The Beef

Ageing of Beef

Through a number of years we have experimented with dry-aging different cuts for our menu. This process is characterized by “hanging” the beef for 40 to 100 days in a temperature and humidity controlled environment. This way of beef maturation can best be described as a drying process – hence the name dry-aging. During the process, the enzymes in the meat are cultivated, resulting in more tenderness and intense beef flavors, but the drying process also causes the exterior layers of the beef to be left unwanted. Because of its time consuming and somewhat expensive nature, dry-aging is not the most common way of ageing. This, however, is the so-called wet-ageing where the beef is vacuum packed and left to mature in its own natural juices.

Handling and Shipping

The central storage and office facilities of A Hereford Beefstouw are situated in Lund, close to the city of Herning. This is also the place where our butchers prepare the different cuts of beef for the restaurants. The steaks are cut and packaged in the beginning of the week, and delivered just a few days later to all the restaurants in Denmark. Through the speed of this process, we ensure that our guests get as fresh produce as possible.

Breeding Cattle

In the field of breeding beef cattle, there are mainly to schools of thought; grass and grain. It may prove difficult to emphasize one over the other. However, generally speaking, one can rightfully claim that grass fed cattle, spend most of their lives in the open, eating whatever is growing on ground. Contrary to this, grain fed cattle spend more time indoors and are mainly fed a diet of soy and grains.

You are what you eat

In similarity to humans, cattle too “become what they eat,” and it is remarkable how much the diet of cattle can influence the taste of their meat. Grass-fed cattle often yield much lighter colored meat with a more subtle taste, whereas grain-fed cattle provide deep red colored meat with a piercing beef flavor. We make no ideological stand one the issue – but we do favor great beef, hence both types can be found on our menu.

Geography is another important factor when we pick out our beef. Today our beef mainly comes from Australia and increasingly from Denmark too. However we do buy the occasional lot of beef from South America if the quality allows it.