Did you know that an angus steer and a musk ox are taxonomically of the same family? I’m sure the eating experience is quite different, though (and I’ll pass on the musk ox, thanks). Tenderness and beef yield are influenced by genetics. That means quality beef starts before conception, with genetic selection. We use artificial insemination (instead of live bulls) in order to get top quality, proven genetics.
They don’t get better with age. Old cattle make tough beef. Our cattle go to slaughter at about 18 months of age – an important factor in tenderness
Each day’s life experience can impact beef quality. Stress is a significant negative. Cattle need to be handled and handled calmly. They need adequate nutrition and freedom from disease, stress and undo hardship. Our cattle are calm because we spend time with them – whether it’s feeding hay in the winter or moving them to new grass daily in the summer – they are comfortable with us so when the time comes to vaccinate or load them for slaughter they aren’t stressed (The Temple Grandin designed handling system we built helps too!)
Our cattle love our pastures, and so do we. But, quality beef – and by that, I mean tender and flavorful – is largely dependent on marbling. Marbling is the little flecks of fat that can be seen in a steak. Marbling takes place from a young age and becomes pronounced in the finishing stage. So that our cattle finish with appropriate marbling, we feed some grain for two to three months before slaughter. This is no where near the amount of grain a feedlot steer would get but matched with available pasture, it ensures a top quality product.