winding down

As a part of my coursework this final semester I had the opportunity to develop a processed meats product.  I took a similar class at Iowa State, and appreciated the course for teaching the science behind product development and eventually providing us the opportunity to apply what we learned in the classroom.  Throughout this semester we made a wide variety of products: franks, brats, hams, snack sticks, summer sausage, and bologna.  Out of all the products we made I enjoyed the brats the most and bologna the least.  There is just something about it I don't like.  Maybe it is the fact that my sister Holly used to eat "bologna rollups": a rolled up piece of bologna with peanut butter in the middle.  These disturbing concoctions were an after school treat or sometimes lunch for the kiddo. For me they were just gross, which is really saying something since I have a deep abiding love for peanut butter....just not with meat.


After spending weeks in the meat lab learning how to use choppers, grinders, stuffers, mixers, injectors, macerators, tastifiers (ok, that is not really a piece of equipment, but it should be!) we got a chance to get our hands dirty developing a new product. Originally I had planned to make a Cajun Chicken Snack Stick, because I like Cajun food, chicken and snack sticks.  But as the semester progressed, and I tasted my first batch hot and fell in love, I decided to make a Cajun Chicken Sausage.  And let me tell you, is it ever delicious!  Aside from be delectable, the sausage was very easy to make.  In fact, if I get a Kitchen Aide mixer (hint hint) as wedding/bridal shower gift I would be able to make this specialty in my own home! 


I chose to utilize chicken thigh meat for my meat block.  Not only are thighs more flavorful than breast meat, but they also contain a higher proportion of fat (a partial reason for the increased flavor).  After removing the skin, the lean was placed in a grinder using a 1/4" grinding plate.  I then moved the ground product to a mixer, or for smaller batches I mixed the product by hand.  After weighing out the amounts for my "secret" Cajun spice blend, it was added to the mixer and the meat was mixed with the spices for 5 minutes.  I utilized Nitrite and Sodium Erythorbate in the production of my sausage to impart cured color, flavor, and aroma.  These ingredients also have the ability to lethalize Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium Botulinum--which in producing a safe and quality product are large concerns.  


After the product was thoroughly mixed and adequate protein extraction had occurred the product was stuffed into natural casings.  The natural casings I utilized were derived from the mucosal layer of pig intestines.  Now I realize that sounds utterly disturbing (kind of like the bologna roll up) but I can assure you these casings are safe from microbial contamination, off-flavors, etc.  In fact natural casings are highly sought after in the marketplace.  Natural casings provide a unique curved shape to product and offer a distinguished snap when consuming the product.  I then linked each sausage and hung them on a rack to be cooked.  I wanted to offer a pre-cooked product to provide further safety from microbial contamination. 


I made the final batch of my product this Tuesday, all I have left is to design a label and acquire nutrition facts from the Department of Food Science.  I have decided to name my company Iowa Indulgences because I am from Iowa and who wouldn't want to indulge in a Cajun Chicken Sausage.....my point exactly.  Now that I have my company name down, I need to come up with a saucy name for my product, "Iowa Indulgences Cajun Chicken Sausage" just doesn't do it for me.  We will have the opportunity to serve our products to faculty and staff from the department next week.  Hope they like it as much as I do-they won't even need ketchup for it!


Before that time I need to get a final product report, final product presentation, and final product poster completed.  Yowzers!  It is crazy to think I have 2 full weeks of class, and finals week remaining in my graduate student career.  The thought of having less than a month of graduate school makes me extremely excited, but at the same time fills me with fear.  This past year and eight months have absolutely flown by, which again is good and bad.  Good because I have enjoyed my time here at UNL: I learned lots, made professional networks, and some amazing friends!  Bad because I have realized how fast time really does pass, and from what I have been told, it only goes faster from here on out!  Which in these next three weeks I do not need to happen!  

easter excitement

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend!  


