|
MEATS AND POULTRY
WHAT IS BEEF
What is known as beef is the meat or flesh of a steer a castrated bull, from 4 to 5 years old. This is the age that gives the best beef, neither too young nor too old. By the way, veal is the flesh of a calf (young cow), killed when 6 to 8 weeks old. Veal, therefore, is the equivalent of chicken squab: beef, or capon.
The quality of beef depends on the age of the animal and its feeding. Beef should be firm and fine-grained in texture, well-marbled and covered with fat. The fat is firm and creamy white, the whiter the better. The suet (sebo) should be dry and crumbly.
Top quality or choice grade beef in the Philippines comes from animals that have been scientifically fed so that there will be an even distribution of fat all over the animals when they reach the age slaughtering. It is the fat that gives flavor to meat. If there is too little fat, the meat will dry up when cooked (unless fat is added to it by larding-mechado) and it will not be flavorsome. On the other hand, too much fat adds useless and expensive weight to the animal because beef is sold wholesale by the weight, bones and fat included. The retailer has to trim off excess fat and remove bones and sell them at a loss, the loss being recovered through the scale of the more demanded cuts, hence the high price of these cuts.
Here in the Philippines, Batangas beef is considered the best and is much in demand, specially on Sundays and holidays. The fat of Batangas beef is yellow, the brighter the color, the more appreciated is the meat dealers, to color with achuete or other harmless coloring the white fat of the beef they are selling, let us say not to deceive but to attract customers who are apt to bypass such as meat. I do not know what Batangas cattle eat or are fed with but it certainly is the cause of their yellow fat.
Many young homemakers are unfamiliar with the variety of cuts they can buy. Reading cookbooks and magazine articles written by Americans and intended for Americas would not help them because beef is cut differently here in our country and the names of the cuts are different too. Thus, if you ask for T-bone or Porterhouse steaks in local markets, chances are that the meat dealers would not understand you or would not be able to give you such steaks cut as they are in the United States. Such steaks may be obtained in cold stores, from frozen beef imported from Australia.
I learned to buy beef through the expensive way- by costly mistakes. For carne frita, I would buy cuts so tough no one could chew the and they had to be given to the dogs. For stew, I would get meat so lean it turned into threads that were difficult to swallow and were are tasteless as old wood. The meat dealers took advantage of my ignorance and gave me cuts because I could not tell one cut from another.
Experience is still the best teacher- even in buying meats. Take the meat dealer into your confidence. Tell him what you want the meat for- whether for pan frying, broiling or for stewing. Go to the market at the time when the animals are delivered from the slaughterhouse (in Manila, around five o'clock in the afternoon) so that you can see them whole. This article will give you the location of the various cuts or sections and the uses of each. Ask the meat dealer to show you where he will cut off the meat you have asked for. If the meat dealer is anxious to have you for a regular customer, he will not try to fool you but will serve you honestly. After a time, you will be able to tell just by looking at the meat from what cut it has been sliced off.
ESTOFADO
1 kilo lean beef, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 large onion, sliced ¼- inch thick
1 green pepper, cut in strips
¼ cup raisins
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
¼ cup sliced olives
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup cold water
Hot cooked rice
In large skillet, brown meat in hot oil. Add wine, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, raisins, garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 1 hour. Add mushrooms and olives; simmer 30 minutes more. Combine flour and cold water; stir into stew. Cook, stirring constantly, till mixture thickens and bubbles. Serve hot over cooked rice.
CORN BURGER CASSEROLE
¼ kilo ground beef
1 medium size onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups corn kernels, cooked
1½ cups cheese, grated
1 cup tomato sauce
2 egg yolks
½ kilo boiled potatoes, mashed and seasoned
Brown beef and onion in hot cooking oil in a large skilled. Drain off meat drippings. Stir in seasonings, corn, cheese and tomato sauce. Spoon mixture into well-greased casserole. Blend egg yolk into mashed potato. Spread over meat mixture. Bake in over 350°F for about 30 minutes
BEEF STRONGONOFF
½ kilo fillet of beef
½ cup sliced mushrooms
Salt, pepper, and nutmeg
1½ cups beef broth
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion
½ cup sour cream (or evaporated milk
with 1 calamansi squeezed into it)
Cut meat in ½ inch slices. Pound with mallet or edge of a plate until thin. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Saute onion for 2 minutes. Remove. Fry beef quickly- 5 minutes.
