What's the Difference Between Angus Beef and Regular Beef?

[MULTIZ321]

What's the Difference Between Angus Beef and Regular Beef?
By Maryse Chevriere/ Beef/ Steak/ Food-News/ Chowhound/ chowhound.com

"It’s a bit of a rarity these days, but sometimes big questions do have simple answers. For example, what’s the difference between Angus beef and “regular” beef? Easy: The breed of cattle.

Seriously. “Angus” merely refers to beef that comes from the Aberdeen Angus cow. Originally from Scotland, it’s a sturdier breed that grew popular among farmers thanks to its ability to produce meat with a higher marbling content (a.k.a. those white lines of fat that make your meat taste so good.)

If you’re thinking, “Whoa, that’s it? I thought it also meant something about the superiority of the beef,” trust me, you’re not alone. And we can thank the cunning of the food industry marketing machine for that. “There are many different beef products with ‘Angus’ labels in the market today, but the Angus name itself is not necessarily an indication of highest quality,” explains Michael Ollier, the senior corporate chef for Certified Angus Beef. “Identifying beef as ‘Angus’ has become a popular way to imply quality, but it’s also important to understand grades of beef.”...."

Richard

 

[chapjim]

A few decades ago, I had a friend who was a cattle buyer for Swift & Co. He always said you can't tell about a piece of meat until you take it home and cut it.

 

[Eric B]

We started raising our own cattle on small farm in Maryland several years ago. Mostly Scottish Highlands, but someone gave us be us an Angus steer that we just harvested. The modern Angus breed mostly grows quickly on grain, although some do well on grass. This one came out nicely, we predominantly feed grass with some spent brewer's grain. I prefer the Highlands, though; they don't grow as fast, so you don't harvest them as early, which does contribute to the flavor. The only down side of that is no bone in cuts of it's over 30 months old.

 

[PrairieGirl]

What's the Difference Between Angus Beef and Regular Beef? Easy answer - GREAT marketing, plain and simple. Even by the headline of the article there is an implication that Angus Beef is somehow not "regular"! And really, this is nothing new - I recall over 45 years ago a great restaurant in my town - The Black Angus Steak House. Yes, they served beef from Angus cattle. If you think about it, the somewhat smaller frame of that breed means a somewhat smaller size of steak which could then be cut thicker for the same weight. It looks nicer on the plate and is much easier to cook medium rare or medium, so great for restaurants.

 

[bluehende]

About $1.00 a lb

 

[taterhed]

Angus-smangus.

Here's what really matters (besides grass/feed):

 

[Eric B]

There is that (marbling), but don't forget age. I get my butcher to age them 2-3 weeks when I harvest them; it makes a lot of difference even with the ground beef.

 

[taterhed]

Yeah, we had our own beef for a few years; we aged too. Our new supplier didn't...but we're pretty much down to Costco beef now....

 

[taterhed]

better?

 

[LisaH]

Could you age the beef yourselves after purchasing?

 

[taterhed]

Could you age the beef yourselves after purchasing?

No. Hung by the butcher.

Yes....if you believe the interwebs. https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/01/the-food-lab-dry-age-beef-at-home.html

If you decide to try the dry-age at home, I'd only work with a larger cut of meat (loin roast or rib-roast) with cheesecloth (not paper) and a private, cold fridge (not the one in your kitchen). I'd also watch it like a hawk and keep it very dry.....and be prepared to lose it.

Many things are possible in the meat/game fridge. They are less possible in the kids/daily use fridge.

 

[buzglyd]

Doesn’t sound as attractive when you call it controlled decomposition.

 

[taterhed]

Yeah? Well, cookies don't go so well with a tall cold glass of 'bovine mammary secretions' either...

 

[Eric B]

You can dry age yourself at home, but if you're raising your own beef and using a small butcher you'd be better off aging the whole or half carcass. You do get some weight loss (mostly moisture) during the aging process; that loss is limited to a certain extent by aging a larger portion - the surface area goes up as the square of the size, while the volume goes up by the cube of the size, so the loss per volume is lower since it's limited by the surface area.

The pictures are of either the steaks being aged by themselves or as part of a sub-primal cut, I believe. I don't really notice much in the way of a dried out look when it's the whole beef being aged.

Oh, and if the controlled decomposition and bovine (or ovine or caprine) mammary secretions don't get you, one other good reason to age it at least a few days is to get past rigor mortis. Otherwise the meat is a bit tough....

 

[MULTIZ321]

I'm always amazed at what I learn on Tug!

Thanks everyone for the info.

Richard

 

[PigsDad]

Yeah? Well, cookies don't go so well with a tall cold glass of 'bovine mammary secretions' either...

Nice! So how would you describe a chicken egg?

Kurt

 

[Sapper]

My family has been in ranching since the mid 1800's here in Texas. I'm not really in it, but my cousin went to Texas A&M for a degree in Ag. He runs cattle on the family land still. Now that I have a small family, I have become more aware of what goes into industrial scale cattle production. A while back I spoke with him re his thoughts on the different cattle breeds. I was (still am actually) interested in Wagyu, so inquired about them. My cousin said that most of the cattle he has are what ever breed was least expensive at the auction. He does a cow/calf operation, then after a few generations, sells the steers to a feed lot. When I pushed about the Wagyu, he said that he would help me, but that he wants nothing to do with them. His reasoning is they are significantly slower to make full weight. Where a generic breed will be at market weight at one year, it takes two for a Wagyu. He also said to do a Wagyu correctly, the second year needs to be a grain/corn feed mix (as opposed to the all grass fed as he currently does it). So, a Wagyu would both increase his risk by doubling the time to market, and increase his cost due to the feed cost. I'm still thinking about it.

Regarding Angus... When I was a kid, to get to the fishing pond, I had to go through a pasture that had a black angus bull in it. Most cattle are docile beasts, not this one. He was a mean one, and would chase me across that pasture right up to the electric fence. So, now I don't mind paying an extra $1 for angus because it makes me feel like I am getting revenge on that evil bull! HAHA.