Aberdeen Angus: Black Angus cow breed, what is marbled beef, how to cook marbled beef

Which beef is the softest, juiciest, most tender?
Marble. In addition to its incredible taste, this meat has an unusual, marble-like appearance: the red fillet is diluted with streaks of fat. Another plus to the list of advantages of this product is its quick preparation. There is only one drawback to marbled beef - and that is the price. However, you can turn a blind eye to the high cost: you just need to remember what pleasure a steak prepared from such meat brings. How are animals raised to produce marbled meat? Different countries use different technologies. However, there is still something in common. We'll tell you what exactly below.

Aberdeen Angus: description of the breed

Aberdeen Angus , also called Black Angus, is an elite breed of cattle.
Aberdeen Angus meat is superior in taste to beef of any other breed. The Aberdeen Angus cattle breed was developed 2 centuries ago in Scotland. The breed was bred in Aberdeenshire. That is why the breed of cows was named that way. Aberdeen Angus cows come in red or black colors. Black cow color is more common. Black Angus meat is the best for steaks. The Aberdeen Angus breed of cows is a meat type of cattle. Angus bulls are considered especially large. The animals have thick black withers. The main distinguishing feature of the Aberdeen Angus is the absence of horns. Animals are programmed from birth to increase their muscle mass. Aberdeen Angus bulls and cows grow very quickly . If certain conditions are met, one animal can gain up to 1.5 kg of weight per day. As for the meat yield after slaughter, it is about 70% of live weight , which is significantly more than that of other meat cattle breeds.

Nutritional properties

Sea goby, being a medium-sized fish, has excellent dietary properties: per hundred grams the calorie content is only 74 calories, which is low considering that all types of sprat contain three times as many calories per 100 grams.

Goby has almost no fat: lipids and carbohydrates actually amount to one gram, and this is only good for the health of those who want to enjoy a plate of goby without compromising their figure. The protein content is approximately 15 grams per 100 grams.

In ancient times, when the economic situation was much worse than today, sea goby was considered the food of the poor and was mainly used as instant street food.

Nowadays, bullock plays a major role in many Mediterranean recipes - risotto di go, fried or baked bullock. They can be simply grilled without adding certain spices on a picnic or freshly caught on a yacht.

Marbled Black Angus meat

What exactly is called marbled meat? Marbled beef is the name given to meat from cows and bulls of the Black Angus or Aberdeen Angus breeds.
The muscles of animals contain thin layers of fatty tissue, due to which a marbled pattern is formed on the steaks. The more such layers of fat there are on a piece of meat, the juicier and more tender it will be after cooking. Such fatty fibers are formed due to the genetic predisposition of animals and proper fattening. For up to 4 months, a young bull is fed fresh grass, and after this time it is switched to grain feed. This diet promotes the formation of thin layers of fat on muscle tissue. In cattle of other breeds, such fatty fibers do not form, and the fat simply grows on top of the muscle. This is why the meat of other breeds is tougher, causing the steak to taste rubbery.

Thanks to such small and thin fatty patches on marbled beef, the steak is soaked in juice and melts in your mouth.

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Nutrition

Calves are not weaned from their mother until about six months of age: until this age they need mother's milk. In some cases, this period extends to 8 months (it all depends on the rules of a particular farm).

Upon reaching this point, young bulls and cows are separated from their mother and transferred to a special diet. The basis of their diet is a large amount of carbohydrates, usually corn or barley. These cultures give the meat a sweet flavor.

However, the “menu” depends on the specific farm. Often the main food becomes mixed feed; Sometimes the diet includes foods atypical for cows: beer, honey, wine.

How to determine the freshness of meat?

Regardless of where the animal was raised, the meat should always be vacuum sealed. Fresh steak can be stored in a vacuum for no more than 45 days. However, when buying a steak, you should also pay attention to the following points:

Black Angus meat should be a deep red color if it comes from an adult cow or bull, or a pale red color if it comes from a calf;
If you touch the beef with your palm, it should come out dry. The surface of the steak should not be covered with mucus;
A piece of meat should have a pleasant smell, not sour;
A marbled cut of beef should have approximately equal veining throughout the steak.

You should not evaluate the meat immediately after opening the package. The piece needs to be removed from the vacuum for at least half an hour, after which it can be cut and cooked.

Grass fed

There are several schemes for feeding animals. Each farmer independently selects the most suitable way to raise marbled beef.

