A few weeks ago, I bought a piece of scotch fillet from my butcher. It was labelled “economy” and priced at AUD 29.99 per kilogram. I understand that, for many people, this remains unaffordable.

Jump to the recipe.

I visited my butcher last weekend and saw some bulk scotch fillet steak on display. This meat was not “economy.” It was priced at AUD 49.99 per kilogram.

The question is, “Is this steak that much better?”

The short answer is YES. The more expensive meat was labelled as South Australian Coorong Black Angus. This is the best steak I’ve ever eaten.

Coorong Black Angus

The Coorong Black Angus breed holds a distinguished place among premium beef cattle. It is renowned not only for its exceptional meat quality but also for its deep connection with the unique natural environment of the Coorong region in South Australia.

A Legacy of Excellence

At its core, the Black Angus breed is celebrated globally for its ability to produce tender, well-marbled beef—enhanced by selective breeding in the Coorong. While Black Angus cattle trace their origins to Scotland, Australian breeders saw an opportunity in the Coorong’s distinct landscape and climate. Through an effort to adapt and refine the breed, they have crafted an animal that marries classic genetic traits with local flavour. The result is beef that appeals, marked by succulent texture, robust flavour, and a balance between fat and muscle.

The Coorong Black Angus is favoured among chefs, steak enthusiasts, and sustainable agriculture advocates. Its popularity is driven by taste and tenderness, as well as the story behind its production—a narrative of respect for natural cycles, traditional practices, and innovative stewardship of the land.

Home of the Finest Herds

The Coorong region of South Australia is the heartland of this breed. Stretching along a unique coastal wetland and saltwater estuarine ecosystem, the area offers natural pastures that contain active ingredients for these cattle’s lives. Family-operated farms have maintained a relationship with the land, nurturing herds in expansive, low-stress environments where natural behaviours flourish.

Many of the best herds are farmed around the fringes of the Coorong National Park and adjacent coastal lands. In these microenvironments, the blend of native grasses, nutrient-rich soils, and the interplay between freshwater and saltwater runoff creates good-quality pastures. These areas are intentionally preserved and managed to ensure that the cattle have uninterrupted access to a natural diet, to develop the marbling and flavour that many cherish.

The Power of Environment

The remarkable quality of the Coorong Black Angus beef is inseparable from its environmental setting. Several factors contribute to elevating the meat quality:

Nutrient-Dense Pastures:

The Coorong’s native grasses and forbs thrive on mineral-rich soils augmented by fresh coastal breezes and the unique saline influences of the nearby ocean. When cattle graze on such flora, their diet boosts muscle development and fat distribution, yielding beef of superior marbling and tenderness.

Natural Free-Range Lifestyle:

Far removed from the stressors of confined feeding operations, Coorong Black Angus cattle live in spacious, free-range conditions. Lower stress levels correlate with better hormonal balance and a slower, more natural rate of muscle growth. This calm environment is fundamental to developing the intricate flavour profiles that premium beef is known for.

Balanced Climate:

The Coorong region enjoys a moderate climate with gentle seasonal variations. Neither too extreme in summer nor harsh in winter, this climate helps ensure that cattle maintain steady growth rates and consistent fat deposition. Moreover, the relative predictability of weather patterns contributes to a sustainable farming model where environmental stress does not impede health or meat quality.

Sustainable Farming Practices:

Farmers in the Coorong have embraced traditional techniques alongside modern innovations. Methods such as rotational grazing, conservation of native vegetation, and careful water management protect the land and preserve its natural character. These practices safeguard the ecosystem and enrich the quality of the beef produced, as cattle absorb the full spectrum of natural nutrients provided by a healthy landscape.

Beyond the Steak: Cultural and Economic Significance

The combination of heritage, environment, and animal husbandry imbues the Coorong Black Angus with a cultural richness. Consumers appreciate not only the quality of the meat but also the story of sustainable success. The economic ripple effect of these premium herds has supported local farming communities, preserved natural resources, and enhanced the reputation of Australian beef.

This unique synergy of the natural environment and traditional practices reinforces why the Coorong Black Angus is a testament to the art and science of quality beef production. These cattle remind us that genetics and the environment can produce delicious and ethically sound results.

