Livestock farming

Outdoor livestock farming and the quality of grazing lands in the Haute-Vienne favours production of superior quality meat. Limousin beef is now the emblem of the region.

The Limousin cow or the lovely russet with chestnut eyes

The Limousin beef is a prestige meat that carries the “blason prestige” label in the following categories: milk-fed veal reputed for its flavour and the delicacy of its meat and weanling (a weanling is a young cow or young sheep raised by its mother which accompanies it to the pasture. It feeds mainly on maternal milk, but also grazes on grass).

The Lanaud Centre in Boisseuil is its headquarters. It's a unique and well-known place in France, entirely dedicated to the promotion of the bovine Limousin race. At the gates of Limoges, bordering the A20 motorway, this original, architectural ensemble is the work of the famous architect, Jean Nouvel, of which this is his first work in a rural location. This exemplary creation, all in Limousin Douglas wood, has been listed as a “20th-century Remarkable Building”. The site has also been certified as a Remarkable Site for Taste. Discover the new agro-tourist space, “Limousin Park“, a site of exchange between the rural world and expanding urbanism.

Recipe idea: calf’s head with ‘gribiche’ sauce.

Baronet lamb

Limousin Baronet lamb www.ovinlimousin.com. The “Le Baronet” brand was created in 1984 and carries the labels Official Quality Mark and Protected Geographical Indication for lambs born, raised and slaughtered in the Limousin. It's a tender and flavoursome meat without excess fat.
Recipe idea: ‘brayaude’ Limousin leg of lamb.

“Cul noir” (black bottom) pig

This farm-raised Limousin pig lives outdoors and carries the Protected Geographical Indication label and the Label Rouge. The Haute-Vienne possesses a renowned know-how in pork processing.

Since the 16th century, the Haute-Vienne “Cul Noir” has been a breed specific to the south of the Département. On the way to extinction in the 80s, the breed was saved thanks to the Brotherhood of Cul Noir Tasters and the Pork Technical Institute. “Cul Noir” is considered noble due to its age and its hardiness like the Basque pig or the Noir de Bigorre, on condition that all these ancient breeds live outdoors in large, uncrowded, grassy and wooded spaces and are fed naturally.

Recipe idea: roasted loin of “Cul Noir” with vegetables.