1. Top quality leather basketballs are made from cowhides. About 12 basketballs can be made from one hide. Other byproducts of cattle and beef production are extensive. Among them is epinephrine, which is derived from the adrenal glands and is used to treat asthma and allergies; thrombin, obtained from cattle blood and used in helping clot blood; liver extract, used in treating anemia; and insulin, which can be taken from the pancreas of cattle for treatment of diabetes.
2. Beef supplies body-building nutrients – it is an excellent source of iron, vitamin B12, zinc and protein.
· Beef is one of the best food sources of iron – a mineral lacking especially in the diets of many women and children in the U.S.
· Zinc promotes growth and development, keenness of taste, good appetite and healthy skin.
· Vitamin B12 is a vitamin found only in foods of animal origin. This vitamin is needed to prevent pernicious anemia; red meats and liver are good sources for vitamin B12.
3. The top four grades of beef, in descending order, are Prime, Choice, Select, and Standard.
4. Small flecks of fat found in lean red beef are called marbling and are an indication that the beef should be tender, juicy and flavorful. The higher the grade of beef, the more marbling you will find.
5. The amount of marbling and the age of the beef animal at slaughter determine the quality grade. Younger animals with more marbling generally produce a higher grade.
6. The standard retail name for “filet mignon” – a popular steak sold in restaurants – is beef tenderloin steak.
7. When an average steer is ready for market, it weights about 1,000 pounds, which will provide about 430 pounds of edible meat. The rest of the weight is sold as byproducts.
8. Christopher Columbus brought the first cattle to the Western Hemisphere, on his second voyage in 1494.
9. The average American farmer produces enough food and fiber to feed 129 other people for a year.
10. Cattle are ruminants, meaning they have a stomach composed of four compartments that allow them to digest roughage and use it to make high-quality protein.
11. The hindquarter of a beef animal provides more tender steaks and other cuts, with less fat and bone. The front quarter has a greater amount of fat and bone, and less tender cuts generally.
12. The cut of beef that is pickled and/or cured in a process similar to that of making ham is called corned beef. The preservation of beef with salt is known as “corning.” The brisket and round are cuts that are seasoned and cured, or “corned.” This process takes about two weeks.
13. Ground beef should be cooked to 160º F to guarantee wholesomeness. At this temperature, the center of the burger is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
14. The cattle industry is the largest segment of American agriculture.
15. The best method for defrosting frozen beef cuts is in the refrigerator, in their original wrappers.
16. The difference between a steak and a roast is thickness. Roasts are two inches or more in thickness; steaks are less than two inches thick.
17. Chateaubriand is a recipe for a thick cut beef tenderloin steak that is large enough to serve two people. Chateaubriand was created during Napoleon’s time by Chef Montmireil for the French author and statesman, Francois Chateaubriand. The traditional recipe calls for broiling the center portion of the tenderloin. It typically is served with a béarnaise sauce.
18. There are 29 lean cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean.
19. Calorie for calorie, beef is one of the most nutrient rich foods.
20. When comparing a 3-ounce cut of lean beef and the same size skinless chicken breast, beef has eight times more vitamin B12, six times more zinc and three times more iron.
21. On average, lean beef has about one more gram of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast.