Piedmontese Beef Why Piedmontese Beef? It's simply the best.
The Piedmontese cattle breed comes to us from the Italian Alps. 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!
Traditional 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.
(a)Typical beef (untrimmed) (b) Piedmontese beef ~first cross (untrimmed ) (c) Piedmontese beef untrimmed 2 copy Fullblood
Meat photos above are courtesy of USDA-MARC
All of our cattle have two copies (homozygous) of the myostatin gene (c)
If fat is not required for delicious, tender beef, why would you want it? Or want to pay 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 )
Why Buy Piedmontese beef from us?
The answer is as simple as our philosophy of raising our cattle.
* Flavorful, Tender & Lean, Clean, safe, beef, raised humanely and with pride.
* Grass finished beef has almost no risk of e-coli contamination.
* Our calves are born on our farm in clean pastures.
* They stay on our farm with their mothers and the dozens of others born the same spring.
* They
romp through the pastures, streams and woods, nursing from their
mothers and eating fresh grass that is completely free of pesticides or
herbicides.
* Throughout the winter, they eat orchard grass hay that has been harvested from our farm.
* They never leave the farm until the day of processing.
*
The processing plant we use is an immaculately clean, small, family owned & operated facility.
* Our beef is dry aged the old fashioned way, just like beef found in the finest restaurants. Dry aging produces truly exceptional beef.
A typical cross-bred cow calf pair on the farm~ both cow and calf carry 2 copies of the myostatin gene unique to the Piedmontese breed of cattle.
Skelton Farms has been breeding Piedmontese Beef cattle since 1995. In the beginning we started with two Full Blood Piedmontese cows one Full Blood Piedmontese bull and 15 Angus cross breed cows. All full blood Piedmontese cattle have two copies of the Myostatin Gene. The first cross breeding results in an offspring with one copy of the gene, and a significant improvement in beef quality. We have selectively breed to the best Full Blood Piedmontese bulls and retained the best heifers for our cow calf operation. To date our herd has grown to over 75 head of cattle. All of the Piedmontese beef cattle on our farm have two copies of the Myostatin Gene (the same as full-blood), ensuring the highest quality beef with the lowest possible fat content. So like the lucky Italians, we here in North America can enjoy eating low fat beef with out compromising on flavor or tenderness.
