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No matter what part of the animal it comes from, beef is made up of muscle, connective tissue and fat. Most of what you see is the soft, deep muscle. Cuts with large amounts of connective tissue tend to be tougher. Fat can appear in thick layers over muscles and also as fine marbling between muscle fibers. When finely marbled fat melts during the cooking, it enhances tenderness and adds succulence. Canadian beef is very nutritious and has 14 essential nutrients, Iron, B12 & Vitamin D. Beef does a body good! Food Safety It is important to practice proper food safety when cooking with beef. Handling and storage, proper food prep and storing of leftovers are essential to ensure you are safe. Back to the top Preparation of Cooking Area and Preparation of Beef Make certain you use a separate cutting board that has been sanitized when preparing raw beef. Use different plates for raw meat and for other ingredients and cooked beef. Always cook or freeze beef on the day you buy it. Never thaw beef at room temperature. Thaw in the fridge, allowing 12 to 15 hours per lb. To avoid contamination, raw beef should be stored at the bottom of the refrigerator. Make sure to wash your hands before and after handling raw or cooked meat. Use separate utensils and cooking dishes for raw and cooked meats. Never cook burgers or hamburger meat to rare - always cook to 71ºC. Roasted meat should always be cooked at 325ºF. Keep hot foods hot on either a hot plate or in a warming oven. Don't leave beef sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Any leftovers should be immediately covered and put in the fridge. Make sure to re-heat leftovers to 165ºF throughout. Back to the top How to Prepare Beef The trick to getting good results when cooking beef is deciding at the beginning what sort of "treatment" the meat needs. Tender cuts can take dry, high heat. Steaks and other small, tender cuts take well to grilling and pan searing. Larger cuts like prime rib are ideal for roasting. Tougher cuts are generally prepared best with gentle, moist heat and lots of time, during which the tougher tissue breaks down to gelatin, giving the dish a nice texture. Long cooking stews and braises are ideal for cuts like beef brisket and short ribs. We always recommend fully thawing beef before using and using a marinade or a flavourful rub for steaks and tougher cuts. Back to the top Marinades A marinade is a mixture of seasonings and liquids that add flavour to beef and can tenderize it as well. Cuts that we generally marinade include shoulder steaks and chuck, round steaks, sirloins and flank steaks. When you marinade steaks, it is best to do so for 6-8 hours, but no more than 24 hours. You will require approximately ½ cup of marinade each 2 lbs. of beef. More tender cuts of steak do not require a marinade for tenderizing but are used to enhance the flavour of the steak. Always marinade beef in the fridge and throw out marinade when done. Do not reuse marinade as you can contaminate other foods. If you wish to use a marinade as a basting sauce, reserve some as you make it in a separate dish. Always pat dry beef after marinating to reduce the chance of the steak steaming on the grill. We find the best marinades are ones that are acidic such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, wine, beer, cola or fresh fruits. We use Epicure Selections Beef & Steak rub (www.epicureselections.com) a lot during BBQ season at Sunset Ridge. Back to the top Rubs A rub is a mixture of spices or seasonings that is rubbed onto the beef before cooking. Rubs can be used on steaks or roasts. Rubs add flavour and seal in moisture for a juicier roast or steak. Rubs however, generally do not tenderize meat. The best ingredients for rubs include oil, garlic, red pepper, lemon, peppercorns, mustard, soy sauce, rosemary or any other combination you may prefer. Rubs should be applied to beef 2 hours before grilling or cooking and selected cuts should be refrigerated during this time. Back to the top
Cooking Methods 1. Dry heat Dry heat is refers to cooking meat uncovered without adding any moisture. Dry heat methods include roasting, baking, broiling and grilling. Dry heat is generally used for tender cuts of beef. 2. Roasting Roasting is cooking of meat by dry heat in the oven. Any tender cut of beef can be roasted. A heavy roasting pan should be used and large enough to allow air to circulate all around the roast for even cooking. 3. Grilling Meat is placed directly on the ungreased BBQ or griddle. A moderate temperature is maintained and heat is transferred between the metal and the beef. Beef should only be turned once when grilled and a fork should not be used when grilling to avoid losing moisture and tenderness. 4. Pan Frying Shallow pan frying or sautéing can be done with just enough fat or grease to keep the beef from sticking to the pan. Marinade cuts that have been tenderized (such as cutlets) can be floured and fried. 5. Moist Heat Cooking Moist heat cooking includes techniques that involve cooking with moisture - whether it is broth, stock, water, wine, bouillon or some other liquid. Cooking temperatures are much lower, in the range of 140ºF to 212ºF because water and other liquids often don't get much hotter than that. Braising, stewing, boiling and simmering are all examples of moist heat cooking. 6. Stir Frying Use a wok or a skillet to cook thin strips of beef, usually in oil, mixed with vegetables. Back to the top Selected Cuts
The tenderest steaks are found in the center (loin) of the animal and are usually cooked over a dry heat such as a barbecue. These steaks include Porterhouse, T-bone, Strip loin, tenderloin, and top sirloin and rib eye. Less tender, but still flavourful steaks are found in the hind quarters of the animal and include the round steaks, flank steaks and sirloin tip steaks. These steaks can be cooked on a dry heat after being marinated for several hours. These steaks tend to be used for fast frying i.e.: stir fry. Roasts There are several types of roasts: oven roasts, quick roasts, rotisserie roasts and pot roasts. The oven roasts are thicker roasts such as rib eye, or tenderloin and are generally roasts that are used for special occasions or entertaining. They are more expensive cuts. These roasts can be cooked on a dry heat. Quick roasts include sirloin tip, round roasts, top sirloin, strip loin and rib eye. Rotisserie roasts are generally sirloin tip, outside and inside rounds, top sirloin and