oinka.com

The beef trade laments falling sales. It blames B.S.E.; it points a finger at the zealots from C.A.R.M. (The Campaign Against Red Meat), rising production costs and pomegranate diets.

In fact the industry identifies everything but the central reason for the public’s disillusionment with this fine meat.

The truth of the matter is that too much of the stuff is plain rubbish. It’s just about fit to feed to your dog (so long as you’re not too fond of your dog).

There was a time, forty or fifty years ago, when the beef on the butcher’s slab was a very different item than it is today. It was almost always from a meat bullock, not a dairy cow.

Domestic cattle are bred either for meat or dairy. They are not properly interchangeable.

Altogether too much second-rate dairy meat gets into the stores now. It is insipid, prone to toughness and is insufficient in the right kind of fat.

In those halcyon days of beautiful beef, it wasn’t bright red and, of course, had no business being bright red. Such a color describes meat that has not been hung for at least two or three weeks in a dry, cold atmosphere.

One major reason for not hanging meat is that, as the liquid content evaporates over the period, there is less weight to sell and profit margins are thus eroded. The butcher could increase the price but at the risk of customer complaints.

Bright red meat is likely to be lacking in any depth of flavor. The color of properly hung meat is very dark red, almost brown in fact.

The fat surrounding the meat, then, was yellow. The animals grazed on grass, the only proper food for cattle. The chemical action of the chlorophyll in the grass causes the yellowness.

The animals were never fed on barley or grain in feedlots. It is those feedstuffs that cause the fat to be hard and white.

It’s a sad fact that producers have managed to persuade consumers that they actually prefer ‘creamy white’ fat. The simple truth is that it’s just a darned sight cheaper to produce. The consumer has been led by the nose, all the way to tasteless, bland, mass-produced rubbish.

After roasting, the underlying fat disappeared and rendered down into dripping (tallow), leaving a thin delicious brown crust. They were certainly never given hormone supplements to dramatically increase their weight. Happily this potentially dangerous practice has now been banned within the E.U.

So, having said all of the above, is beef a totally lost cause? Is there anything that can be done to put quality meat on your table again?

Yes there is, and the first skirmish in the battle is for you to be pretty aggressive with your butcher.

Ask why the fat is white. Why is the meat the color of 1920s lipstick? Will it be tender? If the answer is “Yes” then ask how that can be when the meat has clearly not been hung. Was the animal fed hormones? Was it fed cattle cake during the winter? Cattle cake often contains heavy metals, substances that you really do not need in your diet.

Persuade your carnivorous friends that the situation is not good enough. Start a campaign to force your butcher to stock what you want, not necessarily what he wants to sell to you.

An excellent read on the subject is the old favorite ‘Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal’ by Eric Schlosser. There is a lot of good information there, about the beef that reaches the consumer in the United States.

One sure-fire route out of the sad beef loop is to buy organic. Whether it is healthier or not is a subject for the scientists. What is absolutely certain, though, is that it tastes so much better.

If the price of organic beef is too steep, then there are plenty of small farmers producing grass-fed beef.

To buy the very best of beef, you have to be prepared to pay quite a lot more. Maybe the answer is to eat it less often but for it to be a great experience when you do invest.

Unfortunately, if you’re a 32oz steak person, you are going to need a pretty fat wallet!

Summer and grilling. What could be better? You throw the burgers on the grill … wait - the kids want hot dogs. And Jimmy (not his real name) wants chicken. Chicken? How about steak? Rachel (not her real name) won’t eat meat. Are there vegetables around here somewhere? Hey - where’s dad? The burgers are burning. Oh well, you weren’t going to eat them anyway. Now Charlie (ok, that’s his real name) informs you he’s on a diet - so forget that potato salad. Where are those vegetables? Never mind. That pizza delivery number is around here somewhere.

Is that is your summer grilling experience? This plan is for you. A fool-proof, Everyone Gets What They Want No One Gets Stuck Behind the Grill Mild Stomachs to Heat Freaks Are All Happy, SUMMER GRILLING PARTY PLAN. Did I mention it’s healthy? And vegetarian friendly? Read on for all the details.

THE PLAN

You are going to host a shish kabob bar-b-que. Everyone picks their own meat and vegetable combination, and everyone spices and cooks their own kabobs. You are going to sit back and enjoy your party.

THE MEAT

Pick your meat. Your meat needs to be a thick cut, and easy to skewer. For instance, London broil or boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

The easiest way to prepare the meat is to cut everything into about 1″ cubes. It is easier to cut if it is partially frozen, plus the meat will stay fresher while grilling.

