HEADQUARTERS/ DENVER EUROPE/BRUSSELS U.S. Export Federation USMEF 1050 17th Street, Suite 2200 Rue des Colonies, 18/24 Denver, Colorado 80265 1000 Brussels USA Belgium [email protected] Tel: +32 2 514 1506 www.usmef.org [email protected] AMERICAN A taste of liberty

01ler the last few years, imports The USMEF (United States Meat Export th e United States. We were not alone on ofAmerican beef to the Federation) invited us to follow the whole this trip; a group of carefully selected great production process, fro m the farm to the European chefs came along with us . Re­ European Union ha1le been plate. On the way, we were to meet several presenting France, there was Laurent limited. But today, in the experienced guides, a real necessity in the Delarb re (Intercontinental Paris), Patrick context ofa growing domestic complex world of the beef industry. Juhel (Westi n Paris) and Thierry Paludetto (Beef Bar Monaco). For The Netherlands, production deficit, exports to The USMEF is a non-profit organisa tion - there were Edwin Kats (La Rive) and Europe ofAmerican beeffrom created in 1976 to promote American beef Mario Ridder (de Zwetheul). ·and Italy was animals that ha1le never been throughout the world and open up new represented by Claudio Sfiller (Marriott markets for beef, , lamb and . This Milan). -From Germany - we had a French treated with hormones is organisation's mission is to inform con­ chef, Patrick Coudert; the owner of four growing steadily. So how about sumers about the specific attributes of cooking schools, he lives and works in a brief trip to the land of the American meat, set up educational pro­ Germany, so we can assign him the title of grammes for profe ss ionals, and of course, German chef. cowboys to find out the reasons help increase American exports. But le t's for this new infatuation with move on to the farmers and ranchers, American bee/? many of whom are USMEF members The market through their own organizations. Our first stop took place near the centre of the United States: Oklahoma City. The area For this article, we will concentrate on surrounding this city has one of the larger beef. Telling you about the other concentrations of in the country. would require a stay of several months in The cattle there are sold by auction.

Sai/ffiinier thousand head of cattle per day of operation. This is doubtless why the auctioneer's palaver sounds more like artistic rap than anything else! Ninety percent of the market consists of young animals intended for numerous feedlots where they will be raised for their meat. A small percentage of them are headed for dairy farms and the rest are marked for reproduction.

On the screen numerous figures and formulas appear. The animals come in , are examined by everyone and the auction begins. The ani· mals are weighed in advance. The total weight of the herd on stage is displayed on the screen. It is translated into pounds and as a general rule we are talking about some· thing like one US dollar per pound in weight.

We know that in the United States every· Oklahoma City is one of the transportation thing is big. This fact is fully confirmed hubs for this part of the country. The ranch here. Thousands of pens house young Oklahoma City represents the whole cattle that eventually will provide beef to Since 1910, Monday and Tuesday have mythology of the world of the cowboys. cities throughout the United States . You been the two days a week when business is Anyone who believes that boots with spurs, are going to ask, as we did incidentally, done at the Oklahoma City auction. No less big cowboy hats and belts with enormous why is this city one of the centres of the than half a million animals pass through here buckles can only be seen in films these days cattle business? Very simply because annually, which means approximately five is definitely mistaken. The adage "you can '{

Sai{jfffiiier 2 3 Sailiffiflier this to an espresso, with the bull as the pure black coffee and the bean'ng mother as the milk. If milk is added, the espresso will be less and less black until it becomes a cappuccino. Unfortunately, some people use black colouring to obtain an espresso. For our family the standard is not limited to Fi, but currently corresponds more to F4." FI means that only one of the parents is pure·bred Wagyu .

Quality The meat from the ranch is less marbled than what we are famil iar with under the designation of Wagyu. This is logical because we know that meat exported to the EU can come only from animals that are a maximum of thi rty months old, a consequence of the EU's import quota system. Our hosts explain, " An animal first develops its bones, then its muscle mass and finally its fat. Unfortu­ nately, for Wagyu thirty months is a little too short a lime to finish this last step. The mar­ bling oj the meat nonetheless remains supe­ rior to that of most other breeds."

The ranch, wh ich has a few hundred heads, has only twenty pure·breds. We fee l a littl e ill at ease with bulls of this type, because only a fragile electric fence sepa­ rates our camera from their enormous muscular mass. Our host's wife asserts that they are very peaceful and, as if to confirm her words, opens the gate to go in and caress the huge beasts.

