Capping off Beef Month with Chocolate

May 29 – where has the month gone? It seems like just yesterday we were making announcements about Beef Month, and now it is coming to a close. But don’t worry friends, we can celebrate our great product every day, and after having our oven on last night, I know I’ll be grilling from here on forward! It was too hot in the house. 

To close out Beef Month, I thought we should celebrate, and what better way to celebrate than with chocolate?! That’s right, I wanted to share with you a dessert recipe that uses beef, so this week we’re baking up some delish Beef Brownies. 

Since Stan was at work, I found a new cooking assistant for the evening, and we mixed up a batch of these wonderful, moist, chocolate-y brownies. And the best part – they have protein in them with the ground beef!

Once I got Kaden situated next to the mixer, I had him measure out the ingredients while I browned the beef in the skillet. This was a simple recipe that I found online at Food.com, and the beef provided some added moisture to the brownies to make them melt-in-your-mouth good, as well as a little texture.

Recipe:

·         2 cups sugar

·         1 ½ cups flour

·         1/3 cup cocoa powder

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 cup butter

·         4 eggs

·         2 tsp vanilla

·         ½ cup cooked ground beef (I used 80/20)

Mix the sugar, vanilla, cocoa and butter.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Mix well and add flour and salt. Fold in ground beef. Bake at 375 in a 10x15 pan for 25 minutes.  Do not over bake.

True to form, I did not mix the ingredients in order as listed above – I added the flour to the initial mix. I also forgot to set my kitchen timer – a hazard of multi-tasking – so I waited until the edges were getting a little “crisp” to them. And these brownies turned out pretty darn good!

I would suggest serving them with glass of ice-cold milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but they aren’t too bad plain either. 

I sure hope you have enjoyed the Illinois Beef Association’s Beef Month cooking segments.  Don’t worry; “Cooking with Shelia” will be back on the IBA blog periodically. There are so many tasty, versatile and nutritious ways to prepare beef that I want to share with you. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out, www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com for more great recipes and beef information.

And, next time you need to take a dessert to a potluck, try these yummy brownies.  You’ll be glad you did!

Beef – the Healthy Option

Since my move to Illinois nearly a year ago, I have come to the realization that I had awful eating habits in my previous life. I lived alone and was on the road more than half the year; therefore the cupboards and refrigerator in my house had the bare minimum – cereal, crackers, cheese, milk (sometimes it was still good) and a piece of fruit or two. I ate out twice a day and even then didn’t make super healthy choices.

I have definitely chosen a healthier lifestyle since my move to the farm, and starting work at IBA. Stan and I cook most every night and I take left overs to work daily, but usually my friends and I do splurge and eat out one day a week. The meals I take to work include protein, a salad and another vegetable or fruit.

Of course the tastiest protein option I enjoy is beef! And, fortunate for me, beef offers a variety of lean options. According to www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com, “all lean beef cuts have less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3½-oz serving.” To find a lean beef option, look for the words “loin” or “round” in the cuts’ name.

We have really been on steak kick lately – especially with the nice weather. So the other night, Stan grilled up a sirloin steak. It was a slightly larger than 3 ½ ounces, and we knew with our sides, one steak would feed the both of us. Earlier in the day, Stan lightly seasoned the steak with one of our favorites – Jim Baldridge’s Secret Seasoning. Just prior to grilling we set the steak out. I had purchased some pineapple chunks earlier in the week and thought about using them for shish-ka-bobs, but instead we just grilled them sans skewer.

We like our beef medium rare, with a little pinkish-red color in the center. Different grills will cook at different speeds. It is always good to have a meat thermometer on hand to make sure your meat is cooked to the temperature you like it.

Within a very short time, we had a delicious steak and wonderful grilled pineapple – all with just three ingredients – steak, seasoning and pineapple.

This was a great looking, great tasting, lean meal. Of course, I added some grilled garden veggies and a baked sweet potato to the meal to round it out.

What is your favorite cut of lean beef? There are so many options to choose from, and so much more flavor in lean beef than what you’d find in chicken. I wish more people realized that.

Stay tuned for next week’s segment where we look at some other fun ways to use beef!