Since the meat will be combined with vegetables, you will only need about 1/4 pound per person.

THE VEGETABLES

Now choose your vegetables. You will need some onions and peppers, as well as milder vegetables like zucchini and summer squash. Mushrooms do not work well - they tend to crumble on the skewer. If you use potatoes, use small canned ones - regular raw potatoes take too long to cook on a skewer.
Everything can be cut ahead of time.

Cut everything into chunks that will be easy to skewer. Onions and peppers work best if they but in half, then cut each half into four sections. Squash should be sliced into 1/2 inch slices. When you use tomatoes, pick large cherry tomatoes that can be added whole - slices do not work well on skewers.

THE SPICES

Here’s the fun part of this grilling party - spicing your kabobs. Have several different types of sauces and spices available for guests to choose.

You will need the basics like pepper, various salts, lime, chili powder, cilantro. Also include bottled marinades, bbq sauce, even some salad dressings. Be sure you cover the whole range of spices, from hot and zesty to mild and sweet.

THE SIDE DISHES

Because you already have meat and vegetables, you will need only a few side dishes. Pasta salad works well, and fruit platters. Keep it light to complement the meat and grilled vegetables.

THE SUPPLIES

You don’t need anything fancy for this grilling party. Just skewers, and the usual utensils.

Bamboo skewers work well, and you can throw them away. You will need a shallow pan of water to soak them in 15 minutes before the grilling starts.

One note about plates, since the kabob will be straight off the grill, Styrofoam plates do not work. They melt. Use paper if you want a disposable plate.

THE PARTY

Pre-cut all the vegetables and meat, and prepare the side dishes ahead of time. Now, all you have to do is cook your own kabob.

To assemble the kabobs, just add whatever meat and vegetables you want to the skewer. Now, add spices. Grill until the meat is cooked to your taste. Slide the kabob off the skewer, and you’re ready to eat.

And you get to enjoy your guests, rather than running around pleasing Jimmy, and Rachel, and Charlie, and…

Have you ever found yourself wondering how you can give a new lift to old favorites? Or worrying over how you can tempt those picky eaters?

Try keeping a few sheets of frozen puff pastry in the freezer.

Puff pastry is one of the most useful, and at the same time most overlooked, weapons in the cook’s arsenal. It gets less exposure than it should because many people are nervous of using it. If you are one of those, read on. You are about to become an expert.

Frozen puff pastry is one of the food industry’s great success stories. From the cook’s point of view it’s easy to handle, needs no preparation and, even more to the point, it works every time.

On top of all that, it’s versatile enough to be used in any number of ways from making mini pizzas to decorating the lamb roast. There is practically no end to its flexibility.

Take desserts for example. Cut one sheet of thawed out puff pastry into four pieces, place a spoonful of fruit into the middle of each one, bring the opposite corners of the pastry into the center and crimp them together between finger and thumb. Lightly glaze with an egg beaten in milk, top with half an apricot and a sprinkling of sugar and pop into a medium hot oven for 15 minutes.

You can use exactly the same technique for individual savory pies or, for a terrific farmhouse-style result, use two whole sheets, one for the base and one for the top.

You don’t even need a pie dish. Put the base directly on to a baking sheet, add the filling and top with the second sheet, folding the edges over and pinching the corners together. The base will be light and crisp when cooked and the crust golden-brown and flaky.

Once you get started on using puff pastry in this way, you may find it difficult to stop. One great technique is to cut the pastry into shapes using a cookie cutter, glaze and bake the individual pieces and then use them to decorate whatever dish you are serving.

You could use crescent shapes to top off a casserole, or prepare triangles and place them artfully on cooked meat or chops. You could even cut the pastry into rounds, cover with something like sweet chilli sauce and grated cheese, bake for 15 minutes or so and serve them with pre-dinner drinks.

Kids love these min-pizzas too.

The truth is you can go down any path your imagination takes you. As an ingredient this kind of pastry is just so forgiving it’s hard to get it wrong. There are really only a couple of things to guard against.

One is incorrect cooking temperature, either too hot or too cool. Most ready-made puff pastry ‘lifts’ successfully at around 200-220 degrees Centigrade. The other thing to bear in mind is not to overdo the glaze. Too much egg-wash may result in a soggy finish that will not rise successfully. Just a light brushing will do.

So there you have it. A great product that is labor-saving, versatile, looks good and tastes great. What more could you ask for?