Food For Thought: Grass Vs Grain

But I found myself running around South Australian cattle farms on information overload instead. I discovered great beef really depends on what you want – buttery and creamy tender meat or complex flavours with texture. For me, it is the latter but, like most, I wouldn’t say no to an intensely marbled piece of Wagyu. The flavour all starts with what the animal ate, how the animal lived and how it was slaughtered. Flavour most certainly does not come from the elaborate spice mixes and rubs, which seem to be flooding the supermarket shelves. My journey started on a 400-acre Fleurieu Peninsula-based farm. The rolling hills were littered with free roaming cattle and lamb. But I wasn’t there to see them; I was really there to see the grass and what it did to the flavour of the beef after careful butchering on their residential processing facility. It didn’t disappoint; it was as if the fields of grass, and even the weeds, had enhanced the ‘meaty’ taste. It wasn’t, however, traditionally tender, it needed some good oldfashioned chewing but this only extracted more of the flavour and made my steak all the more satisfying. If you like melt-in-the-mouth tender beef, then grain-fed is most likely the one for you. A rich diet of grains, and random additions like almond hulls, make for a more rounded and creamy flavour profile. There is, however, a lack of complexity, one could even say it’s one-dimensional. Traditional techniques of finishing cattle solely on grain, seems to have lost some of its traction in the market. The thought of taking cattle off the pastures around them and replacing their diet exclusively with grain is a hard concept to swallow when we are all trying to make more ethical and sustainable decisions. After talking to a handful of farmers, it is clear that consumer demands for grass-fed beef is triggering a large amount of discussion and movement in farming practices. Both grass- and grain-fed beef have a place our meat industry but it is very clear that the debate is only just getting started. twitter.com/annabelleats

Recipe: Bread and Butter Pickle

Ingredients • 4 large cucumbers – thickly sliced • 2 brown onions – halved, thinly sliced • 2 teaspoons salt • 400ml apple cider vinegar • 230g caster sugar • 2 teaspoons celery seeds • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric • 2 bay leaves Method 1. Place the sliced cucumbers, onion and salt in a colander, resting over a large bowl. Mix thoroughly and leave for 20 to 30 minutes. 2. Bring the apple cider vinegar, sugar, spices and bay leaves to a boil and reduce to a simmer. 3. Lightly rinse the cucumbers and onions and add them to the simmering apple cider vinegar. 4. Turn the heat off and leave to steep for 10 minutes. 5. Spoon the pickles into sterilized jars (I use them straight from a hot dishwasher), seal and turn upside down for five minutes. Store sealed in a dark cool place for up to a year.

Recipe: Sloppy Joe

Ingredients • 500g coarsely ground (grass- or grain-fed) beef mince • 1 red onion – diced • 2 tins whole tomatoes • ½ cup tomato sauce • 3 tablespoons brown sugar • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard • Salt • 10 small brioche rolls Method 1. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat with a glug of oil. Fry the diced onion until soft and translucent. 2. Add the beef mince and fry until browned and any liquid has evaporated. 3. Place tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon and a large pinch of salt into a blender. Mix until smooth and add to the mince. 4. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer until it has a thick and rich consistency. 5. Adjust the seasoning and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving (it is even better reheated the next day!) Serve alongside brioche rolls with the crunchy bread and butter pickles.