<![CDATA[TMR Zoo Message Board - Beer, Food and Liquor]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 01:08:27 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Beer Alert!!!!]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=12004 Sun, 24 Nov 2019 22:25:37 +0000 Aceman]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=12004
However - a few of you in-the-know are aware of a hybrid - not unlike the 59/Custom.  If you have been fortunate to ever be anywhere that they have the 60 and the 90 on tap, you get a half & half, AKA the Dogfish Head "75" (60+90)/2 = 75.  

It is an IPA of the highest caliber.  All of the smoothness of the 60, with the power of the 90, yet bolder than the 60 with none of the harsher bite of the 90.  A truly refined styling!

Well, much to my surprise on a Holiday brew run, I saw this in my Total Wine:

[Image: 75minute-stiles-packaging-12_crop.jpg?itok=eITnrcEP]]]>
However - a few of you in-the-know are aware of a hybrid - not unlike the 59/Custom.  If you have been fortunate to ever be anywhere that they have the 60 and the 90 on tap, you get a half & half, AKA the Dogfish Head "75" (60+90)/2 = 75.  

It is an IPA of the highest caliber.  All of the smoothness of the 60, with the power of the 90, yet bolder than the 60 with none of the harsher bite of the 90.  A truly refined styling!

Well, much to my surprise on a Holiday brew run, I saw this in my Total Wine:

[Image: 75minute-stiles-packaging-12_crop.jpg?itok=eITnrcEP]]]> <![CDATA[Hay Fellow Vegans...]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11370 Fri, 24 Aug 2018 22:53:00 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11370
Now you can enjoy bacon too!

___

BACON LOVERS: YOU CAN MAKE A CRISPY VEGAN VERSION OUT OF—WAIT FOR IT—RICE PAPER

 Share  Tweet  Pin It
[img=40x0]https://www.wellandgood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/tehrene-firman-1-150x150.jpg[/img]
GOOD FOOD
 TEHRENE FIRMAN, AUGUST 24, 2018




[img=840x0]https://www.wellandgood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/vegan-bacon-recipe-3_2-1024x683-Photo-Huggins.jpg[/img]
 PIN IT
Photo: Vegan Huggs
[/url]
There are plenty of ways to make vegan bacon: You can [url=https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/the-vegan-shop-up-food-market-is-coming-to-manhattan-this-weekend/]create it from zucchini, mushrooms, tempeh, carrots—seriously, the options are nearly endless. One way in particular that’s sure to drop your jaw though? Using none other than rice paper—you know, the item that holds together delicious veggie-packed summer rolls—are the star ingredient.
The genius idea—originally created by the Danish duo Veganer.nu back in 2016—instantly sparked a widespread trend that only continues to grow. More recently, Melissa Huggins, the food blogger behind Vegan Huggs, came up with a version that uses a handful of ingredients to make the rice-paper version taste pretty darn close to the real thing. “Now, I can’t lie and say the rice paper bacon has the same texture as pig bacon because it’s missing the fattiness. However, it’s crispy and slightly chewy with all the sweet, smoky, salty, and umami flavors we’re addicted to,” she writes on her blog.

Quote:“It’s crispy and slightly chewy with all the sweet, smoky, salty, and umami flavors we’re addicted to.” —Melissa Huggins, food blogger
To get the melt-in-you-mouth taste, don’t skip Huggins’ secret: super-bacon-y marinade, which involves ingredients like tamari, maple syrup, liquid smoke, molasses, and garlic. And there’s a certain technique to get that crispiness too. Instead of dipping the pieces of rice paper directly in the mix, she first softens them under water then lays them on a flat surface and lightly brushes the marinade on each side, making sure not to put on too much, which can lead to sogginess and chewiness.
After cutting the rice paper into thick strips, they go onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. But before putting them in the oven at 375°F for five to seven  minutes, there’s one trick you can use to amp up your vegan bacon-eating experience even more: “This next step is optional and will create a slightly chewier texture on the edge of the bacon,” Huggins writes. “Just lightly brush the marinade on half of the bacon strip. No need to flip it over, one side is enough.” What results is a crispy treat that saves the piggies and keeps your heart healthy.]]>
Now you can enjoy bacon too!

