'darling it's cattle..'

Beef. Beef comes from cows. Cows are four legged creatures usually with a black and white patchy thing going on. This is what we eat, right? Wrong. So, so very wrong and until about 6 months ago...I had no idea just how complicated this whole situation was. So I'm talking to my mother (ace agricultural consultant) and I find myself saying 'so beef doesn't come from cow?!' my mother in true style quips, 'darling it's cattle'. I sit there for about 30 seconds dumbfounded. And I then fire questions at her like I'm some sort of machine gun. She answers them, diligently and I thought I'd tell you what it boiled down to.

Cows are actually for dairy, you wouldn't want to eat it...well you might, but it is not the done thing and it is stringy and tough. Likewise you wouldn't want milk from a heifer. The best meat we consume is heifer meat. Girly cattle. More meat on the bones and less weight in bone structure (AND less work for the butcher). Now I know we all like to know more about super market meat, and why it is cheaper. Well it is also because supermarkets will use steer or bullock meat i.e the male counterparts to the more favourable heifer: girly beef. Well I feel much better now, don't you?

gb