Just launched this month, these quick-view cooking demonstrations showcase recipes available on Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. and will help home chefs get more comfortable cooking with beef. The recipes come with nutrition information and a convenient new feature that allows viewers to place an on-line order for the ingredients at their local supermarket. The segments are rolling out on YouTube and will be further promoted on IBC’s social media channels. Take a sneak peek at the first 2 here!

Mongolian Beef – Prepare this flavorful and satisfying Top Sirloin Steak Stir-fry in 20 minutes!
Ground Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera – Nutrition box, checked…this is an American Heart Association Certified Heart-Healthy Recipe.

With YouTube a social media powerhouse, it is a prime channel to promote Idaho’s beef industry. During the month of July, IBC’s YouTube channel had 173,034 views. With that many eyes looking for beef information, beef checkoff dollars are delivering engaging and educational information to Idaho homes.

Visit and share IDBeef.org with your friends and family. We also encourage you to take advantage of the power of social media and follow, like and share IBC’s posts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, All Recipes, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube!

Website:  www.IDBeef.org

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IdahoBeefCouncil/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/idbeef/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/idahobeefcouncil/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClS31C2XTtpisQsT5YGfAow

I didn’t originally group up as a rancher. My father built homes, so I grew up around construction, later starting my own construction company that made decorative concrete floors. My passion for ranching may be new, but I took to it like a duck to water. I’ve always loved horses and riding, so raising cattle on public lands and being able to contribute to their well being is very fulfilling. Knowing that our public lands have been cared for by generations of wonderful ranchers inspires us every day to make them better.

What is your favorite part of the beef industry?
Hands down, the best part of the beef industry is being able to work with my family doing something we all love.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)?
I can’t think of a beef recipe that I don’t like, though some I’m better at preparing than others. A favorite at our house is leftover roast beef tacos, homemade roast beef and cheese pockets (baked in crescent rolls) and hamburger soup (burger, any/every vegetable, rice, and beans in a thick broth).

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”?
When we’re not busy ranching we like to unwind by, wait, we’re always busy ranching … we do take the time to make our jobs fun though. We camp out on the mountain when moving cattle, we throw potlucks around working days and on hot afternoons we check cows by floating by them.

What is your favorite part about Idaho?  
Idaho is such an amazing and diverse state. It has beautiful mountains, wide open plains and everything in between, what’s not to love?

I grew up on a 1200-acre hay farm, but my mom, brother and I have our small herd of show calves that we sell to 4-H and FFA kids. My husband ranches with his family raising registered Angus and Herefords as seedstock. My career in agriculture started at a young age helping out on our family farm, but I was always drawn to the animal side of agriculture. I worked for local cattle companies, helping them exhibit their cattle at shows throughout high school and college. With a college degree in hand, I moved to Iowa to fulfill my dream of living in the Midwest.  During my time there, I was working for Tyson Fresh Meats as a Carcass Merchandiser. Once engaged to my now-husband, it was time to move to Idaho & I started working in procurement for Agri Beef. When an opportunity came to work closer to home, I jumped on it and now am employed at Boise Valley Feeders. Here, we currently feed about 20,000 head of Wagyu & conventional cattle. I have been fortunate enough to have been employed in different aspects of the industry and in different parts of the country.  From going through the pastures to scope out the new calves in Oregon to watching the cattle grow in the feedlot in Idaho to walking through the coolers in a plant in Nebraska, seeing the process beginning to end still leaves me in awe.  Every segment works a little differently, but ultimately they are all working towards the same end goal—providing consumers with tasty BEEF!

What is your favorite part of the beef industry?
It’s got to be the people and work ethic gained from this industry. I know firsthand I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for that strong agricultural foundation I was raised on. The life lessons in the ag world are second to none, and I am continually thankful for those (even if I did have to learn some of them the HARD way).

Why are you passionate about the beef industry?  
We feed and fuel the world. Not only do we provide a safe, reliable, nutritious product for all to consume, but the list of byproducts the cattle industry provides is downright mind blowing. It’s amazing that 99 percent of a beef animal can be used between the meat and byproducts we use every day. Also, farmers and ranchers are the salt of the earth. The passion they exude for the land and their animals is nothing short of inspiring.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)?
I tend to leave the grilling to my husband, but it is hard to beat a perfect Prime Rib cooked medium rare, with a side of fresh horseradish.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”?
A summer evening cruise with the windows rolled down, the smell of fresh cut hay in the air and a good tune coming through the speakers does my soul good. Also, I believe surrounding yourself with good people is number one, so I love to spend quality time with my family, friends, fur baby, Cinch, and of course, shopping! Ag is my number one passion, but fashion isn’t far behind.

What is your favorite part about Idaho?  
The sky. Whether it’s a sunrise or sunset or if I am at home, the ranch, feedlot or on the road, I am in constant awe. They are absolutely breathtaking and serves as a great reminder to give yourself a second in this hectic world to take it all in.