___

BACON LOVERS: YOU CAN MAKE A CRISPY VEGAN VERSION OUT OF—WAIT FOR IT—RICE PAPER

 Share  Tweet  Pin It
[img=40x0]https://www.wellandgood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/tehrene-firman-1-150x150.jpg[/img]
GOOD FOOD
 TEHRENE FIRMAN, AUGUST 24, 2018




[img=840x0]https://www.wellandgood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/vegan-bacon-recipe-3_2-1024x683-Photo-Huggins.jpg[/img]
 PIN IT
Photo: Vegan Huggs
[/url]
There are plenty of ways to make vegan bacon: You can [url=https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/the-vegan-shop-up-food-market-is-coming-to-manhattan-this-weekend/]create it from zucchini, mushrooms, tempeh, carrots—seriously, the options are nearly endless. One way in particular that’s sure to drop your jaw though? Using none other than rice paper—you know, the item that holds together delicious veggie-packed summer rolls—are the star ingredient.
The genius idea—originally created by the Danish duo Veganer.nu back in 2016—instantly sparked a widespread trend that only continues to grow. More recently, Melissa Huggins, the food blogger behind Vegan Huggs, came up with a version that uses a handful of ingredients to make the rice-paper version taste pretty darn close to the real thing. “Now, I can’t lie and say the rice paper bacon has the same texture as pig bacon because it’s missing the fattiness. However, it’s crispy and slightly chewy with all the sweet, smoky, salty, and umami flavors we’re addicted to,” she writes on her blog.

Quote:“It’s crispy and slightly chewy with all the sweet, smoky, salty, and umami flavors we’re addicted to.” —Melissa Huggins, food blogger
To get the melt-in-you-mouth taste, don’t skip Huggins’ secret: super-bacon-y marinade, which involves ingredients like tamari, maple syrup, liquid smoke, molasses, and garlic. And there’s a certain technique to get that crispiness too. Instead of dipping the pieces of rice paper directly in the mix, she first softens them under water then lays them on a flat surface and lightly brushes the marinade on each side, making sure not to put on too much, which can lead to sogginess and chewiness.
After cutting the rice paper into thick strips, they go onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. But before putting them in the oven at 375°F for five to seven  minutes, there’s one trick you can use to amp up your vegan bacon-eating experience even more: “This next step is optional and will create a slightly chewier texture on the edge of the bacon,” Huggins writes. “Just lightly brush the marinade on half of the bacon strip. No need to flip it over, one side is enough.” What results is a crispy treat that saves the piggies and keeps your heart healthy.]]> <![CDATA[Wish I Were in Tijuana... Eating Barbecued...]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11315 Fri, 22 Jun 2018 00:17:36 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11315
]]>
]]> <![CDATA[She's Back...]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11233 Mon, 19 Mar 2018 16:52:28 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11233
]]>
]]> <![CDATA[I Don't Think He Used Enough Grease!]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11230 Fri, 16 Mar 2018 22:09:03 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11230
]]>
]]> <![CDATA[Let's Try...]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11222 Sat, 10 Mar 2018 13:09:55 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11222
Remember the best ones come from Louisiana!
[Image: 16cb68f255298920c02fd8630fb36902.gif]



]]>
Remember the best ones come from Louisiana!
[Image: 16cb68f255298920c02fd8630fb36902.gif]



]]> <![CDATA[Craft Beers]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11177 Sun, 21 Jan 2018 06:22:31 +0000 GoldenVulture]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=11177 [It's a pity, I don't drink beer ] :toast:

[Image: attachment.php?aid=786]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=787]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=788]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=789]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=790]]]> [It's a pity, I don't drink beer ] :toast:

[Image: attachment.php?aid=786]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=787]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=788]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=789]

[Image: attachment.php?aid=790]]]> <![CDATA[Good News for Ranch Dressing Lovers...]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10725 Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:17:17 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10725
[Image: KEG-HVR-NEW_1024x1024.jpg?v=1510027684]

https://www.flavourgallery.com/products/...-ranch-keg]]>
[Image: KEG-HVR-NEW_1024x1024.jpg?v=1510027684]

https://www.flavourgallery.com/products/...-ranch-keg]]> <![CDATA[They are still making bathtub gin?]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10585 Mon, 14 Aug 2017 09:46:24 +0000 Securb]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10585
Quote:The Mexican government has long been aware of its problems with counterfeit and otherwise illicit alcohol. As much as 36% of the alcohol consumed in the country is illegal, according to a 2017 report by Euromonitor International.


