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69 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 69 | 2017-09-25 02:56:48 | Cheesy Hamburger Pasta Skillet | 1 pound lean ground beef 1 medium green bell pepper, diced 1/2 large sweet onion, diced 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 2 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups half-and-half 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 8 ounces wide egg noodles 2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella Special Equipment: 12-inch skillet | 1 Brown the ground beef: Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking into smaller pieces with a spatula or spoon. When browned, place onto a paper towel lined plate, and drain the beef. Set aside. 2 Cook the pepper and onion: In the same pan, add in the bell pepper and onion. Cook until golden brown and softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer this mixture to another plate and set aside. 3 Make the sauce: Still in the same the pan, whisk together the chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring this mixture to a simmer. Whisk in flour and continue to simmer, about three minutes until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. 4 Cook the noodles: Add the egg noodles to the milk mixture. Cover pan and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through. Stir occasionally to ensure all noodles are submerged and cooking. 5 Add the ground beef, green peppers, and onions back to the pan. Stir to combine. Lastly, stir in the shredded cheese and combine until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately. |
There is a slightly guilty side of me that loves the kind of macaroni and ground beef skillet dish that comes from a box. It always reminds me of rowdy dinners at home growing up, with my brothers and sisters all around. This from-scratch version is nearly as easy as the boxed kind, and just as comforting. It also feeds a crowd and makes excellent leftovers! I like to use cheddar for this recipe, or you can make it with mozzarella for a more mild flavor. Whichever cheese you have on hand is going to be delicious. And don’t worry that you’ll need too many dishes. You can make the whole thing in one large skillet, noodles and all. |
Megan Keno | Cheesy Hamburger Pasta Skillet! Way better than a box mix and just as quick and easy! 1-pot, make it for dinner and have the leftovers for lunch. | Megan Keno | Cheesy Hamburger Pasta Skillet! Way better than a box mix and just as quick and easy! 1-pot, make it for dinner and have the leftovers for lunch. | 10 minutes | 30 minutes | 6 | ||
72 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 72 | 2017-09-25 02:56:53 | Corned Beef Hash | 2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 2-3 cups finely chopped, cooked corned beef 2-3 cups chopped cooked potatoes, preferably Yukon gold Salt and pepper Chopped fresh parsley | If you have leftover cabbage from corned beef and cabbage, feel free to chop that up as well and add that to the hash. | 1 Sauté onions in butter: Heat butter in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium heat. Add the onion and cook a few minutes, until translucent. 2 Add potatoes and corned beef: Mix in the chopped corned beef and potatoes. Spread out evenly over the pan. Increase the heat to high or medium high and press down on the mixture with a metal spatula. 3 Cook until browned, then flip: Do not stir the potatoes and corned beef, but let them brown. If you hear them sizzling, this is good. Use a metal spatula to peek underneath and see if they are browning. If nicely browned, use the spatula to flip sections over in the pan so that they brown on the other side. Press down again with the spatula. If there is too much sticking, you can add a little more butter to the pan. Continue to cook in this manner until the potatoes and the corned beef are nicely browned. 4 Stir in parsley, black pepper to serve: Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and add salt to taste. Serve with fried or poached eggs for breakfast. |
Have corned beef left over from making corned beef and cabbage? (Yes I know, it’s a stretch, but one can hope.) Make corned beef hash! Chop it up and fry it up with boiled potatoes and serve with runny fried eggs for breakfast. Or don’t wait (hope) for leftovers, making this hash is a good enough reason to make corned beef in the first place. It’s easy too. All you do is sauté some onions, add chopped boiled potatoes and chopped cooked corned beef, and let them sizzle in the pan until browned and crispy at the edges. So good! Do you like to make corned beef hash? If so and you have a different way than described here, please let us know about it in the comments. Updated from the recipe archive, first posted 2009. |
Elise Bauer | Chopped corned beef and potatoes, fried up with onions, and served as a side or for breakfast with eggs. | Elise Bauer | Chopped corned beef and potatoes, fried up with onions, and served as a side or for breakfast with eggs. | 5 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 4-6 | |
73 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 73 | 2017-09-25 02:56:59 | Beef Noodle Casserole | 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped, about 1 1/2 cups 1 bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped, about 1 cup 3 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 Tbsp 1 28-ounce can whole peeled or crushed tomatoes 1 1/2 pounds ground beef Salt 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced 12 ounces egg noodles 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted 1 15-ounce can of black olives, strained and chopped 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated |
1 Preheat oven and start heating water: Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and start to heat a large pot of salted water (1 Tbsp salt, 2 quarts water) for cooking the egg noodles. 2 Make tomato sauce base: Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot or skillet. Add the onions and bell pepper and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers or a knife if you are using whole canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to warm. 3 Brown the ground beef: In a separate skillet, add 1 Tbsp of oil and heat to medium-high. Working in batches, so you do not crowd the pan, add the ground beef, breaking it up with your fingers as you add it to the pan. Do not stir the ground beef, but let it sit and cook for a minute or two until it browns on one side. Sprinkle a little salt over the meat while cooking. Once browned on one side, turn the pieces over to get the other side browned. Once the meat is mostly browned (can still be rare in the center), remove the beef from the pan and add to the tomato onion mixture. 4 Sauté the mushrooms: Add the mushrooms to the same pan that you had used for browning the beef, and sauté the mushrooms in the remaining oil and beef drippings. Once browned, add the mushrooms to the beef and tomato mixture. 5 Cook the egg noodles: While the mushrooms are cooking, add the egg noodle pasta to the boiling water. Cook as directed, about 4-5 minutes. Strain when cooked, but still a little firm (al dente). 6 Add everything to casserole dish: Add the cooked egg noodles to a large (3 quart) casserole dish. (If your casserole dish isn't big enough, you may need to use 2 casserole dishes.) Stir in the tomato beef mixture. Stir in the corn, chopped olives, and about two thirds of the cheese. 7 Bake: Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of casserole. Place in the oven. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes. |
One of my favorite recipes from my childhood is this ground beef noodle casserole that my grandmother used to make for us when we came for a visit. It has ground beef, egg noodles, black olives, corn, mushrooms, and shredded cheddar cheese. It may sound like an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of recipe, or a midwestern version of tamale pie (corn, olives, mushrooms?), but wow is it good! It also feeds a crowd, which was perfect for out big family (6 kids), and is relatively budget friendly. I have no idea where my grandmother got the recipe, but I did find her old hand written notes for it, including its name—Talerine. Doing a quick Google search for “talerine” reveals several similar recipes that many people coincidentally got from their grandmothers. It’s a great casserole—tasty, easy to make, hearty, and makes for great leftovers too. Do you have a similar casserole in your family history? Let us know about it in the comments! This recipe has been updated. First published July, 2006. |
Elise Bauer | BEST Beef Noodle Casserole EVER! Our favorite recipe from my grandmother is this casserole with ground beef, egg noodles, onions, bell pepper, garlic, mushrooms, tomato, corn, olives, egg noodles and grated cheddar cheese. | Elise Bauer | BEST Beef Noodle Casserole EVER! Our favorite recipe from my grandmother is this casserole with ground beef, egg noodles, onions, bell pepper, garlic, mushrooms, tomato, corn, olives, egg noodles and grated cheddar cheese. | 10 minutes | 1 hour | Serves 8 | ||
74 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 74 | 2017-09-25 02:57:04 | How to Make Gravy | Making Gravy with Cornstarch 1 Remove all but 1/4 cup of fat from pan: Remove the roast from the roasting pan. Pour off all but 4 Tbsp of the fat in the pan. If you don't have enough fat in the pan, add butter so that you have at least 4 Tbsp of fat in the pan. 2 Scrape up browned drippings: While the pan is still warm, scrape the bottom of the pan with a metal spatula to loosen any browned drippings that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan. 3 Place the pan on the stovetop on medium heat. If you are using a roasting pan that won't work well on the stovetop, scrape up all of the drippings and fat and put into a large shallow sauté pan. 4 Make cornstarch slurry: Dissolve 4 Tbsp of cornstarch in the minimum amount of water needed to make a thin paste - about 1/2 cup. 5 Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan with drippings and use a wire whisk to blend into the drippings. 6 Whisk while slowly adding liquid: Stir with a wire whisk until the gravy begins to thicken. As the gravy thickens, slowly add stock, water, milk, or cream, or some combination to the pan (I like to use stock, my mother usually uses water). Alternate stirring and adding liquid, maintaining the consistency you want, for several minutes (about 5 minutes). You will probably add about 3 to 4 cups of liquid all together. Taking into consideration the evaporation that is occurring while the gravy is simmering, you will end up with about 2 cups of gravy. 7 Season to taste with salt and pepper. Making Gravy with Flour 1 Remove all but 1/4 cup of fat from pan: Remove the roast from the pan. Remove excess fat leaving 4 Tbsp of fat plus juices and browned drippings in the pan. 2 Scrape up drippings and place pan on stovetop on medium heat: Use a metal spatula to scrape up any drippings that are sticking to the pan. Place the pan on the stovetop on medium high heat. 3 Sprinkle 4 Tbsp flour onto the drippings. Quickly stir with a wire whisk so that the flour gets incorporated into the drippings. Let the flour brown a bit if you want, before adding liquid in the next step. (You can also start with a slurry of flour and water if you want.) 4 Whisk while slowly adding liquid: Slowly add stock, water, milk, cream, or a combination to the pan, whisking vigorously to dissolve the flour into liquid. Allow the gravy to simmer and thicken, and continue to slowly add liquid until you have about 2 cups of gravy. (You'll probably need to add 3 to 4 cups of liquid.) 5 Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Always taste first before adding more salt! It may not need it.) |
There are lots of ways to make gravy from a roast. Some can get rather complicated. What we do is simple. You can easily build a luscious, lip smacking gravy from the pan drippings! As soon as the roast is done cooking, we remove it to a cutting board to rest. While the roast is resting, we place the roasting pan and all of the drippings it contains on the stovetop and start making the gravy. We’ll use either cornstarch or flour to thicken the gravy, the process is similar for both. Follow this ratio. For each cup of gravy you want, start with two tablespoons of drippings and fat, and two tablespoons of flour or cornstarch. (This will produce a rich and thick gravy. If you would like a thinner gravy, either start with one tablespoon each of drippings and starch, or add more liquid to thin the gravy.) So, if you want to make 2 cups of gravy, remove all but 4 tablespoons of fat and drippings from the roasting pan (set aside for future use). These instructions will be for the end result of 2 cups of gravy, but you can easily divide or multiply to adjust for how much gravy you want to make. |
Elise Bauer | Two easy gravy recipes with photos and step-by-step instructions. | Elise Bauer | Two easy gravy recipes with photos and step-by-step instructions. | 15 minutes | |||||
75 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 75 | 2017-09-25 02:57:07 | Best Ever Sloppy Joe | 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup minced carrots (can sub chopped bell pepper) 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium onion) 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 lb ground beef 1/2 cup ketchup 2 cups tomato sauce (or 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, puréed) 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar Pinch ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme Pinch cayenne pepper 2 turns of freshly ground black pepper 4 hamburger buns |
The trick to this recipe is to brown the meat well. Don't crowd the pan, work in batches, and don't stir the meat until it is well browned on one side. It helps to use a large cast iron pan, or an anodized aluminum pan, as these pans can handle the heat and are relatively stick-free. | 1 Sauté the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the minced carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. (If you are using bell pepper instead of carrots, add those at the same time as the onions.) Add the chopped onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Remove vegetables from the pan to a medium sized bowl, set aside. 2 Brown the ground beef: Using the same pan (or you can cook the meat at the same time as the vegetables in a separate pan to save time), crumble the ground beef into the pan. You will likely need to do this in two batches, otherwise you will crowd the pan and the beef won't easily brown. Sprinkle with salt. Do not stir the ground beef, just let it cook until it is well browned on one side. Then flip the pieces over and brown the second side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef from the pan (can add to the set-aside vegetables) and repeat with the rest of the ground beef. If you are using extra lean beef, you will likely not have any excess fat in the pan. If you are using 16% or higher, you may have excess fat. Strain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. 3 Add ketchup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, vinegar, sugar, spices to the ground beef and vegetables: Return the cooked ground beef and vegetables to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to break up any chunks of ground beef into smaller bits. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and brown sugar to the pan. Stir to mix well. Add ground cloves, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with toasted hamburger buns. |
Just hearing the words “sloppy joe” from my mother used to send us kids into a tizzy. There was something wonderfully fun about getting to eat a burger/sandwich that was messy by design. I first posted this recipe in 2008, after making it for my visiting young nephew. Sloppy joes really are a quintessential kid food, aren’t they? After my nephew explained to me that he didn’t like tomatoes with his hamburger and he wanted his onions on top, and I explained to him that sloppy joes are made with the onions mixed in with the beef, and he eats spaghetti so what’s wrong with tomatoes, anyway?, he relented. When called to dinner he ate the whole thing (with high praise), even though he had been making and eating s’mores all day. Different pockets of the country have very different versions of what a “Sloppy Joe” is. The one I love is the one I’m presenting here—a sweet and tangy ground beef concoction that you ladle onto a hamburger bun. It’s a mess. It must be eaten with a fork. What makes this sloppy joe extra special is that I’m starting with a “mirepoix” or sauté of minced carrots, onions, and celery. Then I brown the ground beef and pull everything together with a highly flavored tomato sauce. It’s one of my favorite recipes on the site, I hope you like it too! |
Elise Bauer | A kid-friendly classic! Sloppy Joes with browned ground beef, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, cooked in sweet sour tomato sauce, served over hamburger buns. | Elise Bauer | A kid-friendly classic! Sloppy Joes with browned ground beef, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, cooked in sweet sour tomato sauce, served over hamburger buns. | 10 minutes | 30 minutes | Serves 4 | |
76 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 76 | 2017-09-25 02:57:08 | Pan-fried London Broil Steak | 2 lb top round cut of steak Kosher salt Dry mustard Pepper Butter, softened to room temperature | We recommend using a well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan for this recipe, which can take high heat and are relatively stick-free. If you do not have a cast iron pan, you can use a thick-bottomed frying pan. If using stainless steel, heat a little canola oil or olive oil in the pan first, before adding the steak. | 1 Prep and salt the steak: Remove steak from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature (only do this with whole cuts of meat, never with ground meat.) Cut away any tough connective tissue on the surface of the steak. Use a meat pounder to even out the thickness of the steak if necessary. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt on both sides. 2 Rub steak with dry mustard, salt, pepper, butter: Heat a large, cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Rub a little dry mustard into both sides of the steak. Sprinkle both sides again with salt, and with a little black pepper. Rub butter over both sides of the steak. 3 Brown steak on both sides on stovetop: Place the steak in the hot pan. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on each side (without moving), check before flipping to make sure it has nicely browned. 4 Finish steak on stovetop or in oven, depending on thickness: At this point, if you have a steak only an inch thick or less, you can take the skillet off the heat and just let the steak sit for several minutes in the skillet (tent the steak with aluminum foil). The cast iron pan will retain enough heat to cook the steak to medium rare. You can use a finger pressure method to test for doneness. You can also test for doneness by using a small sharp knife and cutting into the center to check the color. Or, if the steak is brown on both sides and it is weeping red juice, it's done. If you have a steak thicker than an inch-thick, you can finish it off in the oven, at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes or so. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the steak. Pull it out of the oven at 130°F for medium rare (the steak will continue to rise in temperature for a few minutes after you pull it out). If you are using the oven method, when done, remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it. You want to cook the steak only to medium rare, as cooking it further will make it more tough. 5 Slice the steak thinly, across the grain. |
“London Broil” used to be a way of describing a method for cooking lean beef cuts such as flank or top round, which originally was to pan-fry it quickly on medium high to high heat, cook it only to medium rare, and then slice it thinly on the diagonal. The term has since evolved to a method of marinating, and then either grilling or broiling the steak. Furthermore butchers now sell a cut of beef that is called a London Broil which is typically a couple inches thick and is top round. My mother has a method for pan-frying her steak which she calls London Broil, which does not involve marinating. The steaks we use are usually an inch thick. Her secret? Butter. I know. I don’t usually recommend searing anything with butter. If you’re not careful, butter will burn. But if you rub softened butter into well seasoned steaks, and sear the steaks on a cast iron pan heated on medium high heat, just until you get a good sear and no longer, the flavor really is amazing. Do you have a favorite way to prepare London Broil? Tell us about it in the comments. |
Elise Bauer | Top round steak, seasoned with dry mustard, salt, pepper, and rubbed with butter, pan fried to brown, then finished in the oven if necessary with thicker cuts. | Elise Bauer | Top round steak, seasoned with dry mustard, salt, pepper, and rubbed with butter, pan fried to brown, then finished in the oven if necessary with thicker cuts. | 25 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
77 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 77 | 2017-09-25 02:57:11 | Classic Meatloaf | 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 cup of finely chopped onion 1 celery rib, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 1/2 cup of finely chopped green onion, including the green onion greens 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp) 2 teaspoon salt (use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using Italian sausage) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2/3 cup ketchup, divided 1/3 and 1/3 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (chuck) 3/4 pound of spicy ground pork sausage or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet and hot if you are using links) 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (take a couple slices of fresh bread and pulse in a blender until you have crumbs) 2 large eggs, beaten slightly 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves |
Italian sausage makes a difference in this recipe! We use a combination of spicy and sweet, but it you only have one, choose sweet Italian sausage. If you don't have access to spicy ground pork or Italian sausage, mix in a half teaspoon each of fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and hot sauce into regular ground pork. Save prep time by roughly chopping the celery, carrot, onion, green onions, and garlic and pulsing them in a food processor or mini-chopper to get them finely chopped. |
1 Preheat oven to 350° F, with a rack in the middle of the oven. 2 Sauté onions, celery, carrot, green onions, garlic, then add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup: Melt the butter in a large, thick-bottomed skillet, on medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the finely chopped onions, celery, carrot, green onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender, stirring every so often. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the Worcestershire sauce and one-third cup of the ketchup. Cook for another minute and remove from heat to cool. 3 Mix vegetables with ground beef, sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley: Once the vegetables have cooled to the touch, place them in a large bowl with the ground beef, Italian sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs and parsley. Use your (very clean) hands to mix them together until everything is evenly distributed. 4 Place in loaf pan, cover with ketchup: Place the meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan (either 4x8 or 5x9) and press to make compact in the pan. Or you can form a free-standing loaf onto a rimmed baking pan. Cover the meatloaf mixture with the rest of the ketchup. 5 Bake: Bake for 1 hour at 350°F, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 155°F. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Then use a metal spatula to gently lift the meatloaf out of the loaf pan to a serving plate. Make thick slices to serve. The meatloaf makes great leftovers, just chill and reheat. Slices are good in sandwiches as well. |
This meatloaf is one of the first recipes we put on Simply Recipes over ten years ago. It’s one of my father’s favorite things to cook and anytime we kids know he’s making it, we make our way to my parent’s house for dinner. My dad’s trick? He mixes Italian pork sausage (half sweet, half spicy) in with ground beef. The original recipe came from an old issue of Gourmet (April 1994) and my father has been changing it over the years to his taste (including using Italian sausage instead of plain ground pork). It’s no ordinary meatloaf. It takes a little extra prep time to make the “sofritto” base of minced carrots, onions, celery, and garlic, but it is so so worth it! Like a giant Italian meatball, in loaf form. It looks like the sofritto could be a time consuming extra step to prep, but you can easily put the vegetables in a food processor or mini chopper to speed up the prep time. The smaller mince size that you can get with the food processor will also help the meatloaf hold together better. |
Elise Bauer | Traditional meatloaf recipe with the delicious twist of using Italian pork sausage in addition to ground beef. Also includes onion, celery, garlic, egg, parsley, and bread crumbs. | Elise Bauer | Traditional meatloaf recipe with the delicious twist of using Italian pork sausage in addition to ground beef. Also includes onion, celery, garlic, egg, parsley, and bread crumbs. | 20 minutes | 1 hour, 10 minutes | Serves 4 to 6, with plenty for leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches | |
78 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 78 | 2017-09-25 02:57:13 | Broccoli Beef | 3/4 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain 3/4 pound broccoli florets 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water For the beef marinade 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry) 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper For the sauce 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry) 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/4 cup chicken broth |
