What's Special About Black Angus? | Ward's Supermarket (2024)

FAQs

What is special about Black Angus? ›

Black Angus Beef is sourced from Angus cattle, which are known for naturally abundant marbling resulting in tender, flavorful beef. “Black Angus” refers to cattle whose hides are predominantly black and are best known for their consistency and reliable quality brought on by Angus genetics.

Angus are known for the high level of marbling in their meat. A lot of marbling keeps the meat moist for longer when cooking. And where there's marbling, there's tender, juicy and flavoursome beef.

Aberdeen Angus cattle are naturally polled and can be black or red in colour although black is the dominant colour, white may occasionally appear on the udder. They are resistant to harsh weather, undemanding, adaptable, good natured, mature extremely early and have a high carcass yield with nicely marbled meat.

Angus frequently grades better on the USDA scale, but that doesn't mean that Angus is a grade of quality or that anything you buy labeled Angus is going to be better than any other cut. Actually, Angus beef has very little to do with the quality of the meat. Rather, Angus is the name of the breed of cattle.

Genetically, Red and Black Angus have only minor differences. The biggest and most notable difference is the hide color. Red and Black Angus each have strengths that slightly out-do the other. Black Angus tend to be a little larger while Red Angus are known for their maternal traits.

Compared to other beef types, Angus beef offers a distinct taste and texture experience, which is highly sought after by chefs and connoisseurs, thereby justifying its higher cost. Consumers are paying not just for the beef itself, but for the assurance of quality, taste, and the rigorous process behind its production.

One of the advantages of Certified Angus Beef is that it's naturally lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol compared to conventional beef. This is due to the strict quality standards for marbling, which means that the meat is naturally leaner and healthier.

Farmers like the breed because it's naturally muscular and matures faster resulting in a good meat yield. Steak Eaters love Angus beef because it is fatty, tasty and likely to have a higher degree of marbling (this is where fat is dispersed through the red meat – usually like little white specs).

Meat or beef cows live for 1.5-2 years in the commercial beef industry. However, the natural life of beef cattle is between 15-20 years. Heifers and cows (female cattle) often live for between 5-6 years as they breed to produce the next generation of beef cattle.

Why do black cattle sell better? ›

No. Black hide cattle do not necessarily bring more money in a livestock auction ring than other hide colors. What buyers are actually looking for are high-quality cattle. In this instance, that means cattle that have heavy bones and heavy muscle.

To put the record price in some perspective, good quality bulls on the open market typically sell for between $5,000 and $8,000.

Surprisingly, Black Angus doesn't refer to a cut or grade of beef or how cattle are raised. It refers to specific breeds of cattle – Red Angus and Black Angus. Angus cattle (or Aberdeen Angus as they're sometimes known) originated from the county of Angus in Scotland.

Black Angus filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef used for steaks. It comes from the smaller end of the tenderloin and should be well-marbled. You can grill it or cook it in a skillet and is best served blue rare or rare. Blue rare is a style of cooking that is becoming very popular for meat lovers.

It really depends on what you're looking for in a steak! If you're looking for something luxurious with incredibly rich flavor then Wagyu beef is the way to go. If you're looking for something with a strong beef flavor, then Angus beef is the way to go.

Most animals with a black hide qualify at the point of slaughter as being “black Angus” whether they are Angus, crossbreeds, or any other entirely different breed. Because black hides get a premium price due to the marketing program, breeds that were once other colors have been infused with black genetics.

Black hide cattle do not necessarily bring more money in a livestock auction ring than other hide colors. What buyers are actually looking for are high-quality cattle. In this instance, that means cattle that have heavy bones and heavy muscle. Muscle equals meat.

Because they are both different types of Angus cattle, they have the same strengths and weaknesses. Such strengths include having excellent maternal traits, fertility, calving (or freshening) ease, and great marbling. Some weaknesses include having a low heat tolerance and low carcass cutability.

Marbling. The marbling in beef refers to the white streaks of fat in the meat. The more of these white fatty streaks, the tastier the meat. One of the main things Angus beef is known for is the higher amount of marbling in the meat.