Beef!

1. Beef! It’s what’s for dinner!

2. History of Beef • A HISTORY OF STEAKBeef was not an important part of the American diet before the Civil War. Cattle were not indigenous to the Americas, so you could not find cattle in the New World until the Spanish introduced them into in Mexico in 1540. In the 18th century, the Spanish and French colonist began to raise cattle. As the railroads developed, they used trains to transport to herds from San Antonio to New Orleans. However, this industry collapsed because of the cold winter, and 90 percent of the herds were wiped out.Eventually, technology, animal husbandry, and barbed wire changed the industry. In 1871, a Detroit meat pecker named G. H. Hanharmand brought refrigeration railway cars west, transforming the industry. Slaughterhouses had been set up in the Midwest for shipment of meat back to the east where the appetite for beef was beginning to develop. After the Second World War, beef became a symbol of American prosperity. Americans were eating 62 pounds by 1952, 99 pounds by 1960, and an all time high of 114 pounds in 1970. Today, that rate is increasing daily. http://web.li.gatech.edu/~rdrury/400/writing/d_sp2_2/ahistoryofsteak.htm

3. Health Benefits • Beef has a variety of nutrition. In fact, one 3 oz. serving of lean beef has just one more gram of saturated fat than a 3 oz. serving of skinless chicken breast, and yet has eight times more vitamin B12, six times more zinc, and three times more iron. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/nutrition/competitive.asp

4. Lean Beef • There are at least 29 cuts of beef that meet the government labeling guidelines for lean or extra lean.According to government guidelines, a serving qualifies as "extra lean" if it has less than 5g total fat, 2g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. A serving qualifies as "lean" if it has less than 10g total fat, 4.5g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. In addition to the cuts listed on the chart, 95% lean/5% fat ground beef is also considered lean. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/nutrition/leancuts.asp

5. Zinc So what’s the deal with Zinc? • Zinc has been proven to help contribute to strengthen the body’s immune system. • Foods rich in this vitamin are essential to a well rounded diet. • As the journal I read points out “Zinc is essential for the normal development and maintenance of immune functions. Nutritional zinc deficiency and immunodeficiencies are encountered in a number of patients with a variety of diseases. Both deficiencies and extreme excesses of zinc can impair immunity or the body’s ability to fight infection.” http://www.beef.org/uDocs/ACF26.pdf

6. My Pyramid • Beef Strip Steak — 5 ounces cooked weight • Meat and Beans Group: counts as 5 ounce equivalents meat and beans http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/meat.html#

7. Recipes • Pot Roast in Foil • Yakatori • Barbecued Shredded Beef • Garlic Prime Rib • Debdoozie's Blue Ribbon Chili • Green Bell Peppers stuffed with Tomato Lentil Couscous • Red Enchilada Sauce • Taqueria Style Tacos - Carne Asada • Beef Tenderloin With Roasted Shallots • Brisket with BBQ Sauce http://beef.allrecipes.com/topten/top10.asp

8. Bibliography • http://beef.allrecipes.com • http://www.mypyramid.gov • http://www.beef.org • http://web.li.gatech.edu