This news story first appeared in The Express Students beef up culinary skills at winter cooking class. The Express (lockhaven.com).

Sixteen Loganton-area residents unleashed their inner chef at the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School, Wed., Feb. 8, for “A Cut Above,” the third in an ongoing series of culinary classes sponsored by Nicholas Meat, with support from the Pennsylvania Beef Council.

The group put their skills to the test, splitting up into four stations to create two heart-healthy beef dishes in under an hour:  Creole Steak with Jambalaya Rice and Mediterranean Beef Meatball Kabobs.

Katie Dotterer, a.k.a. AgvoKate, who is an advocate for all things agriculture, kicked off the evening with a welcome on behalf of Nicholas Meat. Dotterer explained that beef is at the heart of Nicholas Meat’s business and that’s why they like to sponsor this class for the community, to share their passion for beef. She also provided an update on the Sustainable Resource Facility (SRF), complete with a newly released video showing the progress made to date. The SRF is a state-of-the art facility that will allow Nicholas Meat to reuse water and generate green energy from biogas. The SRF progress video can be viewed on Nicholas Meat’s website.  

Returning to the classroom to provide participants with nutrition and culinary instructions was Beth Stark, RDN, LDN, with the Pennsylvania Beef Council.  Stark shared information about the benefits of including lean beef in a heart-healthy diet, detailing how three ounces of lean beef contains 10 essential vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, B-16 and B-12. And she explained how to choose affordable cuts of beef without sacrificing quality and taste. The two recipes for the class were great examples of that.

After an evening of cutting, sauteing, chopping, stirring and learning, what did attendees take away about the star of the show? Comments included that certain cuts of beef are heart-healthy and affordable, that delicious beef-centered meals can be easy and fast to prepare, and that beef is a great source of nutrition.

In the end, the adventurous cooks enjoyed the delicious dishes they prepared and each other’s company.

“These classes are great fun,” said Dawn Jeffries, “always full of laughs, good conversation and, of course, delicious beef.” Jeffries is the Community Liaison for the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School. She manages and provides a variety of educational classes and events for the community.

Visit the school’s website for upcoming events or contact Dawn Jeffries at djeffries@svrcs.org for more information.

To try out the winter cooking class beef recipes and more, please visit the recipe section of the PA Beef Council website or download a copy of the recipes here.