Wizard Recipes

Although we give cooking times for beef, we debated doing so at first. There are so many factors involved: how cold your refrigerator is, how cold the meat is, how marbled the meat is, how accurate your oven is, how consistent the heat is, how often you open the door, what the composition of your roasting pan is, etc.

In the end, the only reliable test is done with an instant-read meat thermometer, inserted diagonally into the center of the meat for 5 seconds to get an accurate reading. What that temperature actually means is a matter of debate. For example, we prefer beef rarer than the USDA guidelines.

Theirs have been established for safety; ours, for safety and taste. Should you choose to follow our recommendations, realize what you’re doing, buy certified organic beef from a reputable butcher, and cook it within a day of purchase. Rare meat should not be consumed by anyone with immune deficiencies, expectant mothers, or the infirm.

Our definitions are rare, 120°F; medium-rare, 125°F; medium, 140°F; and well done, 160°F. The USDA’s are rare, not recommended; medium-rare, 145°F; medium, 160°F; and well done, 170°F.

However, you’ll notice that we don’t strictly adhere to these temperatures inside some recipes. We sometimes suggest you take the beef off the heat at a slightly lower temperature than those given.

Larger cuts of beef continue to cook off the heat, the fat still hot in the meat. Also note that there are no temperatures given for fattier, tougher cuts that are stewed, braised, or roasted-brisket, for example-because these are cooked to temperatures well beyond medium, even well done, until the meat falls apart.

Grading Beef

The USDA names eight categories of beef, “prime” to “canner.” Prime is fattier, more marbled, and thus more resistant to turning tough or taking on a liver like tang. Rarely seen in supermarkets, prime is usually reserved for restaurants and high-end butcher shops.

The three gradations routinely found in supermarkets are “choice,” “select,” and sometimes “standard.” In the end, we actually prefer choice, even over prime. It’s leaner, a little chewier, with a bolder  flavor; it does, however, require greater accuracy in its internal roasted temperature to ensure tenderness. Select beef is best reserved for stewing.

Ground Beef

Most ground beef is marked by the percentage of fat in the beef once it’s been ground. By U.S. law, no ground beef can have more than 30% fat. (Such a product would thus be labeled “70% ground beef.”) Most ground beef is labeled 80%, 90%, and 93%.

Be forewarned that there is a vast difference between products labeled “ground beef ” and those labeled “hamburger.” Ground beef must not have any added fat, other than what is present in the meat that’s ground. Hamburger, by contrast, may have additional fat ground into the meat and may have a fat content far higher than 30%.

That said, there are some teeth in the ground-beef monikers. According to the USDA, 100 grams of “lean” ground beef must have less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol; 100 grams of “extra lean” must have less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 grams of cholesterol.

When purchasing ground beef, remember that the sell-by date on the package has no governmental authorization; you must trust your local market and butcher. Do not buy meat that has turned fully brown; do not use meat with a funky smell or shimmery sheen. Also remember that most beef is ground at local supermarkets, not at plants under USDA supervision.

If you’re not going to use ground beef within a day of purchase, remove it from its packaging, seal it in a ziplock bag, and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw ground beef in the refrigerator, never on the counter. A pound should take about 24 hours to thaw.

Beef comes from the adult bovine, including cows (females that have had a calf ), steers (males castrated when very young), heifers (females that have not been bred), and bulls younger than 2 years. Beef from an animal slaughtered after age 2 years is generally classified as “well-matured beef.”

Meat from these animals begins to toughen and becomes more of a purplish red. Baby beef, in contrast, is from a 7- to 10-monthold calf. Of all the animals domesticated for food, cattle reign supreme. This animal, once only a beast of burden, became a source of meat and milk only after feed from improved agricultural practices became plentiful.

Even though cattle were first introduced to the New World in the 1500s, beef did not become popular in the United States until the Civil War, when other meats and poultry were in short supply.

After the Civil War, the abundance of grazing land and emerging transportation systems in the United States made it easy have hit the shelves. The result is that beef is 27 percent leaner than it was 20 years ago.

When eaten in moderation and prepared with low-fat cooking methods, beef remains a nutritious addition to meals.

Preparation Tips

When shopping, pick a cut of beef whose tenderness and level of flavor appropriately fit the recipe you are using. In general, the more expensive the cut of meat (rib, loin, breast, filet, sirloin), the greater the flavor and tenderness.

Cheaper cuts (leg, hip, shoulder) may be less tender but are just as flavorful. They are best prepared with slow, moist-heat cooking, such as boiling, poaching, stewing, steaming, or braising. Any of these moist-cooking methods are also best for any leaner, tougher cut of beef (leg, hip, shoulder), and slow cooking provides the best results.

Using a tenderizer also makes tough cuts more palatable. Acid ingredients such as vinegar, yogurt, cider wine, citrus juice, and tomatoes often are used in marinades because they tenderize the meat. Natural enzymes such as papaya, figs, and pineapple also can be used for the same purpose.

