Posted on 11/07/2003 8:49:12 PM PST by steppenwolffe
At Gorat's Steakhouse in Omaha, Nebraska, they've had to do something they don't like to do -- raise the price of a steak dinner three times since spring.
"I hate it, because you know, I want the average family to be able to come in and enjoy a meal. But, the way it's going, it's tough on them," says Louis Gorat, the owner.
Beef prices already at record highs are still on the rise, selling for 30 to 40 percent more than this time last year due to increased consumer demand and supply shortages, reports CBS News Correspondent Cynthia Bowers.
After a number of lean years, the beef industry finally has what it wants. Thanks to popular diets like Atkins and South Beach, Americans finally feel like its OK to eat meat again. The only thing is, they may no longer be able to afford it.
For cattlemen like Bill Rhea, it's a time of contradictions. "People dont know how to react, dont know what to do," he says.
With a ban on imports from Canada due to the mad cow scare, he's finally making good money on his stock. But he worries about a possible backlash.
"It's like anything else, we're gonna price ourselves out of the market," Rhea says. "We're going to run up against a price wall where the consumer says 'Hey, I can't afford this.'"
Bill Barnhisel thinks he's already hitting that wall at his Chicago meat market, where prices are forcing customers to make a choice.
"I think people are buying, maybe shying away from some of the more expensive cuts, maybe buying a lesser cut," says Barnhisel. "So instead of having a steak, maybe they're making a taco one night, or making some hamburgers or something."
You may want to keep those meatloaf recipes handy, because prices are likely to be something to beef about for some time to come.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association oppose COOL (country-of-origin labeling) because they're afraid it would push up the cost of beef too high. I disagree. I see that it would add costs to American beef because we know what laws are enforced in the production of healthy cattle. Those who can afford these costs would buy only US Beef.
Besides our obvious food safety concerns about imported beef, my guess is that because Americans can frequently become too patriotic for the free trade market.
By this I mean that when Canada refused to support the attack on Iraq retail sales would have had devasting drop in local markets. The associated companies would also have troubles because of this, trucking companies, warehouses, Canadian feed lots, all the way back to the rancher whose heifers are ready for sale.
It's okay if penalties against Canada are initiated in DC but who gave the American citizen the authority to do so?
America gets a lot of Mexican beef sent over to the Texas feed lots. Mexican heifers entering U.S. feedyards for finish feeding continue to be M branded, S branded, tested for tuberculosis and should have a negative brucellosis test conducted before they can get into a feed lot. This doesn't do anything about the fertilizers and sloppy grazing laws used in Mexico that are illegal for use in the US though.
When the American mommy learned the facts she would rightly/wrongly just refuse to buy Mexican beef therby shutting down their US sales. Again, it would be initiated by citizens , not senators wanting votes. There has to be something in the Constitution about forbidding citizens from messing with international trade. I'll have to study it again and find out just what it says. That would bring the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Agricultural Marketing Service/USDA into fights that would probably never stop unless we agreed to provide approved medicines, approved fertilizers, etc to the whole damn world free of charge.
Steak Au Poivre
(Black Peppercorn Steak)Tarragon adds a delightful twist to this familiar preparation on steak studded with black peppercorns!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Coleman Organic Tenderloin Steaks (or use other cut such as rib eye)
- 2 Tbs Whole Green peppercorns
- 1/3 cup black peppercorns (crushed just before using)
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
- 1/2 cup rich beef stock
- 4 tablespoons chopped tarragon
- salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Crack the peppercorns by crushing them against a cutting board with the side of a heavy knife or the bottom of a pan. Press them
into the sides of the steak and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the oil, Whole Green peppercorns, and 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy skillet. Cook the steaks, turning occasionally, until cooked to desired degree.
Remove from pan and keep warm while preparing sauce.
3. Add shallots to pan and sauté until translucent. For next step be very careful as the cognac will create a large flame. Shake pan
above burner until flame dies out. Add beef stock and cook over very high heat. Whisk in remaining butter and tarragon. Season to
taste with salt and pepper, serve along side steaks.This dish was favorate among the distinguished guests and perpared tableside, at the Mobil 5 Star, Le Pavillon, New York, New York, and Houston Texas.
The House of Carlo
Thanks. Learned something else new on FR. And without the media getting in the way.
(There was a spike for the first 2 weeks of induction, but as my appetite decreased, the total intake per week returned to normal.)
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