Bit of Beef Skirt
As it’s Great British Beef Week, we wanted to pay tribute to the glorious Beef Skirt that we use in our Devon Steak Pasties
Once loved by miners and field workers, and now a favourite grab-and-go meal among the British, the classic pasty recipe has always used beef skirt. In France “Bavette” is hailed as a delicacy but over on our turf, it’s a somewhat underrated cut of meat.
Full of flavour, it really does make the very best pasties. Just ask Simon and he’ll talk for hours about its merits! If you've enjoyed a Pasty Making Demo in the Darts Farm Teepee at the Devon County Show - you'll have heard Simon and seen his 'skirt shimmy'! 🤣
So, what is the Beef Skirt?
The skirt comes from below the ribs, in the section of the cow known as the beef plate primal cut. There are two muscles in the diaphragm called the outside skirt and the transversus abdominis muscle, or inside skirt. In normal terms – its the cow’s belly!
As cows don’t do much mooooving all day (sorry, couldn’t resist!), this muscle doesn't do an awful lot, and therefore is beautifully tender unlike some other cuts of meat.
Cooking beef skirt
Great for BBQs, beef skirt should be cooked hot and fast. In the pasty, the meat is steamed alongside the veg as it is encased in pastry and the juice of the meat produces the scrumptious gravy.
Great British Beef Week
From 23-30th April, this week is for celebrating British Beef, amongst the most sustainable in the world due to our great British farmers. Read more about British Beef Week here. The quality beef we use in our pies and pasties comes from the wonderful Westcountry (we may be a tad biased!). We’re delighted to have an excuse to honour it - hooray for Great British Beef Week!
Chunk Pies and Pasties
We also use quality Westcountry Beef in our Steak & Blue Pasty, Steak & Ale Pie and Steak, Stilton & Mushroom Pie, all available to order online!