To achieve perfection in breeding, this ranch, which is eligible for exports to the European Union, works with a combined programme of embryos. Five eggs are withdrawn from judge a book by its covef' is appropriate was not Wagyu, howeverj she belonged to each cow and then fertilised with the sperm here, because hospitality is second nature to the very high quality breed of Black Angus. from a 100% pure·bred bull. All this takes the Americans. This was confirmed beyond The calves that came from this impregna­ place in impeccable conditions in a state of

our wildest hopes by the ranching family we tion were therefore not pure bred. U In 1989, the art laboratory. The embryos from this visited about an hour's drive from the city. we were very lucky to be able to create programme are accepted for export. For the embryos thanks to a pure Wagyu cow and Wagyu this remains, incidentally, the one We aU talked enthusiastically about War;ru, since 1992 we have been able to create ani­ and only option because to date the trade in the with its outstanding repu­ mals that are 100% Wagyu." living calves from one country to another tation, originally intended solely for the remains prohibited. The embryo produced is imperial court of Japan. How did this type of Reaching this level of breed purity is no then placed in the uterus of a surrogate animal arrive in the United States and what guarantee, though, because the classification mother cow that is meticulously selected . are the criteria for quality? "It started in originates from a rather complex system. 1978 when American professors helped the "The classification goes from FI to F5, Before starting the tour of his property, our japanese during an eye operation on one of where the latter represents the purest line. host still wants to clarify a few details. "Peo­ these animals. As thanks, we received jour For that it is necessary for the bull to be ple often talk about and many pure·bred Wagyu bulls. We were able to cre­ descended from a line offive generations people think that it's the same thing as the ate embryos and raise them." The mother of pure·bred Wagyu. You could compare Wagyu. Kobe is in fact a Wagyu meat but it

Sai!liifi1ier 4 comes exclusively/rom the japanese city mal with typically American characteristics. 0/ Kobe. Many countries produce Wagyu Another breed which also has its origins out­ today; in the United States a/one there are side the United States, but which today can no less than J36 breeding/arms but the claim to be American, is none other than the quality differs from one country to the next Black Angus. It is one of the most popular and consequently it is important that a sys­ breeds grazing on millions of acres of the tem clearly defines its quality criteria." The country. A few figures: around 100 million Dutch chef Edwin joins our host: "[ /ind head of cattle are raised on more than that this is true in my restaurant as well, 800,000 ranches. Texas, Nebraska, Kansas where meat/rom this ranch is on my menu. and Oklahoma are some of the most impor· We have to de/ine the quality standards tant states for raising cattle. clearly and in this way explain the high price oj this meat. In other places and on The American beef found in Europe is other menus, Wagyu can be /ound /or half guaranteed free from growth hormones. It the price. This meat in other restaurants is meets all the standards of the NHTC pro­ classification Fl, or of a lesser quality, and gramme (Non -Hormone·Treated Cattle) . this is not mentioned." This programme dates from 1999 following an agreement between the United States and the European Union. It makes it possi­ The Safari mystery. We learn only that corn, proteins ble to trace me meat and verify that it meets The sun beats implacably dovo/11 on us when and fibres make up the majority of the mix­ the standards of the programme and com­ we go out in the pick-up to tour the ranch. ture, whose composition is the strict appli· plies with European directives. We catch sight of the cattle moving in a cation of the original Japanese recipe. small group. From far away, another herd Food safety concerning beef is a priority that is blacker than black, a full forty cows, In view of the enormous size of the ranch, for Americ an producers. During the last then, here and here, a few head of cattle we might imagine a large staff of workers, ten years, nearly 400 million dollars have that are red in colour. It appears, confirm­ but this is not the case. The rancher's wife been invested in this field. The quality of ing what our breeder says, that a Wagyu is works in the city, and on ly our host, his the meat is the result of intensive resea rch not always black. A great majority of the mother and a neighbour, who comes to in cattle rearing_ AU the necessary require­ ranch is covered with prairies of grass and feed the animals, remain at the ranch . ments are Strictly monitored by [he USDA indigenous plants. The cattle are taking Mother and son must have a great deal of (Department of Agriculture), the FDA advantage of the shade under a large num­ work because they own a similar ranch in (Food and Drug Administration), and the ber of nut trees, or rather pecan trees as Nebraska and they are present during the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) . the Americans call them. We are amazed monthly butchering for which fifteen to The beef comes from animals kept in pas­ once again at the area made available to twenty head are selected. The incredible tures, fed on grass and other ind igenous the animals. Our host tells us that there are hospitality, the feeling of being on safari, plants. During the final period before "one thousand acres. We a/so have ani· and the contact with the animals that may slaughtering (normally at least the last l Oa mals set aside that have five acres each." one day grace their menus leave all the days), the animals are fattened up with a guests with a special feeling. balanced mixture of corn, cereal grain s, We stop at the barn where the feed is hay and alfalfa . It is precisely this finishing stored . Prompted by our usual curiosity, with grain that gives the flavou r that we we want to find out its composition. But American Black Angus associate with American meat and which as nice as our host is, the recipe for the Since being imported from Japan, the Wagyu differentiates it from European or from 1,100 pounds of feed per day remains a has slowly grown up here just like an ani- South American beef. US beef is especially

