 |
|
| What
is grass-fed beef? |
Grass-fed beef is beef from an animal that has eaten only grass and
natural ingredients. The animal has not been fed any grains such as
corn or oats. In the case of Bastrop Cattle Company, all of our animals
remain in the pastures with their mothers both suckling and eating
grass. Occasionally, BCC has more calves to move than processing room,
so the calves will be separated from their mothers onto grass pastures
for up to one month. Because of the short period, this will have little
impact on the tenderness of the meat.
|
| What
does grass-finished mean? |
Grass-finished
meat is where animals are moved from their mother’s side (weaned)
to live on grass for up to eighteen months or more. The reasons for
this are two fold. First, most ranchers want to wean a calf at six
or seven months because the cow is pregnant again and a large calf
on the side still suckling will draw down the cow. This is when BCC
takes calves for processing. Secondly, grass-finished animals will
put weight on more slowly than when they were at the cows side. The
first six hundred pounds is a breeze – rich milk is the best fattener;
the second six hundred pounds is a lot slower. However, many wholesalers
and grocery chains want large pieces of meat and big carcasses, so
ranchers in this end of the business grass-finish their animals.
BCC does not want big carcasses. We think the best meat is while the
calf is still suckling. It is light and lean, but has a nice baby
fat content that adds a buttery little taste to the meat. We also
believe our meat is more life cycle friendly. There is a rhythm to
raising cattle on a small family ranch. Calves are born through the
first of the year, feed on grass and milk in the spring and are big
enough to leave the herd after six or seven months. At that point,
the whole cycle starts again. Local meat, just like local produce
should follow the seasons.
|
| What
breeds of cattle do you raise? |
Most of our ranchers have herds of cows that are a mixture of two
or more breeds. The most common breeds used in the Central Texas area
are Charolais, Santa Gertrudis, Beefmaster, Brangus, Hereford, Angus,
and Limousine. However, its also not uncommon to see herds that have
a touch of milk cow in them and also Brahman. Santa Gertrudis and
Beefmaster are two breeds that were developed in South Texas and do
well with the humidity and heat in Central Texas. Charolais and Limousine
are French breeds that are large boned and big muscled and will create
large, hefty calves that will grow into big animals in feedlot operations.
Hereford and Angus are English breeds that will grow to maturity faster.
Each breed has its own advantages. Most ranchers like to have relatively
large cows that will not have difficulty giving birth. Many of our
ranchers favor the French breeds mixed with Hereford or Angus for
their cows. They will then breed them back to an Angus, Hereford or
Beefmaster bull. The result is a reasonably small calf at birth that
will grow quickly and easily put on weight while it is suckling.
|
| What
are the health benefits of grass-fed beef? |
Grass-fed
beef is higher in Omega Fatty Acids and lower in both total and saturated
fats than grain fed beef. It also contains higher levels of such nutrients
as the B vitamins, zinc and iron (research results of the Union of
Concerned Scientists).
Additionally, because grass-fed beef is by its nature free range beef,
it is not exposed to many of the bacteria and health problems that
animals crowded into feeding pens experience. Grass-fed animals are
eating what nature intended them to eat, so their immune systems and
their digestive tracts are healthier (without the use of antibiotics!).
Finally, because BCC moves its animals minimally (normally straight
from the pasture to the processing plant), they are never exposed
to animals other than their own herdmates. This substantially reduces
exposure to outside illnesses and disease.
|
| Why
do your steaks have a different color than those at the store?
|
There are three reasons that our meat is darker red than grocery store
meat. First, as soon as our meat is cut into the appropriate pieces,
it is vacuum packed and hard frozen. One of the reasons for the bright
red in store bought meat is that it has been exposed to oxygen that
causes the iron in the blood to begin to break down. Secondly, no
additives like red dye are injected into our meat. Thirdly, we don’t
sell our meat under pretty bright lights.
|
| Does
grass-fed beef taste different than grain-fed? |
Yes. Our meat is leaner, though is still does have fat (marbling).
It is also very tender. The majority of the time our calves are moved
directly from the pasture where they are still suckling to the processing
facility in Fayette County. Occasionally, when our ranchers need to
move calves off their mothers, they may pastured on grass for two
weeks to one month. This short of time only being on grass has very
little effect on the tenderness of the meat.
|
| What
is the difference between organic, natural, and grass-fed?
|
There are subtle differences between each. Grass-fed is exactly what
it says. They animal is fed on grass. Natural means that the animal
has not received any hormones or antibiotics during its life. However,
natural does not mean that the animal has not been fed out on grains,
such as corn, or that it has not been contained in a feed lot or pen.
