Little Carnivores

I've just come to a realization, and there are no two ways about it.....I have a couple of Carnivore Kids. They love it, they crave it, they ask for steak every night and have, ever since the tender age of at least two. Thankfully we raise our own Natural Beef because this ensures a freezer full of beef at all times. For the kids, it doesn't make a bit of difference if it's 'deer meat' or 'cow meat'... they just want meat. And when they eat the meat, they feel the need to know if it's 'deer meat' or 'cow meat'. I don't prepare beef dinners every day, I tend to throw in quite a few nights of chicken dinners, much to my little carnivore's chagrin. They're not big fans of a chicken dinner. This is our cattle drive that took place last spring here on the ranch. All of our beef cattle were moved from their pasture on the flat to the top of the hill behind Stafford Lake to feast upon all the newly grown, green grass. Being moved to the gate..... Through the gate...... On their way to the trail that leads to the top of the hill.... A little about the different cuts of steak..... Most tender steaks come from the center (rib and loin sections) of the animal and are usually cooked by dry-heat methods. You can find tender steaks at different price points. Premium steaks, such as strip (top loin), T-Bone, Porterhouse, ribeye, rib and tenderloin, usually have a higher price per pound, but you can also find tender steaks that are a good choice for family meals such as ranch (shoulder center), top sirloin, flat iron (shoulder top blade), chuck eye and round tip. Less-tender steaks are from the more exercised fore- and hindquarters of the animal and benefit most from moist-heat cooking. These cuts include full-cut round, eye round and bottom round; chuck shoulder, chuck arm and chuck blade; flank and skirt. Some of these less tender cuts, including top round steak, may be cooked with dry heat after tenderizing in a marinade. Lean Cuts~ Many of the most popular cuts of beef have less than 10g total fat with 4.5g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. Popular lean beef cuts chosen at restaurants include~ Strip Steak (Kansas City/New York) Filet Mignon/Tenderloin Steak Top Sirloin/Sirloin Steak T-Bone Steak Popular lean cuts chosen at retail (grocery meat case) include~ Top Sirloin/Sirloin Steak Strip (Top Loin) Steak Top Round Steak T-Bone Steak Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich Make this bistro-style sandwich, sauce and all, completely on the grill. If you're in a hurry, just grill the steak and garlic and substitute jarred roasted red peppers for the grilled bell peppers. I just love sandwiches for dinner! Ingredients 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 pound flank steak, trimmed 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 medium red bell pepper 1 medium yellow bell pepper 4 large slices whole-wheat country bread, cut in half, or 8 small slices 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise 1 cup mixed salad greens Preparation Preheat grill to medium-high. Place garlic in the center of a piece of foil and drizzle with oil. Gather the foil together at the top to form a sealed packet. Sprinkle both sides of steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place the garlic packet over indirect heat or the coolest part of the grill. Place the steak and bell peppers over direct heat or the hottest part of the grill. Cook the garlic until soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cook the peppers, turning occasionally, until the skin is blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Cook the steak, turning once, until desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium. Transfer the garlic packet, peppers and steak to a clean platter. Tent the steak with foil to keep warm. Grill bread, turning once, until toasted, about 1 minute per side. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the stems, seeds and ribs. Slice into wide strips and toss with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Peel the garlic and place it and the oil from the packet in another small bowl. Add mayonnaise and mash with a fork until combined. Slice the steak very thinly. To assemble sandwiches, spread 1 scant teaspoon of the roasted garlic aïoli on each piece of bread. Divide greens, the sliced steak and grilled peppers among 4 slices of bread; top with the remaining bread. Nutrition Per sandwich: 287 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 33 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 21 g protein; 2 g fiber; 596 mg sodium; 393 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (160% daily value), Selenium (27% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv), Zinc (22% dv). Enjoy your beef! Happy Thursday! Pin It

Asian Beef & Broccoli Slaw Wraps & Get the Skinny on Lean Beef

Today's dinner inspiration comes from, well, having a freezer full of lean ground beef from the Natural Beef we just harvested. I like to prepare it as healthful as possible, easy is always a bonus too! Asian Beef and Broccoli Slaw Wraps Ingredients 1. 1 pound ground beef 2. 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 3. 1/2 teaspoon salt 4. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 5. 3 cups packaged broccoli or cabbage coleslaw mix 6. 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 7. 4 burrito-size (approx. 10-inch diameter) flour tortillas, warmed 8. Hoisin sauce (optional) Instructions1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef and onion; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 1/2-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove Drippings. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; season with salt. Return beef mixture to skillet; stir in slaw mix and 1/4 cup hoisin sauce; heat through. 2. Spread 1/4 of beef mixture (approx. 1 cup) evenly over each tortilla, leaving 1-1/2-inch border on all sides. Fold right and left edges of tortilla over filling; fold bottom edge up over filling, then roll up tightly, jelly roll fashion. Place seam-side down on plates; cut in half, if desired. Serve with additional hoisin sauce, if desired. Nutrition Nutrition information per serving: 511 calories; 21 g fat (8 g saturated fat; 10 g monounsaturated fat); 76 mg cholesterol; 1099 mg sodium; 48 g carbohydrate; 4.4 g fiber; 31 g protein; 8.1 mg niacin; 0.5 mg vitamin B6; 2.4 mcg vitamin B12; 5.5 mg iron; 36.5 mcg selenium; 6.1 mg zinc. This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc, and a good source of fiber. Get the Skinny on Lean Beef Did you know there are 29 cuts of beef that meet the government labeling guidelines for lean? Many are cuts you are probably already eating, such as flank steak, T-Bone steak, and sirloin steak. According to government guidelines, a serving qualifies as "extra lean" if it has less than 5g total fat, 2g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. A serving qualifies as "lean" if it has less than 10g total fat, 4.5g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. Click on the chart below to enlarge~ Click on this link to download the chart Pin It