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What type of cattle (i.e. cow) do we usually get our "beef" from? There are different variations of cows - e.g. longhorn, bull, buffalo and more - but when I buy "beef" in the market I am never told what kind of cattle the meat is originated from - just say it's beef. There are a few restaurants who specialize in cooking a certain cattle meat and would tell you what specific kind of cattle the meat is from, but not when you're buying meat yourself.

So, generally when we buy "beef" in the market, what is the cattle?

[EDITED]

When I says "beef" I meat "USA beef"

TFD
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KMC
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    Generally buffalo -- assuming you mean bison and not some breed of cow named for the buffalo -- is marked, as it's an "exotic" meat. – Yamikuronue Feb 10 '12 at 14:32
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    Holstein or Jersey are types of cattle common in the US. Bison (buffalo) is a different animal, as would be oxen. Bull means male, as "cow" or heifer means female. Steer are castrated bulls. Within beef, there is more variety caused by how the animal was fed and raised than caused by breed. – Scivitri Feb 10 '12 at 16:51
  • does beef from castrated bulls taste differently? (may be from lower hormone in the meat..I don't know, just curious.) – KMC Feb 11 '12 at 00:59
  • @KMC I would expect somewhat, yes. The purpose behind castration is to make the animals more docile. So I'd expect a bit higher fat content, and less tough meat. – Scivitri Feb 11 '12 at 06:03
  • "Market beef" often = a disappointment in customer service and flavor. The decline of the butcher shop in America is lamentable. I recently moved into a town that still has butcher shops, it's awesome. They know what kind of cow the cut came from. – Paulb Mar 27 '16 at 16:14

4 Answers4

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As someone who has raised beef cattle (here in Oklahoma) I must say the TFD is (unfortunately) mistaken, (at least here in the U.S.) Most cattle fall into one of two varieties, Beef and Dairy (there are also some breeds that are almost exclusively show cattle) The most popular (and common) Beef varieties are Angus, Limousine, Herefords, Longhorn; This list, including cross breeds (for instance, limangus, what I raise, is a cross of limousine and angus) and constitutes somewhere around 90% of beef production with in the US. (not include 'beef' used for things like dog food). I would consider that list to be in descending order of beef quality (but that is a matter of opinion...)

There are several varieties of cattle which are raised for dairy production, and these do not generally produce quality cuts of meat, but do produce copious quantities of milk. These breeds are led by Holstein-Friesian, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorn.

Buffalo (or Bison) is a separate breed altogether and is no longer all that exotic. I regularly use bison to make chili.

Yes, cows are 'females' but not all cows are heifers, a heifer is a female that has not yet given birth to her first calf .

And @Scivitri while feeding and ranging cattle do make a difference the driving force in beef flavor is still the breed. I can tell the difference between breeds by flavor but the difference from feeding and ranging is really more about tenderness and texture.

Cos Callis
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  • So what happens to all the 'old' dairy cows, surely they don't end up as $5/Kg ground beef? :-) – TFD Feb 10 '12 at 22:00
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    see my comment about "dog food" above and then try not to think about it... – Cos Callis Feb 10 '12 at 22:08
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    actually, it worth adding to this conversation that young males from milk breeds are often the source of 'veal'. If allowed to age their meat becomes less valuable, where young beef steers are worth more at market the larger they get, so the 'economic' decision favors using young male holsteins and guernseys for veal. – Cos Callis Feb 10 '12 at 22:18
  • ＋1 informative answer. I always thought Angus is named after a person who made good steak... Since "the driving force in beef flavor is still the breed", shouldn't meat seller labeled their meat so people can expect a flavor? Or, is there a way judging by the color or structure of the beef, can tell what breed the beef is? [if this should be a separate question, let me know] – KMC Feb 11 '12 at 00:52
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    @KMC I think you missed the point. If you buy "beef" it is often left over cattle from the dairy industry. If you buy a speciality "beef" (Limousin, Maine Anjou, Wagyu etc) you will know, as it will be labelled as such and generally have a much higher price. Personally I haven't noticed a big difference between breeds, but have noticed a big difference with how the animal was raised and slaughtered – TFD Feb 11 '12 at 01:41
  • @Cos Callis That's a lot of dog food! – TFD Feb 11 '12 at 01:41
  • @TFD It is not uncommon here in the US to go into the grocers and find that the pet food section is about the same floor space as the meat counter. There are also some low grade institutional (read: prison) food uses that such meat will go to, but the quality of beef from milk cows is just not good enough to make it onto the meat counter at WalMart... – Cos Callis Feb 11 '12 at 03:25
  • @Cos Everyone has a different background for information. My intent in commenting was primarily clearing up "bulls are a breed," and my experience was growing up with dairy cattle. However, as most of the chefs I talk to are first concerned about marbling (which is a product of feed, age and exercise); I still maintain those are primary concerns when cooking. Your background and information are more relevant to the OP who specifically asked about breed; thus you gave an answer and I gave comments. And I congratulate your discerning palette. – Scivitri Feb 11 '12 at 06:00
  • @KMC, a couple of things worth adding. Depending on the market breed labeling has become more common, particularly for Angus. Color (raw) is not a good indicator of flavor or even quality as dies are added for 'visual appeal'. Marbling and odor are you best indicators, and it is hard to smell the meat through the wrapper. Honestly the best indicator for the average shopper is history, find a butcher's counter you like and stick with it. Also, I will put in a small plug for [Omaha Beef](http://www.omahabeef.com/). This is your best bet for getting Prime+ quality in your home and on your grill. – Cos Callis Feb 11 '12 at 14:47
  • Longhorns are notorious for tough, gamey meat and putting on weight slowly. At least in the part of Texas where I grew up no one ran them for meat: they ran longhorn--somethingelse half breeds that were almost as survivable but much more profitable. Of course a few ranches kept pure longhorns as breeding stock. Mind you, even the halfbreeds are *mean* and you stay clear of them. – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Feb 11 '12 at 19:17
  • I believe most dairy cows in the U.S. goes into hamburger. After being fed for 2 weeks. Or into canned soups, stew meat. – J Bergen Nov 24 '17 at 12:43
  • @JBergen, you 'believe' any 'evidence' to support that. "Used up" (aged) dairy cattle don't produce meat that is really 'fit' for anything but dog food or 'institutional' uses (prisons), raising young dairy bulls/steers to maturity just doesn't make financial sense, the cost of feeding, etc. just doesn't get a return on their investment. Dairy cows are mostly kept pregnant to produce more milk the young calves (roughly 50/50 male/female) don't make much practical sense to raise except to replace/grow your herd...so they become veal. It's just a matter of dollars and sense. – Cos Callis Nov 25 '17 at 19:23
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What country are you in?

