86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 3, 2003
Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner — Virginia Beef Expo
A'- *-
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WHAT’S FOR
On Friday April 18, in Harrisonburg Amie Knick was
led Virginia Beef Queen at the Va. Beef Expo. Aim!
that beef is nature’s best “multi-vitamin,” and more
is a great-tasting, healthy choice for dinner because
contains iron, zinc, proteins and B-vitamins.
GAY BROWNLEE
Virginia Correspondent
HARRISONBURG, Va. At
2003 Virginia Beef Expo,
18-19 at the Rockingham
inty Fairgrounds, it was hard
surprising to find stations
;re the Virginia Cattle
len and their helpers were
various samples of beef,
iding the “famous’* ribeye
'wich.
One promoter doing a share of
work because she had just in
herited a new title was Amie
Knick, the 2003 Virginia Beef
Queen who shows open cattle
and lives on a Simmental farm
comprised of about 40 head, in a
cow/calf operation.
In the fall, Knick will be com
pleting the studies necessary to
receive her degree in ag educa
tion from Virginia Tech.
“Im required to travel across
Virginia to promote the beef in
dustry,” Knick said.
“Beef,” she said, “is natures
best multi-vitamin because it con
tains, iron, zinc, protein and B vi
tamins.”
Winning the state title was a
gratifying experience for Knick
after being thwarted twice in pre
vious attempts to earn the title.
This time she pulled together a
speech that emphasized the posi
tive phase of the beef industry
and focused on factual informa
tion to impress the judges with
Garden Reproduction:
Birds, Bees, Flowers, Trees
COLLEGEVILLE (Mont
gomery Co.) Did you know
that the center of some flowers
will change color after they
are pollinated to let other bees
know not to stop?
Learn everything there is to
know about plant pollination
in this educational and hu
morous presentation by Jim
Bobb, Montgomery County
BE
her knowledge about her prod
uct.
Knick said the Beef Check-Off
Program is an important promo
tional tool that receives $1 any
time a beef animal is sold.
The beef queen was anticipat
ing interacting with the public
and didn’t have long to wait for
the first opportunity. Almost im
mediately she was directed to the
table where hamburger sandwich
halves to offer to passers-by had
been prepared. The burgers were
made from irradiated beef, so
Knick found herself answering
questions about food irradiation
issues.
According to an educational
brochure developed by the Min
nesota Dept, of Agriculture in co
operation with the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, Minn.
Dept, of Health and the Minn.
Beef Council, food irradiation is
the process of exposing food
products to ionizing radiation for
a specified length of time. The
amount of exposure is controlled
to produce various preservation
effects, such as retarding spoilage
or killing any harmful bacteria.
Some skeptical consumers con
tinue to reserve judgment and
still are not ready to whole-heart
edly endorse the idea of using ir
radiation to kill food-borne bacte
ria, by moving the food through a
radiant energy field that, accord
ing to the brochure, never touch
es the energy source.
Master Gardener and vice
president of Montgomery
County Beekeeper Associa
tion.
Free, no pre-registration re
quired for class scheduled
Monday, May 19, 7 p.m. at the
Montgomery County 4-H Cen
ter at 1015 Bridge Road in
Creamery (Rt. 113, between
Skippack and Collegeville).
At the 2003 Va. Beef Expo in Harrisonburg, between
the times for her scheduled cooking demonstrations,
Shirley Simmons of WTVR Ch. 6, Richmond, displays the
"On Your Menu” cookbook. The cookbook project evolved
by popular request of viewers watching her cooking seg
ment and attending her community appearances. A num
ber of excellent recipes in it list beef amongst the neces
sary ingredients.
But researchers say that food
irradiation has been studied for
more than 40 years and has nei
ther been found to cause harm to
human beings, nor make the food
radioactive.
Shirley Simmons from WTVR
TV6, Richmond was doing cook
ing demonstrations at the Expo
as well as offering the stations
50th anniversary cookbook, “On
Your Menu” to visitors. In con
junction with the station’s noon
news that every Monday features
a segment with Simmons, the
cookbook carries over the title.
