Posts Tagged ‘poultry’
Meat’s New BFF: Nutrition Labels
Posted by Sally Traynham / Thursday, March 1st, 2012
If you head to the grocery store after work tonight for dinner, don’t be alarmed to see nutrition labels in the meat and poultry section.
Effective today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service requires all ground meats and 40 of today’s most popular cuts of meat and poultry to wear a nutrition label on its packaging. For the other cuts that don’t make the requirement, nutrition panels will also be available behind the counter or at the point of purchase.
Displays will include: the number of calories, grams of total fat and saturated fat and fat percentage (as opposed to the current display of lean percentage).
The purpose of this new law? To make it easier for consumers to make informed decisions and better understand the protein and fat content of their purchases, ultimately enabling these products to fit into a family’s (healthy) diet.
After checking out a few local stores this morning, (almost) all of them are following code. Out of four, only one would not pass inspection: The store included the nutrition labels, but without filling in the actual amounts. (See above photo). Perhaps it was merely a fluke; the coming weeks will tell.
Photo: Sally Traynham
[tips for the food desk]
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, May 14th, 2010
(Image: Bartolomeo Passerotti)
Arlingtonians are getting a new sustainably-focused protein pipeline today courtesy of EcoFriendly Foods‘ satellite butcher counter at the always community-minded Westover Market.
EcoFriendly specializes in humanely-raised animals plucked from 40 family farms spread across Southwestern Virginia and the North Carolina.
“We’re going to bring pretty much the full line of EcoFriendly products,” EcoFriendly co-founder Bruce Saunders said of his vision for the full-service butcher shop.
For the initial roll out, Saunders plans to whet people’s appetites with: “steak-ready” cuts of beef, ground pork, beef and lamb, marinated kebabs, homemade meatballs, meatloaf mixes and make-at-home stir-fry kits (fresh basil, garlic, shallots and hot peppers bundled with the ground protein of your choice).
Discerning carnivores can also claim their share of fresh rabbit, a whole Duroc pig, two spring lambs and the 1/2 side of raw beef Saunders will carve on demand.
Future additions to the display case could include: pasture-raised poultry, homemade sausage–Saunders suggested they would likely lead with a sage-black pepper breakfast blend, as well as bulk, hot and sweet Italian sausage–and marinated beef hearts. Meanwhile, anyone looking for hard-to-find offal or special orders (Saunders envisions filling whole ham, pork picnic shoulders, suckling pig and brisket orders on a case-by-case basis) can take advantage of the shops newly minted email address: westoverbutchershop@yahoo.com
Meanwhile, Saunders suggested that anyone worried about boosting their beef intake after all the media harping about slack regulation should know EcoFriendly maintains a strict, single-animal per grind policy.
“We’re calling it the 1-cow revolution,” he said of their closely monitored and readily traceable production practices.
The operation gets (quietly) underway today at noon, with a full-on grand opening–think: pig roast, beer garden and possibly some live entertainment–scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at 2 p.m.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
Seared duck with cherry salsa
Catherine J. Williams
Personal chef /Pastry chef, Grandale Farm restaurant
Local toque Catherine Williams enjoys bringing balance to nature’s bounty. “This dish is a perfect example how to bring fruit into a savory dish—satisfying the yin and yang of one’s palate,” she said, adding, “You can find all of these ingredients at a local farmers’ market or even go forage them yourselves.”
Photography by Hana Jung
PREP TIME: 9 min.
COOK TIME: 21 min.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 duck breasts
1 cup local cherries, pitted
1/2 cup spring onions, sliced
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
2/3 cup wild mushrooms
2 bunches fresh watercress, cleaned
1/3 cup safflower oil
1/4 pound or 1 stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper (to taste)
PREPARATION
Trim duck breast and score the top (making thin slices so it will cook evenly). Season with salt and pepper. Slice cherries and scallions, combine. Drizzle with oil and seasoning.
Peel potatoes and dice. Heat safflower oil in skillet, add potatoes and sear. When fully seared, cover potatoes and allow them to finish cooking (approximately 6 to 8 minutes).
While the potatoes are cooking, warm a separate pan and sear the duck breasts, fat side down for 1 minute, then flip each breast over and cover with lid to finish cooking (approximately 3 minutes).
Heat butter in sauce pan. Add mushrooms and cook until butter turns brown and “nutty” (about 3 minutes).
Blanch the watercress very quickly (about 1 minute, tops) in boiling water so the color stays true and texture remains palatable.
