‘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
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(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.