1. Meat Madness: What
Message is Shaping Your
Opinions about Beef?
Lynn A Bliven
Association Team Coordinator
Cornell Cooperative Extension Allegany/Cattaraugus County

2. Where life begins the Cow-Calf Farms
• Cows are bred & give birth to a calf every year.
• For the first few months of life, calves drink their mother’s
milk & graze on pastures.
• Calves are weaned at 6-8 months old, weighing 400-500
pounds. Then eat grass & forages.
• 1-in-3 female calves are kept on the cow-calf farm as breeding
animals (“replacement heifers”).

3. What is forage?

4. Stockers & Backgrounders
• Stockers and backgrounders graze cattle on many
different kinds of pastures all across the United
States. These cattle gain weight and, in
effect, convert forage and grass into protein.

5. Types of feeds:
• Silage, corn silage: The entire
corn plant, chopped and stored
“wet”, fermented. Ensiled corn.
• Shelled corn: Dry, whole
kernel corn.
• Cracked corn: Dry, whole
kernel corn which is ground into
smaller pieces.

6. Feedlots
• Mature calves are moved to feedlots.
• Typically spend 4-6 months.
• Have constant access to water, room to move
around & are free to graze at feed bunks
containing a carefully balanced diet.
• Veterinarians, nutritionists and cattlemen work
together to look after each animal.

7. Marketplace Confusion
Grass-Fed
Low Calorie
Reduced sodium
Fat-Free
Organic
Sugar-free
Natural
Local
Gluten-free
Enriched
Whole Grain
Low-Fat
High Fiber
Fortified
Added Protein
Free Range
No GMO
Sustainably Raised

8. All Beef Is…
•
•
•
•
Grass-fed
Natural
Nutritious
Safe

9. So what is:
Natural?
Grass-fed?
Organic?
Dry-aged?
Pasture raised?
Free range?
Humane?
Prime?

10. What is:
Natural?
• “minimally processed, no artificial ingredients”.
• Commonly used on products raised without
antibiotics or hormone implants.
So, is feeding expired baked
goods “natural”?
Potato peels?
Citrus rinds?

11. What is:
Certified Naturally
Raised?
• Cattle can be grain-finished or grass-finished (look at
the label for details)
• Have never received antibiotics or growth promoting
hormones
• May be given vitamin & mineral supplements
• Must be certified by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing
Service

12. What is:
Grain-finished?
• Cattle spend most of their lives grazing on
pasture, then spend 4-6 months in a feedlot
• Fed scientifically & healthy balanced diet of
grains, such as corn, wheat or soybeans
• May judiciously be given FDA-approved antibiotics or
growth promoting hormones
• May be given vitamin and mineral supplements
• Have continuous access to clean water & room to
grow & roam

13. What is:
Grass-fed?
• Varies, implies a grass diet.
• Sometimes specified as “ 100%” or “strictly”.
Grass (Forage) Fed – Grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant
animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. The diet shall be derived solely from forage
consisting of grass (annual and perennial), forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), browse, or cereal grain crops in the
vegetative (pre-grain) state. Animals cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access
to pasture during the growing season. Hay, haylage, baleage, silage, crop residue without grain, and other
roughage sources may also be included as acceptable feed sources. Routine mineral and vitamin
supplementation may also be included in the feeding regimen.
Grass (Forage) Fed Marketing Claim Standard (October 16, 2007, Federal Register Notice (72 FR 58631)) PDF
So, are steers fed hay inside a barn all winter grass-fed?
Does grazing in a field of “young corn” mean grass-fed?
Where is this grass fed beef coming from?

14. What is:
Grass-finished?
• Cattle spend their entire lives grazing on
pasture
• May judiciously be given FDA-approved
antibiotics or growth promoting hormones
• May be given vitamin and mineral
supplements
• Can be difficult to produce year-round in
North America due to changing seasons &
weather conditions

15. What is:
•
•
•
•
Organic?
Certified organic feed, can include grain.
Housing, health, & handling specifically defined.
Processing done at a certified facility.
No antibiotics, no hormone implants allowed.
Could this farm be
certified organic?

16. What is:
Pasture Raised or
Free Range?
• “Access to the outdoors”.

17. What is:
Dry-Aged
• Most locally raised beef carcasses “hang” 10-14
days in the cooler.
• Technically, “dry aging” is for individual primals
for a period of 21 days or more.

18. What is:
Prime?
• Only USDA Graders can assign USDA Quality
Grades.
• There are NO USDA Graders in NYS.
% IMF
(intramuscular fat):
% of US Beef Supply in
the 3 top USDA Grades:
2.5-3.9%
31.5%
3.9-8.5%
61.5%
8.5-12+%
2.7%
Beef Research Report, Iowa SU 1998
NBQA 2011

19. Slight
Moderate
Small
Slightly abundant
Modest
Moderately abundant

20. Define what is important to you,
seek it from local sources.
1. “What do I want?” Common answers are
“affordable, healthy, safe, humane meats.”
2. VISIT farmers’ markets, ASK around, and
TALK with area farmers.
3. If you like what you see/hear…buy it! Buy
small quantities to sample, figure out what
you like.

21. What is important to me?
Healthy animals, healthy feed
• Pasture, when it is available.
• Haylage, balage, some grains, but not straight corn.
• “Free choice” hay.
• No food waste from
industrial food
processing.
• Treat sick animals
as needed.

22. Clean, humane farm conditions
• Animals have access to the outdoors, shade/
shelter, water, feed, and pasture (seasonal).
• General farm and livestock appearance.

