Fun Fact Friday: Beef and your valentine

With Valentine’s Day only a few days away, how about a fun fact about beef and love?

Did you know, according to a recent consumer survey, a majority of Americans agree the best way to say “I love you” to your sweetheart on Valentine's Day is with a steak?

I tend to agree. I mean, what’s not to love about beef?

Not only does it taste great, but lean beef is a nutritional powerhouse. On average, one serving of lean beef is only 154 calories yet a naturally rich source of 10 essential nutrients — including protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins.

It’s also part of a heart-healthy diet. As I’ve reported before on Make Mine Beef, recent research called BOLD (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet) found that adding lean beef to the most recommended heart-healthy diet can lower heart disease risk by reducing levels of total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Even the fat in beef is good for you — half the fat in all beef is monounsaturated, the same kind found in olive oil. And one-third of the saturated fat in beef is stearic acid, which has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels and is the same fat recognized in chocolate for its benefits.

While I haven’t finalized the menu for Valentine’s Day yet, beef will definitely fill the center of the plate Tuesday night. What about you? Do you show love with beef?

Fun Fact Friday: That's a lot of steaks!

Who’s ready for the big game Sunday? I know I am! While I don’t particularly care for either team playing for the championship, I’m hoping for a good game and a win for fellow Red Raider Wes Welker, wide receiver for the Patriots. I’m also looking forward to lots of fun and good food at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law’s annual bash. Speaking of good food...

Did you know my home state of Texas produces about 7 billion pounds of beef each year, enough to supply 130 steaks to every person watching the game in the U.S.? And what better way to celebrate the biggest game of the year than with a juicy steak, hamburger or brisket? (Thanks to the Texas Department of Agriculture for this fun statistic.)

Look for more Super Bowl-themed posts on the blog, Facebook and Twitter throughout the weekend, and be sure to share what kind of beef you’re enjoying for the big game!

In case you missed it: Most popular posts of 2011

It’s the last week of the year, so it only seems fitting to recap the best of Make Mine Beef (as decided by number of page views) for 2011. Drum roll, please.

No. 10: Beef empanadas with queso

It took a couple of tries for me to master this dish, but man was it worth it. They may not be as pretty as On The Border’s, but they are easy and delicious. And if you need a go-to queso recipe, look no further than my adaption of Grady Spears’ Dutch’s Queso found in this post. Yum!

No. 9: If it’s the same thing, then why did you write “workspace”?

Want to see my home office and hear a little about what I do from within its walls every day? Look no further than this post.

No. 8: Beef lover’s gift guide

Christmas may be over, but there’s always Valentine’s Day and birthdays to consider. Need the perfect gift for a beef lover? Check out my suggestions here.

No. 7: Steakhouse classics: Strip steaks and baked potatoes

In this popular post, I describe how to pan fry a strip steak for those times grilling just isn’t the best option. I also feature my favorite method for baking restaurant-style, sea salt-crusted potatoes.

No. 6: Flat iron steak nachos

Nachos have to be one of my favorite foods. In this post, brought to you by Certified Steak and Seafood, I use flat iron steak as a tender and economical topper for the classic dish.

No. 5: Sirloin steak breakfast burritos

There’s really no need to move beef from the center of the plate just because it’s morning. Lean sirloin steak makes these breakfast burritos amazing, and it’s a great way to use leftovers.

No. 4: Steak Monterrey

This recipe, sponsored by Certified Steak and Seafood,  was the result of me beefing up one of the Mr.’s favorite dishes from a local restaurant. If you like beef with lots of cheese and spice, check this out.

No. 3: Peppercorn roast and roasted garlic mashed potatoes

This is the world’s easiest roast recipe and just happens to be my new favorite. These are also my favorite mashed potatoes, perfect for accompanying roast, chicken fried steak or a host of other beef dishes.

No. 2: Fun Fact Friday: The most valuable trophy

My post on the most valuable trophy in sports just happens to be one of the most popular on my blog.

