February 25, 2010

Get Your Beef On: It's a Giveaway!



There's a running joke in our family; whenever my mom and I are out dining somewhere together and someone politely asks "is there anything you don't eat?" we both laugh and say "unfortunately, no!" It's true - we love food. And that love includes beef. Some of my favorite foods are beef dishes: steak frites, minute steak, hamburgers, spaghetti bolognese, french onion soup {with beef stock}, did I mention hamburgers?? I'm a firm believer that while chicken, fish and pork are all great sources of protein, nothing compares to beef.

I have a diverse background. My parents are from the Caribbean and I was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec and Miami, Florida. The combination of experiences led me to appreciate an array of foods, including some to-die-for beef dishes. Here are some of my all-time faves:

photo credit: apt316.ca

Beef Roti
Roti is a traditional Trinidadian dish, made with your choice of meat, potatoes and curry wrapped in a light pastry dough, after which the dish is named. The original recipe is, of course, made with chunks of beef (or goat). My memories of this dish range from tagging along with my Dad to his favorite roti shop in Miami, to hanging out with friends and listening to the latest soca jam in front of the best roti shop in Montreal. Both scenarios ended the same way: with me licking the curry off of my fingers after devouring a hot beef roti. To this day, when my sister and I reminisce about our favorite foods, roti is probably the first one that comes to mind.

Also from my "Growing Up Caribbean Files:" Beef Patties, Beef Pelau, and Oh Lord, Vaca Frita! I could eat this EVERY DAY.



Steak Frites
This past Saturday, I met with my Junior League group for lunch at a french restaurant. Well, I skipped breakfast (a no-no, I know) because I just knew what I was going to order before I even stepped foot inside the place: Steak Frites. Done right, this dish takes no prisoners. A perfectly cooked cut of steak, prepared with a choice of sauce (from butter to bernaise to red wine to blue cheese) and topped with crispy fries. Delicieuse! As a matter of fact, I was several bites into my steak before I remembered to take a picture for this post! LOL.

Other notables from my days in Montreal: Poutine {made with beef stock}, Smoked Meat Sandwiches, and Tortiere {French-Canadian meat pie}.

So you see, beef has been an integral part of my upbringing and I try to continue to expose my family to tasty beef recipes. Make sure to check my "What's for Dinner" menu plan on our sidebar for ideas every now and then.

Now it's your turn!

In celebration of "I Heart Beef Month," you can enter to win a $100 gift card to Omaha Steaks! {Can't you just hear Kelly Ripa's voice in the back of your head?} All you have to do is the following:

1. Visit the Beef, It's What's for Dinner website. It's chock-full of helpful preparation tips, meal ideas and even video demos on how you can get your beef on.

2. Share your favorite memories of making everyday occasions special with beef. The person who leaves the most heartfelt and fun comment wins. Please include in your comment something that you found helpful on the BIWFD website.

3. Tweet this post using the #IHeartBeef hashtag.

4. Follow this blog {check out the Followers widget on our sidebar}.

But wait! There's more. Chef David Zino, executive chef of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association will be answering your questions about beef preparation and cooking. If you have a question for an expert, now's your chance. Just leave it in the comments and I'll submit it on your behalf or you can post them here.

Bon Appetit!

FYI: I wrote this review while working on a "I Heart Beef" campaign with TheMotherhood.com on behalf of The National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

19 comments:

Shelly- Mom Files said...

I first have to say that I am Guyanese so I know beef curry and roti very well! I grew up eating plenty of beef curry, stew, steaks and a lot of dishes containing ground beef like fried rice, pasta and beef patties. **Oh yeah and I grew up in Miami where many fine roti shoppes can be found ;-)

Shelly- Mom Files said...

Here's my tweet!

http://twitter.com/momfiles/status/9631299771

Shelly- Mom Files said...

I'm a follower ;-)

K. Rock said...

I use beef for my meatloaf and my family loves it. But even more, they love the meatloaf sandwiches the next day. A slice seared in the skillet with some cheese on top slapped in between 2 pieces of buttered bread. Ridiculously good.

K. Rock said...

I'm a follower

Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama said...

I'm a follower through my Google Reader!

Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama said...

I don't think I could ever be a vegetarian because I love a good steak too! Our favorite recipes that use beef include my mother-in-law's recipe for meatballs that use a combination of beef and pork, the marinated flank steak that my dad always made using Chinese ingredients like hoisin, ginger, soy sauce, and sherry to tenderize and flavor the meat, and my recipe for hamburgers.

