I just put in another big order for this stuff, mostly filets. It's some of the best tasting beef I've ever had. Is anyone on here affiliated with the outfit? If so, help a fellow Ag out!

For those unaware of it, here's their link:

http://www.davismountainsorganicbeef.com

Before feedlots were invented in the early 1950s for commercial mass production of beef, cattle generally went to market as "grass fat." In other words, growth came from native or improved pastures ... with a little grain feeding before sale to add a layer of fat and improve marbling. This was before the age of antibiotics for disease, hormones for growth and chemicals for internal and external parasites. In every sense of the word, our daily beef in those days was organic beef ... and we liked it.

Durwood Lewter '42 developed the first large commercial feedlot in Texas at Lubbock in about 1950, guided in great part by W. L. Stangel '15 (Dean of Ag at TT.) Their vision introduced a great cattle industry in Texas ... but massing large numbers of cattle mandated extraordinary means of controlling diseases and insect pests ... and since the name of the game was more beef produced in a fattening period, chemical growth stimulators. Those additives had their drawbacks which some describe as anti-organic. I can't quarrel with that ... it is customer's choice.

I am not familiar with Davis Mountain Beef but I rather suspect their business plan is to return to basics with their beef program. Having an isolated operation in far west Texas makes sense in order to reduce communicable cattle disease and some parasites, and the land only requires water to grow grass, so an organic method is reasonable.

Operating in this manner different than feedlot mode has its inefficiencies that might run up costs, but the product has favorable qualities that increase its demand and thus a higher price ... a reasonable tradeoff.

So, welcome back to yesteryear's beef. It fed Texans for 100 years, through the Great Depression and two World Wars so it must be healthy. I am sure DMB beef compares favorably with the original versions of Omaha Beef and Kansas City Steaks.





[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 4/5/2006 3:20p).]

Why would you want to eat grass fat beef? If I want grass fat, I can deer hunt. Give me the corn and marble. Not to keep you from a product you like, but I had more than my fair share of organic beef growing up.



[This message has been edited by fuzzyfan (edited 4/6/2006 11:35a).]

A good point fuzzy, but the definition of grass fat does not equal no fat. Grass fat in its old terminology is about half way between no fat and "mud fat" ... A grass fat T-Bone would have about the same appearance today in the meat case as the usual T-Bone you see ... after the meatcutter has trimmed off all the excess fat. (That fat the meatcutter trimmed off your T-Bone is mixed with boxed "red meat" from no-fat cattle at 10-25% and sold as ground beef.)

You and I would probably agree that the best eating T-Bone steak has a one inch layer of fat on the top edge and a fist-sized glob of fat at the bottom of the T ... but you and I don't buy enough steaks to control the beef market. Health conscious housewives do most of the meat buying and they want less fat (and less risk of possible chemical additives.)

I am not promoting anything here. I am just giving a bit of history on beef producing and how customer preferences affect beef markets.

That grass fat deer you were talking about would be much tastier if penned and finished for a month or so with grain supplement ... and the no fat venison is better when ground with about 20% pork.

I'm more of a filet man myself, so that's what I buy. I've had grain and corn fed, well marbled beef in fancy steak places, but I would rather have one of these steaks that 1) supports the Texas economy, and 2) just flat out tastes amazingly good. The tenderness has never been an issue. Someone with a whole lot more beef knowledge than myself can probably better interpret their literature.

quote:

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We have a different point of view about how to produce tender and flavorful beef - we carefully select specific breeds of cattle. Conventional beef producers rely on fat content (marbling) to provide tenderness and flavor in a steak. However, by choosing certain breeds known for tenderness and flavor we ensure a great tasting steak without all the fat. We use breeds such as the South Devon, the Red Poll, Angus, and the Pinzsgauer to produce beef with less fat than typical USDA Prime beef.

Once we have the right cattle, the rest is in the ranching. We raise our herds in the most stress-free environment possible - naturally. And then, just prior to packaging and freezing, we age our beef 10-14 days, rather than the usual 48 hours.

The result? There's an objective test for tenderness called the Warner-Bratzler shear test. It gauges how hard meat is to cut. We test our beef to make sure it meets or exceeds the tenderness standards of traditionally processed beef. We won't sell a steak if it fails our testing.

It's Beef the way it ought to be.

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[This message has been edited by Atty_Ag (edited 4/6/2006 12:42p).]

fossil, I grew up on home-grown beef. We would run a steer on grass until it was around 800 or 900 lb. and then pen it up for 30 days and feed it rolled corn and alfalfa. It never made much of a difference to me. I think the only real difference would to have been to have fed it for 120 days. Now, I call the packing house and have him order me a choice half-a-beef and process it.

