What a fabulous invention – flexible grilling skewers!  We tried them, loved them, and say..."once you have used these, you will never go back to using "traditional" skewers for grilling!"

So what is this wondrous grilling accessory?  The FireWire is a 27–inch, flexible, stainless steel cable. It eliminates the hassle of trying to fit multiple skewers on the grill, plus find grill space for the other food items you want to make. Just place your other items on the gill and "snake" the FireWire around and between them.

Remember how frustrating it is to turn the skewers and have the meat turn in several different directions–not in the direction you want? The coil–style construction of the FireWire eliminates that problem. Turn the FireWire and the contents of the skewer turn with it. In addition, the tips of the FireWire are cool to the touch (they hang over the side of the grill and are not exposed to the heat) and make using them easy and safe.  The cooked contents are easily removed from the skewers.

The 27–inch length allows for double the amount contained on the traditional sized metal skewer.  Additional, the flexibility of the coil allows the skewers to fit into a bowl or resealable bag for marinating. When finished using, just pop into the dishwasher – yes they are dishwasher safe and come with a lifetime warranty.

We salute the producers of this "why didn't we think of it" invention. Inno–Labs, is a product development company located in Winfield, Kansas. It  was founded in 2001 by Todd Gentry, who is also the company C.E.O. He previously was a co–founder of a regional internet provider that was ultimately acquired by EarthLink.

The FireWire has received several awards:

The San Francisco Gourmet Housewares Show selected the FireWire the 2009 Gourmet Golds Award winner in the Gadgets, Cutlery, and Accessories category and said, "Grilling enthusiasts are going to flip for this terrifically inventive idea."

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute selected the FireWire as a recipient of the 2010 VIP Award. The award recognizes "products  that stand out for their inventive approach to helping families improve their lives in ingenious ways."  

KosherEye declares the FireWire Flexible Grilling Skewers a "Gift yourself, Gift others" item!  We have provided the following recipes as a tasty way to try out the FireWire on your grill:

Chicken Yakitori with Scallions (Traditional Style Japanese Kebabs), Spicy Beef Kebabs, Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Coriander and Cumin, and Grilled Marinated Vegetable Kebabs.

 Enjoy and Happy Grilling!

The FireWire is available at major retail locations. For a complete listing, or for more information on this unique product, please visit FireWireGrilling.com.  Also available at Amazon.com.

Amazing Asian Sauces

As a child, Stephen Chen remembers his mother Joyce entertaining both her Chinese and Western friends with authentic Chinese dishes she learned while growing up in China.

Joyce Chen came to America from Shanghai, China in 1949 and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Adjusting to her new way of life, she volunteered at her children’s school and prepared some home-made eggrolls for sale at a school fair. Her eggrolls sold out immediately.  Cooking had always been Joyce’s passion, and she continued to please her friends with her traditional and unique dishes.

She eventually understood the growing interest in Chinese food and began teaching lessons first at home and, later, at Cambridge’s and Boston’s Adult Education Centers. She opened The Joyce Chen Chinese Restaurant in 1958, wrote her first Joyce Chen Cook Book in 1964, and in1968 starred in her own national televised PBS cooking series called “Joyce Chen Cooks”.  In 1994 Joyce Chen passed away, but in 1998, was inducted, posthumously, into the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame. Stephen Chen, Joyce’s entrepreneurial youngest son, is now president of Joyce Chen Foods.

The good news for kosher shoppers is that all of the company’s sauces are certified kosher-parve under the Star-K.  They are natural, with no MSG added!

The Sauces:

• Joyce Chen Peking Ravioli Dipping Sauce for Pot stickers/Dumpling:  No MSG, low sodium and preservative free.  We tried the mild version as a dipping sauce for eggrolls and chicken.  Delicious!

• Joyce Chen Sweet & Tangy Duck Sauce:  A blend of apricots and apples with natural cider vinegar. Use as a glaze or a dip to complement appetizers. No high fructose corn syrup. Try in a sweet and sour baked chicken recipe.

• Joyce Chen Ginger & Garlic Savory Stir Fry Oil:  Naturally flavored canola oil blended with aromatic ginger and garlic Flavorful product in a stir fry.

• Joyce Chen 100% Roasted Sesame Oil:  All natural slow roasted 100% (not a blend) sesame oil gives an aromatic, nutty touch to your favorite dish. .We add this to our Asian slaw, and stir fry recipes.

• Joyce Chen Hoisin Sauce:  Dark brown velvety rich, all purpose cooking and dipping condiment. Our "go to" sauce for dipping, rib-making, lo mein and just about anything when we are thinking Chinese.

