Meat from dairy cows, rarely valued in American kitchens and restaurants, usually becomes dog food and fast-food burgers. When mature dairy cows (about six years old) are allowed to pasture longer, their fat, which normally goes into milk, returns to the muscles and makes the meat richer and more tender. But a few farms, including Mindful Meat in Marin County, Calif., and Butter Meat Company in Pavilion, N.Y., just west of the Finger Lakes, have been selling meat from culled dairy cows and convincing skeptics. At Stone Barns, dairy cattle are living out their golden years munching on Pocantico Hills grass before becoming the highlight of a tasting menu that can run more than $400 per person. All the beef dishes at the restaurant are made with culled dairy meat; at the Stone Barns store, frozen strip-loin steaks are $24 a pound.

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Persons: It’s, Dan Barber Organizations: Meat Company, Stone Locations: Europe, United States, Portugal, Spain, France, Marin County, Calif, Stone Barns, Tarrytown, N.Y, Stone, Pocantico