[Pundyburn Lynn]

Hello,


We're on track to take on some cattle later this year.  Having learned from our past mistakes we would like to taste the most obscure cuts of both Dexter and Highland cattle prior to buying - we have a small flock of Soay sheep and hate the taste of the chops!  They are living as pampered pets as a result.


Are there any local smallholders near Auchterarder who might be willing to provide a taste of Dexter or Highland beef?  Or do you  have any other suggestions as to small (ish) docile rare breeds that are delicious on the plate?  (Hope that question's not too offensive...)


Lynn

[landroverroy]

 Without wishing to deviate from your original request, I think you may be getting your priorities wrong.
I keep both Dexters and highland cattle and have the meat from both in our freezer. You will find as much variation between different cattle of the same breed, different cuts from the same animal, different ways of cooking the same joint off the same animal, as you will in the variations between different breeds.The eating quality of different breeds is well documented. Why would you doubt the opinion of experts?
A joint of meat lasts for a meal or 2. An animal is kept for a year or  2.
Surely it's more important to see the different breeds on the hoof than to taste them out of the oven.
A Highland is a totally different animal to keep than a Dexter.
I personally love all cuts of lamb/mutton and find it interesting that you should find Soay chops horrible, if you normally like sheep meat. Have you found out a reason for this?
As for other rare, docile, but delicious breeds of cattle, I think you 'll find that just about everyone will recommend the breed that they themselves keep.
So you pays yer money and yer takes yer chance!

[Pundyburn Lynn]

Hmmm. I wondered if my post would be seen as offensive...


Sadly, I found the Soay meat very goat-y, and not to my taste.  I simply wondered if there were any opinions out there other about the taste of the various rare breeds, other than that I should not have asked in the first place.


Before I take on cattle, I thought it useful to ask about the end product (which is vital as it will be feeding me!). I consider the accidental smallholder posters to be my experts, and value the opinion of the experienced smallholder over a general Google search about breeds.


Sorry if I offended you...

[Sbom]

I neighbour of ours has a herd of dexters, as have we, he sells his meat through his work place and it always sells well ( dexter beef is delicious).
He bought a small herd of highlands last year but after tasting the beef ( not sure wher from ) he never put them in calf. He says he knows he can sell the dexter beef but seemed unsure if the highland would be so popular.
He has just put his dexter bull in with his highlands.
He has three highland steers that aren't ready to go yet. But when he sends them off i will be sure to have to beef off him to try. They seem very slow growing where as our dexters are ready between 24 and 28 months.

If you were closer you could try our dexter, we have just taken one to the abattoir and he'll be back in 3 weeks.

[Pundyburn Lynn]

That's really helpful - thanks!

[shygirl]

its a valid post imo, as im sure different breeds of cattle taste different as do different breeds of pigs, even if reared in identical conditions.
i would persevere with the soays and maybe change your stock management (ie feeding, age of slaughter/castration etc) or your cooking techniques to suit your taste. are your comparing the taste to supermarket lamb? personally i find it hard to enjoy lamb/mutton as it still tastes/smells like a sheep to me.
definitely get to know the breed when its alive as dexters and highlands are very different, have different temperments, care needs and need different handling equipment.
have you considered shetlands?

wev been keeping shetland cattle for 4 yrs and still not had chance to taste the meat.......still another year to go before our first homebred calf is big enough 

[landroverroy]

 

Hmmm. I wondered if my post would be seen as offensive...

No honestly RL I didn't find your post offensive at all. I was trying to make the point that a random sample of meat from one animal of a particular breed might not be totally representative of the meat from that animal. And on the other hand, if you are keeping an animal for 2 years, then it needs to be an animal that you like/enjoy dealing with.
For example, the first dexter that we had slaughtered was absolutely wonderful. Others have been nothing special. This was partly due to it not being hung long enough, and also because I was unaccustomed to cooking some of the cuts. The variations in meat we have produced since have been due to age and sex of animal and who butchered it, and as stated previously, these variables have caused more differences in meat than breed alone. We've only slaughtered one highland and that was delicious. We also keep Herefords and meat from an 18month old Hereford heifer is said to be unbeatable for tenderness and flavour.   
On the other hand we have now virtually gone out of Dexters. They were handy as you weren't snowed under with meat when you got one slaughtered, and anyone will tell you that it is good meat. But as personalities they had small person syndrome and could be little bastards. Highlands to me are a much more rewarding animal to keep. They have a strict pecking order and you need to understand how it works to get the best out of them. They are really placid, intelligent, and fascinating animals.   
I found it interesting about your soays as there used to be a butcher who attended our local market and at Ramadam (Moslem festival) he would buy all the soays and sell them to Muslims as goat!

[farmvet]

have you thought about galloways or belties? A client breeds Galloway specifically for his catering business

[HappyHippy]

I've not tried Dexter beef, but Shetland is AMAZING 
Rosemary is in Carnoustie and should have some to sell soon (she'll see this once her broadband's up and running again and get in touch I'm sure  or you could drop her a pm) I'm waiting for mine to come back from the butcher (it's another torturous 2 weeks to wait  ) but I'm all the way down in Lanarkshire.
They're easy to keep (unless you get a mad, fence jumping heifer like I did  but she's not the norm for the breed at all) hardy, take little supplementary feeding and can out-winter if they really have to - although you'll enjoy keeping them and tending to them more if you can house them for at least part of the winter.

I've not kept or eaten Highland, but have been told it's a gamier meat. You've got the handling concerns - those horns are dangerous, even if the cattle don't mean them to be and I've been told that although they look big and beefy, the amount of hair they have actually covers a fairly scrawny frame (not my words - don't shoot the messenger  )
HTH
Karen 

[Anke]

Hmmm. I wondered if my post would be seen as offensive...


Sadly, I found the Soay meat very goat-y, and not to my taste. .

So what's a "goaty" taste in lamb or mutton then ... Have you -knowingly - eaten goat meat? Of course if you eat the meat of any un-castrated male it may have - at certain times of the year - a taint with it, all quite normal!

[MKay]

I can give you dexter beef, I have a steer back week on Thursday, hung 4weeks.
And I will have cows in calf for sale up until they go down to the sale end of Sept.