KosherEye has become a fan of Joyce Chen sauce products. They are healthful, natural, delicious and convenient. Now, Stephen, how about those delicious pot stickers that we cannot feature, because they are not yet kosher certified? We’re waiting – we heard that they were irresistible!

Perfectly Done, Perfectly Kosher! – Part 3

Now that you know all about the different types of beef and which cuts are kosher, it’s time for you to beef up on beef preparation. But there is one more factor you may have to take into account when perusing the butcher’s shop: the cost. Some cuts tend to be more expensive than others.

The economy has taken a toll on many households, but that doesn’t mean that beef is not affordable. According to Peter Swerdlow of Griller's Pride.com, there is a South American rib eye steak that sells for approximately $11 per pound. When aged in the refrigerator for about two days or marinated for 12 hours, it can be just as tender as the pricier Black Angus rib eye steak.

If you’ve got a little more cash to spend, Swerdlow recommends the French roast, prime rib, Black Angus rib eye beef steaks or first cut 1.5-inch veal chops. These cuts are all a bit more extravagant, but perfect for a splurge, a special occasion or special guests.

Every beef cut entails a recommended method of preparation. A proper recipe can bring out the full flavor of each cut and Swerdlow shares some of his preparation tips:

Ribs taste the best when they are first marinated and then grilled.  

For a roast beef cut, he prefers two methods :

• Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan and add  one inch of water to the bottom of the pan.  Bake in a preheated  350 degree oven.  After it has reached preferred serving temperature*, let the roast rest, covered, for 10 minutes so the juices won’t run out when you slice it. 
• Rub the meat with a spice-rub such as garlic powder, pepper, Barbeque spice (use your favorite).  Place the roast in a covered oven pan, and roast at 325 degrees until desired doneness.

For steak:

• Turn the grill to high and cook each side of the steak for 90 seconds.
• Then, turn down the grill to 350 degrees.
• Flip the steak to the original side and grill it for another 60 seconds or until desired temperature* is reached.
• Take the steak off the grill and let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes before “enjoying every succulent bite!”

You can now confidently stroll into the kosher butcher shop, select the perfect cut for your taste and budget, and understand some of the best basic preparation methods for the cut.  You’ll have all of your family and guests mouths "watering" in no time as the smell of your beef dish wafts throughout the house, promising an extraordinary meal!

Please read excerpts from our conversation with Peter Swerdlow of Grillers Pride.

Beef and the Warming tray:
If you are serving a beef roast or beef steak, and want to prepare it ahead and then leave it on a warming tray, we offer the following suggestion:

• Cook until almost at your preferred temperature*
• Remove from cooking source and place on warming tray (such as Cuisinart Warming Tray), covered
• Leave until serving time -for up to 2 hours.  Although doneness may not be perfect, it will be close! 
• When we use this method, we usually cook meat until it reaches just below rare about 125-127 degrees, cover and leave on the warming tray.

Unless you are a professional chef or experienced foodie, properly done beef (and poultry) requires a cooking thermometer and we think that it is a MUST for the home cook or foodie. We are recommending two types– one digital, one instant read.  We like the Taylor Classic Style Meat Dial Thermometer and the Taylor Digital Thermometer.

*Remember, beef will continue to cook after being removed from the heat source—while it is resting.  As a general  guide,  the following temperatures apply to the cooked internal  temperature  of beef :

Rare 140°
Medium rare 145°
Medium 160°
Well done 170°

You’ve come so far. You’re a master of choosing what type of kosher beef you want and which cut is best, but you’ve returned home from the store and realized – there’s more to beef than merely cooking it. The recipe with the perfect blend of spices and ingredients will both complement and enhance the flavor of your meat.

We have selected a few excellent beef recipes to share, including a kosher adaptation of Julia Child’s famous Beef Bourguignon. But be adventurous; as the great Julia said in her book My Life in France, “This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

Kosher Beef Bourguignon, Korean Style Short Ribs, Famous Steak House Steak, BBQ Ribs with Marinade and Sauce, 2^nd Avenue Deli Brisket, and Polynesian Steak Sauce Marinade.

For additional recipe ideas, please visit BeefItsForDinner and GrillersPride.com.

Check out USDA.gov for additional tips on the proper storage and cooking temperatures for meat.

We would like to acknowledge Adina Solomon, KosherEye’s sensational summer intern for researching and collaborating with us on this series of articles. She certainly has gotten to the "meat" of the subject!

