Your source for Healthy and Affordable Beef
A Little “Stew” about Meatless Mondays…
(Picture from Planet Forward blog)
When my friend Bernetta and I were treated to Christmas manicures and pedicures, the conversation with our darling manicurists turned to “Meatless Mondays”, food safety, and dieting (doesn’t it always?)
While going meatless may sound virtuous and righteous, is it really? I fail to see how going without meat every Monday helps me or anyone else. Instead, in the case of beef, I would be denying my body nutrients that maintain a healthy metabolism, muscle-building, and the prevention of many chronic diseases. How does that benefit our society?
Hormones, antibiotics and e-coli in meat were the other fears we discussed. These young mothers were surprised to learn that growth-promotants (supplemental hormones) and antibiotics pass through the animal’s system prior to harvest. As for the e-coli–America has the safest food to eat in the world. Every federally inspected meat processing facility operates under strict oversight by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. Using an instant-read thermometer to make sure ground beef is cooked to 160F is the best way to ensure burgers are both safe and savory.
About the dieting—There are 29 different beef cuts that meet government guidelines for lean. Get this…all 29 cuts have LESS total fat than a skinless chicken thigh!
(Truthfully, poultry producers are just better at marketing than beef producers.)
Concern for children? Our concern should be that our children and young women are not receiving enough iron and B vitamins. Four million US children are iron deficient and childhood iron deficiency anemia is associated with behavioral and cognitive delays. Also, one out of every five women is iron deficient. Beef is an excellent source of Vitamin B12, providing 37 percent of the Daily Value and a good source of vitamin B6, providing 15% DV in one three-ounce serving. A three-ounce serving of lean beef contains the same amount of iron as THREE CUPS of raw spinach.
Sorry, Popeye, I’m eating beef!
I wish I had known these facts to tell those sweet young mothers…
Beef Stew with Red Wine
(Comfort food for Mr. Britt. His pickup hit a patch of ice on this snowy, cold January day and took out two mailboxes, slid all over the road, broke a wheel and banged-up its side. Thankfully, no one popped over the hill and both Mr. Britt and pickup will be fine—with Skinny’s help, of course. Skinny asked him why he didn’t do that last August when Skinny needed work. Mr. Britt told him he would have, but couldn’t find any ice last August.)
Back to the Beef Stew…
This is from Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Cookbook.
I like her novels because they are an “easy-read”, just right for relaxing and often include a knitting pattern.
The Knit Along with Debbie Macomber pattern books encourage Charity Knitting and she even donates all her proceeds from sales of her Leisure Arts Knit Along books to children’s charities. See debbiemacomber.com .
In fact, the Prayer Shawl that I am making is from her Friendship Shawls book—more about that another time!
Ok, here’s the Beef Stew with Red Wine…
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3 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 –inch cubes.
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Salt and pepper, to taste
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3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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5 tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil
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1 ¼ C dry red wine, divided
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1 large onion, chopped
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1 14 1/2 ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
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1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
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( I used a can of tomato sauce b/c that is what I had)
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2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1 bay leaf
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5 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
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1 10 ounce package white button mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
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1 Cup water
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Using paper towel, blot beef dry. In large bowl, toss beef with salt, pepper and flour.
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Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add meat in a single layer; cook 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pot and transfer to a bowl. Add ½ cup of the wine to pot and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up loose bits on the bottom of the pot. Wine will thicken and combine with pot bits to make a thick sauce. Lift pot off heat and scrape this sauce onto the browned beef. (Repeat process with remaining beef adding another ½ C wine; deglazing* pot as above and transfer to browned beef.
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Warm remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same pot over medium. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, until softened, stirring often. Add remaining ¼ cup wine, stirring until wine boils off. Return beef and juices in bowl to pot. Add broth, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding water to desired consistency.
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Stir in carrots, mushrooms and 1 cup water; cover and cook until meat and vegetables are tender. Do not let stew boil; keep at a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
*TIP – The key to rich beef flavor is *deglazing the pan using wine. This process scrapes up all the browned bits left from cooking the beef and incorporates them into the sauce. The alcohol is cooked off in the process.
I served this over creamy mashed potatoes and it just warmed the soul and soothed the aches and pains!
(Using beef stew meat is a money-saver. Cooking it low and slow like this assures it is tender and juicy!)
Fire Up the Grill! It’s a Warm Winter!
Did you read the recent article by Mary Vallis on nationalpost.com that states “A new review from the Harvard School of Public Health published in the online edition of Circulation found each ounce of processed meat eaten–such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs and lunch meat–led to a 42% high risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. BUT THE TEAM DID NOT FIND ANY INCREASED RISK OF HEART DISEASE OR DIABETES AMONG PEOPLE WHO ATE UNPROCESSED MEAT, INCLUDING STEAK.”
Ok, I confess. I didn’t read it either. Daughter-in-love Becca brought the article to my attention! Thank you, Becca!
Sooooooo, FIRE UP THE GRILL! Enjoy that juicy T-Bone! We did last night. It is so easy, too! I just seasoned the T-Bones with Emeril’s All Natural Steak Rub. Mr.Britt seared the steaks to hold the juices in and then closed the grill lid to let them cook to a medium—-in just a few minutes they were ready!!!!! I served steamed and buttered brocolli with the steaks and we enjoyed supper outside. Beethoven, our faithful St. Bernard, enjoyed the T-bones, too!
Coyote vs. Fearless Farm Dog
Came home and the chickens were squawking, Beethoven was barking at something in the south pasture. Parked in the garage and came on in with my knitting and read the mail. Still noisy outside so checked out the garage door as I started to unload the Tahoe. Bless Pat, but Beethoven had a coyote down right beside his feed bowl!
Started to phone for help, but ran for the camera first!:)
Called Mr.Britt. No answer. Called our son. Busy. Took another picture. Called Mr. Britt. No answer. Called our son. Busy. Took another picture. Called Mr. Britt. No answer. Prayed. Called our son, “Where are you?” “In the office”.
Knew he wouldn’t believe me, so just told him to bring the gun upstairs quick. “Why? What for?” I told him Beethoven had a coyote down by the chickens and he came quickly! I called Beethoven to the garage and our son finished off the coyote with one shot.
Beethoven was awarded three hot dogs.
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