A Frenchman in Scotland, whose discerning palate is stirring the meat industry pot, is calling on carnivores to pay closer attention to the flavours of beef.
Laurent Vernet, head of marketing for Quality Meats of Scotland, can tell a lot about how a beef animal was raised from the taste, texture and flavour of the meat that he stabs with his fork.
Humbly dismissing them as exaggerated, reports of his gustatory prowess have grabbed headlines in the British press. Vernet said it would be impossible for anyone – himself included – to discern the age, breed and sex of an animal just by its taste.
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“You can make a good guess, but you would never be able to tell all of that. You can tell a rustic breed from Scotland, or a continental breed because it is a lot leaner. You don’t need to be a genius. A lot of people can do that with a little bit of training.”
That said, his extraordinary palate, which the London Times recently reported had been used in more than 200 beef tastings for chefs and customers, is the subject of a research study at Britain’s Bristol University.
“I don’t want to talk about a gift or something, but nature gave me a little bit more facility to be able to identify some flavours, especially in cooked meat,” he said.
Like accomplished wine aficionados who regale dinner party guests with educated guesses about the origin and age of the tipple without peeking at the label on the bottle, Vernet confidently states he is able to make accurate descriptions on whether an animal has been finished on grain or grass, whether it suffered stress before slaughter and what country it comes from based on the beef’s flavour, grain and texture.
“You can’t say that’s an Aberdeen Angus, or that’s Blonde d’Aquitaine. You can say that’s a continental breed, or maybe a cross. Or you can say that is a rustic breed because of the fibres, or an older animal because of the flavour, whether the meat has been frozen, or what type of feed the animal has been fed,” he said. “It’s just pure deduction. There’s nothing magical behind it.”
A growing body of science is developing to support the classifications, he added.
For example, research has shown that animals finished on grass will have a stronger beef flavour than those finished on grain, he said.
Vernet said his mission is not to confound scientists with his abilities but rather to educate the public about the range of culinary experiences that they may be overlooking in their pursuit of lowest-cost eating.
“What I want to do is to make people wonder, look for and identify what they really like,” he said.
“Then they could ask their butcher: ‘I like this kind of flavour. Please can you help me to find a farm that can provide that.’ “
Meat is best served medium rare, Vernet said, and his personal favourite beef breeds are the old, traditional ones, such as Highland, Aberdeen Angus, Belted Galloway and Shorthorn, mainly for their interesting flavour.
However, he added, the best beef comes from animals that are raised in environments that suit them. Highland cattle are wonderful when they come from the mountains of Scotland, he said.
“The worst thing is to bring in a breed to an environment that is alien to it so that it is always stressed.”
Vernet, who has lived in Scotland for 20 years, said he is surprised that many farmers and butchers are unaware of the dramatic differences that can be found in beef.
“I don’t know how it is in Canada, but here, meat is very often one of the most expensive items you have in your basket when you go shopping,” he said. “People are not asking enough questions. When you go to buy wine, you don’t just buy red wine. You buy something you like, a chardonnay or a bordeaux. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do the same with beef.”
Two years ago, Vernet put his taste buds to work on the issue of animal stress and its effect on meat. In the study at Bristol University, he was able to differentiate between normal beef and an animal that had been slaughtered with a broken leg. In the Times, he was quoted as saying that it “squeaks against the teeth, like chewing on polystyrene.
“I do believe that stress has a big influence on flavour. You can definitely detect it, there is a special flavour, a chemical that you can taste.”
Meat that has been stressed will also be tougher, and lose a lot of water when cooked. Ranchers can avoid stressing their animals by never mixing unfamiliar animals together or exposing them to noise when handling. Using smaller abattoirs where there are fewer animals offers advantages in this respect, he said.
Despite his work with researchers, he said he is suspicious of science.
“Meat is a pleasure and a game. It should not be broken down into chemicals and things like that.”
European consumers, of which he estimates 15 percent still buy their meat at small corner butcher shops, take a dim view of any adulteration of meat, such as injecting salt water to extend shelf life.
“They react very negatively. If there is any water added, it will destroy your brand and reputation. They see meat as a natural product.”
