Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I happened to see a Cooks Country episode last Saturday. Chris made a comment about meat from certain parts of the cow tasting like liver. I cooked up some Omaha Steaks ground beef patties last Friday and they tasted like liver and I was thinking what's wrong with these patties. I wonder what cuts of meat Omaha is using in these patties to make them taste this way. BTW, I didn't buy them, my mother gets a deal on Omaha Steaks with her Discover card. After this last order, she isn't going to buy from them again. She says the quality has gone way down.

I have purchsed cryopacked (sp?) whole tenderloin before and found the same thing. Now before I buy it I smell the package. If it smells funky I pass on it. I can't eat it when it smells and tastes like that.

Laurie

I have heard that if a cow experiences trauma during its demise, it can release hormones (endorphins? adrenaline? whatever) into the meat and that it can taste livery.

Also, sometimes (especially in pork) you can see little pockets/spots of blood. The meat is called, appropriately enough, "bloodshot," and those little pockets can cause a livery flavor. Again, it is allegedly due to trauma during the killing. If I get meat that is particularly bloodshot I will call it to the attention of the butcher, because when it happens consistently someone is not doing their job right and the animals may be needlessly suffering.

In ground beef, you wouldn't be able to see those pockets/spots so there isn't anything you can do about it. If you can see them and cut them out it should help.

Some poor kid came around last year selling steaks from a local operation. I asked them if they had been injected or anything and he said no. I told him I would purchase a bundle, but when he brought in the boxes in they were clearly labeled "enhanced." I took back my check and handed him back the steaks. The poor boy looked so crestfallen but I just had to stand my ground.

This is just another reason to learn more about the chain of farm/ranch to grocery store. We all need to ask questions at the meat counter or find a butcher that has naturally grown, and/or grass fed product. We also need to find out about what the producer does after he sells the animal...does it just go to a regular slaughterhouse and experience the trauma Darcie mentioned or is the finality of the animal more humane. (even if it was raised humanely, this defeats all of that special care)
I realize that finding this more perfect product will cost more until we all start requesting it. In the meantime, I have cut back on beef and pork (to counter the expense of buying the good stuff) and eating more veggies. Fortunately I have a local butcher who deals in the good stuff
ilene

Even if we all request grass-fed humanely slaughtered, etc. etc. meats they will cost more. Current meat prices are supported by the abundance of corn supported by farm policy.Local production reduces availability to people in ares far from the producers or unable/unwilling to have their meat shipped. If the cost of meat was more in line with the actual cost of production we would be eating one heck of lot less of it.

You are absolutely right Becky, but only we can mandate change by changing what we are willing to pay for. I have chosen to eat a lot less meat so I can afford to buy meat I feel has been raised and slaughtered humanely.
ilene

I think if more people were aware of the condiitons of feed lots and abattoirs, they would eat far less meat than they do.
Fitzie

Hi,

My wife is highly sensitive to liver taste notes in beef. (She also runs like habanero from any dish with heat!) The culprit is usually hanger steaks and flat iron steaks.

CI suggests allowing these cuts to come to room temperature before cooking. Cooking a cold steak for a longer period allows for formation of that liver after-taste.

This idea has worked for me.

Tim

Tim,
I found your comments interesting because the burgers were frozen when I cooked them.

I cooked two more of the patties today. They were completely thawed and and cool to the touch, but not cold. They didn't taste livery today. Interesting.