meat.pro is meat you can’t beat

BRUSSELS - Some of Europe's major lamb producers plan to ask for EU cash for a marketing campaign to boost falling consumption and help farmers improve profit margins in the face of imports from New Zealand.

Led principally by…

Filed under: West Coast, Vegetables, Fish, Poultry, Fruit, Newspapers, Lists, America, Shellfish, in sixty seconds, Meat

• If you’re in LA, you can watch the Super Bowl at a number of sports bars around town, and they aren’t just doing your standard bar fare. Whiskey-marinated wings, anyone?

• In the kitchen, Amy Scattergood shows that sourdough isn’t as hard as it sounds. All you need is a good starter. Russ Parsons celebrates oysters (Oysters roasted with fennel and cream, Oyster stew with leeks and prosciutto, Roasted oysters with chipotle butter) and picks kumquats and broccolini at the farmers’ markets. Joan’s on Third shares the recipe for its lemon bars.
• In the wine world, Slovenia is wild, and S. Irene Virbila picks 2004 San Vicente Rioja.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: East Coast, Barbecuing, Grilling, Food Gadgets, New Products, America, Meat, Super Bowl XLII, Slashfood Bowl 2008

Grilling is going to be an option this weekend in a lot of households that are hosting Super Bowl parties. Sure you can do burgers in a frying pan and hot dogs (God forbid) boiled on the stove top, but why? Wouldn’t you want to bundle up in four layers of wool and goose down, step out on the patio in sub-freezing weather, scrape the ice and snow from the windshield of your Weber, and grill your food? Especially with a shiny set of New England Patriots grilling tools!

The Siskiyou New England Patriots 8-piece Barbecue Tool Set comes with a spatula with knife edge, a grill fork, tongs, a basting brush and 4 skewers. The best part, of course, is the aluminum carrying case for your precious tools that’s emblazoned with the Patriots logo.

Available from the CBS Sports store for $69.99.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

To the Editor:.

A recipe for Roasted Beefsteak Sirloin With Blood and Butter Sauce.

At a beefsteak, a raucous all-you-can-eat-and-drink banquet, all the major food groups are represented: beef, butter, salt, French fries and beer.

Filed under: Lunch, Dinner, Hors D’oeuvres, Snacks, Vegetables, Nuts/seeds, Beef, Poultry, Cheese, Recipes, Pork, How To, America, Comfort Food, Slow cooking, Meat, Vegetarian/Vegan, Super Bowl XLII

Though there are a a lot of different things for Super Bowl parties, there are a few that will, without a doubt, make an appearance at every Super Bowl party this weekend — beer to drink, tortilla chips and salsa for snacking, and as a “main” dish, some sort of chili. If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party and chili isn’t on your menu, why are you depriving your guests?!?!

There are a lot of recipes out there for chili - heck, we have at least a dozen here on Slashfood - and a lot of opinions about what makes the “best” chili. Ground beef or steak? Beans or no beans? Tomato-base or beef stock? The reality is that chili is more of a technique combined with any permutation of meat and vegetables, rather than a specific recipe. Last weekend, I made a Steak Chili in my brand new slow cooker, and though I had several recipes nearby as reference, I ended up doing everything based on my personal tastes. Here’s the step-by-step of what I did, along with suggestions and explanations so you can make your own.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Lunch, Dinner, Beef, How To, America, Comfort Food, Meat, Super Bowl XLII

When it comes to the meat for your chili, you have a lot of options, and even options within options. Chili can be made with beef, poultry, or it can eschew meat altogether and go vegetarian. Turkey, chicken and vegetarian chilis are all fine, but I am a beef girl when it comes to chili.

A lot of people use ground beef for chili, which produces a very uniform, somewhat “fine” chili, but since ground beef cooks rather quickly, there is less of a reason to use a slow cooker. I prefer my chili a bit chunkier, so I buy a large piece of any of the less expensive, slightly tougher cuts of beef. Does that make me a cheapskate?!?! Maybe a little, but the reality is that the tougher cuts of beef are flavorful and hold up well during the slow cooking process that allows flavors to develop.

Preparing the Meat for Chili:
I bought a 2 lb rump roast, partly because I love the word “rump,” but mostly because that’s a good cut to use for chili. Rinse the meat, pat dry, and cut into ½” cubes. Dredge the cubes in about ½ c flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper and shake off as much of the excess flour as you can.

Heat 2-3 Tbsp canola oil over medium high heat and brown the coated beef on all sides. Set aside.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Beef, Food Oddities, Stores & Shopping, New Products, Meat

This makes as much sense as “hot dog in a straw” or “soup in a bag,” but it’s real and it’s ready to order: cheeseburgers in a can!

Yeah, I don’t know what the hell to think about this. First off, I don’t know if food like this is supposed to be in a can, and second, that cheeseburger couldn’t have come from that can. It’s bigger than the can is, and too put together and too neat. Then again, McDonald’s burgers never look like they do in the ads either.

[Thanks to Adam for the tip!]

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Lunch, Dinner, Grains, Vegetables, Dairy, Beef, Poultry, Cheese, Fruit, Pork, How To, Condiments, America, Spices, Meat, Super Bowl XLII

“I already ate dinner…Oh, BYOT? Did you say BYOT?!?! I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

Such was my end of the mobile conversation with my sister last night when she called me over to her place for dinner. Not only had I already eaten a huge meal just before she called, but it was also Mexican food. That all went out the driver side window when she said “BYOT.” When anyone in my family does BYOT, everyone and their mothers (literally) shows up.

BYOT in my Delicious family stands for “Build Your Own Taco,” which isn’t anything earth-shatteringly new or innovative. It just happens that BYOT is perfectly appropriate for a Super Bowl party because 1) the food is not difficult to prepare, and 2) as a “Southwestern-style” food, it matches the Super Bowl XLII’s host city, Phoenix, Arizona. It doesn’t hurt, either, that BYOT is highly customizable to your and your guests’ tastes. It can be comprehensive, vegetarian, or even a little gourmet.

All you have to do is prep the components and set them up as a buffet. Your guests will do all the work of putting their tacos together.

• Tortillas - We typically go with hard taco shells made from yellow corn tortillas, but you can also offer soft flour and corn tortillas, flat tostada shells, or if people are picky about carbs, nothing. They can make “salads” in bowls or on plates, and you can make fun of them for being “healthy” at a Super Bowl party. Remember that while people can eat regular tacos with their hands, tostadas and “bowls” mean you have to offer silverware.
• Meat - Protein choices for tacos are plenty. My sister likes ground beef with the requisite taco seasoning, but we have done carne asada, carnitas, and grilled chicken. You can do grilled fish or shrimp, and if there are vegetarians on your guest list, you may want to provide black or refried beans.
• Cheese - Go with any cheese you like, and shred it. If your cheese squirts out of a can, we can’t help you.
• Vegetables - The standards are shredded Iceberg lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, and black olives. Don’t get too fancy with vegetables. If you start grilling peppers and onions, you’re crossing that fine line into fajita territory.
• Salsa - A simple red tomato salsa is perfect, though offering options like tomatillo, roasted tomato, and other salsas is nice.
• Guacamole - I very rarely see tacos with guacamole, but why? It’s guacamole!
• Other Good Stuff - Sour cream and hot sauces (in addition to salsa) like Tapatio or Cholula.

Permalink | Email this | Comments