Cuts by Colour

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Colour-coding helps you see where the main beef cuts come from.

Most cuts come in the shape of a roast or steak. Ground beef can be made from trim of many cuts while some ground beef comes from specific cuts like Sirloin, Round or Chuck.

Cow_Cuts_1

The different cuts of beef are shown here

TENDERNESS RULE:

The farther a cut is from the hoof, horn or hip, the more tender the meat. BUT less tender cuts often have more flavour.

 

Want to learn more about buying Canadian Beef? View our great eBook – JUST CLICK!

[boxlink url=»http://www.beefinfo.org»]MORE INFO[/boxlink]

 

 

 

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How much protein should I eat?

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By Karine Barlow, RD

How much protein should I eat?

meat-question-mark[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nvSlYRRq8s?list=PLH-IrjqODaPUfoFeAA8VAwlWRHvh_yeO5&w=560&h=315]

The answer is more than you think!  Recently back from what some call the “Olympics of Nutrition Conferences”, this post reflects on the amazing symposium I attended (and helped organize) at the International Congress on Nutrition, in Grenada, Spain.

The symposium “Protein requirements for optimal health throughout all life stages” brought four nutrition ‘superstars’ together to discuss latest and cutting edge developments in protein nutrition.  And it helps us better understand how we should answer the question «how much protein is enough?»

getting started

Here is a summary of the work they presented:

Professor Paul Moughan, from Massey University’s Riddet Institute in New Zealand

Professor Paul Moughan, from Massey University’s Riddet Institute in New Zealand

Professor Paul Moughan, from Massey University’s Riddet Institute in New Zealand, recently chaired the FAO Expert Consultation on protein, making him an impressive opening speaker in the 4-speaker line-up.

Describing protein quality accurately is a fundamental need in many nutrition activities and helps us to understand what foods are good quality proteins and which are less so.  Professor Moughan explained that to date, the most commonly used method to measure protein quality has been a system called the PDCAAS (protein digestibility corrected amino acid score).

Less than ideal on several counts, the PDCAAS method has been revised and is being replaced with a new measure called DIAAS (dietary indispensable amino acid score).

With this improved measurement method, animal proteins score fairly consistently higher than plant proteins, even for soya bean (previously assumed to be similar to animal proteins in protein quality). This marks a significant step forward in describing the true quality of protein sources, and in particular, the differences in protein quality between plant and animal sources. This system is in its implementation phases and revised / true protein quality scores for various foods will be published over the next couple of years!  We at Canada Beef, look forward to that 🙂

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The next three symposium presentations examined the protein requirements of specific population groups. Our three speakers were Professors Rajavel Elango, from our own University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Nancy Rodriguez (University of Connecticut) and Caryl Nowson (Australia’s Deakin University).

So often in nutrition we say ‘some is good, but more is not necessarily better’. Protein requirements might just be the exception to this rule! Each of the speakers presented evidence that current recommendations underestimate true requirements, and likely by a fair bit!

Professor Rajavel Elango

Professor Rajavel Elango

I was reminded protein is required for thousands of functions in the body; if we’re not consuming enough protein, the body has to use up muscle to free up protein for metabolic purposes.  I also learned more people will suffer a ‘fragility fracture’ in their life than a heart attack!

All three speakers reinforced there are good reasons to rethink our protein advice as dietitians. Recommending increased protein intakes seems to be a consistent finding in the research, and making sure to consume protein throughout the day another important component.  

In summary, the researchers recommend at least two meals a day (if not all three) should contain 25-30g of high quality protein, to maximize health at all stages of life.

The entire symposium was filmed.  For a DVD copy of the event e-mail Karine at kbarlow at canadabeef dot ca.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4QCvgQRUUM&w=420&h=315]

Update (Oct. 17th): Check out Registered Dietitian Jennifer Sygo’s recent article on ‘Protein Washing»

More on protein:

Healthy Weights
Studies show that our bodies naturally burn a few more calories when we eat protein-rich meals. Eating plenty of protein-rich foods may also help to reduce fat around the middle during weight loss and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Manage the Munchies
Eating protein-rich foods, like lean Canadian beef, at meals and snacks can help you feel full and satisfied–that helps you manage the munchies and eat less. And when you eat less, you usually lose more weight.

Heart Health
Researchers have found higher protein intakes may help lower risk of heart disease. Higher protein intakes may also reduce high blood pressure.

Diabetes
Studies show weight loss diets rich in lean protein can help improve blood glucose (sugar) levels. That’s good news if you want to lower your risk for diabetes.

How Much Protein?

Adults can safely consume 10 to 35% of daily calories from protein. That works out to be about 50 to 175 grams of protein for an adult who eats 2,000 calories per day.

Most Canadian adults intakes are around 17%. That means most of us can enjoy more protein-rich foods, which might just boost our health!

Foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk products provide high quality “complete” protein. These foods are found in the Meat and Alternatives and Milk and Alternatives food groups.

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide recommends adults enjoy each day:

  • 2-3 servings of Milk and Alternatives
  • 2-3 servings of Meat and Alternatives

Put Lean Protein on Your Plate

Pump up the protein in your meals with these simple, tasty ideas.

Breakfast
Add lower fat cheese and lean meat to an omelet.
Top your cereal with a small handful of nuts and seeds.
Spread some nut butter (almond, peanut) on an oat bran bagel.
Make a yogurt smoothie with frozen bananas and berries.

Lunch
Top a salad with strips of steak, tuna, chickpeas, or hardboiled eggs.
Enjoy an open-face sandwich with roast beef or turkey, tomato and a slice of lower fat cheese.
Go for some sushi. Enjoy miso soup as a starter.

Dinner
Add some shrimp or tofu and a handful of sesame seeds to a stir fry.
Stuff whole grain tortilla wraps with cooked lean ground beef, shredded cheese, salsa, lettuce, avocado and a spoonful of plain yogurt.
Enjoy a glass of milk with your meal.

Good To Know Some popular diets recommend extreme shifts in protein, carbohydrate and fat intakes. Many health experts caution about he potential negative effects of extreme diets. A healthy balance of foods from each of the four food groups is best.

How to pan sear the perfect steak

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Now sear this: Pan searing is a simple way to create restaurant-style steaks at home. Once you know how, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to do.

Get Ready

  • Start with a thick-cut Beef Grilling Steak or Medallion, minimum 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick. Boneless cuts cook faster and more evenly than those with bone.
  • Grilling Steaks/Medallions: Top Sirloin, Strip Loin, Tenderloin, Rib Eye
  • Season beef with salt and pepper.

Equipment

  • Use a shallow stainless steel pan with a heavy bottom (Nonstick pans don’t brown as well).
  • Use a pan that is large enough to cook the meat without over-crowding. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will steam rather than brown. Brown the meat in batches to avoid overcrowding.
  • Use tongs to turn the meat.
  • Wear an apron as there will be splatters.
  • If using steaks more than 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick, set oven to 375°F (190°C) and use pan with ovenproof handles.

Heating the Pan

  • Use vegetable oil or a mix of equal amounts of butter and vegetable oil in the pan – you don’t need much – a tablespoon (15 mL) or so will do.
  • Heat oil or oil/butter in pan over high heat until sizzling – test by sprinkling a drop of water into the pan – the drop will sizzle and evaporate on contact.

Searing: Side 1

  • Place steak in pan – it will sizzle as the brown crust forms. For medium doneness, cook a 1-inch (2.5 cm) steak for 6 to 7 minutes.
  • Flip steak using tongs.

Searing: Side 2

  • Cook second side of 1-inch (2.5 cm) steak 6 to 7 minutes (for medium), until the steak lifts easily.

Finishing

  • Test doneness by inserting a digital instant read thermometer sideways into steak (Med-rare:140°F/60°C; Medium: 155°F/68°C).
  • Remove steak, transfer steak to cutting board; let rest loosely covered with foil for 5 to 10 minutes (to allow juices to settle). Meanwhile, make pan sauce.

Simple Pan-Sauce

  • Add some chopped onion, garlic and fresh herbs (such as sage or thyme) to the pan; pan-fry for 2 minutes, adding extra oil if necessary.
  • Stir in beef/chicken stock and/or a splash of port or red wine, stirring up any browned bits from the pan (this is known as “deglazing the pan”). Cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Thicken with some cornstarch if you like (mix a spoonful of cornstarch with a spoonful of cold water and gradually stir into pan; bring to boil while stirring).

For Super-thick Steaks: For steaks thicker than 1-inch/2.5 cm, brown sides of steaks by turning with tongs, then, pan-sear for 3 minutes per side. Transfer steak (in searing-pan) to a 375°F (190°C) oven and cook to desired doneness (see chart). Test doneness by inserting digital instant read thermometer sideways into steak.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmolH1uOShc&w=560&h=315]

MINUTES IN OVEN (after pan-searing)
1-½ inches (4 cm) thick steak
MED-RARE
(140°F/60°C)		 MEDIUM
(155°F/68°C)		 WELL-DONE
(165°F/74°C)
8 to 10 12 to 13 15 to 18

The 12 Gifts of Christmas: Gifting ideas from Canada Beef

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It’s time for the annual hunt – finding that perfect gift for that someone, who at times, can be so darn hard to buy for.

Here are some suggestions – most of them from gifts that I have so appreciated getting myself:

DISCLAIMER: All ideas here are cooking/beef centric of course, given that this is a Beef Blog and that I am The Cooking-crazy person around here :)!

Happy holidays!

#1 Food thermometer: My number one gift to anyone who wants to cook and enjoy beef (or any meat item come to think of it!) would be a food thermometer. Taking the internal temperature of beef while you cook, ensures you get your Grilling Steaks, Burgers and Oven Roasts done just right – for the best eating experience and a doneness that you want. There are lots of thermometers available at different price points. A good food thermometer is a modest investment to become a great cook! You already paid for the meat, why not own the tool so you can cook it right?

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BRIGHT IDEA: Pair-up your present with the downloadable reference guide: Food Safety at Home (complete with cooking temp charts and a thermometer buying guide).

#2 Flavoured butter:  A flavoured butter is perfect to top off a perfectly grilled steak or as the basis for making a fabulous pan sauce. Make up a couple of varieties, form into a log shape and wrap in parchment paper, tying off both ends with butchers twine for a hand-crafted look. Treat yourself too, by making a double batch so you have one butter for gift-giving and one to keep!

#3 Carving knife: Folks have watched in envy as I’ve carved roast beef into the most delicate thin slices with my trusty carving knife. The right knife is key to carving with class and BONUS: by slicing roast beef into thin slices, you actually improve the tenderness of even a budget-not-so-tender Oven Roast.  Look for a carving knife that has a long thin blade and keep it sharp with a steel or pull-through sharpener.

www.deanpalmer.ca 519.822.8661

#4 Chopping knife: Used to be, the chef’s knife was the main-stay in the kitchen for mincing herbs and chopping vegetables. I rarely use mine now, substituting in my Santoku knife instead – the blade is smaller and thinner than a chef’s knife so it’s easier to manage. And when kept sharp, it can even slice tomatoes. Great price too – less than $20 for KitchenAid and Cuisinart brands from the hardware store!!!

#5 Sauté pan: I love this pan so much, that I now have 2 of them! It’s great for pan-searing steaks providing a better crusting to a steak than if nonstick pans. I use the pan for cooking Oven Roasts too (in the oven of course), using a small rack under the roast. It comes with a lid so it’s good for quickly cooking veggies too. A seasoned cast iron skillet is great for pan-searing steaks too, but if you use it to make a pan-sauce that’s acidic (such as a wine sauce), the sauce will take on a metallic taste.

www.deanpalmer.ca 519.822.8661

#6 Best roaster:  My Mom gave me a Paderno roasting pan for Christmas one year and I’ve never looked back. It’s a large roaster with oven-safe off-set handles (so it fits in smaller ovens) and it has 2 pan sizes combined in the 1 roaster: a deep one for the monster turkey, and a shallow one (which can be the lid) for roast beef. This shallow side (lid) is what I use the most – it is heavy so you can use it to make the gravy and pretty enough to take to the table to serve.

#7 Enamelled cast iron roaster:  I’m so spoiled – I got one of these for Christmas one year too! (I love my Mom!). This pot will change or your life – or at least your pot roasts and stews. You have to try one to appreciate the difference it makes. Once  only available in very expensive Le Creuset models, KitchenAid now has some very affordable ones at the hardware stores. Available in a range of sizes to suit your family needs. See my favourite pot in action.

#8 Half a cow: That’s right – who couldn’t use the gift of Canadian Beef! A mom-friend from our school told me that each year, her parents buy half a cow from the butcher and divide it among her and her 2 siblings to tuck in their freezers and enjoy through the year. Must be tricky to wrap, but what a great gift idea!

#9 Butcher block cutting board: A classic thick wooden cutting board will always show off your beef the best when you go to carve at the table. It’s perfect for serving charceuterie as well. Available at fine cookware stores.

#10 Green Egg Barbecue:  A bit quirky for sure, this barbecue is the ultimate for true Southern BBQ and it’s perfect for smoking too. Green Eggs have a bit of a cultish following with special Green Egg events happening around major city-centres in the summer. They are certainly on the pricey side, but a perfect gift for the real barbecue enthusiast in your life.

#11 Big Batch Beef: It may sound weird, but for the busiest mom on your list, you should consider making up some Big Batch Beef to help her out. It’s my survival tool for getting kids fed and out onto a soccer field in record time. Package up frozen Big Batch Beef in a handsome freezer-friendly container and pair it up with a collection of our favourite Big Batch recipes.

#12 Whole Beef Tenderloin: For your favourite Beefeater, buy a whole Tenderloin to give as a gift. Perfect for cutting into Grilling Steaks, Chateaubriand and the most tender Oven Roasts. Don’t forget to provide recipes from beefinfo.org!

JoyceJoyce Parslow (Canada Beef’s Consumer Culinary Manager for over 10 years) has what she thinks is the best career in the world, combining her love for food and agriculture.  As a busy working mom, with 2 kids under-roof, and a nomadic spouse, Joyce is often wrestling with that age-old problem of how to get a wholesome affordable meal on the table (or at least in the bellies) and get out the door in time to make 2 soccer games in 2 different cities.  It is this and other mom-type cooking conundrums that fuels Joyce with new ideas for Canadian beef.  Her approach: “problems are really just solutions in disguise”.

Holiday Budgeting with Beef

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As we head into the big spend-a-thon (holiday) season, we’re here to help you get the most from your meat! Here are some ‘tips and talk’ on what works best with the budget when you’re cooking with Canadian beef:

  • Trim is in. Look to buy beef that’s fully trimmed and boneless so what you’re paying for is what you eat.
  • Think cost per serving instead of total cost. A boneless trimmed roast beef has little to no waste compared to what you toss out with a turkey. You get 4 to 5 servings per lb with trimmed boneless beef roast vs 2 servings of meat per lb with a whole roast chicken or turkey.
  • Cut your losses. Always roast low and slow (lower oven/slow-cooker temperatures + longer cooking time) to significantly reduce cooking losses – higher temperature cooking means juices are literally cooked out of the meat!  BONUS: with ‘low and slow’ roasting, your roast will be more juicy and tender and evenly cooked throughout.
  • Buy the right cut and cook it right. Pot Roasts need to be slowly simmered (pot-roasted) and Oven Roasts need to be oven-roasted – Simmering Steaks need to be simmered and Grilling Steaks need to be Grilled! Be sure check the label on pack for these key names so you know what to buy and how to cook it. See all you need to know at Beef 101.
  • Serve beef as ‘bits & bites’in appetizers that can stretch your meat investment. BONUS: beefy appetizers are a healthy approach for holiday eating compared to bowls of salty snacks and platters of fatty pastry wrapped bites.  Check out how kabob cubes, stir-fry strips, ground beef and even sliced steak can do the trick.
  • And there is BIG BONUS with beef on your appetizer menu:
        • Beef’s lean protein satisfies appetites better than (often empty) calorie-laden carb options
        • Beef’s got more for the bite, with 14 essential nutrients, including iron to guard against anemia and zinc to boost immunity*
  • Share the table, share the cooking, share the love! Cooking at the table is back in vogue – it’s such an easy way to socialize at a fraction of the cost of eating out! We’re talking raclette and hot pot (alias fondue) – making the big come back this year.

Joyce

For more posts on beef budgeting see Tops Five Tips to Help Save Money & Time, Balancing My Nutrition Budget, and The Extreme Dinner Prep Event.

* Per 100 grams raw lean beef, trimmed of external fat (composite of 26 cuts):  162 Calories, 21 g protein, 7.8 g fat, 0 g carbohydrate % Daily Value: potassium 9% DV, iron 15% DV, vitamin D 10% DV, thiamine 10% DV, riboflavin 15% DV, niacin 45% DV, vitamin B6 15% DV, vitamin B12 110% DV, pantothenate 10% DV, phosphorus 15% DV, magnesium 10% DV, zinc 60% DV, selenium 40% DV

About the Author:

Joyce Parslow (Canada Beef’s Consumer Culinary Manager for over 10 years) has what she thinks is the best career in the world, combining her love for food and agriculture.  As a busy working mom, with 2 kids under-roof, and a nomadic spouse, Joyce is often wrestling with that age-old problem of how to get a wholesome affordable meal on the table (or at least in the bellies) and get out the door in time to make 2 soccer games in 2 different cities.  It is this and other mom-type cooking conundrums that fuels Joyce with new ideas for Canadian beef.  Her approach: “problems are really just solutions in disguise”.

Food Safety at Home

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Here are some steps we can all take to ensure our homes are food safe:

  • Cleanliness is key:  wash your hands thoroughly before cooking, during cooking and after cooking, especially when switching between handling different foods. Wash with soap and water for 20 seconds — that’s 2 choruses of ‘Happy Birthday’.
  • Wash fruit and veggies, but not meat and poultry. Be sure to wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly in cool drinkable water, including those you peel or cut like melons, oranges, and cucumbers. Do not wash meats and poultry, this spreads raw meat juices to other surfaces in your kitchen – something you want to avoid.
  • Keep things cool: don’t bring meats up to room temperature before grilling or thaw at room temperature.  This is a common ‘cooking show’ recommendation that really has no benefits and is loaded with the risk of promoting the growth of harmful bacteria. Keep foods chilled in the fridge at 4◦C until ready to cook – and that includes marinating too.
  • Cook meats and poultry to proper safe temperature using a food thermometer to take measure doneness. Cooking by colour is not a reliable way to know when meats are done. Use a digital instant read food thermometer to test for doneness. It’s a simple step that gives you the assurance that your meat has reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Use this handy chart to know when foods are cooked properly.

  • Use different cooking utensils when switching between cooked and raw foods OR wash thoroughly when you do the switch. When you use the barbecue tongs for flipping steaks, burgers, chicken, kabobs etc during cooking, be sure to wash them up before using them to take foods off the grill to serve. Or better yet, have 2 pairs of tongs – 1 for raw and 1 for cooked. The same goes for cutting boards and lifters!

For more information and tips on how to keep your home food-safe, visit www.befoodsafe.ca

Other blog posts or links you might find helpful:

Making Holiday Entertaining Easy

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At my house, we’re already into the swing of holiday entertaining, or at least booking dates so we can spend time with friends and family sharing a meal over the holidays.    When our kids were younger, entertaining   was often a family event.  I don’t know what it’s like in your part of the country, but here in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, baby sitters are hard to find.  So we often planned stay at home events where we enjoyed some adult time with friends, while their kids and our kids got to hang out and stay up well past their bedtime.

The trick to the evening would be finding a meal that was delicious, easy to prepare and sure to please the palates of the adults and the kids.  That’s why I love Mediterranean Pasta Bake.  It’s a big one dish meal.  If you want to – you can make it ahead and reheat in the oven.  It has the ease of lasagna for larger group entertaining, but the flavours in this dish mix it up a bit.   Small amounts of pesto and feta cheese really punch up the flavour.  Best of all the kids always loved it.

The recipe makes an 8 inch casserole, but you can easily double it to make a 9 by 13 pan (or quadruple it!).  I love this kind of dish for entertaining with a crowd.  You get to spend more time with your guests instead of running back and forth to the kitchen.  Add a great salad, some fresh bread (and of course a good wine!) and you’re all set.

My kids are teenagers now and often aren’t part of our entertaining evenings, but this recipe is still part of my entertaining repertoire.  Give it a shot.  I bet you’ll love it.  What are your crowd pleasing recipes?

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Post by Janet Bryson, Communications Manager with Canada Beef Inc.

Janet has been working with Canada Beef Inc (formerly Beef Information Centre)for 10 years and loves discovering delicious new ways to prepare Canadian beef.  It’s a good thing too, since she lives happily in “man world” with her hubby  Steve and sons Ryan, 18 and Ben, 14, where there isn’t a great meal, unless it includes beef (and perhaps an energy drink. :))

Setting the record straight on beef fat

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This is a guest post by Karine, Registered Dietitian with Canadian Beef.

As the registered dietitian for Canadian Beef, if I could accomplish one meaningful career goal, it would be to set the record straight, once and for all, on the issue of fat in beef.  More than anything else, I hear “I love beef but shouldn’t I avoid it because it’s full of bad fat?”.  So let me start here, by debunking some of the myths…

Canadian beef is a nutrient rich food that is an important contributor of many essential nutrients in the diet of Canadians.  Beef is an excellent source of high quality protein, and is a particularly good source of zinc, iron, niacin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, selenium, riboflavin, pantothenate, and vitamin B6.     

Contrary to public and media perceptions, only a small proportion of Canadians’ fat intake (total and saturated) comes from beef.  As measured by Statistics Canada (CCHS Cycle 2.2, 2004), red meat accounts for only 5-7% of total fat intake, and 6-8% of saturated fat intake, among Canadian adults. 

This shouldn’t be too surprising.  A ½ cup serving of trimmed strip loin steak for example, only has just over 5 grams of fat (5.6g). To put that into perspective, 5 grams of fat is about what you’d find in other healthy food choices like 1 cup of 2% milk (5.1g fat) or a large egg (5.0g), so beef is certainly comparable to other staples in our diets.

Here are some little known facts I wish I could scream from a mountain top, but I’ll settle for this blog post:):

  • The fat in beef is not all saturated – in fact, less than ½ the fat in beef is saturated.  Most of the other half is actually healthy monounsaturated fat, the same type we find in olive oil. 
  • Many other healthy foods contain saturated fat.  Beef sirloin tip and sockeye salmon in fact, have the same amount of saturated fat, about 1 ½ grams per food guide serving.  It’s rare for anyone to point out salmon contains any saturated fat whatsoever!
  • With beef, the fat is visible… so you’re in control of how much fat to keep or remove.  You can’t say that for a lot of other foods (think muffin for example), which can be loaded with hidden fats.   Where you see the fat on beef, just trim it either before or after cooking. 

The bottom line is Canadian beef can be a lean, heart healthy food.  And research supports this.  Two large and high quality recent studies have shown there isn’t a connection between red meat consumption and heart disease:

 1.  Micha R, et al. Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Circulation, 2010;121:00-00

  • Conclusion:  Red meat not associated with higher incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke or diabetes

2.  Mente A, et al. A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(7):659-669

  • Conclusion:  No evidence to support causal link between consumption of meat and heart disease

Canada’s Federal Government recognizes beef as part of a balanced diet.   “Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide” recommends 1-3 servings of meat and alternatives a day, and even includes a beef recipe as an example of a healthy meal.

The bottom line is, we often think of beef as an indulgence.  And perhaps it is!  But unlike some other foods, beef is a healthy indulgence and one you can feel good about serving to your family.  I know I do!

Check out beefinfo.org for more information on why we’re not kidding when we say: “Canadian Beef… Goodness in every bite”.

Does this set the record straight? We’d love to hear your questions and continue to share the truth about Canada’s favourite protein:)