Beef: it’s what’s for dinner. And by that I mean every dinner. Coming from a place that is the top broiler producing state in the country, it was a big surprise seeing the amount of beef that the people of Uruguay consume each day. We learned our first day here that the cattle to human population in this country is 3:1. Uruguay is also the highest in the consumption of meat per capita, actually breaking the world record, which was no surprise to any of us after being fed almost overwhelming amounts of meat for the past week. The view on beef and the meat industry in general is so different here than in Georgia. I’m part of the beef team at UGA where we put on beef promotions in local grocery stores for the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, but nothing like that is necessary here. During our promotions we see all kinds of people with different views on beef. I assume that is not the case here in Uruguay after witnessing large consumptions of meat from the native people here.
Uruguay’s beef quality is not based on marbling like in the U.S. They measure quality based on not having any hormones or antibiotics, something that is very important for their buyers in the European Union, which is where they export the majority of their beef. The majority of their beef is grass fed, and they said about the average quality they produce based on our quality grading system in the United States is USDA Select. Being an animal science major and a previous member of the collegiate meats judging team, I know how much of a difference the intramuscular fat has on consumer appeal, and it is hard to fathom the fact that Uruguayans don’t know what their missing by never experiencing the juicy, flavorful, and tender prime ribeye. But that of course is my American perspective. Uruguay’s production is based on what their market is asking for, and they are doing a very good job of providing that. I can honestly say I have yet to leave a meal where I was not stuffed to the bone. Our hosts are doing a very good job of feeding us and letting us experience Uruguayan food.