Buying Great Aged Beef In Britain

[MobyP]

Given the veal thread, this seemed like a good time to consider the rosier cousin:

Since returning to England a year ago, I've searched high and low for the best Scotch beef possible. I'd be very interested in the opinions of others: what gems are out there? It's been my closely held opinion that the 28-day aged beef here isn't quite at the same level as the top grade stuff found in the states (the reverse is true for pork btw).

For instance, I've tracked down three different sources of Buccleugh beef (which I first read about here, and was told it was quite special). Although the texture is very fine, I've found the marbling to be rather absent - generally it's quite lean - and so the flavour (imo) tends towards the mineral rather than the serious beef flavours. The braising cuts have tended to dry out - again from lack of marbling and collagen.

The Scotch beef from Moens, so far, has been for me the most successful. It is not buccleugh, I believe. The Doves beef was good, but again didn't have the final reach in taste.

I admit I haven't fully explored all of the butchers at Borough.

Am I going about this the wrong way? I know some swear by Scotch beef, but should I be looking elsewhere? The Jamie Oliver Sainsbury line (hey, desperate times), was actually better than I expected. I bought a few different cuts. But again, the texture was better than the taste.

I've tried pre-salting - in the style of Keller/Rodgers - and I've salted the last minute. The jury's out as to which I prefer (I didn't notice a significant difference in loss of blood/liquids with pre-salting in the final rested product).

Anyway - I'd be very happy if there are any serious meat heads out there who think they've found a winner.

[curlywurlyfi]

A friend of mine swears by the Dartmoor beef available at Borough - still raves about the fillet she cut with a spoon after roasting. I agree about the Jamie Oliver range - I have friends who have an organic beef farm in Devon and I've bought pretty well half a cow from them in the last three years - I haven't told them, but his beef is better than theirs... so that's what I buy. (They used to have pigs as well who got fed on the house leftovers - roasted pepper and nectarine-fed hogs anyone?)

But the best beef I've ever had in London was at Moro; you could ask them where they source it?

Fi

[endless autumn]

I want to try the beef from Perridge Farm (click) - you can order direct or get it from Lidgate (where you will also have to order).

It is bizarre: beef from a dairy herd in Somerset which can't stop winning awards.

[jackal10]

I find its not so much the beef, as to how its hung and cooked.

People enquire where I get my amazing beef, and are surpised when I say Tesco supermarket...

Most butchers (even supermarkets with butchers) will store the beef for a week or you, or you can dry age in your own fridge. I buy my beef at least a week in advance.

Cooking long and slow (after Blumenthal etc) works. I cook at 75C until the internal temperature is 55C; about 4 hours. At these low tempoeratures ther is no need to rest, since the heat distribution is even.

Of course beef cooks better in the large piece: thre ribs or more.

Wing rib on the bone is the only roasting cut to consider.

Edited January 16, 2004 by jackal10 (log)

[MobyP]

A friend of mine swears by the Dartmoor beef available at Borough

Is that the 'Wild Beef' stand under the bridge? I keep thinking this means cows with handle-bar moustaches, riding harley-davidsons over the moors...

[curlywurlyfi]

Is that the 'Wild Beef' stand under the bridge? I keep thinking this means cows with handle-bar moustaches, riding harley-davidsons over the moors...

or Gerald the Gorilla on Not The Nine O'Clock News. "Wild? I was fucking livid!"

Yes, that's the place. Though, I was at Borough on Saturday, stalking Jamie Oliver, and they've dug up all the bit under the bridge, so I didn't actually see the beefmongers.

[curlywurlyfi]

you can dry age in your own fridge.

Jackal - really? tell me more?

[Carlovski]

Things seem to work a lot differently over in the states, where as here we are more concerned about the provenance of the meat (When I say we, I mean Egulleters, not the population in general!), in the states it is the USDA specification that seems to rule. The designation of Prime status is all about the all important marbling. And then the top butchers and steakhouses get the best pick as well. SO perhaps SOME of the beef in this country is equivalent, it's just that we don't grade it quite the same, so it's harder to find the beef you want.

Don't know if the different style of Butchery makes much difference as well.

[Stigand]

The Jamie Oliver Sainsbury line (hey, desperate times), was actually better than I expected. I bought a few different cuts. But again, the texture was better than the taste.

I'm afraid I'm going to lower the tone by talking about supermarket beef, but for what it's worth I've tried the Jamie Oliver beef alongside Waitrose's organic beef and the Waitrose stuff knocks Jamie into a cocked hat. Both raw and cooked it has an intense smell of buttery fat and a much creamier flavour (I'm not sure if this implies it's better marbled - I'm afraid I'm a beef ignoramus...).

Edited January 16, 2004 by Stigand (log)

[jackal10]

you can dry age in your own fridge.

Jackal - really? tell me more?

Yes...leave it in the salad drawer, uncovered.

The sides might dry out a bit, and you may neeed to cut off a thin slice of the outer crust, which is why its best to start with a big bit.

