Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge: #1 Hereford

Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge: #1 Hereford, Lay The Table

Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge: #1 Hereford, Lay The Table

Its stage one of the Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge. The mission is to measure steaks new to me aganist against the best steak Ive ever eaten: Australian wagyu. Via purveyors of great taste Farmison.com, Ive sourced beef from farmer Steven Aireys Snowdrop Villa Farm in Cumbria.

The cuts Ive chosen to compare are British Porterhouse. This is essentially sirloin-on-the-bone.  Marbling is essential the intra-muscular fat that lubricates the steak and gives it both juiciness and amazing flavour but Im not a big fan of lots of visible fat, so I always super-trim my steaks before cooking.

The first breed up for the challenge is¦.HEREFORD. 

The Breed: The Hereford is one of Englands oldest native beef breeds, originating (surprise, surprise!) in Herefordshire in the mid-1700s. It has a distinctive white face and red coat, and is known for its easy-going nature. Its ability to produce excellent beef when reared on grassy pasture is well-documented.

Price: 8.90 per steak

Appearance: Ruby red with flecks of marbling. Creamy white fat, though quite a lot of clumpy external fat.

Trimmage:  Weight before trimming external fat: 400g; weight after: 330g.

Cooking: Heat a cast iron pan until its white hot. Oil the steak, not the pan.  Cook for exactly 2 minutes each side for medium-rare.  Season the steak after the first 2 minutes. Leave to rest for 2 minutes. Carve.

Tasting notes: Very juicy, but watery. Floods the mouth with grassy beefiness but not enough marbling to make it melt-in-the-mouth.

Marks compared to Australian wagyu:  6/10

Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge: #1 Hereford, Lay The Table
Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge: #1 Hereford, Lay The Table
Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge: #1 Hereford, Lay The Table
Rare Breeds Steaks Challenge: #1 Hereford, Lay The Table

¢ For beef from farmers you can actually see , try Farmison.com.

¢ For the record, Farmison sent me these steaks for review purposes. The opinions are my own.

¢ Ill be post another review later in the week.

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