Remove and add to onion. Add 2 tablespoons butter to pan and saute mushrooms. Add beef, onions, and seasoning. Add sour cream. Heat but do not boil. Serve with rice or noodles.
BEEF CHI-CHOW
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon strips of peeled ginger
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, sliced
½ kilo tender beef, sliced into strips
3 cups water
1 small carrot, cut into strips
1 small sincamas, cut into strips
1½ cup sliced celery
1 small green pepper, cut into strips
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in water
Salt, pepper and vetsin to taste
Heat oil and saute ginger, garlic and onion. Add beef; stir-fry, then pour in water. Cover and simmer. (Add more liquid if needed but leave about 1 cup of broth to the mixture).
Stir in carrot, sincamas, and bean sprouts; cook 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes more or till sauce is thickened.
BEEF AND NOODLE STRATA
1½ lb. ground meat
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
5 cups cooked noodles
2 cans (10 oz.) condensed vegetable soup
¾ cup water
Saute 1½ lb. ground beef. Stir in 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and salt. Place 3 cups cooked noodles in 2-quart casserole. Spoon meat over noodles. Blend condensed soup, water and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; pour over all. Cover. Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes.
BARBECUE IN PINEAPPLE JUICE
3 lbs. cross-cut blade steak ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup pineapple juice 1 chopped clove garlic
¼ cup salad oil 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard Freshly ground black pepper
Cut meat into cubes. Mix all ingredients in a deep bowl. Marinate meat for at least 4 hours before cooking.
Light the fire and allow it to burn down until glowing coals remain. Place meat over coals far enough from the heat to avoid fat flares. Avoid fast cooking over flames. While cooking, brush marinade sauce over meat. Continue cooking until done. Serve hot with broiled corn on the cob.
TERIYAKI
a. Steak
1½ kilos sirloin or top round steak
cut into ¼- inch steaks
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup water
¼-½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white rum
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 teaspoons ground ginger
2-3 cloves finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons salad oil
¼-½ teaspoon onion salt
Cut steak into large serving pieces and place in a small bowl (just to hold the steak). Combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well. Pour over the steaks so it will cover the meat. Make sure that all surfaces have been wet by the sauce. Cover and allow to stand for 8hours. (Prepare in the morning if for an evening meal.) Turn the meat at least 6-8times during the day. Grill, broil or barbecue the meat to individual taste and, while cooking, baste with the sauce.
b. Pot Roast
1½-2 kilos pot roast
2 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
3 tablespoons shortening
¼ cup water
¼ cup honey
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons flour
Combine flour, curry powder, salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour. Brown the dredged meat in hated shortening, then pour off any surplus shortening. Add the water, soy sauce, ginger and honey. Cover tightly and cook slowly for 3½ hours. Thicken with 2 tbsps. flour.
c. Roast Beef
1-3 kilos rolled rib toast of beef
2 cups beef broth (bouillon cubes can be used if you
have no broth on hand)
⅔ cup soy sauce
½ cup red wine
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
¼ cup finely chopped spring onions
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or dayap)
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
Place the meat in a deep bowl. Mix broth, soy sauce, wine, green onions, sugar, lemon juice, ginger and garlic. Stir the sauce until sugar is dissolved. Pour over meat and marinate in refrigerator overnight, or for at least 10 hours. Turn the meat occasionally. Remove the meat from marinade and place on a rack in an aluminum-foil-lined pan. The sugary marinade tends to burn the bottom of the pan, so the foil is a great work-saver. Allow 70 minutes per kilo for rare meat, 85 minutes for medium and roast in preheated oven at 325ºF. While it is roasting, brush the meat 3 or 4 times with the marinade. Remove the meat from the oven about 10-15 minutes before serving. Just before serving, heat the remaining marinade and serve in a bowl with the meat.
NEXT PAGE
More Pages:
|
