Skunk I hope the discovery did not tickle the Richter Scale. A good Crab Louie goes good with a rib steak.
The truth be known a major portion of hamburger and lower price beef comes from dairy cow breeds. A lot of dairy cows are currently being butchered because of the over production of milk products and high cost. I would not be surprised that a number of fast food chains utilize hamburger with dairy herd origins.
If you are born a little black and white calve you have a very short life span. There is not a need for a lot of bulls in a herd. When I was a kid you could go to the auction yard and buy a day old dairy bull for one dollar. A one dollar calve would be quickly castrated. Bulls need stronger fences and can be dangerous. A family would have some very good meat in less than a year on a relatively small pasture. Meat the family could not otherwise afford.
I realize that some people are sensitive to the subject of castration. Back in the early 1950’s I was visiting my grandmother on the farm in what I call Northeastern Alabama. From grandma’s farm we traveled to another farm with a lush green pasture with a bunch of white face Hereford on it. Grandma pointed out the cows, and I said grandma they are steers. I had upset Grandma and I was told that as long as I was in Alabama they were male cows, so be it. The difference between a gentle Southern Lady and a wild kid from the West.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_(cattle)
Graybeard’s friend is not an underhanded stockman selling just a cow as an Angus. I found a webpage for Angus beef. I copied some of the key elements in determining what makes an Angus.
2.1 Genotype. Cattle eligible for Angus influence beef programs based on genotype must have positive identification (ear tags, tattoos, brands, etc.) and be traceable back to provable (e.g.; registration papers) Angus parentage. Qualifying cattle must be traceable to one registered parent or two registered grandparents. Programs which claim a specified percentage of Angus heritage must use this method.
2.2 Phenotype. Cattle eligible for certification in Angus influence beef programs based on phenotype (appearance) must be predominately (51 percent) solid black. Blue roan, gray, etc., are not considered to be black or a percentage of black. Such variations can qualify only when it occupies 49 percent, or less, of the body area with the remaining 51 percent, or greater, being solid black. (1) Angus influence cattle may be either horned or polled. Carcasses of certified live animals which display certain non-Angus characteristics (e.g.; dairy conformation, Brahman humps) shall be excluded as specified in the carcass specifications for approved programs.
(1) At times, a black hair coat can become sun bleached and appear to be a shade of brown, particularly on the back. If the base of the hair close to the skin is black then that entire brown tipped area should be considered solid black. However, if the hair color is brown to the roots, it should be considered as brown in color and the area will not contribute to the 51 percent black requirement.
"Certified Angus Beef" (CAB) is a special industry designation developed in 1978 that involves standards for marbling, tenderness, age, and color. According to the National Cattleman's Beef Association, only about 8% of U.S. beef is entitled to the label "Certified Angus." Just because something is labeled "Angus" or "Black Angus" doesn't mean it's the same quality as "Certified Angus Beef." Angus beef is further differentiated by USDA grades such as "prime," "choice," and "select," giving us such labels as "Certified Angus Prime," indicating the best Certified Angus Beef.
You can find the full text here:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2219/whats-the-big-deal-about-aged-beef-and-angus-beef
