"ground beef" news and stories

Kitchen Daily expert Curtis Stone has a recipe that transforms ordinary ground beef into delicious Moroccan skewers. He mixes the beef together with a variety of spices, then molds it around fragrant rosemary skewers and grills them on a stovetop grill. Two simple sides -- couscous with herbs and a creamy yogurt sauce -- round out the meal.

Tender, flaky phyllo dough is the secret weapon for "Top Chef" judge (and KitchenDaily contributor) Gail Simmons in creating her recipe for Ground Beef and Vegetable Pies. Easy to work with if kept moist, phyllo provides a light crust that cradles the hearty filling of peas, carrots, onion, and mozzarella, along with lean ground beef. A sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top provides the finishing touch.

Watch this Gail Simmons Pantry Project how-to video on using phyllo dough and making these Ground Beef and Vegetable Pies.

Beef Packers, Inc., has recalled 22,723 pounds of ground beef on fears it could be contaminated with salmonella.

The Fresno, Calif., company issued the recall Friday, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The beef was packaged on Sept. 23, 2009, with the code "EST. 31913" on the case labels. According to the FSIS, the beef subjected to the recall are "60 pound cases of 'GRD Beef Fine 93/07 10/60.' Each case bears the identifying case code W69363 with Use/Freeze by dates of 10/11/09."

The beef was sent to a retail distribution center in Arizona.

In August, the same company issued a beef recall for 825,000 pounds of ground beef.

Salmonella can be life-threatening to the elderly and young children. It causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72 hours of exposure. It's recommended that ground beef be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria.

Salmonella. Photo: AP

A California meat packer has recalled more than 825,000 pounds of ground beef that may be linked to salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week.

Beef Packers, Inc., of Fresno, Calif., recalled the ground beef products on Aug. 6, 2009. Meat included in the recall was produced between June 5, 2009, and June 23, 2009; contains the code "EST. 31913" on its labels and was distributed to 11 states.

Officials say the meats may be linked to an outbreak of salmonella in Colorado. The strain of that particular outbreak -- salmonella Newport -- is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs.

One of my favorite books when I was a kid was "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." In the beginning of the book, the main character Francie is sent to the butcher shop to buy $.10 worth of ground beef for her family's Saturday night dinner. Her mother insists that she have the butcher grind it in front of her instead of buying it off the plate, because you never know what might be in your meat if you buy it pre-ground.

I remember reading that section back in the day and thinking how nice it was that ground meat is so safe and available so that people didn't have to worry about it anymore. I went on thinking that way until Tuesday, when I read this post by the Grocery Guy. Apparently mass market ground beef isn't nearly as safe and clean as we think it is. The Grocery Guy stresses that it is important that you know and trust the people who make your ground beef, which is not always an easy thing in this day and age (especially if you tend to shop at large, chain supermarkets). He says that if you don't know your butcher that you should grind your own (and gives tips on how to go about doing just that). It's an interesting read and will definitely make you think about ground beef more critically (if you are still among the number who eat the stuff. Personally, I have a very hard time resisting a good hamburger).

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