Cover meat with the marinade and place it in a non-metallic container in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours. Aged beef that you might find at your local supermarket probably has undergonewet-aging. The carcass is vacuum-packed in plastic bags and then placed in coolers for a week to a month. This process tenderizes the beef, but it does not have the dramatic improvement in flavor that occurs with dry-aging.

Ground beef contains enough fat (about 15 to 20 percent) to give it flavor and make it juicy without excess shrinkage. The most flavorful hamburgers are made with ground chuck, but that is not the only kind of to move large amounts of beef throughout the country.

For years, Americans have been one of the world’s top consumers of beef. But in response to concerns about red meat’s link to cardiovascular disease and cancer, consumption has declined significantly.

Since 1978, beef consumption has dropped 28 percent, whereas poultry and pork consumption has grown rapidly. Beef producers have launched several programs to provide leaner beef products. The industry has developed leaner beef breeds, let the animals forage from grasslands instead of grain lots, and developed economic incentives for producing leaner cattle.

Retailers also have reduced the average thickness of fat around the edge of steaks and roasts from 3/4 inch to 1/10 inch, and sometimes no external fat is present at all. In addition, low-fat ground beef and other meats hamburger available.

The leanest (around 11 percent fat) and most expensive of the ground meats are ground round and ground sirloin. New processing of ground meat is now making available even leaner choices (around 5 percent fat). The leaner choices are ideal for calorie and fat watchers, but they have to be cooked carefully to avoid their becoming too dry.

For more flavorful cuts of meat, dryheat cooking - roasting, baking, broiling, or grilling - is more common. Try these methods with steaks, tenderloins, and filets. To reduce the fat content of beef sauces or soups, refrigerate them and gently spoon off the fat layer that forms on the surface.

Serving Suggestions

Although beef can be part of a healthful diet, the key is to think of it as a side dish and not the main entrée. Dishes such as sirloin kabobs fulfill the craving for beef without the need to eat a lot of it.

Stir-frying, in which thin strips or chunks of beef are combined with large quantities of vegetables, is also an excellent way to have beef play a supporting role at mealtime. Stews and casseroles with vegetable-based sauces also offer this advantage.

Another simple option is to cut down on the amount of ground beef called for in a recipe. Reducing the amount of ground beef by half cuts the calories, fat, and cholesterol by half.

As is generally known, BEEF is the flesh of a slaughtered steer, cow, or other adult bovine animal. These animals may be sold to be slaughtered as young as 1-1/2 to 2 years old, but beef of the best quality is obtained from them when they are from 3 to 4 years of age.

Ranging from the highest quality down to the lowest, beef is designated by the butcher as prime, extra fancy, fancy, extra choice, choice, good, and poor. In a market where trade is large and varied, it is possible to make such use of meat as to get a higher price for the better qualities than can be obtained in other markets.

When the quality of beef is to be determined, the amount, quality, and color of the flesh, bone, and fat must be considered. The surface of a freshly cut piece of beef should be bright red in color. When it is exposed to the air for some time, the action of the air on the blood causes it to become darker, but even this color should be a good clear red.

Any unusual color is looked on with suspicion by a person who understands the requirements of good meat. To obtain beef of the best quality, it should be cut crosswise of the fiber. In fact, the way in which meat is cut determines to a great extent the difference between tender and tough meat and, consequently, the price that is charged.

This difference can be readily seen by examining the surface of a cut. It will be noted that the tender parts are made up of short fibers that are cut directly across at right angles with the surface of the meat, while the tougher parts contain long fibers that run either slanting or almost parallel to the surface.

The amount of bone and cartilage in proportion to meat in a cut of beef usually makes a difference in price and determines the usefulness of the piece to the housewife. Therefore, these are matters that should be carefully considered.

For instance, a certain cut of beef that is suitable for a roast may cost a few cents less than another cut, but if its proportion of bone to meat is greater than in the more expensive piece, nothing is gained by purchasing it.

Bones, however, possess some value and can be utilized in various ways. Those containing marrow, which is the soft tissue found in the cavities of bones and composed largely of fat, are more valuable for soup making and for stews and gravies than are solid bones.

In young beef in good condition, the fat is creamy white in color. However, as the animal grows older, the color grows darker until it becomes a deep yellow.

Besides the flesh, bone, and fat, the general shape and thickness of a piece of beef should be noted when its quality is to be determined. In addition, its adaptability to the purpose for which it is selected and the method of cookery to be used in its preparation are also points that should not be overlooked.

With the general characteristics of beef well in mind, you should be  prepared, to learn of the way in which the animal is cut to produce the different pieces that you can see in the butcher shop and the names that are given to the various cuts.

The cutting of the animal, as well as the naming of the pieces, varies in different localities, but the difference is not sufficient to be confusing. Therefore, if the information here given is thoroughly mastered, you will be able to select meat intelligently in whatever section of the country you may reside.