[Jon Tseng]

Is max legal ageing still 28 days or are people allowed to sell older? Or is this restaurants only?

J

[endless autumn]

The man who sells Herdwick Lamb and Galloway Beef at Borough (Farmer Sharp) told me that his stuff had been hung for about five weeks but was probably trying to show off. It tasted of socks - no acidity whatsoever - though it was tender enough.

Restaurants area llowed to hang beef for an additional period after the 28 days we usually see boasted about: somewhere fairly awful whose name I can't remember and which has since gone out of business used to hang its beef for six weeks in total.

[Carlovski]

The steaks at my local butcher are pretty good, no special claims made, but always freshly cut (So can get them of a decent thickness - difficult at a supermarket), always tasty, and tender enough so I don't really need a steak knife.

I should really ask him about the aging and provenance, but first time I got some, he was really busy, and they wre good, so I haven't been too bothered since.

The steaks I see at my local farmers market (Winchester - supposed to be biggest and most popular in the country) never look too appealing to me, always look bloody and fairly poorly butchered.

[hornet]

Heston Blumenthal wrote about hanging meat as well as doing it in your own fridge in one of his

Guardian articles

[Scott]

I always liked Donald Russell fillets.

[MobyP]

I always liked Donald Russell fillets.

What are these?

[endless autumn]

mail order company: here you go

[shilly]

I've bought a spectacular rib of beef from Northfield Farm (which is at Borough and also does mail order), for a recipe from "Cooking for Two" by the Roux brothers. But I've also bought a pretty ordinary rib from the same place. I guess you can't always know which cows died happy....

On the topic of salting, Nigel Slater recommends salting grilled meats at the time you flip them. It does the trick for me, but I wouldn't be sure I could tell the difference in a blind tasting.

[PoppySeedBagel]

I've just been to The Ginger Pig off Marylebone High St to get some pork chops and wanted to buy some beef too - it looks absolutely beautiful - and like it's been well hung. I think it's from Yorkshire though not Scotland.

I nearly fainted when I was told 3 (huge) pork chops and 6 rashers of streaky bacon were £29.50 - but turns out butchers can't add up and it was £11.30...

[Scott]

I always liked Donald Russell fillets.

What are these?

A leading supplier to many, many restaurants and one the best beef suppliers in the uk.

[Matthew Grant]

The Longhorn at the Ginger Pig Borough market is exceptionally good, I have bought various cuts hung for between 4 and 8 weeks (very gamey at this stage). I believe that the Ginger pig only sells Longhorn.

Northfield farm, recently served me the best piece of beef I have ever eaten, an inch thick piece of White Park sirloin aged for 5 weeks - incredible earthy flavours, melting yellow fat, absolutely fantastic. Northfied also sold me the scond best piece of beef I have ever tasted, a rib of Dexter steer hung for 6 weeks.

Northfield has a good variety of breeds which vary from week to week according to what they can source. They sometimes have Buccleugh which is OK but in my opinion does not come close to Dexter Steer, White Park, British White or Welsh Black. I would also concur with Jack, the hanging time has an awful lot to do with the flavour, try a piece of Dexter steer aged 4 weeks and it is very nice but it just can't compete with a piece aged for 6. Everybody will have there own preference for hanging times, mine is 5-6 weeks.

I have only ever tried the stewing beef and mince from the wild beef stall, it is very good and the mince makes excellent burgers. Unfortunately I am put off buying a major cut due to the vacuum packing which puts me of a little.

While Scotland produces some good beef, I certainly wouldn't get hung up (excuse the pun) purely on Scotch beef, the rest of the British isles has plenty to offer.

[PoppySeedBagel]

Sorry to bang on about The Ginger Pig - we had the pork chops at the weekend - good meat but poorly presented - he hadn't trimmed off the skin let alone any of the fat. The bacon was good but messily presented. A bit of a disappointment: I'll return for the quality but put up with the lack of respect given to the product.

[MobyP]

P-S-B, I was just there myself a couple of days ago - bought some pork belly, a couple of trotters, and a couple of 6 week aged long horn steaks - beautiful colour, and even marbling - and I couldn't be happier. They took me through several different racks of beef, and let me chose which one I wanted.

Now I just have to eat it.

[PoppySeedBagel]

I'll be interested to hear - thiri beef did look wonderful. Rather regret the pork - now I remember why we don't eat pork - it's so dry

[MobyP]

PSB - I could never figure out why people went for pork chops? My entire life they've been dry, or bland and uninteresting, or covered in a gallon of smothered gravy to avoid being bland, or dry. I always thought having a pork chop was like doing your taxes. Maybe a close second.

And there are so many other cuts to chose from - the belly, the shoulders, the cheeks, the legs, the trotters - given the quality that I've had from the Ginger Pig - all of them make me happy to be living in the UK right now. Ok - it's back to the pigs anonymous meetings for me.