And the No. 1 post for 2011 is….

Flat iron steaks with garlic butter sauce

In my first of 3 posts sponsored by Certified Steak and Seafood, I drizzled grilled flat iron steaks with a super easy garlic butter sauce. The post was visited, shared and Stumble(d)Upon more than any other all year and finishes out today with 1,415 views.

What do you think about this list? Did your favorite make the top 10?

Fun Fact Friday: Beef and your heart

So, we all know beef is delicious and a great way to get your daily doses of zinc, iron, protein (ZIP) and more. But did you know it’s also good for your heart?

A new study, Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD), recently released and published in the January 2012 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that diets including lean beef every day are as effective in lowering total and LDL "bad" cholesterol as the gold standard of heart-healthy diets (DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Researchers at Pennsylvania State University evaluated adults with moderately elevated cholesterol levels, measuring the impact of diets including varying amounts of lean beef on total and LDL cholesterol levels. Study participants experienced a 10 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol from baseline, while consuming diets containing 4.0 and 5.4 ounces of lean beef daily.

Want more information on how to build a heart-healthy diet featuring beef? Check this out.

Fun Fact Friday: Cattle and America’s pastime

The World Series is in full swing, so why not make today’s Fun Fact Friday all about the cattle industry’s contribution to baseball?

Did you know one cowhide can produce 144 baseballs or 12 baseball gloves?

It’s probably no surprise who the Mr. and I are rooting for this series…

 

…but what about you? Rangers or Cards? No matter what team you choose to yell for, be sure to celebrate victory or comfort yourself in defeat with some beef!

Fun Fact Friday: More with less

Happy Friday, friends! Today’s fun fact is coming to you from the road, so I’ll keep it short and sweet so I can get on to the day’s meetings.

Did you know American cattlemen and women produce 20 percent of the world’s beef with only 7 percent of the world’s cattle? And producing more beef with fewer resources isn’t just good business sense; it’s great for the environment!

Fun Fact Friday: Location, location, location

I talk a lot about tenderness on this blog. And, for good reason — no matter how flavorful a steak is, if it’s tough you just aren’t going to have a good eating experience.

There are a lot of factors that influence tenderness, but that’s for another blog post and another time. Today’s fun fact is one of the easiest rules of thumb:

The most tender cuts of beef come from the least-exercised portion of the animal: the mid-section. Commonly called middle meats, these are the premium steaks, such as strip (top loin), T-Bone, Porterhouse, ribeye, rib and tenderloin.

The more exercise a muscles gets, the tougher the meat becomes. That’s why cuts from the round, chuck, flank steak and skirt steaks are naturally less tender — they’ve been worked a lot harder. (Of course that doesn’t mean you should avoid these cuts; it just means you have to prepare them a little differently. My easy flank steak marinade is a good example.)

Fun Fact Friday: Agriculture and the job market

Did you know?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), for every $1 billion worth of agricultural goods exported, approximately 8,000 jobs are created.  Just another way agriculture is an invaluable part of our economy!

Happy Friday, everyone! What does your weekend hold?

Fun Fact Friday: Safe at 160

This Labor Day weekend, many Americans (my family included) will be firing up their grills and cooking hamburgers for family and friends. But do you know just how done your burger should be?

Hamburgers should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (medium), as read by a meat thermometer inserted sideways into the center of the patty. Of course, if you prefer your burger a little more done, that’s perfectly OK! Just know it’ll be safe and juicy at 160 degrees.

For more information on ground beef safety, visit www.SafeandSavory160.com.

Fun Fact Friday: The life cycle

Did you know beef cattle are raised and cared for in 3 different phases, each targeting a specific stage of their life cycle?

Calves are born on cow-calf operations. On these ranches, cattlemen are in the business to breed and raise cattle. As the calves grow, the rancher will decide which animals will become market animals and which ones will be kept as replacements (go back into the herd to be bred). Once weaned, many calves intended for market will be sold or moved to a stocker operation.

