Andrew Shufflebotham of Heathfield Farm in Cheshire is a member of our Society Council who manages the Cheerbrook Angus herd and farm shop with his wife Sarah. We’ve been chatting to Andrew to learn more about his farm shop and experience with beef cattle, and we even got some insight into his top three Aberdeen-Angus beef recipes which are sure to get your taste buds tingling!
We’d also like to encourage all other members, young and old, to share with us their top Aberdeen-Angus beef recipes. We’ll be sharing them out on the Society Facebook page, using them for a recipe section on the website, and even publishing the best ones in the upcoming 100th edition of the Aberdeen-Angus Review – what better incentive could you want! So please send your own recipes (along with photographs!) direct to Denvir on [email protected].
How long have you had the Farm Shop, and why do you enjoy it so much?
”The Farm shop first opened its doors on the 1st October 2000, after demand being so high at local Farmers Markets. Initially the main use of the farm was for pigs, however diversification came about after a crash in the pig industry.
It all started with myself and one butcher, we had to learn the trade from scratch! We learned so much from other butchers from visiting and training with them. It’s great to see how far we’ve come with us now employing seven butchers and a total of fifty staff.
Although Cheerbrook was initially a pig farm, my passion has always been with the cattle industry. The challenge of improving every generation by genetic selection is so rewarding when you get it right. Seeing the end product on display for the consumer focuses the mind on what the industry is all about. This, combined with a love of food, made the opening of a Farm Shop an easy decision.”
What do you think makes Aberdeen-Angus beef so good?
”The Aberdeen-Angus brand is so huge and well known that it has become very popular with consumers. The native breed boasts great flavours and tenderness, making it a real winner for the consumer ticking all the right boxes.”
As an advocate of the breed and a retailer myself, my main goal is for my customer to be happy and for them to keep coming back. The industry needs to understand the latest trends as customer shopping habits are ever changing. It is important to ensure customers are eating good quality products and that our product is consistent. Consumers are becoming more demanding and want consistency, this needs to be considered in our breeding plans and the traits we select for. This ensures we are giving the customers the best quality meat with tenderness and taste to keep them coming through the door.”
What are your top three Aberdeen-Angus Beef recipes?
”Here is a list of my top three Aberdeen-Angus beef recipes which are super easy and delicious to make.
FEATHER BLADE WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE
Feather blade is taken from the underside of the shoulder blade, it is a French delicacy. A lot of UK butchers just class it as stew beef, however left as a muscle and slowly cooked, it has fantastic flavour and makes an amazing slow roast.
Ingredients:
1kg Feather Blade
4 Rashers of smoked bacon
250g Button Mushrooms
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Onions
1 Pot Crème Fraiche (approx. 200g)
2tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
500ml Beef Stock or Beer
50g Butter
Process:
Season beef and sear on a hot griddle.
Place in a sealed roasting tin with the stock or beer, place in oven at 140C for 4 hours.
Fry bacon in griddle pan, once rendered down add chopped onion and crushed garlic.
Add Balsamic Vinegar.
When softened place butter in pan and sauté the mushrooms.
Add crème fraiche when ready to serve.
Great served with mini jacket potatoes (or mash) and seasonal greens.
SHORT RIBS
This cut has become very fashionable over the last few years with American trends and rightly so.
Ingredients:
Short Rib of Beef (also called thin ribs/Jacobs ladder) – 4 bones
2 Onions
1 Garlic Clove
1tsp Five Spice
250ml Honey
4tbsp Soy Sauce
100g Brown Sugar
500ml Beef Stock
Process:
Rub Five Spice on rib and place in roasting tin with stock and cover with foil.
Place in low oven 120C for 6 hours.
Combine the rest of the ingredients.
Remove rib from oven, reduce stock on hob while glazing beef with marinade.
Return to oven uncovered at 200C for 15 minutes, glazing every 5.
Serve with reduced stock, new potatoes and salad in the Summer months.
ITALIAN STYLE MEATBALLS
An easy mid-week meal that everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients:
MEATBALLS:
1kg Minced beef
1 Tin chopped tomatoes
Fresh basil
100g Breadcrumbs
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp Ground Pepper
Process:
Mix mince and seasoning in a bowl and work until sticky – this process draws out the protein which will ensure the meatballs stay in shape.
Add tomatoes, work into sticky meat.
Add breadcrumbs and basil – combine and then roll into balls.
Roast in oven at 190C until browned, then remove and cover in a sauce of your choice.
Return to oven until bubbling.
Serve with pasta, garlic bread, parmesan and a green salad.”
A big thank you is extended to Andrew for sharing his knowledge and experience and taking the time to provide us with some recipes that we certainly can’t wait to try, and you should too! Remember to send in your own favourite Aberdeen-Angus recipes to [email protected], we looking forward to sharing yours!