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 three chefs using hereford prime. Their mouth-watering answers appear on the following pages.

Smith and McKenzie Steak House

Location

13 Lynden Court, Chartwell, Hamilton.

Your name and title

Ben Ensor – head chef.

Ben Ensor, head chef at Smith and McKenzie Steak House in Hamilton. Ben’s steak of choice is a medium rare flat iron steak, a cut he says shouldn’t be overlooked.

Describe your business and cooking style

Tribute to a traditional New York steakhouse.

Why do you choose to offer Hereford Prime on your menu?

Quality and consistency of meat, impeccable flavour produced from cattle being grass-fed.

Who do you source your Hereford Prime from?

Magills Butchery in Te Awamutu.

What Hereford Prime cuts are available on your menu and how do you serve them?

The following steaks and cuts – T-bone, sirloin, rump and a low n slow short rib – are served with shallot puree, the customer’s choice of either roast potatoes, steak fries or mash and a sauce of their choosing.

Why did you choose those cuts specifically?

The process of raising the beef and then the aging produces consistently tender and flavourful cuts of beef.

What is your most popular Hereford Prime dish?

Our cold smoked T-bone steak with Smith and McKenzie rub.

As a chef/restaurateur what do you like about Hereford Prime?

The quality and consistency of the beef produced.

How do you personally enjoy your Hereford Prime cooked and served with what?

Flat iron steak cooked medium rare served with any starch. It has a little more chew than some of the more tender cuts like eye fillet, but it makes it up in flavour.

Do you brand/identify Hereford Prime on your menu?

Yes, each of our Hereford Prime steaks is branded on our menus.

The award-winning Hereford Prime T-bone that has earnt Smith and McKenzie Steak House its eighth consecutive Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards gold plate.

What do your customers say about Hereford Prime?

It’s consistent, great tasting steak.

As a chef/restaurateur what is your favourite Hereford Prime cut and why?

T-bone steak. It offers both a tender eye fillet and a sirloin; a little extra care on rendering down the fat cap on the sirloin and it’s a perfect steak.

What is your favourite sub-primal (secondary) cut and why?

Flat iron steak. It is often overlooked. The steak has significant marbling and is full of flavour.

Do you have any words of advice/tips for the home cook wanting to impress with a Hereford Prime dish?

Hereford Prime beef is a great product, it doesn’t need much else to be perfect. A digital probe will help achieve the degree of cooking you are looking for. A good initial sear on both sides and a good resting of the meat after cooking will help lock in the juices.

Have you won any awards for one of your Hereford Prime dishes? (If so, please provide the details)

We have eight consecutive Beef and Lamb Excellence gold plates, many are for Hereford Prime steak dishes. Our most recent plate is for our cold smoked 350g Hereford Prime T-bone, which we were awarded in the 2019 Excellence Awards.

Floriditas

Location

161 Cubra Street, Wellington

Your name and title

Julie Clark – owner/executive chef.

Julie Clark, owner and executive chef of Floriditas in Wellington.

Describe your business and cooking style

Ingredient driven, quality, seasonal ingredients that taste of their terroir.

Why do you choose to offer Hereford Prime on your menu?

The animals are calm by nature, which is reflected in the taste and quality of the meat.

Who do you source your Hereford Prime from?

Cabernet Foods, Carterton.

What Hereford Prime cuts are available on your menu and how do you serve them?

Everton dry-aged sirloin is available at present. It is chargrilled and served with green beans and a red wine butter.

Why did you choose that cut specifically?

For the quality and taste of the meat.

What is your most popular Hereford Prime dish?

Hereford Prime dry-aged fillet with a roasted red pepper sauce and wilting greens.

As a chef/restaurateur what do you like about Hereford Prime?

It is a brand I am proud to be able to provide to customers.

How do you personally enjoy your Hereford Prime cooked and served with what?

