This is from our "Aged On The Hoof" Collection. These animals are harvested when they are older than the industry norm. Because they live peaceful, stress-free lives they are tender, but the extra age gives the meat extra flavor and richness.
The tenderloin is most tender piece of meat you will ever have the pleasure of biting into. It is soft, juicy, and flavorful without needing anything more than a simple salt and pepper seasoning. These Vaca Vieja tenderloins are exceptionally flavorful.
"Vaca Vieja" (old cow) has become popular because of the rich flavor that comes with age. Here are three articles from the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times:
This is a Tenderloin Roast, not cut into medallions.
This roast is a special treat, and the main ingredient of Beef Wellington. Lisa and I used a Serious Eats recipe for an out-of-this-world Christmas dinner. Fun and not nearly as difficult to make as I expected.
A beef tenderloin, known as an eye fillet in Australasia, filet in France, filé mignon in Brazil, and fillet in the United Kingdom and South Africa, is cut from the loin of beef.
We carefully tend to and raise our animals only on the nutrient rich green grasses and crystal clear waters of our high mountain ranches outside Chama, NM. Nothing more, nothing less.
Our meats are the best you’ve ever tasted because we control the entire supply chain. Our yaks are bred, born and raised on our ranches while Robert purchases all our cattle from our neighbors or from local auction houses. In the summers the animals enjoy the high mountain energy dense grasses and snow-fed spring waters on our Wolf Creek Ranch. In the winters we move the yaks and cattle to our lower elevation farm 20 miles from the ranch where they eat Timothy hay that was grown either on our farm or neighboring farms. Our processing is done either in Chama by a craft butcher or by another craft butcher in Colorado. Also, our team members all have historic ranching roots in the Chama Valley, giving them a deep knowledge of animal husbandry and regenerative grazing practices of the region.
Disclosure: Chama Valley Meat Company sent me two vaca vieja tenderloins for free and asked me to leave a review, but I'm free to share my own opinion.
I made the first one for grandpa's birthday so I could share it with a group of people. Everyone that tried it was amazed at the depth of flavor that it had. I've tried grass fed beef from several different sources and they didn't compare to the vaca vieja from Chama Valley Meat Company. I also expected the meat to be tougher because it was "aged on the hoof," but I did a side by side comparison to a store-bought choice grade tenderloin and the vaca vieja was more tender.
The other big plus is their butcher did a perfect job on the trim. There was no silver skin or anything that needed to be removed. Just add some salt, and throw it on the grill. You can say that for the store bought stuff.