Stocker and backgrounding operations are where calves are grown out and prepared for the feedlot. Here, weanlings graze on grass and may start eating some grain to supplement their diets. Once, they reach 12- to 18- months of age, they are sold or moved to a feedlot.

Feedlots are where market cattle enter their final growing stage. In the feedlot, cattle are grouped with penmates of similar size. They eat a carefully-calculated ration and put on the fat or finish required to produce desirable meat.

In each of these phases, cattle are raised by men and women who believe giving animals the care, handling and nutrition they deserve is an obligation, not an option. They take their job — contributing product to the world’s safest and most abundant food supply — very seriously.

Fun Fact Friday: More than just beef

Did you know cattle provide us with a lot more than just steaks and hamburgers?

Here’s a list of only a few of the everyday items we get from cattle:

Boots and shoes

Deodorant

Pet foods

Soaps

Upholstery

Insulin

Tires

Printer ink

Chewing gum

Toothpaste

Want to see more? Check out this funny but true poster.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Fun Fact Friday: Biggest grilling day of the year

Today’s fun fact relates to the upcoming holiday weekend. Did you know the 4th of July ranks as the No. 1 grilling day of the year (with Memorial Day close behind)?

For some great grilling tips, be sure to visit this page.

Here’s wishing you and your families a happy and safe holiday weekend. And since I hate  writing pictureless blog posts, I’ll leave you with an Independence Day-appropriate photo of the Mr. and me, courtesy of McGowan Images.

Fun Fact Friday: Now that's efficiency!

Today’s Fun Fact Friday is a tribute to one of my favorite groups of people, ranchers!

Did you know? America’s beef producers are producing more pounds of beef with fewer resources than at any time in history. If 1950s beef production practices were used to produce the amount of beef raised today, 165 million more acres of land would be needed. That’s about the size of my home state, Texas!

Happy Friday, everyone! I’ll leave you with a photo I took back in the winter. I love a good baldy cow, and this one’s photo now hangs in our house.

Fun Fact Friday: Card trick

Did you know 1 serving of cooked beef (3 ounces, trimmed of fat) is approximately the size of a deck of playing cards? Pretty cool trick, huh? If your steak is a little oversized like these filets in the picture (and like the strips and ribeyes I usually cook), just cut the "extra" off and save it for the next meal. After all, leftover steak makes for an awesome sandwich or salad!

Fun Fact Friday: Which would you choose?

I’ve heard you learn something new every day. While I’m sure there have been at least a handful of days I’ve learned absolutely nothing, I still like the idea. And, yesterday, I learned something cool from my friends at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association that I thought would make a good Fun Fact Friday post.

Did you know you would need to eat 670 calories worth of peanut butter (more than 7 tablespoons) to get the same amount of protein found in a 3-ounce serving of lean beef, which has only 180 calories? I know which one I’d choose.

Fun Fact Friday: The most valuable trophy

Who doesn’t love a little trivial knowledge? In the first installment of what I hope to be a regular feature on Make Mine Beef, today’s Fun Fact Friday is focused on my favorite sport, horse racing.

That’s right — the most valuable trophy in North American sports isn’t awarded at the Super Bowl or BCS National Championship Game. It’s not even the super cool, super historic Stanley Cup. It’s the Woodlawn Vase, the official trophy of the Preakness Stakes. According to the event’s Facebook page, the roughly 30-pound sterling silver trophy was valued at more than $1 million in 1983. It’s likely worth closer to $4 million today. Here’s an interesting piece on the history of the vase.

And, here’s a close-up picture of the vase being raised by Bob Baffert, the trainer of last year’s Preakness-winning Lookin at Lucky.

So, in honor of my first Fun Fact Friday and my first trip to a Triple Crown race (we leave next Friday, after work!), I thought I'd leave you with a recipe for the Black-Eyed Susan, the official drink of the Preakness Stakes.