Beef Cook-off Successfully Steers Palates toward Grass-fed
While their tastes may differ, judges of PASA’s inaugural Grass-fed, Grass-finished Beef Challenge
Cook-Off held August 3 agree that the idyllic pastoral setting and
sustainable philosophies of Glasbern Country Inn in Fogelsville, Lehigh County, Pa., along
with a sold-out crowd of beef eaters made for a wonderful educational experience.
A tasting contest featuring 13
PASA-member contestants who raise 100 percent grass-fed and grass-finished
cattle was the main event. Delmonico steaks grilled by Glasbern Inn chefs were judged by a panel of 10 chefs, food writers, and food
professionals.
“I was very impressed with the
beef competition—very organized, and I certainly learned a lot,” said cook-off
judge Carol Stoudt, owner of Stoudt’s Brewing Company
in Adamstown, Pa. that also donated two craft beers for the event. “It was very
interesting to just judge one type of food, and I was amazed at the difference
in taste, look, and texture in the beef. It was also great to get to meet the
farmers and talk to them about their farming practices. I have a great
appreciation for the farmers and their commitment to raising pasture-raised
meat.”
Entry qualifications required
animals to be raised on their mother's milk for a minimum of 60 days, but with
a preference for up to 10 months. Once weaned, the animals’ diet must be any
combination of grass, legumes/forbs and herbs or stored feeds made from grass
and legumes such as hay or haylage. Animals may be
finished on grass or stored grass forage feeds. Prohibited in this diet are
grains, corn silage, and animal and fish by-products.
The prize of grand champion
went to Rich DiFebo of Harvest Home Meats located in Northampton
County, Pa. Rich has been raising grass-fed, grass-finished cattle for 12 years
and was surprised to come home the overall winner.
“I really didn’t know how my
beef ranked against other farmers producing grass-finished beef, and the win
kind of caught me off guard. My family went with me and on the way down I said
not to be surprised if we don’t come close to winning. Who would have thought
I’d come in first place, so I was quite excited and happy.”
Rich credits his win to paying attention to the details.
“Once you master the basics, I think it’s then fine-tuning
the details. It’s not just one thing, and you always have to continuously have
green forages for grazing. When things go dry, you have to have something else
there for them to eat. I plant summer annuals also for the cows to graze on.
You always need to have constant growth. You can’t have any time when the cows
aren’t gaining any weight and to do that you have to have something out there
for them to eat all the time.”
The cook-off’s first place prize went to Dr. Bill Elkins
from Buck Run Land & Cattle Co. located Chester County, Pa. Dr. Elkins, retired from a career in
medical science, has been raising grass-fed, grass-finished cattle for approximately
15 years and shares his insights with fellow PASA cattlemen.
“We had a lot of trouble getting off the ground at first,
but even if you get some really tough critters, don’t throw in the sponge just
keep trying and eventually things seem to work out. In
the beginning, we had some meat that was very off-tasting and that people
didn’t seem to much like. I was always afraid that we would keep getting it,
but it never happened again. I can’t begin to tell you why, so you just have to
hang in there is all I can say.”
Dr. Elkins also mentions he’s a firm believer in farmers breeding
and raising their own calves as the best way to
advance a grass-fed cattle enterprise over the long-term.
“You need a steady source of animals where the people that
are breeding them are doing it for that purpose, and I think it must be very
hard to go out and buy a bunch of stockers and hope that you are going to get
what you want. But I also realize that what I’m suggesting may be the expensive
way to go because it means you need more land and you need to pay attention to
the bull and maybe buy a little better bulls and stuff like that or go into
artificial breeding. Not everybody is going to go for that, but I personally
believe it is the best way for the long run.”
The cook-off’s second place prize went to Larry Herr of Cressbrook Farm in Lancaster County, Pa., and third place
winner was Ridge Shinn from Out of the Woods Farm in Hardwick, Mass.
“Every piece of meat we were served at the cook-off was a
steak that I would pay money for,” noted Renee Catacalos, Edible Chesapeake magazine publisher and editor. “None of them had
any off-putting gamey flavors, although they did vary quite widely in their
flavor. So my conclusion is that the overall quality of grass-finished beef
must be rising as farmers are learning more about best practices in raising
animals on grass.”
Providing consistent, palatable tastes and textures is a challenge. John
Jamison of Jamison Farm, another cook-off judge and a nationally known
Pennsylvania lamb farmer, speaks from experience.
“As I finish lambs on grass, the whole process is not
unfamiliar to me. I am, however, very impressed that the producers have found
the correct genetics in the cattle to allow them to produce such a superior
product on grass. I don't think they could have had the same results 10 years
ago. It is as much an art as it is a science. The stockman must know his
animals and his pasture.”
Cook-off judge Tom Sherman from Slow Food discovered “that farmers raising
grass-fed and finished beef have learned how to produce a more tender meat. In
the past, proponents of grass-fed beef have focused their arguments on
health—of consumers and of the environment; chewy meat seemed to be a
trade-off for flavor and health. Farmers have understood that concern and are
developing ways to raise beef that's tender too.”
The Britton Brothers band, which included PASA Board Vice
President Brian Moyer, entertained guests as they grazed on burgers and Stoudt’s beer-braised beef stew. Amidst the breathtaking
beauty of Glasbern, event-goers mingled with judges, farmers,
and fellow PASA supporters, and nibbled on potato chips donated by Snyder’s of
Hanover, Hanover, Pa., licked cones of farm-made, hand-dipped ice cream sold by
The Lands at Hillside Farm, Shavertown, Pa., or sipped homemade birch beer from
Kutztown Bottling Works, Kutztown, Pa.
Indeed, the setting was ideal, and PASA extends its
gratitude to event sponsor Al Granger of The Glasbern Country Inn for generously donating his beautiful property. Glasbern’s working farm spans 100+ acres and uses sustainable agricultural practices such
as rotational grazing and organic farming to raise vegetables, sheep, cattle, and
chickens for the Inn’s restaurant.
PASA also thanks other event sponsors Agri-Dynamics
Inc., The Fertrell Company, King’s AgriSeeds, Leona Meat Plant, and Natural By Nature, and
Friends of the Cook-Off supporter American Herbataurus Society.
Through educational activities and undeniably delicious
beef, the cook-off demonstrated how it’s no bull that improved quality and
flavor result from raising cattle using grass-fed, grass-finished methods. Together,
everyone involved gave life to a unique event that succeeded in being a
memorable showcase of grass-fed, grass-finished beef and the hardworking
stockman who provide high-quality flavorful meat for our enjoyment.
“The farmers'
commitment to raising delicious and healthy meat is impressive. The
commitment of the sold-out crowd to support their work is equally impressive,”
adds Sherman. “The event confirmed the Slow Food principle that people who
support the producers of sustainable food are themselves not just consumers but
co-producers.”
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