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有关牛肉的科普贴，大家一起来长姿势 Introduction to Beef 和牛，安格斯牛，草饲，谷饲，300天，200天，有机……在买牛肉或点牛排时看到这些词有没有觉得头疼？那么今天就来给大家科普一下有关牛肉的各种知识，这样在选购和点菜的时候我们就不会被忽悠啦！ Wagyu, Angus, Grass fed, Grain fed, 300 day, 200 day, Organic...It all gets a bit complicated. So today I want to clarify some of the terminology in the cattle industry so you have an idea of what you are buying, and why you are paying 和牛 Wagyu  “和牛”的意思是“日本牛”，用来指几类很特殊的牛肉品种，这些牛肉的横截面有类似大理石的花纹（普通牛的脂肪在肌肉周围，而这种牛的脂肪在肌肉之间，所以会形成这种特殊的纹路），因此大家用“入口即化”来形容它们的口感。那么和牛为什么会如此昂贵呢？这是由供求关系决定的。养成和牛一般需要30至33个月，而普通牛则只需要22个月左右。真正的和牛在喂养时不会添加任何生长激素，而优良的基因则是它们品质的最基本保证。在培育过程中不断地选择最优品种的和牛进行交配，随着时间的累积，出产的和牛肉的品质则越来越好。因此，高需求，因培育和饲养的难度而相对少的供应量，造成了市场上优质和牛价格的昂贵。 “Wagyu” means “Japanese Cow” and refers to several breeds of cow that produce a high amount of marbling (fat that runs through the meat muscles, instead of around it), which is why people describe Wagyu meat as “melting in your mouth”. Why is it so expensive? It all comes down to demand and supply. To raise Wagyu cattle takes between 30 to 33 months. Standard beef requires only 22 months. Real Wagyu (the stuff that tastes great) is grown without growth-promoting hormones. The genetics of the cattle is the basis for the quality of Wagyu. With selective breeding, over time, the cattle produce a higher quality Wagyu. High demands, and low supply, due to the difficulty of production, are the reasons why you can see high prices placed on premium Wagyu. 安格斯牛 Angus  安格斯牛是一种源自苏格兰的阿博丁郡和安格斯乡村的牛。因为同样具有大理石纹路（虽然不如和牛，但比其他品种的牛肉要多），它因肉质软嫩鲜美而广受美食爱好者的喜爱。 Originally cattle native to the counties of Aberdeen Shire and Angus in Scotland, Angus is regarded highly for it excellent tenderness and flavor, which is due to the ability to produce marbling throughout the meat (not as much as Wagyu, but higher than other breeds of cattle). 有机 Organic 什么是有机牛肉？需要同时满足如下条件: 出生和饲养在经过特别认证的有机牧场； 从不使用抗生素； 从不使用生长激素； 只喂经特别认证的有机谷物和草料； 必须在室外自由放养而不是圈养。 Born and raised on certified organic pasture; Never receive antibiotics; Never receive growth-promoting hormones; Are fed only certified organic grains and grass; Must have unrestricted outdoor access.  当我在伦敦工作的时候，曾经有一次和满满一大巴车的厨师一起参观了一家位于威尔士的有机牧场，Rhug Estate（上图）。说真的，那种感觉就好像参观牲畜的迪斯尼乐园！在此之前我从没见过一头牛如此享受生活甚至会面带微笑。想起伦敦的钢筋水泥丛林，我甚至对它们的生存环境羡慕嫉妒恨。饲养有机牲畜所需投入的精力让人难以置信。由于不能给牲畜使用任何抗生素，如果其中一头牛得了病，有可能整个牧场的牛都会受到传染。这些有机牧场主严格恪守出产有机肉类的承诺，我对此非常敬佩，不过也正因如此，真正的有机牛肉的价格往往非常高。其实有机牛肉和高品质的非有机牛肉在口味口感上相差无几，但当你想到你面前的牛排是来自一头生前非常幸福快乐的牛身上时，良心上会好受许多吧。 l visited an organic cattle farm in Wales, Rhug Estate (pictured above), on a field trip with a bus load of chefs. It was like visiting Disneyland for cattle, I never thought a cow could smile, I was even jealous of their environment compare to the concrete jungle of London. The amount of work involved with breeding organic cattle is unbelievable. The cattle can never receive antibiotics so if one falls ill, there is a risk to lose the entire herd. I admire the commitment of organic cattle breeders to the product they produce, however the prices of real certified organic beef reflect the work involved. The product in taste is similar to good quality inorganic beef, however your conscience will feel better that the steak in front of you came from a happy cow. 草饲 Grass Fed  所有的牛在刚出生时都喂奶，稍微长大一些后则以牛奶为补充。在之后的整个生命过程中都喂草来饲养的就称为草饲牛。因为谷物可以让牛尽快长肥，所以不喂谷物的草饲牛成长到适合宰杀大小的时间比较长 (一般要多出4到8个月)。它们被自由放养在草原上，肉质也因此更瘦且味道更浓。这种只喂草料的饮食结构可以培养出高质量的牛肉，不但吃起来更健康，还有一股牛奶的香味，且颜色也比谷饲牛肉更深一些。我很喜欢草饲牛肉，它有一种独特的大自然的味道。不像谷饲牛肉，草饲牛肉一贯保有优良的品质，而它们的大理石花纹则是由年龄、草料的种类以及生长的自然环境决定的。 