Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Real Simple's Got Nothin' on Freezer Beef

I love the magazine, Real Simple. It has generally do-able ideas to make my life seemingly more organized, has fun fashion tips, and lots of well written, tug-at-your-heartstrings articles.

However, I always seem to skip the "meals in minutes" segments. Once, as a young, naive, newlywed, I scoured my magazine, trying to find easy recipes for two lovebirds, one being a tried and true red-meat lover. However, I tried a chicken dish with shredded yams and arugula, and was kindly asked to never make it again.

Sigh.

I'm not saying that the recipes are not good, nor are they not simple, but Real Simple, you've got nothing on my freezer full of beef. Take tonight's meal, for example. At 5:00, I assumed my family would want to eat, as they tend to do every night. So, as we were playing outside, I sauntered over to our freezer, pulled out a package of ribeyes and set them in the microwave to defrost (I know this is not ideal, and Real Simple folks would have had me defrost them sooner, but I forgot about dinner.). Anyway, after we had come in from playing, Joe took to the grill, I took to the stove and in 15 minutes, we had steak, garlic mashed potatoes, Texas toast, broccoli, and homemade applesauce (from my mom).

Seriously.

15 minutes.

Take that, Rachael Ray!

Now, I know that some of you do not have the luxury of a) a freezer full of beef or b) a husband who will grill happily all the time and/or c) stay at home and can saunter around defrosting meat at 5:00. However, I urge you to try to stock your freezer with beef. Pounds of hamburger. Packages of ribeyes, sirloin, and round steak. Roasts of the Chuck and Arm varieties.

These will get you a lot more praise and a lot more longevity than a recipe calling for a bunch of freshly shredded yams and arugula.

Not that I don't like either...it's just that when you have a good base, like really good meat, you can go a looooooong way with just a potato.

So, for those of you who are saying, "I don't know where to get good beef!! How do I get this wonderful time saving, nutritious and happy meat?"

Ask around.

Someone has a cousin, dad, cousin's husband's dad, mother-in-law's neighbor or whatever who is a beef producer. Ask if they sell beef in quarters or halves. If you have limited freezer space, ask a friend to share a quarter with you. You will curse the fact that you won't be able to wedge in ice cream and Lean Cuisine, but you will thank me later...as you will not need either the ice cream or the Lean Cuisine....you'll be skinny from not eating the ice cream and ugh...who wouldn't choose a lean hamburger over a cardboard Thai dish by our friends at Stouffers?

If all else fails, go back to Real Simple and buy your groceries for the week from their list, make their fancy multi-step meals.

I'll be at my house...dining on a ribeye.

6 comments:

  1. Well said Emily.
    As we sit at our dinner table moaning with delight over the taste-sensation that is our home-grown beef (and pork), we realise why we're always so dissatisfied with eating out experiences.
    Too spoilt at home.

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  2. Great post Emily. I love my freezer full of home raised beef! I am glad that you enjoy feeding great tasting beef to your family as well.

    Tomorrow's post on my Feed Yard Foodie blog talks about the different quality grades of beef. For those that are not able to purchase beef "direct" like you and I do, the meat case at the grocery store can be confusing.

    Thanks for another great read!

    Anne

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  3. We are fattening my daughters show steer now if he don't make sale at OYE we will have a very full freezer full of Cyrus burgers & steaks ;)

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  4. Loved your post! I just moved 15 hours away from my parents and I used to have a "freezer full of beef". Now, I am realizing how fortunate I was to have a freezer full of beef! There are many quick and easy things you can do especially when you keep it on hand! You have inspired me to search out someone that raises beef so I can get "re-stocked". It seems to be all about chicken here in the South (moved from Kansas to Mississippi) and it's just not the same without beef!
    Lyndi
    http://tilthecowscome.blogspot.com

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  5. We have steak or hamburger nearly every night - so I am always looking for side dish ideas. What I want to know is how you make garlic mashed potatoes in 15 minutes! I would love to know how to do that! :)

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  6. I discovered your blog today. I didn't grow up on a farm or really have any farming family after my grandparents generation, but I can say this is exactly how I grew up eating during the non-snow months. We always turned on the grill to cook meat from the freezer and threw together some vegetable sides for meals. It was fast, easy and delicious.

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