Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Posted: **Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:52 pm**

We've had discussions before about marbling and flavour. Some people call marbling intermuscular fat, and some call it intramuscular fat. This little web page by a chef apparently seems to explain the difference quite clearly. It is something you would think would be clear and understood by everyone, but as the article says, it is often misunderstood.

Here's the full article with images Marbling Article

Here's intermuscular fat:

Here's intramuscular fat:

Here's one of my steaks which clearly shows good amounts intramuscular fat. That fat disappeared the second the steak ht the pan and it was extremely tasty.

Has anybody else got any photos to compare the types of fat put down by a Dexter?

Posted: **Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:46 pm**

Clive, that is easily understood - altho cant say I had a problem with that when talking to my butcher in the first place, but do know what u mean - ta evaso

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:34 am**

The reason I was wondering if anyone else had photos is because not all dexters put down fat in the same way.

I had one steer in particular with an huge amount of intermuscular fat, so much so that even the topside looked liked a thick spiders web. The dam of this steer was very fat, you could not keep weight off her. Eventually had to put her down because she prolapsed even though not in calf!!!

Her steer had very little intramuscular fat but loads of the inter version, seams of fat. I wish I'd taken a photo. Anyhow, to look at it most people would have said it was highly marbled, almost like Wagyu, but the taste was just ordinary which at the time came as a surprise. That's why I think all the flavour is in the intramuscular fat.

Over here Denise, people have been breeding fat out of meat for decades. The dexter-limo and limo-dexter carcasses that won the West of Australia beef competitions a few years ago, would have been thrown out over here because of the marbling. I went to a demo of UK supermarket a few weeks ago and the butcher was showing all the farmer what they wanted, then he cut through the huge great lump of meat and there was a small bit of fat....so he apologised!