Beef: It's What's For Dinner

Ancho Chili Rubbed Roast - that beautiful dark color is not burn - it's the delicious rub.

It's 'Beef Week' here at Cooking with Anne, but not like you may be thinking. While many of my recipes come from the family and comfort food angle, the beef recipes I'm sharing this week are actually healthy ones. Be sure to stay tuned all week long for your chance to win one of 3 copies of The Healthy Beef Cookbook and a $100 gift card so you can make your own fabulous beef dinners.

I bet you're thinking what I've always thought; "Beef can't be good for you, no matter what." Well, I have been delightfully proven wrong. Consider this: A skinless chicken breast has 3 grams of fat and a skinless chicken thigh has 9.2 grams of fat. There are 29 cuts of beef that fall within the 3 gram to 9.2 gram fat range. No ... really. Go on and check it out for yourself! Amazing, isn't it?

And, if you want to know more about eating beef and your health (beyond just the fat label) check out Healthy Eating with Beef at www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com and also read 'Read Meat, Reclaimed', By Sara Dickerman in the February 2009 issue of Bon Appetit.

Need recipes for all those lean cuts? You can find more than you need for a year's worth of meals HERE. Now, on to the first of 3 recipes I chose for this week.

Yesterday's Sunday Dinner was Ancho Chili Rubbed Roast. I think the flavors of chili, cocoa, cinnamon and garlic belnded together perfectly and the beef itself was divine. This was great with the accompanying sweet potatoes and bright green beans. Everyone loved it, including Monsieur Picky (a.k.a. hubby) and the two smallest noseminers asked for thirds.

Ancho Chili-Rubbed Beef Roast
(photo above)

Total recipe time: 2 to 2-3/4 hours
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1. 1 beef round (sirloin) tip roast (about 3 to 4 pounds)

Ancho Rub:
1. 2 tablespoons ground ancho chili powder
2. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
3. 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6. 2-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
7. Salt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Combine Ancho Rub ingredients in small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons rub for potatoes. Press remaining rub mixture evenly onto beef roast.
2. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 325°F oven 1-3/4 to 2 hours for medium rare; 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours for medium doneness.
3. Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 140°F for medium rare; 155°F for medium. Transfer to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium.)
4. Meanwhile combine reserved rub with oil in large bowl. Add sweet potatoes; toss to coat evenly. Place potatoes on metal baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 1 hour. Uncover potatoes; stir and continue roasting 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.
5. Carve beef roast into thin slices; serve with potatoes. Season beef and potatoes with salt, as desired.


Nutritional Information Per Serving

Nutrition information per serving (1/6 of recipe): 472 calories; 14 g fat (4 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat); 150 mg cholesterol; 139 mg sodium; 36 g carbohydrate; 6.1 g fiber; 50 g protein; 9.7 mg niacin; 1.0 mg vitamin B6; 2.6 mcg vitamin B12; 5.9 mg iron; 53.7 mcg selenium; 8.6 mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc.


Nutrition information per serving (1/8 of recipe): 367 calories; 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat); 112 mg cholesterol; 124 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 4.5 g fiber; 37 g protein; 7.1 mg niacin; 0.8 mg vitamin B6; 1.9 mcg vitamin B12; 3.9 mg iron; 40.5 mcg selenium; 6.5 mg zinc. This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc; and a good source of fiber.

*If it helps you to feel any better about reading on, I bought organic grass-fed beef for this week's posting.