my experience says that it's more about the aging process than about the 'mottling'. You may know that I live in a rural setting. I buy organic beef from a couple of wonderful 'old-folks' (rock-ribbed Christian conservatives of the type that are so far right that they're almost left). I can go see the steers and cows grazing the manure-fed grass at any time. They may get a little grain in the Winter, but not by force-feeding. In fact the fat content is lower than you might think optimal for taste. But the beef tastes like the beef that I had in Texas as a young'un and college student. I may not be able to convince you that that was the real deal back then, but it was the baseline for me; and I've never had a steak since - be it ever so expensive - that beat the common product back then.

paul spencer