Pro tip: put the steak in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before slicing, it will be firmer and easier to slice thin. | 1 Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients (1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper) in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes. 2 Prepare the sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients (2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/4 cup chicken broth) in a small bowl. 3 Blanch or steam the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot with at least an inch of boiling water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly. 4 Stir-fry the beef: Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink. 5 Add sauce, cornstarch, and broccoli: Pour in the sauce and the cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water), stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds. Stir in the the broccoli. |
Please welcome guest contributor Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen, author of The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight’s Dinner, who shows us how to make this Chinese-American classic, Broccoli Beef. ~Elise After moving out of the dorms in college, I found an apartment to share with 3 others. My job was to cook, and as long as what I put out on the dinner table was better than instant ramen, I didn’t have to clean the kitchen or vacuum. A mighty fine trade of labor, if you ask me! But then pretty soon, friends of roommates discovered my cooking talent and would conveniently drop by at around 7pm. I knew cooking was my calling back then, because each new friend would try to find a suitable trade to be able to snag a coveted spot at our dinner table. No more grocery bill, laundry, ironing, washing the car or studying! Broccoli Beef was one of my specialties, mainly because broccoli was cheap and beef could be sliced thinly to stretch and feed unexpected guests. So, how do you get the broccoli crisp-tender and the beef juicy, succulent? Well, the secret is to blanch or steam the broccoli first, before stir frying the beef. This helps you control the cooking times for the broccoli, instead of praying that the broccoli and beef finish cooking at the same time. You’ll add the broccoli back into the pan as the beef finishes cooking. And how do you prevent the garlic from burning? Most recipes will have you add the garlic in the pan or wok before you add the beef. If you do this, you’ll surely burn your garlic, as the beef takes about 1 minute to 1 ½ minutes to cook through on high heat. In this recipe, you’ll add the garlic after you add the beef. There should be plenty of oil in the wok to fry the garlic (if you use a large frying pan or wok) and the timing will be perfect. |
Jaden Hair | Great Chinese Broccoli Beef recipe, takes only 30 minutes from start to finish! | Elise Bauer | Great Chinese Broccoli Beef recipe, takes only 30 minutes from start to finish! | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | Serves 3 to 4 | |
2809 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 469 | 2017-09-25 03:11:15 | Moroccan Meat Loaf | Meatloaf: 2 lbs ground lamb 1 lb ground beef 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped 1 large celery stalk, chopped 2 Tbsp chopped garlic (about 6 cloves) 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (3-inch piece) 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon curry powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/4 cups dried bread crumbs 2 small eggs 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint Pomegranate BBQ Sauce: 1 1/2 cups ketchup 1/4 yellow onions, minced 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons of adobo sauce 1/2 teaspoon sugar |
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the lamb and beef in a large bowl. Set aside. 2 Sauté onions, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to release the flavors. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. 3 Make meatloaf mixture: Stir the vegetables into the ground meat. Mix in the breadcrumbs, eggs, cilantro, and mint. 4 Place meatloaf mixture into loaf pan: Transfer to a 4x8 or 5x9 loaf pan and set in a baking pan. Pour water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. 5 Bake: Bake the meatloaf for 1 1/2 hours, or until firm and cooked through. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Un-mold onto a plate and slice. Serve with optional Pomegranate BBQ sauce, ketchup, or just the drippings from the meatloaf itself. Very good served with rice pilaf. 6 Make the (optional) pomegranate BBQ sauce: Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to simmer on low heat and cook for 5 minutes just to let the flavors blend. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp before serving. Makes 1 1/2 cups. |
The good folks at Niman Ranch recently sent me a few lamb recipes to try from their new cookbook, the Niman Ranch Cookbook. Being huge meat loaf fans, we were immediately drawn to the Moroccan Meat Loaf recipe from Chef Monica Pope, of T’Afia in Houston, Texas. If you like lamb, you will love this Moroccan meat loaf. If you don’t like lamb, I’m willing to bet this meat loaf will convert you. It is superb – spicy, with hints of cilantro and mint. The recipe calls for a pomegranate barbecue sauce to accompany the meat loaf. We made the sauce, which is excellent, but honestly, the next time we make this we’ll skip the sauce. It’s just unnecessary. Its own spiciness almost competes with the flavors of the meatloaf. I’ve included the recipe below, but you really don’t need it. Plain ketchup will do, if you have to have ketchup with your meatloaf, but just the drippings themselves are sufficient and delicious. The original recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads to go along with the other spices. I don’t like saffron (everyone has their preferences when it comes to food, and I have mine), so we kept it out. It is not in the following recipe listed, but feel free to put it back in there if you want to follow the recipe as its author intended. |
Elise Bauer | Lamb and beef meatloaf with Moroccan seasonings, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, cilantro, and mint. | Elise Bauer | Lamb and beef meatloaf with Moroccan seasonings, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, cilantro, and mint. | Serves 6 to 8 | ||||
2744 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 523 | 2017-09-25 03:12:23 | Swedish Meatballs | Meatballs: 2 Tbsp butter 1 large yellow or white onion, peeled, grated (use the large holes of a box cheese grater) 2/3 cup milk 4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, bread cut into pieces 2 eggs 1 pound ground pork 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 2 teaspoons black pepper Sauce: 6 Tbsp butter 1/3 cup flour 1 quart beef stock 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream Salt 2 to 4 Tbsp of Lingonberry, red currant, raspberry or cranberry jelly, less or more to taste (optional) |
Lingonberry jelly is traditionally used with Swedish meatballs; you can substitute cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly if you can't find lingonberry jelly. | 1 Sauté grated onion: Melt the butter in a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Stir in the grated onion and cook until translucent and softened, 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool. 2 Soak bread in milk, shred: Place the pieces of bread in a large bowl and mix with the milk. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes for the bread to absorb all of the milk. Once the bread has soaked up the milk put the bread in a food processor and pulse until it has been completely broken up (or shred by hand). Return the pulverized milk soaked bread to the bowl. 3 Make meatball mixture with bread, onions, eggs, meat, spices: Stir the cooled onions into the milk bread mixture. Add the eggs, ground pork and beef, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Use your (clean) hands to mix everything together until well combined. 4 Form meatballs: Use your hands to form the meatballs about an inch-thick and place them on a plate or sheet pan. This recipe should make between 40 and 50 meatballs. 5 Brown meatballs on all sides: Heat 6 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, start adding some meatballs to the pan. Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, slowly brown the meatballs on all sides. Handle the meatballs gently so they do not break apart as you turn them. Once the meatballs have browned on all sides, remove them from the pan and set aside. You do not need to cook the meatballs all the way through at this point, you only need to brown them. You'll finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce later. Once you have removed the meatballs from the pan, keep the remaining butter in the pan. You'll use this butter to make the sauce. If the butter in the pan has become burnt through the browning of the meatballs, remove and discard it, and add 6 Tbsp of fresh butter to the pan. Otherwise use the existing pan butter, you should have 6 Tbsp total of butter in the pan. If not add more. 6 Add flour to butter in pan to make roux: To make the sauce, first make the roux. Heat the butter in the pan on medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour. Stir until smooth. Continue to stir, allowing the flour mixture to cook, several minutes, until the roux is the color of coffee-with-cream. 7 Add stock to roux to make sauce: When the roux has cooked to a lovely shade of light brown, slowly add the stock to the roux, stirring as you add the stock. The stock will sputter at first and the roux may seize up, but keep adding the stock slowly and keep stirring. Eventually the sauce will loosen and become silky. 8 Add meatballs to sauce: Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and lower the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. You may need to work in batches. 9 Stir in sour cream and jelly: Transfer the meatballs to a serving dish to serve. Stir in the sour cream. Either stir the jelly into the sauce or serve it on the side. |
