quote:
from a black angus
OK, I have to ask, can you
really tell/taste the difference 'tween black and red Angus ??
Whilst the different breeds do have very different natural fat levels, the type of feed they've been on has a great influence on taste, and the season on texture.
I do not like feed-lot beef. Generally flavourless, and I suppose I'm philosophically opposed to it, although quite a few of our steers used to go to the feedlot to be topped off (4-6 weeks).
Range/grass fed and topped off with grain (last six weeks ) is OK.
During the last bad drought here, Saltbush lamb was the rage in the big city restaurants. The sheep will only eat saltbush as a last resort, so it has to be a bad season as it's the only stuff left standing. Apparently the meat is quite flavoured and fragranced by it.
We slaughtered a few steers during the last drought here (we were running pure Maine Anjou at the time) and they were bloody awful. Dry, sinnewy, yellow fat (a very bad sign) strongly flavoured, very gamey, purely because of the conditions and what (little) they were eating.
We actuall introduced Angus (black) into the breeding to increase the fat levels as we weren't grain 'topping off'.
Wagyu is increasing dramatically in popularity. It is the prefered breed of the Japanese and Koreans, and produces the most fatty, marbled beef (particularly in a feed lot situation) that cooks impressively and is extremely tender as a consequence with a very subtle flavour. Also very expensive.
Couldn't go the Croc, Steve. (although I've tried it) Tend not to eat meat that has eaten other meat, so yeah, the local chinese take-away chicken dishes are out...