Most Danes sink their teeth into beef tenderloin or ribeye steak on New Year’s Eve, but meat lovers now have the option to choose something entirely new for their New Year’s menu.
The story begins in the autumn of 2017 when a small group of people from Danish Crown and the wholesaler Dansk Cater, behind AB Catering, BC Catering, and INCO, worked on launching the concept of Dansk Gastro Kalv. During the process, a discussion arose about what would happen to the flavor if you aged the ribeye from a crossbred calf for half a year?
The answer could only be found through a test, and in the spring of 2018, it became clear that the aging process created a very special flavor.
– Initially, I thought the lean veal would become very delicate and nearly impossible to roast after such a long aging. But the meat is actually quite juicy, and I think the taste will surprise many meat lovers, says Claus Hein, sales director at Danish Crown.
Shortly before Christmas, star chef Thomas Pasfall from Restaurant Pasfall in Odense agreed to roast and taste the meat on camera without having tasted it beforehand.
– As a chef, you prefer to be in control, but it was a fun challenge, and it is truly an exciting piece of meat to work with. It tastes exclusive. It is incredibly tender, it has volume, and the meat has a very fine taste of aging, which fills the mouth with umami, explains Thomas Pasfall.
The concept of Dansk Gastro Kalv is based on meat from so-called crossbred calves. This means that the farmer crosses dairy cows with beef cattle, resulting in calves that grow better. At the same time, the meat quality is elevated, which overall improves the farmer’s profitability, and it has actually contributed to reducing the export of Danish young calves by nearly a third since 2013.
– We hit the mark on sustainability, animal welfare, and Danishness, and this is something currently demanded by both professional chefs and consumers. At the same time, it is also important that Danish Crown is our partner, as it ensures that customers can receive the quantities they demand, and that trust is at its highest concerning both production and food safety, says Jesper Bonderup from Dansk Cater.
Danish Crown collaborates with AB Catering, BC Catering, and Inco to develop Dansk Gastro Kalv. The plan is to make Dansk Gastro Kalv available to all consumers by selling the meat through butcher shops across the country.
– Dansk Gastro Kalv is gourmet. Therefore, the meat must either be sold to professionals or by professionals who can guide consumers on how to prepare the meat to get the optimal taste experience at the dinner table, says Claus Hein. 2 – 2
11 butchers around the country will have Dansk Gastro Kalv in their refrigerated display for the first time, when they sell the meat from ribeyes aged for at least 180 days in the coming days.
– It may sound completely crazy to age meat for six months, but it tastes fantastic. In my opinion, we have created a taste and a completely unique product that I believe will become a steady niche under Dansk Gastro Kalv in the future, says Jesper Bonderup.
The meat from ribeye of Dansk Gastro Kalv, aged for at least 180 days, can be purchased at the following butchers:
Salling Super in Aarhus and Aalborg, Slagter Maltesen in Birkerød, Osted Slagteren, Slagter Frimann in Roskilde, Slagter Jacob in Kalundborg, Kælderslagteren in Silkeborg, Mad Med Mere Gilleleje, Morten Slagter in Hvidovre, Slagter-Riget in Aarhus, and Slagteren in Højslev.
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