FREE GRASS-FED BEEF
Over and over again, I have waxed lyrically about grass fed beef. In fact, I have gone on so long about it, a nice company in Montana contacted me about a grass-fed beef contest for me to host. Yes, ME! The fine folks at La Cense, an 88,000 acre horse and cattle ranch that raises grass-fed, grass-finished beef and has a fine online community promoting the same, want this poor soul to pick a worthy reader to receive some FREE guilt-free beef!
Now, let me tell you the whole story, because I’m nothing but truthful. These fine folks sent me a great selection of their beef to try. To be truthful, my first impression was under whelming. Sure, it as better than the beef I get at the supermarket, sure it was better for me to eat then the hormone/antibiotic marinated meat from industrial ranches and FOR SURE the cows weren’t tortured in a feedlot, but it wasn’t what I remembered. It wasn’t as “beefy” as Chet and I was concerned. In fact, I was considering turning down my friends at La Cense.
Then, I realized exactly how stupid I was. I have spoken at length how the taste of grass-fed beef swings all over the spectrum and that’s what makes it so special. I RELISHED the fact that the flavor profile wasn’t consistent. YET, here I was looking for CONSISTENCY! There’s no way in the world I should expect cows raised 2,000 miles away, eating grass nothing like the grass in New Hampshire and assuredly not the Scottish Highland breed that Chet was to taste JUST LIKE Chet! Seriously, how could I be so stupid?
So, back to the beef. It’s quite tasty. It’s quite moral. It’s quite the right thing to do. And here is your chance to get some for yourself just the way I like to get things – FOR FREE! Leave a comment on this post (with an email address) about why you would like grass-fed beef or even how stupid I am (that’s what most of this post was about) and on October 23rd (my 16th Wedding Anniversary) I will use Elle’s Random Number generator to pick which lucky reader get’s free beef! What will you get? You will get 2 burger patties and a petit sirloin delivered straight to your door. Now, for the bad news (for some of you) – U.S. addresses only.
To paraphrase one of the great figures of the past twenty years – Darth Vader:
“COME TO THE GRASS SIDE!”
PS: Many of the comments express a desire to find grass-fed beef locally. I should have mentioned the fine website Eat Wild. A local-food clearinghouse, it hooks people up with local, grass-fed food in their area. Often you need to buy a bit more than you need if you’re first trying it and that’s where sites like VoteLaCense come in handy, but when you’re ready for a side of beef (like my Chet), Eat Wild can help you out. – MPM
Mel's Diner 
You had me at “The Godfather” 🙂
xoxo
I would love to try this. We have been buying more and more organic food – have yet to try beef. This would be a great way to try it! Thanks for the chance.
ColleenM
It makes me so happy you named your side of beef. I currently have a freezer of Chester the pig and Louise the lamb that we bought off some 4H kids at the county fair. 4H kids don’t tend to pump their animals full of hormones. My husband is a big fan of beef and I’m sure he would love some grass fed hormone free beef. Well, he would probably like any old beef, but as I’m the grocery shopper he’s mostly out of luck. So please make my husband happy and pick us!
Grass-fed and humane treatment is the only way to go, not just for the beef (which tastes great), but also for the resulting dairy products. Try fresh, unpasturized cream from grass-fed beef to make the ice cream that goes with the steak or burgers. Yum.
This is great! I’d love to try this beef. I’ve heard great things about grass fed.
Lisa suggested coming over to check out your blog (great writing) and the contest. My Sweetie loves his beef and grass fed is just a better kind of beef…terroir flavors…like you said, it can vary…more humane and certainly ‘cleaner’. We live in the country and see the cows and steers eating the grass…it also makes a nice picure. Hope that we get the luck of the draw…we would love to taste their beef and would be very grateful.
Ever since I started looking into humanely raised beef I’ve been interested in it. It’s much more ethical and tastes more natural, if that even makes sense. Good luck with your promotion!