That means the alcohol is sold or produced under unregulated circumstances and is potentially dangerous. The study, conducted in collaboration with the nation’s Tax Administration Service, found that was an improvement from two years earlier, when 43% was illegal.
]]>
Quote:The Mexican government has long been aware of its problems with counterfeit and otherwise illicit alcohol. As much as 36% of the alcohol consumed in the country is illegal, according to a 2017 report by Euromonitor International.


That means the alcohol is sold or produced under unregulated circumstances and is potentially dangerous. The study, conducted in collaboration with the nation’s Tax Administration Service, found that was an improvement from two years earlier, when 43% was illegal.
]]> <![CDATA[Behold! The...]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10517 Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:35:28 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10517
Minor League Baseball Team Has Released The Chickle, A Pickle Stuffed With Chicken

May 18, 2017 by Chris Durso Leave a Comment
[img=890x0]http://occ144datkn3vrjlq7r63p19.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chickle.jpg[/img]
The Fresno Grizzlies, sometimes known as The Tacos, is having some fun with food again. Their latest entry is the Chickle, a spicy chicken and pickle hybrid.
However, this is no chicken sandwich with lame pickle slices included. In this age of bun-less eating, the pickle houses the chicken in some sort of franken-taco. The Chickle will be available at today’s Grizzlies’ game.
[img=890x0]http://occ144datkn3vrjlq7r63p19.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chickle.j-2pg.jpg[/img]
[link, via Food and Wine]]]>
Minor League Baseball Team Has Released The Chickle, A Pickle Stuffed With Chicken

May 18, 2017 by Chris Durso Leave a Comment
[img=890x0]http://occ144datkn3vrjlq7r63p19.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chickle.jpg[/img]
The Fresno Grizzlies, sometimes known as The Tacos, is having some fun with food again. Their latest entry is the Chickle, a spicy chicken and pickle hybrid.
However, this is no chicken sandwich with lame pickle slices included. In this age of bun-less eating, the pickle houses the chicken in some sort of franken-taco. The Chickle will be available at today’s Grizzlies’ game.
[img=890x0]http://occ144datkn3vrjlq7r63p19.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chickle.j-2pg.jpg[/img]
[link, via Food and Wine]]]> <![CDATA[Make You Some!]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10502 Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:44:08 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10502 ]]> ]]> <![CDATA[Make You Some!]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10501 Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:33:39 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10501 ]]> ]]> <![CDATA[Hmm... This is Interesting....]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10332 Tue, 11 Apr 2017 13:00:44 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10332
http://www.eater.com/2017/4/6/15191330/t...taco-shell

Can't remember when I last ate at a Taco Bell, gotta be close to 10 years, but this might make me break that streak.]]>
http://www.eater.com/2017/4/6/15191330/t...taco-shell

Can't remember when I last ate at a Taco Bell, gotta be close to 10 years, but this might make me break that streak.]]> <![CDATA[A Capital Idea!]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10279 Mon, 06 Mar 2017 18:25:56 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10279 Raw Cookie Dough Shop Proves Big Hit in New York

