Description
The Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI is meat obtained exclusively from Charolais bovine breed. The herds are raised in the Bourbonnais, rich land due to the variety of its grounds and the mild climate.
Production Area
The production area of Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI covers the department of Allier in the Auvergne region and some neighbouring municipal areas of Cher in the region Centre, Nièvre and Saône-et-Loire in the region Burgundy and Creuse in the region Limousin.
Production Method
The nurture of Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI consists of exclusively mother's milk until weaning. Then it is integrated with grass for three-fourth of the year and forages and cereals during the rest of the year. The cereals are used with moderation to avoid a too quick development of muscles and an excess of fat in the respect of the natural rhythm of the animals. Deliveries take place from January to the beginning of April. High grasslands, naturally fertile volcanic grounds and bocages (hedged farmlads) give a quality nurture. The animals are butchered when they are aged between 28 months and eight years maximum.They must be put down in the same location where they were raised. After putting down, the meats are left to maturate in a half-carcass or quarters. This process enables to enhance their flavour.
Appearance and Flavour
The Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI is characterized by the strong and peculiar flavour of meats and by the tender and fondant consistency.
History
The origin of Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI farming go back to the 19th century. The Charolais breed cattle were brought to the Bourbonnais around 1818, but at the beginning they were used as work animals due to their robust body. Over the years, also thanks to the modernization of agricultural techniques, this breed has acquired a growing fame as slaughtering meat, which makes it still today much appreciated due to its quality and characteristic flavour.
Gastronomy
The Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI can be conserved for a few days in the refrigerator, suitably packed and stored in the coldest compartment. The different meat cuts enable to prepare a lot of dishes. The cooking methods to enhance bovine meats are various: from grill to roast, from boiled meat to stew, from braise to fricassee. Amongst the traditional and aromatic herbs which better marry with beef, there are rosemary, mint and wild fennel. It can be combined with all types of vegetables and is suitable to prepare a lot of recipes.
Marketing
The product is sold as Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI. It is marketed fresh, without head or in slices, packed in trays with protected atmosphere to guarantee a longer conservation and keep unaltered the organoleptic features of meat.
Distinctive Features
The pastoral practises in the respect of the natural raising rhythms of animals and the guaranteed quality of their diet from high grasslands, volcanic and natural fertile lands and bocages, make unique the characteristic taste of Boeuf Charolais du Bourbonnais PGI.
