The Skinny on Beef

I had the pleasure of attending a three day conference with 30 other nutrition professionals, sponsored by the Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri Beef Councils in Kansas City this summer.  It was an incredible experience.  I learned so much about beef, and would love to share my information with you.

Beef is the original diet food.  There are 29 cuts of lean beef that compare in fat to a skinless chicken breast.  That means that you could prepare a different cut of beef EVERYDAY for a month without ruining your diet or your taste buds!

As a dietitian, I promote foods that are good for you.  I also believe that food should taste great, or else why would you bother wasting the calories to eat it?!  There are many factors influencing the flavor of beef; from how it was feed on the farm to your preparation techniques.  Mind these tips for beef preparation:

• Match the correct muscle of meat for the right recipe.  Using a tough piece of meat for a tender type recipe will only result in disappointment.
• Choose the correct cooking method for the particular cut.  Moist, slow heat is used for tougher cuts of meat.
• Avoid using tarragon and rosemary, as their flavors fight with beef’s flavor instead of enhancing it
• Avoid fruity and sweet flavors.  They are much better suited for chicken.
• Not understanding the product name at the grocery store?  Ask the person behind the meat counter the best way to prepare a certain cut of meat if you are unsure.

One of the highlights to this conference was the afternoon the thirty of us spent at the Tailgate Ranch.  We were able to listen to a producer panel of very intelligent individuals.  They explained how beef was handled from pregnancy to your table.  They told us why certain breeds were chosen for the best ratio of muscle to lean tissue and tender beef.  They discussed at first most cattle are raised on a ranch.  Then they are moved to a feedlot and fed grain before heading to the processing plant. Feeding the grain at the end helps the cattle put on weight quicker, and makes the beef have a better flavor.  Food safety and the customer’s needs were at the top of their list of importance.  They also explained the differences between grain-fed beef, certified organic beef, natural beef, and grass-finished beef.

The conference also took us to Sysco for cooking demonstrations and the chance to prepare a beef dish of our own.  We listened to many great speakers.  It was by far the best nutrition conference I have ever attended!  I send great thanks to the Beef Councils and all of the terrific dietitians that I was honored to network with!  Visit the Nebraska Beef Council’s website for lots of terrific information and recipes.