Beef

Commentary Hot dog. I mean hot sirloin. I want to tip my hat to Martha Flach, and I don't even know who in the heck she is. All I know is that The New York Times picked up on her match.com personal ad and wrote a story about it. Remember the good old days when reporters used to monitor stuff like police logs and court records to dig up news stories? No, never mind, I don't want to get distracted by that, because in this case the reporter in charge of the lonely hearts beat did the nation a great service.

In working with vendors for a our local, sustainable dinner this past week, I worked out a deliciously tender steak recipe that uses some sirloin steaks from Stonecrest Farms, a Sharpsburg farm that has raised natural beef for decades near Antietam National Battlefield. This recipe complements Stonecrest's all-natural, tasty beef. Marinated sirloin steak 4 8-ounce sirloin steaks 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup red wine 1 bottle Bass Ale 1/4 cup sweet onion, minced 5 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Blackened Steak Seasoning 1 teaspoon favorite hot sauce Whisk ingredients until well blended, Pour over sirloin steaks in a marinate container or in a 1 gallon Ziploc storage bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 6 hours, remove from the marinate and place on a high temperature grill.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Some of James Petre's neighbors went before the Washington Township Supervisors on Monday to raise a stink about the family-run mulch business on Pa. 997 south of Waynesboro. "Basically, I have problems with the whole operation. I live the closest, and I have to look at this," said Deborah Gettel, who has lived next door since 1992. She presented the township supervisors with pictures of what she described as "piles of junk" on the 36-acre Petre farm. Open since 2004, J&R Mulch & More sells mulch and more, including stones, swing sets and lawn furniture, according to Petre.

QUINCY, Pa. - Neighbors and friends greeted each other as they carried overflowing trays of food to tables under the pavilions at the 16-acre Quincy Community Center on Pa. 997 north of Waynesboro, Pa. Everyone seemed to know someone at the 69th Annual Quincy Ox Roast Weekend sponsored by the Quincy Community Ox Roast Association, Inc. The association was formed in 1934 to provide street lighting for the village of Quincy. Tom and Beverly Daley of Greencastle, Pa., attended with family members.

Wondering where the beef is? The answer is Quincy, where 2,600 pounds of beef will be roasted, ground, sliced and made into sandwiches and soup during 72nd annual Quincy Ox Roast this weekend. The Ox Roast is a standing tradition in the small community of Quincy. But 72 years ago, things were done a bit differently, said Donald Gossert of Quincy, president of the Quincy Community Ox Roast Association Inc. "Back then, they roasted an ox on a spit over an open fire," he said.

ST. THOMAS, Pa. - About a ton of beef was consumed one sandwich at a time Friday and Saturday at the 52nd Annual Mt. Parnell Lions Club Ox Roast on the grounds of American Legion Detrich-Brechbill Post No. 612 on U.S. 30 west in St. Thomas. Lions Club member Frank Newman of Chambersburg, Pa., said the ox roast attracts about 5,000 people every year. He and other club members cooked 1,300 pounds of beef Friday and another 800 pounds Saturday in a large, gas-fired cooker on the premises.

(Start to finish: 45 minutes) 1 pound ground beef 19-ounce can ready-to-serve chunky vegetable soup 6-ounce package instant stuffing mix 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef until lightly browned and no longer pink inside, about 8 minutes. While the beef cooks, prepare the stuffing according to package directions. When the beef is done, use a mesh strainer to drain it to remove excess fat. Return the beef to the skillet.

Kelsie Yetter, 13, of Clear Spring, grooms her beef steer Hammertime Thursday evening as 4-H members bring their livestock to the annual Washington County Ag Expo & Fair at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center south of Hagerstown on Sharpsburg Pike. Kelsie plans to show Hammertime with other Angus beef Tuesday night.

Washington County All meals include a choice of milk and two selections of fruits and vegetables. Fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables will be offered in all schools every day. Monday - Beef hot dog or pork rib-i-cue. Tuesday - Beef steamer or turkey and cheese wrap. Wednesday - Chicken patty or cheese quesadilla with salsa. Thursday - Spaghetti with meat sauce or sausage and egg bun. Friday - Cheese or pepperoni pizza or tuna salad sandwich.

I normally don't approve of marginally pointless lawsuits, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception. A California woman is suing Taco Bell for hinting around that its beef filling might contain some actual beef. Which it does, of course, but only 35 percent's worth, the lawsuit contends. The rest is filler, all the stuff you would expect — corn, soy, oats, and so on. The only thing that really grabs your attention is the "anti-dusting agent. " As is getting to be the case in these matters, the reaction to the news is far more interesting than the news itself: 1. A Miami newspaper noted that Taco Bell had pulled its advertising from a promiscuous television show on MTV, but then made a pretty good argument that Taco Bell is worse for you than the show.

