Alberta AAA Beef

[grassfarmer]

Was at a family function at a Sawmill restaurant yesterday. Servers were doing the hard sell on the special - Alberta AAA sirloin steak sandwich. Alberta Beef Producers signs up on the tables advertising the same. Unfortunately most of the party took this option and were severely disappointed. Tough, tough, tough - didn't matter the "doneness" of them either. Taste was inconsistent between plates too. Now I don't know if this is some of the 25 cent cow beef being used instead of 85 cent fat cattle but it's doing us a big disservice. Turning customers off beef by serving up poor stuff won't help producers, restaurants or customers - maybe it helps the packer?

[dalek]

Anytime you pay less than $12 (sometimes $15) for a steak dinner you can guarantee it came from a cow. Sometimes even when the price is well above that.

[JD6320]

Lack of aging is the biggest disservice to our industry,but that cuts into profits(packer/retailer)

[cowman]

I would think that if they advertized it as AAA beef, it would be AAA beef? Otherwise they could be subject to false advertizing?
Consider though beef slaughtered one day could be going out the door the next day? That is how a modern packer has to operate?
I have observed triple A beef from Costco is always a good eating experience, while Sobeys or Safeway...well you take your chances!
The toughest steak I ever had was at Montanas...I sent it back and had the chicken...it turned out to be Australian beef!
Another time at Safeway they were advertizing "New Zealand" beef on a special. I noticed an A3 ribbon role on one steak and loudly said to my spouse "This isn't New Zealand beef"? The butcher heard me and hustled down the meat counter and admitted they had run out so were selling A3 instead! So I bought a couple of steaks and they were excellent! I wonder how many consumers thought that New Zealand beef sure is tasty!

[Willowcreek]

cowman posted Jan 29, 2007 5:35
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I would think that if they advertized it as AAA beef, it would be AAA beef? Otherwise they could be subject to false advertizing?

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Kind of like the false advertising when they sell Canadian/Mexican beef as US beef.... The Packer mafia will do anything we allow them to get away with to make a buck....

[cowman]

Willowcreek: Only you could somehow twist that around to blame your own home grown packers? They are your boys...true blooded Americans...just like you!
Don't even go there.

[rkaiser]

Where would we be without Willow Creek aka - Oldtimer - aka Hillbilly Montana Rcalf clown to entertain us.

Further to your comments about Canadian beef being pawned off old boy --- how about the Canadian Cattle turned into American beef as soon as the stun gun hits their heads and then the American pirates pawning this beef off in any way they can to Canadian consumers. And especially pawning off the D1 cow that slips into the graded system and, yes, maybe makes a AAA grade. 196,000 head moved from our D1 D2 etc. cow pricing scheme into the graded retail market.

All this with the help of their very own pawns _ the Rcalf clowns who think they are saving American lives from the scourge of Camadian raised cattle.LOL

[Willowcreek]

I agree with you to an extent kaiser-- but I differ with the effect R-CALF has on the Packers...Its very well shown that R-CALF is the only cattle organization that does not follow the Packer drumbeat- and the only one fighting them from getting complete free rein...

You don't see the Packers backslapping R-CALF members unless they are sticking a target on their back- and the reason for that is that we have fought thier long term vision of controlling the global food system....

[perfecho]

Attn: Grassfarmer....Some buddies of mine own a couple of the Sawmills,(not Tom)and I passed on your comments. They would like to respond through their Director of Operations. I have pasted their comments following, and would encourage you to contact them.

Just reviewing the comments and conversation regarding the quality of beef and a recent experience at one of our Sawmill Prime Rib & Steak House operations.

"With 32 years of reputation, history and experience we are very conscious of what we advertise and what we serve and to legally clarify, “we only serve Alberta AAA beef with a minimum of 21 day age.” While we may periodically not prepare a steak to its precise doneness this should have little bearing on its tenderness and overall flavor. Having said that this is providing we are being supplied with what we are paying for. I welcome conversation and education and how we can serve a better product for the benefit of our customers, producers, packers and all associated.
Contact me directly at:
Len McCullough, Director of Operations, The Sawmill Restaurant Group @ lmccullough@sawmillrestaurant.com or ph: 780-463-3399 ext. 246"

[grassfarmer]

Thank you pefecho, I will contact the person mentioned when I get a minute. I can't say whether I was eating a cow or a steer - but it was a poor eating experience due to toughness. To be clear I wasn't complaining about the "doneness" of the steaks - everybody got what they ordered in that respect - but they were still tough from medium-rare to medium- well.

[rkaiser]

I wonder who could tell us if these cows that are being graded after the packers own them could turn up in the AAA grade catagory. A good white fat cow usually eats well, but some of these cartalidge filled continental cattle will still triple, and a cow would have more potential to cut tough than a youthful fat steer/heifer.

[rkaiser]

Linked up with a grader last night and he said that a cow will never make an A grade --- but. Once that cow is on their hook, she is obviously their property to do with as they please. After grading into the D1, D2, D3, a good white fat cow will be swung off the line into a special category where her primals are removed and basically sold as a "branded product". Cargill's salesmen do not have to work all that hard on the retailer as I said before, a white fat British cross cow will eat very well.

In other words - if the Sawmill advertised AAA, they legally had to serve you a youthful AAA product. Must have been the luck of the draw or Cargill/Tyson/Nilsen's lack of caring to get a bad one.

The restaurants down the road who do not suggest a grade on their steaks are sharing the profits with Cargill and Tyson on the backs of producers.

I say kudos to the Sawmill for making an effort, but hope they learn a lesson about dealing with these American beef companies and look around for some true ALBERTA beef with even more attention to quality.

[WilIow-Kreek]

So what makes "Alberta beef" a damn bit better than B.C. or Ontario beef.Your neighbors in other provinces must just love it when you imply your beef is superior to theirs.
We went through that down here with some local idiots saying Montana beef was the only beef to eat.Embarassing to the rest of us promoting a U.S. beef product.

[cowman]

Well I think your buddie "Willowcreek" says they have Montana "MCOOL" to keep all the others out?
Alberta beef...it's called a "marketing tool"...have you ever heard of that in Podunk Montana?...You know,envision the Alberta Rockies and all these foxie ladies selling beef?...Or is that beyond you?
I will tell you I had one of the tastiest steaks I've ever had in a bar and grill in Great Falls...and that was in late 2003 when no Canadian beef was allowed in...so it was American! You are quite right...beef is beef...American, Canadian...it is all good...to bad you don't understand that and try to say ALL beef is evil!
Especially when you stand up with the anti meat dorks! R-CALF...what can you say?

[WilIow-Kreek]

When the heck did I say beef was evil? Too much pot.Try to cut back.Its making you paranoid.