As someone who loves to try new recipes, I loved browsing the recipe section of the Beef, It's What's for Dinner website for inspiration. My husband really likes the Steak Salad at Clyde's and I can't wait to try the recipe for Sonoma Ranch Steak Salad and I think my kids will love the Monster Mash Meatball Soup!

Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama said...

Tweeted!

http://twitter.com/techsavvymama/status/9712718710

Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama said...

Updated Tweet w/ corrected Twitter handle. Sorry!
http://twitter.com/techsavvymama/status/9712861073

Katie | FashionFrugality.com said...

My favorite memory - Taco Night at my grandma's house. Tacos are something everyone has had, yes, but Taco Nights as a kid were fun and extraordinary! My grandma would set out all the fixings in fun bowls and me and my siblings would take turns coming up with wildly concocted tacos. Miss those nights!

I found the types of cuts explanation VERY helpful! It can be found here - http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/typesofcuts.aspx


kkondek at gmail.com

Katie | FashionFrugality.com said...

Tweet! http://twitter.com/ktkatherine/status/9738794883
kkondek at gmail.com

SolDucky said...

When my husband and I married, we were both poor students. So our honeymoon was at a small cabin only about an hour away but in a gorgeous area surrounded by nothing but trees. We bought a couple of steaks a small mom and pop store in the small town and grilled them back at the cabin.

I don't know if it was the meat quality, the fact that we were usually too poor for steak, outdoor air, or the love high from being married the day before, but those were the BEST steaks we have EVER had. So now every year on our anniversary (or just because) we try to replicate those steaks. Just steaks and the same type of (cheap) seasoning with sauteed garlicky mushrooms and onions.

The Southeast Asian Steak Salad on Beef for Dinner also looks like a great way to do steak! We love Asian inspired dishes and their versatility.

Jennifer Irving said...

Hubby and I always go to a fancy place for our anniversary. I"m currently trying to come up with a beef and wine sauce recipe so we can have it whenever we want, and FEEL like we're having a fancy meal :)

Jillyrh said...

Beef (Steak in particular) holds very special memories of making everyday special because barbequing steak was one of my Dad's pleasures and he always had a huge grin on his face when he watched us eat his masterpieces and rave about how good it was. He loved to take care of his family and loved Steak. So whenever I have a steak I always fondly remember my Dad who is gone now.

He used to always tease me because I would always make sure I got every bit of meat off the T-bone he barbequed because it was soooo delish!

I visited the Beef Whats For Dinner Website and found this info. about knowing your cuts of beef and how to cook them the most helpful: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/typesofcuts.aspx

Jillyrh said...

Tweeted

http://twitter.com/jillyrh/status/9799124273

Jillyrh said...

Following your blog (JH)

Nancy said...

When I was growing up, our extended family lived in 3 houses that were on adjacent lots, all side by side. My grandmother's house was to the left of ours. My aunt's house was to the right of ours. Our house was in the middle. Another aunt and her family lived around the corner. All the cousins grew up together, going back and forth among the four houses. If you didn't like the answer you got at one house, you'd go to another one and ask there for ice cream or a Coca-Cola, for example! We cousins developed the begging strategy into a fine art!

All the families - adults and children - would gather together on Sunday for a home-cooked lunch. One family would host the lunch and provide the entree. Since we lived in Texas, beef was almost always served! (At least that's what we kids always hoped for - beef was the best!) The other families would provide vegetables, salads, and dessert. We always looked forward to those Sunday meals for the delicious food as well as the company. I will always treasure those memories and I know my cousins feel the same. We appreciate those lunches even more now that we have grown up.

Earlier this month, my 85 year old mother died after a long and serious illness. Only one of my 4 aunts is still alive - the baby of the family - who was 20 years younger than my mother. Two of my aunt's friends from her teenage years came to my mother's funeral. Do you know what both of them remembered best? Both mentioned the weekly Sunday lunches with delicious cooking that they had often been invited to as friends of my teenage aunt. So it is important to remember that we are not only making delicious beef entrees - we are also making memories for a lifetime!

From the Beef It's What's For Dinner web site, I especially like the Asian BBQ Steak recipe.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Nancy said...

I follwo your blog via Google Friend.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

La'Tonya Richardson said...

I printed the Beef Pelau, and Vaca Frita. These will be a Project What's For Dinner!

Related Posts with Thumbnails