Beef can sometimes have an unpleasant, gamey flavor. This is especially common with grass-fed beef or older animals. While some people enjoy the strong taste, others find it unappetizing. Thankfully, there are several tricks you can use to mellow out and remove the gamey taste from beef.
What Causes Gamey Flavor in Beef?
There are a few potential causes of a gamey or strong flavor in beef:
-
Breed and gender – Some cattle breeds, like dairy cows, are more likely to have a gamey flavor. Bull meat also tends to be gamier due to higher levels of testosterone
-
Diet – Cattle fed a high-quality diet of nutritious grasses and grains will have sweeter, milder meat Low-quality feed leads to stress and gamey meat
-
Age – Older animals tend to have stronger tasting meat as flavors become more concentrated over time. Beef from mature cows can be particularly gamey.
-
Grass-fed – While not always the case, grass-fed beef is more likely to have a gamey flavor compared to grain-finished beef. This is due to differences in fat composition.
-
Stress – If cattle are stressed right before slaughter, it causes a build-up of adrenaline. This produces a gamey taste.
-
Hang time – Hanging the beef for longer after slaughter allows flavors to concentrate and become stronger Short hang times produce milder meat
Effective Ways to Remove Gamey Flavors
If you’ve ended up with some gamey-tasting beef, don’t worry. Here are some simple, effective ways to mellow out and remove that strong flavor:
Marinades
Marinating the beef is one of the easiest ways to mask gamey flavors. Acidic marinades help break down tough tissues while seasoning helps overwhelm the flavor. Good options include:
-
Wine or vinegar: Red wine, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, etc. The acids help tenderize.
-
Yogurt or buttermilk: The lactic acid mellows gaminess. Soak for 1-2 hours.
-
Fruit juices: Pineapple, lemon, lime, orange, or other citrus juices.
-
Spicy marinades: Chili garlic sauce, sriracha, curry pastes, etc.
Remove Fat
Since the gamey compounds tend to collect in the fat, removing excess exterior fat before cooking can help reduce gamey flavors significantly. Trim off any thick chunks or strips of visible fat.
Milk Soaks
A milk soak is a handy trick often used by hunters to remove gamey flavors from venison, duck, and other wild meats. The milk proteins bind with the gamey compounds.
- Soak the beef in milk overnight in the fridge before cooking.
- Rinse off the milk then pat the meat dry before cooking.
Brining
Brining helps infuse new flavors while removing blood and other impurities that contribute to gamey tastes. Dissolve 1/2 to 1 cup of salt per quart of water. Soak beef for 1-2 hours. Rinse after.
Vinegar or Lemon
Acidity is key for removing gaminess! A soak in vinegary water can help extract gamey compounds. Use a 1:4 ratio of vinegar to water and soak for 1-2 hours. Lemon juice produces similar effects.
Slow Cooking
For roasts or brisket, low and slow cooking helps naturally tenderize while blending and mellowing flavors. The collagen in the meat breaks down to gelatin, producing a smooth texture and taming game.
Grinding
If nothing else works, you can grind the meat. This spreads out gamy compounds instead of concentrating them in each bite. Use gamey beef for burgers or chili where other spices and flavors can mask it.
Preventing Gamey Flavors When Buying Beef
To avoid winding up with gamey-tasting beef in the first place, here are some tips for your next beef purchase:
-
Choose steaks over roasts, and tenderloin over shoulder or leg cuts which have more connective tissue.
-
Look for beef with bright red coloring and ample marbling which indicates younger, milder meat.
-
Ask your butcher for beef from steers (castrated males) or heifers which will be less gamy than bulls or cows.
-
Know your farmer or butcher and ask questions about the breed, age, diet, etc. Opt for high-quality practices.
-
With grass-fed beef, ask how the cattle were finished. Were they supplemented with grains? Properly finished cattle will have better flavor.
-
Check the label and select “wet-aged” or “dry-aged” beef for better flavor vs. unaged.
-
Be aware that pre-packaged beef, beef that’s been sitting for days, and discounted beef is more likely to have gamey notes.
With the right preparation techniques and a quality cut of beef, you can avoid or remove the unpleasant gamey flavors that can occur. A milk soak, acid marinade, and slow cooking are all simple ways to end up with tender, juicy, and mild-tasting beef for your next meal.
StepsPart
- {“smallUrl”:”https://www. wikihow. com/s/thumb/6/6f/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-5. jpg/v4-460px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”/s/thumb/6/6f/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-5. jpg/aid9186489-v4-728px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-5. 1. Cut the meat into chunks that will fit in a big bowl. Pick out the bowl you want to use for the soak and cut the meat to fit it. It can be cut into steaks for grilling, stew-friendly cubes, or any other shape you desire.
