Family Time-Crunch Eats Into Dinner Preparation
Last year, 46 percent of households reported spending less than 30 minutes preparing dinner. That's more than double the 21 percent who reported spending less than 30 minutes on weeknight dinner preparation in a similar study a decade ago.
"Beef producers recognize the importance of meats that will fit into these time constraints," explains Kerry Wright, National Product Development Manager for the Beef Information Centre. "That's why they've supported the launch of a new category of beef - fully-cooked roast beef that is ready to heat and serve in under 10 minutes."
The key to speedy preparation is that the new roasts are fresh, not frozen. Because they have been cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag all the slow-cooked flavour is retained and they can be kept safely in the refrigerator until the "best before" date. " That means families can enjoy a roast any day of the week, even if they grocery shop only once a week," says Wright. "And if meal plans change, as they often do in busy families, the roast beef dinner is still an option for another night."
While convenience is the main reason families, singles and empty-nesters are trying these roasts, it is the exceptional quality, and consistent tenderness that is driving the growth of this category. In fact, in blind taste tests of one of the first brands, 44th Street(TM) Slow Cooked Pot Roast, eight out of ten consumers couldn't distinguish it from a traditional three-hour chuck roast.
With the definition of home cooking expanding over the years to include many convenience products, preparing a nourishing, great-tasting traditional dinner is becoming much easier. "You can now take a fully-cooked pot roast, pair it with precooked, fresh mashed potatoes, pre-cut, washed vegetables, and add a bagged salad," suggests Wright.
For those Canadians who want to add a personal touch to meals, here are a few recipe ideas that start with the fully-cooked pot roast and add a few simple ingredients, creating unique flavour profiles to impress family or friends.