Arrange watercress on plate. Slice duck on a bias and place around watercress. Add potatoes and mushrooms around duck. Top with cherry salsa and drizzle remaining mushroom butter over the potatoes and mushrooms.
(May 2008)
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
Yogurt-Fried Chicken B.L.T.
Dennis Marron
Executive chef, The Grille at Morrison House
“I love this recipe all year round,” said Morrison House toque Dennis Marron of his go-to chicken sandwiches, estimating that minor tweaks in the types of tomatoes can help keep the recipe evergreen. “In the summer and early fall use fresh heirlooms, in the late fall to early spring use a vine-ripened [variety] from California,” he recommended, adding that he prefers to roast or confit his tomatoes during chillier months.
Photography by Hana Jung
PREP TIME: 10 min.
COOK TIME: 16 min.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
4 5-ounce boneless chicken thighs
2 cups yogurt
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon picked fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
Kosher salt and white pepper (to taste)
3-plus cups all-purpose flour
Canola oil for frying
Yogurt mayo
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayo
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Sandwich
4 brioche buns
8 pieces applewood-smoked bacon (cooked crisp)
2 heads baby red romaine
4 slices vine-ripened tomato
PREPARATION
Mix yogurt, garlic powder, thyme, chili powder, milk, salt and pepper. Drop chicken in the yogurt mixture, and let sit for 5 minutes (can soak for up to 24 hours). While waiting for chicken, mix yogurt mayo. Remove chicken, and let drip on wire rack.
Place flour, salt and pepper in a brown paper bag. Heat oil to 350 degrees (use a candy thermometer to test) in a cast-iron pan or any thick-bottomed pot. Add one piece of chicken at a time to the brown bag, and shake until coated; repeat with all.
Fry the chicken for approximately 8 minutes on each side. Allow to dry on a towel.
Toast brioche bun if desired. Spread with mayo, then add bacon, lettuce, tomato and fried chicken.
Eat and enjoy.
(March 2008)
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, November 24th, 2008
Duck confit salad
Antonio Burrell
Executive chef, Eleventh Street Lounge
Forget foie gras. When it comes to gourmet French, chef Antonio Burrell says duck confit is “everything that you want: rich, meaty, crisp, salty and tender.” He suggests pairing the “sexy” and “satisfying” fowl with everything from bitter greens—a la the decadent salad below—to roasted potatoes or even fruits and berries. Meanwhile, Burrell says he prefers a crisp pinot grigio or youthful chardonnay with his salad.
Photography by Anastasia Cheryavsky
INGREDIENTS
12 to 14 ounces (roughly 4 legs) duck confit (homemade or from specialty food store)
1 cup mixed mushrooms (shiitake/portobello/cremino)
1 small yellow onion or sweet onion
1 clove garlic
4 slices thick-cut, applewood-smoked bacon
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
6 ounces mixed greens (watercress/arugula/frisée)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup radishes
6 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
2 shallots
4 large eggs
3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
PREPARATION
Place duck legs in preheated oven and warm till meat is tender. Strip meat from bones; discard everything but the rendered fat.
Preheat large saute pan on medium heat. Half fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar to the water and reduce heat to a simmer.
Clean and de-stem the greens. Peel and julienne the shallot and the yellow onion, keeping them separate. Thinly slice the garlic, radishes and tomatoes; set aside.
Stack the smoked bacon slices and cross cut into matchsticks. Add half the olive oil to the preheated pan, heat throughout; add bacon and cook till crisp. Remove and reserve bacon.
Add onions to bacon fat and cook till soft, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine the radish, tomato, shallot and mixed greens in a large mixing bowl.
Using a citrus zester, remove the zest from the lemon and add to a small bowl with the lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Mix with a whisk and set aside.
Add mushrooms to the onion; continue cooking over medium-high heat till soft and colored. Gently crack each egg into the simmering water and poach till soft-boiled, approximately 4 minutes. Add duck, thyme and garlic to onion and mushroom mixture and cook for 3 more minutes or until garlic is soft. Add white wine and reduce till nearly evaporated; add chicken stock. Reduce the chicken stock till it coats the duck mixture, add the bacon pieces and turn off heat; season to taste.
Arrange equal portions of duck mixture on each plate. Place one poached egg atop each serving of duck. Re-whisk the olive oil and lemon vinaigrette and gently toss with the greens. Arrange greens on each plate.
(June/July 2007)