A Grade Above – Part 2

In part one, we have discussed the various types of beef. There is also another factor in buying beef; understanding which cuts of beef are kosher? Kosher beef is produced following specific Jewish laws and under the supervision of specially licensed rabbis. Only the forequarters of the cow can be kosher-certified. The precise parts of the cow where kosher meat comes from is the shoulder, the rib, the leg, under the rib and behind the leg.Rabbi Seth Mandel, Rabbinic Coordinator,The Orthodox Union said, "Only the 13th rib is disqualified. In the US, most productions take the 12th rib and the meat between it and the 13th (rib)."

According to our interview with Rabbi Reuven Stein of the Atlanta Kashruth Commission, the portion of kosher beef that is in the hindquarter leg of the cow is not used in the United States, but is used in Israel. This is because the non-kosher sciatic nerve runs through this meat, and it is both labor-intensive and costly to remove. In Israel, where there is less of a market for non-kosher meat, and meat prices are much higher, it makes economic sense to take the time and effort to remove the sciatic nerve and sell the rest as kosher meat.

Kosher parts of the beef:

The following is a list of kosher beef cuts; keep in mind that some cuts have multiple names.

Some beef roasts are:

• Rib roast (“the royalty of roasts”)
• Top of the rib
• French roast (also known as square cut roast, thick London broil, or brick roast)
• Silver tip roast (also known as roast beef)
• Minute steak roast
• Shell roast
• Shoulder roast
• Chuck roast
• Chuck eye roast

Some briskets are:

• Whole brisket (includes both the first and second cut briskets): best for slow roast, potting or braising, or slow smoking
• First cut: a lean cut that is good for potting
• Second cut:  a tender cut but less lean than first cut. Good for slow cooking
• Deckel:  good for pot roast and slow cooking

Some steak cuts are:

• Rib steak: the most popular with steak lovers and great for the grill or the broiler
• Rib eye steak (also known as boneless rib steak)
• Delmonico steak (boneless, also known as club): first cut of the rib. The Delmonico steak is great on the grill or in the broiler and has a tender, rich texture
• Filet split grill: a lean cut that is good marinated. If left whole, it can be used as a minute roast
• Hangar (hanger) steak: a hanging tenderloin that is a good choice for marinating and grilling or broiling, if kept moist
• Blade steak
• Flank steak: often used to make London broil
• Minute Steak (also known as flat iron or London broil): this is good for pan frying or grilling with spice rub, barbecue sauce, or marinade. Order sliced, and it’s great for sandwiches
• Shoulder steak/shoulder London broil: grill with moisture
• Pepper steak: this is cut in thin slices, well marbleized, rich, and tender. Use in Wok, stew, or as steak
• Chuck steak: a chuck roast cut into chuck steaks with the bone
• Chuck eye steak: a boneless chuck steak
• Skirt steak: a narrow, thin cut makes it perfect for the grill or the broiler, especially when marinated. Some chefs rinse well before using to avoid an overly “salty” taste. Slice thin and use in fajita

• Flanken: a flanked small, juicy, and tender rib. It’s a great item for the grill or the broiler. It is also ideal for pot roast and soups. The meat from this tender cut will fall right off the bone. When cut on the “bias,” flanken may be used for Korean ribs (also known as Miami ribs)
• Short ribs (also known as spare ribs)
• Beef short ribs: these are tender when potted. You'll find that when prepared properly, the meat will fall off the bone. You can also prepare these ribs on the grill with barbeque sauce for a delicious alternative
• Beef stew meat: chunks of meat usually from the “chuck”
• Beef shanks: this is the shank (or leg) portion. It tends to be tough, dry, and sinewy, so it is best when cooked low and slow in moist heat
• Kalichel: this refers to the animal’s leg meat and is usually sold boned. It is always very tender. It’s sometimes cut crosswise with the bone in and is excellent for hearty soups
• Beef Marrow: the soft fatty tissue found in the center of animal leg bones.
• Marrow bones: straight portions of leg bones that contain marrow. These are considered delicacies in many countries, especially in Europe
• Cubed steak: cubed steak is a thin cut of beef, tenderized by fierce pounding with a meat mallet or use of an electric tenderizer
• Raw pickled corned beef (also known as pickled first cut brisket)
• Pickled tongue

What about Grade?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA beef grades are based on nationally uniform Federal standards of quality. No matter where or when a consumer purchases graded meat (or poultry), it must have met the same grade criteria.

USDA quality grades for Meat and Poultry relate to tenderness, juiciness, and flavor; Kosher meat is sold primarily in two quality grades:

• Prime grade has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants, hotels and upscale butcher shops. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (broiling, roasting, or grilling).
• Choice grade is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime

Purchasing kosher beef is a multi-faceted buying experience; every factor becomes important.  You may consider what the cattle ate, if the beef is natural or organic, if it is dried or not, and where the cattle came from. While you’re keeping all of this in mind, you may be also noting the specific kosher-certification as well.  It’s a daunting task, but for the informed savvy shopper, it can be a cinch.

Home on the Range – Part 1

Steak sizzling on the grill, brisket cooking in the oven, hamburgers in the summer – beef is a meat that takes on many forms, from the elegant to the everyday.  In order to be a true beef connoisseur, you need to know more about the meat than the fact that it comes from a cow. What the cattle were fed, whether the beef is natural or organic, whether the beef is dried or not, and where the cattle were raised, all affect the ultimate product that ends up on your plate. The biggest catch in this equation is that you must be familiar with all of this information within the realm of kosher-certified beef. Is this mission "impossible"?  It doesn’t need to be.

First, know what the cow has eaten.  Cattle can have a range of diets over their lives such as:
Grain-fed (or corn-fed), grain-finished (or corn-finished), grass-fed, or grass-finished.

• According to BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com, grain-fed cattle eat grass in pastures for most of their lives until they move to a feedlot and eat calorie-dense grain for three to six months, becoming grain-finished. Americans usually prefer this grain-fed beef because it’s more tender than grass-fed beef and has flavorful marbling.  Allison Aubrey, NPR, says since it doesn’t take up the space that grass-fed cows on pastures do, more grain-fed cattle can be raised at once. This means that grain-fed beef is cheaper for not only the farmer, but also the consumer – you.
   
• Grass-fed, and then grass-finished beef, eat grass on the pasture for their entire lives rather than moving to the feedlot like their grain-fed cousins.  

According to Aubrey, this beef has a different taste than grain-fed and grain-finished beef because it has more muscle tone as a result of the cows constantly moving. With this muscle tone, grass-fed beef does not have the same marbling as grain-fed beef, making it leaner meat.

In addition to what the cow eats, whether the beef is natural or organic also plays a role.

The United States Department of Agriculture describes natural beef as when the meat is "minimally processed containing no additives." Under this definition, all fresh beef is natural. On the other hand, organic beef must meet stringent USDA regulations and carry the USDA Organic Seal. When comparing natural and organic beef, organic undergoes much heavier examination than natural beef.

Devorah Kimelman-Block, the founder of KOL Foods—producers of 100% grass-fed, organic, kosher meat— has given KosherEye an exclusive interview on the grass-fed beef market.

Beyond the feeding, regulation, and preparation of beef, it also matters where the meat came from. One notable beef supplier is the country of Uruguay in South America. Most Uruguayan cattle are grass–fed, resulting in a leaner beef with more omega-3 fatty acids than the typical American beef.  Sometimes called “South American” or "grass–fed"on restaurant menus, Uruguayan beef has a "slightly earthy and less buttery flavor" than its American counterpart. This leaner beef results from the grass–fed cattle roaming in pastures. Clint Peck at Beef Magazine says most Uruguayan beef also contains no antibiotics or growth hormones and is advertised as being free of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease).

Wagyu beef originated a little farther from home, in Kobe, Japan. Wagyu cattle are genetically predisposed to intense marbling, and produce a higher percentage of unsaturated fat (the healthier fat) than any other breed of cattle known in the world. The "Wagyu beef" designation can legally be applied to the meat from any cattle of the Wagyu breed; it's a genetic label and does not  reference how the cattle were raised and fed.  A few American cattle ranchers have imported this breed cattle, and some is now available as kosher. Wagyu meat is legendary. Its marbling produces beef known for its tenderness, juiciness and flavor. It is also one of the world's most expensive types of beef; at the kosher restaurant and butcher Le Marais in New York City, Kosher Wagyu beef sells for $85 on the bone and $80 off the bone.  Bay Gourmet points out that Wagyu beef's extremely high price tag is due to its scarcity in the U.S. market, most of it selling in the Japanese mass market. Many consider Wagyu beef, with its tremendous degree of marbling, to be a succulent beef dish.

From grass to grain-fed, natural to organic, and Uruguayan to Wagyu, beef can vary tremendously. There is no "right"type of beef; it is based on whatever the occasion and what your preferences and budget demand. Whichever beef you prepare, remember that not all beefs are equal; recipes can be tailored for specific types of beef so you get the most delectable flavor out of your meat.