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Why
is red meat red?
Why is
beef aged?
Why should we eat beef?
Why is packaged beef a
different color on the outside than on the inside?
Why do steaks that look the
same have different names?
What are the Best
Ways to Cook Beef?
What type of Beef do we
offer?
Why do older cookbooks
recommend cooking pork to 180°F?
When do you add the barbeque
sauce to grilled meats?
What is the leanest cut of pork?
What are the Best
Ways to Cook Pork??
When is pork done?
Is it safe to eat pork
that is slightly pink in the middle?
What type of Pork do we
offer?
Answers
to frequently asked questions:
When muscles are heavily worked, they
hold more oxygen, which gives the meat a red color. Chickens are
flightless birds, so their breasts are not red, but their legs,
which they use, are “dark meat.”
Beef is aged to add characteristic
flavor and increased tenderness. In the “dry ageing” process, beef
is held at temperatures from 34° F to 38° F for 10 days to 6 weeks.
Beef contains high quality protein
with all the necessary amino acids to make a complete protein
source. Most plant protein sources are missing at least 1 of the
essential amino acids.
The pigment that makes the meat dark
red reacts to the oxygen in the air through the permeable plastic
wraps and becomes bright red. The interior stays dark due to lack
of oxygen.
Why do steaks that
look the same have different names?
Alternative Names for some popular
Beef Steaks
| Cut of Meat |
Alternate Names |
| Rib eye steak |
Delmonico steak,
Spencer, Prime Fillet |
| Tenderloin steak |
Filet mignon, beef
fillet, beef medallion |
| Top loin steak |
Shell, strip, club
sirloin, sirloin strip, Kansas City, New York strip |
Best Ways to Cook
Beef
- Preheat the oven for at least 10
minutes.
- Cook roasts fat side up on the
rack in shallow roasting pan.
- Use an instant-read
thermometer. Insert halfway into roast, making sure not to
touch bone.
- Always allow roast to rest 10 to
15 minutes after cooking before slicing. Cover loosely with a
tent of aluminum foil.
- Slowly brown beef on all sides
in small amount of oil in heavy pan. Season beef, as desired.
- Add small amount (1/2 to 2 cups)
liquid to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat.
- Cover tightly and simmer gently
over low heat on top of the range, or in a preheated 325°F oven,
or until beef is fork-tender.
- Trim excess fat to avoid
flare-ups while grilling.
- To test the temperature of the
coals, hold your hand over them (where the meat would be). If
the heat is so intense that you must pull away in 3 seconds, the
coals are hot. Four seconds indicates medium heat.
- Using tongs, turn the steaks
halfway through the cooking time.
- Add extra flavor by making a
pouch of wood chips in aluminum foil. Pierce the foil (to
release the smoke flavor) and place the pouch on top of the
coals.
- Let steaks rest 5 minutes before
serving.
- For broiling, place steaks 3
inches from broiler.
- To pan broil beef, heat a heavy
cast-iron or non-stick pan over medium heat for 5 minutes before
cooking.
- Do not use any liquid or fat.
- Season only after meat has been
seared.
- Do not cover.
- Turn meat when juices appear
through the unseared side.
- If juices accumulate in pan,
pour them off.
- Slowly brown steak on all sides
in small amount of oil in heavy pan.
- Add small amount (1/2 to 2 cups)
liquid to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat.
Cover tightly and simmer gently over
low heat on top of the range, or in a preheated 325°F oven until
beef is fork-tender.
Here at Wisconsin River Meats we are
proud to offer the best in beef, Midwestern grain fed cattle.
These cattle are angus cross beef steers which provide
excellent marbling and texture along with size.
Chops and lean roasts should be taken
off the heat at 150°F to 155°F and allowed to rest for 10 minutes.
(The temperature rises 5° while resting.) The United States
Department of Agriculture recommends a serving temperature of 160°F
for ultimate safety.
Yes. The bacteria trichina is
destroyed at 137°F. Pork cooked to a temperature of 150°F to 155°F
will often have a slightly pink middle.
Today’s pork is much leaner. Cooking
pork to internal temperatures of 170°F to 180°F will result in dry,
tough pork.
The sugars in barbecue sauce will
burn if they are put on the pork at the beginning of grill time.
Add the sauce during the last few minutes.
The loin is the leanest with only 4.1
grams of fat (and 139 calories) in a 3-ounce serving.
What are the Best
Ways to Cook Pork??
- To sauté pork, cook in 2
tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat for a short amount of
time. Turn when juices are visible on the topside.
- To braise, brown pork on all
sides to seal in juices. Brown desired vegetables. Place pork
and vegetables in a heavy, lidded casserole. Add 2 cups of
liquid. Cover and cook over slow heat or in a low oven until
meat is tender.
- Use an instant-read thermometer
to determine doneness.
- Trim excess fat to avoid
flare-ups while grilling.
- To test the temperature of the
coals, hold your hand over them (where the meat would be). If
the heat is so intense you must pull away in 3 seconds, the
coals are hot. Four seconds indicates medium heat.
- The Food and Drug Administration
recommends pork should be cooked to 160°F.
- Preheat the oven for at least 10
minutes.
- Allow roasts to rest 10 to 15
minutes before slicing. Cover loosely with a tent made of
aluminum foil.
- The FDA recommends that pork
should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F.
We showcase Juneau County pork.
These are choice, 250 pound butcher pigs.
The best in barrow pigs available.
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