Kentucky - Cooking Tips

A flavoring marinade is used with tender beef cuts for a short time — 15 minutes to 2 hours.
A tenderizing marinade is used with less tender beef cuts - usually from the chuck, round, flank and skirt.
A tenderizing marinade contains a food acid or a tenderizing enzyme.
Acidic ingredients include lemon or lime juice, vinegar, Italian dressing, salsa, yogurt and wine.
Tenderizing enzymes are present in fresh ginger, pineapple, papaya, kiwi and figs.
Less tender steaks should be marinated at least 6 hours, but no more than 24 hours. Marinating longer than 24 hours will result in a mushy texture.
Tenderizing marinades penetrate about 1/4 inch into the meat.
Marinate in a food-safe plastic bag or a non-reactive glass or stainless steel container.
Turn steaks or stir beef strips occasionally to allow even exposure to the marinade.
Allow 1/4 to 1/2 cup of marinade for each 1 to 2 pounds of beef.
ALWAYS marinate in the refrigerator, NEVER at room temperature.
If a marinade will also be used later for basting, or served as a sauce, reserve a portion of it before adding the raw beef. Marinade that has been in contact with uncooked meat MUST be brought to a full rolling boil before it can be used as a sauce.
NEVER save and reuse a marinade.

Rubs

Dry rubs consist of herbs, spices and other dry seasonings.
Paste-type rubs are dry seasonings held together with small amounts of wet ingredients, such as oil, crushed garlic, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish.
Rubs add flavor and in some cases seal in juices and form a delicious crust.
Rubs can be applied just before cooking. For more pronounced flavor, apply rub and refrigerate for several hours.

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July 4th Perfect Burgers

Celebrate Independence Day with an all-American food – juicy, delicious burgers on the grill. Add your own spices and sides to satisfy your backyard party-goers’ appetites.

Get your 4^th of July burger party started right by purchasing preformed patties or by following these four easy steps to creating your own patties:

Lightly shape to the desired size. The secret to moist, flavorful burgers is to mix lightly. Over mixing will result in a firm, compact texture after cooking.
Don’t press or pierce patties during cooking – that causes a loss of flavorful juices, leaving your burgers dry.
Grill, uncovered, 11 to 13 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness, until not pink in center and juices show no pink color, turning occasionally.
Season patties with salt after cooking. Salt added before cooking draws out moisture and inhibits cooking.

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Hear the Sizzle of Summer!

It's that time of year again - grilling season is here! So, dust off your grilling tools, grab some beef and fire up that grill. There are so many advantages to grilling - it requires only the simplest preparation. You can prepare your whole meal on the grill and clean up is a breeze! Plus, nothing's better on the grill than beef. But grilling can be a little intimidating. So, our colleagues at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association on behalf of the Cattlemen's Beef Board have put together some grilling tips to help us become true grill masters.

Basically, there are two types of grilling methods - direct and indirect. In order to achieve the best results we must pair the cut of beef with the correct grilling method.

Direct Grilling Method is probably the most common method used by most consumers. This method is used for cuts of beef that cook for a short period of time, such as burgers, steaks or kabobs. Food is placed directly above the ash-covered coals on a charcoal grill or directly above the medium heat on a gas grill.

Indirect Grilling Method may be new to many of you. It is used for thicker beef cuts, such as thick steaks or roasts that require a longer cooking time at a lower temperature. On a charcoal grill, coals are arranged on each side of the fire grate, with coals burning equally on both sides. A foil drip tray is placed on the middle between the coals, and the meat is placed on the grid above the drip tray. The damper is left open to help the heated air circulate around the meat. This method also works with gas grills; just turn off the burner under the side of the grid where you place the food.

Click here for three easy steps to grilling!

Grilling Facts

Just for men? Think again! It's official - everyone loves cooking beef on the grill. While in decades past, grilling may have been perceived as a man's duty that is certainly not the case anymore. A recent Weber GrillWatch Survey concluded women are just as likely (48%) to say they grill at least a few times per week than men (42%).
Gas or charcoal? It seems that Americans prefer grilling beef on gas grills. Of the over 17 million grills shipped in 2006, 58% were gas, 40% were charcoal and 2% were electric. (Source: Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, www.HPBA.org)
When is the grill ready? For charcoal grilling, when colas are medium ash-covered, spread in a single layer and check temperature by continuously holding the palm of your hand above the coals at cooking height. Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand in that position before the heat forces you to pull it away - approximately four seconds for medium heat. Then position the cooking grid and start grilling for gas grilling, consult the owner's manual for specific grilling information.
The perfect burger! Season your burgers with salt or Worcestershire sauce or other products that contain salt after you grill them. Salting prior to cooking can draw out the beef's natural moisture. When forming patties, make sure all are the same size and thickness. Uniform size lead to even cooking.

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Ground Beef Tips

How Much to Buy?

One pound of ground beef will proved 12 ounces of cooked beef -- four 3 ounce cooked servings or patties; about 2 cups cooked.

