The difference in beef fat color between grass-fed and grain-fed has gotten way more noticeable around here

I've been cutting at the same shop in Portland for about 6 years now, and back in 2018 the grass-fed stuff had a much deeper yellow fat compared to the pale white you'd see on grain-fed. Now it feels like every batch of grass-fed I get has that bright yellow tint even stronger than before, maybe because more farms are finishing on straight pasture. Anyone else seeing the same shift in their deliveries?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige_ellis591mo ago

Oh man, that yellow tint is seriously wild lately! Our last few deliveries of grass-fed ribeyes had fat so bright it almost looked like butter sitting there. It's definitely gotten more intense over the last couple years around here too. The last time I trimmed a whole striploin from a local ranch, the fat cap was this deep golden color I'd never seen before. Makes me wonder if the weather or the specific grasses they're on right now are just extra rich.

casey3931mo agoMost Upvoted

Right? I’ve been thinking it might actually be tied to the soil minerals. Some of those old-timers swear the beta-carotene in the grasses gets way more intense when the ground’s got a little extra iron or something like that.