By Spooky on March 3rd, 2017 Category: Foods


We all loved eating raw cookie dough when we were children, but apparently a lot of adults like it too. DO Cookie Dough Confections, a small shop in Greenwich Village, New York, sells roughly 1,500 pounds of safe-to-eat raw cookie dough every day to people willing to spend over an hour in line for a chance to relive their childhood fantasies.
28-year-old Kristen Tomlan, the founder and CEO of DO Cookie Dough Confections never outgrew her craving for raw cookie dough. She always wondered why there wasn’t a place where people could enjoy their favorite treat, and started contemplating the idea of opening up her own business on a vacation, when she and a few friends stopped at a cookie shop, but instead of buying baked treats, they opted for a tub of raw cookie dough, which they ate in the car.
In 2014, Tomlan almost died after an allergic reaction to an antibiotic left her in a medically induced coma for three weeks, just a couple of months before her wedding. This near-death experience made her realize that life is short and she should follow her dreams. She first started her raw-cookie dough business online, and after getting coverage on a couple of popular websites, she and her husband had to rearrange the furniture in their apartment to accommodate commercial freezers. She soon quit her job in branding to focus solely on her business.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough-600x600.jpg]
This January, DO Cookie Dough Confections opened as a brick-and-mortar shop in Greenwich Village, and dozens of people have been lining up outside to sample the wide variety of cookie doughs ever since. The shop opens at 10:00 am, but customers start lining up outside as early as 8:30, and Tomlan says she had to to staff up to keep up with demand. “I knew I loved cookie dough, and I knew other people loved cookie dough, but I did not expect this,” the young entrepreneur told TIME Magazine.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough5-600x600.jpg]
DO Cookie Dough Confections sells raw cookie dough in 13 delicious flavors, including chocolate chip, red velvet, fluffernutter and peanut butter snickerdoodle. The shop offers a variety of gluten-free and vegan options as well, and is constantly working on new recipes.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough6-600x600.jpg]
A scoop of raw cookie dough costs $4 and can be served in either an ice-cream cone or a paper cup. Tomlan says that her dough can be used to bake cookies, but the shop is set up more like an ice-cream parlor, catering to people who prefer to enjoy it raw.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough2-600x579.jpg]
But didn’t mommy used to say that eating too much of it can make you sick to your stomach? The FDA confirms that, but only when it comes to home-made dough and batter, due to the possible contamination of ingredients with bacteria that can cause severe gastro-intestinal problems. Commercially available dough, like those sold at DO Cookie Dough Confections and in popular ice-creams is perfectly safe to eat.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough3-600x738.jpg]
To ensure that clients don’t have to deal with a tummy ache, Tomlan and her staff only use heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs, so the dough is perfectly safe to eat raw.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough4-600x600.jpg]
Following the early success of her first brick-and-mortar shop, Kristen Tomlan estimates that DO will sell ten times more cookie dough this year than it did in 2016. Although many investors have expressed interest in her business, she claims to remain self-funded for now.
 
Photos: DO Cookie Dough Confections/Facebook]]> Raw Cookie Dough Shop Proves Big Hit in New York

By Spooky on March 3rd, 2017 Category: Foods


We all loved eating raw cookie dough when we were children, but apparently a lot of adults like it too. DO Cookie Dough Confections, a small shop in Greenwich Village, New York, sells roughly 1,500 pounds of safe-to-eat raw cookie dough every day to people willing to spend over an hour in line for a chance to relive their childhood fantasies.
28-year-old Kristen Tomlan, the founder and CEO of DO Cookie Dough Confections never outgrew her craving for raw cookie dough. She always wondered why there wasn’t a place where people could enjoy their favorite treat, and started contemplating the idea of opening up her own business on a vacation, when she and a few friends stopped at a cookie shop, but instead of buying baked treats, they opted for a tub of raw cookie dough, which they ate in the car.
In 2014, Tomlan almost died after an allergic reaction to an antibiotic left her in a medically induced coma for three weeks, just a couple of months before her wedding. This near-death experience made her realize that life is short and she should follow her dreams. She first started her raw-cookie dough business online, and after getting coverage on a couple of popular websites, she and her husband had to rearrange the furniture in their apartment to accommodate commercial freezers. She soon quit her job in branding to focus solely on her business.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough-600x600.jpg]
This January, DO Cookie Dough Confections opened as a brick-and-mortar shop in Greenwich Village, and dozens of people have been lining up outside to sample the wide variety of cookie doughs ever since. The shop opens at 10:00 am, but customers start lining up outside as early as 8:30, and Tomlan says she had to to staff up to keep up with demand. “I knew I loved cookie dough, and I knew other people loved cookie dough, but I did not expect this,” the young entrepreneur told TIME Magazine.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough5-600x600.jpg]
DO Cookie Dough Confections sells raw cookie dough in 13 delicious flavors, including chocolate chip, red velvet, fluffernutter and peanut butter snickerdoodle. The shop offers a variety of gluten-free and vegan options as well, and is constantly working on new recipes.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough6-600x600.jpg]
A scoop of raw cookie dough costs $4 and can be served in either an ice-cream cone or a paper cup. Tomlan says that her dough can be used to bake cookies, but the shop is set up more like an ice-cream parlor, catering to people who prefer to enjoy it raw.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough2-600x579.jpg]
But didn’t mommy used to say that eating too much of it can make you sick to your stomach? The FDA confirms that, but only when it comes to home-made dough and batter, due to the possible contamination of ingredients with bacteria that can cause severe gastro-intestinal problems. Commercially available dough, like those sold at DO Cookie Dough Confections and in popular ice-creams is perfectly safe to eat.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough3-600x738.jpg]
To ensure that clients don’t have to deal with a tummy ache, Tomlan and her staff only use heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs, so the dough is perfectly safe to eat raw.
[Image: raw-cookie-dough4-600x600.jpg]
Following the early success of her first brick-and-mortar shop, Kristen Tomlan estimates that DO will sell ten times more cookie dough this year than it did in 2016. Although many investors have expressed interest in her business, she claims to remain self-funded for now.
 
