Roll Poll Beef

[deestafford]

I was reading a cooking magazine yesterday and a chef was talking about how much he really liked roll poll beef that he got from a rancher in NC.  Does anyone know anything about it?  I think that's what it's called.  Dee

[teesquare]

Never heard of "rolled poll beef" Dee...

If he was talking about "polled" beef - that is a reference ( I think) to polled Hereford - or possibly other cattle that have no horns. That can be a breed type - or can be accomplished via the "de-horning" process.

We used to de-horn steers - in the belief that the potential of injuries to other cows would be lessened, and - that the food/energy expended in growing the horns would now got to adding market weight to the carcass.

If you can tell me the name of the article and where it is published - it may also be online...?

[deestafford]

Tee, I've tried to find the magazine it was in, I think it was Sauver (or something like that.  It's one of those gourmet mags I took from my son in law's house) and it was an issue which had a lot of top draw chefs, such as Frank Stitt of Birmingham, telling about some of their most favorite dishes.  One of them, who has a restaurant in Raleigh, mentioned that he found the beef in NC and the cattle are raised in a field with chest deep millet and other grains which resulted in high quality beef.  I must have thrown the mag out accidentally because I never get rid of anything to do with cooking.  Dee

[Ka Honu]

Red poll is a breed of cattle.

[deestafford]

I bet it would be easier for y'all if I knew what I was talking about.  Dee

[teesquare]

Tee, I've tried to find the magazine it was in, I think it was Sauver (or something like that.  It's one of those gourmet mags I took from my son in law's house) and it was an issue which had a lot of top draw chefs, such as Frank Stitt of Birmingham, telling about some of their most favorite dishes.  One of them, who has a restaurant in Raleigh, mentioned that he found the beef in NC and the cattle are raised in a field with chest deep millet and other grains which resulted in high quality beef.  I must have thrown the mag out accidentally because I never get rid of anything to do with cooking.  Dee

The only restaurant I am familiar with in the Raleigh/Durham area which is a very serious steak house ( also has what may be the best wine cellar in the South ) is the Hereford Barn.

Red poll is a breed of cattle.

Yep it is. Just as I said in my previous post, poll can refer to a breed type ( as in "Polled Hereford") or as a technique of removing horns from cattle that are not bred to be a "polled breed" from birth.

[Ka Honu]

dee - Your search is over.  Turns out Saveur magazine had a "top 100 food finds" article/list in late 2010 and red poll beef was one of the finds.

[teesquare]

The hard shelled one to the rescue!

Now.. do the right thing Ka - and send us samples to prove the article was right

[sliding_billy]

I just figured it was bad spelling for a chuck eye roll, pulled. 

[deestafford]

I found the magazine! Saveur, Jan  2011,  the chef's name is Andrea Reusing, of the Lantern restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC.  He says the Red Poll beef is raised on the Wilkshire farm.  The steers have grazed belly-deep in wheat, millet and alfalfa for tow years on the farm.  He says the cattle are bred for high quality dairy and fine grained beef with great marbling that has the effect of melted butter, bring with it all the complexity of the pasture.

I'd be interested if anyone has tried this beef and how much it was.

Dee