Highland beef taste

mailman · #1 07/20/06, 05:15 AM

Hello, has anyone here tasted Highland beef? I want to butcher one of mine soon. I have never tasted Highland before. Someone told me that Highland beef has a different (worse) taste than other beef breeds. Is this true?
Thanks in advance....Dennis

phantompark · #2 07/20/06, 05:26 AM

What do you mean by worse than other beef breeds?
Our grass fed highlander beef is the only beef we eat. Delicous!!!
We have a waiting list for the beef also. People rave about the great taste. We can't keep up with the demand.
It has taste, great taste, not like the "grocery store" tasteless junk.

ozark_jewels · #3 07/20/06, 06:05 AM

Highland rates right up there with Jersey beef in my opinion. Better than the common beef breeds and very good.

sgrmtndrone · #4 07/20/06, 06:09 AM

We went to a expo on Highland beef cattle (we were thinking on running them on our place) They had coolers of Highland beef , We bought some steak, burger and a roast . I would not say it tasted worse but we were not overly impressed with it . This was 4 years ago in Lebanon Mo. This year we did add cattle to our homestead but it was not Highland cattle.

ozark_jewels · #5 07/20/06, 11:11 AM

I choose not to have highland cattle either. The meat was very good though. I'm sure it also depends on the age of the animal and how it was done. When we owned highlanders, we butchered 5 of them over those two years. The 4 that were young bulls were butchered on the farm while eating in their paddock. Absolutely delicious and tender. The 5th was a cow who hung herself in the barbed wire fencing and by the time we found her, she was dying. We shot her, butchered her out and put her in the freezer. All that meat was a bit tough and very gamey(or "wild") tasting. The stress of the death and the age of the animal makes a lot of difference, but especially the stress before it dies.

lilsassafrass · #6 07/24/06, 04:59 PM

Having raised Highlanders for almost twenty years , I have had no trouble getting rid of beef , in fact i have a waiting list of repeat buyers every half I can produce for the next two years is spoken for .. and then some . I will have to puchace steers,especially if I take on new customers .

I guess I am a little prejudiced about the taste ... but I wouldnt have any thing else on teh table .
To me "store bought " is bland . and living in a farming community i have had the opportunity to taste meat raised by other folks ,angus , herford , dairy steers and crosses etc . over teh years.
I do like highland beef best , old cow/bull .. finished steer .. I have had one or two that we did up ourself as an injured cow .. now that meat we had to seperate and spice heavily to use .. but I would never consider even giving that away .

If properly hung ... no matter how its finished or the age of the animal, it should taste fine ... we hang ours if we can at least 21 days (sometimes I slip the processor a 6 pack to let it hang that long in busy season)sometimes even longer if i can get a way with it and the steer has a good fat cover. you can even supply your own vinegar to keep it rinsed down if they complain that its drying out in the cooler.
Now the thing is .. most people unless they are used to it find the taste of aged (well hung ) beef odd ... because it tastes nothing like "store bought"
or 7 day hung beef .

Paula
Hyde Park Farm

affenpinschermom · #7 07/24/06, 05:17 PM

We have raised highlands for over 20 years and have had nothing but good beef. We even butchered a 10 year old bull and he was delicious. We ground most of him up but kept out the best steaks and it was some of the best beef we've had. I do not care for the fat on grass fed beef, but I don't like eating fat anyways, so it doesn't matter to me.

Patt · #8 07/24/06, 07:25 PM

It's the only beef the Queen of England eats!

She has her own herd in Scotland that supplies her table.
We also have Highlands I like the taste better.

Christiaan · #9 07/25/06, 02:02 AM

We butchered a third highland this year. There were no complaints about the first two, but this one is really wonderfull. All were grass/hay fed. I think we are just getting better at raising them, plus this one was able to hang for 26 days. He is incredibly tasty and tender. If you are used to factory beef I think you'll find all homegrown beef will taste funny. Its called flavor.
Can't go wrong with Highlands! Scotland Forever!

ozark_jewels · #10 07/25/06, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christiaan

If you are used to factory beef I think you'll find all homegrown beef will taste funny. Its called flavor.

Very true.

phantompark · #11 07/25/06, 06:52 AM

Hoorrraaayyy for Highlanders!!!!!
We've been having ours hung for 10 to 14 days with great results. We can't find a USDA butcher closer than 6 hours that will hang the carcass any longer. We've begged and bribed, no luck, so far..... Then the butcher explained that ours are really lean with very little outside layer fat and will dry out.
HHHHMMMMM.
Still the best tasting beef we've ever had, even when we used to do herefords. They had more marbling but not as great tasting.

Terry W · #12 07/25/06, 09:48 AM

I noticed the difference in grass fed vs store bought last year-- ands the grass fed was angus!!! MUCh more satisfying to chow down on grass fed-- i read recently of a process for older sheep called "tenderstretch" that makes the meat from older animals a bit more palatable. ALso, if the hanging time is what really matters--and you are taking the stuff home-- is it possible to hang at home for a while,-- or doesd one really need tohave the whole thing done at a packers? i was told about an on farm processor who will leave the hanging/cooler trailer on the properrty for as long as one wishes to let the sides hang-- but mobile processors are rare...

Gideon's War · #13 07/25/06, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

I choose not to have highland cattle either. The meat was very good though. I'm sure it also depends on the age of the animal and how it was done. When we owned highlanders, we butchered 5 of them over those two years. The 4 that were young bulls were butchered on the farm while eating in their paddock. Absolutely delicious and tender. The 5th was a cow who hung herself in the barbed wire fencing and by the time we found her, she was dying. We shot her, butchered her out and put her in the freezer. All that meat was a bit tough and very gamey(or "wild") tasting. The stress of the death and the age of the animal makes a lot of difference, but especially the stress before it dies.

I wonder how long she was stressed? I wonder how long the "stressing" part will be before it starts to effect the meat.