May is Beef Month

In Greenwood County, every month is Beef Month. My friends in the County Cattlewomen and Cattlemen's Associations put an extra emphasis on promoting beef in May. We've had sign ups for winning roast beef dinners for Mother's Day, placemats decorated with local cattle brands in the restaurants, and ads in the news papers and radio station. We're proud to be part of the 31,000 family farms in Kansas with cows and calves.

Besides being a nutritious part of your regular diet, providing zinc, protein and B-vitamins, beef can be part of the local food movement as well. As I look out my dining room window today, I see the beef that will be in my freezer next month. That's pretty local. Beef production is also part of the sustainability movement. Cattlemen here in the Flint Hills use beef cattle as the ideal mechanism to utilize grasses and plants not suitable for crop production. A good source for more information about Kansas beef is www.kansasbeef.org.

When I plan meals I think about the main course first - which beef cut will it be? Roast, ground beef, minute steak or steak. There's a wide variety of recipes and preparations that are our favorites. I've found that minute steak can be used in many recipes that call for chicken strips, just cut the raw steak into thin slices and quickly fry in a small amount of oil. Add to stir fry dishes, salads, or casseroles. Here's a yummy recipe that can use ground beef or minute steak.

Pepper Beef with Cashews
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or minute steak cut into strips
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tablespoons beef broth, divided
1 each large sweet red, yellow, and green pepper,  cut into strips
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 cup cashew halves

In a skillet, cook beef and black pepper over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Add onion and garlic to skillet; sauté for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons broth; mix well. Stir in the peppers. Cover and steam for 1 minute.
Return beef to pan. Stir in soy sauce. Combine cornstarch with remaining broth until smooth; gradually add to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cashews.
We like this served with rice.