CattleFax - Weekly Recap

The fed cattle market was mostly $1 to $2.00 lower last week, with the full decline noted in the North. In the South, the bulk of the trade was at $145, while sales in the North were primarily at $146 to $147.50 live and $234 to $236 on a dressed basis. Boxed beef was steady on choice and modestly higher on selects last week. Lower slaughter levels helped to stabilize the boxed beef market. 

Feeder cattle prices were steady to as much as $4.00 higher for the week while calves were mostly steady to $3.00 firmer. Slaughter cows were steady to $2.00 higher as summer grilling demand moves to center stage. 

Corn prices worked lower last week as planting proceeds quickly in the Midwest. An Cattle On feed report was issued Friday. On feed came is at 99% percent of a year ago, trade estimates were 99.2%. Placed on feed was reported to be 95%, the trade was expecting 96.8%. Marketed was 98%, the pre-report estimate was 97.9%.

Check out today's Chart of the Day. For recent market news and analysis, visit CattleFax.com.

Thinking Outside the Box

It’s a conundrum that’s been a long time coming. Carcass weights are increasing at the same time consumers are looking for smaller portion sizes. To help combat this issue, innovations in beef merchandising have stepped up to the plate.

Bridget Wasser, senior director of meat science and technology for the Beef Innovations Group – funded by the Beef Checkoff, said, “We’re about the consumer – they’re the reason we’re in business.”

It’s no secret that consumers want to know more about their food and are demanding more from the beef industry’s product. According to Wasser, what they demand the most is quality. But, not quality in terms of the USDA grading system. Quality to the consumer combines several different characteristics.

“When consumers are asked about quality they automatically think of taste and the three major attributes of taste are tenderness, juiciness and flavor,” she said. “Our goal is to offer the best possible eating experience every time a consumer chooses beef – consistency is key.”

To help add value to the industry from a retail and foodservice standpoint and to ensure a great eating experience for consumers, meat scientists are being innovative with ways to fabricate traditional cuts from beef carcasses.

“Historically, middle meat cuts (tenderloin, sirloin, ribeye) tended to sell themselves and muscles of the chuck and round were of less value because they were perceived as less tender being used for locomotion,” Wasser said. “The second most tender muscle is actually in the chuck and it’s known as the Flat Iron steak.”

Muscle profiling research is the cornerstone of the Beef Checkoff’s work on innovation with new fabrication methods and the research helped find diamonds in the rough.

For example, research identified tender muscles in the shoulder clod, but traditional fabrication methods didn’t allow access. Due to this, meat scientists have changed beef cutting methods and are encouraging single muscle fabrication.

“With single muscle fabrication, we now we have access to all surfaces of the muscle. There is always going to be a seam of fat that runs between muscles and sometimes there’s connective tissue, which is a barrier to tenderness,” she said. “We can now remove barriers to quality, and make sure we’re cutting across the grain, which is hard to do with multiple muscles present as they lay in different directions.”

Three new cuts from the shoulder clod were released by the Beef Checkoff in the early 2000s and the Petite Tender has become a real success story. The seventh most tender muscle, there are only two Petite Tender’s in the beef carcass and it’s in high demand. According to Wasser, packers are fabricating the muscle in the plant and bagging around 20 together to distribute to food service establishments. The industry is selling between 30-40 million pounds of Petite Tender per year. Currently, there is more demand than we can supply.

During the late 2000s, the Chuck Eye Steak was released. In the food service world it’s referred to as the Del Monico Steak and is popular because it eats like a ribeye, but at the chuck price. Wasser looks for more value to come from this cut in the future.

Phil Bass, meat scientist for Certified Angus Beef, agrees that the beef industry is making progress by adjusting cutting styles.

One of the big accomplishments of the beef community is the way we’re taking these muscles apart to produce more desirable cuts of beef. Just like with the chuck, meat scientists have had success with creating more value with the top sirloin as well.

“Meat cutting is easy – find the seams. It’s like taking apart a puzzle,” Bass said. “The top sirloin is one we haven’t taken the knife to properly. We need to liberate this piece of meat and produce a boneless cut. The top sirloin butt does have a lot of bone attached to it.”

He noted there are several muscles within it that can be appealing steaks. The top sirloin butt is a large piece of meat and fabrication methods decrease the overall diameter, which allows for the ability to cut thicker steaks in a smaller portion size. This is what people are looking for, especially in the food service sector.

