Monday, April 25, 2011
Mortal Kombat 9
I couldn't have a blog about meat and NOT talk about to blood and guts in the new Mortal Kombat game. Thats right, this is about MK9. It would only be better if they brought back "Meat". But aside from that, its incredible. They brought back all those little games like test your luck and sight. The whole X-ray thing? LOVE IT! Nothing better than watching what happens to your victim as you rip them apart.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
About Ground Meat
Ground hamburger: Ground from the least wanted cuts of meat.. The butcher reserves trimmings from other meat cuts to grind into hamburger and ground beef. This means in theory there could be pieces of sirloin, chuck, ribs, or even filet mignon in that package of hamburger. According to USDA standards, hamburger may have fat added, but cannot contain more than 30% fat by weight. As a general rule, it is not really sold in supermarkets.
Ground beef: Basically the same as ground hamburger but it cannot have added fat. It cannot contain more than 30% fat by weight.
Ground chuck : 80 to 85 percent lean / 15 to 20 percent fat
Ground round : 85 to 90 percent lean / 10 to 15 percent fat
Ground sirloin : 90 to 92 percent lean / 8 to 10 percent fat
One important note, when it states 80 percent lean, its actually not. Why? Because that 80 percent actually contains 10 percent of fat. So after a little bit of simple math, ground chuck actually contains 70 percent lean, and 30 percent fat.
EAT MORE BEEF!
Ground beef: Basically the same as ground hamburger but it cannot have added fat. It cannot contain more than 30% fat by weight.
Ground chuck : 80 to 85 percent lean / 15 to 20 percent fat
Ground round : 85 to 90 percent lean / 10 to 15 percent fat
Ground sirloin : 90 to 92 percent lean / 8 to 10 percent fat
One important note, when it states 80 percent lean, its actually not. Why? Because that 80 percent actually contains 10 percent of fat. So after a little bit of simple math, ground chuck actually contains 70 percent lean, and 30 percent fat.
EAT MORE BEEF!
Tips for buying good beef
When shopping for beef, make sure the meat is bright red. If there is blood pooled in the foam tray, it only means the meat has been prepared the day before. If your looking for something thats just been put out that day, look for something without blood. Now, when it comes to vacuum sealed meats, light brown is not bad! IT is the natural color of beef. It will turn red a few minutes after its been opened. On the other hand, a silvery brown is a sign of deterioration. Keep these tips in mind when shopping for beef.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Beef Jerky
Well, now that its spring, I'd say its time for some beef jerky!
If you want to make some good jerky, you'll need some lean cuts of beef. Sirloin, Top Round, Eye of Round work well. Skirt Steak works pretty well as well. Whatever your choice of meat, its important to cut it into 1/8 or 1/4 inch strips. If your good friends with the butcher, hell gladly trim and cut the beef for you. But if you want to do it yourself, get yourself a nice sharp knife. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. Place the beef in the freezer for about two hours, it will make for slicing easier.
Make sure you trim off all fat and silver skin, fat doesn't dry very well. After the meat is cut, marinade it in your preference of recipe. Personally, i like some olive oil, salt and soy sauce. Let it marinate for 10 hours, although it ads moisture, it makes for a better flavor in the finished jerky. You can now coat the meat with some salt and spices, but it is not necessary.
I'm assuming those who own a dehydrator know how to use it, but for those of you who dont want to waste your money, your oven will work just fine. Set the temperature to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) and allow it to preheat. (Heat is not intended to cook your jerky; gentle heat aids in the dehydration process by causing the moisture to evaporate.) Place your prepared meat on a wire rack.
Keep an eye out on the jerky for 2-6 hours. It should look a dark burgendy brown when done. When its done, pull it out and let it cool down and enjoy.
If you want to make some good jerky, you'll need some lean cuts of beef. Sirloin, Top Round, Eye of Round work well. Skirt Steak works pretty well as well. Whatever your choice of meat, its important to cut it into 1/8 or 1/4 inch strips. If your good friends with the butcher, hell gladly trim and cut the beef for you. But if you want to do it yourself, get yourself a nice sharp knife. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. Place the beef in the freezer for about two hours, it will make for slicing easier.
Make sure you trim off all fat and silver skin, fat doesn't dry very well. After the meat is cut, marinade it in your preference of recipe. Personally, i like some olive oil, salt and soy sauce. Let it marinate for 10 hours, although it ads moisture, it makes for a better flavor in the finished jerky. You can now coat the meat with some salt and spices, but it is not necessary.
I'm assuming those who own a dehydrator know how to use it, but for those of you who dont want to waste your money, your oven will work just fine. Set the temperature to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) and allow it to preheat. (Heat is not intended to cook your jerky; gentle heat aids in the dehydration process by causing the moisture to evaporate.) Place your prepared meat on a wire rack.
Keep an eye out on the jerky for 2-6 hours. It should look a dark burgendy brown when done. When its done, pull it out and let it cool down and enjoy.
Drug/Hormone Free
When it comes to meats that have "Drug" or "Hormone" free. Free ranged vs cage free, these are just marketing terms. They only want your money. The term "Free Ranged" means they get to go outside, for something to be truly free ranged, it would have to be wild. Cage free can mean that although they're not in cages, the animals can be crammed into tight living quarters. As for the drugs and hormones, they are illegal, its redundant for the company's to even mention it. But it is what people want to hear.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Secrets of Meat Cutting
For those of you who go shopping at your local grocery store, heres a little tip. NEVER buy store made, or for that matter, pre-packed ground meat. Its made from basically, all the fat and bits of meat that we dont sell. If you could see what we grind, you would avoid it for the rest of your life. Now if you know your butcher pretty well, grab a roast, and ask him to grind it. Chuck roasts, or any round roast will work great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)