April 19, 2001

Prairie Fare: Here’s the Beef

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

In the Midwestern U.S. your nose knows when the long-awaited spring has arrived. Besides the scent of fresh green grass, there’s the delicious aroma emanating from all the grills that have come out of hibernation.

But with all the publicity about meat and cattle disease in Europe, some people in the U.S. may be wondering what’s safe to grill here. The good news is that cases of mad cow disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) have not been reported in the U.S. because of the many safeguards that are in place. In fact, more than 99 percent of the cases of the human form of mad cow disease, also known as "new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease," have been linked to the United Kingdom. Even in the United Kingdom, the risk is considered very low, at perhaps one case per billion servings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), travelers to Europe can reduce their risk by choosing solid pieces of beef (like roasts or steaks) instead of ground meats (like sausage or ground beef). Others suggest that European travelers should avoid beef altogether.

Of greater concern to US consumers are food safety issues associated with contamination of food by bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Meat processors and retailers can only do so much to ensure safe food; the rest of the responsibility lies with foodservice workers and consumers at home. According to 1999 CDC statistics, each year about 76 million Americans become ill due to contaminated food, 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die.

Consumers can take action to prevent foodborne illness from spoiling their barbecue. If you’re the chef -- or the guest -- wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds before and after helping prepare food and before eating. Thaw meat in the refrigerator or in a microwave oven. Cook microwave-thawed meat immediately. Thawing at room temperature gives bacteria the chance to grow to numbers that could cause foodborne illness. Be sure to thaw meat at the lowest shelf in the refrigerator to avoid juices from dripping onto raw or ready-to-eat foods. Keep raw meat and salad ingredients separate.

Judging doneness by color can be hazardous to your health. While it’s generally safe to eat a steak that’s pink inside, it’s not safe to rely on color when you’re cooking ground beef. Food thermometers help ensure safe and high quality food. USDA recommends that ground beef be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 F and steaks to at least 145 F. Researchers have shown that one of every four hamburgers turns brown before reaching a safe internal temperature. Chicken breasts should reach at least 170 F and pork chops, at least 160 F.

Steaks and roasts are whole muscle foods, and bacterial contamination is on the outside of the meat. When beef is processed to make ground beef, any contamination on the outside is transferred throughout the meat. Even if foods have been grilled to a safe temperature, it’s important to avoid cross contamination by using a clean serving plate for grilled meat – not the plate that held the raw meat. Any leftovers should be promptly cooled in shallow pans. And always remember the most basic of food safety rules, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Use coolers filled with ice to maintain salads at safe temperatures.

Here’s a tasty and surprisingly easy dish that will impress your friends at your next cookout. It’s adapted from the "Steak Lover’s Cookbook" by William Rice, a food journalist (Workman Publishing, New York, 1997). One 7-ounce Cracked Pepper Ribeye Steak, which counts as two meat group servings from the Food Guide Pyramid, contains 475 calories, 24 grams of fat, a full day’s supply of vitamin B12, 42% of the daily recommendation for vitamin B6, and 31% of the daily recommendation for iron.

Cracked Pepper Ribeye Steak with Roasted Onion Sauce

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt, to taste
2/3 c. beef broth
1 tsp. soy sauce
3 tsp. cracked black pepper
4 rib-eye steaks (about 7 ounces each), cut 3/4 inch thick

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the onion wedges in a baking dish. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir to coat all the pieces evenly. Roast onions, uncovered, until browned and soft, about 1 hour. Remove and let stand until slightly cooled. Put the onions in a blender. Add the broth and soy sauce and blend to a smooth puree. Transfer the sauce to a shallow container and refrigerate until needed (or keep warm until serving). Preheat the broiler or prepare grill. Press the cracked pepper onto both sides of each steak, using about 3/4 tsp per steak. Broil until seared and nicely browned on one side, about 4 minutes for medium-rare and 5 minutes for medium. Turn and cook 4 more minutes. Reheat sauce. Top the steaks with sauce and serve. Makes 4 servings.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu