The Rural Voice, 1981-03, Page 33THE RURAL FAMILY
Cooking with beef:
The standard Sunday roast isn't your only choice.
Cooking with beef can be economical if
you buy some of the cheaper cuts of beef
and know some good recipes for them.
This month. Rural Voice asked the home
economists in Huron, Bruce and Perth for
their advice on what were the cheaper
cuts of beef to buy and some recipes for
using these cuts.
Huron County home economist Jane
Muegge sent us some pamphlets from
the beef information centre and we have
culled some of the following money
saving tips.
Buying beef in bulk (sides, quarters or
wholesale cuts) can save you money if you
are prepared to use all the cuts and you
buy when the price is right. A freezer
allows you to take advantage of
advertised •beef specials. Fresh beef
purchased in' the supermarket may be
frozen without rewrapping if used within
,one to two weeks. For longerstorage, the
beef should be rewrapped in proper
freezer paper. For best texture and
juiciness. use ground beef and stewing
beef within three to six months. steaks in
six to eight months and roasts within one
year. The freezer also enables you to
freeze leftovers and casseroles.
Use within two months.
Using lower cooking temperatures can
also save money. Use oven temperatures
between 275 degrees and 325 degrees
and simmer rather than boil. Higher
temperatures cause excessive shrinkage
and weight loss.
Combine beef with vegetables. rice or
pasta to get more mileage. Another way
to extend beef is to buy cuts that can be
stuffed such as flank. round or blade
steak.
BY BARBARA DE VISSCHER
BRUCE COUNTY HOME ECONOMIST
Among the best buys on the meat
counter arc the variety meats. Before you
reject this suggestion, bear in mind that
no part of an animal is wasted by the
meat packers - all the parts of an animal
can be choppped up and included in
"pure beef" products.
Kidney, for example, has long been
considered gourmet fare - and pate de
foie gras is liver paste!
Organ meats are lower in price per
weight than most other cuts of meats.
Also. they are boneless, so there is very
little waste. making the cost per serving
much less than other cuts.
As an extra bonus. most organ meats
are excellent sources of iron.
Convinced? Read on for tips on
preparing a few of the more readily
available variety meats.
Liver is a very common. and often
maligned meat. The key to weH-prepared
liver is to cook it very quickly - liver a la
shoe leather is usually the result of
cooking it too long. If thinly sliced and
pan-fried. ten minutes of cooking time
should be more than enough.
Perhaps your family would like to try
stuffed liver for a change. For four to six
servings, you need:
1 lb. thinly sliced liver
250 ml (1 cup) your favourite bread
stuffing
fat
1 can tomato soup
'/2 can water
Spread liver with the stuffing, roll and
secure with a toothpick. Brown slightly in
hot fat and put into a greased casserole
dish.
Combine soup and water and pour over
liver. Season with salt and pepper. Cover.
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 30-60
minutes, depending on the thickness and
type of liver, with beef requiring the
longest cooking.
Kidney is another good buy and a
delicious addition to your menus.
Before cooking. remove the coarse
membranes. The outer fat and tough
inner cores should be cut away. but the
smaller softer ones can be left. They can
then be either cut into pieces or sliced.
My favourite kidney dish is Creamed
Kidneys - great served on toast, rice or
noodles.
CREAMED KIDNEYS
For 4-6 servings:
1-2 beef kidneys, 4 veal or pork kidneys
or 8 lamb kidneys
2 tbsp. fat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
'/: can water or milk
Simmer prepared kidneys in 1 cup
water, seasoned with salt and pepper. in
a covered frypan for 10 minutes. Discard
any remaining water. Add fat and onion
and stir fry until kidneys are browned.
Stir in soup and water and heat through.
A can of sliced mushrooms can also be
added.
Heart is another treat, especially when
baked stuffed. To figure how much you
need, allow %-1/2 Ib. per person.
A delicious recipe for Roasted Heart
with Prune and Apple Stuffing comes
from Werner Sukstorf from Paisley:
1 beef heart
bacon strips
pitless prunes
tangy apples
salt and pepper
bread cubes
consomme or water
Trim all fat from the heart. Prepare the
stuffing by combining the bread cubes,
chopped prunes. peeled, chopped apples,,
and seasonings. Stuff the heart and close,
with skewers or lacing.
Wind bacon strips around the stuffed,
heart and fasten with toothpicks. Place ,
in roasting pan and brown on all
sides. Add consomme and roast at 325°F,
basting occasionally, for about 3 hours. 4
lb. heart serves 7 or 8.
Here are a few more ideas for your
family to try.
LIVER THAT'S SPECIAL
1 Ib. thinly sliced liver
' cup flour
' cup butter
'/: small clove garlic minced
(or garlic salt)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced.
'/, cup dairy sour cream
1 can condensed mushroom soup
2 tbsp. ehopped parsley.
Dredge liver in flour and brown lightlr
with garlic in butter in frying pan. Push
liver to one side and brown onion slightly,
Blend in soup, sour cream and parsley.
Cover and cook over low heat until liver is
THE RURAL VOICE/MARCH 1981 PG. 27