Most countries offer beef from all their cow varieties. Most are very similar, though some have slightly better properties for certain cooking styles. But these are mostly offset by condition on the animal, feed quality, and age

A good butcher would know not only what kind of cow it was, but what farm it came from (hopefully a local one!)

In countries with large dairy industries you will find plenty of very young beef from the excess stock of the milking cows

A free range, grass feed, happy and healthy cow, only a year or two old is generally going to have nicer meat than some "flash" brand cooped up and artificially feed

TFD
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    I have not met a butcher who knows where the cow is from. Even small local butchers in my tiny town surrounded by cattle ranches buy their primals from processors in Oklahoma. – Sobachatina Feb 10 '12 at 15:56
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    @Sobachatina, and I have not met a butcher (not a 'processor', but a real butcher, like those I take my cattle to..) who do **NOT** know where the cattle they butcher come from. I walk the cattle into the butcher's pens and pick them up 30 days later, table ready. – Cos Callis Feb 10 '12 at 20:43
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    @Cos- That's wonderful. I'm really very happy for you. But that doesn't help the rest of us very much. I can sometimes buy half a cow locally but you have to know someone. – Sobachatina Feb 10 '12 at 21:15
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    @Sobachatina according to your profile you live in Texas. You can't swing a dead opossum in Texas without hitting a cattle rancher. If you like, I can sell you a whole cow from Oklahoma. :) – Cos Callis Feb 10 '12 at 21:34
  • @Cos Callis: There's plenty of ranching in Texas, but I don't think that means that all butchers buy from nearby, nor does it mean that they all know details about the individual animals. I think that what Sobachatina is saying is that, despite your experience, and stereotypes about Texas, what you've personally seen isn't universal. Disagreeing is kind of beside the point. – Cascabel Feb 10 '12 at 21:43
  • In many countries the butcher (large or small) must know exactly where the animals come from, and file an government inspection report that the meat was healthy, or had diseases – TFD Feb 10 '12 at 21:57
  • @Jefromi, and my initial point was that Sobachatina's first comment was not as universal as he made it out to be. – Cos Callis Feb 10 '12 at 22:11
  • @Cos- I don't mean to argue. I haven't gone on a quest to find local meat, I have just asked various butchers. The practice of trucking all cattle to a couple processors in the US is unfortunate on many levels and doesn't make me happy. – Sobachatina Feb 10 '12 at 22:33
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    @Sobachatina and I didn't mean to 'argue' either, I was just offering a contrasting experience. I agree with you about the problems with large scale processing, but how else to you feed 300 million people? It is what it is...but I don't have to eat it :) – Cos Callis Feb 10 '12 at 23:12
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I was a butcher for 8 years in a grocery store. if you are not buying the animal for a speciality shop you are getting feed lot beef from a packing plant. If you are at a restaurant and they say they're serving Angus beef or Black Angus or Red Angus you ask him to prove it then I guarantee you that they can't.

Ben
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    ...that depends entirely on what your standard of "proof" is. You are right that the average waiter/waitress probably can't "prove" it...but an invoice marked "USDA Prime Hereford" from a reputable wholesaler would satisfy be enough evidence for me. – Cos Callis Mar 28 '16 at 14:32
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My grandpa sells Herefords to the best restaurants in NYC his meat is highly sought after. He treats his cows like his children and they produce some of the best meat here in Ohio. Our neighbor raises Wagyu and grandpa and him are both known to have some of the best cows in Ohio. Both have articles written about them. I have loved petting the cows since I was a kid they're very docile.

BaffledCook
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Brian Miller
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