- {“smallUrl”:”https://www. wikihow. com/s/thumb/a/a4/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-6. jpg/v4-460px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-6. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”/s/thumb/a/a4/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-6. jpg/aid9186489-v4-728px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-6. 2. Let the meat soak in buttermilk overnight. Put the meat in a bowl made of glass or ceramic, and add enough buttermilk to cover it. Put the bowl in the fridge overnight with the lid or plastic wrap on top. Some of the gamey flavor will come out of the meat because of the lactic acid in the buttermilk. If the meat was frozen, put it in the fridge to thaw all the way before you soak it.
- {“smallUrl”:”https://www. wikihow. com/s/thumb/0/01/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-7. jpg/v4-460px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-7. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”/s/thumb/0/01/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-7. jpg/aid9186489-v4-728px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-7. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”License: Creative Commons</a> </p> </p></div>”} 3 Choose an acidic marinade. The buttermilk soak can be used as a marinade, but if you want to use a more traditional marinade, pick one with acidic ingredients like wine, fruit juice, or vinegar. These acidic bases will make the meat taste less gamey. Find online recipes for marinades that work well with the type of meat you’re cooking.
- {“smallUrl”:”https://www. wikihow. com/s/thumb/5/5c/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-8. jpg/v4-460px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-8. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”/s/thumb/5/5c/Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-8. jpg/aid9186489-v4-728px-Get-the-Gamey-Taste-Out-of-Meat-Step-8. 4. Let the meat sit in the sauce for at least three hours. Put enough marinade into a plastic bag that can be sealed to cover the meat. Put the bag in the fridge for at least three hours. The longer you let meat soak in a marinade, the more flavor it will take in. If you want to hide the taste of the meat even more, let it sit longer. [5] Don’t marinate the meat for more than 12 hours, or it might taste too much like marinade.
Advertisement Part
Cooking and Serving the Meat
- What makes meat taste like game? Liz Riffle Regenerative Farming Liz has been farming bison for more than six years and is an expert in holistic farming and using humane farming methods in her business. The first commercial bison farm in West Virginia is at Riffle Farm. The farm is part of a movement to help the world’s grasslands grow back on a large scale. Liz is certified by Savory and teaches Holistic Management all over the country. She went to Excelsior University and got her Master’s in Nursing Education. At Northwestern University, she was part of the US Navy Nurse Corps Commission. Liz Riffle Farming That Brings Back Life Poor diets, like ones that contain grains that bison shouldn’t eat, and the stress hormones that animals release when they are being harvested or hunted can both change the taste. A bad diet can also mess up an animal’s digestive system, causing stress chemicals to be released that change the taste of the meat. The level of gameiness is often related to how long the animal was fed a bad diet.
Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
- Use tongs to turn over the meat. If you stick a fork in it, the juices that should stay inside will come out. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0 .
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
How To Remove Gamey Taste From Grass Fed Beef?
FAQ
What takes the gamey taste out of meat?
Why does my beef taste gamey?
How to remove strong taste from beef?
How do you make steak less gamey?
How do I avoid beef that tastes too gamey?
The best way to avoid beef that tastes too gamey is to choose beef that has been raised on a traditional diet of grains and hay. So there you have it. The three most important steps to achieving the perfect, most juicy, flavorful, and tender outcome for your beef dishes are: cook it low and slow; marinate it; and cut ’em in cubes.
What can I do about my degraded sense of taste for all foods?
There are some specific medications that can help reduce taste loss, but some nutritional strategies can also be effective, such as: – Choose foods that both smell and taste you like; – Use plastic or wooden cutlery; – Consume mint gum or hard candy to disguise the bitter taste in the mouth; – Try different seasonings, especially with herbs like basil, oregano, parsley, among others; – Waters flavored with citric fruits such as lemon, orange and pineapple help in the production and quality of saliva.
Why does beef taste so gamey?
Additionally, beef that is slaughtered at a younger age can also have a more gamey flavor. This is because the meat is more tender and has a more intense flavor. The best way to avoid beef that tastes too gamey is to choose beef that has been raised on a traditional diet of grains and hay. So there you have it.
What does gamey meat taste like?
The best way I’d describe “gamey” is a flavor somewhat like liver, and sometimes what seems like a slightly powdery texture or mouth feel. It can indeed smell a bit musky. The meat tends to be leaner and tougher and so depending on how you prepare it can be chewier. Not sure if this describes your experience?