As usual, mine went to fast, but it was great to go back to Iowa and see family and friends once again.  On Friday evening Chasen and I went to church in Melcher and picked up supper on the way back to the field.  I never thought I would say it, but thank God for Casey's!  I ate lunch super early on Friday and was famished by time we got some pizza.  When hungry, it truly is beautiful how there is a Casey's in every small town in Iowa; and if your lucky there may be two!


It rained Saturday morning just enough to keep the men from doing fieldwork.  Got to love Iowa springs!  So most of the day was spent moving cattle, prepping field equipment, and for me cleaning the house.  I was quite sure after spending most of Saturday elbow deep in Fabulouso I smelt like green apple blossoms.  I guess there are worse things in life!


Chasen's grandparents came up for lunch on Easter Sunday.  We had a terrifically tasty lunch and I enjoyed wedding conversation with the grandmas-it is hard to believe that the big day will be here in 110 days!


After lunch Chasen and I checked cows; they only have 22 head left to calve.  He spotted a heifer that had just begun to push so we decided to move her up to the barn.  While moving cattle there was a brief moment of time, when I was actually proud of my dog:

• She stayed out of the way when we got cattle into the lot (running frantically from the bull). 
• She was quiet and stayed out of the way as we pushed the heifer into the barn (the bull went into the barn with the heifer).  
• And she helped me push out a heifer that had snuck into the lot (of course after the bull had left).  

Despite her weaker moments in fear, she did a terrific job; a working progress I'd say.


After a half hours time Chasen decided he was going to pull the calf.  So he put on some sleeves and began to position the calf inside the heifer for the pulling process.  Once that was settled, him and cousin Kyle began to pull out the little fella by his front legs.  First the hooves appeared, then his tiny nose, and eventually his eyes, head, shoulders, and then he slipped right on out!  I did all I could to help: mainly providing motivational support and some lubrication around the birth canal.  He was quite a lively little thing and was up within 5 minutes of being pulled.  It was probably one of the coolest Easter gifts on record (my condolences to the Easter Bunny).


However, helping with the pull solidified the fact I will not be having kids for quite some time; or at least I see a scheduled pregnancy and c-section in my future.  In fact I told Chasen that is the only way to go.  He agreed with me and questioned, "why else do they still make 1-piece swimsuits?"  And I have to admit, he has a great point:::

dude, it's beef

After a run-around with the media, the truth about LFTB is available for consumers to grasp.  Over the weekend BPI held a grill-out for producers, consumers, and industry people to share information on the incorporation of LFTB in ground beef.  Articles have been published in various newspapers, and specials have been held on morning talk shows and the evening news.  I hope and pray this big and ugly mess can turn itself around.  Beef producers are already losing $7 per market animal: which may not seem like a lot, but more times than none that is all the profit one makes when feeding cattle.


Regardless, as an animal scientist and consumer, it still amazes me how many people have not heard about the pink slime scandal.  At Iowa State University Governor Tom Branstad and Nancy Degner from the Iowa Beef Industry Council are planning to hold a meeting: "The TRUTH about LFTB" next Tuesday afternoon.  I wish I could make it over to Ames for the meeting, but a 3 hour drive stands in my way :(  It is the public appearances such as these, and the easy to read diagrams (below) that will continue to shed light on the inclusion of LFTB in US ground beef.  

This diagram has picked up some popularity over the weekend and I must agree it was quite informational.  One of the big misconceptions about the production of LFTB is that ammonium hydroxide is injected into the beef and remains present in highly toxic levels.  But as you can see, minuscule concentrations of ammonium hydroxide are present in beef, 1/2 of what is in the bun and 1/4 of what is found in cheese!  Now I must make it clear I am not passing the blame onto other commodity groups.  Ammonium hydroxide is a naturally occurring substance in our own bodies, and it is a fairly accurate measure to prevent the growth of bacteria such as E Coli.  


LFTB is a safe, economical, and lean addition to anyone's diet!  


We need to remember these ideas and most importantly that beef is beef.  And with that being said, I really need to remember to quit blogging before lunch, this chic is starving, and that cartooned hamburger is making me realllllllllllllllly hungry--sad and strange as that may sound, ha!  I guess it is true that real women eat beef! ciao!