Why Piedmontese Beef??? Go to some of the best restaurants in the States, be it Washington DC, NY city, Boston, LA, Seattle, New York and you will see Piedmontese beef on the menu. Go to Italy, and Piedmontese Beef is what you will get in the best restaurants there as well. Why? because of the exceptional, consistent quality you find with Piedmontese Beef. The flavor and tenderness are beyond compare. You can’t find it in the grocery store, at least not in smaller markets like Erie PA. The breed has only been in the US since 1979. ORIGINS OF THE BREED - ITALY The Piedmont region ( italian name is Piemonte) of Northwest Italy (razza Piedmontese) is a secluded pocket, naturally protected by the Alps mountains. Aurochs, (bos Taurus) ancient European cattle, populated this region. Some 25,000 years ago, a type of cattle known as Zebu (bos Indicus) began a massive migration from Pakistan. The vanguard of this migration entered the Piedmont valleys and were blocked from further movement by the Alps. These cattle stayed and intermingled with the local "native" cattle - the Auroch. These two distinct breeds - the Auroch and the Zebu - fused and evolved through natural selection over the next 25,000 years to become the the unique Piedmontese breed. This unique cattle breed has evolved over centuries in a pure environment to become a truly efficient animal. They thrive on an all grass diet. Genetically different from all other cattle breeds they produce low fat, tender, healthy beef. With Piedmontese cattle, fat is not necessary for flavor or tenderness. The beef is tender, notably delicious and low in fat! ABOUT THE BEEF Traditional North American beef, suggests that high amounts of fat are necessary for flavor and tenderness. The USDA grading system is founded on this premise, with USDA Choice & Prime Beef having the highest fat content of all the grades. Many beef producers aim to produce a highly " marbled" steer; marbling is fat. If excessive fat is not required for delicious, tender beef, why would you want it? Or want to pay more for it? Piedmontese cattle are different than any other breed of cattle *They carry a unique gene (myostatin) that reduces fat while improving tenderness. The USDA , European, and University researchers have all confirmed this; *Piedmontese cattle are lower in fat, cholesterol and calories while having significantly highest amounts of Omega-3 EFA as well as higher protein levels. In addition Piedmontese beef is rated among the most tender and flavorful of all breeds tested. *Reference ~ USDA handbook #8 Dr.Koohmaraie (Director, Meat Animal Research Center- MARC-USDA) has commented to the North American Piedmontese Association, that the Piedmontese in-active myostatin provides a much more positive effect on beef tenderness that any other genetic feature that he is is aware of at this time. (Info from the North American Piedmontese Association )
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 22:58:16 +0000
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