Color

Fresh ground beef goes through a number of color changes during its shelf life. These changes are normal and the ground beef remains perfectly wholesome and safe to eat if purchased by the "sell by" date on the label. When exposed to oxygen, the color of beef will turn from dark red to a bright red. This explains why a package of group beef may appear bright red on the surface, where it is exposed to oxygen through the permeable plastic wrap, while the interior remains purplish-red.

Storage

Ground beef is more perishable than steaks and roasts. This shorter shelf life is a result of the increased surface area that is create and exposed when beef is ground.
Refrigerate ground beef in the coldest section of the refrigerator. Use it within 1 to 2 days.
Freeze any ground beef that will not be used within 2 days.
To freeze ground beef patties conveniently: Shape patties and place in a single layer on a tray lined with waxed paper. Freeze just until firm, then immediately wrap and freeze completely. Patties can be tightly wrapped individually or grouped together in freezer bags.

Cooking Tips

Handle Ground Beef Gently. The secret to moist flavorful burgers, meatloaves and meatballs is to mix lightly. Overmixing will result in a firm, compact texture after cooking.
Don't Press or Pierce Patties During Cooking. Flavorful juices can be lost, resulting in dry burgers.
Brush Brown or Red Sauces Onto Ground Beef After Cooking, rather than mixing them into raw beef. Ketchup, Worcestershire, soy and BBQ sauces can change the color of ground beef, making it difficult to judge the doneness by appearance.
Season Patties and Crumbles with Salt After Cooking. Salt added before cooking draws out moisture and inhibits browning.
Save Time When Cooking Meatballs. Bake in a 350°F oven, until no longer pink in the center and the juices show no pink color, instead of browning in a skillet.

Food Safety

Defrost Ground Beef in the Refrigerator, not at room temperature. Allow 24 hours for 1 to 1-1/2-inch thick packages; 12 hours for patties. Cook as soon as possible after defrosting.
Do Not Eat Raw or Rare Ground Beef. Because surface bacteria are transferred to the interior during grinding, it's risky to eat ground beef that has not been cooked to medium doneness (160°F).
Cook Ground Beef Without Interruption. Partial cooking can promote bacterial growth.
Avoid Cross-Contamination between raw and cooked beef -- during storage, preparation and serving. Wash hands, utensils, boards, counters and plates that have had contact with raw beef and juices, using hot soapy water.

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Corned Beef for St. Patty's Day

A dinner starring Corned Beef with Apple-Onion Sauté is a delicious way to celebrate the day. The corned beef brisket simmers with onion, garlic and apple cider, all great flavor complements to the beef. To ensure that the brisket is fork-tender, the steps are simple: (1) cover the pan tightly; (2) gently simmer – do not boil; and (3) no peeking – lifting the cover allows steam to escape and slows the cooking process. How do you know if it’s fork-tender? Easy! At the end of cooking time simply insert a utility fork into the beef. If the fork inserts without resistance and releases easily – it’s ready!

While the brisket simmers, prepare the sauté of onions and apples to serve alongside. Add some Irish soda bread and dinner is served!

If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, make classic Reuben sandwiches the next day. Click here to view the recipe!

History:
Some stories say that corned beef and cabbage was a traditional dish served for Easter Sunday dinner in rural Ireland. Since there was no refrigeration at that time, the beef was cured in a salted solution to preserve it. Today it is a nostalgic reminder of the Irish heritage.

Curing:
Corned beef actually has nothing to do with corn. The word corn was once used to refer to the large pieces of coarse salt that were used for curing meat before refrigeration. The salt pieces could be as large as a kernel of corn. They were rubbed into the beef for preservation. Today we use a brine solution – which is a salt water mixture, but we’ve kept the traditional name of “corned beef.”

Don’t let cooking a corned beef brisket scare you. It’s simple and does not require culinary expertise. You can find corned beef briskets, already cured and ready-to-cook packaged in your meat department; some packages even contain the traditional and flavorful boiling spices.

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There's Romance in Beef!

According to Kelton Research:

Women between the ages of 35 and 44 are 10% more likely to think Filet Mignon (tenderloin steak) is "Very Romantic" when compared to women under 35
Nearly 2/3 of single people would rather share grill duties with another person, compared to just over 1/2 of married people
Single people are almost twice as likely to have a charcoal grill as those who are married (66% vs. 35%)
Southerners are the most likely group to consider a steak dinner "very Romantic"
89% of people with children say Filet Mignon is "Very Romantic" compared to 81 % of people without children; 72% say the same about the New York Strip Steak (Top Loin Steak) compared to only 60% of those without children.

Instead of rushing around trying to find the perfect candy or card, make Valentine's Day extra special this year by serving your sweetheart a memorable meal at home. dining at home can be relaxing and leisurely. No one is waiting for your table, and there's no reason to rush. Try a delicious beef recipe to make this Valentine's Day extra special.

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Successful Roasting

Four Easy Steps to a Perfect Beef Roast!

Step 1: Heat oven (see Roasting Timetable for temperature). Place roast straight from the