A return to the way beef used to be raised, grass-fed beef has been catching on with market savvy ranchers throughout this country who prefer to fatten their cattle on grass grown in local pastures, rather than in feedlots where steroids, corn, antibiotics and soy are the norm.

Mac Magruder, a grass-fed beef rancher in the hills of Mendocino County's Potter Valley, runs about 600 head of cattle on more than 12,000 acres. He believes this method of raising beef is an environmentally and socially correct solution to the question of raising and consuming meat. "The key is allowing our beef to not only be raised on grass, but to finish with grass, "said Magruder. "Grass-fed, grass-finished beef provides a taste that is unmatched in terms of outstanding flavor and a leaner, healthier dining experience."

It's not hard to find food and wine experts who agree with this line of thinking. "Clearly, we Americans love the taste of grilled beef, and grass-fed satisfies our basic gastronomic desires on several levels,"said Allied Domecq's Wine and Hospitality Education Director Evan Goldstein. "First, grilling grass-fed beef results in chary, rich caramelized flavors that are a great complement to the typically toasty and smoky nuances found in many California merlots, zinfandels and pinot noirs. Second, this style of beef is lower in calories and high in Omega-3 acids, providing consumers with a healthier choice."

Many Northern California restaurants have been quick to seize upon this trend. San Francisco's Acme Chophouse, a popular purveyor of grass-fed beef, features several entries utilizing the farm-fresh ingredient. Other trendy Bay Area restaurants serving grass-fed beef include Patricia Unterman's Hayes Street Grill and Il Fornaio. Even the venerable Berkeley eatery, Chez Panisse, is said to be testing grass-fed beef recipes for possible inclusion on the menu, according to the San Jose Mercury News.