MOBeef Update

A busy mom stops by your store hoping to get in and out in 15 minutes because she stayed at work late, and she just has a few minutes before she has to pick up her teenage son from baseball practice at 6:15 pm. How will she prepare dinner for the family and have time to help everyone with homework?

In this mom’s day, she has probably had little time to think about dinner, much less take time to get the ingredients. Same goes for her breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day.

What the Beef Industry is Doing
The above scenario is common, and the beef industry has worked hard in recent years to get more products in the store that meet customers’ needs for a grab and go meal. According to a research study funded by the beef checkoff and conducted by Mintel International Group, the number of new products that include beef are increasing.

The top companies launching beef center of the plate protein products are SuperValu, Tyson Foods, Birchwood Foods, H-E-B, Target and Wal-Mart.

Beef had more product launches than chicken, pork and turkey from 2004 to the first five months of 2009. In 2008, there were 130 beef product launches, 96 chicken, 92 pork and 36 turkey.

The most frequently introduced beef products in 2008 included:
• Burgers/Patties – most with seasonings
• Meatballs
• Hot dogs/Franks
• Steaks
• Corned Beef/Hash
• Roasts

New and Innovative Beef Products
The Beef Innovations Group (BIG) is always working to develop concepts for products that meet the consumer’s demand for convenience. A few examples are:
• Slow Cooker Ready Meals – A line of easy-to-prepare meals designed specifically for the slow cooker using the right cuts of beef with complementary vegetables and spices, all brought together in one package. Varieties include BBQ Beef, Chunky Chili, Beef Ribs, Pot Roast and Beef Stew.
• Pasta Shells – Ever-popular portabella mushrooms are blended with sliced cooked beef in Marsala wine sauce and stuffed into small pasta shells. The shells are coated with a blend of polenta and crunchy Japanese bread crumbs.
• Flash-in-the-Pan Steaks – Introducing a new and easy cut of beef that can replace chicken in a variety of meals and snacks. That’s because it’s quality beef that’s thinly filleted (about ¼-inch thick) so it cooks quickly. The flavor and shape are perfect for stacking on sandwiches and crackers, rolling in tortillas and around cheese, layering in casseroles and stuffing into pitas.

Some companies are already developing similar concepts into products. Here are a couple examples:
• Philly Cheese Steak Rolls are one product that has been recently launched by Amy Foods, Inc. The concept was jointly developed by the beef checkoff-funded Beef Innovations Group (BIG) and the company. The product is an eggroll made with whole wheat and filled with seasoned steak, onion, red and green peppers and cheese.
• Slow Cooker Creations are a line of products by Tyson Foods created as quick meal solutions. The product line includes beef roast, pork roast, stew and chili. Slow Cooker Creations provide wholesome, convenient meal solutions. Items are slow-cooker ready, so consumers simply combine the components, turn on the slow cooker and walk away.

Learn more about what the beef industry is doing in the way of new product development.

Erin Go Bragh with beef! Everyone has the luck o’ the Irish this month. From classic corned beef to a hearty Reuben sandwich, we’ve got you covered.

Classic Reuben Sandwiches

Ingredients
12 ounces thinly sliced deli corned beef
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 slices rye or pumpernickel bread
8 slices reduced fat or regular Swiss cheese
1-1/2 cups sauerkraut, well drained
1/4 cup reduced fat or regular Thousand Island dressing

Instructions
1. Lightly spread butter on one side of each bread slice.
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place 2 bread slices, butter side down, in skillet. Top each bread slice with 2 slices cheese, 1 tablespoon dressing, 3 ounces corned beef and 1/4 of the sauerkraut. Top with 2 bread slices butter side up.
3. Cook sandwiches 4 to 6 minutes or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, turning once. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve with additional Thousand Island dressing, if desired.

For more checkoff-funded recipes, visit Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

St. Patrick’s Day offers a great reason to indulge in hearty Irish-inspired beef dishes like Shepherd’s Pie and of course, the famous Corned Beef. Did you know that corned beef was originally exported by the Irish? It is now revered as a seasonal staple when paired with cabbage and potatoes. Slainte’!

Celebrate with this checkoff-funded recipe:

Homestyle Corned Beef With Dilled Cabbage
Ingredients
2-1/2 to 3-1/2 -pound boneless corned beef brisket
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

Dilled Cabbage:
1 medium head cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 wedges
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place corned beef brisket and 2 cups water in Dutch oven. Bring just to a simmer; do not boil. Cover tightly and cook in 350°F oven 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours or until fork-tender.
2. About 20 minutes before brisket is done, steam cabbage 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
3. Remove brisket from water; trim fat. Place on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 3 to 4 inches from heat. Combine honey and 1 tablespoon mustard. Brush top of brisket with 1/2 of glaze; broil 3 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze; broil 2 minutes or until glazed.
4. Combine butter, 1 tablespoon mustard and dill; spread on hot cabbage. Carve brisket diagonally across the grain. Serve with cabbage.

For more great holiday recipes, visit Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

If February was the month to show your love for beef, March is the month to pay that love forward. Celebrate everyday occasions with a juicy, fork-tender beef dish. It’s the centerpiece of any meal, a top choice for those who can’t ignore that insatiable craving for a succulent roast or steak.

Today, from the beef checkoff: Elegant flavors combine beautifully in this simple-to-make beef tri-tip roast. Your guests will love the sophistication: rich beef, Gorgonzola sauce and tender roasted vegetables.