The first method of fattening is grass-fed. What he really is? During the first 6 months of life, the bulls are given milk, after which they are released onto pasture, where they are kept for up to 15 months. There they gain weight. They are then moved to stalls to limit physical activity. The diet during this period consists of corn, wheat, and alfalfa. Vitamins are added to the food. Bull calves are slaughtered at the age of 19-30 months.

How to properly prepare black angus meat?

In order to prepare marbled beef, you can use both premium and alternative cuts.
The ideal option would be a rib-eye steak (with thick edges) or striploin steak (with thin edges). Such meat pieces from the back of a cow have the highest marbling, which means the steak will be more juicy and tender after cooking. In addition to beef, to prepare fried meat you will need salt, ground black pepper and vegetable oil. Chefs do not recommend marinating marbled beef in advance.

Before cooking, beef must be cut into steaks at least 2 cm thick.
After this, the steaks should lie on the table and “rest” for a while. The temperature of the meat before frying should be at room temperature; under no circumstances should you cook steaks from the refrigerator.
After letting the steaks heat up for about 30 minutes, you can start frying the meat. Before doing this, you need to heat the frying pan.
Steaks must be greased with vegetable oil and placed on a hot frying pan.
Beef pieces should be fried on each side for 3 minutes, and then a few more minutes until the desired degree of frying.
After this, the steak can be removed from the stove.
Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Finally, the steaks are transferred to a warm plate and served.

Marbling categories

Meat is divided into categories, classes and varieties. In the classical division, according to the Japanese scale, there are 12 varieties of beef of classes 1-5, according to the intra-varietal category - classes A-C. They are assessed by marbling, color, fiber strength, and quality of fatty inclusions. Class A product contains more than 72% fat, class C contains less than 69% of the total weight. The most expensive meat in the world is class A, fifth category. The product is well colored, the surface is shiny, the fat is tender, and the fibers are dense. Obtained from Kobe cows. Rarely found even in high-end Japanese restaurants. Beef category 3-4 - dark in color, soft. Category 1-2 is the cheapest.

In Australian production there are 9 categories. The ninth is a top quality product.

Americans distinguish meat as Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercia. Beef of the first three categories is used to make steaks:

select - the least marbling (few fatty inclusions), moderate fat content and unexpressed taste. Before cooking, marinate;
choice - medium degree of marbling, slightly inferior in taste to the prime series. Produced from the dorsal part of the carcass.
prime - a product of the highest quality, from which expensive signature dishes are prepared;

Russian producers divide meat into 3 grades:

Highest - cut from the back, chest, hip, rump, sirloin.
The first is beef from the shoulder, abdomen, shoulder and neck.
The second is a shank, a cut.

Beef maturing

Now you know how to raise marbled beef. The meat also needs to be processed. This is an integral part of the production process. Beef that meets international standards undergoes a maturing process, as a result of which the meat acquires excellent taste and becomes softer.

The first method of ripening is wet. Fillet without blood is packaged in vacuum bags, having previously cooled it to 0 ° C. Then, within 10-21 days, it ripens without access to oxygen. Dry ripening is a more labor-intensive process. In this case, the meat is hung by the bones in a refrigerated room, without removing any skin or fat.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Aberdeen Angus cow breed, like any other, has its advantages and disadvantages.

Representatives of the breed have an excellent ability to quickly adapt to any environmental conditions. Based on this, both northern and southern regions are equally suitable for breeding. Another positive feature that makes Angus cows popular among farmers is their rapid weight gain. The quality characteristics of meat, early maturity and color are genetically determined; only proper care, nutrition and maintenance are needed.

The animal’s digestive tract is formed in such a way that muscles are formed quickly and efficiently. Angus are not afraid of infectious diseases due to their strong immune system. They tolerate temperature changes well, the subcutaneous fat layer is a reliable protection from the cold and a natural heat generation system.

When crossed with representatives of other breeds, the ability for rapid growth and the quality of meat are preserved. The calm temperament and peaceful nature of the animals (with the exception of the behavior of bulls in mating games) make their grazing easy and possible even for a small number of people. And, of course, elite meat, which is highly valued in the world and is suitable for preparing elite dishes.

It would be fair to mention the disadvantages, some of them are significant, according to farmers. First of all, these are disproportionately short legs. The limbs of Angus cows are strong and well developed, but this is not enough for such a large body weight. Therefore, excess weight often leads to limb injuries.

It is very important to monitor your diet and diet. And for pregnant heifers, this situation is completely dangerous: problems can arise not only with the limbs, but also with calving

Animals also need large areas for grazing, which are not so easy to provide. Angus cows grow quickly, but their growth stops at an early age.

