Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef

After you read "Mad Cowboy" or "No More Bull", read this book to get an idea of the view from the other side. Well-written and researched.

as always, betty fussell has produced another "keeper" for my food book/cookbook shelf. literate, comfortable to read, and incisive, this book gives not only a comprehensive background to the american love affair with beef, but also a realistic and humanistic look into the economic and ethical questions that every omnivore must ask about industrial food production in the 21st century. a terrific bibliography (including numerous trade journals) anchors the book. you won't buy this book for just the recipes, but the few that are included are tidy and illustrative, and she remembers to include a soupcon of cognac in the steak tartare!

The steak is an iconic part of American food history that developed as the country grew. Originally a staple of the rich on the East Coast and of ranchers in the West, the steak has grown from a food eaten only by certain groups into the meat of choice for millions of Americans. This book exams, in detail, how the steak is raised from a baby veal and becomes prime porterhouse. Starting with ranchers in the western states of Colorado, Oregon and Texas the author examines different methods of raising the beef. Cattle can be raised a number of ways, from purely grass fed to grain fed. There are also different methods of ranching from ranchers that raise the beef all the way through slaughter to those that raise each animal through only a part of the process. All are looked at and discussed in detail, along with the various problems associated with each method. From the ranchers, the author moves on to the feedlot/slaughter operations. From small country butcher to the Big 4 animal processing companies, again, the author examines each step and the problems associated with each. She gives relatively equal time to all factions, of whom there are many, and examines food safety in detail. The section on mad cow disease was amazing, and I will never buy generic beef again. If you are weak of stomach, I recommend skipping the chapters on slaughter and food safety issues. They may cause you to become a vegetarian...that is until you realize that beef by products are everywhere. The book finishes with a number or recipes for cooking steak, although, as the author points out, there is really only one true way to cook a good steak. High heat on a grill! I recommend this book to all who have an interest in the food they eat and how it comes to be. It may very well change how you perceive that slab of beef the next time you eat. In my case, the book reinforced my belief in buying premium beef from a known source!

When Betty Fussell turns her wit and candor to meat we must follow. There is never a dull moment whether Fussell writes on corn or mushrooms. Add to that a hunk of grass-fed beef and you're set to come out swinging. Steak for breakfast is my ideal starter, plus a macaroon or two. big merci Betty for confirming my addiction.

All I can say is you should strap yourself in the saddle and expect a serious ride. I'm nearly done, and I must admit it has made me very hungry. I splurged on a gorgeous little piece of grass-fed beef after the first chapter, and was thoroughly sated. Short ribs followed suit. No seriously, this will get you to think about who raises beef and how in great detail. It is neither a blanket condemnation nor an unbalanced plea to forebear, but a good gutsy look at what we Americans really want for dinner.