Final thoughts

Whether you’re a steak enthusiast, an environmentalist, or someone intrigued by the story of the Coorong Black Angus, this meat is amazing.

It is expensive, though. Unfortunately, the majority will never be able to afford meat like this.

Recipe

Ingredients

• Steak
• Salt

Equipment

• Vacuum sealer
• Water bath
• Precision cooker
• Gas torch
• Barbecue grill (Weber Q+)

Instructions

1. Visit your butcher and be prepared for the price shock.
2. Ask your butcher to slice the meat to your preferred thickness. I requested slices that are 3 cm (1.2 inches) thick. This thickness ensures the steak cooks evenly and sears properly without losing its edge-to-edge doneness. Additionally, it’s the right size for a single meal (for me).
3. Dry brine the slices for one or two nights.
4. Place the steaks into bags and vacuum seal them.
5. Cook the steaks for 3 hours at 57 °C (135 °F).
6. Set one steak aside and place the rest of the cooked steaks in the refrigerator for meals later in the week.
7. Turn on the barbecue grill to heat the cooking surface.
8. After removing the steak from the bag, you might notice that the meat is easily deformed and the muscle fibres may separate due to gravity. This indicates how tender the meat will be when masticated.
9. Dry the steak with absorbent kitchen paper.
10. Place the steak on the hot barbecue grill and sear the upper surface with a gas torch.
11. Turn the steak over and sear the other side.
12. Place the steak onto a cutting board.
13. Slice the meat.
14. Arrange the meat.
15. Serve the meat.
16. Eat the meat.

Thoughts on the meal

This is the best steak I’ve ever eaten. It’s far better than any steak I’ve eaten in a restaurant. I reckon in a restaurant, this steak cooked like this would be four or five times the price I paid. These steaks average about 400 grams and would cost $20/steak. I’ve been in some very expensive restaurants with a 250 to 350-gram steak costing between $80 and $100.

I don’t like going out. I don’t like eating out. The best solution for me is buying meat from my butcher, cooking it the way I want, and then enjoying it in the peace and quiet of my home.

Photographs

This is a gallery of photographs taken from three meals. Click on one image and scroll through the rest of them.

What’s the best steak you’ve ever eaten?

A week or so ago, I bought a lump of beef labelled “economy scotch fillet steak.” It cost about $AUD45. I asked the butcher to cut it into 3 cm slices, and I ended up with five steaks.

From the butcher, each slice weighed about 300 g. The meat costs $AUD29.99/kilogram. I know what some readers are thinking; $AUD30 for a kilogram isn’t cheap. I agree. I can buy chuck or eye round for a lot less. For scotch fillet steak (also known as ribeye steak in North America), it’s possible to buy cheaper quality meat. That said, the upper limit on the cost for a scotch fillet steak can be five or more times the cost I paid for this piece of beef.

I acknowledge that I have a well-paid job and can afford meat at this price. However, I’m conscious that many people cannot afford meat at this price.

While scotch fillet steak is usually tender, cheaper meat can be chewy to tough. A poorly cooked 3 cm steak can be very tough and unpleasant. I think a tough and chewy “economy scotch fillet steak” is poor economy.

Based on the methods available, the best way to approach this was using a water bath and a precision cooker. To save cooking time, I cooked all the steaks at once and refrigerated them in their plastic vacuum-sealed bags. Each day I wanted a steak; I’d pop it into the water bath and heat the steak to 57 °C for about 20 minutes and then sear the meat with a gas torch. Instead of 15 hours of electricity use, I reduced that to about 4 hours and 20 minutes.

I shared some photographs already in another post (Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel Kurrajong).

I liked this “economy scotch fillet.” When cooked like this, it had a great taste and mouthfeel, and it wasn’t tough.

I agree that $AUD9 a steak isn’t as cheap as $AUD6.50 for 500 g of beef mince, but for me, it means I can eat for less than $20 each day, assuming I’m only eating two meals a day. This includes coffee and carbonated water, too.