One of our most popular recipes around the holidays is this one—Swedish meatballs. They’re terrific over egg noodles for a main course, or served as individual appetizers. My first experience of Swedish meatballs came in the form of room service at a hotel in Stockholm. I was traveling alone for business, holed up in my room in comfy clothes with books to keep me company. I ordered the only thing on the menu that looked familiar—meatballs—that first night. They were so good I think I licked the plate clean. I stayed in and ordered the meatballs every night for the rest of the trip! Since then I’ve been on a quest to find a Swedish meatball as good, and we’ve done it here. If you like the meatballs at IKEA, be prepared; these are a hundred times better. Flavored with nutmeg and cardamom, these little beef-and-pork meatballs are best served with a rich meat gravy spiked with sour cream and a little lingonberry jelly. You can either serve the jelly on the side or mixed right into the sauce, which is what we’ve done here. Do you have a family favorite recipe for Swedish meatballs? If so, please let us know about it in the comments. I’ve noticed several recipes calling for allspice, which we haven’t used in this recipe, but you could certainly use it in place of or in addition to the cardamom or nutmeg. |
Elise Bauer | Classic Swedish meatballs made from a mixture of beef and pork, flavored with nutmeg and cardamom and served with a rich beef and sour cream gravy. | Elise Bauer | Classic Swedish meatballs made from a mixture of beef and pork, flavored with nutmeg and cardamom and served with a rich beef and sour cream gravy. | 20 minutes | 1 hour | Serves 8 to 10 | |
2748 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 925 | 2017-09-25 03:20:02 | Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich | One 3-pound chuck roast, rinsed and dried 2 medium onions, chopped 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (preferably plum tomatoes) 1 18-ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (or 2 1/4 cups of your favorite homemade barbecue sauce) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 sandwich or hamburger buns | 1 Make sauce with onions, tomatoes, BBQ sauce: In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, roughly chopping them in the pot. Add the barbecue sauce, increase heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes. 2 Add the beef roast, simmer on low for 3 hours: Add the chuck roast. Bring to a low simmer, cover and slow cook until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours. 3 Separate meat into small pieces: Remove the meat from the pot. Use a fork and knife to separate the roast into small pieces. Set aside. 4 Reduce liquid in sauce: Increase the heat on the pot to medium/medium-high, uncover, and reduce the liquid until thick. Stir often to prevent burning. 5 Return meat to sauce: Return the meat to the liquid in the pan. Warm both thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on buns. |
My mother grew up in a house where there was constant entertaining. My nana was somewhat of a social bee and even I remember how every night was a party night when as a child I came to visit during the summer. Mom and dad were reminiscing the other day about one of their favorite recipes of my grandmother’s, her pulled beef, braised in BBQ sauce. Mom remembers Nana once feeding 80 people this dish at her small adobe house in Tucson. It’s terribly easy to make, you can easily double, triple, quadruple the recipe, making it perfect for serving large groups of people in an informal gathering, and it’s absolutely delicious. You can either make your own BBQ sauce for this recipe (my favorite is this Bourbon BBQ Sauce) or you can just use your favorite jarred sauce. |
Elise Bauer | Chuck roast, slow cooked on low heat in a braise of barbecue sauce, then shredded and served over sandwich buns. Great for big parties. | Elise Bauer | Chuck roast, slow cooked on low heat in a braise of barbecue sauce, then shredded and served over sandwich buns. Great for big parties. | 5 minutes | 3 hours, 30 minutes | Makes enough for 12 sandwiches. | ||
2746 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1138 | 2017-09-25 03:23:37 | Grilled Skirt Steak Skewers | Marinade ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1-inch piece of ginger, sliced 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Other ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of membranes and silver skin Olive oil for grill grates 25-30 bamboo or wooden skewers for grilling |
1 Soak the skewers in water: If using bamboo or wooden skewers, place them in a dish, cover with water to soak. 2 Make marinade: Place all marinade ingredients in a small bowl, stir to combine. Set aside. 3 Cut skirt steak in strips across the grain: Lay the skirt steak horizontally out on a cutting board. Notice the grain of the steak that goes up and down. Cut the steak into segments (along the grain of the meat), about 6 to 8-inches long. Then, with each segment, turn the segment so the grain of the meat runs in a line from left to right, and cut thin strips (1/4 to 1/3-inch thick, 1 1/2-inch wide, 6 to 8-inches long), angling the knife, cutting across the grain. 4 Marinate the steak slices: Place the steak slices in a non-reactive bowl or casserole dish. Toss with the marinade to coat. Chill and marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. 5 Preheat grill, thread skewers: Preheat your grill, whether charcoal or gas, for high-direct heat. While the grill is preheating, thread the marinated skirt steak strips onto your pre-soaked skewers. 6 Grill over high direct heat: When ready to grill, brush the grill grates with olive oil (helps to fold a paper towel, soak the towel in olive oil, and use long handled tongs to hold the soaked paper towel and spread oil on the grates). You know your grill is hot enough when you can only stand to hold your hand 1 inch above the grill grates for one second. Working in batches if necessary, lay the skirt steak skewers on the hot grill grates, perpendicular to the grates. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove from grill and let sit for a few minutes before serving. |
Ah, that time of year in which you dust off the grill, vacuum out the cobwebs, scare away any critters who have taken up residence over the winter (including one black widow, yikes!), clean the grates, turn on the gas, and realize your starter doesn’t work. So you use a match, and for some reason that grill. Will. Just. Not. Get. Hot. Enough. So you start over with the Weber and some charcoal, and grill a batch of beautiful skirt steak skewers that were marinating the whole time you were futzing with the equipment. And they are so perfect and delicious that you don’t care about the broken starter that needs to get fixed or your close call with a black widow. Like a Homer Simpson thought bubble, all you can think about is steak so goooooood. Why is skirt steak in particular so good, and so perfect for grilling threaded on skewers? Let me show you: It’s the fat, of course! Skirt steak is much fattier than, say, flank steak. The way that the fat is marbleized throughout the meat results in a cut that is much more flavorful, and more forgiving when you cook it. Unlike flank steak, which because it’s so lean needs to be cooked rare or it gets too dry, skirt steak can be cooked all the way through without suffering. You still need to cut the steak across the grain when you cut your strips, but the steak will be tender and flavorful because of the fat. |
Elise Bauer | Marinated skirt steak, threaded onto skewers and grilled. Melt in your mouth tender and delicious! | Elise Bauer | Marinated skirt steak, threaded onto skewers and grilled. Melt in your mouth tender and delicious! | 1 hour | 20 minutes | Serves 6 to 8 | ||
2792 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1162 | 2017-09-25 03:24:26 | Chili Beans with Rice | 2 cups (1 pound) dry pinto beans OR 4 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey 2 cups uncooked white rice 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 2 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 teaspoon) 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 to 2 Tbsp chili powder 1 Tbsp chopped parsley 1 14-ounce can of crushed or whole peeled tomatoes 1 jalapeño pepper (cooked, canned), sliced (Note concerning the tomatoes and jalapeño pepper: my mother will substitute these on occasion with a cup of Pace brand salsa - works fine) Salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro leaves |
If using dry beans, older beans may take longer to cook to become tender. If you soak the dry beans for several hours ahead of time, they will require less cooking time. My mother uses a pressure cooker to cook pinto beans. To cook beans with a pressure cooker, cook no more than 2 cups of beans in a 4 quart pressure cooker, with the water added until it reaches the fill line indicated for the capacity of the pressure cooker. Cook the beans for 35 minutes with 15 pounds of pressure and low heat. After 35 minutes, allow the pressure cooker to cool completely. Make sure that the pressure cooker has completely cooled before opening, and if there is any resistance when opening, do not open it. Follow the directions for your particular brand of pressure cooker. (See safety tips on pressure cookers.) |
1 If using dry beans, cook the beans: (If using canned beans, skip this step.) Put the pinto beans into a large pot and cover with at least 3 inches of water (about 3 quarts of water). Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. 2 Cook the rice: While the beans are cooking cook the rice according to the instructions on the rice package. Add a Tbsp of butter to the rice while it is cooking for flavor. 3 Sauté the onions: In a large skillet, sauté onions 2 Tbsp of olive oil until translucent on medium high heat, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and cook for a minute more. Remove from pan to a bowl, setting aside. 4 Brown the meat: Increase the heat to high and add the meat to the pan. Let cook for a minute or two without moving so that the meat gets browned, then turn to brown on the other sides. 5 Combine meat and onions, add tomatoes and jalapeño: Add back the onions and garlic. Taste for spiciness and add more chili powder if desired. Add one can of tomatoes. Add sliced Jalapeno pepper. Add chopped parsley. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. 6 Add the cooked beans: Once the beans are cooked, drain them. Add the beans to the meat and onions, adding another teaspoon of salt to the beans as they go in. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, tasting and adding more salt if needed to taste. Stir in cilantro leaves right before serving, or sprinkle on top. Serve over rice or with warm corn tortillas. |
A staple in our home growing up was my mother’s chili beans, which she still makes several times a month with either ground beef or turkey. Many chilis I’ve encountered seem almost designed to give you heartburn. This one isn’t. These chili beans are more mild and less fatty than most, especially if you use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Yet they are very flavorful, hearty, and filling. My mom learned this method of preparing chili beans years ago, when she was still teaching school, from a fellow teacher from Louisiana. |
Elise Bauer | Louisiana style chili beans with ground beef and pinto beans, served over rice. | Elise Bauer | Louisiana style chili beans with ground beef and pinto beans, served over rice. | 5 minutes | 35 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2741 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1269 | 2017-09-25 03:26:19 | Easy Beef Brisket | 3 to 4 lbs of a brisket cut of beef 3/4 cup barbeque sauce 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 cup of water | 1 Preheat oven to 300ºF. 2 In a bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and water. 3a Place the brisket roast on a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread the BBQ sauce mixture generously over meat. Wrap the brisket in aluminum foil and place it in a roasting pan. Bake for 3 hours for a 3 pound roast and 1 more hour for every additional pound of meat. Alternatively, 3b Place the barbecue sauce and the brisket in an oven roasting bag. Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour into the bag. Poke a couple small holes in the bag. Place the bag in a roasting pan. You may find that the cooking time is faster with this method, or you can reduce the oven temperature to 275°F. 4 Remove from oven and let rest in the foil for 30 minutes before serving. The easiest way to serve the roast is to first cut it in half along the grain of the meat (poke the meat with the tip of a knife or tines of a fork to see which way the grain or lines of the muscles are going if you can't see it from the surface). Then make 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick cuts across the grain to serve. (Cutting the meat across the grain will make it much easier to eat, as the cuts break up the muscle tissue.) |
Looking for an easy way to prepare beef brisket and still impress your friends? This is it! What’s crazy is how good it is given how ridiculously easy it is to make. All you do is mix together some barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and water, slather the brisket with the sauce, wrap it in aluminum foil and bake it for several hours, until it’s falling apart tender. | Elise Bauer | Easy! Beef brisket roast, slathered in a mixture of BBQ sauce and soy sauce, wrapped in foil, and baked until falling apart tender. Simple and delicious. | Elise Bauer | Easy! Beef brisket roast, slathered in a mixture of BBQ sauce and soy sauce, wrapped in foil, and baked until falling apart tender. Simple and delicious. | 10 minutes | 3 hours | Serves 8 | ||
2752 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1271 | 2017-09-25 03:26:19 | Beef Brisket Pot Roast | 4-5 pound beef brisket Salt 1-2 Tbsp olive oil 3 large onions, sliced 5-6 garlic cloves, minced 1 sprig thyme 1 sprig rosemary 3-4 bay leaves 2 cups of beef stock 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces 1 Tbsp mustard (optional) | 1 Prepare the brisket for cooking: On one side of the brisket there should be a layer of fat, which you want. If there are any large chunks of fat, cut them off and discard them. Large pieces of fat will not be able to render out completely. Using a sharp knife, score the fat in parallel lines, about 3/4-inch apart. Slice through the fat, not the beef. Repeat in the opposite direction to make a cross-hatch pattern. Salt the brisket well and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. 2 Sear the brisket: You'll need an oven-proof, thick-bottomed pot with a cover, or Dutch oven, that is just wide enough to hold the brisket roast with a little room for the onions. Pat the brisket dry and place it, fatty side down, into the pot and place it on medium high heat. Cook for 5-8 minutes, lightly sizzling, until the fat side is nicely browned. (If the roast seems to be cooking too fast, turn the heat down to medium. You want a steady sizzle, not a raging sear.) Turn the brisket over and cook for a few minutes more to brown the other side. 3 Sauté the onions and garlic: When the brisket has browned, remove it from the pot and set aside. There should be a couple tablespoons of fat rendered in the pot, if not, add some olive oil. Add the chopped onions and increase the heat to high. Sprinkle a little salt on the onions. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions are lightly browned, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes. 4 Return brisket to pot, add herbs, stock, bring to simmer, cover, cook in oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Use kitchen twine to tie together the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. Move the onions and garlic to the sides of the pot and nestle the brisket inside. Add the beef stock and the tied-up herbs. Bring the stock to a boil on the stovetop. Cover the pot, place the pot in the 300°F oven and cook for 3 hours. Carefully flip the brisket every hour so it cooks evenly. 5 Add carrots, continue to cook: After 3 hours, add the carrots. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour more, or until the carrots are cooked through and the brisket is falling-apart tender. 6 Remove brisket to cutting board, tent with foil: When the brisket is falling-apart tender, take the pot out of the oven and remove the brisket to a cutting board. Cover it with foil. Pull out and discard the herbs. 7 Make sauce (optional): At this point you have two options. You can serve as is, or you can make a sauce with the drippings and some of the onions. If you serve as is, skip this step. To make a sauce, remove the carrots and half of the onions, set aside and cover them with foil. Pour the ingredients that are remaining into the pot into a blender, and purée until smooth. If you want, add 1 tablespoon of mustard to the mix. Put into a small pot and keep warm. 8 Slice the meat across the grain: Notice the lines of the muscle fibers of the roast. This is the "grain" of the meat. Slice the meat perpendicular to these lines, or across the grain (cutting this way further tenderizes the meat), in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices. Serve with the onions, carrots and gravy. Serve with mashed, roasted or boiled potatoes, egg noodles or polenta. |
Beef brisket is a fabulous cut of meat. The brisket is located between the shoulders and the forelegs of the steer; these muscles get a work-out, and they are also well marbled with fat. So they are highly flavorful and perfect for slow braises. Long cooking time is needed to melt the connective tissue. Upon serving, the meat is cut against the grain, helping it become fall-apart tender. This recipe is fairly classic, a slow braise with lots and lots of onions. You can do so many things with brisket. One of my favorite beef brisket recipes is just simply slathering it with a BBQ sauce mixture and cooking it forever in the oven. There are versions with ketchup, onion soup, or even cocktail sauce with horseradish. With this recipe, please feel free to mix it up a bit. You could easily use other root vegetables such as parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas. You could use wine or beer instead of the beef stock. Think of this recipe as a starting point for experimentation, or just a good, basic pot roast brisket. Do you have a favorite brisket recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments. |
Elise Bauer | Beef brisket pot roast, slowly cooked with onions, garlics, herbs, and carrots. | Elise Bauer | Beef brisket pot roast, slowly cooked with onions, garlics, herbs, and carrots. | 35 minutes | 4 hours, 15 minutes | Serves 8-12 | ||
2742 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1367 | 2017-09-25 03:28:18 | Roast Beef Tenderloin with Sautéed Mushrooms | 1 3/4 to 2 pound piece of beef tenderloin (preferably a piece cut from the center of the tenderloin), trimmed of excess fat and silverskin 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices 3 Tbsp butter 1 teaspoon salt (use 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter) 2 Tbsp minced shallots 2 Tbsp minced garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons of herbs de provence or a teaspoon of dried tarragon |
Beef tenderloin is a beautiful, tender cut of beef and is what is used to make filet mignon. To make a roast from the tenderloin you can ask your butcher to cut a big center piece from a whole tenderloin, or purchase a whole tenderloin and cut it yourself for this purpose, saving the rest for filet mignon. You can find whole beef tenderloin at Costco or Sam's Club for a reasonable price. |
1 Salt and pepper roast, let sit at room temp: Remove roast from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before cooking so that it has time to come close to room temperature. Sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper and set aside. 2 Sear roast on stovetop: When ready to cook the tenderloin roast, preheat oven to 425°F. Heat olive oil in a cast iron or thick-bottomed sauté pan that can take the heat, on high heat. When the oil is hot, place the roast in the pan and brown it on all sides, including the ends, about 10 minutes. 3 Finish cooking in oven: When sufficiently browned, remove the roast from the pan (do not clean out the pan) and place on a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast at 425F until the internal temperature is 130°F for rare (140°F for medium), about 20 minutes (or longer if your roast wasn't at room temp to begin with. Use a meat thermometer! 4 Let roast rest before slicing: Remove from oven and loosely tent with foil to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. 5 Sauté shallots, garlic, mushrooms: While the roast is resting, prepare the mushrooms. Add 3 Tbsp of butter to the same pan you used to sear the beef roast. Heat on medium heat to melt the butter. Add the minced shallots and garlic, and cook for half a minute. Stir the mushrooms into the pan and cook until they start to give off steam. Then add salt, pepper, and herbs de provence. Continue to cook until just cooked through. Add a few tablespoons of warm water to the pan to scrape up any remnants from the bottom of the pan (can also use white wine or marsala). Remove from heat. 6 Slice the roast: Use a sharp knife to slice the roast across the grain into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve with the sautéed mushrooms. |
There are two kinds of special meals—those that take all day to make and require meticulous attention to detail lest you mess them up, and those that are easy and relatively foolproof, but are still delicious crowd pleasers. You can guess which one I prefer. Here is a perfect example of the latter—a beef tenderloin roast. Imagine a filet mignon, but as roast, one that you slice to serve, tender like a prime rib, but lean. Yes it is a rather pricey cut of beef; it is not an every day roast, but one for a special somebody or occasion. My friend Kathi showed me this way of preparing beef tenderloin the other day. She loves preparing it for catering events because it holds up well, is delicious even at room temperature, and everyone loves it. Rather than serving the roast with a gravy, we surround it with mushrooms that have been sautéed in the roast browning pan with some butter, shallots, garlic, and herbs. Do have a favorite way of cooking beef tenderloin roast? If so, please let us know about it in the comments! |
Elise Bauer | Roast Beef Tenderloin, seared then oven roasted, served with mushrooms sautéed in the pan drippings with butter and herbs. | Elise Bauer | Roast Beef Tenderloin, seared then oven roasted, served with mushrooms sautéed in the pan drippings with butter and herbs. | 15 minutes | 45 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2745 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1372 | 2017-09-25 03:28:19 | Roast Beef | 3 to 3 1/2 lbs (1.3 to 1.6 kg) of Boneless Rump Roast (pick an end cut with a layer of fat if you can) 1 Tbsp olive oil 8-10 slivers of garlic (3 to 4 cloves, sliced in half or into thirds) Salt and pepper You will need a meat thermometer For the gravy: Red wine, water, and or beef stock corn starch | 1 Salt the roast and let sit at room temp: The beef should be brought to close to room temperature before you start to roast it so that it cooks more evenly. So, remove it from the refrigerator at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, before cooking. Open the wrapping, sprinkle all sides with salt, and wrap it up again. 2 Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). 3 Insert slivers of garlic into the roast: Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Use the tip of a sharp knife to make 8 to 10 small incisions around the roast. Put a sliver of garlic into each cut. 4 Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper: Rub olive oil all over the roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 5 Place roast on rack, fat side up, with pan to catch drippings below: Place the roast directly on the middle oven rack, fatty side up, with a roasting pan to catch the drippings on the rack beneath it. Placing the roast directly on the rack like this with a pan on the rack below creates a convection type environment in the oven, allowing the hot air to more easily circulate around the roast, so you don't have to turn the roast as it cooks. Place the roast fat-side up so that as the fat melts it bathes the entire roast in flavor. 6 Roast initially at 375°F, then lower the heat to 225°F: Cook the roast initially at 375°F (190°C) for half an hour, to brown it. Then lower the heat to 225°F (107°C). The roast should take somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours additionally to cook. The shape of the roast will affect the cooking time. If your roast is long and narrow, rather than a more round shape, it may take less time to cook, so keep an eye on it. 7 Remove roast when internal temp reaches 135°F to 140°F: When juices start to drip from the roast, and it is browned on the outside, check the roast's internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Remove the roast from the oven when the internal temperature of the roast is 135° to 140°F (57°C to 60°C). 8 Tent with foil and let rest before cutting: Place the roast on a cutting board and tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting. Thinly slice the roast to serve. (Resting the cooked roast is important. If you cut into it too soon, the roast will lose more of its juices.) To make the gravy: Remove the dripping pan from the oven and place on the stove top at medium heat. Note that if you are pulling the roast out early, for rare or a medium rare level of doneness, you may not have a lot of drippings. Hopefully you will have some. If not, you may want to leave the roast in a little longer at even lower heat, 175°F, to ease some more drippings out of it. Add some water, red wine, or beef stock to the drippings to deglaze (loosen the drippings from the pan). Dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in a little water and add to the drip pan. Stir quickly while the gravy thickens to avoid lumping. You can add a little butter if there is not a lot of fat in the drippings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mom adds some fresh thyme too if she has some. (See also How to Make Gravy.) |
