Fall Back in Love with Beef

Make a tasty transition into fall by pairing beef with seasonal vegetables, such as sweet bell peppers and tomatoes. These colorful recipes will not only be nutritious and great-tasting, they also make for fun, easy entertaining with beef.

Autumn is the perfect time to reconnect with friends. There's a slight nip in the air and an excitement to prepare satisfying and wholesome meals with beef. Fill the house with the aromas of fall, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and heartier fare like stews, thick soups, oven roasts, and long, slow braised cuts of beef. To host a dinner party with less stress and more flavor, incorporate the bounty of fall harvest into your beef stews or roasts.

Choosing the correct wine to compliment the recipes shouldn't be stressful either when entertaining. There are no rigid rules when pairing beef and wine and the easiest principle to follow is matching wine and foods of the same "status". A simple pot roast doesn't require an expensive, top-flight wine just as a fine New York strip or prime rib should be served with a complex, expensive wine such as Bordeaux.

Fall recipes such as the Autumn Beef and Cider Stew should be paired with a wine that feels soft and seamless on the palate, such as a pinot noir, to compliment the humble, no-fuss recipe. The Autumn Pot Roast and Root Vegetables recipe utilizes a very flavorful roast that should be paired with a wine that's bold and lipsmacking, such as a fruity merlot or zinfandel.

Recipes for Autumn Beef and Cider Stew and Autumn Pot Roast with Root Vegetables are detailed in the Ruralnorthwest.com Around the Northwest Recipes Page.

Following a healthy diet when entertaining doesn't have to be difficult; simply make your recipe with nutrient-rich lean beef. Choose one of beef's 29 cuts that meet government guidelines for lean and serve a healthy, nutrient rich meal that will satisfy all. For more fall favorite recipe ideas, nutrition information and cooking tips, visit www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

About the Idaho Beef Council:
The Idaho Beef Council was created in 1967 by the Idaho legislature as a marketing organization for the Idaho beef industry, and to support a national beef marketing effort. As a qualified state beef council under the Beef Promotion and Research Act, the Idaho Beef Council is responsible for collecting the $1.50 per-head checkoff on all cattle marketed in Idaho and distributing funds to state and national programs for the promotion of beef.