Published: May 01, 2006 01:45 pm         

Students beef up on cooking skills

TUTTLE HIGH SCHOOL — The Family and Consumer Science classes at Tuttle High School have “beefed” up their cooking skills, with help from Oklahoma’s beef producers.

Through the Beef for the Classroom program, Family and Consumer Science (FACS) teachers ordered resources to help educate their students about nutrition and food preparation. These resources include curriculum kits, recipes, and beef.

“I really appreciate the Oklahoma Beef Council donating beef certificates for me to use to purchase beef for cooking labs. It is beneficial to my students to learn how to use beef in recipes,” said FACS-ed Teacher Mrs. Lollis.

“Through this project, teachers purchase beef to teach students proper cooking methods,” said Susan Allen, director of consumer information and education at Oklahoma Beef Council.

Students in Tuttle’s FACS-ed class learned how to buy various cuts of beef, which cuts are most tender and most lean, what preparation methods are appropriate for each cut and difference in grade and trim levels.

“Some of the recipes our students prepare were listed recipes,” said Lollis. The students also learned how many cuts of beef there are labeled for lean or extra lean by USDA.

“It’s really nice having the beef certificates,” said Tuttle sophomore Alyssa Henderson. “It helps all of us learn how to cook beef correctly. It also helps us cook beef in a variety of ways.”