“On Your Menu” contains a
number of recipes that call for
SWEET AND SPICY
CHINESE MEATBALLS
(on Brown Rice)
1 (18 ounce) package frozen
fully cooked beef meatballs
2 cups uncooked instant long
grain brown rice
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple
chunks in juice
V/i cup prepared medium pi
cante sauce
1 cup sugar-free apricot pre
serves
ORIENTAL EXPRESS BEEF Sliced green onions
beef in the ingredients list. Sever
al of these are printed as follows:
(Lettuce Wraps)
VA pounds ground beef chuck
Vi cup hoisin sauce
Vi cup Asian peanut sauce
1 medium cucumber, seeded,
chopped
'A cup tom fresh mint leaves
Salt and pepper
12 large Boston lettuce leaves
(about 2 heads) or iceberg
or romaine lettuce
Fresh mint leaves
In a large nonstick skillet over
medium heat, brown the ground
beef 8-10 minutes or until meat is
not pink, breaking into small
crumbles. Pour off drippings. Stir
in hoisin sauce and peanut sauce.
Heat through.
Just before serving, add cu
cumber and tom mint, toss gent
ly. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve beef mixture in lettuce
leaves. Garnish with fresh mint.
Microwave meatballs accord
ing to package directions. Cook
rice according to package direc
tions. Measure 'A cup of juice
from the pineapple and place in
large sauce pan.
Reserve remaining juice for
some other use. Stir in picante
sauce and preserves, bring to a
boil. Add meatballs and pine
apple chunks. Reduce heat and
simmer 10 minutes, stirring occa
sionally. Serve over the rice.
Sprinkle with green onions.
MEAT LOAF
POT ROAST
1 pound lean ground beef
2 A cup evaporated milk
l A cup Italian-style bread
crumbs
!A cup thick and chunky pi
cante salsa
Vi teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
sauce
'A teaspoon pepper
3 medium potatoes, peeled and
sliced 'A- in. thick
2 medium onions sliced '/i-inch
thick and quartered
3 medium carrots quartered
and cut lengthwise
3 teaspoons dried parsley
flakes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together the first 7 ingredi
ents in a bowl.
Shape into a loaf and place in
center of a 13x9x2-inch pan that
has been sprayed with nonstick
cooking spray. Around the meat
loaf layer the potatoes, carrots
and onions. Sprinkle with salt,
pepper and parsley flakes.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake one hour or until vegetables
are tender. Uncover and bake 10
minutes longer to brown the
meat. Serves 4.
MUFFIN TIN
MEAT LOAVES
I/2 pounds lean ground beef
VA cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon dried Italian sea
soning
Vi teaspoon salt
'A cup ketchup
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In
large bowl, combine all ingredi
ents except ketchup, mixing
lightly but thoroughly. Place ap
proximately Vi cup beef into each
of 12 muffin cups, pressing light
ly. Spread ketchup over the tops.
Bake 20 minutes or until centers
are no longer pink. Remove meat
loaves from pan. Serve with
mashed potatoes if desired.
Serves 6.
MEXICAN BEEF STIR-FRY
1 pound top sirloin steak
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
leaves
1 clove garlic
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin
strips
1 medium onion, cut into thin
wedges
1 jalapeno pepper, cut into
slivers
3 cups romaine lettuce, sliced
'/4-inch strips
Cut beef into '/8-inch strips.
Combine oil, cumin, oregano and
garlic setting aside half. In a
large nonstick frying pan, heat
half the seasoned oil over medi
um heat until hot. Add red pep
per, onion and jalapeno pepper.
Stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until
crisp-tender. Remove and re
serve. In same pan stir-fry beef
strips in reserved oil 1-2 minutes.
Return vegetables to pan and
heat through. Serve beef mixture
over lettuce. Serves 4.