23. High Quality Meats
• A good eating experience!
• Adequate marbling & fat cover.
•Animals of the
appropriate age.
•Beef: 16-32 mos.
•Lamb/goat: <1year
•Pigs: <1year
•Poultry: <1year

24. Humane, clean processing
• Properly wrapped for long
freezer life.
• Beef animals should “hang”
between 1-2 weeks.
• USDA inspected is good, not
necessary.

25. USDA & NYS Regulations
• USDA Inspected: Livestock
(beef, pork, goat, lamb) meat can be sold to the
public.
• “Custom” & NYS 5A: Livestock meat cannot be
sold. Consumers can buy a live animal (or
portion of live animal) from a farmer & have it
processed at a 5A.
• NYS 20C: Can process (butcher) & sell livestock
killed at USDA inspected facility.

26. What about claims?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Higher in CLA
Lower in cholesterol or saturated fat.
Sustainable scale.
Family farms.
Grass-based.
Humane.
Lean.

27. Beef Primal Cuts

28. There are eight wholesale cuts
that are then used to make
retail cuts.

29. Beef Cuts

30. FORE SHANK AND BRISKET
The fore shank and
brisket come from the
shoulder and chest of
cattle.
It’s most common retail
cut is the brisket.

31. Beef Brisket
The Beef Brisket is a very course textured muscle. The heavy layer
of fat and the sternum or breast bone have been removed. Due to
the course texture of this muscle, cooking in liquid is recommended.

32. THE ROUND
The round is the hind
quarter of cattle, similar to
the ham of a hog.
The rump roast is a
common example of a
retail cut from the round.

33. Round Steak
This steak is identified by the round leg bone and three muscles. At
the top of the screen is the top round, at the lower left is the bottom
round, and lower right is the eye of the round.

34. Rump Roast- Boneless
When the rump is removed, boned, rolled and tied, a retail cut called
the Beef Round Rump Roast is made. This represents a cut only
moderately tender, moist heat is often used. However with a cut
from choice and prime cattle, it is often cooked with dry heat.

35. Tip Steak
The Tip Steak is cut from the tip roast. Like the roast this steak is
identified by four individual muscles within one large muscle mass.

36. THE CHUCK
The chuck is the
neck region.
You may recognize
the boneless chuck
roast as a retail cut
from the chuck.

37. Chuck Blade Steak
The Beef Chuck Blade Steak is similar to the beef chuck blade
roast. It is usually cut less than one inch thick. The blade bone
shown in this slide has the typical shape of the "sevenbone", a term
frequently used in the meat trade.

38. Chuck Arm Roast
The Beef Chuck Arm Roast is identified by its thickness as a
roast, the large round bone in the center of the cut and the many
small muscles of which it is made. This roast may or may not have a
cross cut rib bones showing but if present would be at the bottom of
the picture.

39. Shank Cross Cut
The Beef Shank Cross Cut is identified by a cross section of the arm
bone and many very small muscles, each surrounded by connective
tissue.

40. THE RIB
The rib cut is the
rib section of the
animal.
We derive several
retail cuts from this
area including
prime rib, and back
ribs.

41. Rib Eye Steak
The Beef Rib Eye Steak come from the large end of the beef rib and
is made by removing back and rib bones.

42. Rib Roast, Small End
The Beef Rib Roast, Small End, contains several ribs, a portion of
the backbone and one large muscle, the rib eye.

43. Back Ribs

44. THE SHORT LOIN
The short loin
consists of the loin
and short ribs of the
animal.

45. T-Bone Steak
This steak has the characteristic "T" shaped vertebrae and the large
eye muscle. The smaller muscle located below the T-bone is the
tenderloin.

46. Porterhouse Steak
The Porterhouse Steak is similar to the beef loin T-bone steak.
However the tenderloin muscle is much larger and an extra muscle
is located in the center of the porterhouse steak on the upper side.

47. Tenderloin Steak
(Filet Mignon)
The most tender retail cut from the entire beef carcass is the Beef
Loin Tenderloin Steak. This steak has a fine texture, is circular in
shape and is usually about three inches in diameter.

48. THE SIRLION
The sirloin is the
waist of the
animal, located
between the ribs and
round.
The top sirloin steak
is the favorite retail
cut from this section.

49. Sirloin Steak, Round Bone
The Sirloin Steak, Round Bone is located further back on the sirloin
area of the beef loin. This particular sirloin steak has the greatest
amount of lean and the least amount of bone.

50. Sirloin Steak, Round Bone
The Sirloin Steak, Round Bone is located further back on the sirloin
area of the beef loin. This particular sirloin steak has the greatest
amount of lean and the least amount of bone.

51. FLANK AND SHORT PLATE
The flank is the area
between the body and
the hind legs.
You may be familiar
with the flank steak
often used for beef
jerky.

52. Flank Steak
The Beef Flank Steak is the only steak in the carcass containing an
entire large muscle. Also, although most other steaks are cut across
the muscle fibers, the flank steak fibers run the full length of the
steak. To help tenderize these long fibers, you will notice the knife
scores across the cut. Since the flank steak is one of the less tender
steaks, it should be cooked with moist heat cookery.

53. OTHER CUTS
Other cuts consist of
less desirable sections
and are often cubed as
stew meat or ground.

54. Ground Beef

55. Pricing
On the hoof
On the rail
By the piece

56. Pricing

57. The important message
• Shopping locally allows you to choose based on
a relationship rather than a claim.
• You want a good eating experience.
• Buying local has many benefits (the “triple
bottom line”).
• Talk to farmers to learn more.

58. Questions
Credit for content and photos:
Michael J. Baker, Cornell University
Beef Extension Specialist
Matt LeRoux, Ag. Marketing Specialist
CCE - Tompkins
County
Audrey Monroe, RD, LD
Kansas Beef Council