4 minute read
Shorthorn; the chef’s choice
Beef Shorthorn is the only choice
Advertisement
With a family background in farming it’s perhaps not surprising that Alex Greene has strong views about what makes a good piece of beef, but his passion for Beef Shorthorn doesn’t come from a background in the breed. For him it’s all about the quality of the beef.
“My grandfather farmed cattle, but it was always Continental breeds, like Charolais or Salers,” said Alex. “I always liked them because they were nice looking animals, but they took a lot of looking after. I didn’t really get interested in native breeds until I started working with Glenarm Shorthorn beef.”
Alex, one of Northern Ireland’s top chefs, is head chef at Belfast’s Michelin star eatery, Deane’s EIPIC. Originally from Dundrum, in the Mourne country, he grew up on a farm and is passionate about the provenance of his ingredients. His public profile soared after appearing on the BBC’s Great British Menu in 2020 where he scored a double win, cooking both the starter and the dessert at the children’s literature themed final banquet.
100+ Days Aged
At EIPIC Alex develops innovative, stylish dishes with a strong focus on flavour, and Beef Shorthorn features prominently.
“I got introduced to Shorthorn beef through Peter Hannan about 10 years ago and it was the way Shorthorn beef aged that struck me as being special,” Alex explains. “I love the marbling and the layers of fat that’s in Glenarm Shorthorn – there’s nothing that can touch it. The 28 day aged standard product is already very, very good, but I could see that with it being a great piece of meat with a really good fat covering, it could go even further.”
“The beef fillet I serve in the restaurant is aged on the bone to 50 days and the sirloin is aged to 100 days plus. Of course it’s more expensive, but it’s a completely different product. It’s so tender you can nearly take a knife and spread it like butter and that length of aging massively intensifies the flavour.
“We don’t want it too gamey a flavour though. What I’m going for is beef that tastes like beef, but intensified. Super tender with serious flavour, that’s what it’s all about and I think Beef Shorthorn is pretty unique in its ability to deliver that.”
A Signature Dish
The flavour created by such a long aging is an essential element of one of Alex’s favourite dishes – a classic steak tartare made from 100+ day aged sirloin that’s become a signature dish of the restaurant.
The 50 day aged fillet has proven exceptionally popular too, particularly during lockdown when Alex developed
a Beef Wellington designed to give customers a restaurant-quality dining experience at home. Demand was so strong that customers bought 400 portions of it for Christmas 2021 and it will be on the menu for festive diners visiting EIPIC in December 2022 too. Such is Alex’s commitment to quality that he now refuses to serve any other beef in the restaurant. “Customers are aware that I don’t put beef on the menu unless I can get Shorthorn beef,” he explains. “It’s just the way it is. I won’t serve anything else, I’d rather change the menu.”
Full Circle
Alex’s passion for the breed has meant he’s now bought four heifers of his own to finish. “I used to keep fat lambs myself, but these are the first cattle I’ve had, so it’s something quite new and exciting,” he says.
“I’m planning to finish them on grass, silage and a bit of whole-crop and I’m aiming for an evenly marbled, lightly coloured piece of beef that’s low in acidity and very tender. Bringing some on myself has been a dream I’ve had for a while now and I’m excited to see how the meat turns out.”
So far it’s the temperament of the cattle that has made the biggest impression on Alex and the difference between Beef Shorthorns and his grandfather’s Continentals is clear.
“They’re such a relaxed breed, I can walk out to those four heifers and stroke them and they don’t mind at all. It’s very hard to get Continentals to relax like that. These are the happiest cattle I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m going to see how these four run on and then, if I’m pleased with the beef, I might look at getting some stock that I can breed. After all, the demand for Shorthorn beef is so strong and growing so quickly, it’s maybe not a bad idea to be rearing my own so I can make sure there’s beef on the menu!”
3 Canadian ET bulls born spring ’21 (left to right) Cowford Rawhide (Muridale Buster 14k x Muridale Mocha) Cowford Rolex and Cowford Rancher (Muridale Buster 14K x Muridale Penny)
Spring and Autumn ’21 born heifers sired by Eastmill Laird, Coxhill Magnum, Coldrochie Legend & Cowford Major
Thistledown Cowford Farms Ltd The Farm House, Cowford Farm, Stanley, Perth, Scotland, PH1 4PU Farm manager Mr Charlie Reed Stock person Miss Charley Reed
Home: 01738 787766 Mobile: 07975906592 Email: charlie_reed2018@outlook.com
