Taste test examines difference in cattle feeding

Members of the Southwest Missouri Cattlemen's Association were willing participants in a taste test at a September meeting in Mount Vernon.

The test was between grass-finished beef and conventional Choice beef.

The strip loins used in the taste test were cut to one-inch thickness, then cut in half so each person would have one-half steak from each source.

Grilling of the steaks was handled by Jim and Jason McCann of Miller and Rod Lewis of Stotts City.

Identification of which steaks came from which source was not known by any of the taste test participants, and cooking and seasoning was the same on each.

During the meal, members were instructed by Bryon Wiegand, associate professor of meat science at the University of Missouri, about the scoring system to be used in the steak evaluation.