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Hereford Prime grass-fed beef specialises in high-end fine dining and retail outlets. The chefs who choose to offer hereford prime do so for the genuine story behind the brand, the quality control, the flavour and texture of the beef. They are all passionate about quality beef products and serving quality dishes for their customers. Hereford Prime brand manager Natalie Campbell put some quick-fire questions to two chefs using Hereford Prime.
Describe your business and cooking style: Located at the south end of Victoria Street, Hamilton, Furnace is the Waikato’s favourite steakhouse. The lunch and dinner menu feature quality examples of New Zealand’s favourite steaks, as well as many other finely crafted dishes, while the drinks list features more than 60 wines both from around the country and abroad. The staff are friendly and attentive, and the décor is stylish and comfortable, with leather booths, oak joinery and distinctive schist stonework, and two large fireplaces. We can cater for an intimate meal for two or a celebratory dinner for 20. My cooking style is flavour-focused, ensuring that simple and pure ingredients are used to create incredible experiences for customers. Why do you choose to offer Hereford Prime on your menu? Hereford Prime is a consistently good product; from the prime cuts to the sub-primal cuts, Hereford Prime always has great marbling, ages well, and is the best way for us to use local products as well as providing our customers with top quality steaks. Who do you source your Hereford Prime from and why? Magills Butchery, Te Awamutu. Magills is our local butchery and employs a great team of butchers who work with us to give our customers the best range of Hereford cuts. Locals can also use their small on-site butchery to purchase quality steaks to cook at home for their family and friends. What Hereford Prime cuts are available on your menu and how do you serve them? • 500g Hereford Prime OP scotch on the bone, cooked sousvide for 18 hours, then chargrilled, and served medium. • 250g Hereford Prime scotch fillet and sirloin, cooked to your liking and served with your choice of sides and sauces. • Hereford Prime burger – 200g patty with tomato chutney, aged cheddar, onion rings, crisp cos leaf, American mustard, in a brioche bun served with duck fat chips and aioli. Why did you choose those cuts specifically? Rib-eye on the bone was chosen because of its great marbling, and when sous-vide over 18 hours becomes beautifully tender, before being grilled, which adds that charred flavouring. For the Hereford Prime burger, the mix of cuts Magills use for their mince is the perfect combination to keep the burger juicy and full of flavour. Tell us about your most popular Hereford Prime dish? One of our most popular Hereford Prime dishes is the scotch fillet, best served medium rare. The scotch is full of flavour and marbling, which keeps the steak juicy while being grilled. It also matches well with our mushroom sauce and duck fat fries. As a chef what do you like about Hereford Prime? I like the consistency of Hereford Prime, from the prime cuts like eye fillet and scotch right through to the sub-primal cuts like brisket and shank, the meat always has great flavour and marbling. We also pride ourselves on using local products, and Hereford Prime gives us the best quality local meat, which is reflected in our customer reviews. Do you brand/identify Hereford Prime on your menu? If so, do customers enquire about it? Yes we do, Hereford Prime has had a place on our menu for the past 10 years at more than one of our Lawrenson Group venues. As a chef what is your favourite Hereford Prime cut and why? My favourite cut is scotch fillet because the marbling through the scotch keeps it juicy and is great for different cooking techniques like a reverse sear on the charcoal barbeque. What is your favourite sub-primal (secondary) cut and why? My favourite sub-primal cut is beef short rib. This cut is perfect for the low and slow smoking; I use it for every barbeque competition I enter – the judges love it. It can be used for pulling or sliced, and goes great with our homemade BBQ sauce.
How do you personally enjoy your Hereford Prime cooked and served with what? I personally enjoy scotch fillet cooked medium rare over charcoal, served with soft polenta and grilled asparagus, paired with a nice cold bottle of Asahi beer. Do you have any words of advice/tips for the home cook wanting to impress with a Hereford Prime dish? When cooking steaks at home, make sure the pan is HOT and not overcrowded; cooking one or two steaks at a time in a large pan will help keep the pan hot and create that beautiful caramelisation on the steaks, then resting is essential. Can you share any stories or feedback from your Hereford Prime diners as to why they enjoy the product and your dish? Our customers are always impressed with our Signature Steak (500g rib-eye). They always ask how we get it so tender, and we tell them it’s the top-quality beef we use that makes all the difference! Here’s a review we recently received: “Best steak and beautiful mushroom sauce that I have had in ages. Add in the deliciously crunchy onion rings and duck fat spuds and like me, you won’t be disappointed. Eye fillet really was cooked medium rare and rested.” If you have won any awards for one of your Hereford Prime dishes please provide the details: Not yet, but I am on the lookout for future competitions where I can get creative and show my passion for Hereford Prime.
Describe your business and cooking style: A combination of local and international flavours. Why do you choose to offer Hereford Prime on your menu? It’s guaranteed to be consistent in quality and flavour. Who do you source your Hereford Prime from and why? Bowmont Wholesale Meats. They’re a long-established family business offering quality and good service. What Hereford Prime cuts are available on your menu and how do you serve them? Eye fillet – good old-fashioned filet mignon. Striploin – bar steak and Sizzler Steak for the restaurant. Cube – steak sammie for the bar and it’s also our main steak option in The Foundry. Why did you choose those cuts specifically? They are the most popular and more commonly known in Southland. Tell us about your most popular Hereford Prime dish? Sizzler Steak. It’s served on a hot plate topped with tomatoes, bacon, onion rings and cheese. As a chef what do you like about Hereford Prime? The consistency for flavour, tenderness, and most importantly, it’s versatile! As a chef what is your favourite Hereford Prime cuts and why? Rib-eye – just the fact it is a steak I know will be tender and flavoursome.
What is your favourite sub-primal (secondary) cut and why? I’m a big believer in quality cuts so don’t offer a secondary cut. How do you personally enjoy your Hereford Prime cooked and served with what? Blue – just so I don’t ruin the flavour and juiciness. Do you have any words of advice/tips for the home cook wanting to impress with a Hereford Prime dish? As always, rest all meats for as long as it takes to cook, and cook your steak on a high heat. Can you share any stories or feedback from your Hereford Prime diners as to why they enjoy the product and your dish? We are often told we have the best steak in town, and value for money, due to the tenderness and flavour. If you have won any awards for one of your Hereford Prime dishes, please provide the details: I don’t enter awards, I prefer to let our customers say it as it is. [ Return to main page ] |