5 Sailifiinier slaughtered, everything is completely washed four times. Qffa ls, which are not cleaned. Hygiene and efficiency are the very popular in the United States, are pri ­ key words and, incidentally, al\ th e chefs marily destined for export. In two hours, th.e in attendance are impressed by the hygiene hal f-carcasses are all hanglng in a hall pro· standards in place. vided with hund reds of sprinklers spraying distilled water. Th is helps chill the carcass Besides that, we are especially aware of the during the 48 hours that the meat rests. respect for the animals. Up to the packaging, we have the impression that everyone is aware of the fact that the product that they Grading are processing was still alive just a few hours Once the period of rigor mortis is over, a before. There are laws to ensure that the ani­ very important quality control proce dure mals are slaughtered without stress. takes place. The carcass is cut at the level of Throughout the day, an inspector goes the ribeye to reveal meat that has a deep red through the pens sometimes literally on all colour and is magnificently marbled. A com­ fours, to regulate the movement and spacing puter installed in the grading hall is used to of the artimals. The hall that accommodates photograph that part of the meat and then the cattle is provided with air conditioning compare it with a reference photo. This sys. because the cool air and subdued lighting tern could be compared with a computer­ soothe the animals. When these 1,200·1,300 assisted evaluation of digital printing. The tender and juicy. The greatest characteris­ pound animals come in, mey make their way best quality fulfils the requirements for tic of the Black Angus is without question down a long lane until they reach a metal PRIME, followed by CHO ICE and SELECT. the fine marbli ng of its meat. We will go collar in which they usually place their head . into this subject in greater depth later on Before they realise what is happening, they A rail system takes the carcasses selected to at the . are stunned then slaughtered and hung up; the fab rication floor. Nearly 320 people are this all happens very quickly. cutting here with precision. Each employee This product is especially popular in the in this section has six weeks of training kitchens of the chefs who accompanied us. Once the artery is severed, the animal is bled before being able to work on a cut like a rib­ They value the quality as ·much as the con­ before arriving in a place called Slaughter 2, eye. Between each step of the process, dif· sistency of the product. As they emphasised, where its internal organs are removed and ferent labelling checks take place and close they cannot allow themselves to disappoint the carcass is cut in two. The carcass is then to ten people spend their day monitoring a customer! marked with a label containing all possible their colleagues' work. The meat is information. As you know, since the mad deboned, trimmed and vacuum packed in cow disease crisis, the spinal cord is taboo. under twO hours. A slaughterhouse that exports to the It is completely sucked out by an ingenious European Union vacuuming device. Before the carcass However reliable computers may be, noth­ We were already impressed by the quality reaches this stage, it has already been in g is left to chance and personnel stand of life of the cattle but we were just as impressed by the slaughterhouse. In Arkansas City, Kansas, in the immensity of the plains, a water tower and a gigantic com· plex indicated that we had arrived at our destination. We toured a phenomenal slaughterhouse that handles only Black Angus. As Europeans, we find it difficult to imagine that a slaughterhouse handles only a single breed. Per day, more than 1,100 head of cattle with their black coats are slaughtered there.

