Learning to like red meat

[+ poolboy48220]

A bit off-topic, but there's a grocery here that has bulk spices behind the butcher counter, and they are INSANELY cheaper than buying them in bottles. You can buy them in small amounts, just enough to re-fill a bottle, or if a recipe calls for a pinch of something obscure that I probably won't use often, I can get just that tiny amount. Since I realized this, I've been refilling the same bottles with the bulk stuff, and have a growing collection of hand-labelled spice bottles. I think it impresses casual visitors to my kitchen

[mike carey]

Some say grilling is healthier, but if you start with extra lean beef, I doubt it makes much difference. If you do use extra lean like I do, you can make if juicier by mixing in a smidgen of olive oil before you cook it.

It's gotta be how you like to do it, cooking on a grill will mean that whatever fat there is will drain off, whereas in a skillet the meat will be cooking in the oil or fat. That may result in a crunchier outer layer of the burger, which some people will prefer. Where using a grill comes in is if you are cooking thin strips of meat (like Korean barbecue) that would tend to braise if you used a skillet.

[AdamSmith]

Okay I forgot to post my example... if you are going to splurge why not go for the gold. There is nothing like a good Prime Rib... again not something that you would do every day or even once a week, but something that should be done on occasion!

 

http://icdn5.themanual.com/image/themanual/prime-rib-1140x710.jpg

A man after my own heart! [Read: stomach. ] One standing rib roast per year is my red meat budget.

 

The longtime next-door neighbor perished of colon cancer after an adult lifetime of making charcoal-grilled steaks once every week. His son reported the doc said the connection was pretty likely.

[AdamSmith]

P.S. Personally I lost all taste after reading one of Ailes's accusers saying (as previously reported here) his genitals were "red, like hamburger meat."

[+ OliverSaks]

FYI Vitamin C helps with iron absorption. I know this because I am on the border of the other extreme - hemochromatosis(iron overload).

Cooking in a cast-iron skillet will also cause some of the iron to get into the food you are cooking.

If you don't like cooking, smoothies/juices are a great option, albeit a non-meat option that requires greater volume than beef to get the same amount of iron.

High iron fruits and veg and nuts, add lemon/lime and orange for Vitamin C to help with iron absorption, enjoy without the need to cook (order meat if you go out)

[rvwnsd]

Thanks, Epigonos. How does Culotte compare to filet mignon in terms of taste? I'm guessing Culotte is tougher. ...

 

Culotte is not as tender as a filet, but I wouldn't call it tougher. Does that make sense?

 

I have never seen culotte on a restaurant menu. The first time I saw it was at the local farmer's market. A high-end beef company out of eastern California was selling meat. They stated that the way to serve culotte was like hanger steak - sliced across the grain.

 

...I'm afraid of getting burned by the oil. I might be able to safely grill a burger though..

 

Get ready to laugh. I am a recent convert to the George Foreman grill. My corporate apartment does not allow cooking on the balcony, which rules out a gas or charcoal grill, and I do not want to run down 5 floors to the pool to grill chicken breast. At the advice of a colleague I bought a George Foreman. Smaller steaks come out perfectly. Not as good as a grill, of course, but every bit as good as a stovetop grill pan. If you go that route, get the one that has the searing feature.

 

Just for you, @FreshFluff, I am going to buy a filet, make it in the George Foreman, and report back. Sometimes one must make personal sacrifice and this is one of those times.

[MikeBiDude]

Thanks, Epigonos. How does Culotte compare to filet mignon in terms of taste? I'm guessing Culotte is tougher. The book is available used on Amazon, but like BVB, I mostly eat out. Cooking isn't my thing, and I'm afraid of getting burned by the oil. I might be able to safely grill a burger though.

 

 

 

Is the red meat meant to help treat anemia?

Culotte is not as tender as filet, but has much more flavor

[MikeBiDude]

Culotte is not as tender as a filet, but I wouldn't call it tougher. Does that make sense?

 

I have never seen culotte on a restaurant menu. The first time I saw it was at the local farmer's market. A high-end beef company out of eastern California was selling meat. They stated that the way to serve culotte was like hanger steak - sliced across the grain.

 

 

 

Get ready to laugh. I am a recent convert to the George Foreman grill. My corporate apartment does not allow cooking on the balcony, which rules out a gas or charcoal grill, and I do not want to run down 5 floors to the pool to grill chicken breast. At the advice of a colleague I bought a George Foreman. Smaller steaks come out perfectly. Not as good as a grill, of course, but every bit as good as a stovetop grill pan. If you go that route, get the one that has the searing feature.

 

Just for you, @FreshFluff, I am going to buy a filet, make it in the George Foreman, and report back. Sometimes one must make personal sacrifice and this is one of those times.

@rvwnsd It's not easy to find in restaurants. Unless I'm wrong there are only two culotte per steer. If you get to Long Beach I've got a place for you that always has it, and it's great!!

[whipped guy]

A man after my own heart! [Read: stomach. ] One standing rib roast per year is my red meat budget.

 

The longtime next-door neighbor perished of colon cancer after an adult lifetime of making charcoal-grilled steaks once every week. His son reported the doc said the connection was pretty likely.

 

Yes, the rib roast is reserved for those special occasions...

 

Also, I no longer fire up the barbie either and partially for the reason that you mention.

 

Actually, I prefer a good boneless chicken breast to red meat and am really big on veggies. I probably eat more pasta than might be ideal, but what the possibilities regarding what one can do with pasta are endless... and I'm talking concoctions with collard greens, zucchini, summer squash, pumpkin, peas, chick peas, you name it... The last thing I would consider is combining pasta with are meatballs! Also remember pasta does not have to be combined with tomato sauce to be tasty.

[+ Eric Hassan]

For the record:

 

The World Health Organization has classified processed meats – including ham, salami, sausages and hot dogs – as a Group 1 carcinogen which means that there is strong evidence that processed meats cause cancer. Red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork has been classified as a 'probable' cause of cancer.

 

I know people think meat is so good and that they could never give it up, but it (through factory farming) is a plague on our environment and health.

 

If anyone is interested in learning about cruelty-free eating, "Eating Animals" by J. Safran Foer is an excellent book, as are the Netflix documentaries "Plant Pure Nation" and "Cowspiracy."

 

I would also be happy to give advice about plant-based living to anyone interested. (It's how I keep my dainty figure)

 

I, too, lead a plant-based life and consume a plant-based diet, with occasional exceptions - 90% of my meals are vegan, most of the rest do not include meat. I also eat on a daily intermittent fasting schedule - I eat only in an 8 hour period, typically between 1pm and 9pm. It's done wonders for my body and my spirit. I would also be happy to discuss any of this.

 

A huge step to take if you're looking to make healthier food choices is to think in terms of whole food. If you choose something in the frozen section or in a box or can off the shelf and you can't imagine having every ingredient of it on your kitchen shelf, don't buy it. Shop the perimeters of the grocery store where the fresh, whole foods live. Learn to cook a few basic meals - in 30 minutes, you can have dinner with a simple protein, a baked sweet potato, and a vegetable. If you're cooking for 1 or 2 only, you can double the portions and have it for lunch the next day or dinner the following night.

 

Also - any of these changes are simply a matter of habit. Habit develops with about 3 weeks of consistent reinforcement and practice. Sometimes less, as some of us know

[AdamSmith]

Yes, the rib roast is reserved for those special occasions...

 

Also, I no longer fire up the barbie either and partially for the reason that you mention.

 

Actually, I prefer a good boneless chicken breast to red meat and am really big on veggies. I probably eat more pasta than might be ideal, but what the possibilities regarding what one can do with pasta are endless... and I'm talking concoctions with collard greens, zucchini, summer squash, pumpkin, peas, chick peas, you name it... The last thing I would consider is combining pasta with are meatballs! Also remember pasta does not have to be combined with tomato sauce to be tasty.