Why are you passionate about the beef industry?
Because I believe we produce a great product very efficiently that has many health benefits.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)?
I like to grill especially in the summer, but cook about all cuts of beef throughout the year.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”?

I love to golf although I’m not very good at it. I also like to knit, read and yard work. Oh and cook!

What is your favorite part about Idaho?
The diversity of it. It has so many different wonderful things about it from one area to the next. And the fact that it’s such a great agricultural state, we grow so many different crops and foods!

Over that 100+ years, our operation has constantly developed and evolved to fit the time’s best management practices. Our most recent change has come in the last seven years, where we’ve started running our cows year-round in northern Nevada. We winter them on the river, where warmer conditions provide excellent winter forage, where we supplement with hay as needed. We move them to the mountain in March, where they will calve in April. Our calves are weaned in October, backgrounded, and shipped by the middle of November. We run our replacement heifers in California before coming back to the ranch for April calving with the rest of our cows. On our home place in Jerome, we also raise a few different crops, primarily growing alfalfa hay, corn silage and potatoes, all on a rotating schedule.

I love everything beef–it’s the world’s premier protein! Our family markets both conventional and grass-fed cattle, which allows us to create a product that can appeal to all consumers. It’s such a satisfying feeling to know that people across the world are able to sit down and enjoy something that my family and I have worked so hard to produce!

Why are you passionate about the beef industry? Preserving and protecting our ability to pass this business on to our children and grandchildren.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)? The Mississippi Pot Roast is so versatile and easy, although I’m extremely partial to a thick medium-rare New York Strip.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”? I absolutely love to travel and experience different cultures. A glass of red wine and a good book will do, too.

What is your favorite part about Idaho? The people. Never have I met such hard-working, humble folks who sincerely care about their animals and contributions to their rural communities.

What is your favorite part of the beef industry? The people! People in the Idaho ranching community care about each other, their animals, and the land. They are kind, intelligent, and hard-working. I love being a part of the agriculture industry and helping to feed people. I’ve met so many people across the country and traveled to different places because of agriculture.

Why are you passionate about the beef industry? I love our product—beef! It’s such a nutritious and delicious source of protein. I love raising the cattle, seeing our kids learn responsibility and work ethic by taking care of the animals, and sharing the story of agriculture with others. I don’t know another industry that has such a global reach, yet is also feels like a small, connected family.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)? Oh, this is hard! I have so many beef dishes. I think my favorites tend to keep it simple. My family loves cuts like flank and skirt steak, and tri-tip, that is marinated, then grilled and served with a fresh vegetable or salad. I make a lot of ground beef soups and stews in the fall and winter too. My family has a couple favorite recipes I make—Steak Alfredo, which is fettuccine topped with a cream sauce and sirloin steak bites, and Creamy Crockpot, which uses round steak, peppers and onions, and is served over rice.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”? I love to read, play tennis, and watch my kids in sports, school, and 4-H activities.

What is your favorite part about Idaho? I really love Idaho. It has so many pretty places and the sunsets are amazing. It reminds me of where I grew up. The people are friendly and down-to-earth. I love that you can drive about two hours anywhere from where we live and you can be in the desert or the mountains. It’s been a great place to raise cattle and a family.

We know consumers have a lot of questions these days about where their food comes from. We cattlewomen are still learning and also have questions about agriculture. Bottomline is as agriculturists, we have a strong tie to the land and animals in our care. Providing safe and nutritious food is our number one priority. We’re feeding our families too! Please know if you have any questions about your food or how it’s produced, you can reach out and ask. We’d love to hear from you!

Links

 Idaho Cattle Association ~ www.idahocattle.org

 Idaho Beef Council ~ www.idbeef.org

 Beef Counts ~ www.beefcounts.org

Braising is searing meat on a high temperature then finishing it in a covered pot set at lower temperature with a variable amount of liquid.

Meat for stewing should be lean and can be less tender because we’re going to use braising to create the tenderness. Cuts from the chuck or round are great for stew meat. You can buy it precut at the store or as a larger roast that you cut into chunks yourself. I appreciate that our butcher precuts bite-size chunks into packages for us. It’s usually the scraps after steaks and roasts are cut. Stew meat can be a more affordable cut that still creates a delicious and hearty dish.

I pulled the package, probably about 1 1/2 pounds out of my freezer and defrosted it in the microwave so it broke apart easily. Normally when I’m planning ahead I defrost meat in the refrigerator the day before I cook it. Safe cooking tip: Never thaw meat on the countertop.

