Bull Beef Question - Highland related

[rosehaven]

Ok so we sent a highland breeding bull (only 1 cover) to slaughter. He was 2yrs old. when we got the meat back, after having steaks from him it left a kind of "film" in our mouths. That was the first time we've sent one off for highland and being a bull. So we are not sure if the film is the lean highland or that he was a bull. Does anyone know what it is? We sent a Hereford bull off too but I don't remember a film or at least not as noticeable as the highland. Thanks

 

[greybeard]

Was it a suet-like film? Kinda like if you had put about 1/2 teaspoon of lard or shortening in your mouth?
I had a 26 month old bull butchered once, and it had that "taste" in some of the cuts. Processor told me I waited too long--had him on finish too long to slaughter him. IIRC, he said it had to do with the collagen content. He recommended longer cooking times.

 

[Loch Valley Fold]

We have highlanders & have put several in the freezer the last 1 was a 12mth old bull never noticed anything strange with the flavour, texture, taste ect from any other breed that we have done in the past. How was he finished? we grow ours out on grass only no grain feeding at all perhaps it could have had something in the way he was processed or how he was finished. Maybe next time choos a longer, slower cooking method

 

[Beef Man]

We do a lot of beef biz and it is all local and have never heard of a film as you discribe. We do not do alot of bulls for locker or freezer's but occasion'ly have had a request for a bull[usually a customer who is thinking they will be a leaner beef??] and so far have never run into a problem. We finish our cattle on primarily barley and native hay nad wellbalenced mineral,never no hormones or antibiotics. A bull even a long yearling needs enough feed to moisten the meat and whiten the fat. We do use old bulls in our ground beef part of the biz and once again we do feed yhem 4-6 weeks to get enough fat and moisture so the ground beef willpatty an d stay together in the cooking process. Allso we think that in our program we try to use only english cattle as some continental catlle were dual purpose and do carry or did have a different muscle pattern. But that maybe different now with them all turning black and on occasion in some sale barns I cant even guess what breed they are supposed to be.

 

[rosehaven]

Thanks guys. so longer cook time is the main solution. The bulls were grass fed with grain once a day to make sure they got all their vits and mins. The Hereford we sent off, the butcher said it was the best grass fed Hereford he had ever seen so I think we have the formula right. In general, do breeding bulls have a stronger taste or is that myth?