Cidered beef: when cider becomes the secret ingredient of exceptional meat

" Innovation in authenticity! "It's with this credo that François-Xavier Craquelin, cider producer (but not only), has been growing the family farm for the past twenty years. Originally, the farm was based on mixed farming and livestock, and apples were used more for personal cider-making. The family had already set itself apart by being autonomous in the production and processing of cereals to feed the animals. Today, the latest generation has created a veritable ecosystem.

François-Xavier Craquelin's background is truly atypical, with a background in rural law and agricultural economics, business school and a specialization in setting up businesses in disadvantaged areas. He's a man of values, for whom every project is designed to make sense. Such is the case with Bœuf Cidré, whose name alone has created a buzz, often compared - wrongly - to the famous Kobe beef. The story began in 2007 with the production and marketing of cider. Six years later, the first cidered oxen were put out to pasture. " We had a bit of cider in stock, some inspiration, and the media coverage took off right away! The initial idea was to think outside the box. Making beef that eats grass meant paying the same price as a Holstein bullock that eats corn silage. At that price, we couldn't balance our traditional Normandy beef farm. We were inspired by Kobe beef and tried to understand why, when you give the animals alcohol, you have an effect behind it."Yes, this system helps to whet the animal's appetite. The magic then happens when the animal is given something good to eat.

" We work on Normandy cows with a culard bull. "Breeding cows is a day-to-day process, involving constant readjustments, which François-Xavier Craquelin implements with rigor and passion. So, how does the cider get to the animals? " In the morning, they get a ration of haylage. In the evening, we feed the complementary products: a mixture of barley, beet pulp, maize, rapeseed and linseed cakes... and cider. "Today, some fifteen oxen live between the stables and the apple trees at Le P'tit Clos Normand, selling no less than 20,000 liters of cider in four months, out of the 80,000 produced on the farm.

While it's not possible to buy meat direct - it's only distributed via Pascal Grosdoit, a wholesaler in Rouen - you can't miss out on the ciders, mustards, vinegars and other calvados arrangements. François-Xavier Craquelin will be delighted to let you taste his made-in-Normandy products during a visit to the farm!

Four questions for Christophe Mauduit, chef at the Auberge des Ruines restaurant in Jumièges

When he took over the restaurant in 2011, chef Christophe Mauduit, who has worked alongside Marc Veyrat, wanted to create a menu based around cider. His research led him to the producer of cidered beef.

What parts of cidered beef do you use in your cooking?

Christophe Mauduit: We offer the filet of blue beef, barely rare. We use the chuck for confit. The heart, for example, is barely browned, it's practically raw and we marinate it. Everyone thinks it's duck. I add oranges, lemon and ginger, and present them in a small soup. As they're served very fresh, they have no smell...

On which cuts can you tell the difference with traditional beef?

C.M.: On red meats like beef tenderloin or entrecôte. I've already sent photos to François-Xavier, and you can see just how marbled the meat is. It's really beautiful!

What's your favorite way to cook cured beef?

C. M.: When the weather's nice, it's always grilled! Otherwise, I really like chuck and cheeks, either in a sauce or as a pot-au-feu, where you keep the meat and can slice it finely and brown it with onions to put on a salad.

But can you really tell the difference between traditional beef and cured beef?

C. M.: We've already tried with François-Xavier, but it's not easy. You need a very fine palate, because all beef has different tastes.