The Rural Voice, 1977-11, Page 24the rural
L. Family
Stewing beef combines
thrift and good taste
Thrifty consumers know that, when
buying beef, it pays to select cuts of meat
with a particular cooking method in mind.
Less tender cuts lend themselves to long,
slow cooking and can be combined with
other foods to help stretch the food dollar,
say food consultants with Agriculture
Canada.
All the less tender cuts are equal in food
value to the tender cuts of beef. Beef is an
important source of high quality protein
and also contains iron, and B vitamins,
such as riboflavin and thiamin.
When you purchase "stewing beef" at
the store, it is probably from the shank,
flank, neck or its trimmings or a shoulder
cut.
You can also cut your own stewing beef
at home. Look for "specials" on short rib
or cross rib roasts, blade roasts or steaks or
round steaks. Buy an extra steak or roast,
cut part as stewing beef and freeze it and
serve the rest as a pot roast. You can
expect one pound of boneless beef to give
two to three servings.
To stew small pieces of less tender meat,
trim off excess fat and gristle. Then brown
meat well in a little hot fat in a heavy
kettle. Sprinkle the browned meat with
flour and brown again slightly. For light
stews, omiting browning and flouring and
thicken before serving. Add seasonings,
liquid and vegetables if you wish. Stir well
and cover the kettle tightly. Simmer the
meat slowly over low heat on stove or in a
moderately slow oven (325 dgs. F.). Cook
until tender and well done.
Remember that stewing beef doesn't
always have to be plain stew! There are
many ethnic dishes which can be adapted
1 to stewing beef. Some dishes that come to
mind are Beef Stroganoff, Beef Bourguig-
non and Hungarian Goulash. The food
consultants with Agriculture Canada have
developed another stew recipe with a
difference - Metric "Beef Stew Mexican
St yle."
' of
IO
O�
,p
......" mum • r [Timir,v /Nn\/FMRER
BEEF STEW MEXICAN STYLE
700 g. Stewing beef
50 ml. fat.
250 inl chopped onion
100 ml flour
10 ml salt
2 ml pepper
2 ml thyme
1 ml cinnamon
0.5 ml cloves
500 ml water
250 ml apple juice
450 ml carrots, cut in 1 -inch diagonal
pieces
2 pears, peeled, cored and cut in eighths
75 ml raisins
Brown beef in fat and remove from pan.
Add onion and saute until transparent.
Return meat to pan, sprinkle with flour and
brown again lightly. Add seasonings.
water and juice. Cover and simmer until
meat is tender (about one hour). Add
carrots and simmer 30 minutes more. Add
pears and raisins; simmer until pears are
tender (five to 10 minutes more). Six
servings.
Onions are a versatile
winter standby
Onions are indispensable to most cooks.
They're essential for the zesty flavor
needed in so many recipes, and they're
ideal to serve as a vegetable with almost
any meal.
Ontario onions from the Brantford and
Grand Bend areas have been harvested
and all are now in storages. They will
supply the domestic market until early
spring, according to food specialists at the
Ontario Food Council, Ministry of
Agriculture and Food.
When buying yellow -skin onions, choose
those that are bright, clean and firm, with
dry skins that crackle. There should be no
evidence of sprouting and the necks should
be thin and dry. Moisture at the neck is an
indication of decay.
When storing onions, the most import-
ant thing is to keep them dry. Store them
uncovered in mesh bags or shallow baskets
to allow air to circulate. The best
temperature is from just above freezing, 40
degrees F (4 degrees C) to 50 degrees F
(10 degrees C). Under these conditions
1977.
onions can be stored for several months.
They will keep well for two to four weeks at
cool. dry room temperature. High
temperature humidity. and light will cause
sprouting and decay.
If your dry storage area does not have a
low enough temperature. onions can be
stored for a short time in the refrigerator,
but must be in a well sealed container. so
that their strong odors don't permeate
other foods.
Freezer storage times
are important
If you froze foods this summer and
haven't really organized your freezer now's
the time to do it. Be prepared for the winter
months ahead. Double-check the contents
of your freezer to make sure the foods are
all well -wrapped and that the packages are
properly marked. Are they clearly labeled
with the name of the product. date of
packaging. and number of servings? Have
they been wrapped carefully in moisture -
vapor -proof materials?
The next step is to consider how and
when you're going to use your frozen
foods. No two foods store equally well. say
food specialists at the Ontario Food
Council. Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
It is therefore very important to know the
various recommended storage times to
ensure that the foods are used when they
are still of the best quality.
For example. frozen fruit should be used
within one year. Try to use up all the frozen
fruit before you freeze the next year's
batch.
Most frozen vegetables store well for one
year also. Exceptions are onions. chives
and leeks. Which tend to lose crispness and
texture if stored more than three months.
Baked goods, if prepared now, can be
kept and used through the Christmas
season. Quick breads keep well for 2-3
months, pies for 3-4 months and baked
cookies for 9-12 months.
The storage life for meat. doultry and
fish products varies considerably, depend-
ing on the kind. the size of the cut. the type
and amount of fat. and the method of
pr
reg
pr
fa
co
fa
TI
ch
tel
fa
nu
lei
st(
fre
fa
Pu
Ot
Le
Qt
9'
a v.
se'
to(
- Ar
str
gr,
an