Why Barbecue is Better with Local Beef

September 16, 2011, By Phil Dotree 0 comments

You hear a lot about buying local, but usually people are talking about produce—fruits and vegetables. It's a good idea for a lot of reasons. But don't miss the opportunity to add beef to your list of local products. I never knew how good local beef was until I tried it. Sure, I love to be king of the grill, but I also like to keep my family healthy, and local beef is a great way to impress the neighbors while staying green.

Here's my list of reasons why using local beef is a really good idea:

1. You're helping the environment. Let's get this big one out of the way right at the start. Now, you're not necessarily buying organic if you buy local, but you're still cutting down on the cost of transporting the meat. You're helping the country save gas, you proud American you.

2. Better quality. Less pesticides and other contaminants can mean better-tasting meat, or at least healthier meat. The health advantage is usually the result of local beef being grass-fed, which has become the preference of many beef buffs, like the Food Network's Alton Brown. Local meat also usually comes from farms where cows are treated better. Why should you care about how the cows are treated? Well, it's polite to the cows, for one. It also has a direct effect on the taste of the meat. That's how the Japanese figured out Kobe beef—they started fattening up their cows with stuff that Americans eat on a daily basis: ice cream, beer, etc. The fatter and more relaxed the cow, the better the steaks.

3. No big price hikes. You're probably worried about price if you've never bought local beef before, but more good news: It doesn't cost that much. While in some areas it may cost more than factory-farmed cow, in many other areas it's less expensive due to the lowered costs of farming. Driving a dead cow across the country will run up your gas bill, and when you're not paying for that, you pay less.

4. It's easy. To get local beef, all you usually need to do is find a local farmer's market and ask for a pound of ground or a steak. Farmer's markets are all the rage these days, thanks to a growing number of people who realize that local stuff tastes better. Many local supermarkets are starting to carry local, fresh beef, too. If your favorite store doesn't stock it, you should ask your butcher to do so.

If you're not sure where to look in your area, try a search through Eat Well Guide. If you pop in your zip code and search by product (there's even a specific box for beef), you'll get where-to-buy results including grocery stores, butchers and farmer's markets.

Of course, not everyone can buy local all the time. Still, if you can get your hands on some local beef occasionally, your barbecue will really take off, and you'll be able to pat yourself on the back for doing something good for your community.