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Date: | Mon, 29 May 2000 15:29:07 -1000 |
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>I hope one of you can clarify this for me, but what makes meat organic?
>I had thought if animals were free range, with no antibiotics or
>hormones, they are considered organic. What is the difference between
>organic meats, and meats that are hormone/antibiotic free?
>Thanks
>Trish
If animals are free range only and with nothing injected they would be
organic--if the pasture wasn't chemically fertilized and no
pesticides/herbicides. But I am aware of no mainland beef commercially
available that meets those standards.
OTOH, if beef is fed organic grains it can meet organic standards whether
or not is is primarily pastured.
No antibiotic or hormones is a good start, but grains are still a primary
food source and they aren't likely organic--if they were organic the beef
would be marketed as such.
People just don't appreciate range-only beef, which is not marbled and
tough by comparison with feedlot beef. I have even heard that buffalo
culled from National Parks in the mainland are routinely fattened in
feedlots before offered for sale. And unfortunately the meat available from
specialty game outlets is not really wild in any sense of the word.
Here on the big island of Hawaii the largest ranch in the USA (Parker
ranch) take pastured-only cattle and ship them to Canada to fatten in feed
lots (on grains) and then ship the beef back here for sale at a premium.
There is, however, pastured-only beef available here. The stuff available
in some supermarkets is unfortunately only aged two weeks. Most folks will
pay a premium for mainland beef because it is usually fattier. Cattle on
good pasture will indeed become very fatty but it is surface fat more than
marbled fat.
What needs to happen to pastured-only beef is _aging_. A month minumum--two
months is best. I have had the pleasure of pastured beef aged 16 weeks and
it is absolutely indescribable.
If you are serious about obtaining pastured-only beef (though it may have
been medicated at some point for a minor illness, but probably not), call
Bill at Kona Specialty Meats (808-323-2849) and ask about shipping
suction-plastic packed meat without freezing. It would be
easier/cheaper/surer to have it shipped frozen. Don't forget about marrow
bones cut lengthwise (which are still of high quality when frozen). I have
told him about the market for pastured beef on the mainland but they are
pretty much overworked and not really interesting in expanding. I always
hear talk about some of the year-round-pastured beef going to mainland
markets but it never seems to really happen. They have started making jerky
but they marinate/smoke it--yuck. If they only realized the market for
simply dried and otherwise-unprocessed jerky they would probably make a
million.
Cheers,
Kirt
Secola /\ Nieft
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