“For chefs cooking a 4-ounce steak that’s a half-inch thick there are basically two degrees of doneness – raw and cremated,” Bass said. “So a new cut we’re helping to merchandise, the top sirloin filet or baseball cut, can be eight ounces and an inch and a half thick. The size gives chefs more to work with and it really stands up on the plate – chefs like altitude. It looks good and is more of a value type item, but is still a great eating experience.” 

Meat scientists are constantly looking to find the answers to what is next for beef, how can we do more with less, and how can beef continue to meet consumers’ needs tomorrow, and for years to come. Education is the first step and meat scientists are making efforts in teaching industry stakeholders how to merchandise our product. It’s important for producers to know what is next for their product and the future looks exciting.

Who Remembers Cook Books?

I remember the day I received my first cook book. I laughed. Out loud. It was a high school graduation gift from some people we had met in the sheep business. And it was a beautiful hard-cover book with wonderful photography. But it had recipes in it, and well, that would mean I’d be stuck in the kitchen. Anyone who knew me knew I’d much rather be in the barn or out with my animals.

Fast forward a few years, and my grandparents presented me with the red church cookbook. You know the one – all the church ladies submit their favorite recipes and some prayers and it’s spiral bound. I still couldn’t find a good use for it.

Then, I moved away from home. And I had to cook. That red, spiral-bound book with recipes submitted by my relatives and my grandma’s friends became my best friend. I have used it over and over, and starred some of my favorites. I also am a big fan of my Better Homes and Garden book my mom gave me. And during the 22 years since I received that first cook book, I’ve received several others during my travels or as gifts.

But those cook books don’t do me any good when I’m at the grocery store thinking about what is for dinner. Thank goodness for hand-held technology…I can Google the ingredient I want to cook, and a recipe magically appears!  

That is what I really like about www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com. Not only does this site have great recipes, but it also serves as a nutrition resource, offers advice on cooking methods and has an interactive butcher counter, which I love.

So, I was on the BIWFD web site, wondering what fun summer treat I could make with ground beef (remember last week I talked about the versatility of a hamburger?). And, I found this great recipe that combines three of my favorite food – beef, mushrooms and blue cheese! It is an appetizer, but that works great because Stan and I often like to have some munchies while we cook and this one was healthy and great! Click here for the recipe: Beef and Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

I did tweak the recipe a little bit, and will share with you what I did. The recipe calls for ½ pound of ground beef for 36-40 mushrooms. It was just the two of us, so I cleaned and stuffed 16 mushroom caps – and all my ground beef filling (beef, blue cheese crumbles, bread crumbs, seasoning and chives) filled those without feeling like they were “overstuffed.” It was exciting to use the fresh chives that I had planted in our herb garden earlier in the spring. I used Canadian steak seasoning and Italian bread crumbs to spice up the flavor a little.

I cooked the mushrooms for 20 minutes in the broiler, and they were delish! It didn’t take 20 minutes for Stan and me to devour these tasty  little morsels of beef and ‘shrooms! They were great and we are already talking about making them again and adapting the recipe to use parmesan or mozzarella cheese instead of blue cheese.

Dressing up Ground Beef

Flowers are blooming. Planters are in the field. We’ve attended our first spring jackpot. All those things mean one thing. It’s May, and there is a lot coming up on our calendars! Everyone lives in a busy world with family and friends, work and church and a hundred other activities. Who has time to think about cooking dinner? Well my friends, I’m about to let you in on a little secret. You can cook a healthy, affordable, nutritious meal in minutes with one of my all-time favorites – ground beef. 

Ground beef is a nutritious and affordable option to make numerous meals that are sure to please even the pickiest eater. I use a lot of ground beef in the fall and winter months while making some of my favorite foods – lasagna, meat loaf and chili – but this time of year, nothing beats a freshly made hamburger right off the grill!

And so this week, we made hamburgers. Now some of you might think, what is so great about a burger?  Well, welcome to our spice cupboard – we have so many spices, rubs, herbs and marinades that we have one cupboard for said items!  

So I asked Stan to grill burgers the other night. We used 1 ½ pounds of thawed beef that he flattened onto a cooking tray before adding spices. We both like to turn up the heat, so he added chipotle seasoning, garlic pepper and a little Worcestershire sauce before mixing all the seasoning in with the beef by hand. I’m sorry I can’t give you exact amounts, as we have a dash and go method of measuring when it comes to a lot of our cooking.

