Silvies Ranch Rating (Grass-Fed) – Gateway Beef

Carrie Oliver Rating: Gateway Beef™

In its tasting debut this lovely grass-fed steak, just released by highly regarded wild game purveyor, Nicky USA, provided a striking contrast to the grass-fed steaks from The Gleason Ranch of Washington and to other Oregon beefs we’ve included in previous blind tastings, including Carman Ranch. If you prefer a mild, understated Personality, Silvies Valley Ranch, aka The Naked Beef, is a great fit. If robust flavor and complexity is your game, explore the other two or, if you’re like I am, enjoy them all when you’re “in the mood” for contrast.

Tasting Notes

This grass-fed steak had a soft Texture, a reserved Personality, and left a brief pleasant Impression. It was juicy, light, and clean and, more than the other steaks in this tasting, really picked up the char flavors from the grill. At a dinner party, it would be a welcoming host or easy-going table mate. I’d pair it with lighter side dishes and wine.

Meet The Ranchers

Silvies Valley Ranch has gone through many changes in its 125+ year history but current owners, Scott Campbell and family, have dedicated themselves to rejuvenating native wild meadow pastures and woods and to grazing a carefully cultivated herd – based on old line Red-Angus cattle – to finished market weight. Led by the management expertise of fellow Eastern Oregonians Robb & Lisa Foster and Keith & Katie Baltzor, Silvie’s Ranch offers an extremely detailed, transparent list of criteria for their cattle and husbandry practices, which I hope they’ll post online (key details are below the fold). The team actively seeks customer feedback to continuously improve flavor and texture. I included their Sirloin steaks in a high visibility tasting in Seattle. Off to a good start, I look forward to seeing this beef evolve over the years.

Where to Buy It

You can purchase Silvies Valley Ranch beef through Nicky USA. Food Alliance Certified – Grassfed.

Tasting Overview

Taster:	Carrie Oliver
Date Tasted:	August 2010
Cut Tasted:	Sirloin Steak
Diet/Feed:	Grass Fed and Finished
Cooking Method:	Gas Grill
How Served:	Medium Rare
Seasoning:	Kosher Salt
Other Cuts Tasted:	n/a
Other Date Tasted:	n/a
Other Tasters:	40 guests from Serafina – Cicchetti Restaurants, Seattle, WA

Detailed Husbandry Practices

Breed:	Red Angus – Cross
Growing Region:	Silvies Valley, Eastern Oregon
Farm/Ranch:	Silvies Valley Ranch
Farmers/Ranchers:lllllllll	Silvies Valley Ranch
Diet/Feed:	Grass-Fed
Raising Protocols:	Calf stays on cow to 6-7 months, carried over winter then clover, wild flower and grass hay.
Finishing Protocols:	Lush mountain meadow clover, wild flower indigenous grasses.
% Time on Pasture:	100%
Age at Slaughter:	14-16 months
Slaughterhouse:	Northwest Premium Meats, Nampa, ID
Butcher:	Nicky USA, Portland, OR
Aging Technique:	Hung up to 7 days then wet-aged up to 7 days
Aging Time:	7-14 days
Packaging:	Depends on order
Never Use Antibiotics Ever:	-
Use Vet Approved Spot Treatment Antibiotics:	Only if sick (removed from program if treated)
Never Use Sub-therapeutic or Feed Antibiotics	✓
Never Use Added Growth Hormones:	✓
Never Use Ionophores:	✓
No Animal, Fish, Fowl By-Products in Feed	✓ (audited by Food Alliance)
100% Vegetarian Feed	✓
Practice Rotational Grazing	✓
Practice Managed Intensive Rotational Grazing	-
USDA Natural	✓
USDA Naturally Raised New Voluntary Certification	✓
Third Party Certified Organic	-
Third Party Certified Humane	-
Other Third Party Certification	Food Alliance Certified – Grassfed
Other	-

Tagged as: Angus, grass-fed steak, Nicky USA, Oregon, rating