As reported before, I had no conception of pasta until a week of business in Bologna.

 

Divine revelation! Strozzapreti and much much else! Emiglia Romagna forever!

[+ Oliver]

Thanks, Epigonos. How does Culotte compare to filet mignon in terms of taste? I'm guessing Culotte is tougher. The book is available used on Amazon, but like BVB, I mostly eat out. Cooking isn't my thing, and I'm afraid of getting burned by the oil. I might be able to safely grill a burger though.

 

 

 

Is the red meat meant to help treat anemia?

Yes, as a result of chemotherapy - which BTW was totally successful!

[AdamSmith]

As reported before, I had no conception of pasta until a week of business in Bologna.

 

Divine revelation! Strozzapreti and much much else! Emiglia Romagna forever!

It really is my very favorite part of the country. Makes Tuscany look too easy.

 

Got my first taste of the region's simultaneously rich yet refined, in some ways astringent and even ascetic, aesthetic and outlook from that course in semiotics from Eco, on loan from Bologna to New Haven in '79.

 

Of one piece with the region's cuisine, culture, outlook, everything.

 

Strikes me on reflection that I felt more at home there than anywhere else abroad ever.

[whipped guy]

As reported before, I had no conception of pasta until a week of business in Bologna.

 

Divine revelation! Strozzapreti and much much else! Emiglia Romagna forever!

There are so many variations of strizzapreti. Some make it like a version of gnocchi with ricotta cheese as an ingredient, others with flour, eggs, and water, others leave out the Eggs. Either way it's a fresh dough pasta. Having roots from the south of Italy we made traditional gnocchi as opposed to strazzopreti which is indeed from Emilia Romagna and the surrounding areas. My mother used ricotta as the base as it was easier to work with than the potato version. A neighbor had a special machine to feed a rope of dough that then clipped the dough into the gnocchi. We clipped the rope of dough with a knife. Strizzapreti are very ragged and rustic in comparison and veggies can be combined in the dough or incorporated into the dish. As an example gnocchi or strozapretti can have spinach incorporated into the dough or served as part of the garnish.

 

So there is much more to Italian cuisine than the ubiquitous spaghetti and meatballs. I think that I needs me un viaggio in Italia... a trip to Italy! What is so wonderful is how each region has its own variations. Plus, as my grandfather used to say, "Some people like Chinese food, others French cooking, but everyone loves Italian! You are so lucky to be Italian!"

 

But @FreshFluff ... you should have that bistecca (steak) if that is what the doctor ordered! Just don't be afraid to have some pasta as your primo piatto (first course)!

[whipped guy]

It really is my very favorite part of the country. Makes Tuscany look too easy.

 

Got my first taste of the region's simultaneously rich yet refined, in some ways astringent and even ascetic, aesthetic and outlook from that course in semiotics from Eco, on loan from Bologna to New Haven in '79.

 

Of one piece with the region's cuisine, culture, outlook, everything.

 

Strikes me on reflection that I felt more at home there than anywhere else abroad ever.

Ironically that is one of the areas in Italy that I have not really visited other than possibly to pass through a portion of it. All the more so now! Interestingly I can always tell when someone is from Bologna as they tend to pronounce their "z's" somewhat like the Spanish do... like a "th".

 

ADDENDUM: I just realized that Ravenna is in Emilia Romagna and I did visit the Byzantine churches with their classic mosaics. I did sample the cuisine... and especially the fragole con panna montata... decadent strawberries with whipped cream!

[mike carey]

So there is much more to Italian cuisine than the ubiquitous spaghetti and meatballs.