We rarely season our ground beef the same way twice to make a tasty burger. Sometimes it just takes a dash of pepper and we’re happy. Sometimes we add ingredients like dry onion soup mix to jazz things up or we might add blue cheese for something slightly more exotic. Ground beef is especially versatile when you want a grilled burger. Check out this great hamburger recipe on the for Garlic-herb cheeseburgers.

Once the burgers were done, we pulled them from the grill, and dress them to our individual liking. He likes Mustard and cheese on his. I simply just love the flavor of the beef so much I eat mine with no bun and no condiments. One fun idea I’ve seen done many times is setting up a burger bar. This would be a great idea for a Mother’s Day lunch or graduation party. Include a variety of cheese slices, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, mayo, bacon or any other fun item you and your guests might like for your burger.

I hope you find a fun way to spice up and dress up your burgers this grilling season.  What’s your favorite topping for hamburger?

Mastering Steaks on the Grill

Season It

The best thing about beef is its natural flavor, which is why seasoning the meat with some light herbs and pepper are typically all you need to perfectly prepare your steak. When it comes to grilling, more often than not, the simplest seasoning brings out the most amazing results.

Sizzle It

Grill to medium rare 145F, which is usually about 4-5 minutes on each side for a 3/4-inch cut. Even master grillers beware-- resist the urge to poke, shift, or press down on your steaks. Doing so, pushes out those coveted flavorful juices that make steak such a joy to eat.

Salt It

Some grillers prefer to salt their steaks prior to grilling. Since salt draws out moisture, next time try salting your beef after it comes off the grill in order to retain those hot internal juices. For a bolder taste, try Kosher or Sea Salt and remember it's all about personal preference.

Set It

The last step could be one of the most important. Fight the urge to cut your steak open right away because letting it rest three minutes allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the steak. That way nothing gets in the way of you and the happiness on your plate.

CattleFax - Weekly Recap

The fed cattle market was steady to $1.00 higher last week. In the South, sales occurred at $146, while in the North live trade was primarily at $148 to $149 on a live basis and $236 to mostly $238 dressed. Boxed beef traded sideways to firmer early in the week, but turned lower late as sellers were forced to discount prices in order to move some inventory. Feeder cattle prices were $1 to as much as $5.00 higher last week while calves were even to $2.00 higher. Slaughter cows were mostly steady to $2.00 higher. Demand is very good for all classes of feeder and stocker cattle with supplies, especially on lighter weight cattle becoming limited. Corn moved lower as the week progressed amid talk that planting was increasing and getting closer to the seasonal norm for this time of the year.

Check out today's Chart of the Day. For recent market news and analysis, visit CattleFax.com.

Farmland Documentary is Coming to Illinois

Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Moll’s new feature length documentary, Farmland, will be released nationally yesterday, with a special advance screening of the film hosted by the Illinois Farm Families coalition at AMC River East Theatre in Chicago.

Farmland offers viewers an intimate and firsthand glimpse into the lives of six young farmers and ranchers across the U.S. chronicling their high-risk-high-reward jobs, and their passion for a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation, yet continues to evolve.

“In Farmland, audiences will hear thoughts and opinions about agriculture, but not from me, and not from a narrator,” Moll says about his film. “They’re from the mouths of the farmers and ranchers themselves.”

The film will be shown to the public for a week starting May 2 at the AMC River East Theatre in Chicago. Other Illinois locations will follow at a later date.

For more information, visit www.FarmlandFilm.com.

“With the average American several generations removed from farm life, we hope that this film finds a wide audience of those interested in where their food comes from,” said Reid Blossom, IBA executive vice president. “The six farmers in the film discuss many misconceptions about agriculture. Illinois farmers and agriculturists can expand this conversation by promoting Farmland to others.”

IBA Summer Conference

Cattlemen across Illinois should mark their calendars to attend the 2014 Illinois Beef Association (IBA) Summer Conference June 18-20, at the Isle of Capri Hotel Casino in Bettendorf, IA. Aside from the opportunity to fellowship with cattlemen that represent all sectors of the industry in Illinois, attendees will also get to meet and hear from leading cattle industry experts from around the country, and take part in unique tours.

The awards dinner and fundraising gala will officially kick off the conference and is scheduled for June 18, at 5 p.m. IBA scholarships, Seedstock Breeder of the Year, Commercial Breeder of the Year, Environmental Steward of the Year, Farm Family of the Year, and IBA membership awards will be presented.

