The Best Beef in Nova Scotia

A lot of people have been asking me where I buy my beef from.  So I'm going to tell you, along with the story of how I found it.

Kelly and I are steadfast Halifax Farmer's Market shoppers.  Relocating to Nova Scotia in 2008 forced us to seek out new purveyors for all the things we love, and one of my "loves" is steak.  Over the course of a summer I purchased the same cut of steak (rib-eye), at the same thickness, from every supplier of beef I could find.  This included all of the Farmer's Market vendors, the local grocery chains (high-end and low-end), little butcher shops tucked away in corners, farm outlets, anyone selling cow.  Some were really disappointing, most were decent, some were great.  But there was a clear winner.

Highview Farms

LeRoy Little of Highview Farms is one of the many vendors at the Halifax Farmer's Market that Kelly and I have developed a relationship with.  LeRoy and his wonderful wife Kathy raise Highland cattle on a beautiful farm in the Annapolis Valley, overlooking the Minas Basin.  Highland cattle are an ancient, hardy breed developed in the Scottish Highlands.  The royal family maintains a fold of Highland's at Balmoral Castle, and it is considered the royal beef of choice.  And LeRoy can well attest to that, as he provided beef for "her majesty" when she was visiting Halifax in July 2010.

Farm Visit

Kelly and I visited Highview Farm in October 2009.  The cattle live outdoors year round and feed on natural grass and hay.

Many of the cows have names and they are treated on the farm like pets.  Here Kelly is getting to know "Ruby" the cow.

The cattle receive no growth hormones, steroids or antibiotics.  These are happy cows enjoying a comfortable, healthy, natural life.

LeRoy giving one of the bulls some scratches on the chin.

Beef

A result of their natural diet and typical of the breed, Highview Farms Highland cattle are slow to  reach a size suitable for processing.  Once finished, the resulting beef has a beautiful marbling of fat.  It should also be mentioned that Highland beef has some incredible nutritional benefits as well, such as being a third lower in fat and cholesterol than other breeds.

The beef has a wonderful grassy aroma.  Above is a Highview Farms rib-eye that I requested have the bone left in.

Custom and obscure cuts are no problem here.

Dry Aging

Highview Farms beef is dry aged for between 21 to 30 days, which concentrates the flavour.  You can only dry age the best cuts of beef to begin with, plus it adds additional cost as you lose some beef during the aging process.  So if you're wondering why you don't see dry aged beef at the Sobey's or Costco, now you know.  It's typically only available at steakhouses or high-end butchers.

A Highview Farm Steak

I usually grill my steaks on the BBQ, but a recent post on the Brooklyn Warehouse chef's blog led me to try pan grilling in butter, and I've found the recents fantastic.

In his 2010 book "Steak: One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef", Mark Schatzker rates a grass-fed Highland steak (sampled in Scotland) as A+.

I carved this steak up into slices and heaped it onto a plate, reserving the bone for gnawing on once the beef was all gone.

Highview Farms beef has a beautiful, rich flavour, and a juicy, meaty texture.  In my continual search for the finest beef available, it's the best I've found.

Beyond Restaurant Quality

I recently had a steak at a Halifax high-end steakhouse.  The appetizer was incredible, the side dish great, the cocktails delicious.  But the steak was a disappointment.  It was cooked to a turn but flavourless.

A typical large scale beef producer will sell their finest quality beef to restaurants at a premium cost, rendering this product largely unavailable to the retail consumer.  Because of the low production at Highview Farms (they process one animal every couple of months), they can't supply restaurants as they don't produce the volumes.  What this means for you is that all of their beef is available for sale, not just the leftovers after the commercial customers have picked them over.  And when Highview Farms does sell to a professional chef (which they often do), they are selling them the same product they would sell to you.

You can find LeRoy Little selling his beef at the Halifax Historic Farmer's Market, and his wife Kathy at the Wolfville Farmer's Market, every Saturday morning.

Lamb Bellies with Mint Stuffing

I love the challenge of turning something that others might not consider ever eating, let alone cooking, into a regular household favourite. Lamb bellies has been one of those discoveries that we look forward to having and like to introduce to others.


Being a fan, no make that a lover of pork belly, I was intrigued the first time I saw lamb bellies at Wood n Hart Farms at the Halifax Farmer's Market. My inquires led to the discovery that the lamb belly cut was the result of an American chef's request and Bill thought he would introduce it to his Halifax clientele to see if there was any interest. I was keen to try it using Bill's recommendation of an apricot stuffing. The first attempt involved a stuffing made of bread crumbs, apricots, onions, herbs, butter and salt and pepper. It was good! Since that first attempt I continue to seek out the perfect lamb belly stuffing and after close to 10 variations, I've found our household favorite. The stuffing...mint, lots of it from the garden or indoor herb pot, stale bread crumbs, finely chopped onion, butter, egg and salt & pepper.


As mentioned, for those that you that live in Halifax, you can find lamb bellies at the old historic Halifax market at Wood n Hart, provided I've not been there before you and purchased the lot. Should you not be fortunate enough to live in this city, check with your local butcher who might be able to obtain this unappreciated cut.

Remove some of the fat and most the membrane from the bellies. Mix up the bread crumbs, mint, onion, butter, egg salt and pepper. You'll need butcher's string, 2 pieces per belly to keep the belly together. Roll the stuffed lamb bellies, membrane side out. Slice a clove of garlic and place a few pieces of garlic in your lamb belly roll.


Add a little oil and butter to a cast iron pan, brown the bellies and place in the oven to finish cooking for about a half hour.


Serve with braised leeks, celeriac or any side vegetable that you have available.


Bon appetit!