prime rib. Pot roasts are blade, and cross rib. Pot roasts are less tender. They generally require moist heating but the results are worth waiting for! It makes the beef very tender and savory. Slow cookers make these roasts a good fit for busy Canadian families during the week. All roasts can be moist heated if desired. Rotisserie roasts are easy to do on the barbecue and require indirect heat and minimal supervision. If you do not have a rotisserie, you can always place the roast on a pan, and place on one side of the barbecue. Only have the heat element going on the opposite side of the barbecue. Mini quick roasts are done by oven roasting and are smaller versions cut from traditional oven roasts. Cooking time is less. Oven roasts are very easy and once they are in the oven require little attention. Ground Beef Ground beef is a parent's dream. It is easy, economical, quick to cook and versatile. It is used in all kinds of recipes from meat loaf, meatballs, and casseroles to cabbage rolls and burgers. Please note that ground beef can change colours when exposed to oxygen. If it is exposed, ground beef may appear bright red while the interior remains purplish-red. With extended exposure to oxygen, beef will take on a brown colour. Beef Stew A favourite at our farm, beef stew is a comfort food and a staple for us. It is simple and quick to make as it simmers in the slow cooker or on the stove. Beef stew is boneless and is usually pre-cut. If you prefer to cut your own, you can use any round steak except top round. It can be used in soups and stews. Back to the top Cooking Directions: 1. Roasts: It is important to choose roasts according to how they are going to be used. Please note that some fat is needed on roasts in order to keep the meat moist while cooking. Main types of roasts include: hip roasts, round roasts, sirloin tip and rump roasts. Premium roasts include: Top sirloin, prime rib, rib eye, strip loin and tenderloin. Oven temperature for cooking roasts should be 325ºF, or a crock pot can be used as well. We recommend seasoning roasts with any spice blend you may prefer. Place a little oil in a frying pan and pan sear all sides of the roast to seal in juices, (or oven sear at 450ºF for 10 minutes). Place roast in a shallow roasting pan (no water required) with an oven proof meat thermometer positioned in the center. Roast at 325ºF until roast is cooked to desired doneness. Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before carving. Remember roasts will continue to cook once they are removed from the oven so make certain that you remove the roast from the oven when the roast is done about 5ºF less in temperature from the doneness you like. Average cook times depends on weight. Please follow link for cook times and more through instructions for cooking roasts. www.beefinfo.org/?ID=17&ArticleID=37&SecID=6 2. Steaks: Cooking time varies for steaks on the thickness of the steak and the preparation method, as well as the how well done you prefer. As a general rule, steaks being prepared on medium to high heat should be cooked the following times:
For more information please visit: http://www.beefinfo.org/Default.aspx?ID=11&ArticleID=18&SecID=8 3. Ground Beef: Ground beef is generally the easiest and quickly type of beef to prepare. It can be used in so many recipes. It is important to note that for best cooking results cook ground beef that has been completely thawed. Break ground beef up before cooking to save time. Heat up a frying pan large enough to hold the quantity of meat you have. Do not cook ground beef on high temperatures. Generally, the medium setting is sufficient, otherwise the meat may dry out. Stir occasionally. A small amount of liquid will pool. Keep cooking the meat until all of the liquid evaporates and no trace of pink is left. For further information, please visit: http://www.beefinfo.org/Default.aspx?ID=11&ArticleID=19&SecID=8 For making burgers: Follow your favorite hamburger recipe, using desired amount of ground beef and a patty maker (if available). Generally burgers are made ½" to 1" thick depending on what your preferences are. Cook patties on the BBQ for 5-7 minutes per side (or longer depending on thickness), a grill or over medium-high heat. Burgers should be cooked until the internal temperature is 71ºC or 160ºF with no trace of pink. For Further information or recipe ideas please visit: http://www.beefinfo.org/Default.aspx?ID=17&ArticleID=60&SecID=6 4. Stew Beef: Our stew beef comes with the bone removed for convenience. It is recommended that if you use stew beef with bone on that you remove the bone prior to cooking. Stew beef should be browned before using with vegetables etc… Follow your favorite recipe directions and make sure beef is simmered for at least an hour for tenderness. For more cooking information, please see the following: http://www.beefinfo.org/Default.aspx?ID=11&ArticleID=113&SecID=8 Back to the top Recipes We have included some of our family favorite beef recipes to try. If you try our beef and have a successful recipe that gets rave reviews from your family or friends and would like to see it on our website, please submit to us with your written permission to post and we will do so! Sunset Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers
Back to the top Easy Sunset Steak Marinade
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Back to the top Rosie's Stuffed Peppers "Toltottpaprika" ** Slow low cooking is the secret.
Stuff peppers, using all the meat mixture. If you have some left over, make a few meat balls. Set peppers up-right in cooking pot. Add tomatoes, sugar, and chopped onions. Place the tops of peppers over the stuffed peppers, toss in the black pepper corns and the bay leaves. Cover and slowly cook for about 1 ½ hours. If it looks too thick, add a little water. Serves 4. Back to the top Divine Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Brown the meatballs in the oven. In the Meantime, add the following ingredients together, then cook in a medium saucepan: ** add ingredients before heating to avoid lumps.
Back to the top Meatloaf a la Matyasovszky
Topping:
Sunset Sheppard's Pie
Back to the top Divine Bovine Sandwiches Au Jus
Back to the top Kelly's Cabbage Rolls
Back to the top Lost Cowboy Lasagna
Back to the top Divine Bovine Souvlaki
Sauce: ½ c plain yogurt, 1 t wine vinegar, ¼ t dill weed, ½ t garlic. Back to the top Matyasovszky Merlot
Back to the top Savory Sunset Ridge Roast
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