Description
The Agneau du Bourbonnais PGI is lamb obtained from Charollais, Ile de France, Texel, Suffolk and Charmoise sheep breeds and their crossbreeds. The farming area is located in the largest grassland of France, in Auvergne.
Production Area
The production area of Agneau du Bourbonnais PGI includes the department of Allier (in Auvergne) and the areas neighbouring the Creuse (in Limousin), the Saône-et-Loire and the Nièvre (in Burgundy) and the Cher (in the Centre region).
Production Method
The lambs eat only mother's milk for almost the first 60 days of life. Later, their diet is integrated with grass and/or forages as well as with a complementary, cereal-based nurture. After their natural weaning, they are nurtured with a forage-based diet and/or pasture, integrated with a complementary, authorised food. The use of silo fodder to nurture lambs is strictly forbidden. They are slaughtered between 90 and 210 days of age, with a weight between 14 and 23 kg.
Appearance and Flavour
Agneau du Bourbonnais PGI features a light-colour meat, slightly rosy, with fibrous consistency and free from lacerations. The fat is also slightly rosy, with firm consistency. The taste is very characteristic tending to sweet tones.
History
In the Auvergne area, farming boasts a long tradition and, since the 18th century, the sheep were raised due to their precious wool. The farmers of Agneau du Bourbonnais PGI are still today famous due to the quality of their work. Indeed, they have been able to adapt to both new techniques and expectations of consumers, also as regards environmental sustainability and breeding methods.
Gastronomy
The Agneau du Bourbonnais PGI is conserved for a few days in the refrigerator, wrapped into paper food containers. The cooking processes vary depending on the meat cut chosen. The shoulder is very good cooked in Blanquette (stewed), marinated with aromatic herbs, whilst the lamb leg is exquisite roasted in oven with season vegetables, and cutlets are tasteful when grilled. It is perfect combined with rosé or red wine from Auvergne like Château de la Loire, Côtes d'Auvergne or Saint-Pourçain.
Marketing
The product is sold as Agneau du Bourbonnais PGI. It is marketed fresh, whole without head, or in slices packed in trays with protected atmosphere to guarantee a longer conservation and keep unaltered its organoleptic features.
Distinctive Features
The long tradition of breeding, which is characteristic of Auvergne, makes it the ideal land which enables Agneau du Bourbonnais PGI to achieve an excellent level of quality.
