WSU students, staff raising premium beef

The home of Cougar cheeses and Ferdinand’s ice cream now has its own beef for sale.

Washington State University premium beef is locally raised Angus choice or Wagyu breeds of cattle. The boxed cuts sell for $5 and $9 per pound respectively. Customers can buy whole, half and quarter sizes for a bit less, said Tom Cummings, manager of cattle operations at WSU.

“We give our cattle lots of attention,” he said in a news release from the university. “Not only that, but it’s a local food system. Consumers know where the beef comes from and that’s important to a lot of people these days.”

The Angus choice beef is comparable to the meat served at a high-end restaurant, Cummings said. And the Wagyu beef breed originated in Japan and is known for being so tender you can cut it with a fork.

Jamie Callison, an executive chef and instructor in WSU’s School of Hospitality Business Management, served the beef at the Feast of the Arts fall dinner series. He’s writing a cookbook featuring foods of the Palouse. He shared his recipe for pot roast to showcase the school’s new beef brand.

Pot Roast

From executive chef Jamie Callison, WSU School of Hospitality Business Management. To substitute dry herbs for the fresh in this recipe, use about 1/3 of the amount. Be sure to crush dried rosemary.

3 1/4 pounds beef chuck, 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon seasoning salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup yellow onions, diced small

3/4 cup celery, diced small

3/4 cup carrots, diced small

2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

3 cups beef stock

Gather and measure all needed ingredients.

Trim beef and cut into desired size. Lightly coat beef with some of the oil and then season evenly.

Use a sauce pan that is large enough to hold all ingredients. If you are not going to use a slow cooker, you will need a pan with a tight-fitting lid.

Using half of the canola oil, sear the meat and then remove from pan and place in a warm place. In the same pan, add the remaining oil, onions, celery and carrots and cook until slightly caramelized.

Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. If you add the garlic too early, it will burn.

Remove pan from the heat, add red wine and herbs. Return to heat and reduce to a glaze. Always use a good quality red wine.

Add beef stock and bring to a simmer. Add meat and bring back to a simmer and then cover with a lid.

Place in a 200-degree oven, slow cooker or the stove top on low. The pot roast should be simmering, however, don’t boil. If you boil the meat it will become tough.

In the oven or stove top, the roast should take about 4 to 6 hours. In a crock pot on low, the beef could take 8 to 10 hours.

When the meat is fork tender, remove meat and pour a little of the sauce over the top. Cover and keep in a warm place.

Skim excess fat off sauce and then puree the sauce with a hand-held or traditional blender until smooth.

Adjust flavor by adding more seasonings if needed. When the sauce is done, add beef back into sauce and keep hot until ready to serve.

Yield: 7 servings