Galloway Beef Eating Quality
Galloway cattle produce beef that exceeds consumer expectations for leanness, taste and tenderness. At the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, sensory evaluation panels ranked Galloway beef head and shoulders above the 11 other breeds analysed. In direct comparisons, Galloway ranked
- 1st in Flavour
- 2nd in Tenderness
- 2nd in Juiciness
Commercial producers, feeders and packers note how the Galloway breed "fattens from the inside out," depositing desirable marbling - taste fat - in their ribeyes long before they reach undesirable levels of cover, or waste fat - a rare, and highly sought-after characteristic.
Galloway carcasses are well-marbled with large ribeyes. It is often said that Galloway beef has a distinctive eating quality, superior to other breeds.
Studies in Europe have shown the Galloway to be possessed of a unique marbling pattern comprised of very fine, discrete parcels of intramuscular fat distributed in a very even pattern. This is in contrast to larger, visible streaking deposits of fat common in many breeds.
Interestingly, the Galloway is one of only a handful of beef breeds in use today that was developed specifically for beef production, not dairy or draft. Historians noted the Galloway's "tender and juicy" beef in the year 1530.
In direct comparisons* between Galloway and five other British beef breeds, Galloway stands tall
| Beef Characteristic | Galloway's Ranking | Galloway's Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Fat Thickness | #1 | Galloway: lowest at 1.2cm (0.48in) |
| Estimated percentage kidney, pelvic and heart fat | #1 | Galloway: lowest at 3.13% |
| Percentage of retail product | #1 | Galloway: highest at 69.7% |
| Percentage of Fat Trim | #1 | Galloway: lowest at 7.8% |
| Ribeye Area | #2 | Galloway: 2nd highest at 72.8cm² (11.28in²) |
| Dressing Percentage | #2 | Galloway: 2nd highest at 61.2% |
* Orig. Hereford, Angus, Galloway, Shorthorn, Modern Hereford.
Evaluated by U.S. Meat Animal Research in Clay Center Neb.
Galloway beef is excellent because it is high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Galloway beef is also low in total fat and in saturated fat. This means that is it less likely to contribute towards Cholesterol.
Galloway beef has very low total fat content (about 2%) and saturated fat content (1%). This is similar in fat content to chicken and fish so it fits well with a healthy diet. Galloway beef is exceptionally tender, full of flavour and juicy. It won the 2003 Sydney Royal Show "Beef Taste Test".