Nolan Ryan Beef Hires Texas A&M Grad

The story about the company's growth and hiring of A&M alum, Alyx Tschirhart, here.

Congrats to Alyx!

Pictures from this week's Beef Cattle Short Course are up on our Facebook and Flickr page!

What a great few days with these kids!

Check out the photos on Facebook and Flickr.

Beef Grading - 4H Meat Judging

Here, Dan Hale, a professor and AgriLife Extension meat specialist, explains the different aspects of beef carcass evaluation: quality, muscling, and trimness.

Environmental and Economic Impact of Removing Growth-Enhancing Technologies from US Beef Production

View the story by Jude Capper here.

Food Service Making Gains

Food service industry making first gains since 2009 according to NPD group

Veggie Diet to Blame?

"Veggie" diet blamed for poor performance of China's women volleyball team in the Olympics.

Picnic Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients
2 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
8 chicken drumsticks
2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 eggs, beaten
Canola oil cooking spray

Directions
Puree buttermilk, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion in a blender; transfer to a medium bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat, cover and chill, tossing once or twice, for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange breadcrumbs, flour and eggs in three wide, shallow dishes. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Working with one piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then eggs, and then breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Arrange on baking sheet, spray all over with cooking spray and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. (For deeper, golden brown color, finish the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes before serving, if desired.)


This recipe serves 4-6 (or maybe less because of how yummy it is!). You could also use a wheat cereal in place of half of the breadcrumbs. Find the recipe here.

Spicy Beef And Potato Curry

Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
2 serrano chiles (remove seeds for a more mild taste)
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon peanut or expeller-pressed canola oil
1 3/4 pounds sirloin tip steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/4 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves


Directions
In a blender, combine onion, chiles, garlic and 1/2 cup water and blend until smooth. Set aside.
In a large skillet with a tightly fitting lid, heat oil over high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt. Add half the steak pieces to the  skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon; repeat with remaining steak. Set aside.


Return the skillet medium-high heat and add cinnamon, coriander, cumin and turmeric; stir for 10 seconds and then add the onion and chile mixture. Simmer for 1 minute and then stir in coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar. Add the beef back in, cover the skillet, and simmer 40 minutes. Stir in potatoes and continue to simmer until beef and potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes more; remove the lid during last 10 minutes of simmering if you would like a thicker sauce. Remove cinnamon stick; taste curry and add more salt if desired. Serve garnished with cilantro.


This recipe serves 4-6. You could also add 2 cups of frozen peas or sliced okra during the final 10 minutes of cooking and serve over rice!

Find the recipe here.

Roast Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup warm water
2 1/2 pounds trimmed beef tenderloin roast, tied
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
1 cup veal or chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream


1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and ground black pepper to taste


Directions
1. Combine porcini mushrooms and water in a bowl; soak until soft, 1 hour. Drain and reserve liquid. Dice and set mushrooms and reserved liquid aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Place beef in the skillet; cook until brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side.
4. Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1 tablespoon butter, shallots, and a pinch of salt; cook until shallots are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Pour tarragon vinegar into the skillet and bring to a boil while scraping any browned bits off of the bottom. Stir until liquid is reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes.
6. Pour in veal or chicken stock, cream, 1/2 cup reserved mushroom liquid, mushrooms, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Return beef to the skillet.
7. Roast in the preheated oven until meat is medium rare, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 degrees F. Transfer meat to a plate and loosely tent with foil. Set skillet over high heat and bring pan juices to a boil.
8. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and tarragon; season with salt and pepper to taste. Return tenderloin and any accumulated juices to skillet and serve.


Find the recipe here, also, a helpful video on how to make it!

"Deb's Meatloaf"

Rainy weather makes comfort food taste even better.


Meatloaf Ingredients

2 lb. hamburger meat

1 lg. chopped sweet onion

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 egg

2 tsp. Worcestershire

1 cup ketchup

1 cup oatmeal

For Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

4 tsp. dry mustard

(Bring to a boil and pour on top of meatloaf)

Directions

Mix meatloaf ingredients and bake in a 9x9 baking dish with the lid on for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix topping and put on top of meatloaf for 15 more minutes with the lid off.

http://rainydayrecipes.com/main/meatloaf.html

Independence Day!

Meat is the most nutrient rich part of most Independence Day celebration by far (Protein, vitamins, and minerals).

Happy July 4th!

Did You Know: Freshman Fifteen?

Calves gain 5 times their body weight in the first 6 months!

BBQ Camp 2012

This year was the 2nd Annual Barbecue Summer Camp here in College Station! We here in the Meat Science section partnered with Foodways Texas and welcomed participants for a weekend full of barbecue cooking.

During the weekend-long event, the participants were able to meet our award-winning meat science professors, pit masters, and many other well-known individuals in the barbecue world. The attendees learned about different types of meat, smoke, and spices, and how these different meats, smokes, and spices affect taste, flavor, juiciness, etc.

Participants also learned about BBQ history, touring the legendary, Martin’s Place, located in Bryan.

For more information, contact us, or visit the Barbecue Summer Camp page.

Thanks & Gig Em!

Howdy and Welcome to Meat Sense!

We are here to help you learn and understand the world of meat and livestock production. We are experts on the science of meat - from the ranch to on your dinner plate!

If you have any questions, be sure to let us know!