Another reason to stay away from beef raised in the U.S. and other feedlotting countries (other than free-ranging stuff): The beasts can still be fed cattle blood, poultry litter and restaurant leftovers. U.S.D.A. was supposed to have banned this but hasn't got around to it yet.

See: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...89_page2.shtml

In case you don't know what "poultry litter" is, it's the straw bedding used in commercial poultry farms. It contains straw, chicken sh-t, and chicken feed, chicken feed which can still legally include beef scraps (another mad cow vector)....

"Proudly eating venison since 1971....."

I was going to use "poultry manure" instead of "poultry litter" (former is a sbset of the latter as you pointed out) until I found that news bit. Yes, chickens and pigs can be fed by-products of cows and sheep (or beef/lamb/mutton) processing so it all vectors that are supposed to be eliminated/dead-ended and instead open-ended.

BTW, are you at all worried about the SE disease found in elk and other ungulates that live/feed around cattle feedlots?

Argentine beef is better, but the right Argentine using American beef can do a better job than most every steakhouse in America using even American beef.

It's time to start a thread comparing venison to reindeer. :D

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a cervine form of BSE.

I'm not. I go deer hunting in West Texas (Junction...2.5 hrs W of SAT), and there's never been a a case of CWD in Texas, as far as I know. It's been found in Colorado and Michigan, mostly among farmed elk.

It has prevented me from eating the brains or sweetbreads (hypothumus gland), but I still eat the muscles, kidneys, and liver; and roast and boil the bones for stock. Fergus Henderson, "Nose to Tail Eating." Organ meats can be yummy, and I think it's an insult to God and Nature to waste anything.

Although the guy I've been hunting with just changed leases...he used to cut me a sweet deal on culling does. Might be looking for another hunting spot, as I don't know whatt he deer population will look like this year.

Cannot speak of Argentinian beef yet, but Brazilian meat is far better than US meat.

Wow - just when you think the US factory farm industry can't get any worse, you find out something new.

This is why I'm eating a lot more vegetarian these days. When there's high quality, tasty, healthy meat available (e.g. free range, hormone/anti-biotic free, grass fed) I'll go with it. When my option is eating "poultry litter" I'll stick with the vegetarian dish.

I'm surprised there aren't any boutique cattle ranches in Upstate. Here in Texas, there's a place I patronize near Waco...pure, grass fed stuff. Not much more expensive than factory farmed, and they cut to order. I'd suspect that halal/kosher meats are probably better also.

http://www.homesteadlandandcattle.com/index.html

I do very little cooking, but the one time I did go buy steak at Whole Foods recently the organic/grass fed meat was actually cheaper than the regular stuff.

Here's another reason to avoid most beef produced in N. America.

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=22708

Most Argentine Beef is not "finished" in feed lots as is almost all US beef, and as a result will generally have a bit more flavor (or at least a different flavor from our corn-fattened cattle). Additionally, Argentine steers get to live a bit longer than the US ones, barely more than veal at slaughter. Those of us who live in areas where cattle are raised and who have access to family or friends in the business can buy grass fed beef (and often do). It can be a bit chewier, but carries more flavor, especially if allowed to become a couple of years old before the sledge or bullet to the forehead.

I admit to be a very strong devotee of grass fed beef compared to its lot fed equivalent - while it might be it might be chewier, a good cut will be the same as its lot fed equivalent, and in my opinion will have far more taste.

I can certainly compare good Australian steaks with their US and also Kobe equivalents, but I can't compare the Argentinian equivalent.

Nevertheless, FTs may be interested in the following web site which goes to the heart of the matter in the longer term

http://www.acresusa.com/magazines/ar...ndersenInt.htm.

FTs may also be interested to know that according to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, the numbers of hectares under organic management throughout the world are

Australia 12,000,000 hectares
Latin America 6,300,000 hectares
North America 1,400,000 hectares

My guess would be that the majority of Latin America and Australia's land would be open grass land grazing.

I am not a green wierdo, and I am not convinced with some of the science quoted on the web page above, but the author has serious academic credentials, and has travelled and lectured extensively in recent years in Australia and New Zealand.

For me in terms of taste, it is an issue between Argentinian and Australian steaks, and the US wouldn't be in the hunt with all due deference to my US friends, but Australia now has such a huge influence from Asia that the traditional concentration on steak has declined substantialiy.

I guess that Argentinia still has a very strong tradition with the handling and cooking of beef, with all that that entails.

On the sister thread on steak houses, I will probably be assaulted by my Kiwi friends in saying that I have yet to find a decent steakhouse in New Zealand, but I can say that good Kiwi lamb is superb.

All that needs to happen is a good free trade agricultural access to the US market, and let some decent competition begin, both for lamb and beef ;)

Argentina may have the famous parrillas and pampas tradition, but as I recall from when I lived in Chile, most of the beef in the grocery stores there was imported not from Argentina but from Uruguay. I also remember -- although I am not sure about this -- reading somewhere that a hefty percentage of the beef consumed in Argentina is also imported from Uruguay.

This is spot on. Some of what is acceptable in normal animal feeding in the US and many places is disgusting.

That said, I wouldnt couch Whole Foods as the holy grail either. To farm food on the scale that they buy at, you will be breaching a lot of laws of nature, just the same. Thats the truth, "organic" or not.

At the end of the day, to get real food farmed in a natural way, we would all have to accept much more reallstic (ie far higher) prices, and we need to eat more variety of foods not just meat.

And if you think cow is an animal than natually feeds on corn or soy, well......I've got a few bridges you should take a look at. We can start in Brooklyn.

The best steakhouse in EZE (and probably the best one in Argentina, but I haven't spent enough time there to determine that) is Las Lilas and grows, slaughters and ages their own beef. It is fully vertically integrated, owning not just the ranch but all aspects of the operation (from breeding to serving in the restaurant). Probably the best beef in the world. My point is that the key difference isn't between Australia and Argentina, but with processing practices. Rather interestingly most southern hemisphere beef is markedly different from northern hemisphere beef (be it US, Scottish, French or Japanese). Generally leaner (less fat) and stronger tasting (more grass). This is true for most beef in South America, be it Uruguay, Argentina or Brazil, South Africa and Australia. Genetic and growing/processing practices within a country make more difference than between countries, from my experience. Rather ironically the best beef typically has no distribution channel (you have to find and procure it yourself).