Alderspring RanchGrass Fed Beef is: Grown by us on our high mountain ranch in Idaho Grazed on certified organic and transitional pastures Fed only pasture and hay; nothing else, ever Never given chemicals of any kind (no antibiotcs, no hormones, no pesticides) Dry-aged 18-21 days, the old world way Hand carved and packaged

Come with me to the Farmer's Market, if you will, in your mind's eye. It is a lovely fall Saturday morning on 8th street in downtown Boise, Idaho. The air is cool and has a density to it that conveys aromas up and down the shadowed street. I have my beef samples simmering on a small propane stove--chunks of chuck roast, from the oven the night before, without seasoning. 
The aroma captures an elderly woman, and she comes to my booth to investigate. I offer, she accepts, and in her face--her eyes--I see that she has left her surroundings behind.

I recognize the look. It is a look that I often encounter with elderly folks who try our beef. 

I have heard it said that the senses of taste and smell bring the most vivid memory associations, much more so than any of the other senses. These folks with 'the look' would often relate that they have not tasted beef like this since they were children, and they loved the flavor and the memories it brought. 

Why not since then? In the first half of the 1900s, a large share of the beef consumed in this nation was fed a finishing diet of grass. It was only in the mid to later part of the century that feedlot finishing on concentrate

diets like corn began to dominate. As a result, people were accustomed to eating grass finished beef. Apparently, if the folks who I interacted with are any indication, they liked it, and the flavor was distinct enough that they could identify with it after all these years.

I should say here that grass finishing is indeed the issue here. All cattle raised in the US are grass fed, technically speaking. But it is the finishing diet that establishes the flavor and nutrient profile in the steak on your plate. 

My favorite market demonstration has been to grill sirloin steaks for sampling on the George Foreman grill. I use no seasonings or marinades of any kind. Not even a touch of salt, which I like. The 'George' is simply an electric waffle iron for meat. No smoking or flavor setting here.

People love the taste! Finally, a steak that can stand on its own merit! We like to say that grass feeding and grass finishing was the way cattle were meant to be raised. Now we also say that grass fed (finished) beef is the way that beef was meant to taste! Taste and see!

This is not a taste that overpowers; rather, it is a subtle combination of flavor.  You may ask if it is consistent.  I would say that it is consistently great.  However, there are slight seasonal variations in the flavor balance due to a dynamic sward of grass and the various plant stages that define it at a particular point in the growing season.  Through it all, there is still a consistent grass fed flavor that we look for in each animal we sell.  We sample a steak from each and every animal we sell, giving it a taste and tenderness test after the 20 day dry age and before sale.  If it does not pass our test, we do not sell it as Alderspring Grass Fed Beef.

We have heard of folks trying grass fed beef that was tough and stringy.  They said the flavor was desirable, but the entire beef was a crock-pot or marinade prospect.  Although we didn’t market them as tasty tender beef, we’ve sometimes had tough beef.  And we lost some customers along the way.  Anyone who says that there is not a cost in learning a new business has never been there.  We have been working on creating consistent, quality grass fed beef for about 10 years and have learned much through trial and error about how to produce excellent beef. 

Here's what Wine on the Web has to say about the taste of grass fed beef (HEALDSBURG, Calif., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire):

Mac Magruder, a grass-fed beef rancher in the hills of Mendocino County's Potter Valley, runs about 600 head of cattle on more than 12,000 acres. He believes this method of raising beef is an environmentally and socially correct solution to the question of raising and consuming meat. "The key is allowing our beef to not only be raised on grass, but to finish with grass," says Magruder. "Grass-fed, grass-finished beef provides a taste that is unmatched in terms of outstanding flavor and a leaner, healthier dining experience."

It's not hard to find food and wine experts who agree with this line of thinking. "Clearly, we Americans love the taste of grilled beef, and grass-fed satisfies our basic gastronomic desires on several levels," says Allied Domecq's Wine and Hospitality Education Director Evan Goldstein. "First, grilling grass-fed beef results in charry, rich caramelized flavors that are a great complement to the typically toasty and smoky nuances found in many California Merlots, Zinfandels and Pinot Noirs. Second, this style of beef is lower in calories and high in Omega-3 acids, providing consumers with a healthier choice."

Many Northern California restaurants have been quick to seize upon this trend. San Francisco's Acme Chophouse, a popular purveyor of grass-fed beef, features several entries utilizing the farm-fresh ingredient. Other trendy Bay Area restaurants serving grass-fed include Patricia Unterman's Hayes Street Grill and Il Fornaio. Even the venerable Berkeley eatery, Chez Panisse, is said to be testing grass-fed beef recipes for possible inclusion on the menu, according to the San Jose Mercury News.