Premium beef from Aberdeen Angus cattle
The Aberdeen-Angus breed was developed in the early 19th century from the polled, black cattle of NE Scotland. The earliest families trace back to the middle of the eighteenth century but it was much later that the Herd Book (1862) and the Society (1879) were founded.The early history of the breed is the history of its breeders, progressive lairds and farmers.
Gradually an thriving export market of breedig cattle went to many countries in the world. To the point that today, some bulls from overseas are being brought back to Scotland
The Aberdeen Angus Society has much information on the rearing and marketing of Aberdeen Angus cattle
An example from their site shows the value put on champion breeding bulls. This from February 2003
"The top price of 25,000gns - the
second highest price for an Aberdeen-Angus at Perth for almost 40 years
and close to the 28,000gns top price paid by Mr Fraser in 2000 - came
late in the sale when the reserve junior champion, Wedderlie Netmark
A281, from J and J Campbell, Wedderlie, Gordon, Berwickshire, was purchased
by John Elliot for his Rawburn herd at Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, Roxburghshire.
The bull, a 16 month old son of the home-bred Tui Blackmark and out
of a daughter of the 11,000gns 1998 Perth champion, Lord Horatio P11
of Blelack, had a high Estimated Beef Value (EBV) of AA40 at 65% accuracy."
And their official view on the meat is
"Aberdeen-Angus beef is the best you can buy. Aberdeen-Angus cattle mature early under natural conditions to achieve a perfect balance of fat and lean with a small proportion of bone. coupled with the ability to grow and finish on grass and home-grown feeding to produce a completely natural product.
Leanness is often cited as the main characteristic which should be sought after in selecting beef but buying beef with a minimum of fat ignores the first essential of choosing beef which is going to eat well - it should be well "marbled" with fine threads of fat interwoven through the lean. This ensures tenderness when cooked and brings out flavour and succulence. Beef which is too lean becomes hard and leathery.
Marbling is an inherent characteristic which has been bred into Aberdeen-Angus cattle for generations.
Aberdeen-Angus is indeed the true hallmark
of quality beef throughout the world. Ask your butcher for Aberdeen-Angus,
you will be surprised how much better it tastes."