W4W, or Women for Worship, will hold a hot roast beef and turkey dinner Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Parkhead Fellowship Hall behind Parkhead Church. The menu includes roast beef or turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, applesauce, dessert and drink. Admission will be by donation. For more information, call 301-842-3202. Easter egg hunt Hilltop Christian Fellowship, at 12624 Trinity Church Drive in Clear Spring, will hold a community Easter egg hunt Saturday, April 7, at 11 a.m. The public is invited.    For more information, call 301-842-2225 or 301-842-3759.

Images from Ohio show many of Chardon High School's 1,100 students walking down tree-lined streets late last week as they returned to their brown-brick school building just days after a deadly shooting. Without the “Chardon” shirts, it could almost be easy to mistake the pictures for ones taken in Franklin County's communities. And that is what gives pause to those responsible for our schools. “My heart goes out to that community. At the very core of our mission (as educators)

The owner of a popular restaurant between Halfway and Williamsport told county liquor officials Wednesday that he is contemplating moving the business to a larger building north of Hagerstown. John Walla, owner of Black Eyed Susan at 17102 Virginia Ave., said during a hearing before the Board of License Commissioners for Washington County that he wanted to move the restaurant to the former Beef 'O' Brady's site on North Pointe Drive near the Volvo Powertrain plant. “We're running out of space,” Walla said before the hearing.

The Franklin County 4-H Beef Club will hold its organization meeting for 2012 Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Ag Heritage Center, 185 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg.    Club members are taught the fundamentals of raising market steers and building skills that will prepare them for life. Members will learn how to select a project steer, how to feed and care for beef animals, how to keep steers healthy and how to keep records.  For more information, call Karen Hack at 717-263-9226.

The Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation Inc. invites the community to attend an evening of support for agricultural education.   The event will be Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Barn at Springfield Farm, 14 Springfield Lane in Williamsport. The event will feature a Wild in Western Maryland Dinner, offering local beef, pork, lamb, goat, local sweet corn, new red potatoes and fresh-baked apple dumplings. There will be a live and silent auction, and the local bluegrass band Fertile Soil will provide the music for the evening.

Overcast skies and a light sprinkle didn't keep people away from the Quincy Ox Roast as it wrapped up Monday, highlighted by a family-style ox roast dinner. A long line began to form around the dining room on the Quincy Community Ox Roast Association's grounds by 11:30 a.m., a half-hour before patrons were allowed in for the all-you-can-eat noontime feast. "I think we're known for our food," said Molly Gossert, one of the event's directors, who began cooking for the big meal around 6 a.m. "It's really a kind of homecoming for the area.

Steve Martin's son, Tim, sold steers, lambs and other animals during his time in 4-H, earning enough money to help pay for his education at West Virginia University. Tim is now studying engineering at WVU thanks in part to his 4-H success. On Thursday night, Martin's younger son, Justin, was selling a beef steer during the Washington County 4-H/FFA Market Animal Sale at Washington County Ag Expo and Fair in Sharpsburg. The thirteen-year-old boy ended up selling the animal to Gouff Construction for $1,471.75, which Justin said he is considering using to buy another steer.

This recipe comes to you by way of the Jeff Smith aka "The Frugal Gourmet," a fellow TV chef that passed away in 2004 amid a cloud of controversy.   He was instrumental in my first glimpses of cooking on TV before there ever was a food or cooking channel and his wit and fun in the kitchen certainly made for creative recipes. I believe he helped usher in a move from PBS to center-stage cooking and paved the way for the culinary shows we watch today. As a tribute to The Frugal Gourmet, I'd like to present my take on his classic recipe utilizing wine in marinating beef to bring out the flavor in tough cuts of meat.

When Ryan Horst brought a piece of Korea to Martinsburg, W.Va., last summer, it was a big hit. Horst's Korean-inspired shrimp burger won the Grand Champion award at last year's Big Bad Burger Contest. "He won by a landslide," said event coordinator Selina Meehleib, "He won the judges' vote and the crowd vote. " This year's Big Bad Burger Contest will be held Saturday, June 11, in the Martinsburg Mall parking lot, and all proceeds from the event will benefit the Eastern Panhandle Free Clinic.

While I have previously listed beef skewers or city chicken recipes, this recipe is taking the simple beef kabob to the next level of flavor.   By incorporating a flavorful wine as the marinade for your vegetables and meat, you get loads of flavor and a deliciously simple meal that is ready in less than an hour. For this recipe, you want to get some really nice sirloin or rib eye. You don't need top-of-the-line filet mignon, but high-quality cuts certainly add to the tenderness and flavor of the finished dish.