In a past life I was a cattleman. We raised USDA Prime beef, which today accounts for only 2% of all US beef produced. As mentioned, it is the fat "marbling" that determines both its USDA grade, and its superlative taste. Aside from our family's table, all our Midwestern Prime Beef went to Eastern cities' top restaurants. You could not get a steak of our quality in the whole state.
I can still tell what a steer has been fed by its taste and texture. But while grass-fed beef back in the day was laughed at, today some of it is fairly good. I do wonder why. Of course a lot of today's grass-fed beef is finished on cracked-corn. Still, nothing can compare to the steak served in this country's best steakhouses, as we used to raise.
Unfortunately, while Prime beef is the tastiest, it is also less healthy.
We did feed beer to our show cattle. And we exercised them too. The mild exercise increased muscle tone in relation to fat, producing the very best beef.
Random thoughts:
- MCAS Miramar Commissary has excellent meat at excellent prices. Costco is very good too.
- Like A4s, I watched "Boston Blackie" as a kid too. Great show.
- MCAS mini-mart and Murphy Canyon Navy Housing mini-mart differ by 10% on the booze and sodas we purchase.
- Wild game and buffalo meat is a different ballgame.
- Before I handled bogies – like A4s pesky adversary scooters – I used to handle 'dogies'.

No Bull!
