Beef
Q. What kind of beef is the Ancilla herd?
A. The herd is a mixed breed of Black Angus and Salers.
The Salers (French: race de Salers or La Salers; plural: Les Salers) is a breed of cattle which originated in Cantal in the Massif Central of France.(Wikipedia)
Angus cattle, known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world, are a breed of cattle commonly used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland.
Angus cattle are naturally polled and solid black or red although the udder may be white. The native color is black, but more recently red colors have emerged. The UK registers both in the same herd book, but in the US they are regarded as two separate breeds – Red Angus and Black Angus. Black Angus is the most common breed of beef cattle in the US, with 324,266 animals registered in 2005. In 2014, the British Cattle Movement Service named Angus the UK’s most popular native beef breed and the second most popular beef breed overall.
The breeds were mixed to produce a smaller calf for a more manageable birth, by the cow.
Q. What is the diet of the cattle?
A. Cattle graze in our pastures that are planted and maintained by our farm directors. Their diet consists of pasture grass until three to six months prior to market. Ancilla Beef & Grain Farm grows its own hay, corn, soybeans, oats, alfalfa and triticale.
Q. What is the difference between a Porterhouse steak and a T-Bone steak?
A. The Tenderloin Filet extends into the short loin section. A tenderloin filet is a long tubular shape that is thicker at one end and thinner on the opposite end. The Porterhouse is cut from the rear-end of the short loin which contains a larger portion of filet. The T-bone is cut from the front end of the short sirloin which has a smaller filet portion.
To be called a Porterhouse, its filet portion must be at least 1.25 inches thick. The filet on the T-bone must be at least 0.5 inches thick. Therefore, the T-bone would include any portion of filet between 1.24 and 0.5 inches thick. Any filet portion at or above 1.25 inches thick would be a Porterhouse. You might look at it this way. A Porterhouse is the “King of the T-Bones”.
Q. Is the beef fresh or frozen?
A. Our beef is taken direct to the processor from our farm and prepared then frozen immediately.
Q. What does “lean” mean?
A. According to the USDA, a 3.5-ounce cooked serving of beef designated as “lean” contains:
4.5 grams or less of saturated fat
Less than 10 grams of total fat
Less than 95 mg of cholesterol
On average, a 3-ounce serving of beef is about 170 calories, and an excellent source of six nutrients (protein, zinc, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12), and is a good source of four nutrients (phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and choline).
Q. How do we get our order?
A. You may pick up your order at The Center at Donaldson’s main building located at 9601 Union Road, Donaldson Indiana 46513. GPS locator: 9601 Union Road, Plymouth IN 46563
Q. When can we pick up our order?
A. Order pick-up times have been extended! 9am to 9pm! Walk-in requests remain 9am to 3pm. Monday – Friday, except federal holidays.
Q. Who processes the beef?
A. Manley Meats (canned meat) and Martins Custom Butchering and Slabaughs Meat Processing.
Storing
Q. What is the shelf life of the canned Holy Cow beef?
A. Generally, three (3) years from the processing date on the can.
Q. What is the shelf life of the frozen beef cuts?
A. Generally, beef kept frozen in the freezer is good for 12 to 18 months.