[Rosemary]

We have a Shetland bull called Ace. He was five in April. We're keeping his daughters so he has to go. It's unlikely that I wil be able to sell him for breeding - there's no shortage of Shetland bulls - so he's ona one way ticket. I don't want to put him to the market and an uncertain end. He deserves better than that.
So, has anyone eaten five year old bull? I like mince and braising steakas much as the next person, but he's a big boy and there's a limit to how muchwe can eat ourselves, if it's not saleable.

[Richmond]

Never (to my knowledge) eaten "old" beef but like other mature meat I'm sure it's all about how you cook it.  Appreciate you may not manage a whole bull yourselves but if you price it right I'm sure you could sell it as "extra mature" - with cooking instructions- to the right sort of customer.

[SallyintNorth]

Not a bull but we ate Katy Jersey at 5 years old, and Flare Jersey x Red Devon at 4, both awesome beef.  We had expected that it would all be braising rather than any roasting or quick-cook steaks but in fact the steaks were wonderful and so were the roasts.  Just be really, really sure to let the meat relax for at least 30 minutes for a joint or at least 10 minutes for a steak after cooking before eating, or it can seem as though it's tough - but if properly relaxed it becomes melt-in-the-mouth tender.

Oh, and we also had burgers made from each, all delicious, real depth of flavour.

I would have no qualms about selling 5 year old Jersey cow meat, with the above guidance.  I don't know if being a bull makes a difference, though. 


It may or may not be relevant, but we sent our Shetland tup Chad off at 3 years old, only a few weeks after tupping, expecting the meat might be tainted and we'd feed it to the dogs, so had it all minced - but it was fantastic, made the best lasagnes ever. 

[macgro7]

Untill recently most beef was at least 4 years old (sometimes 6), so it shouldn't be that bad.

People used to work bullocks/oxen untill 6 years old and then fatten them up for slaughter.

[oor wullie]

We ate a 9 year old (Shetland) cow and it was fine.  The increased toughness was minimal and, in my opinion, compensated for by extra flavour.  I had no problem eating the steaks just as rare as I do with younger meat.

Expect yellow fat, in the commercial world it will be graded negatively for that but it is just a result of years of grass consumption.

As with many things the "market" prefers to sell young meat so has convinced us its better when it isn't always.  Just ask lovers if mutton or Google "vaca vieja" or "basque beef" - very old cows are considered the best meat in some places.

[twizzel]

Could you send him direct to the abattoir and sell him to them? Rather than marker, but we send cull cows direct to abattoir and get a pretty good price for them. May be an alternative to eating him yourself.

[macgro7]

We ate a 9 year old (Shetland) cow and it was fine.  The increased toughness was minimal and, in my opinion, compensated for by extra flavour.  I had no problem eating the steaks just as rare as I do with younger meat.

Expect yellow fat, in the commercial world it will be graded negatively for that but it is just a result of years of grass consumption.

As with many things the "market" prefers to sell young meat so has convinced us its better when it isn't always.  Just ask lovers if mutton or Google "vaca vieja" or "basque beef" - very old cows are considered the best meat in some places.

Yes, I have seen one steak restaurant somewhere in Spain, very famous and popular with tourists, where they serve only... Old dairy cow steaks!
They said they have the best meat and marbling!

[Rosemary]

Thanks, folks, that's very helpful.