‘Beef Made Easy’ MIDDLETOWN (Dauphin Co.) Currently, Pennsylvania retailers Last week you may have read are working on having labels about the new meat case setup customized for a particular store, which is based on cooking The labels include a peel-off A. 1. method. Each section of the Steak Sauce recipe that case includes color-coded labels corresponds with the cut, as for steaks for grilling, A.l. is partnering in the marinating, sauteing, braising, program, stewing, and stir frying, besides Consumers will find extensive pot roasts, oven roasts, and ground beef. Corresponding rail strips, case dividers, and color coded pictures help to separate the cuts. Research indicates that consumers do not think about cuts of meat when they shop, but rather meal solutions... in other words, answering the question, What s for dinner?! The program is meant to help to build the category of convenience beef, said Carrie Bomgardner, Pa. Beef Council director of promotions. Bomgardner has introduced the program to 260 grocery store meat cases across Pennsylvania and Maryland, beginning in June 1999. Weis, Giant, and 30 independent stores now have the program. Summer Heat , Humidity Provide Bacteria-Friendly Conditions That Backyard Grillers Should Know UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Summer is the season for backyard grilling, but the same heat and 1 humidity that drives you from the kitchen and out to the patio grill can promote food borne illness, said a food safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. “Illnesses from undercooked foods and improper food han dling skyrocket during the sum mer months,” said Dana McEl roy, food safety specialist in the department of food science. McElroy cites recent research by the Food Safety and Inspec tion Service, which tracked re information on the labels. The peel-off label includes instructions for cooking, provides a time chart for cooking time, and features an easy, minimal-ingredient recipe. If you ve been wondering what to do with a few of the cuts in your freezer, here are a few ideas from the labels to get you started. Steak House T-Bone • Use for: Ribeyes, Tip Sirloin, Tenderloin, T-bone or Porterhouse 2 (I lb.) beef T-Bone steaks, 1 inch thick 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 8-quart pot or heavy pan, drain. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil steak sauce and water to pot, heat to '/j cup A.l. Steak Sauce Cook and stir mushrooms in oil in reduce heat. Simmer gently over low skillet until tender. Stir in steak heat on stovetop or in 325-degree sauce; heat through. Grill uncovered oven 2-3 hours or until fork-tender. ported incidences of food-borne illness from 1996 to 1998 because of seven pathogens: Campylo bacter, E. coli 0157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Shi gella, Vibrio and Yersinia. The report noted outbreaks of E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella increase from June through Au gust. “Bacteria, including those re sponsible for food-borne illness, are present throughout the envi ronment in air, soil, water and the bodies of animals and hu mans,” McElroy said. “These bacteria grow faster in warm summer months.” Recipes over medium heat 14 to 15 minutes until medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. Or, broil 3-4 inch from heat for 15-20 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once. Serve with mushroom mixture. Zesty Kalian Steak • Use for: Chuck, Flank, Top Round 1(I Ih.) top round steak 1 (6 o/) package zesty Italian salad dressing mix '/: cup A.l. Steak Sauce Sprinkle salad dressing mix onto both sides of steak, pressing firmly into steak. Place steak in nonmctal dish or plastic bag: add steak sauce, turning to coat both sides. Cover, refrigerate for 6-8 hours (or overnight if desired). Remove steak from marinade, discard marinade. Grill uncovered over medium heat 8-9 minutes until medium rare, turning occasionally. Or broil 2-3 inches from heat, 12-13 minutes for medium rare doneness, turning once. Braised Reef and Onions • Use for: Chuck Pot Roast, Brisket 1 (2 '/:1b) roast or brisket 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup A.l. Steak Sauce 2 large sweet onions, sliced 'A inch thick Slowly brown beef in hot oil in a boil. Add onion. Cover tightly and McElroy says food-borne path ogens grow fastest in tempera tures between 90 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Bacteria also need moisture to flourish a require ment supplied by the humid weather of summer. "Another reason for the in crease is that the safety controls a kitchen provides are not avail able when you move outdoors,” she said. “Thermostat-controlled cooking, refrigeration and wash ing faculties are missing from most