I’d love to try some grass-fed beef. I’ve never tried it before and I’d like to know what the difference in taste is. And better yet, I’d love to support a company that raises beef humanely.
Many years ago we purchased a steer from a 4-Her at the county fair. The meat was delicious. I would love to see if this beef lives up to my expectations.
I would love some beef! Any beef, especially free and better tasting beef.
One of my biggest dissapointments as an adult was the meat. Growing up we raised our own pigs (forget corn, milk fed pigs are best), goats and chickens, cows came from neighbors that raised em right (on grass and corn). Throw in some venison and I lived well. No hamburger of dubious quality for me (it was to much work to grind it ourselves). The real world gives me none of that at a price I can afford. If I had known I would have refused to grow up.
I have never tried grass fed beef – what a great contest!!
When I was in college, my first-year roommate and I hosted a “beer-tasting party for people with long hair.” We bought every type of beer we could find at the local grocery, including a couple of non-alcoholic varieties, and invited only our male and female long-haired friends (though we did include one particularly handsome male friend whose only claim to the “longhair” title was his long chest hair) to help us determine which beer was the best. Sadly, we got too drunk to remember what the decision was. Probably no great loss since it was not a random sample of beer-tasters anyway, so the results were unscientific, at best.
The following year, my roommates and I had a chocolate-tasting party, to determine which of the many imported and domestic chocolate bars available at the specialty shop on “the Corner” was really the finest (Lindt dark).
I’d love to win this grass fed beef giveaway; then I could buy and/or obtain donations of beef from some other sources (butcher, regular grocery, organic beef from the Whole Foods market, etc) and invite my former college roommates over for a “beef-tasting party for people who love to have silly taste-testing parties,” and we could determine once and for all whether grass fed beef is superior in taste, as well as morality. What fun!
Mike! I just realized your 16th anniversary is a week later than mine! Ours is this Friday, the 17th. How funny and coincidental is that?
Oh and–mmmmmm, meat!
Oh, I haven’t had grass-fed beef in 20 years. And you are so right in saying that it tastes deeper/better. And like you noticed it might not taste the same from year to year. Different family members raised the pigs and cows to share – so between them and the occasional deer, I was in college before I realized other people bought their beef from the grocery store. As an adult, I haven’t found a good local source for beef so I’d love to try some again.
Last month I came across a video clip about what is being put into cattle feed these days. Apparently the normal stuff is getting to expensive and things like potato chips and M&Ms are being added into the mix because they are cheaper. Ugh. I try not to eat that junk myself! Grass-fed beef is sounding much better all the time.
i have never tried this before and I’m so excited at the possibility! and, i actually live semi-close to montana!
I’ve only had grass-fed beef a few times, and that was always at restaurants. I would LOVE the opportunity to prepare some at home!
I’ve never had grass-fed beef, but I would love to try it! Thanks!
I would LOVE to try this. Hubby and I are looking for a good quality smaller farm ot buy great beef from. Thanks for the giveaway!
s_hammond (at) comcast (dot) net
This would be awesome. We are in school, and too poor to buy beef. My husband would die for this 🙂
Kudos to you for spreading the word about beef. My son just turned one today and his diet has been all organic and it is very tough to find affordable meat in particular. I bet he’d love it!
Wow! Grass fed beef – what a novel concept. I can get some locally, but free rocks! The stuff is way too expensive for daily consumption (cardiologist be damned!).
I love to eat meat that had a name!!!!
Mmm, animals raised right make happy meat!
I’d love to try the grass fed beef, though I never thought of it tasting anything but better than supermarket beef. Also glad you named “Chet”. Over the years we raised 3 pigs…Hambone, Bacon and Porkchop!! I’m pretty sure we didn’t feed them grass but just about anything else was possible! By the way…Elle said to say HI!! Thanks for the chance to win!
I love beef. I am trying to eat less though.Thanks for having a great giveaway.
P.S. Happy 16th anniversary
I would love to try some grass fed beef – especially since we very rarely have beef in our home. BUT only because Grumpy is a hunter so venison is usually our red meat.
