When cows leave the calving herd they finish with our other cattle. Most of that meat goes into ground beef and sausage; we hold back ribeyes and tenderloins from the best finished cows for Vaca Vieja.
Older-animal steaks are a coastal trend for a reason: they can be a little chewier from age and calving, but the flavor runs deeper. Two steaks per package, about 1.6 lb. Compare one against our standard ribeye if you want the taste test. Frozen.
Once our cows are no longer calving, they’re moved in with our finishing cattle. Typically their meat is incorporated into our other beef products like hamburger, brats, and hot dogs. However, we reserve the ribeyes and tenderloins from our best-finished cows to create these novel cuts.
It’s a trend on both coasts to eat older animal steaks so we thought we would offer you that experience. These cuts can be a little tougher due to age and calving seasonal cycles, but the depth of flavor is amazing. It’s something worth trying to taste the difference.
Order one of each, the traditional Grateful Graze Ribeye and the Vaca Vieja Ribeye and experience your own taste test.
Take a look at this LA Times article for more insights!