Photos: DO Cookie Dough Confections/Facebook]]> <![CDATA[The Secret to Tastier Beef!]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10115 Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:42:15 +0000 lreese]]> http://www.tmrzoo.com/boards/showthread.php?tid=10115 http://www.odditycentral.com/news/austra...-beef.html

Hmm - Chocolate cows!  After all you are what you eat.



Australian Cattle Farm Claims Feeding Cows Chocolate Is the Secret to Tastier Beef

By Spooky on November 29th, 2016 Category: News


They say chocolate makes everything better, and apparently premium wagyu beef is no exception. For the past 10 years, the Mayura Station Farm in southern Australia has been feeding its full-blood wagyu cattle chocolate and other sweets mixed with their regular feed, and the results have been spectacular.
When Scott de Bruin, managing partner at Mayura Station, returned to his father’s farm in the Limestone coast of Australia, in 1998, he knew he wanted to do something special to make their beef stand out from that of other luxury cattle farms around the world. But he didn’t know exactly how he was going to do that, so he consulted a cattle nutrition specialist from Japan and spent two years experimenting with different feed before deciding on the final daily ration for his wagyu cows – a special mix of regular feed, chocolate, gummy bears, strawberries and cream flavored gummy snakes. Each cow eats up to 2 kilograms of ground and partially broken chocolate delivered by Cadbury’s every day.
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows2-600x547.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
Adding chocolate to the daily diet of cows at Mayura Station started out as a simple experiment, but it ended up making their luxury beef one of the most appreciated in the world. “Many of my customers come to enjoy Mayura beef two to three times a week. They love how the beef has the perfect balance of fat, rich flavor and tender texture,” Michelin star chef Umberto Bombana told Forbes Magazine.
Shane Osborn, Head Chef and Co-Owner of Arcane Restaurant in Hong Kong, added that its unique sweetness, hint of nuttiness and buttery texture make Mayura beef “the ultimate steak”.
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows-600x600.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
Although he first started feeding his cattle chocolate in 2006, Scott de Bruin claims that he only realized how important it was to the quality of the meat in 2010, when he decided to take it out of the animals’ diet to make the meat pinker and more marbled. Two months later, clients started phoning in and asking ‘What have you done? Your Wagyu doesn’t taste like it used to anymore’. So de Bruin immediately reverted to including chocolates again.
De Bruin says he begins feeding calves chocolate when they are 30 months old, but only a bit of it, with the ration increasing the closer they get to the slaughterhouse. “The last two rations are about producing as much marbling as we possibly can, so that’s why they consume such a high-calorie ration,” he told VICE Munchies. “Think about it. If you eat a lot of chocolate, you’re probably marbled really well.”
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows3-600x450.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
Asked if the milk chocolate has a negative effect on the cattle’s health, Scott de Bruin says “No, unlike humans – who may start eating chocolates at a very young age for over several decades – these cattle (raised on chocolates for only four months) won’t see the long-term negative effects of chocolates in their system.”
“People ask me about the ethics of feeding chocolate to cows. But they’re not on a long timeline here, they are going to go to baby cow heaven soon, but this way they are happier and taste better,” the Mayura Station manager said. “All I can say is that in those last four months, they are really, really happy cows.”
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows4-600x600.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
As you can imagine, Mayura luxury beef is not cheap. Forbes reports that a 10.5oz-steak sells for $288, but those who can afford it claim it’s worth every penny.
Interestingly, feeding cattle chocolate and other sweets is not unheard of. In 2012, a surge in corn prices forced farmers to feed their cows chocolate, gummy sweets and marshmallows, since their four stomachs help them digest pretty much anything, but Mayura Station is the only one using the unusual feed to enhance the flavor of the beef.
]]> http://www.odditycentral.com/news/austra...-beef.html

