Holiday Gifts More Meaningful in Economic Crisis
With the holidays approaching and the economy sliding into a fearful unknown, many question what they will do both personally and corporately for holiday gifts this season. Now more than ever, American’s need comfort, reasurrance and acknowledgement of genuine appreciation. More and more people may turn to gifts that are personal and give a genuine feeling of warmth to the recipient. It is my opinion that trinket type gifts and other such non-personal ”things” will be far less this holiday season. Instead, we’ll see less overall in the number of gifts, but higher quality both peronsally and in business. When seeking these types of gifts many may turn to mail order gourmet foods which range from fine wines to 5-star steaks.
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Internal Cooking Temps
If you are going to spend the money on a high end steak, but sure not to over cook it. There’s nothing worse than an over cooked, dry, tasteless steak. If you prefer well-done, save your money on a 5-star steak and buy a Select grade from your local grocer. Otherwise, it is most preferred and recommended to cook quality steaks to medium or medium-rare. The cook times will depend on the thickness of the steak and the temperature of your grill or cooking surface. In general, the following internal temps are our recommendations when cooking steaks from USDA Choice to USDA Prime.
Medium- Rare 145°F
Medium 160°F
Remember not to put your steaks on the grill cold. This will cause uneven cooking. It is always best to let steaks sit out 15- 20 minutes prior to putting them on the grill.
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How long do steaks last in the refrigerator?
This question is a very common Google search on our site , so, I thought I would provide what the USDA recommends for storage in the refrigerator & freezer. First, you need to find a “use by” or “sell by” date on your meat package. The product should be cooked or put in the freezer by that date.
General Storage Guidelins in regards to Steaks—- Refrigerator Storage (40 F) 3-5 days/ Freezer Storage (0 F) 6- 12 months
The complete chart for Home Storage of Beef Products can be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Beef_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp
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Natural Beef- Natural what?
We’ve all seen the surge of new Natural selections at the meat counter from chicken & pork to beef and lamb. With each visit to local stores, I see more companies offering additional Natural meat options. But what is Natural when it comes to beef? Some market their product as Hormone Free, Antibiotic Free or just plain All Natural. In general, “Natural” refers to products not containing chemical preservatives, artificial ingredients or coloring ingredients. From my experience with the USDA, the proper labeling on beef with a Natural claim is “No added Antibiotics, No Added Hormones”. This is what the USDA handed down for my product labeling. Think about it, it’s physiologically impossible to those who claim their beef Hormone-Free, . All of us reproducing beings have hormones naturally within our bodies, so, Hormone-Free, to me, is a false claim. If you are interested in reading more on Natural claims stated by USDA visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/Natural_and_Organic_Claims/index.asp As for “Organic”, that term still has not been defined by the USDA. So, before you grab a Natural item from the meat counter, read the fine print on the package for more information.
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London Broil Recipe- Grilled
Prep- Lightly score top of London Broil with criss coss cuts and liberally poke with fork. Pour Italian dressing over meat until covered. Cover with saran wrap and put back refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Be sure to remove from the refrig about an hour before grilling. This cut was originally cooked under a broiler, thus, the name, but we find the flavor from the grill much more pleasing. If you don’t have a grill, broiling the beef is also an option.
Remove from marinade and season with granulated garlic and cracked pepper.
Grill until desired doneness. We recommend medium rare. Allow meat to sit for 5 minutes after removing from grill. Slice thinly at an angle as to cut into strips. This cut of meat tends to be tougher– the thin angled cuts offers a more pleasant bite while enjoying the full flavor of this meat.
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Temper Steaks Before Grilling
Steaks for dinner? Be sure to temper those steaks before hitting the grill. What does that mean? Well, the best way to ruin a good steak, or any steak for that matter, is to grill a cold steak. Don’t take your steak from the refrigerator straight to the grill. I can almost assure you that you’ll be disappointed after the first bite. Steaks need to temper or sit out for about 30 minutes at room temperature before they touch the grill. The biggest advantage to tihs is for even cooking. Grilling a cold steak results in either an overcooked steak or most certainly an unevenly cooked steak. At some point all of us in our rush to fix dinner have thrown a cold steak on the grill only to discover the middle cooked perfectly (maybe) and other areas of the steak overcooked.
So, STOP, take out those steaks and let them temper while you make the salad, enjoy an appetizer or a glass of wine. A good steak was meant to be enjoyed and savored. Wait that extra few minutes so you’ll enjoy that first bite and every bite.
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