Last time on this blog, we told you that Boloco’s grass-fed steak comes all the way from Uruguay. We told you how it gets from farm to tortilla, and all the steps in between.
But we’re sure some of you are still wondering exactly why we get our steak from Uruguay – couldn’t we get the same quality of beef from the US?
The short answer is yes. But it’s really much more complicated than that.
In the US, only 3% of cattle is grass-fed for their entire lives. The rest of the American cattle usually start their lives on small farms, but when they’re only 12-18 months old, they get rushed to giant factory feedlots.
They’re packed into a confined area, where they eat grain – not grass – and, sadly, are more likely to get sick. They’re given lots of antibiotics and growth hormones, so they can avoid disease and gain weight faster. It’s just not a good life. Then, after only 6 months, they’re rushed to the slaughterhouse.
In Uruguay, that’s just not how it happens. In fact, the way we raise 97% of cattle in the US would literally be against the law in Uruguay! Uruguayan cattle are typically raised on a farm for their entire lives, eating grass, without injections of hormones or antibiotics.
And they have plenty of room to roam around! On average, each cow has 2 acres all to itself!
And they live happy lives on the farm for 2-3 years before heading to the slaughterhouse. Plus, there’s only 3 million people in Uruguay but 12 million heads of cattle! That’s a lot of cows…!
But yes, there is still that 3% of cattle in the US that IS grass-fed. But here’s what you really need to know: if we got the same high-quality beef (we use flap meat, a thin steak from the bottom sirloin butt – the best steak used in the burrito biz!) from responsibly-raised animals in the US, our burrito prices would SKYROCKET! We did the research and found a possible steak source closer to home, and it’s crazy what we found.
Because of the availability of grass-fed beef in the US, we would literally have to charge upwards of $13 for an original sized burrito… without guacamole! Yikes! We just wouldn’t feel ok charging you that much… and we have a feeling you would have an issue with it too…
Maybe you don’t yet see the benefits of grass-fed beef in general. Yes, it’s great for the cows, but what about for us humans? Well, don’t worry, there’s some great benefits for us, too!
Grass-fed beef has more flavor than conventional grain-fed beef. It’s also healthier! It contains 50% less fat and calories, and it’s full of vitamins: Vitamin B, Vitamin E, Omega-3, Calcium, Magnesium… the list goes on!
Hopefully at this point you’re on board with grass-fed beef from Uruguay. If not, come into your nearest Boloco and try it out for yourself!
If you take nothing else away from this post, just remember this: getting our steak from Uruguay allows us to provide you with the highest quality, most delicious, healthiest steak possible – at a price that makes your wallet say “moo!” (in a good way).
Want to know even more about Boloco’s grass-fed beef? Watch the in-depth video of our trip to Uruguay:
