Berry-Glazed Meat Loaves

Berry-Glazed Meat Loaves

Ingredients

1 beaten egg

 1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

 2 Tbsp  finely diced onion

1 tsp salt

Dash pepper 

1  pound ground chuck

1/4 pound bulk pork sausage

1 8-oz can whole cranberry sauce

 3 Tbsp brown sugar

 2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

In bowl beat together egg and milk; stir in oats, onion, salt, and pepper. Add ground beef and sausage; ;mix well. Shape into five 4 x 2 inch loaves. Place in 13x9x2-inch baking pan so loaves do not touch each other.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes; drain off excess fat. Combine cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice; spoon over loaves. Bake 15 minutes more. Makes 5 servings.

How Might we Eliminate This Problem of Contaminated Beef, in Supermarkets

How Might we Eliminate This 


Problem of Contaminated 


Beef, in Supermarkets

REMEMBER WHAT IS TRUE FOR HAMBURGER IS TRUE OF ALL GROUND BEEF AND ALL OTHER MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS.

The answer is very simple: go back to Canadian and locally owned retailers who actually care about the consumer.    Canadians need to realise, the source of the problem is not the meat, but the processing and handling methods, which are in use today. A butcher once said to a home economics teacher: "Do teach cooks that there are some good cuts of meat other than porterhouse” The customers of this meat dealer made it difficult for him to sell all parts of the animal. When he bought porterhouse or loin, he had to buy the whole hind quarter. For some cuts he had little demand.

          Now days, in the United States, and to supermarkets, most large hotels and restaurants in Canada, only loins or other whole sale cuts are sold. This means the institution has to buy only the cuts which sell. Special cuts are usually shipped to local stores. Because of this policy, beef is no longer freshly ground in store, but rather in the harder to control food processing plants.

          .The Federal labelling laws on fat content still apply. So at least a customer has some idea of where the meat is coming from and exactly when it was ground. Canada must also tighten laws as to re-cutting, re-fluffing, and re- packaging meat, and require that all imported meats or ground products containing previously frozen  or meats of foreign origin be labelled as such. Research has more than proven that the boxes and containers used for all frozen food products greatly contribute to contamination.

          There must also be strict government inspection, not only as to meat quality, but also to bacterial and other chemical content, of all imported meats and especially any thing coming up into this country from the United States.

          Clear-wrap packages, give you more of a visual choice, but as previously explained, are still no indication of freshness or quality. The meat should be red, with fat uniformly mixed. Fresh ground beef can be stored only in the coldest part of your refrigerator and should be used or frozen within two days.

          To freeze ground beef, remove from market packaging and divide into specific recipe portions Wrap in plastic freezer wrap, waxed paper, or foil and then place in airtight, sealed, plastic, freezer bags. Freeze up to three months only.

          When buying packaged ground beef, be sure there are no tears in the packaging and always check the expiration date. Bulk ground beef is now often sold in round, sausage like, chub rolls, vacuum-packed in a wrapper you cannot see through. Don't buy it. With this type of packaging you’re completely at the mercy of the market, since you cannot see the meat to make any visual judgements, and you know it can not be fresh. But since it is usually lower priced, if you do decide to buy some, pay attention to the expiration date(if there is one on the original packaging) and cross your fingers.

          Since E coli 0157:H7 is found in the intestines of animals(ie. in the feces): if all animals were thoroughly washed, just before slaughter, and immediately after evisceration and skinning, there would be little or no chance of this contamination.

Ground Beef Selection

Ground Beef Selection

          For most applications, ground chuck is the best choice (see grinding your own). Chuck comes from an area of the animal that is more exercised, giving it more robust flavour. It has enough fat to make it juicy, but not so much it shrinks down to nothing when cooked keep in mind that the flavour compounds in fat also stimulate saliva flow, hence succulent and pleasurable dining experience.

          Chopped sirloin and ground round do make adequate burgers, but only if cooked to less than medium doneness. Longer cooking renders meat dry and flavourless. Although Canada now recommends all beef be cooked to at least medium doneness many top chefs and gourmets still choose flavour over cardboard and cook to rare or at most to medium rare. Choose your ground beef according to your tastes.

Grind Your own Beef

Grind Your own Beef

          If you really want to know what is in your burger, grind your own. This way you can control the fat content as well as the primal cut. If you have the energy, and can take the time away from the gym, the old fashioned, clamp on, galvanized meat grinder still works just fine. If you have a standard food processor, you can whip up fresh chopped beef in no time flat. But, in most cases, the health conscious person would do well to have a close look at one of the small Hobart or Kitchen Aid food processors now available. While one of these processors will initially cost you in the neighbourhood of five hundred dollars; it will very quickly pay for its-self, both health wise and money wise. I use a Waring "Pro" electric meat grinder which sells for between one hundred and one hundred and thirty dollars.

          When using a food processor or meat grinder, cut chunks of beef and suet into one-inch uniform cubes and chill well. Place meat cubes in processor with metal blade, taking care to process in small (no more than 1/2 lbs, depending on the size of your processor or grinder) batches. Pulse in short 1-to2-second bursts until the desired consistency is achieved, usually 10 to 15 pulses. It is very important to pulse rather than letting it run. Pulsing tends to distribute the pieces for more even chopping and avoids excess heat from the friction that could turn your chopped beef into mush and burn out your machine. If you are adding herbs or spices for a recipe, might as well toss them in before beginning to chop. If using a meat grinder, run the meat through the grinder three and no more than three times--you do not want, the meat to start to warm, or the fat particles to become too small, or to start to melt.

          The amount of fat you add is up to you, but for best results use at least ten percent fat to meat ratio. Just remember, fat is where the flavour is and it also adds moisture for a juicier end result. For burgers a coarse grind is preferred. For meatloaf and meatballs, a finer grind helps meat compact, blend with other ingredients, and hold its shape. Always be sure to follow safe handling procedures.

Calgary Stampede Beef Skillet

Calgary Stampede Beef Skillet

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chuck

3/4 C diced onion

1 1/2 tsps chilli powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 16 oz can tomatoes, crushed

1 15 1/2 oz can red kidney beans

3/4 cup quick-cooking rice

3/4 C water

3 Tbsp diced green pepper

3/4 C diced Canadian sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

In skillet, cook ground beef and onion till beef is brown and onions are tender, drain off fat.

Sprinkle meat mixture with chilli powder, salt, and garlic powder. Stir in undrained tomatoes, undrained beans, Uncooked rice, water, and green pepper.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Top with cheese. Cover and heat till cheese melts, about 3 minutes longer. Makes 6 servings.

Mini-Meatball Minestrone

Mini-Meatball Minestrone

If you're going to make soup, make soup not dishwater.

Ingredients:

1 28oz can tomatoes, crushed

2 C shredded cabbage

2 small zuccini or firm cucumber, sliced (2 cups)

1 12 oz can whole kernel corn

2 ribs celery, bias-cut

1 medium onion, large dice

1/2 C broken vermicelli

1/2 C dry red wine

2 Tbsps chopped parsley

11/4 tsps instant beef bouillon granules or 4 C good beef stock (omit 4 C water

4 C water

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp dried basil, crushed

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 beaten egg

1/4 C milk

1/3 cup fine bread crumbs

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 lb ground chuck

Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:In Dutch oven, combine undrained tomatoes, cabbage, zuccini, undrained corn, celery, onion, uncooked vermicelli, red wine, parsley instant beef bouillon granules, oregano, basil, garlic powder, , 4 cups water or stock,3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the egg, milk, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and dash of pepper. Add  ground chuck; mix well. shape into 36 tiny balls. In skillet brown the meatballs, shaking the pan often to keep balls rounded. Drain off excess fat.

Add meatballs to soup. Cover and cook till vegetables and vermicelli are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Pass Parmesan to sprinkle atop. Makes 8 servings. 

TO HELP END THE CONFUSION ABOUT CHATEAUBRIAND,chateaubriand meatballs etch.

Many of the recipes you have seen--of so called Chateaubriand--served with baked, deep-fried, or even Duchesse potatoes, the steak wrapped in "American"style bacon; perhaps the Chateaubriand you have eaten in restaurants is not Chateaubriand. Chateaubriand is not a chunk of charred meat and it does not weigh just 5 or 6 ounces; the sauces, vegetables, how they are arranged; is a very integral part of the presentation.

CHATEAUBRIAND IS A VERY ELEGANT PREPARATION AND PRESENTATION OF A "PLANKED STEAK"

If taken from the SIR-Loin, a Chateaubriand can not be broiled or grilled like an ordinary steak--not unless you want Chateaubriand style shoe-leather.

Created in or about the year1822, by French Chef Montfermeil, for Vicomté Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand; Chateaubriand is a very specific recipe;
 or perhaps I should stick with--style of presentation,
 now getting very close to two hundred years old.

 It is NOT a particular cut of meat and it is not outdated and ready to be improved upon. Any improvement would be almost impossible and modern changes are mostly due to the fact that modern "chefs" no longer know how or are unwilling to take the time to prepare, for example: a bouquet-garnie, fluted mushrooms, château potatoes, or château sauce.

 Most cooking authorities agree that the largest part of the fillet was used originally but there are some who insist it was the Noble SIR-Loin. But then, we must not forget--- FILLET IS SIRLOIN or part of it. Many of you have clicked onto my recipe for Hamburger Steak--Chateaubriand style. Because, as stated, Chateaubriand is a recipe; chateaubriand hamburger steak is possible. Chateaubriand meatballs, sandwiches, stews, spaghetti sauce, etch. are not.