heftiest. Short ribs featured Grass Run Farm’s beef, with a celeriac-potato mash.

A duck entrée featured Fox Hollow Farm’s mallard breast, larger and fattier than others. It revealed Meek’s tail to beak talents, with duck confit, duck demiglace and a mushroom cherry risotto. The new piece de resistance is Meek’s latest discovery - a red veal chop from Strauss Veal.

Red veal is the new old thing - raised the way all veal was before World War II - outdoors with their mothers. In the 1950’s “white veal” was invented by weaning boy calves a few days after birth, confining them so they couldn’t graze, and feeding them an iron deficient formula that made them anemic. Many ranchers tethered them to be sure they didn't graze on any iron rich grasses. They even monitored and restricted their drinking water, lest it carried iron. Insidious marketers spun the resulting pale, flavorless flesh as a good thing.

Served with pain perdu and wild mushrooms in a veal and quince demiglace, Meek’s chop looked so good that strangers at the next table asked about it with envy. I shared and all agreed it had bold, spectacular flavor. So, I tracked the source. A few miles east of Dubuque (magically without snow cover like the rest of Iowa),

I found a jolly Strauss farmer named Barry Brodbeck running the most idyllic farm I’ve ever seen. Limousin calves and their mom’s roamed nine different cliff side pastures of 50 to 90 acres each, nursing, grazing and drinking from streams. Limousin cows came to the US from France in the 1970's and are the preferred veal calf.

Brodbeck said his calves live months longer than most industrial veal calves. Plus, they only have "one bad day in their lives." All Strauss farmers follow the same protocols that Barry does. Sort of like Niman Ranch pork farmers do.

Meek is the first Iowa chef to use Strauss Veal. Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, Art Smith and Emeril Lagasse are among the more celebrated fans of the product. Tony Bourdain recently spent two days, with his camera crew, at Strauss, so look for them on one of his upcoming episodes of "No Reservations."

Sbrocco
208 Court Ave., 282-3663
Mon. - Sat. 11a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.