# Beef-Grass vs Grain

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-grass-vs-grain/554863>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [September 24, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-grass-vs-grain/554863 "2010-09-24T11:50:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-grass-vs-grain/554863/21 "2010-09-28T19:25:23Z")

</div>

> [@sophist](#):
>
> I can’t believe he hasn’t been mentioned yet in this thread, but Michael Pollan’s work on the topic (see The Omnivore’s Dilemma) provides a much more interesting take than Cecil’s. If you read Cecil, but haven’t read this book, what’s wrong with you? No, just being snarky . . . but seriously, The Omnivore’s Dilemma is actually a great read. There’s some non-fiction stuff on interesting topics written by really boring writers, but Pollan is a journalist and a journalism professor, so expect something more like a novel than a boring exigesis.

He’s also kind of a douchebag, egotist, and the most snobby of “foodies.” I tried reading the book, but gave up somewhere in his 47 page description of how great a cook he is, and how much praise his guests gave him.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-grass-vs-grain/554863/22 "2010-09-28T19:59:49Z")

</div>

> [@Blakeyrat](#):
>
> He’s also kind of a douchebag, egotist, and the most snobby of “foodies.” I tried reading the book, but gave up somewhere in his 47 page description of how great a cook he is, and how much praise his guests gave him.

I read the “young reader’s edition,” same information, shortened considerably and read it in one night. I’m glad I was spared all the extra self-grooming I hear about in the original. Based on that, I thought it was a good, informative read.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-grass-vs-grain/554863/23 "2010-10-02T19:33:02Z")

</div>

> [@Strassia](#):
>
> > [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#):
> >
> > Whether or not a deity intended it or not, it _is_ their natural food. OTOH, all the cereal grains are grasses as well, so doesn’t it amount to the same thing? It’s not as if we’re talking about feeding them papayas and mangoes.
> 
> While I don’t even believe in any gods, there is a point there. The corn feed that cows eat has to be supplemented with amino acids not found in corn or the cows do very poorly.

I didn’t know this. IIRC corn (maize) is a domesticated species that can’t even propagate itself without human intervention. Does the lack of those amino acids have anything to do with this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-grass-vs-grain/554863/24 "2010-10-02T19:38:10Z")

</div>

I’ve raised both kinds of beef, for personal use. I hate to say it, but the grain-finished beef is way, way better.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-grass-vs-grain/554863.md?page=1)