DNA Tested for Tenderness

Grass-finished beef has a reputation. People know it for the flavor and for being better for them, and some of them also remember a steak that was hard to chew. That toughness is real, and most of the time it is not the cook’s fault. A good part of it comes from the animal’s genetics, and you cannot see genetics by looking at a steer standing in the pasture.

So we test for it.

What we test

We send a DNA sample from our cattle to be run through the TENET® tenderness test from Callipyge Genetics. The test reads genetic markers that are tied to how tender an animal’s beef will be. Tenderness is inherited. An animal either carries those genetics or it does not, and no amount of feed or handling adds them later. Animals that meet the standard are TENET® Certified.

Nothing is done to the animal or to the beef. The test only identifies what is already there.

Our results

We tested the whole herd in spring 2026, and the large majority were certified.

The few that did not qualify are raised exactly the same way, on the same grass, and they will still make good beef. They just will not carry the TENET® Certified label, and we will tell you which is which.

What this means when you buy from us

  • When you reserve a half, ask us and we will tell you that animal’s test result before you commit.
  • Beef from a certified animal carries the TENET® Certified mark on the package, next to our own Willow Creek Ranch label. Beef from an animal that was not certified does not.
  • The price is the same either way. We would rather you know exactly what you are getting.

Why we bother

We sell beef by the half to families who are filling a freezer for most of a year. That is a lot of trust to put in one animal. Testing lets us back it up with something more than our word.

It also shapes the herd. We use the results, along with frame size and how well an animal gains on grass, to decide which cattle we buy and which lines we go back to.

Genetics is only one piece. The rest is the daily work: moving the herd to fresh grass, handling them quietly, and not harvesting an animal until it is properly finished and carrying enough fat. A tender steer that is harvested too early still disappoints. We do both.

Reserve a half from our spring 2027 harvest, or read more about how we graze.

TENET® is a registered trademark of Callipyge Genetics, LLC. Used with permission.