The Great British Menu

strawberriesclint · Post by **strawberriesclint** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:51 pm

Hi
everyone just to say that although slaughterhouses prefer big my butcher that i supply likes the dexter beef because they are small and the carcasses are easy to handle so not everyone wants big just thought you all might like to hear this small bit of good news.

cyndy

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:12 pm

Well done Cyndy! :D

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:23 pm

Well I haven't seen the program yet, will watch it later, but literally within a few minutes of it ending, enquiries started to come in from the internet to Dexter Beef Online. And there will be more enquiries going direct to suppliers themselves. The power of TV! Not to mention the beef!

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:48 pm

Yes, well done. I have been so busy that I was not aware what was going on or the date until my mail order enquiries soared! Thank you for producing such good beef to make the chef so enthusiastic, it is benefitting us all.
Penny

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:52 pm

I went to a camera class to day and on the mention of a dexter photo, I was immediately asked - if I had any beef! So I said, you need to go to Dexter Beef Online. :D

Yes - they had seen the programme.

Stephanie

Pennielea · Post by **Pennielea** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:05 pm

Anyone who missed it can see it again on BBC i player.

Praise indeed from all three chefs and who would have thought that the cut for the special occasion would be 'shin'. Interesting to hear what the judges think on tomorrows programme.

There were hours of filming both with the cattle and at the cutting room watching a carcass being butchered and the good points being made. All of it not used but CONGRATULATIONS to Jason Hamilton farmer, butcher and salesman extraordinaire for selling the idea to the chef. It was no accident.

Ian

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:03 am

Well done Jason.

acrossthesea · Post by **acrossthesea** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:48 pm

Win, lose or draw tonight doesent really matter. Following the remarks from all three chef's Dexter beef is back at the top again. It will be interesting to hear what the judges have to say about it. I think that Danny will have to pull his finger out a wee bit with his presentation to win. If Jason Hamilton lived across the water he would be knocking on the door of Gordon Ramsey and quality, pure bred, grass fed Dexter beef would probably be on the menu next week. Perhaps now is the time for a Group from one of the Home Counties to knock on Gordon's door. The chance is there, we in Northern Ireland would grab it with both hands. Jason would anyway.
Howard Hilton(Hillhead Dexters)

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:23 pm

All they said was "it was a bit tough". Luckily they didn't mention the breed. After three years of the Great British Menu featuring dexter beef, that's the first negative comment we've ever had. Not good. The last comment on dexter on the GBM (last years banquet hosted by Heston Blumenthal) was it was the best beef imaginable, and that was by one of the best five chefs in the world. How can you go to all that trouble and effort and then supply tough beef? And then a Michelin chef (isn't he?), cooks it!!! If that's what you call putting dexter beef back at the top, although I hadn't realised it wasn't there already, I'd hate to be around when you have a failure! When it comes to top chefs, tenderness is everything. It must be very, very well finished above all.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:44 pm

It would be nice to be able to 'finish' beef. If only we had the suitable grazing. Our best market is for weaner steers and if the steers aren't long-legged (non-carriers) they won't sell at the sales yards. The agents suggest that we don't try. Better to sell short-legs privately.

Commercially, it makes more sense for us to breed non-carriers. If more of our purebred non-carriers fit within the height standard, we're going to have a lot of trouble selling the steers through the sales yards. I've actually got 3 bulls. One of them is above the height standard. I'm looking ahead and thinking that I should use him over my remaining lower grade Dexter cows, so that I can have a higher proportion of saleable steers.

The small heifers can be sold for breeding, but the smaller steers are less marketable in our area. Perhaps if we lived closer to the lifestyle block centre of NZ, we'd have a better market? I've sold the carrier bull that we had, because I just can't see how I can sell his carrier bull calves? I have to breed towards a totally non-carrier herd, as even carrier heifers are getting harder to sell, now that there are a lot more Dexters available in NZ.

Smaller animals may taste better, but the very small animals are hard to sell. Its a dilemma.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Wed May 06, 2009 12:41 pm

Just wanted to let you know Clive, we received the DVD in the mail today and watched the two programmes this evening. Caroline's beef and mushroom pie looked great, even if she was a bit nervous about the pastry.

The Menu on the 'Great British Menu' looked incredibly complicated. I'm amazed they pulled it off. The Dexter eye fillet went down a treat.

Thankyou so much for sending the DVD. It was wonderful to see confirmation from some of the world's best chefs that Dexter beef is as good as we breeders think it is. I haven't converted our Homekill man yet. He kills the beast, skins and cleans it, then quarters the animal and takes it off to the butcher to be hung and processed. We will be collecting our latest freezer filler next week, I'm guessing. A 3.5 year old barren heifer. Its going to be so good.

The Homekill man still thinks Dexters are too small to be comercial. He dosen't understand that for the homekill market, its taste over quantity every time. Still, I'll keep working on it.

Once again, many thanks for letting me see those two TV programmes.

Pennielea · Post by **Pennielea** » Tue May 12, 2009 7:38 pm

It may not be 'The Great British Menu' but those of you who can receive Irish TV should watch RTE 1 'The Afternoon Show' at 3pm tomorrow Wed. I understand the 'plug' for Dexter beef will be every bit as good as on BBC.

Ian

jeanthomas · Post by **jeanthomas** » Wed May 13, 2009 7:46 pm

Inger, you do not mention whether you have ever given your home kill man a joint of dexter beef? I have a lovely farmer around here, who for years suggested I should go for a more commercial breed. One year I dropped some steak and a beef joint off at his wife's. I asked her to cook it for him but not explain where it came from! A complete convert!!! He now really understands where I am coming from and recommends it to all and everyone!! :D

Jean (Watersplash) Suffolk

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:44 pm

Unfortunately Jean, if I did that, under NZ law, I'd be breaking the rules. Homekilled meat is only allowed to be eaten by the family of the grower of the animal killed. If I invited him for dinner, I could feed him some Dexter, but as he lives miles away and is always rushing off to another job, I doubt that would happen.

He did however laugh at the last beast we had done. She was an abnormally large 500kg liveweight and he joked to his son, who was helping him, about these small Dexters. Most of the older cows that he'd done for us previously, had been 350kg liveweight and had been Grade 1 or 2 cows. So he was used to teasing me about my small cows that weren't big enough to bother with. This one had quarters so heavy, he had to get his son to lift each quarter into the back of the truck. Hopefully we won't have the likes of her again.

acrossthesea · Post by **acrossthesea** » Sun May 24, 2009 12:01 pm

The final of the Great British Menu is to be broadcast on BBc 2 next week starting at 6pm. Dexter beef will be on the Menu on Wednesday. It will be a different cut to the last one ie, not shin. Will be worth watching.

Howard Hilton (Hillhead Dexters. N.Irland)