1. What's beef made of?
Cooking Beef The first thing to know is what makes up a
piece of beef. There's actually quite a bit
going on in there! But to know how to cook
beef, the main things you need to worry
about are:
Beef is a muscle, so it's full of protein. The protein molecules go through a bunch of changes when you cook your piece
of beef.The first thing that happens is that they bunch together into fibres. Then, as you cook the beef, the fibers lose
moisture and shrink, making your meat tougher.Every piece of beef has some fat in it, some more than others. Is that a
good thing? Well, it's tough to say. Fat has a bit of a bad reputation, right? Too much fat in your diet can cause health
problems, so sometimes it's best to go for a leaner cut.
On the other hand, when you cook your piece of beef, the fat creates a protective layer around your protein fibers,
which helps prevent the meat from drying out. It also adds a lot of flavor. So it's your call whether you go for the cut
marbled with fat or a leaner cut.
Beef Cuts
Preparing Beef
Be sure to look for beef that is quite lean when you are shopping for foods that will help you burn fat. These are called
round or loin. Be sure to buy beef that is certified organic and that has been grass fed. If you buy ground beef, be sure it
is at least ninety percent lean. You can refrigerate beef as soon as you get it home, or you can freeze it and use it at a
later date. Be sure to use beef that has been refrigerated within 5 days. If you are going to freeze it, you can repackage it
or you can freeze it in the package it comes in. If you keep it in the freezer, your beef will be fresh for up to a year. When
you defrost, be sure to do so safely in cold water or in the fridge.
Before you cook it, cut off all the fat that you can see. It is not necessary to rinse beef before you cook it because the
cooking will destroy bacteria that may be present. You can marinate beef in your refrigerator for as many as 5 days.
If the marinade has been used before, be sure to boil it before using it again, and then toss it out when you are finished
with it. Do not cook beef partially, refrigerate, and then finish cooking at a later time. Cooking it partially will not kill any
bacteria that may be present.
Beef stew of foiegras to celery Recipes:
(raviole aux cepes)
Ingredients
1 L of vigorous poultry stock
1 foiegras of 700/800 G
150 G of celeriac dice
100 G of celery strips of 2 cm X 5 cm X 5 mm
3 C. with soup of Madeira
salt, pepper
Instructions:
Dénervez the foiegras and cut it approximately cubic, like a ragout, before booking it with the fridge. Gently cook the
stock with Madeira and the dice of celery. Leave to simmer approximately 10 mn.