Hmm - Chocolate cows!  After all you are what you eat.



Australian Cattle Farm Claims Feeding Cows Chocolate Is the Secret to Tastier Beef

By Spooky on November 29th, 2016 Category: News


They say chocolate makes everything better, and apparently premium wagyu beef is no exception. For the past 10 years, the Mayura Station Farm in southern Australia has been feeding its full-blood wagyu cattle chocolate and other sweets mixed with their regular feed, and the results have been spectacular.
When Scott de Bruin, managing partner at Mayura Station, returned to his father’s farm in the Limestone coast of Australia, in 1998, he knew he wanted to do something special to make their beef stand out from that of other luxury cattle farms around the world. But he didn’t know exactly how he was going to do that, so he consulted a cattle nutrition specialist from Japan and spent two years experimenting with different feed before deciding on the final daily ration for his wagyu cows – a special mix of regular feed, chocolate, gummy bears, strawberries and cream flavored gummy snakes. Each cow eats up to 2 kilograms of ground and partially broken chocolate delivered by Cadbury’s every day.
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows2-600x547.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
Adding chocolate to the daily diet of cows at Mayura Station started out as a simple experiment, but it ended up making their luxury beef one of the most appreciated in the world. “Many of my customers come to enjoy Mayura beef two to three times a week. They love how the beef has the perfect balance of fat, rich flavor and tender texture,” Michelin star chef Umberto Bombana told Forbes Magazine.
Shane Osborn, Head Chef and Co-Owner of Arcane Restaurant in Hong Kong, added that its unique sweetness, hint of nuttiness and buttery texture make Mayura beef “the ultimate steak”.
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows-600x600.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
Although he first started feeding his cattle chocolate in 2006, Scott de Bruin claims that he only realized how important it was to the quality of the meat in 2010, when he decided to take it out of the animals’ diet to make the meat pinker and more marbled. Two months later, clients started phoning in and asking ‘What have you done? Your Wagyu doesn’t taste like it used to anymore’. So de Bruin immediately reverted to including chocolates again.
De Bruin says he begins feeding calves chocolate when they are 30 months old, but only a bit of it, with the ration increasing the closer they get to the slaughterhouse. “The last two rations are about producing as much marbling as we possibly can, so that’s why they consume such a high-calorie ration,” he told VICE Munchies. “Think about it. If you eat a lot of chocolate, you’re probably marbled really well.”
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows3-600x450.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
Asked if the milk chocolate has a negative effect on the cattle’s health, Scott de Bruin says “No, unlike humans – who may start eating chocolates at a very young age for over several decades – these cattle (raised on chocolates for only four months) won’t see the long-term negative effects of chocolates in their system.”
“People ask me about the ethics of feeding chocolate to cows. But they’re not on a long timeline here, they are going to go to baby cow heaven soon, but this way they are happier and taste better,” the Mayura Station manager said. “All I can say is that in those last four months, they are really, really happy cows.”
[Image: chocolate-fed-cows4-600x600.jpg]
Photo: Mayura Station
As you can imagine, Mayura luxury beef is not cheap. Forbes reports that a 10.5oz-steak sells for $288, but those who can afford it claim it’s worth every penny.
Interestingly, feeding cattle chocolate and other sweets is not unheard of. In 2012, a surge in corn prices forced farmers to feed their cows chocolate, gummy sweets and marshmallows, since their four stomachs help them digest pretty much anything, but Mayura Station is the only one using the unusual feed to enhance the flavor of the beef.
]]>