Rubbed with a blend of paprika and spices, BBQ’d with aubergine salad and grilled sweetcorn. Simple, but delicious.

Do you brand/identify Hereford Prime on your menu?

Yes, it’s branded Everton Dry-Aged Hereford Prime Sirloin.

Floriditas chargrilled dry aged Everton Hereford Prime sirloin with green and heirloom tomatoes, tarragon and opal basil.

What do your customers say about Hereford Prime?

Feedback is always good, with a number of customers commenting it is the best steak they have ever eaten.

As a chef/restaurateur what is your favourite Hereford Prime cut and why?

Fillet for the total luxury of the dish you can create with it.

What is your favourite sub-primal (secondary) cut and why?

Brisket or cheek; slowly cooked to give it a depth of flavour and richness that will pair well with seasonal vegetables.

Do you have any words of advice/tips for the home cook wanting to impress with a Hereford Prime dish?

Buy a small amount of dry-aged Hereford Prime, make sure it is seasoned and at room temperature, then grill until the desired doneness. Allow to rest for five minutes, then relax and savour the delicious flavours of the meat.

Can you share any stories or feedback from your Hereford Prime diners as to why they enjoy the product and your dish?

We had a customer who so enjoyed his steak he ordered another for his dessert!

Sofitel Hotel & Spa - Left Bank Bistro

Location

8 Duke Street, Queenstown.

Your name and title

Jorg Penneke – executive chef.

Jorg Penneke, executive chef of the Sofitel in Queenstown, says the quality of Hereford Prime is what stands out for him and his diners.

Describe your business and cooking style

5 star hotel, 82 rooms, French cuisine.

Why do you choose to offer Hereford Prime on your menu?

Hereford beef is from high quality and local (South Island) farms.

Who do you source your Hereford Prime from?

Bowmont Meats, Invercargill.

What Hereford Prime cuts are available on your menu and how do you serve them?

We serve three cuts: rib eye 300g as steak, beef tenderloin 300g as grill meat, and our signature dish – Chateaubriand 500g beef tenderloin cooked to perfection and cut in front of the guest. They all come grilled with the sides of the diner’s choice.

Why did you choose that cut specifically?

Prime meat cuts for high quality cuisine.

What is your most popular Hereford Prime dish?

Chateaubriand – as it is for two people, and a classic French dish.

As a chef/restaurateur what do you like about Hereford Prime?

I like the tenderness, quality, texture and taste of the meat. I have never had an issue with quality.

How do you personally enjoy your Hereford Prime cooked and served with what?

My Hereford steaks are MR (medium rare) grilled, with mushroom/spinach/roasted onion – nothing else.

Do you brand/identify Hereford Prime on your menu? If so, do customers enquire about it?

Yes, we mention the brand name Hereford Prime and guests ask us about it. So we are proud to tell them it’s coming from our region and not from far away – it also fits into the Planet 2020 programme from Accor.

A mouth-watering 300g Hereford Prime tenderloin offered at the Left Bank Bistro at Sofitel, Queenstown.

What do your customers say about Hereford Prime?

We receive good feedback and have never had bad feedback from the quality of the meat.

As a chef/restaurateur what is your favourite Hereford Prime cut and why?

Beef tenderloin – the top cut. It’s nice and tender and lean meat. Cook it using low temperature of 90C to roast in oven to MR (medium rare). Rib eye is also great to grill. The fat helps it to stay moist during grilling.

Do you have any words of advice for the home cook wanting to impress with a Hereford Prime dish?

Take the beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling and seal properly, roast slowly in oven with low temperature, usually between 80C and 90C (takes longer but the meat is so juicy). Ensure you rest it for five to eight minutes before cutting.

Can you share any stories or feedback from your Hereford Prime diners as to why they enjoy the product and your dish?

Fabulous/Wonderful/Awesome – attributes which have been used by guests on our internet feedback platforms and also on First Table, a website diners can use to book and receive discounts for dining early.