I think its really important that we eat as much food that is wholesome and not alter by chemicals or additives. I would rather pay more for beef that are not pumped with hormones and are grass fed. Thanks for the article.
I’d love to try the beef!
Thanks for the opportunity to buy natural beef that is hormone free.
I would like grass fed beef because it rules. I much prefer my food to not be tortured, thank you very much.
I have never tried grass fed beef.
I would love to have this chance- thanks for the opportunity!
By the way- Hope you have a wonderful Anniversary!
I love beef but have eaten less and less meat bc of farming/ranching practices. I would like to give this a try. Happy anniversary!
What a great give away!! I have not had the chance to try grass fed beef. I am all for eating beef that is natural and free of hormones!!
Grass fed beef is the best. Since you live in NH, you should check out Wee Bit Farm Beef (also pork). They are in Maine and their meat is amazing. Scottish Highland cattle. In NH, they sell it at Philbricks Fresh Market in Portsmouth.
I would love to try the grass fed beef from La Cense.
Thanks!
Nice site you have here Mike, it’s always cool to meet another cooking dude. I love grass fed beef because well, a good steak is a work of art 🙂
Pick me so I can ask the Fed Ex man “Where’s the beef?”
Hi there. Grass-fed beef is wonderful. It can be a little tougher than most other corn finished beef, but quality and nutrition is so much higher! And taste, it tastes better. You know you’re getting meat that was raised as it was intended to and that is important to me (even though it is a bit too pricey for me to buy as my only source for beef).
raspberry82@gmail.com
I would love some grass fed beef. Never had it before but maybe this will be my chance. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I would love to try the beef! MMMMMMMMMMM cow is good!
I am Scottish and nothing beats a “Heelan Coo”. I would love to try some Grass-Fed beef!
I’ve been lucky enough to have grass-fed (or whatever they find!) free-range deer and pork from my own land. The hogs run all over the place and trample things and when there are way too many of them, a bunch of folks come to our area and take a few and give us all back some of the meat.
The deer were caught with bow and arrow by the same folks who came out and helped us keep the forest fires from rampaging everywhere.They also give us some of what they catch. It’s tasty and wonderful in so many ways. Grass-fed beef I have not yet tried.
Beef its whats for dinner.Beef is yummy this special beef must be amazing I would love to have some.
so my husband has this dream about raising organic, grass fed beef…we love it, can’t always afford it, oh may the random #generator smile upon us 🙂
I would love to give this a try! Thanks Mike!
After reading the Omnivore’s Dilemma last year, I have wanted to try grass fed beef, just to see if I can taste a difference, although I don’t know if I eat enough beef to be able to tell. But I do love some high quality meats, I always shop at Whole Foods for grilling steaks, so much better than the regular grocery store!
You are hilarious! Bring on the beef!
We had grass fed beef (filet mignon roast) last Christmas and it was the best roast I have ever had. Thanks for the give-away, Mike!
Oh i SOOOOOOOO Want some free grass fed beef!! My husband and I just started buying it and I don’t know how we’ll afford it on a regular basis, but it is SOOOOOO much better than the beef from the grocery store we used to eat. We had NO idea what we were missing… and how unethical all that other meat was!! I hope you can support our new love of this wonderful stuff with free grass fed beef! Yay!!
Ok, so get the tiny violin going as I start my tale…I have moved from Texas to St Louis to NJ, and have learned along my journey that grass feed beef does have better quality than others out there. Also, if it was not for the pasture feed cows there would be no pass time ‘cow tipping’ growing up…With the economy it is getting harder to afford going to the markets where they sell grass feed beef, and I refuse to buy the other when I know I can get a better price (being a chef), but I cannot also buy in quantity, many of my clients are changing into vegetarians. I know my meat, love it, and crave it often…yours truly, waiting for beef in NJ
Ok, so get the tiny violin going as I start my tale…I have moved from Texas to St Louis to NJ, and have learned along my journey that grass feed beef does have better quality than others out there. Also, if it was not for the pasture feed cows there would be no pass time ‘cow tipping’ growing up…With the economy it is getting harder to afford going to the markets where they sell grass feed beef, and I refuse to buy the other when I know I can get a better price (being a chef), but I cannot also buy in quantity, many of my clients are changing into vegetarians. I know my meat, love it, and crave it often…yours truly, yearning for beef in NJ
Having an autistic child has made me more conscious of what we eat; I am researching better alternatives.