The slaughterhouse was built in collabora· tion with the Texas A&M University with the objective of achieving the highest quality beef possible. We have already mentioned the strict rules laid down by the European Union; their application is clearly in evidence when we are on site. Before the animals destined for Europe are

Sai!difjjier 6 by to ensure they operate correctly at each explains that" the Meat Packing District on planks to allow the meat to rest in the stage of the process. Checking that could best be compared with Rungis in best possible way. Thus the short loins vacuum packing is carried out correctly or Paris. Unfortunately a great many busi· rest in a room kept at 36°F with a humid· that the cuts are packaged in the right can· nesses here are disappearing. We have ity of more than 90%. The higher the tem· tainers are just a few examples of the nine trucks on the road every day and 60% perature, the faster the process will be. monitoring carried out. The containers are of the meat stays in Manhattan." The meat itself has a very high percent· th en conveyed with careful co ntrol age of humidity and the objective is to towards a distant Europe. A brief tour of the property led us to the cold reduce it. Meat is made up oj water, mus· rooms, a very impressive place. Hundreds of cle tissue and fat. Thanks to large fans batches of sides of beef were hanging there, that move the air in the cold room, the Meat hanging some of them still very fresh, others with a meat dries quickly. Then it has a deeper The countryside is far behind us as we deep black colour with a layer of fine mould and more intense fla vour and it becomes amble along through the Meat Packing on the outside. The odours that are released more tender. The bones and the fat on the District. This neighbourhood in the there are a cross between a 's shop outside protect the meat from harmful of New York City has lately become fash · and a cheese dryi ng room . bacteria." ionable. We are here to see the godfather of the place and are visiting DeBragga Dry Aging is a process that came naturally The meat is hung from 21 to 28 days and butcher's shop. Doug Roudda is the per­ decades ago when mea t was transported has a total weight loss of 22%. The excess son best able to explai n to us the meaning in full view of everyone in wagons fat is removed and only the best part of the of Dry Aging, hanging meat in a closely throughout the whole country. Doug meat kept. Meat processed in this way must, controlled and monitored environment. explains the evolution of this process to us after dreSSing, be cut in the days that follow DeBragga no longer slaughters animals but in the cold rooms. "The lines of sides of and be consumed rare. Doug tells us "it is has the cuts delivered to its depot. Doug bee/, bones andjat included, are arranged necessary to cook it just until the fat melts,

7 Sai!diffiier if not it will be too rich and hard to digest." blade. Jay cuts it vertically so that the con· Doug showed us a special order, meat hung nective tissue appears in the shape of a for nearly four months. "Here we are talking feather, which is called a jeathersteak here. about a weight loss oj around 50%. The This cut can be done in a different way, flavour that results from this is quite spe­ horizontally, thus eliminating the connec· cial, so you have to be a/an." Dry aged meat tive tissue to obtain two slices. "This cut is is more expensive than fresh meat. not only marvellous braised, it is also an exceilent , called the/latiron."

The technical cuts We could write several reviews to relate We learned in school that techniques for cut· have been analysed millimetre by millime· our whole American adventure to you. ting meat differ from one country to another. tre. The analysis thus makes it possible to And unfortunately we cannot share with These different cuts can produce some sur­ determine the best cut for each piece and you our savoury experiences in many prises. Jay McCarthy did a demonstration on to reveal the speCific features of each American restaurants, but one thing is cer· the subject of typically American meat cut­ muscle in the animal. tain: the impression and the memory that ting for the European chefs present in a we have of it remains unforgettable. We Manhattan studio. Our professor could be In the United States the fat is different from are not thinking just of size and quantity. described as a great specialist. He travels the what we are familiar with in Europe. It is We met with quality, taste, respect, friend­ world in orde r to promote American meat lighter in colour but also has more flavour. For liness and hospitality: significantly more and as a parallel activity he supervises five example, the coat of fat covering the sirloin expressive words. American beef is really restaurants in Colorado. can be used to make a pastry for a tart worth finding out about!

It is not possible for us to relate all the expla­ When we asked Jay what his favourite piece nations to you here but fortunately there is was, he immediately answered: the top an American work entitled The Meat Buyer's Guide that describes these cuts in detaiL This gUide presents all the technical cuts of beef, pork, lamb , and veal in the form of photos and drawings. For each one a concise explanation accompanies the photos and most importantly, each cut is numbered. If a chef wants to have his rib­ eye cut in a precise way, for example, all he has to do is give the number of the cut to his butcher. Jay: "The most important thing jor me is that a chef knows what he is get· ting. This little cut of meat required years of intensive work; it deserves respect."

Everyone knows that the USA is the land For more information on the product: of research. This offers certain advantages . United States Meat Export Federation To achieve the perfect , a pro­ (USMEF) in Brussels fessor has passed the animal through a type eu@usmejorg of scanner, thanks to which the muscles Tel. +3225141506

Sai!if'fff1ier 8 . w~ . Salsonnler www.saisonnier .eu