Organic means that the animals has come from a ranch and herd that
has gone through a three to five year process to receive the USDA
certification of organic. Such an animal has not receive either hormones
or antibiotics and has not been exposed to any artificial chemicals
in any of the foods that it has ingested. Again, organic does not
mean that the animal has not received grains or been contained in
a feed lot.
You should considere three important concepts when you buy meat. The
meat should be local, free range and sustainable.
|
| Do
you use hormones or antibiotics on your cattle? |
Absolutely not! Additionally, BCC has a monitoring program in place
to which all our ranchers agree. Whenever a BCC Certified rancher
works his cattle, he agrees to have a BCC representative there to
observe. This is to verify that no animal receives any implants. All
of our calves are uniquely ear-tagged on each ranch so that BCC can
trace every calf from birth to dinner plate.
We do allow ranchers to treat calves that may be injured and antibiotics
are acceptable in this context. However, a rancher must contact us
immediately. The calf must be taken out of the process stream and
BCC must be told what types of medicines are being used and for how
long. If the treatment is considered to antibiotic extensive, then
that calf cannot taken to carry the BCC label. If the treatment is
short and specific, then the calf can be considered for processing
only after it has been antibiotic free for twenty-one days after the
last treatment.
|
| Is
BCC beef safe from Mad Cow Disease? |
Absolutely.
And here’s why. Mad Cow Disease or Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) is a disease that is spread by feeding cattle products that
are made up of the remains of processed cows (think cannibalism).
This practice has been outlaws in the United States since the 1990s.
Additionally, it is a disease that does not develop in cattle until
they are older. In the United States a meat processor has to have
government permission to process any animal older than thirty-six
months for human consumption.
BCC cattle are never fed cattle feed because they are out eating grass
and suckling. Further, where our ranchers feed cubes to the cows and/or
use cubes to call their animals up to pens, BCC requires them to use
a natural product. We check all labels to verify. None of our ranchers
creep feed – a supplement that is fed to calves to help them put on
more weight. Our ranchers do put out mineral and salt supplements,
but these are all natural.
Finally, BCC only takes weaning calves directly from the pasture.
Our animals are not confined in feed lots or pens, except for a very
short time (hours) right before being processed, and we don’t mix
herds. Our calves are at most seven months old at the time they are
processed.
|
| How
are your cattle harvested? |
Our calves are moved to the processing facility no more than twenty-four
hours before they are processed. Often, they spend only a few hours
in a holding pen before they are processed. They always have water
and shade. When they are moved into the facility, they are passively
restrained in clean shoots that are smooth and solid. This is both
to protect them and the people who work with them. They are always
killed swiftly. One animal at a time is killed and the kill floor
is always cleaned before another animal is brought in.
Our calves are dealt with humanely for two reasons. First, it is the
right thing to do. Secondly, a frightened, agitated animal produces
massive amounts of adrenaline and other hormones. When these natural
chemicals are released just prior to death, they will destroy the
tenderness of the meat.
|
| Is
your beef inspected by the government? |
Every one of our carcasses is inspected by the State of Texas. A state
inspector is present at the time that the calf is brought onto the
kill floor. He witnesses the kill (which he makes sure is clean and
swift), he then inspects all of the glands in the head and neck for
signs of illness or defect. He will inspect the liver for the same
reason. Finally, once the carcass is de-hided, he will inspect the
entire carcass for blemishes and signs of illness. This is done with
every animal that we put our label on.
|
| What
is wet aging? |
Wet
aging is the processed most commonly used by the commercial beef industry
to break down the fiber of the muscle. It consists of wrapping polyurethane
around the hanging carcass to induce accelerated breakdown. There
are two advantages to this process. It speeds up the aging process
and it causes the carcass to retain water content (which you pay for
in the grocery store!).
BCC dry ages all our meat. Dry aging consists of hanging a carcass
in a temperature controlled cooler and allowing the meat to breakdown
naturally. Smaller carcasses such as ours require between eight and
thirteen days. Larger carcasses can require up to three weeks or more
to reach the optimum aging stage.
Wet aging breaks meat down from the inside out. Dry aging breaks meat
down from the outside in. Dry aging is a slower process, but we think
the result is worth the wait!
|
|
|
SHOP
ONLINE | DELIVERY
