Galician Blond Beef, The Best Beef in the World?

[WalnutCrest]

The more I think about the whole process, it takes about a decade to enjoy these type of beef using the Galician breed, but I am certain that these results could be achieved by 3-4 year old Holstein Ox/Heifers for our own consumption.

Dry aged Holstein.
<snip>

That's still not as quick as the 2 years it takes to finish an Angus cross

Aging it on the hoof is what gives the flavor.

White lightening isn't anything like aged whiskey... It's easy to make whiskey brown quickly; that's not going to give it its exquisite (if done properly) flavor and finish.

Some things just take time.

Ever wonder why so many restaurants serve beef with all sorts of sauces, rubs, bacon-wrapping, etc.? It's because the beef itself is rather bland. And, it's bland because it's young. Veal has the most 'mild' flavor of all beef ... because it's also the youngest. The most robust flavor comes from the oldest animals.

Now, some of these animals are as tough as boot leather. But, not all.

Four things affect what happens in your mouth when you eat beef:

1 --- genetics (including sex of the animal, and whether or not it was castrated / spayed)
2 --- management (includes the age of slaughter, diet, overall health / stress, etc.)
3 --- butchering and aging
4 --- preparation

If you know what you're doing on the genetics and management side, and you can find a good butcher who knows what (s)he is doing, and you know how to work a stove or grill well, you should be just fine. Now, however, if you screw up any of those steps above, you'll not be very pleased with the end result.

For example, we butchered a 3yr old cow a couple of years ago. We aged 1/2 of her for 10 days and the other 1/2 for almost four weeks. The longer-aged half had an off flavor that sometimes happens with beef that was aged too long. The other half was sublime.

At one of our beef tasting events, we served steaks from an animal that had an injured hip for its entire three year life (an injured cow) --- and the beef had a very gamey flavor we attributed to the stress from lived so much of it's life injured. It may have had other causes, we don't know, but that made sense to us.

Don't let anyone (!!) tell you that "marbling = flavor" because it doesn't. They can be correlated, but if it's 'young fat' it's more related to tenderness than flavor. Flavor comes from 'old fat'. With that, I'm assuming I'd be pretty good eatin'! HA!

 

[gaurus]

That's still not as quick as the 2 years it takes to finish an Angus cross

True, but Holstein bull calves are dirt cheap and as WalnutCrest said, as the beef age on the hoof the flavor gets better, but I don't see myself caring for an Ox a decade, 4-5 years will be the most I could wait. :cboy:

 

[Kingfisher]

This book discusses steaks from all over the world. One common feature is the best flavor comes from the oldest animals. I'd recommend anyone in the business of raising beef to read this book. Besides, it's an easy read.

The older animals we've butchered have been some of our very favorite to eat, too. Our two favorites have been a 12yr old cow and a 5.5yr old bull.

I appreciate that, thanks :cboy:

What's that black bark on the pic you posted?

 

[gaurus]

What's that black bark on the pic you posted?

The picture is not mine, but it was clearly stated the it was dry aged Holstein, I guess is part of the dry age process.

 

[WalnutCrest]

This book discusses steaks from all over the world. One common feature is the best flavor comes from the oldest animals. I'd recommend anyone in the business of raising beef to read this book. Besides, it's an easy read.

The older animals we've butchered have been some of our very favorite to eat, too. Our two favorites have been a 12yr old cow and a 5.5yr old bull.

I appreciate that, thanks :cboy:

What's that black bark on the pic you posted?

Presumably shriveled up fat. Or, maybe it is bark. Either way, it should probably be scraped off before chewing is attempted.

 

[Son of Butch]

Aging it on the hoof is what gives the flavor.
White lightening isn't anything like aged whiskey... Some things just take time.

Don't let anyone (!!) tell you that "marbling = flavor" because it doesn't....it's more related to tenderness than flavor.
Flavor comes from 'old fat'.

Tenderness is the #1 trait consumers say they want in a steak.... and...
When served steak, tenderness of the steak was the #1 factor in customers rating satisfaction level of the entire meal.

 

[M.Magis]

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Don't let anyone (!!) tell you that "marbling = flavor" because it doesn't. !

So you're telling us that a USDA Prime ribeye won't taste any better than a Select ribeye?

And any restaurant that uses sauces, rubs, bacon-wrapping, etc on beef does so because they're either using cheaper grades of beef, or leaner cuts. Veal is mild because it's very lean.
Visit any good steakhouse, and you'll be served a steak that's been been seasoned with nothing more than salt, pepper, and fire.
I'm not saying this isn't good meat, but I don't believe for a second it's better than a dry aged, prime cut from North America.

 

[WalnutCrest]

Tenderness is, I believe, more correlated with muscle fiber type than marbling / fat. Juiciness and flavor are related to fat more than most other things. These are complimentary ideas, but different. My comments above were related to flavor only.

 

[gaurus]

I'm not saying this isn't good meat, but I don't believe for a second it's better than a dry aged, prime cut from North America.

I agree and why I posted a Dry aged prim cut from a Holstein, maybe 3-4 years is the best for both worlds(to obtain the most marbling and enough age to give a good flavor).

For example this 1,600 pound, 3 year old Holstein Heifer graded prime. :cboy:
https://www.sdstate.edu/agriculture-biological-sciences/animal-science/beef-practice-number-1

 

[Lucky_P]

In the ox-drover's world, an ox is a castrated male over 5 years of age. Prior to 5, they're a 'working steer'.