Braising, Casseroling and Minced Beef
A significant part of the carcase comes out in this form. That’s great though because most of us use this kind of beef regularly as the basis for our meals from curries to casseroles, burgers to Bolognese and steak pies to suet puddings.
Our Ruby Red Devon beef elevates those meals, being tender and rich in wholesome, beefy flavour.
Braising Steak
Braising Steak is the cross-over area between the cuts usually sold as “steaks” for frying or grilling versus the cuts usually sliced or diced for stewing or casseroling. Hence it comes down to the butcher and the quality of the meat to some extent which bits end up here. More tender than casserole steak, braising steak can take less cooking. Cook and serve whole with onions and gravy as a traditional braised steak, or cut into thin strips and stir-fry. It can also be diced up and used in a fairly quickly prepared curry. The dry-ageing of our meat really helps to tenderise our braising steak and concentrate its flavour.
Casserole Steak
Great for a curry or a wine-based stew when you have a little more time to let it cook properly, Triffords Farm casserole (stewing) steak has a good strong beef flavour that is complemented by spices rather than being overwhelmed. Save time by making large amounts and then freezing portions you can whip out for a quick evening meal with rice or pasta.
Shin of Beef
Possibly my favourite cut of beef, shin is perfect for the slow-cooker casserole. In our house, it’s a favourite Sunday meal in the winter - I prepare and start it cooking in the late morning and then put it in the simmering oven while we head out for a walk on Dartmoor. By the time we come home it’s cooked down to something that is just melting and bursting with intense, rich beef flavour - perfect with pasta or creamy mash. Shin has lines of fat and connective tissue running through it, which with slow-cooking become an unctuous goo barely holding the bits of meat together. Historically under-rated and hence relatively cheap, these days it’s becoming much more appreciated.
Minced Beef
There’s a world of difference between the cheapest supermarket mince and the best quality mince. The price per kilo doesn’t look so good if a large portion of the mince is made up from water and bits of gristle! Triffords Farm mince is special because the dry-ageing reduces the water content, this gives you something that can be browned off easily in a hot pan without stewing in its juices. It also gives off a lovely savoury aroma reminiscent of hay that must come from the lovely grass our animals spend their whole lives eating. Our butcher, ensures the mince has just the right proportion of tasty fat - not swimming in oil nor too lean.
Steak Mince
Leaner meat from the hind-quarter is used for steak mince. A lower fat content makes this mince nice for burgers rather than Bolognese! We also make burgers so save yourself the effort of making them yourself - we just add a little extra per kilo to account for the seasoning, extra work and packaging.