Atty - I would guess that the aging of the meat has a lot to do with the taste.

I wonder if the people running this ranch are some of the wave of transplanted texans from california, that are buying up the Ft. Davis, Marfa and Big Bend Area?



[This message has been edited by fuzzyfan (edited 4/7/2006 11:02a).]

notice that nowhere on there does it say anything about the cattle actually being raised in the Ft Davis area. . . .

Only address on there is a sales office in Dallas.

They've got some kind of presense out there in Alpine and Ft Davis, because several restaurants are listed as serving their beef.

"Quote"
How is Davis Mountains 100% Organic Beef Processed?

Our cattle are corn-finished and processed in organically certified facilities. These facilities, located in Omaha, Nebraska and Harlan, Iowa, age the meat for 10-14 days, then hand-cut, freeze and package Davis Mountains Organic Beef.

"Quote"
We Focus on Breeding

We have a different point of view about how to produce tender and flavorful beef - we carefully select specific breeds of cattle. Conventional beef producers rely on fat content (marbling) to provide tenderness and flavor in a steak. However, by choosing certain breeds known for tenderness and flavor we ensure a great tasting steak without all the fat. We use breeds such as the South Devon, the Red Poll, Angus, and the Pinzsgauer to produce beef with less fat than typical USDA Prime beef.

I wonder how big they are when they go to the feedlot and at what weight they are slaughtered? They portray themselves as butchering the meat in Ft. Davis, until you read the FAQ.

Atty, I am not trying to beat on you, but this nearly sounds too good to be true. Maybe they are legit, but you never know the way they advertise.



[This message has been edited by fuzzyfan (edited 4/8/2006 8:47p).]

Sure sounds like to me feedlots in Omaha, Nebraska and Harlan, Iowa. I am curious now how Ft Davis enters the picture.

maybe they drove through there one day . . .


and read that again, its not clear to me if the cattle are corn-finished, and processed and in facilities in Omaha or just processed. I mean that point is kind of confusing.

quote:

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Our cattle are corn-finished and processed in organically certified facilities. These facilities, located in Omaha, Nebraska and Harlan, Iowa

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Update:

Well, it was too good to last. I've been buying this stuff for the past three years when we visited Fort Davis. When I first started buying it in 2003, the herds were being raised in the counties of Brewster, Pecos, Jeff Davis, and Reeves. The old labels on the packaging were complete with the "Go Texan" symbol given out by the Texas Ag department for Texas products.



The latest batch that arrived: no "Go Texan" label to be found. So I talked to them. It seems that in a move to appease growing demand, most notably from Whole Foods, they had to move their herds north earlier this year. The Fed Ex box newly arrived on my doorstep now indicates that it shipped from Iowa. Yep, it's no longer Texas beef.

I have not yet tried the new beef, so I don't yet know if there will be any difference in taste or quality. Sadly, I am guessing that this will be my last order.

the used to be a 3BR beef out of Childress that is supposedly drug free. Don't know about "organic" or whatever, but no steroids and such. we get it at our United Grocery here in town. ONe of my buddies swears by it. It is a little more consistant than usual grocery store meat, but I've found some really good steaks at Sams, HEB and United at one time or another.

I say there used to be a 3BR but that website isn't in Childress. Now come to think of it, it might be B3R.

It is B3R in Childress

Bradley Ranch from Memphis Tx and the processing plant is B3R in Childress. Evidently they have a "all natural" certification process of Angus ranchers and those that join can process through their plant and make and extra $50-$75 per head.

I still can't find a website or retail order link though . . .

Thanks for the info. I have no moral or health concerns for organic or not. I just want the best tasting steaks I can reasonably buy while supporting Texas ranchers. The Davis Mountains steaks that we had been buying were really good, and it had been a source of pride when we had out of town guests. But it looks like they're not going to be an option any longer. I'd happily take other recommendations.

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[This message has been edited by powerbiscuit (edited 4/12/2006 10:16p).]

I mentioned this blog to a friend the other day at lunch. He is from the panhandle and knew about the place in Childress. However, he said that a woman owns it and that her cattle are kosher. She has a rabbi come in and bless it.

Atty_Ag - I had bookmarked that link when you first posted it. Thanks for the heads up. I scored some tenderloin at Whole Foods $29/lb. Ouch! But, it was lean and tender and fantastic. Is/was the stuff from in your last order even close?

Hecubus,

I am cooking some of the new batch of filets this weekend. I'll let you know.

lol, $29 per pound for tenderloin...