Marbled beef is the most famous meat delicacy in the whole world. The name was given to the product because of its unusual similarity to a beautiful stone: dozens of veins can be seen in the section. Growing marbled beef is a laborious task, so the cost of the product cannot be called low. However, meat dishes with thin layers of adipose tissue were appreciated by many gourmets: steaks are tender and juicy.
History
The technology for growing gobies for marbled beef was developed in Japan, then came to Australia and other countries. The taste of this delicacy in the Soviet Union was discovered by Nikita Khrushchev during a trip to North America. There he tried a real steak and was amazed at his taste. After that, the Kremlin chef was tasked with preparing the same dish, but the result did not meet the expectations of the Secretary General. Then it turned out that the success of cooking depends on meat.
Then in Ukraine, a farm was equipped on the territory of which special-calf gobies were raised. Animals were brought there from the UK, the technology of their breeding was learned in the USA. Up to 8 months, calves were not separated from cows; they were kept on pastures. Then they were transported to a farm in the Crimea, where they were fed fodder based on wheat and corn.
Where is marbled beef grown?
There are several countries that have succeeded in making marbled beef. The first is the USA. Americans very carefully approached the issue of production of this delicacy: they developed standards, described them and even published catalogs with which it was possible to order marbled meat.
Another state that, in fact, is home to the production of marbled beef, is Japan. The ancient Kobe technology was widely used there. The cost of Japanese beef is incredibly high: the price per 1 kg reaches $ 500.
Currently, Australia leads the market for the supply of marbled meat to the CIS countries.
Differences from regular beef
Marble meat is a small piece of red fillet. It contains a large amount of intramuscular fat. It is located in such a way that resembles patterns on marble.
Special technology for the production of marbled beef allows you to get a high quality product. How is such meat different from usual?
- Firstly, the price. The cost of marbled meat is several times higher than the cost of fillet, which is sold in markets and in supermarkets.
- Secondly, this product is obtained only from meat breeds of cows.
- Thirdly, the meat is very juicy, tender and soft.
- Fourth, marbled beef is cooked very quickly, as it is soft.
Breed
The peculiarity of marbled beef is that it can only be obtained from the carcasses of young animals that are fed using special technology.
Delicacy is obtained from representatives of meat breeds. In Russia, for example, for this purpose, Aberdeen Angus gobies are raised. The production of marbled beef in our country is carried out by the Zarechnoye company, whose products are sold under the Primembiff brand. Animals are kept in the Voronezh and Kaluga regions.
Aberdeen Angus breed
How to grow an animal on marbled beef? First of all, you need to choose the right breed of cow. Not all species of gobies are suitable for these purposes. One of the most popular rocks with a high degree of marbling is Aberdeen Angus. The appearance of fatty layers is due to the genetic characteristics of animals.
Black gobies have rather short, but strong limbs. The growth of males on average is 150 cm, females - 130. An adult bull reaches a weight of 1 ton, the body weight of a cow is 200 kg less. It is believed that the optimal slaughter age for this breed is 18 months. If you do this later, the muscle fibers will coarsen, and the marble pattern will become blurred. Contain representatives of the Aberdeen-Angus breed in a free way.
Hereford breed
How to grow marbled beef, we will consider a little later. For now, we continue the story about the breeds that are best suited for this delicacy. One of them is Hereford.
Small animals (approximately 125 cm at the withers) have a muscular torso. They are kept on pastures. Representatives of this breed are distinguished by good cold resistance, but at low temperatures they are still placed in closed pens. Animals are slaughtered at the age of 19-20 months, before this they are fed with cereals and hay.
Vagu
This term summarizes several breeds that have been specifically bred to produce marbled beef. This is a Japanese black, brown and short-haired cow. Their meat is the highest quality, it contains a large amount of fatty acids, for example, omega-3 and omega-6, while the percentage of cholesterol is very low. Goby breeds of Wagyu are grown exclusively in Japan. You will have to pay at least 9,000 rubles for a steak from such meat, and 2,500 for a burger.
Growing Features
So how are cows grown on marbled beef? It is very important to properly care for the animals. Throughout the year, they are kept free-range, allowing them to be in an environment close to natural. There they feed on meadow herbs and gain strength.
Then, about 3-4 months before the slaughter, they are transferred to feedlots. During this time, the animals feed on a special cereal mixture, the main ingredient of which is wet corn. At the same time, cows and bulls are limited in movement. We briefly examined how to grow marbled beef, now we will dwell on the main aspects of this process and list the factors that affect the marbling of meat.
Factors
The term “marbling” is used to determine the presence of intramuscular fat in meat. Professionals estimate the volume and distribution of fat in the muscles of the back in the area between 12 and 13 ribs. What affects the degree of marbling of meat?
- Nutrition. If for a long time you feed cattle with high-calorie feed, then the beef will turn out to be of high quality, but there will be little marble tenderloin. On the contrary, when feeding animals with cereals, the chances of getting marble meat are rather high.