I put a little canola oil (around 1-1 1/2 TB)  in a heavy stock pot and browned the pieces, making sure not to crowd them. I wanted them good and brown. As you can see there were lots of bits and pieces stuck to the bottom. After the meat was finished cooking, I added a can of stewed tomatoes and about a can and a half of water. Stirring the liquid helps deglaze the pan and gets all those yummy bits off the bottom. The acid in the tomatoes also help tenderize the meat. I also added in seasonings, including a tsp. of beef bouillion, 1 TB. of taco seasoning, some black pepper, cumin and minced garlic. This is where you can get creative—add seasonings your family enjoys. I also added one chopped chipotle pepper in adobe sauce. It adds some heat and smokiness. Smoked paprika is another option to add flavor.

I set my temperature to low, which on my stove maintained a low boil/high simmer, then I checked the pot about every hour to see how the meat was tenderizing and if I needed to add additional liquid (I didn’t). It simmered about 3 hours. This braising method helps break down the meat so it pulls apart and is super tender. About 30-45 minutes before I wanted to serve it, I added chopped green bell pepper and chopped onion. I also added a cup of frozen corn and a can of black beans (rinsed). I cooked the stew until the veggies were tender, but still had a little bite to them. I topped the stew with chopped fresh cilantro. Other optional toppings could include shredded cheese, crispy corn tortilla strips, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. Or you can leave it plain as it has plenty of flavor.

Easy Tex-Mex Beef Stew
1-2 pounds stew meat (chuck or round cut into cubes)
1-2 cans stewed tomatoes plus 1-2 cans of water
1-2 tsp. of beef bouillion
1 TB. taco seasoning
Other seasonings to taste (ie. salt, pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, chipotle pepper)
Green or other bell peppers
Medium onion
1 cup frozen corn or 1 can corn
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

*If you want to use this in your slow cooker, you can brown the meat in a skillet, deglaze pan with some water or broth, then add it to the slow cooker with the seasonings and veggies. Cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.

This Beef Stew is super easy because you can take the meat in different flavor directions. I went with more Tex-Mex Seasonings because I had more of them on hand, but you could easily do a traditional stew with potatoes, carrots and celery or instead add Italian herbs and spices. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

In addition to a full week of kid activities, it’s calving season on the ranch. Lots of new babies are hitting the ground every day and it’s fun to have pastures full of cows and calves.

I’m sure many of you have busy weeknights also, but still want to get a great tasting and healthy meal on the table for your family. Don’t be afraid to keep a package or two of stew meat in your freezer because this Easy Beef Stew is a great option for a weeknight family dinner.

~ M

Maggie and her husband raise their four children and registered cattle on his family’s southwest Idaho ranch. As a family, they enjoy sports, showing cattle, 4-H, church and other activities when not working on the ranch. She likes to experiment with recipes in the kitchen, shares her love of sweets through baking with her children and has been known to start a DIY project every now and then. Sometimes she actually finishes one.

As much as I loved getting dressed up every day (something that doesn’t happen much on the ranch), and getting involved in some of my industry’s most important aspects, it sure does feel good to be home. I’m now officially back in the saddle, and ready to whip up some delicious recipes! This week’s recipe was emailed to me by fellow Idaho Cattlewoman, Trish. She and her family ranch in Ellis, Idaho—you might remember seeing her featured as one of our Women in Ag—last November.

During my time in Reno, a fellow planning committee member gave me a box of California-grown products, which included a bag of Lundberg Family Farms Brown Basmati Rice. No Mongolian meal is complete without rice, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to try it out.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. Brisket, Round Steak, or Flank Steak

¼ c. Cornstarch

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 Tbs. ground ginger

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. soy sauce

3/4 c. water

2 Tbs. Siracha sauce

2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:

First things first, take your meat and slice it thinly, across the grain. Don’t know what that is? Meat is made up of long muscle fibers that are laid out parallel to one another. In some muscles, like the loin (think New York strip steak, Ribeye, etc.), that grain is very fine. Meaning, the muscle fiber bundles are thin enough that they don’t form a significant grain. Cuts from these muscles are going to be very tender, no matter how you slice them.

Cuts from harder-working muscles (think about the Brisket or Round areas from the diagram) are going to have thicker muscle fiber bundles, with a noticeable grain. If you slice WITH the grain, you’ll end up with pieces of meat that are difficult to chew, aka not tender. But if you slice against the grain, you’ll be breaking those muscle fibers into smaller sections, which helps to add that tender aspect we all love. In the Brisket I used, you can see just how visible these muscle fiber bundles are.

Next you’re going to put your meat in a gallon-sized bag, add the ¼ c. cornstarch and shake until the meat is covered. You can set aside this bag aside while you add the rest of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Once you’ve got everything in, finish off by adding your meat.

Your cooking options are setting your slow cooker on High for 2-3 hours, or setting it on Low for 5-6 hours. As mentioned earlier, I paired this meal with a side of rice; a move that I definitely recommend! I actually added about two tablespoons of my slow cooker mixture to my water/rice combo before cooking, and it really helped to give it that extra little bit of flavor.

This shot was my “before”…

And here’s my after!