Originally Posted by Pietro

Mst commercial U.S. beef is raised on corn and injected with growth hormones and other substances. The injections allow the cows to eat the corn without getting ill -- nature intended for cows to eat grasses, not corn) and also grow more quickly so producers can get them to the markets with more efficiency. The NY Times detailed this science in an excellent feature some time ago in the Sunday magazine.

As I understand it, if you've ever had naturally-rasied, non-chemical, grass-fed beef, you'll have a sense of what true Argentinian beef is supposed to be like. As Willie says, it's known for a different flavor and it's supposed to be leaner as well.

That said, I don't know if natural U.S. beef is necessarily "better" than Argentinian beef, but it may be significantly different, depending on the level of quality and the breed of cattle.

FYI, if you have a Wild Oats or Whole Foods market in your area, you may be able to find Coleman beef steaks or beef from other producers. In my experience these are of much higher quality than typical grocery store beef. As with the poultry and pork they sell, the flavors and textures are much better IMO, plus you're eating natural unprocessed meat. With true butcher shops disappearing in many towns, this may be one of your few options short of mail order from retailers like Dean & Deluca.