Cooking Roast Beef Is As Easy As 1, 2, 3
"Young adults are generally very surprised when I say that a roast beef dinner is one of the easiest meals to prepare," says Joyce Parslow, home economist at the Beef Information Centre. "But I tell them all they need to do is season the roast, place it in a pan with some vegetables and let the oven do the work. An hour or so later, dinner is ready with only one pan to clean. It's that simple."
When the Beef Information Centre completed a survey of consumers across Canada in June, the statistics bore out Parslow's perception. Coast-to-coast, household cooks between 20 and 24 years of age were significantly less confident in their ability to cook a roast than older adults. As a result, this lack of knowledge was a noticeable barrier to reported purchase.
The solution - a new booklet entitled Perfect Roast Beef is now available free at meat counters in selected grocery stores. The booklet can also be ordered by visiting the on-line order centre.
"In this booklet we cover the basics on purchasing, preparing, cooking and serving all types of roasts," says Parslow, one of the authors of the booklet. "We even include recipes for some unique seasoning rubs and great ideas for serving planned leftovers."
While the appeal of roast beef is universal across Canada, The Beef Information Centre research also revealed some interesting regional differences. People in the Atlantic region are inclined to eat roast beef more than Canadians in the rest of the country and they purchase all types of roasts - Premium Oven Roasts, Oven Roasts and Pot Roasts - at levels higher than the national average. Not surprsingly, those in British Columbia, home of the year round barbecue, report the highest levels of purchase for Rotisserie Roasts.
"With the new beef labelling system now used by many grocery chains, it's much easier to know the appropriate cooking method for the roast you buy," says Parlow. "Then you can refer to the appropriate pages in Perfect Roast Beef for preparation tips and cooking times. We are confident this new booklet will introduce beef-lovers to exciting new ways to enjoy roasts all winter long."
