Eating belted galloway bull?

cjb · #1 01/23/08, 02:38 PM

Has anyone eaten belted galloway beef? A neighbor is butchering their bull and we can buy 1/4, 1/2 or whole, if we want. He has been grass fed and is hormone free.

Also... dumb question... does being a bull have any effect on the meat as opposed to a steer?

Cookiecows · #2 01/23/08, 02:56 PM

We raise them cjb. I'm sure my husband will respond to your question later this evening... he loves any chance to talk about them. LOL
Deb

lyceum · #3 01/23/08, 04:24 PM

We raise Belted Galloways too! Their meat is the best there is. We leave all calves destined for meat bulls. The meat is fabulous. Them being left bulls does not affect the meat at all. If anything, it makes it taste even better.

The meat is leaner than most other beef due to the fact that they have an extra fur instead of a layer of fat. When we fry up 1.5 pounds of hamburger, there is little grease to be scooped out. There is great info on the beltie beef on their website www.beltie.org

Carisa

GANGGREEN · #4 01/23/08, 04:58 PM

Good question and I'll be watching for more responses. If you do buy the meat, please post your thoughts after eating some of it as I'm very interested in how it turns out.

I've been wanting a small "hobby herd" of beefers for some time and had narrowed my choices to Dexters, Belties and Highland cows. I finally got 3 Highland cows and 3 young bulls. The deal was that the seller would preg check the cows and castrate the young bulls but he did neither. To his credit, when asked to do so, he discounted the animals because of his failure to keep his end of the bargain but I would have preferred that those bulls be castrated.

Well, as it turns out, the animals are quite docile (so far) and I'll likely just leave them intact until we butcher at 18 or 19 months. I don't really anticipate any problems with flavor but was more concerned with their behavior as they mature. Honestly, I don't really even anticipate problems in that regard but, with bulls, you never know. I've got 4 or 5 months to wait to taste mine, hopefully your beltie will be delicious if you purchase some.

jerzeygurl · #5 01/23/08, 05:28 PM

we almost always eat bull instead of steer.

age will effect the taste more than not being cut in my experience

ie older bull stronger taste...but not a bad taste like buck or boar, just beefier?

BeltieBandit · #6 01/23/08, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjb

Has anyone eaten belted galloway beef? A neighbor is butchering their bull and we can buy 1/4, 1/2 or whole, if we want. He has been grass fed and is hormone free.

Also... dumb question... does being a bull have any effect on the meat as opposed to a steer?

As my wife (CookieCows) indicated earlier, I never pass up a chance to talk about Belties. To really answer your questions though, I would need more information. We processed a 12 yearold Beltie bull last year. We have also processed younger bulls/steers. Age is more important than whether or not he is a bull or steer. I think somebody also mentioned that. We have been eating our own Beltie meat for several years now, and while we find the meat good, it is an acquired taste. You should really try to buy a few cuts from a local producer if possible. Beltie meat is more full flavored than other breeds of cattle, and the older the animal, the more full the flavor. It is extremely lean, so you need to add a little olive oil to the pan when cooking the hamburger, cook roasts "slow & low". If you like your steaks well done, than you might be disappointed, as cooking Beltie meat well done tends to make it tough, or at least this has been our experience. However, if you like your steaks medium or less, make sure they are at least 3/4 thick, and happy eating. The 12 yearold bull that we processed was really only good for hamburger.

At the risk of changing your mind about Belties, I just want you to know what you are spending those hard-earned dollars on. We place a high value on knowing that our meat came from naturally and humanely raised animals. We also place a very high value on the nutritional aspects, such as fat content, etc. We also value the flavor and tenderness. For us, Belties rate high in all these areas. They are different than other more common breeds of cattle, so there are some differences that you must adjust to. They are extually closer to a buffalo than other breeds of cattle. We have made these adjustments, and are happy with the outcome.

From a breeder perspective, I am very happy with my Belties. They are easy to raise/care for, and wonderful to watch. The calves are about as cute as a baby bovine can be. I hope this answers your questions. You can check out our website for some pictures of our animals. You can find breeders in your area through the breeder listing on the www.beltie.org website....Ric

MTplainsman · #7 01/23/08, 10:06 PM

IMO, a bull's texture and taste is little or no different than a cow. The condition of the animal at time of slaughter will tell what it's gonna taste and feel like in the mouth. Of course age in either species effects the texture. If the bull is finished well, not stressed in his enviroment, and processed properly, the bull should be fine for the pallet regardless. If theres a difference between a bull and a cow in taste, I've never distinguished it. I have slaughtered several bulls now, and would do it again without hesitation. Joel

cjb · #8 01/24/08, 09:40 PM

Ok thanks for all the info.

I love the look of the belties.. hmmm... maybe I should AI my jersey with one

Unfortunately, the beef was sold within hours of the farmer's email being sent out.

heritagefarmer · #9 01/27/08, 04:54 PM

We killed our 7yr old cow in December, for several reasons, mainly because, on very little grazing, she got so fat it we couldn't get her pregnant.

She came back 636#, of which about 40# was fat, and she is delicious! Not as tender as some beef I have tasted, but cooked right, there's no beating Beltie beef.
It tasted more like caribou or moose than any beef I have ever tasted, but I had never eaten grass fed beef before, so I don't know if it's the Beltie, the age, or the grass fed. Either way, it's worth having!

mink · #10 01/27/08, 06:19 PM

biggest thing with grass fed beef is the taste and the lack of the red color as opposed to store bought. that said any beef thats naturally raised is better meat for me as far as im concerned. i raise hereford and the people seem to love the fact that a hamburg stays the same size as when they put it in the frying pan . mine are grass fed also........mink