08/10/05 Grilled beef

Grilled Beef Just how important is a good beef grilling experience to the consumer? I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to tell you what one writer thinks. I just read an article by Steve Suther in the Western Livestock Reporter that I thought was a good reminder to all cattle producers and feeders. Especially since our own Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, makes a statement that beef prices are too high and we are seeing articles here and there about beef demand slowing. Mr. Suther relates how much Americans love to use their barbeque grill and that beef is still king of that grill. He reminds everyone about beef being a top source of protein, vitamin B12, and zinc, not to mention aroma, taste, and satisfaction. Now the idea he brought out I thought interesting was the way to keep beef demand growing was not to compete with pork and chicken at their price level by using low quality grade cuts. Mr. Suther feels the best way to keep beef demand growing is to provide a great eating experience each time a grill is fired up, and the best way to do that is provide the consumer with a high quality beef that is actually less likely to fail on the grill when cooked by a less-than-professional chef. Higher quality beef has a better chance to stay juicier, tastier, and give many good eating experiences. So we as producers and feeders need to keep using the good genetics and feeding regime to provide that high quality beef. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter 7/20/05