- Lack of physical activity. The softness of muscle mass depends on the level of physical activity of cows. In individuals that are kept in the stall, the meat is softer than their relatives, freely walking around the pasture.
Content
The production of marbled beef takes a long time. First, young bulls are released into the pasture, where they walk a lot and eat meadow grasses. Representatives of some breeds are drunk with milk and only after that they are transferred to free range.
When cattle grows up, individuals are placed in individual rooms, the walls of which are soundproof. There, animals are suspended on reins. This allows you to limit the physical activity of cows, but at the same time prevents them from lying. Gobies during this period are fed with selected grain and even high-quality beer to improve appetite. On average, grain feeding lasts 200-300 days. Sometimes the animals get vibro massage. This is necessary so that fat penetrates deep into muscle tissue.
Grazing
For the production of marbled beef, representatives of meat breeds are used. They are distinguished by endurance, able to travel long distances in search of food. Therefore, one of the most important stages in the production of an expensive delicacy is the grazing of animals. It is carried out before fattening, as it allows the calves to gain muscle mass. For grazing, you need to prepare a spacious pasture with useful herbs.
Grass fattening
There are several schemes for feeding animals. Each farmer independently chooses the most suitable way how to grow marbled beef.
The first way of fattening is grassy. What he really is? During the first 6 months of life, the calves are milked, after which they are released into the pasture, where they are kept for up to 15 months. There they gain weight. They are then transferred to stalls to limit physical activity. The diet in this period consists of corn, wheat, alfalfa. Vitamins are added to the feed. Slaughter of bulls is carried out at the age of 19-30 months.
Grain feeding
If you are wondering, “How to grow marbled beef quickly?” Then this feeding scheme is perfect for you. First you need to solder the calves with milk. At the age of six months, the calves are transferred to grain feeding, that is, the stage of free grazing is completely excluded. According to this technology, slaughter can be carried out after 10-11 months.
Japanese technology "Kobe"
How to grow Japanese Kobe marbled beef? By special technology. First, the calves are fed mother’s milk, then they are released on green meadows, 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 marble beef is grown in Japan. In fact, they are not so far from reality: classical music really plays in the stalls, the bulls are given a massage using special combos. To support them in the stall, apply leather aids. The most amazing thing is that the diet of cows includes rice cake from the production of sake, as well as brewing products. The Japanese are sure that they contain many amino acids and vitamins.
Care Rules
To summarize the above, you can list the basic rules on how to grow marbled beef.
- Do not excommunicate calves from their mother, as they should be fed milk during the first 6 months of life.
- Do not let the gobies lie during fattening, because this will adversely affect the taste of meat.
- Add vitamins and other beneficial substances to the feed.
- Perform vibratory massage during the fattening period. This will contribute to an even distribution of body fat.
Beef ripening
Now you know how to grow marbled beef. The meat also needs to be processed. This is an integral part of the manufacturing process. Beef, which meets international requirements, undergoes a ripening process, as a result of which the meat acquires an excellent taste and becomes softer.
The first way to ripen is wet. Fillet without blood is Packed in vacuum bags, pre-cooling it to 0 about C. Then, within 10-21 days, it matures without oxygen. Dry ripening is a more time-consuming process. In this case, the meat is suspended by the bones in the refrigerator, while neither skin nor fat is removed from it.
What can be cooked from marbled beef?
Our material provided information on how to grow cows for marbled beef. Now we will consider how to use this meat. The most popular dish is a steak, for the preparation of which you can use only a tenth of a cow's carcass. There are several types of such dishes:
- Crab steak cut from the edge of the longest spinal muscle.
- Rib eye, for the preparation of which meat is taken from the subscapular part of the body. It contains a large amount of fat.
- Thybone is a T-shaped bone with meat. It is cut between the lower back and back, which is why it contains two types of beef fillet.
- Striploin, which is cut out of the lumbar region. There are no bones in it.
- Roundramb is obtained from the hip part of the body, namely from its upper part.
- Porterhouse is also cut out of the lower back.
- Sketch steak - marbled meat obtained from the diaphragm of a cow.
- Filet Mignon - steak with the most tender fillet.
- Tornedos - slices of meat from which the so-called medallions are prepared.
- Chateaubriand is almost the same as filet mignon. The main difference between these steaks is the serving: the chateaubriand is laid out in length on a dish, and the filet mignon is set vertically.
How to make marbled beef?
Marble fillet can be fried in a pan or grill. For this, a juicy and fat cut from the rib part is best suited. In restaurants such dishes are served most often. The steak is thoroughly fried at a temperature of 160 ° C. Cook the meat on low heat. To evenly warm it from all sides, you need to often turn the product over. This will allow you to well fry the steak from the inside and achieve a golden crust. The fat border is cut off only after the meat is fully cooked. Potatoes and other vegetables are served as a side dish for marbled beef.