Kansas. I live in Kansas. That should say enough. I live in a town that is put on a pedestal because of a great thing we call a Kansas City Strip Steak. Don’t get me wrong..the beef here is really good, and very fresh. However, I have been a huge advocate of buying steaks from Hen House (or local grocery chain) that sells Humane, grass-fed, beef from local farmers in Kansas. I would love to try this beef as well b/c I am so tired of only having one choice on where to buy beef that I feel good about.
I’m a professed carnivore and very happy that my twins have taken after me and helped me convert that wayward father into it! It’s not that he was a vegetarian, but meat wasn’t featured in his weekly menu so many times a week as it is now till I came into his life 11 years ago! I would love a chance to try some grass-fed beef! If I’m gonna be a carnivore, I might as well try to be a healthy and compassionate one 🙂
Oooo, grass-fed beef sounds yummy. Thanks for the chance to win some!
I would love to win some beef. When I was growing up a few families went in together and raised “lomito” (Spanish for little sirloin). Little sirloin was so fun to play with, but more fun to eat.
As a Texan, I would love to win this beef. My freezer is empty from that little hurricane, Ike, so I have plenty of room. Jancd
I would love to try grass-fed beef!
I would love to try some grass fed beef. I have been looking for some locally, and haven’t located any as of yet- grass fed is good for us, good for the environment, and I am trying to find animals that have been raised with respect and compassion.
Mmmmm…the only thing better that meat you raised yourself is meat raised the right way by people who know what they’re doing! I agree that the hormone-ridden, fast-grown beef we get at the supermarket just isn’t that good.
One of my favorite events is cooking a huge prime rib on New Year’s Day for family and special friends. Since I started that tradition over 20 years ago, the beef has become much less marbled (‘reduced fat’ isn’t always a good thing) and so has lost much of it’s juiciness and flavor. Sad.
Even if I don’t win the prize I’ll probably hunt down some grass-fed beef just to treat myself.
I have never tried grass-fed beef but I would love to!! Thank you for the giveaway!
I’ll take some, sounds good.
Oh, I would love to taste some of this grass fed beef! Thanks for hosting the contest.
I’ve had grass-fed beef twice and these two times were simply the most memorable beef experiences of my life. Once while in South Dakota (it was so good I’d drive from South Carolina to eat it… if only I remembered where the little ranch that served it was) and the other was a guy who raised cattle for his own consumption and let me have some. Regrettably, neither my wife nor my kids have ever had such beef and they are not big beef fans… If I can only get my hands on some grass-fed beef, I just might be able to convert them to the Green Side and get them eating beef again – like all good carnivores should!
Show me the beef! Gimme, gimme, gimme! 🙂
thank-you.
Yay – in New Zealand that’s ALL we have – none of this corn-bloated-rumen-feedlot sad cow business…I am so shocked to hear about the lives (if you can call them that) of feedlot cattle fed on corn in the US. Come to NZ and eat your fill! Love the blog btw : ) Wendy, Wellington NZ
I have always wanted to try Grass-fed beef!
I am VERY interested in this. Like many of the other posters, I would love to find a local source. We have an organic produce company that I get a weekly box from that is trying to put together a ‘grass fed beef’ program as well. I think the logistics may be giving them issues.
I am off to check your links.
Thank you so much.
Mary
Free beef in this economy?! Bring it on!
