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+--- Thread: Where's the beef? (/showthread.php?tid=6780)
Where's the beef? - Fishboy - 01-24-2010
I didn't want to hijack the steak discussion with this topic, so I'll start this one[
]. My wife and I just visited O'ahu and took a tour of the Kualoa Ranch on the windward side. The tour guide explained that the ranch raises cattle for shipment and sale in Colorado. This raised some serious questions about shipping costs in my mind, and I'm not shy about asking. The guide didn't know about the marketing side, so he just strained a smile and I didn't press the point. So, Punawebbers, can anyone explain to me why beef raised in Hawaii is shipped to Colorado rather than marketed locally? I'm making a generalization, yes, because I don't know if the Parker Ranch markets all their beef locally or not.Aloha pumehana,
Brian and Mary
Lynnwood, WA\Discovery Harbour
RE: Where's the beef? - oink - 01-25-2010
Because tough grass fed beef doesn't sell well. The grain and feed lots are on the mainland. Years ago I had a source for the local grass fed beef on Maui. Stew not steak. Healthier I'm sure.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
RE: Where's the beef? - csgray - 01-25-2010
I have to disagree on grass fed beef always being tough. I grew up eating grass fed beef from our neighbors and you could cut a steak with butter knife, and unlike most feed lot fed beef it tasted like BEEF not corn! But when visiting family in Montana we had beef from range land cattle and it resembled jerky when it cam off the BBQ. I think it depends a lot on the conditions, if you are talking lush pasture fed beef it is completely different than dry land range cattle who have to travel long distances to get enough grass and water. One is tender and yummy, the other is tough and stringy.
Carol
RE: Where's the beef? - Dave M - 01-25-2010
I think Oink nailed it. I think we would all be vegans if really knew what goes in our beef. I think the vegans would all be carnivores if they knew what was being sprayed on their fruits and veggies. I know many stories of folks that have raised a cow and butchered it and then complained that the meat didn't taste right or was real tough... Anyway, I was thinking there has to be some feed lots in the islands. So, I googled and found this, albeit dated, article that I thought was interesting..
http://www.vegsource.com/harris/sci_basis/CHAP16.pdf
Blessings,
dave
"It doesn't mean that much to me.. to mean that much to you." Neil Young
RE: Where's the beef? - Carey - 01-25-2010
Hawaii does have grass fed beef processed on this island. The cattle have been developed over recent years to taste much closer to grain finished beef.
One of the main reason to ship cattle mainland in the past has been the shipping savings that producers had when shipping returning cargo ships mainland. The savings is still there, but the shipping costs are higher, so many Hawaii Island producers are looking to grass finish & processing on island.
Hawaii Reporter article:
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?c1233ff7-b1d2-48e7-a4bc-0c735f8f3462
RE: Where's the beef? - Liz - 01-25-2010
You can buy the Hawaii-raised grass-fed beef at Malama Market & at KTA - there may be other stores that carry it, too.
Not at all tough, it has a great flavor and none of that questionable corn feed.
aloha, Liz
"The best things in life aren't things."
RE: Where's the beef? - Chuysmom - 01-25-2010
Tony's bonus this year was 15 pounds of grass-fed beef - DeLuz owns a ranch and gives the workers meat for bonuses. Last week I grilled the steaks and they were so tough. I didn't care for the taste at all. I love steak and couldn't even choke it down. Tony didn't mind it and was fine with the tough meat. Also - we eat grass-fed beef often so this was strange.
Carrie
"The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it." Galadriel - LOTR
RE: Where's the beef? - Kapohocat - 01-25-2010
quote:
Originally posted by csgray
I have to disagree on grass fed beef always being tough. I grew up eating grass fed beef from our neighbors and you could cut a steak with butter knife, and unlike most feed lot fed beef it tasted like BEEF not corn! But when visiting family in Montana we had beef from range land cattle and it resembled jerky when it cam off the BBQ. I think it depends a lot on the conditions, if you are talking lush pasture fed beef it is completely different than dry land range cattle who have to travel long distances to get enough grass and water. One is tender and yummy, the other is tough and stringy.
Carol
Yes there is a big difference between range beef and grass fed. Range cattle eat grass and scrub... but "grass fed" is not always on the range.
RE: Where's the beef? - Devany - 01-25-2010
The beef that is sent to the mainland from the Parker Ranch is put in a feedlot to fatten up on corn (not a natural food for cows.) This beef is then sold as the premium beef at all Safeway stores (I think it is called Rancher's Reserve or something like that), so it goes from here to there to here again.
There is a great butcher in Waimea that sells ONLY grass fed beef, also at the Waimea Farmer's Markets on first Saturdays you can buy island grown "red veal". Sack n Save, Foodland and KTA all sell local grass fed beef. And there is a great butcher in Honokaa that sells local grass fed beef and other free range products. JJ's Country Market. You can also call ahead and have special cuts done.
We should all be sourcing local foods whenever possible. I wish Hilo had a great butcher shop like JJ's! That purveyor of frozen foods called "George's Meat" is such a joke. I went in there looking for a brisket and the clerk seemed like she did not even speak english, so I asked another one and he looked at me like I was asking for cat eyeballs. "No carry dem". Plus it stunk like rotten fish in there.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
RE: Where's the beef? - mella l - 01-25-2010
""and he looked at me like I was asking for cat eyeballs. "No carry dem""".
Green Dog eyeballs are much more popular!
""Plus it stunk like rotten fish in there"".
We had an Albertsons grocery that smelt of some hideous odor. Wouldn't shop in there due to that odor. They went out of business and Lucky's took over. Well it still stunk in the store, so I still wouldn't shop there! I finally have an idea of what was wrong, OLD Fish and dirty drains not properly cleaned, ruins a lot of REPEAT business I'm positive.
mella l
Paris London New York PUNA