Based on everything said above, we can draw the following conclusion: to obtain elite marbled beef, you need to be prepared not only for time and labor costs, but also material ones. Therefore, it is best to breed Angus cows on large farms.

Content Features

Special instructions for

This breed does not exist. They are perfectly adapted to northern latitudes, they are healthy and their growth does not decrease during the cold season. Free grazing, even at low temperatures, provides additional savings on feed.

Breeding

Insemination of a cow begins at 15 months and can continue annually for quite a long time. During one calving, 2 calves are sometimes born, ranging from 14 to 28 kg each. The pregnancy itself lasts 9 months.

Childbirth takes place calmly and without complications, and does not require special preparation.

Very often, 1-2 bulls are purchased to improve the cows already living on the farm.

One-year-old heifers and bulls weigh 500-550kg.

Aberdeen Angus is a breed that does not require special care. Everything she needs for full development and weight gain:

Free-stall keeping and walking on green pastures for a long time. This gives the meat more flavor and makes the layers of fat thinner and more tender.
Cleaning the barn from manure and other debris. On large farms, the process is fully automated and is carried out by special devices that scoop everything into waste compartments once an hour.
Clean water in drinking bowls. Drinking water is essential for the proper functioning of the digestive tract. It is changed regularly 1-2 times a day.
Since the skin of the Aberdeen Angus is black, on very hot days, in order to avoid heating, they are walked in shaded groves, near bushes, or a canopy is built.

Diseases

The diseases of this breed are similar to the red bull breeds; their chromosomes contain 4 recessive diseases, which, if detected in an animal, are immediately removed from breeding. In this case, it is not worth taking risks, although the meat of a sick calf is suitable for consumption.

Arthrogryposis multiplex. Otherwise called a crooked joint, the legs decrease or even atrophy, as if they are twisted.
Dropsy of the brain or neuropathic hydrocephalus. It is immediately visible at birth, since the newborn's head is disproportionately large.
Contracture arachnodactyly. Increased bone fragility, osteoporosis affects calf growth and hip joint mobility.
Notomelia. The scientific name for a genetic disease in which there are more than 4 limbs.

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Angus perfectly adapt to any climatic conditions, are not afraid of snow, and tolerate frost or heat well.

These animals require extensive pastures, natural or cultivated. Protection from the sun - a canopy or a small grove, bushes or trees - is not superfluous.

If in winter it is impossible to organize watering and feeding outside, then Angus can be kept in a barn without a leash. There is no need to insulate it; the cows warm themselves due to the heat they generate.

Calving Features

After a nine-month pregnancy, a cow gives birth to one, very rarely two small calves, each weighing 14-22 kg. Due to the compact size of the calves, calving occurs easily, without complications; the cow copes independently even during the first birth.

Aberdeen Angus cows are good mothers, so calves very rarely get sick, as they have strong immunity.

Most of the time, Angus are on pasture, so their main diet is green food, which is available in sufficient quantity. In winter, there is no green feed, so the cows are given silage, hay, compound feed or crushed grain.

This breed has a fairly high feed conversion - for 1 kg of growth, only 7 feed units are needed - this is 7 kg of medium quality oats, or approximately 33 kg of meadow grass, or 15 kg of hay.

Features of fattening

For fattening, calves are used - heifers and bulls, which are not planned to be used for herd renewal and breeding. By the time of weaning at eight months of age, they reach a weight of 210-240 kg.

The best and most tender “marbled” meat can be obtained from castrated bulls; they are castrated at the age of calves.

The main advantage of castration:

castrated bulls can be grazed together with cows; there is no need to organize a separate pasture for them;
the structure of meat fibers changes, becoming thinner.

Bulls are slaughtered at 13-16 months, when growth is complete, in order to avoid obesity and deterioration in meat quality. Slaughter yield is 63−65%, sometimes reaches 72%. The bone makes up approximately 15−18% of the carcass weight.

Japanese Kobe technology

How is Japanese marbled Kobe beef raised? Using special technology. First, the bulls are fed with their mother's milk, then they are released into green meadows, and then they are transferred to corn grain. The most important thing, according to Japanese farmers, is to keep animals in comfortable conditions.

There are many myths about how marbled beef is raised in Japan. In fact, they are not so far from reality: classical music actually plays in the stalls, and the bulls are massaged using special scratchers. To support them in the stall, leather supports are used. The most surprising thing is that the cows’ diet includes rice cake from sake production, as well as brewing products. The Japanese are sure that they contain many amino acids and vitamins.