Description
The Carne Mirandesa PDO beef is produced from the Mirandesa breed of cattle which have always populated the area round Mirando do Douro. These are large, chestnut coloured cows.
Production Area
Carne Mirandesa PDO is produced in the municipal areas of Bragança, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mirando do Douro, Mogadouro, Vimioso and Vinhais, in the Bragança district.
Production Method
these cows are still reared in the traditional way between the cultivated fields and the marshes where the land is fertile and has rich, grassy natural vegetation.
Appearance and Flavour
Carne Mirandesa PDO is pink in colour and has evenly distributed lines of fat. The flesh has a fine texture and the meat is moist with a succulent flavour.
History
The earliest references made to Carne Mirandesa PDO date back to the Middle Ages, when Dom Dinis, the king of Portugal, in a document dated 1286 recorded the presence of the Mirandesa in the Freixo municipality in Trás-os-Montes. Many others have recorded the rearing of these cattle through the centuries, from Virgilio Taborda to Bernardo Lima. In 1959 an official list of breeds of cattle was formulated, which, in the 1970s, became part of the Bovinos em Portugal register.
Gastronomy
Carne Mirandesa PDO must be kept at a low temperature which should not exceed 2°C. It is never frozen unless this is done immediately, at source, at the time of butchering. Once bought, the meat can only be kept in the fridge for a few days. Carne Mirandesa PDO is widely used in regional cooking and among the many traditional recipes the most famous is posta mirandesa, a thick cut piece of beef, simply grilled with a pinch of salt to bring out the flavour. It is also often used in dishes such as vitela assada no forno, bifes à Alto Douro and Vitela à Transmontana. The less noble parts of the animal on the other hand are used in dishes like cozido (stewed) nortenho and portuguesà. As the meat is very tender, fine and succulent it need only be cooked with a little seasoning.
Marketing
This meat is sold as Carne Mirandesa PDO in two categories: Vitela, from cows aged between five and nine months and Novilho, aged between 10 and 18 months. It is sold whole, or prepacked and clearly identified and labelled in cuts and joints.
Distinctive Features
The fertile and rich vegetation of the area where this meat is produced contributes greatly to its extremely succulent flavour and fine consistency of Carne Mirandesa PDO.
