Description
The Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac PGI is fresh meat from female cattle which have not yet calved, with mother from Aubrac breed and father from Charolaise breed, slaughtered between 24 and 42 months.
Production Area
The production area of Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac PGI covers 313 municipal areas subdivided into four departments: Aveyron, Cantal, Haute Loire and Lozère, in Midi-Pyrénées, Auvergne and Languedoc-Roussillon regions.
Production Method
The heifers for the production of Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac PGI are milked by their mother in the shed until the moment to go to pasture lands, where the cattle can eat freely. This weaning phase cannot start before six months from the heifers' birth. Except of rare cases, the food has to consist of fodder from the farm where the cattle is raised. Sometimes, some months before weaning, the usual food can be added which consists of cereals, oily seeds, tuber pulps, roots, fruits of their by-products. The breeding period ends with the fatting phase which has to last at least 4 months. Then the slaughtering phase takes place.
Appearance and Flavour
Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac PGI meat is brilliant red in colour, enough lean and has some light streaks.
History
At the beginning, the Aubrac mountains' pastures were dedicated to the cheese production. But during the 20th century a progressive change was registered that brought to this geographic area an extensive production of meat. From crossbreeding between Aubrac and Charolais, living in the area, the Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac appeared at the beginning of the 1960s. In the early 1990s, this breed took an autonomous identity, in fact, the sector press started to speak of it as an actual cattle type.
Gastronomy
Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac PGI can be stored for a few days in refrigerator. As all the bovine meat in general, Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac PGI can be eaten raw, for example, as a carpaccio, or after cooking. It is very good barbecued or grilled with the addition of a bit of oil and salt.
Marketing
The product is sold as Génisse Fleur d'Aubrac PGI. It can be sold fresh, whole or halved, or in medium slices. Plus, ready-to-slice pieces can be found on the market (fresh or frozen) or sliced (frozen).
Distinctive Features
The heifers for the production of Génisses Fleur d'Aubrac PGI can be raised either by only a farmer, from birth to slaughtering, or they can be granted only a time. The last farmer has to keep the animal for at least four months.
