Sunday, October 20, 2013

Pork-The other white meat!

Pork.. 

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you'll quickly come to find out that I may be a BEEF girl but I love my pork.  Bacon, pork chops, ribs and ham makes my mouth water.   I am a firm believer in eating my fair share of pork, actually almost daily!  


We all know its football season and I bleed blue and gold for the Montana State Bobcats and pork is perfect for tailgating! 

Whether you break out the grill, use the slow cooker before you head to the stadium or stay in the backyard and use the oven, pork is perfect paired with football. 

Now let's talk about a few of my favorite tailgating recipes! 

Ribs – Craving back, country-style or spare? Ribs are a classic hit that everyone will enjoy on game day.  They are great paired with potato salad and bacon!   They are finger licking good. 

Try this rib recipe: Pork Ribs   
       
Pair it with some Potato Salad and you have the perfect meal! : Potato Salad with Eggs and Bacon                              

Chops – Porterhouse, New York and Ribeye Pork Chops are some of the most popular cuts of pork because they don’t require long cook times or extremely time consuming marinates – and you can cook them just like a steak!


These Pan fried chops are amazing!  Simple Pork Chops


Now it is time for dessert and game day wouldn't be complete without bacon!  

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies?!  Who is going to try these when I make them this week?  
Bacon Cookies

A few things to remember when cooking pork:
Don't cross contaminate
Use a digital thermomater
Internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F
Refrigerate any leftovers immediately

For more information on cuts and or cooking tips, check out the Pork-Be Inspired website!


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Hormones in Beef?!

How many times have you heard that beef has TONS of hormones?!

Or that cattle are pumped up with hormones?!

If you listen closely, there is a concern about hormones in beef.  Yes, we do use hormone implants in our cattle every spring, but how does that really affect you, as the consumer?

What if I told you that 3 oz of cabbage has more hormones than 3 oz of beef.. Would you believe me?

How about the fact that 3 oz of peas has more hormones than 3 oz of beef.. Are you seeing the trend?

My favorite is 3 oz of potatoes has more hormones than 3 oz of beef, so at McDonald's, your small fries has more hormones than your hamburger patty.

Hormones in beef should not be a concern of yours anymore.  Hormones naturally occur in beef, peas, potatoes, cabbage and in you!

Check out this visual and listen to this little speech.


Hormones in Beef vs Cabbage!