The Importance of Eating Pasture-Raised, Grass-Fed Beef and Dairy
This is a healthy update of an old recipe. When it comes to beef and dairy it is very important to search out pasture-raised, grass-fed products. Cows are grazing animals and did not evolve to eat grain. Modern beef and dairy production, however, is based on grain feed, much of it genetically modified corn and soy. Grass-fed and pasture-raised beef and dairy has a healthy-for-humans balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Grain fed beef and dairy is radically skewed toward omega-6 fatty acids which leads to unhealthy conditions when consumed regularly. This skewed fatty-acid balance is not changed if the grain feed is organic. The modern American/Western diet also contains much more beef and dairy than did the average diet of 70 to 80 years ago. The health effects of eating meat and dairy fed a steady diet of genetically-modified grains has not been studied, but recent studies of pigs fed genetically-modified corn showed nearly four times the intestinal tract inflammation versus those pigs fed natural corn. The situation is probably no better for cattle or for the people that eat the meat or milk products.
Beef Stroganof for 3-4
Ingredients: 1# all-natural wide egg noodles, 1# grass-fed beef(any cut, 3/4″-1″ pieces), 1cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2# pearl onions or cut sweet yellow onion, 1/2# button mushrooms(quartered or halved), 1 medium bell pepper(1/2″ pieces), 6-8 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 2 tsp sea salt + to taste for sauce, 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper + to taste for sauce, 1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce, 3/4 cup red wine, 1/2 cup grass-fed sour cream, 1/2 cup beef stock, fresh or dried basil, thyme and sage to taste, 3 Tbs coconut oil for browning beef and sauteing vegetables.
Equipment: knife, cutting board, large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed saute pan.
Seasoned flour to coat the beef
1. In a bowl large enough to hold all of the beef, combine the flour and 2 tsp salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss well to coat all sides well. Set aside.
Coating the beef with seasoned flour before browning
2. Cut all vegetables and hold.
Vegetables for beef stroganof
3. Heat coconut oil in pan until a drop of water dances. Quickly toss the beef again to coat any wet spots with flour and add to pan, browning all sides. Remove browned beef to a paper-towel lined plate and hold.
The browned beef, sauteing vegetables and pot of water for cooking the egg noodles
4. Add vegetable to pan, stirring constantly, until just starting to brown.
5. Add the browned beef and Worcestershire sauce to the pan and stir well.
6. Add the red wine, stir well and reduce by half.
7. Add the stock and herbs of your choice and reduce by half.
Beef Strogonof with everything except the sour cream
8. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the sour cream and stir in well. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken and tenderize the beef.
Adding the sour cream to complete the beef Stroganof recipe
9. Serve over wide egg noodles with a glass of the cooking wine.
Grass-fed beef Stroganof over egg noodles