An important point for her to remember concerning meat of any kind is that the cheaper cuts are found near the neck, legs, and shins, and that the pieces increase in price as they go toward the back.

The general method of cutting up a whole beef into large cuts is as follows. After the head, feet, and intestines are removed, the carcass is cut down along the spine and divided into halves.

Each half includes an entire side and is known as a side of beef. Then each side is divided into fore and hind quarters along the diagonal line that occurs about midway between the front and the back.

It is in this form that the butcher usually receives the beef. He first separates it into the large pieces and then cuts these pieces into numerous smaller ones having names that indicate their location.

The cuts that are obtained from these larger pieces are as follows. For instance, from the chuck are secured numerous cuts, including the neck, shoulder clod, shoulder, and chuck ribs. The same is true of the other pieces.

NAMES AND USES OF CUTS

To make these large pieces of a size suitable for sale to the consumer, the butcher cuts each one of them into still smaller pieces, The names of these cuts, together with their respective uses, and the names of the beef organs and their uses, are given in Table II.

Like I was discussing yesterday, meat has its ups and downs… Take into consideration also the following:

Here are some secrets to achieve your goal: a healthy tasty meal:
-Cut off all white fatty parts from raw meat before cooking it
-Cook the chicken with the skin, but remove it before consuming the meat.
-For healthier cooking, don`t add oil to the meat; add water or beer, wine, tomato   juice, spices and herbs… It gives a better taste and with a lower health cost
-The meat is fresher when the color is lighter, so chose pink pieces of meat if you want them tender.
-Boil the meat in already boiling water, in order to keep the nutrients sealed in the meat. If making soups, use cold water
-Don’t buy already minced meat. It has a high fat content. Prepare it yourself from low fat meat. It takes longer but it’s healthier.

Here are the calories table for 100 g of raw meat:

CALORIES FOR 100 G OF RAW MEAT
CHICKEN, TURKEY 100 CAL
BEEF 120 CAL
PORK 120 CAL
LIVER 150 CAL
LAMB 160 CAL

Also, keep in mind that:

- the meat from the chicken legs contains 3 times more iron than the chicken breast
- chicken leg contains more fat than chicken breast
- chicken and turkey skin is made 100% form fat
- goose and duck are richer in iron than chicken and turkey
- 150 g of roast beef contain 20% of the daily needed quantity of iron for women and 25% for men.

It can be white or red… it can be pork, beef, chicken, turkey or wild game, meat is the main source of proteins for the organism, offering the needed amino acids.

Meat contains vitamins (D and B12) and minerals (Zinc, Selenium, Iron), but does not contain any fibers or glucids.

Advantages:

- With its high content of amino acids, meat participates in the construction and well maintenance of all tissues and organs

- It is used in diets due to its high protein and low lipid content

-Maintains the well functioning of the nervous system and increases concentration due to its B12 content

-Turkey meat puts you in a good mood due to the tryptophan content and also contains antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E and Selenium), which help prevent arteriosclerosis

-Vitamin D in meat helps Calcium fixation for best bone development

-Liver contains high quantities of vitamin A and B 12, and also Iron,  Zinc and Selenium which become easy to absorb

Disadvantages:

-Be careful with the high saturated fats in meat, because they increase blood pressure and arteriosclerosis risks

-High meat consumption can lead to constipation, because of the lack of fibers

-Liver and pork can contain Trichinela spiralis, a parasite

There are good and “bad’ fats, some toxic, some neutral, and some essential to good health. All animal and plant fats can be broken down into fatty acids, glycerin, and water. Fats and lipids are better energy sources than protein or carbohydrates.

We need to add fats to our diets because they carry the fatsoluble vitamins A, D, E, and

K. Vitamin K is easily destroyed by the use of mineral oil, Heparin and Dicumarol

(blood thinners), drugs, or aspirin. Most people overlook, the need for vitamin K, but it has recently been linked to intestinal disorders. It is important in the treatment of arthritis.

One rich source of vitamin K is alfalfa. The right kind of fat is essential for good health. most people consume too much of the wrong kind. Excess fat is stored in the liver, in arteries around the heart, and in all tissues.

Cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon, not to mention obesity and an increased risk of heart attack, are linked to a high-fat consumpation. The typical American diet consists of 40-50 % fat, a primary reason for the rise in the disorders mentioned above.

Saturated fats are behind many health problems, and should be omitted form your diet. They are behind heart disorders and arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). High intake of saturated

fats have been shown to elevate serum cholesterol, and contribute to heart disease and cancer. Do not consume saturated fats! They slow the liver’s ability to remove arter-clogging LDL (low-density lipopreteins) from the blood. However, the nomounsaturated fats aid in removing LDl (bad fats) from the blood stream.

Saturated fats

Saturated fat is found in all animal products and many vegetable oils:

Butter/lard

Poultry

Beef

Chocolate

Plam oil

Coconut

Milk/cream

Cheeses

Bacon/pork

Palm

Coconut oil