The IBA Annual Meeting takes place on day two, June 19, at 8:30 a.m. and features the announcement of dues directors and IBA Checkoff Director elections, the approval of the IBA strategic plan, and the election of the Association president and vice president.

The Zoetis Cattlemen’s College will follow the annual meeting with a day of educational seminars. The speaker lineup will offer something for everyone from the feeder to seedstock producer and even grain farmers and political junkies. Speakers include Ron Hanson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Don Close, Rabo AgriFinance; Chris West, Frank & West Environmental Engineers, Inc.; Tom Brink, and Colin Woodall, NCBA vice president of governmental affairs. Following the Zoetis Cattlemen’s College, dinner will be served at the River Music Experience at 5:30 p.m.

To top off the whole event, tour destinations on day three, June 20, will visit Tyson Foods in Joslin, Werner Angus, and US Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi River Visitors Center Locks and Dam 15.

For more information on the 2014 IBA Summer Conference and to register visit www.illinoisbeef.com.

Schedule:

Wednesday, June 18

1 p.m. Trade show exhibitor set up

3 p.m. Registration opens – Isle Prefunction

5 p.m. Social in the trade show – Isle Center Corridor

6 p.m. Awards Dinner and Fundraising Gala – Isle Center Salon A

Thursday, June 19

7:30 a.m. Breakfast Buffet – Isle Center Salon A

8:30 a.m. Illinois Beef Association Annual Meeting – Isle Center Salon B/C

10 a.m. Zoetis Cattlemen’s College
     So you Thought you were Buying the Family Farm – Guess Again!

     Ron Hanson, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

     Economic Trends in the Beef Business
     Don Close, Rabo AgriFinance

     Keeping up with Environmental Regulations
     Chris West, Frank & West Environmental Engineers, Inc.

12:30 p.m. Lunch Buffet – Isle Center Salon A

1:45 p.m. Continue Zoetis Cattlemen’s College

     Legislative Update from Washington D.C., 

     Colin Woodall, NCBA

     Keeping Your Farm In The Family For The Next Generation - Is There A Succession Plan?
     Ron Hanson, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

     The Future of the Beef Industry 

     Tom Brink

4:30 p.m. Dismiss

5:30 p.m. Reception & Dinner – River Music Experience


Friday, June 20

7 a.m. Breakfast – Isle Center Salon A

8:30 a.m. Buses leave for tour

Bus A arrives for US Army Corp of Engineers Mississippi River Visitors Center Locks & Dam 15
Bus B arrives at Tyson, Joslin

11:45 a.m. Both buses arrive at Werner Angus, Cordova

Bus B departs for US Army Corp of Engineers Mississippi River Visitors Center Locks & Dam 15
Bus A departs for Tyson, Joslin

5 p.m. Both buses arrive back at Isle Convention Center

Ribeyes on a Rainy Night

Greetings from rural Springfield, where I live with my significant other, Stan, and our blue heeler, Holly. Although our lives are chaotic, we try to have our evening meal together, and it almost always consists of a green salad, a protein (Beef), starch and several veggies. We love a good steak and this past weekend was no exception. Saturday night in the pouring down rain, we were in the machine shed grilling ribeyes on the Traeger®. The ribeye is a well-marbled cut of beef, and that marbling makes it one of the tastiest cuts, too.

Early in the day, we season our steak with just a little garlic pepper, and place it in the refrigerator. Prior to grilling, we take the steak out of the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature before placing it on the grill. Then we cook our steak on the preheated grill until it is the desired degree of doneness. We both like our steaks medium rare to medium. One of my favorite web sites, http://beefitswhatsfordinner.com has a great grilling guide, complete with approximate cooking times for various cuts of beef. Be sure to check it out! I love to serve my ribeye with a baked potato and grilled mixed vegetables (mushrooms, squash, onions and peppers).  

In our household we grill year-round, but I know many who look forward to this ritual each spring. With Mother’s Day, graduation and Memorial Day right around the corner, it is time to dust off the grill and be thinking about which cuts of beef you want to try. Remember, some cuts of beef are better suited for the grill than others. You can also see which cuts are best for various cooking methods at beefitswhatsfordinner.com

Come back and visit us next Thursday. You never know what we’ll be cooking!