Camargue Bull meat

As I mentioned in my last post, I am (was) on holiday in the south of France, specifically Nimes.  The Nimoise and the people of the Gard region of France seem to have an obsession with the Bull.

This extends from breeding the famous Camargue bull for fighting, in the Nimes Feria, Bull racing, and also for eating.

It seemed somewhat rude not to partake in this local speciality.  I this case I had a bull steak (or Taureau) with chips.  Not very refined, I know, but possibly the best way to taste these things.

I have to say it was good, a little darker than your common or garden supermarket beef steak and maybe a little "older" tasting.

This isn't overly surprising as a proportion of the beef we eat in the UK, is male cow that is the offspring of a milk cow and a meat Bull.

I guess, and this is a guess, that the difference is that the age of the male bull is older in the Taureau case to develop the the characteristics of a bull, such as horns etc.

As I didn't cook I can't provide the recipe, can can probably work this one out for yourself, but instead I do provide a Bull recipe, a Gard speciality.

Gardiane de Taureau

Ingredients - For 6

• 1.5 kg of Bull meat (or beef)
• 6 Carrots
• 2 Onions
• Some stoned prunes
• 3l Red wine
• a good handful or 2 of black Olives
• Bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper
• The chopped peel of an orange
• A double measure of Cartagene wine (Difficult to find, I would suggest replacing with brandy)
• Olive oil 

Put the pieces of bull, sliced carrots, prunes and onions in a bowl and leave overnight in a marinade made from the wine, cartagene, salt, pepper, herbs and orange peel.

On the day of serving:

Remove the meat from the marinade, drain well and brown well in the olive oil.  Once golden, add the juice from the marinate (leaving the solids to one side) to the mean and leave to cook for 2.5 hours.  This can be done either on the hob or in the oven.

To finish, add the solids and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve with Camargue rice for authenticity.