Buy Your Beef Like You Buy Your Wine

When it comes to food and drink, I love a good pairing. Here in Chicago, pairing menus are all the rage. Serve 5 different courses and offer a new taste (or glass cough) of wine that perfectly enhances and compliments each dish? Sign me up.

During these dinners, the waiter or sommelier will go into great detail about where the wine comes from, even pinpointing a specific valley in the countryside perfectly located to provide ample sunlight. But do we ever hear that level of detail regarding the food we are eating alongside it? Isn’t it important to know where our food came from too and why it tastes so good?

So why does Pre beef taste distinctly different andmore delicious, than the other beef I find in the grocery store? Just like with wine, region matters. In order to grow individual varieties of grapes, you need a certain level of rainfall, a specific mineral content found in the soil, a particular amount of sunlight, and different temperature requirements to achieve the perfect vintage. The same strict standards are needed for beef.  

Region

At Pre, we source our beef like we would source our wine. We chose specificcountries that provide the perfect environment for raising cattle. And within those countries, we dial it down to specific regions. All of our beef comes from New Zealand and the south-eastern regions of Australia(specifically Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales). The ample rainfall and mild climate of these areas allow for nutritious grass to grow and thrive so cattle can be pasture raised year round. Farmers in these regions also utilize sustainable farming practices, combining sheep and cattle on the same pasture, for example. Sheep like to eat just about anything(weeds included!) so this lets the cattle munch on the grasses they prefer to enjoy. Fun fact: Did you know that sheep and cattle both outnumber the human populations of New Zealand and Australia?

Breed

The breed of cattle we source plays a big role in our Pre difference. We like to compare this to the variety of grape used in different wines. Each variety is going to taste different, thrive in certain growing conditions, and yield different size and color fruit. The breeds we use when sourcing our beef are calledBritish breeds.  Examples of these includeAngus, Hereford, Red Devon, Murray Grey and any cross-breeds. We use British breeds, as opposed to Tropical breeds such as Brahman, because British breeds are smaller, gentler animals that provide high-quality beef.  

Age

Just like with wine, region matters.  In order to grow individual varieties of grapes you need a certain level of rainfall, a specific mineral content found in the soil, a particular amount of sunlight, and different temperature requirements to achieve the perfect vintage. The same strict standards are needed for beef.