Let's face facts: good beef is expensive in the DR, and what we consider "good beef" here is average in the states.
Two years ago I posted about a new strain of local beef the owner of CCN (Supermercado Nacional, Jumbo, Casa Cuesta and a few other retail stores) was producing, a cross between Angus (yummy flavor) and Brahma (heat resistant) called Brangus: http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/157987-Prime-Beef-in-Santiago!?p=1719594&viewfull=1#post1719594
Well, it's here.
I got a heads up this new strain is being introduced in stores. The cattle are crossbred and raised in Jarabacoa, then shipped to the La Romana area for fattening and processing (sugar cane?).
I saw my first Brangus in the Nacional on Estrella Sadhala yesterday and bought two cuts, a 2lb. Cowboy (bone-in) ribeye and 1.5lb NY strip.
I'm cooking the strip this evening sous vide.
The price is RD$250 less than imported. I paid RD$545lb. for the rib-eye/ UD$5.00lb. is a LOT less.
But what about the quality? That remains to be seen. My first impression is slightly less marbling than the imported choice, and a little more red in color. Neither offers the WOW factor, although it looks much better than the usual domestic beef of similar cuts. More on the strip tomorrow.
Here is the ribeye:
The butchers pack in in a cute foil-lined bag. Not sure what difference it makes other than the vanity factor:
So stay tuned for my first effort at cooking higher-quality, locally-produced beef. But at that price we may eat more IF the quality is decent.
Stay tuned.
Pre-Props to CCN for pulling this off...
Two years ago I posted about a new strain of local beef the owner of CCN (Supermercado Nacional, Jumbo, Casa Cuesta and a few other retail stores) was producing, a cross between Angus (yummy flavor) and Brahma (heat resistant) called Brangus: http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/157987-Prime-Beef-in-Santiago!?p=1719594&viewfull=1#post1719594
Well, it's here.
I got a heads up this new strain is being introduced in stores. The cattle are crossbred and raised in Jarabacoa, then shipped to the La Romana area for fattening and processing (sugar cane?).
I saw my first Brangus in the Nacional on Estrella Sadhala yesterday and bought two cuts, a 2lb. Cowboy (bone-in) ribeye and 1.5lb NY strip.
I'm cooking the strip this evening sous vide.
The price is RD$250 less than imported. I paid RD$545lb. for the rib-eye/ UD$5.00lb. is a LOT less.
But what about the quality? That remains to be seen. My first impression is slightly less marbling than the imported choice, and a little more red in color. Neither offers the WOW factor, although it looks much better than the usual domestic beef of similar cuts. More on the strip tomorrow.
Here is the ribeye:
The butchers pack in in a cute foil-lined bag. Not sure what difference it makes other than the vanity factor:
So stay tuned for my first effort at cooking higher-quality, locally-produced beef. But at that price we may eat more IF the quality is decent.
Stay tuned.
Pre-Props to CCN for pulling this off...