Beef kebabs,satays,stews and more

Farm-wise, beef is the most labour-intensive protein to bring to the table. As such, it's worth making a special effort with, says Christoph Weder, a rancher of organic Angus from northern Alberta. "The average age of a cow is 18 to 20 months when it goes to slaughter, some up to 27 months. That's a long time compared to chicken, which are on average 42 days," says Weder, who along with his wife, Erika, received the Alberta Beef Producers' 20th Environmental Stewardship Award recently for their commitment to sustainable ranching. Weder and one of his longtime customers, chef Frank Widmer of the Park Hyatt Zurich, have just published a beautiful cookbook — The Cook and the Cowboy — that shows their appreciation for all facets of beef on its journey from pasture to plate (available at Spirit View Ranch). The cuts packaged at the grocery store don’t have to be the final say on how the meat is used, Weder suggests. Steaks and roasts can be taken home and sliced up or cubed to use in kebabs, stir-fries and stews. The key is to match the cut to the appropriate cooking method for best results. Kebabs "You can take top sirloin steak and cube it up for kebabs. Don't forget you can ask your butcher to do this," Weder says. "Go to the full-service case. Some people are intimidated to ask the butcher for help, but that’s why they are there." Lia Kurylo, professional home economist at ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen, recommends using premium beef cuts for kebabs. "Kebabs tend to be something we want to do when we’re entertaining in the backyard. If you were to choose a less-expensive cut of meat, you’re going to end up with really chewy little cubes of meat on a stick," she says. "You can go to your premium grilling steaks like your rib eyes, tenderloin, sirloin. We can think of kebabs as a cube of steak on a stick." Because vegetables cook at different rates than meat, Kurylo recommends keeping the meat and vegetables on separate skewers. Satays Eye of round makes tender, lean strips for satay. To prepare kebabs and satay strips, skewer the meat and season it. Grill or broil using medium-high heat for five minutes per side until browned but still slightly pink. And serve with dipping sauce, such as Thai peanut. Stews Stew, on the other hand, is not the best place to use premium, tender cuts. The long, slow cooking on low heat requires tougher cuts to create fork-tender, fall-apart results. Stew beef is best cubed from cuts such as shank centre cut, shank centre cut boneless, shank spur, simmering short ribs and simmering short ribs boneless, recommends beefinfo.org, Canada Beef Inc.'s online resource for all things beef. To prepare, cube meat if necessary, then toss to coat in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. In a lightly oiled Dutch oven or stockpot, brown the meat in batches. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Otherwise, the meat may steam instead of sear. Searing adds rich flavour and colour to stew. Then, add enough liquid — broth, tomato juice or wine — to just cover the beef. Simmer, covered on stovetop or in a 325 F (160 C) oven for at least an hour or until fork-tender. Add chunks of vegetables and cook for 30 minutes more, or until vegetables are cooked. Meat packaged as stewing beef and stir-fry strips can be from all sorts of cuts, leading to inconsistent texture in a cooked meal. "What they are is a combination of meat that is available at that time. It could be round, it could be chuck or blade," Kurylo says. "You don’t know for sure what the cuts are. We know they will lend themselves to stewing. If you really want to be sure, you’re better off buying a blade roast or a steak and carving it up yourself." Kurylo suggests blade and chuck are great choices for stew because they have a lot of the connective tissue that breaks down into gelatin through long, slow cooking at a low heat, making the meat fall-apart tender. Blade and chuck do contain more fat, so a leaner choice would be round meat. Round tenderizes during cooking, but differently, so round will have a different texture than chuck when cooked. Along with appreciating beef by creating a whole meal around it, Weder encourages you to take the time to enjoy it. "Make it an event," he suggests. "Pair it with a good wine. Beef and red wine fit hand in glove." RECIPES Grilled Skewers from the Hip Makes 4 portions 1-1/2 pounds (750 grams) boneless hip 2 onions 2 garlic cloves 4 tomatoes parsley, chopped coriander, chopped salt, pepper and paprika powder 6 tablespoons (100 mL) oil 4 potatoes, large 4 tomatoes 8 wood/bamboo skewers 12 inches (30 cm) long Note: Before cooking this recipe, the meat should marinate for 3 to 7 days. While that may sound complicated, it is worth the time invested. Lay the skewers for a couple of hours into cold water, which will prevent the skewers from burning too quickly on the grill. Ensure that the meat is free of ten-dons, bone and skin. Cut the meat in cubes of 1 oz. (30 grams) each. Peel and wash the onion, garlic and tomatoes. Cut the onion and the garlic in half and into thin strips. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Season the meat cubes with salt, pep-per and paprika. Do not season too heavily as the meat will marinate for a while. Thoroughly mix the seasoned meat, the onion, garlic and tomatoes with the parsley and the coriander. Place the meat in a container that can be sealed (otherwise your fridge will smell of onion and garlic). The tomatoes will act as a natural tenderizer. The meat should marinate at least for three days, but can be marinated for up to seven days in the fridge. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut into thin strips the size of matches. Let them rest in cold water so the starch can come out of the potatoes. Skewer the meat onto the skewers, so that each skewer has the same amount of meat on it. Heat up the grill. Any kind of grill — gas, charcoal or wood — will do. If it rains, you can fry the skewers in a pan as well. Cut the rest of the tomatoes into quarters. In a frying pan with high sides, heat the oil. You will need quite a bit. Deep-fry the well-drained, dried potato matches until they are golden brown. Drain the oil and season them with salt. Just before you finish grilling the skewers, put the tomato quarters on the grill and grill them on the skin side. The meat does not need to be well done; it can be slightly red inside. On a platter, place the potatoes in the middle, the skewers on top and decorate with the tomatoes and a bit of the chopped parsley.Island Inspired Beef Stew  recipe features under-tones of cinnamon and ginger with a hint of heat. Serves six. 2 tablespoons (25 mL) olive or vegetable oil 2 pounds (1 kg) stewing beef cubes 1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 large onion, cut lengthwise into eighths 1 teaspoon (5 mL) finely grated ginger root 1 cup (250 mL) beef broth 1 can (28 oz./796 mL) diced plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons (25 mL) Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons (25 mL) paprika 1 teaspoons (5 mL) dried sage, crushed 1 bay leaf 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) chili pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) pepper 1/2 cup (125 mL) raisins 1/2 cup (125 mL) green olives 1 sweet green pepper, coarsely chopped