Australia Travel Story PART 4 ​​– On the cattle farm

The Margret River region is blessed with a mild climate, lots of sunshine, beautiful beaches, impressive eucalyptus forests and fertile fields. An area that leaves nothing to be desired in terms of cuisine - at least for me. You can find everything here: wine, fruit and vegetable farmers as well as cattle breeders. After guide Dennis Mifsud accompanied me to the Jindong Free Range Farm near the town of Bussleton, today we are visiting a cattle farm whose owners are taking a path away from conventional breeding and marketing methods.

Not far from Cape Leeuwin, the southernmost point of the region and home to the landmark lighthouse, Ashley and Kristy Edgar run a 26-hectare cattle farm. They specialize in premium beef. The feeling that they were simply doing the right thing was the decisive factor for the couple to choose sustainable cattle farming. With their “Leeuwin Grass-Fed Beef” label, the two now control all production and marketing steps. This was necessary in order to achieve a fair price for the quality meat, as Ashley tells me: “Kristy and I are the fifth generation to run cattle farming. When we had the opportunity to buy a 26-hectare farm here in the southwest in 2008, we jumped at the chance. The climatic conditions in this area are almost ideal for grazing, and the annual rainfall is fairly reliable. We were also able to lease an additional 400 hectares of land. A large area of ​​heavy, swampy soil on which clover mainly grows. That is enough to feed our 450 or so Angus and Murray Grey cattle 100 percent grass - even during the dry period. When fresh grass and clover are scarce, we feed them hay that we have cut from our own meadows. At first, Kristy and I sold the meat from our cattle through the usual trade channels with middlemen. But the proceeds fell short of our expectations and in no way reflected the high quality of the meat and the effort and hard work that is necessary for our type of breeding. We realized that we had to go to the consumer ourselves. That we had to inform them and convince them that it is worth paying a little more. That the type of animal husbandry is crucial for the quality of the meat.

Above: Best Angus beef in the cold room
Below: Ashley Edgar shows FIRE&FOOD the meat packing line

We started at the farmers' markets in the region. And it worked. Maybe we were just in the right place at the right time, but we were able to convince our customers and demand is growing all the time. We get great feedback from older people in particular when they tell us that the taste of our beef reminds them of the meat they enjoyed 30 years ago. We are on the right track and so the next steps were only logical for us. Now the animals stay on our farm from rearing to slaughter. They are killed in their familiar environment without being subjected to any stress beforehand. At the moment we process four cattle hand-picked from the pasture every week. This is not mass production, and this also has a positive effect on the quality of the meat. From the subsequent cutting through the maturing process to the pieces that are vacuum-packed and frozen in the portions requested by the customer, to delivery in our mobile refrigerated trailer directly to the door, everything is in our hands. From a quarter to a whole cow, everything can be ordered in the desired cuts, and most orders are placed online. And of course we are still represented at regional markets and in selected butchers' shops." That sounds like a more than fulfilling working life to me. When Ashley was asked about it, she laughed and agreed: "Simply putting our feet up and doing nothing is really not an option for us."

Ashley and Kristy's cattle grow - according to their own statements - without hormones or antibiotics. The huge pastures are only fertilized when necessary and only after an extensive soil sample has been taken. Raising cattle is a real family business: Ashley's father Ian has an eye for selecting the animals from the young cattle on the local farms that will later make good steaks. The cattle arrive at Leeuwin Farm weighing around 250 kilograms. They are usually ready for slaughter at 16 to 24 months and weigh around 500 kilograms. The slaughter date depends on when the marbling and flavor of the meat have reached their peak. During the conversation, Kristy emphasizes the health benefits of grass-fed meat for us consumers: "Compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed meat contains three times more vitamin E, the right ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and also has a significantly higher B-carotene content." The pair are now receiving many inquiries from overseas. But they don't want to rush anything and just want to grow and expand carefully.

It has been a very informative and inspiring day here on the farm, but it is time for Dennis and I to say goodbye. I am looking forward to finally trying the beef that Dennis will prepare for us on his portable grill. Last year 150 pigs reached slaughter maturity, this year James and Katie are expecting twice as many. At the moment the pigs are slaughtered at 24 weeks old and weigh around 50 kilograms. In the future the animals will only be slaughtered after 28 to 30 weeks at a weight of 60 to 70 kilograms, as the costs for the butcher are the same up to a weight of 100 kilograms. "We are very happy that the meat from our pigs has made it onto the menu of some of the best restaurants in the area. We want to expand our presence at local farmers' markets shortly, as more and more people want to know where the meat for their roast comes from and how the animals were allowed to grow up," James concludes, explaining his philosophy.

Recipe: Oyster Blade Roast
(Flat Iron Roast, Shoulder Piece)

Ingredients:

• approx. 1 kg Oyster Blade Roast
• 2 loaves of baguette

For the rub:
• 50 ml olive oil
• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 chilli finely chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

For the salad garnish:
• 1 cucumber
• 1 onion
• ½ head red cabbage
• a bit of salt

For the sauce:
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 4 tbsp BBQ sauce of your choice

Preparation:

Put the ingredients of the rub in a small bowl and mix. Leave the piece of oysterblade as a roast, rub it heavily with the rub and cover it and leave to cool for about 1 hour. Then heat the grill to about 110-120° C and grill the piece of meat indirectly.

During the cooking phase, the salad is prepared for the garnish. Grate the cabbage and cucumber, chop the onion and put it in a bowl and sprinkle with a little salt so that the salad can simmer for a while. Now prepare the sauce. Put all the ingredients in another bowl and mix well.

The meat is ready after about 3 hours. The core temperature for medium rare should be around 63-66° C. If the piece of roast is a little thicker, the cooking time will be a little longer. Once the core temperature has been reached, the piece should rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. In the meantime, the halved baguettes can be briefly toasted on the grill.
Now it's time to add the toppings. Spread some sauce on the baguette, add the cabbage and onion mix, then the meat slices, the cucumbers, some more sauce, put the baguette lid on and the delicious package is ready.