I would love to try some grass fed beef from your neck of the woods!! I try to eat it as often as possible here in Central New York, and after reading your post, I am curious about the ‘localized flavor profiles’.
Pick me, Pick me!
We are fortunate in that we get a side of beef each year from a local farmer. I would love to compare different types of grass fed beef. Thanks for the opportunity.
This has become a bit of a passion of mine, well really a passion put on the back burner. I would love to eat only grass fed free range meat. I really have issues with the way meat is raised in this country, particularly the antibiotics and steroids used, along with what I feel is cruelty to animals. My only problem- cost. So until I can afford the difference in price I will dream of lovely cows in lush pastures and hope that I win this giveaway. Thanks.
It is so expensive- so for now its chicken.When the economy looks up maybe we will have more beef grass-fed of course. If I win yipee!
I would love to have my family enjoy this grass fed beef. Most of all my my husband, a cook, would enjoy preparing it! I believe strongly in good quality farming. My uncle and cousin are own a small beef and wheat ranch in NE Montana. It is hard work, but they love those animals and the land.
I hope we win!!!
Elle sent me 🙂
I could go for a nice piece of grilled beef! Grass-fed grilled beef at that! We grill yr round here in So Ca.
I would love some grass fed beef! I recently bought a 1/4 beef from a local farmer, but it was grain finished. Very yummy, but not the healthiest in the world. Thanks for the opportunity!!
As a child, I would make the yearly spring trek with my Dad from Chicago to Thorp, WI, where Dad’s uncle farmed. We would look over the herd and Dad would say, “Uncle, we’ll have that one.” In the fall we would come back and haul home the boxes of frozen beef, all cut into roasts, steaks and ground meat. Unfortunately, Uncle and the farm are long gone; Dad is 84 and the beef in the local stores is pretty tasteless. Thanks for the opportunity!
I would love to try this. I was vegetarian for seven years, primarily due to the way meat animals are often treated and fed. Recently I started to eat meat again, mostly what my husband and friends have hunted. This would be a great opportunity to get some beef back into my life.
I have been on a mission to eat healthy and exercise. After bringing up 4 successfully college educated kids, I now find myself trying to concentrate on a healthy lifestyle for myself. I have lost 65 pounds and hope to lose 40 more before my oldest son’s wedding in April 09. I would love to experience the organic La Cense beef. I am turning my life around and including not only healthy low calorie foods and
exercise in my life but more organic foods also.Grass fed beef would be the ultimate experience! I hope I get chosen! Thanks for the opportunity to try!
I would love some grass-fed beef. We are trying to be more healthful and conscious of what we eat and so far have only made the leap over to the organic, free range chickens.
I would love some grass-fed beef because it is healthier for us and I think it is a better life for the cows to be able to eat what is natural to them. Happy cows, happy beef!!
What a great giveaway! I’ve been eating mostly grass-fed beef for a few years now and it is so much better!
It’s hard to eat well as a student living off loans. I try my best to buy organic and/or free range meats. It hurts my student budget, but I have to live a healthy (healthier) lifestyle than my peers who live on booze. I would love to try this beef.
Thanks!
Very interesting giveaway. Thank you 😉
If I win I promise to share with my husband. Or give him a bite. Or wave to him. Or something.
Yay for tasty, tasty beef! I think we’d have fun plotting things to do with it…
What the heck, ill throw my name into the hat. Im pretty sure Ive never tried any kind of organic meat to my knowledge. Thanks for putting this out there
I live in Texas and have never tried Grass-Fed beef!
I try to shop with a conscience most of the time but sometimes I’ll be at costco and the NY’s look so good I give in. I’d love to try La Cense.
We like eating grass-finished meat because of the good fatty acids that it has if it has NOT consumed any grain.
Have you ever considered adding a lot more videos to your blog page posts to maintain the readers extra entertained? I mean I just learn by way of the entire article of yours and it was really very good but given that I’m extra of a visual learner,I found that being more helpful. Just my my concept, Great luck.
———————-
Sydney