Hearty Glazed Tri-Tip Roast with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce
Ingredients
1 beef tri-tip roast (1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
1 red onion, cut into 16 wedges
4 cups Broccolini or baby broccoli, trimmed (about 9 ounces)
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt and pepper

Marinade:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced

Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce:
1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoon crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
1. Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons for basting. Place beef roast and remaining marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn roast to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes to 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 425°F. Remove roast from marinade; discard marinade. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Place onion wedges around roast. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 425°F oven 30 to 40 minutes for medium rare; 40 to 45 minutes for medium doneness, basting with reserved 2 tablespoons marinade halfway through roasting time.
3. Remove roast when instant-read thermometer registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium.)
4. Meanwhile prepare Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
5. Spray Broccolini with nonstick cooking spray, tossing to coat. Place on metal baking sheet. Roast in 425°F oven 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp-tender and slightly browned. Toss onion wedges with Broccolini. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
6. Carve roast across the grain into thin slices. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Top beef with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce. Serve with vegetables.

For this and more great recipes, visit the checkoff-funded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

The Missouri Beef Industry Council has launched a social media Web program called “Farmer Freedom” to keep Missouri’s 60,000 beef producers informed about activist attacks on agriculture and equip them to become “pro-activists.”

The program, located at www.farmerfreedom.com, was launched to protect farmer freedom to operate and help ensure grocery shoppers enjoy a continued supply of low-cost, nutritious food, according to executive director John Kleiboeker.

“The farm families of Missouri deliver a low-cost supply of abundant, safe and nutritious food, but the future of that food is threatened by an increasing amount of extreme activism,” Kleiboeker says. “Many environmentalist or green organizations fight for the same goals we producers do, and we work in partnership with those groups. However, Missouri farmers are seeing an increased number of groups that threaten to take over on-farm decisions, increase food costs and even decide what people should eat.”

Internet and big-city media are increasingly churning out stories planted by activist groups that spread myths about farming, question food safety, claim cow burps are melting ice caps or even claim that eating beef is immoral, Kleiboeker says. “Most farmers are too busy caring for their cattle and tending their crops to keep tabs on these threats, so we’ve decided to help them stay informed with farmerfreedom.com.”

The Web site includes regular blog posts about activist activities, and an e-newsletter to provide frequent updates, Kleiboeker says. In phase two, farmerfreedom.com will give producers the same tools that activists use, he adds. “We have a positive story to tell about Missouri agriculture that will balance out the misinformation some groups are spreading to raise funds and trick consumers into attacking farm families. Activism is big business; and we want to make sure producers know what they are up against so we can respond and be proactive with balanced information about on-farm decisions and America’s food choices.”

Source: Cattlenetwork.com

This month, the beef checkoff is partnering with Heinz® Classico and New York Brand® Texas Toast for a Beef Bolognaise recipe promotion. Watch the papers on March 14 for a $1.50 off beef coupon with the purchase of two Classico pasta sauces. For more information about retail beef promotions, visit www.BeefRetail.org.

In this week’s Misssouri Beef Checkoff Chat, Marketing Director Dawn Thurnau (turn-hour) talks about the beef industry’s involvement in the state’s annual ProStart Cookoff.

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March is National Nutrition Month and specifically, the 10th is Registered Dietitian Day. The beef checkoff continues to focus nutrition communications efforts around the following topic areas: The American Weight Crisis, Hot Topics in the Nutrition Environment, Professional Development, Food Production & Trends, Health Promotion through the Life Cycle, Nutrition and Disease Prevention and Management, The Power of Protein and Family-Focused Nutrition. Americans are loving lean beef.

Did you know that 15 of the top 20 most popular cuts of beef sold at retail meet government guidelines for lean, including top sirloin steak, strip steak and T-bone steak? So while you may not realize it, most of the beef you are choosing today IS lean. This month, visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for fact sheets, protein research, recipes and ads.

Thank you for helping build momentum for steak through Beef Lover’s Month! The final week of the checkoff-funded “I Heart Beef” campaign has arrived. You celebrated Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras and the Olympics with delicious beef recipes and you became engaged in social networking sites. This week we’ll wrap up the I Heart Beef campaign by sharing more love, especially for hearty beef chili since February 25th is Chili Day.

This Week’s Top 5 Ways to Share Your Love for Beef:
• Stay Warm and Celebrate Chili Day
o When it’s nippy outside 65 percent of consumers chose chili with beef to stay warm! Serve a bowl of Cowboy Beef and Black Bean Chili to your family on February 25th to celebrate National Chili Day.

• Serve a Winter Warm-up Meal
o You can find many delicious beef chili recipes by searching for “chili” on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com or find inspiration for winter warm-up meals in the slideshow.

• Share the Best Beef Recipes and Tips Every Week
o Make sure you’re receiving the weekly Beef So Simple Newsletter and forward it on to your friends. Click here to sign up.

• Write a Love Note to Beef on Facebook
1. Make sure you’re a fan of “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” on Facebook.
2. Encourage your friends on Facebook to post a “love notes to beef” on the fan page in the comments section.
3. Ask your friends to share their favorite beef chili recipes.

• Make your Love for Beef known on Twitter
1. Make sure you’re following @BeefForDinner and @BeefRD on Twitter.
2. Be sure to tag your “beef love” messages with #IHeartBeef.
3. Share the chili recipe above with other beef lovers by posting a link and don’t forget to use the #IHeartBeef hashtag.

Again, support America’s beef producers this month and show your love for beef!

In this week’s Missouri Beef Checkoff Chat we hear from Mizzou Collegiate Cattlewomen member Morgan Ledermann and Dawn Thurnau with the Missouri Beef Industry Council about this group of young women helps to promote beef and what they learned at this year’s Cattle Industry Convention.

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