See now ... south Americans grow cows that taste of cow.
I've a Brazilian mate who gets so incensed about US tofubeef that his voice goes up two octaves and he loses the ability to speak English. It's worth raising the subject just to hear him squeak.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 9:28, 2 replies)

Small trick (a pearoast of sorts) that works if you live in London.
Go to either of these places (there are more dotted about London, Google for them).

www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1160/37118.php

www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1160/37073.php

Talk to the butcher, Ask for 'picanha'. Go for either Argentinian or Uruguayan if they have it. You will be presented with about 1.5kg of TOP fillet, in a vacuum sealed pack and it will cost you about £20.

Can be sliced into steaks. I guess you'll get 10 good steaks from each one. The butcher guys have machines that will cut them for you if you want.

Works out far cheaper than buying it in Sainsburys, and it's much better stuff.

Leave the fat on when cooking, just a pinch of rock salt is enough for flavouring.

Can also be barbecued - cut into three pieces, sprinkle rock salt on, cook for a couple of minutes, bang the salt off, cut off a couple of slices, then resalt, put back on barbie, repeat.
(username failed moderation, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 9:45, closed)

What are the animal welfare standards like
in South America? Serious question - I imagine North American cattle to all be intensively reared (based on reading Fast Food Nation, many years ago), but no idea about Argentina et al.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 9:58, closed)

Far as I know,
it's OK. Brazil and Argentina have pretty comprehensive Min of Ag. procedures. don't know about the others.

I've been eating the stuff for decades, and I haven't died yet.
(username failed moderation, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 10:03, closed)

Didn't think the beef would be harmful,
just wondered if it was cheap for the same reason that battery eggs are cheap. Sounds like it's all good, though.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 12:43, closed)

Fuck welfare as long add the beef tastes beefy.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 10:28, closed)

The US normal is feedlots (concentration camps for cows) or grass fed.
The South Americans do the same, they tend to have more grass available though. That said, much grassland is temporary grazing on the poor soils you get when you slash and burn the rainforest and is pretty much useless for anything after that. Now they are ploghing up good grassland this will get worse.

And of course every animal will be given growth promoters, beta agonists, steroids..depending on which country they are produced in.

www.argentinaindependent.com/socialissues/environment/the-hidden-costs-of-feedlots/

It's the beginning of the end. If we want high quality meat we have to be prepared to pay for it and few are. I can buy really tasty steak here in Western Canada very cheaply. We can also get really good grass fed beef but it is expensive. I tend to have a bit of both. This steak is better and way cheaper than pretty much anything you can get in Yurp, with the possible exception of Irish well aged stuff and the odd organic knit-your-own farm shoppe type who care enough to do it proper like.
( Infidel , shit and wrong, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 13:27, closed)

I have an Argentinian place near me
where they parade the (uncooked) steaks at the table for you to choose from.

It's like a bell to Pavlov's dogs...
( chthonic, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 10:12, closed)

Ye gods...

( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 11:16, closed)

Might be the same place, but
Gaucho does that.

Good food, but FARKING expensive.
(username failed moderation, Thu 4 Jul 2013, 11:47, closed)