campgrounds, picnic areas, and backyards.” Symptoms from food-borne ill nesses may include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, di arrhea, headaches, and fever. Healthy adults often weather the sickness in a day or two. However, young AVltfOl For The Control Of • Starlings • Pigeons • Sparrows • Crows Avitrol Is A Pesticide For Control of Pest Birds *295“ +6.00 Shipping ■ Restricted use pesticide must have current applicators license Blain Supply Rt. 1, Box 117 H Blain, PA 17006 (717) 536-3861 Case dividers, pictures, rail strips and color-coordinat ed pictures lend color besides convenience to the meat case. These features help consumers such as Mick Chro nister and his son, of Carlisle. Stack beef steaks, cut lengthwise Quick Beef and >n half, then crosswise into I inch Vegetable Stir-Fry strips. Mix beef, steak sauce, soy 1 pound beef round tip steaks, cut sauce . cornstarch until well %to 'A inch thick coated. Dram beef, reserving steak cu : a , s t eak Sauce sauce mixture - Stir - fr > beef strips ('/: /. cup A.l. Steak Sauce a( a t j me ) |. 2 minutes or until 2 cup soy sauce outside surface is no longer pink. '/: tablespoons cornstarch Remove from skillet. Add I tablespoon vegetable oil vegetables, reserved steak sauce I (16 oz) bag frozen mixed mixture and beef broth, heat to a boil vegetables Reduce heat, simmer 1 minute '/j cup beef broth Return beef to skillet; heat through. children, senior citizens, preg nant women, and people with impaired immune systems can become very sick or even die from these illnesses. McElroy suggests a few simple guidelines to make sure your cook-out doesn't include a trip to the emergency room. • Wash hands and surfaces with hot, soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom. • Pack disposable washcloths and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces. • Wrap raw meats securely and separate them from ready to-eat foods within a cooler. • Wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that have con tacted raw meat before using again for cooked food. • Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. “Leave meats and other foods in the refrigerator or cooler until you are ready to grill them,” said Catherine Cutter, as sistant professor of food science and an expert on meat products. • Check the internal tempera ture of meats with a thermome ter. “Meat and poultry cooked on a grill can brown very quickly on the outside," Cutter said. “But foods are cooked properly only when heated long enough at a temperature high enough to kill Are You A Chocoholic? Some studies reveal that choc- a greater tendency to be cravers olate cravings may occur if the and “emotional” eaters. This body’s magnesium levels are low. lends support to the idea that Stress, which can cause the eating chocolate may be a way to body to get rid of magnesium regulate chemicals in brain and through urine, may contribute to bodies to regulate appetite, hun chocolate cravings. This may be ger, mood, and addictive behav one of the reasons women crave iors. chocolate prior to their menstrual Hormones may influence choc cycle. The problem with this the- olate cravings. Prior to the men ory is the fact that nuts contain strual cycle, there is an increased high levels of magnesium and blood level of progesterone, a women experiencing premenstru- hormone that reduces fat levels al syndrome (PMS) generally in the blood. This decreased don’t crave nuts. blood fat may trigger the body to Several studies have shown crave high-fat foods. Again, people with negative moods have chocolate fits the bill. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 15, 2000-B7 harmful pathogens.” • Ground beef should reach at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Whole steaks and roasts should reach 145 degrees F for medium rare. Other roasts should be cooked to 160 degrees F for me dium and 170 degrees F for well done. Whole poultry should reach 180 degrees F for safety and quality. • Do not let partially cooked meat sit on the counter. Precook ing meat in the microwave or range is a time-saver, but make sure the meat goes directly from the oven or microwave onto the grill. “Partial cooking ahead of time allows bacteria to survive and multiply to the point where additional cooking may not de stroy them." Cutter said. • Marinate raw fish, meat, or poultry in a glass dish in the re frigerator. Do not use the mari nade as a basting sauce or dip if raw meat has been placed in it. • Throw away any leftover food, hot or cold, that has been left out for more than an hour. “When in doubt, throw it out,” McElroy said. • Charcoal should burn for 30 minutes before cooking. The coals should have a light ash coating for best results.
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