If you’re interested in doing this, here is my approach:

• Buy meat from a butcher and choose a piece of beef you want.
• Ask the butcher to slice the steaks to the thickness you want. This is usually done free of charge.
• Dry brine the meat.
• Bag and vacuum seal the meat after dry brining.
• Cook all the steaks for 3 hours at 57 °C.
• Refrigerate the bags of steak.
• Warm up the steak for about 20 minutes at 57 °C.
• Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry the surface of the meat with a paper towel (after the dry brining and cooking, the steak weighed a bit over 200 g).
• Sear the steak with a gas torch or a hot frypan or over a hot grill.
• Slice the steak, season the steak, and serve it with some butter.

Here are some examples of the steaks I enjoyed from that piece of “economy scotch fillet steak.”

Select one image and then scroll through the gallery.

I bought this big juicy bone-in ribeye steak from a local butcher. It was the smallest steak in the display.

Weighing 708 grams (1.56 pounds), including the bone, I thought I could enjoy the deckle meat for tea and keep the fillet portion for cold cuts at lunch.

Recipe

Ingredients

• Bone-in ribeye steak
• Salt

Equipment

• Vacuum chamber
• Water bath
• Precision cooker
• Gas torch

Instructions

1. Season the steak generously with salt.
2. Put the steak on a rack, uncovered, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Place the steak into a vacuum bag and seal it.
4. Cook the steak for four hours at 57 °C (135 °F) in the water bath.
5. Remove the meat from the bag and dry the surfaces of the meat with kitchen paper.
6. Sear the steak with a gas torch.
7. Cut the meat away from the bone.
8. Dissect the deckle meat from the eye fillet.
9. Put the fillet meat into a container and put it into the refrigerator. When it’s cold, this meat slices beautifully. Eaten cold, with a little extra salt, it is delicious.
10. Slice the deckle meat with a fair dinkum “steak” knife.
11. Serve with freshly ground black peppercorns, flaky salt and butter.
12. A squeeze from a wedge of lime also adds a lovely tart tang to the tongue while enjoying the meat.

Thoughts on the meal

There’s something satisfying about a thick, juicy steak. I appreciate that dry brining the meat helps it maintain a firm texture instead of becoming floppy while still keeping it juicy on the inside. When you squeeze the cooked meat, you can see the delicious juices oozing out.

I like the juicy, tasty, and fatty deckle meat (which is the spinalis muscle).

I enjoy gnawing and sucking on the bone of a bone-in ribeye steak. I prefer the shorter bones; to me, having a long tomahawk steak with an entire rib just feels like showing off and doesn’t serve a practical purpose.

The spinalis muscle is a component of the erector spinæ group, which plays a role in maintaining posture and enables the extension and lateral flexion of the spine. This muscle is the most medial of the erector spinæ muscles and extends along the spine, from the thoracic vertebrae to the cervical vertebrae.

Anatomy

Origin: The spinalis muscle originates from the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae and sometimes the last cervical vertebra.

Insertion: It inserts into the spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae.

Parts: The spinalis muscle can be divided into two parts:

Spinalis thoracis: Attaches to the thoracic vertebral spinous processes.

Spinalis cervicis: Continues from the thoracic part and attaches to the cervical vertebral spinous processes.

Function

Extension: The spinalis muscle helps extend the thoracic vertebral column and the neck.

Stabilisation: It plays a role in stabilising the vertebral column during movement.

Meat-to-Fat Ratio

The meat-to-fat ratio of the spinalis muscle in bovines can vary, but it is generally considered to be a well-marbled muscle with a higher fat content compared to other muscles. This marbling contributes to its tenderness and flavour. However, specific ratios can depend on factors such as the breed, diet, and overall health of the animal.

Questions for readers

1. What is your favourite part of a scotch fillet steak (also known as a ribeye steak in North America)? For a bone-in ribeye steak, do you like to gnaw and suck on the bone with a little added salt?
2. Do you usually eat a steak in one meal or spread it over several?
3. Do you like to think about the structure and function of the meat you eat?

Photographs

This is a gallery of images. Click on one and then scroll through them.

Final thought

I hope you have a great day.

Lunch cold cuts