All cattle are usually raised initially with milk, and then fed a milk supplement. The cattle that are then raised entirely on grass for their entire life cycle are called grass fed beef. Grass fed cattle take longer to reach the size required for slaughter (around 4-8 months longer), as they are not fattened up on grain, which speeds up the fattening process. They are free to roam the grasslands, producing a leaner and stronger flavored product. A natural diet of grass and shrubbery produces a high quality beef that is healthier to eat, some characteristics of the meat is that it smells and taste like milk and has a darker color to grain fed beef. I enjoy the taste of grass fed beef; it has a distinguished flavor that tastes natural. Unlike grain fed, you can usually count on grass fed beef to always be of a consistent high quality, the marbling varies based on how long the animal is left to live, and the type of shrubbery and environment that surrounds the cattle. 谷饲 Grain fed  其实所有的谷饲牛最初都饲养在草地上，而后发生的一切则对牛肉的质量起了决定性作用： All grain fed beef is initially raised on grass, what happens after makes a significant difference to the quality of the beef： 第一类 出产高质量牛肉的牧场主，会把它们的牛先放养在草地上喂草料，直到它们长到适合宰杀的重量时，但并不立即宰杀，而是限制它们的活动范围并进行谷物 (一般是大豆或玉米) 喂养。这个把牛喂肥的过程可以增加牛肉的大理石纹路，让其口感更加软嫩。这样的牛由于之前只喂草料，没有服用过任何生长激素，一直纯天然自然生长，因此牛肉的质感非常好。牛肉的大理石纹路随着谷物喂养的时间增长而增加，这也就是为什么你会在一些提供高品质牛肉的餐厅（比如阿丽雅:)）的菜单上看到“400天、300天或200天谷饲牛肉”的字样。 Type A Beef producers that want a high quality beef product allow their cattle to graze on grass until it has met the correct weight for slaughter, however, instead of slaughtering the cattle they put it on a grain fed diet, usually soy or corn, and reduce the area that they can roam in. This fattening stage induces marbling, which makes the beef tender. As the cow has grown at a natural rate, on a diet of grass, without growth hormones, it produces a high quality beef product. Marbling of the meat increases over the time that the cow is kept on a grain fed diet, which is why you may read 400, 300 or 200-day grain fed on some menus of high quality, produce driven restaurants such as Aria:) 第二类 这类牛肉是大家要尽量避免的。在牛还没完全长成熟时就被从草地上带走 (有时候牛才只有6个月大) ，然后把它们放入一个非常狭小的空间，小到牛甚至无法走动，唯一能做的动作就是低头吃谷饲料。喂给它们的谷物一般含有很多生长激素和抗生素，而且谷物本身也是质量最低劣的那类(比如啤酒花酿制啤酒后剩下的废料，有时会被用作劣质谷物饲料来喂牛) 。这些牛的生存环境非常恶劣，狭小的空间里充斥着自己的排泄物，因此需要服用很多的抗生素来保证它们不得病。因为服用了大量的生长激素，一头牛在13个月内就可以长成 (自然生长需要22个月才行)。这种牛肉之所以有市场还是因为人们对便宜牛肉的需求太高，对有些事就只能睁一只眼闭一只眼。我本人确实对这种残忍的饲养动物的方式有偏见，而且从口味的角度来说，这种牛肉吃起来和我的皮鞋味道差不多（又干又硬像橡胶一样）:( Type B This is the grain fed you want to avoid. The cows are taken out of the pasture at an immature age (this can occur from just 6 months old), and placed into a feed lot; a confined space where the cow can only move its head to eat grain. The grains used are usually full of growth hormones, antibiotics, and a low-grade grain (e.g the by product of hops formed after making beer, sometimes is used as a grain for cattle feed). The antibiotics are used to keep the cows alive in their environment, as they usually living and feeding amongst their own feces and urine. The growth hormones can produce a fully-grown cow within 13 months (grown naturally takes 22 months). This is allowed to happen because the demand for cheap beef is so high, people are willing to turn a blind eye. I am bias to the cruelty of how these animals are raised, but from a taste perspective, it has a very similar texture and taste as my shoe (rubbery and dry) |
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