The Breed
An ancient animal that predates human agriculture, the Piedmontese breed was perfected by nature and safeguarded by a nation. Hailing from the northwestern pocket of Italy known as Piemonte, the Piedmontese breed is the culmination of nature’s preferred attributes from the iconic Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle breeds.
Their story begins over 25,000 years ago with a mass migration west comprised of Zebu cattle originating from the middle east. When they reached the marshy grounds at the foot of the Italian Alps, they began to cross breed with the native European bison, known as the Auroch. From this unique cross of Bos Indicus (Zebu) and Bos Taurus (Auroch), the Piedmontese breed was born in the region of Northwestern Italy known as Piemonte. The farmers of the region came to utilize the breed for three purposes: milk, meat, and work. In 1877 a herd-book was opened, and in 1886 the distinctive “groppa doppia” or double rump was described in detail.
By 1900 there were 680,000 Piedmontese in Italy, however by 2008 there were only 300,000. Up until 1979 Italy maintained a complete embargo on the breed, which slowed knowledge and growth of the breed.
Italian farmers opened up the opportunity export live animals by selling 5 live animals to Canadian ranchers. From those first few animals, a North American herd of approximately 5,000 fullblood Piedmontese exists today. Typically fullblood animals, those which trace their pedigree back to Italian herd books unbroken, are utilized as breeding animals in an effort to grow the population.
Piedmontese cattle are visually quite striking, presenting white to light grey in color with black around their muzzle and eyes. With a fine bone structure and a broad, muscular silhouette, the breed has distinguishing characteristics native to each of the parent species that contributed to its inception. Docile and easygoing, the breed has written itself into history as a companion of mankind that spans oceans, cultures, and generations. The difference in their meat manifests itself in traits that assist the live animal. They are heat and cold tolerant thanks to a greater density of sweat glands, and hair follicles.
Additionally, their hair follicles are medullated, which means they are hollow, and act as an insulating layer. Their hide is loose on their body, which helps dissipate heat quicker. All of these traits mean the bulls, cows, and claves do not experience stress from climatological extremes. You will find Piedmontese at home grazing at 8,000 feet in the alps, sunning in the Brazilian heat & humidity, and at ease in Canadian winters. No other breed has this adaptability, coupled with efficiency, yield, and quality. Less talked about, but no less important is the profound level at which Piedmontese convert grass and other feeds into lean muscle. They naturally produce more meat while consuming fewer resources.
Piedmontese beef is the perfect culmination of texture and flavor, marrying a naturally low fat content with the breed’s signature fine muscle fibers to create an experience that truly melts on the tongue. By keeping an eye toward these exceptional genetic hallmarks, our team has perfected our approach to butchery, crafting inspiring packages of Piedmontese beef to enliven any dinner table even after the meal is over.
The untouchable tenderness is achieved through muscle fibers that are a fraction of the diameter of conventional muscle fibers, and muscle groups that contain extremely low levels of collagen, the connective tissue between fibers.
Collagen is the factor that drives the need for marbling in other breeds, and within Piedmontese this need is eliminated. In having a hyperdense muscle group, it lacks insulating factors (fat and collagen) that slow the transfer of heat, and in doing so allows that meat to cook 50% faster than conventional beef. Other factors at play are extremely low LDL cholesterol, elevated HDL cholesterol, low calories, and greater protein per ounce. It is no wonder why Piedmontese has been touted as a heart healthy beef for decades.