Spaghetti and meatballs is not a common dish in Australia. If anything were to be called ubiquitous it would be spaghetti bolognese, it's even been called our national dish, if somewhat in jest. Whether it would be recognised by someone from Bologna is a separate question. For us, anything with minced [ground] meat, onions, herbs and a tomato sauce served over spaghetti qualifies as spag bol. All sorts of additions (carrot, celery, chicken livers, cream, ham or bacon) and it is still spag bol. Mix the sauce with the pasta or ladle it on top? Doesn't matter. I first remember my mother making 'spaghetti bolognese' in about 1960.

[AdamSmith]

Ironically that is one of the areas in Italy that I have not really visited other than possibly to pass through a portion of it. All the more so now! Interestingly I can always tell when someone is from Bologna as they tend to pronounce their "z's" somewhat like the Spanish do... like a "th".

 

ADDENDUM: I just realized that Ravenna is in Emilia Romagna and I did visit the Byzantine churches with their classic mosaics. I did sample the cuisine... and especially the fragole con panna montata... decadent strawberries with whipped cream!

Ravenna is one of my mandatory yet-to-do destinations.

[whipped guy]

Spaghetti and meatballs is not a common dish in Australia. If anything were to be called ubiquitous it would be spaghetti bolognese, it's even been called our national dish, if somewhat in jest. Whether it would be recognised by someone from Bologna is a separate question. For us, anything with minced [ground] meat, onions, herbs and a tomato sauce served over spaghetti qualifies as spag bol. All sorts of additions (carrot, celery, chicken livers, cream, ham or bacon) and it is still spag bol. Mix the sauce with the pasta or ladle it on top? Doesn't matter. I first remember my mother making 'spaghetti bolognese' in about 1960.

Kind of the same deal when I was growing up... ground meat etc in a sauce... and we didn't reference is as bolognese either. It was just another variation of the theme. Later on I heard about the carrot, pancetta, chicken livers, and the gods only know what else. I think we had a discussion here a while back regarding if cream was part of the recipe...

[mike carey]

Kind of the same deal when I was growing up... ground meat etc in a sauce... and we didn't reference is as bolognese either.

Different for you growing up identifying as Italian-American. Here it was a completely Anglo community adopting a pasta with meat sauce dish. It needed a name and spaghetti bolognese was the name it got. I only heard about the cream idea when I bought a Time-Life Italian cook book.

[AdamSmith]

a Time-Life Italian cook book.

 

 

[whipped guy]

Different for you growing up identifying as Italian-American. Here it was a completely Anglo community adopting a pasta with meat sauce dish. It needed a name and spaghetti bolognese was the name it got. I only heard about the cream idea when I bought a Time-Life Italian cook book.

 

I can't seem to locate it now, but I know that there is a website regarding an Australian Italian connection... and it involved podcasts aimed at Australians who wanted to learn how to speak Italian. In lieu of that check this out from Wikipedia... it seems that there are quite a few Italiani living Down Under.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Australians

 

Now I hate to hijack @FreshFluff 's thread so let's throw some red meat on the barbie and send her off to the Outback Steak House.

[+ poolboy48220]

Different for you growing up identifying as Italian-American. Here it was a completely Anglo community adopting a pasta with meat sauce dish. It needed a name and spaghetti bolognese was the name it got. I only heard about the cream idea when I bought a Time-Life Italian cook book.

I have a time-life "Fresh Ways with Vegetables" cookbook and it's kind of amazing. Not as 'bland' as I would have expected from Time-Life cookbooks.

[MikeBiDude]

I have a time-life "Fresh Ways with Vegetables" cookbook and it's kind of amazing. Not as 'bland' as I would have expected from Time-Life cookbooks.

@mike carey and discussed the surprising good Time Life Cookbook series in another thread long ago...but I think it was about bolognese sauce??

[mike carey]

but I think it was about bolognese sauce??

I'm not sure, but I think you may be right. I vaguely remember talking about it somewhere, probably in this forum. I apologise for repeating myself!

[+ poolboy48220]

if I apologized for repeating myself nobody else would never get a chance to talk.