My mother knows a thing or two about cooking beef. She knows all of the cuts and the best way to prepare them. Perhaps it’s because she came of cooking age during a time when most neighborhoods still had local butchers who prepared the cuts themselves and freely shared information with customers about what to do with them. I remember accompanying her to our local corner butcher (now long gone) years ago. The butcher had these huge graphics of beef, pork, lamb on the wall behind the meat counter showing what part of the animal the various cuts came from. It was easy to see that a chuck roast came from the shoulder, and that a rump roast came from, well, the rump. These days most people by their meat already packed in plastic at the supermarket, and if you want to talk to a butcher, you have to work to find one in your area. Back to the roast. My mother typically uses a rump roast when making roast beef. This is her method for getting the most out of this (relatively) less expensive cut. (You can also use a round roast or a sirloin tip with these instructions.) She starts the roast at a high temperature to get browning for flavor, and then lowers the oven temp and cooks the beef “slow and low” for a couple hours. This slow roasting method at low heat is good for tougher cuts of beef; the lower heat prevents gristle from getting too tough. Roast beef made this way is easy, relatively inexpensive (compared to other cuts of beef), and you get great leftovers for roast beef sandwiches. |
Elise Bauer | Classic roast beef recipe using rump roast, round roast, or sirloin tip. This slow roasting method at low heat is good for tougher cuts of beef; the lower heat prevents any gristle from getting too tough. | Elise Bauer | Classic roast beef recipe using rump roast, round roast, or sirloin tip. This slow roasting method at low heat is good for tougher cuts of beef; the lower heat prevents any gristle from getting too tough. | 5 minutes | 3 hours | Serves 4-6 | ||
2755 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1375 | 2017-09-25 03:28:31 | Short-Rib Beef Stew with Ale | 1/2 cup flour 2 Tbsp hot paprika 2 teaspoons smoked paprika Salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat 4 strips thick-cut bacon 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 bottle (12 oz.) a malty brown ale (we used Newcastle Brown ale) 1 can (14.5 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved 2 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes 2 large carrots 1 pound turnips (optional) |
1 Place bacon strips in a large (5 to 6 quart), thick-bottomed Dutch oven. Set the heat to medium high and cook the bacon until much of the fat has been rendered. Remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon fat from pot. (Do not pour down the drain or you will clog your drain when the fat hardens as it cools.) 2 Preheat oven to 300°F. While the bacon is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, hot paprika, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Dredge the short ribs in the flour mixture. 3 Add the short ribs to the pot with the bacon fat, taking care to not crowd the pot (work in batches if necessary). Brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. If you want to get good browning, do not stir the short ribs unless to turn. While the short ribs are browning, chop the bacon and set aside. 4 Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the short ribs from the pot to a bowl. Add the chopped onions to the pot. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the ale and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes and their juices and reserved bacon. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Return short ribs to pot, cover, put in the preheated oven, and cook for two hours. (Alternatively, you can do the cooking on the stovetop, just lower the heat to the lowest setting and cover.) 5 Peel potatoes, turnips (optional), and carrots, and cut into 1-in. pieces. Add to short ribs, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender and meat pulls away easily from the bone, about 30-45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 6 Spoon off excess fat (it helps if you have a fat separator). If you want, remove the bones before serving and cut any big pieces of meat into smaller chunks. |
The debate didn’t last long. “You could have used boneless beef short-ribs. You’re paying for the bones when you buy them bone-in,” my mother remarked in while we were all enjoying this wonderful stew. “It’s better with the bones,” my father and I replied, practically in unison. “Better flavor,” dad added. “And then there’s all that goodness from the marrow,” said I. Mom, not willing to give in so easily, said, “these bones are too small, I can’t see any marrow.” At this point, dad and I put our forks down and focused our gaze upon her. “Mom, just because you can’t see a hole in the bones, doesn’t mean there’s no marrow.” “But they couldn’t have cooked long enough for anything to come out.” “They cooked for two and a half hours.” “Okay. Nevermind.” And so it goes. Lest you think that my dad and I unfairly give my mom a hard time, tonight both of them pounced on me for not knowing who Falstaff was. “Shakespeare, Henry IV!,” said they, rolling their eyes the way they do when they realize how little I, the daughter of two teachers, really know. By the way, my mother is right more often than not, though in this case I’ll stand by our assertion that this stew tastes better, and is better for you, when cooked with the short ribs bone-in. This recipe is adapted from one in a old Sunset Magazine. We used a malty brown ale in place of the beer the original recipe calls for, and added carrots and turnips. We love turnips in stews, though they have their own unique, somewhat bitter flavor; you can easily leave them out. Updated. From the recipe archive. First posted 2007. |
Elise Bauer | Beef short-ribs, slow cooked and braised in brown ale. A hearty winter stew. | Elise Bauer | Beef short-ribs, slow cooked and braised in brown ale. A hearty winter stew. | 15 minutes | 3 hours, 30 minutes | Serves 8. | ||
2760 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1377 | 2017-09-25 03:28:37 | Glazed Oxtails | 4 lbs of oxtails Kosher salt 1/4 cup grape seed or olive oil 2 cups of chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped carrot 1 750ml bottle full bodied red wine 4 cups veal, beef, or chicken stock 1 teaspoon dried thyme Freshly ground pepper | As in any recipe that requires an entire bottle of wine, use a wine that you would enjoy drinking. The flavor of the wine will only be concentrated in this recipe, so if you don't like it to start with, you will not like it in this dish. | 1 Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a 5 to 6-quart thick bottomed Dutch oven on medium high to high heat. Working in batches, pat dry the oxtails with paper towels, sprinkle them on all sides with salt, and add them to the pan, fat side down on the pan. Add more oil as needed with additional batches of oxtails. Do not crowd the pan. Let them get well browned on one side before using tongs to move them. Brown well on all sides. Remove to a large bowl. 2 Add the onions, celery and carrots to the pot. Sauté until translucent and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pot to a bowl, cover and set aside. 3 Add the bottle of wine to the pot. Increase the heat to as high as it will go, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil the wine, uncovered, until it is reduced to about a cup. 4 Return the oxtails to the pot (but not the vegetables). Add the stock and enough water to just cover them. Add the thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, covered. Simmer on the stovetop for 3 hours. (You can also place the simmering oxtails into a 350°F oven for the same amount of time if the oven is more convenient.) Add the vegetables back to the pot when you have about a half hour left to go. 5 Remove from heat and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator overnight so that the flavors blend and the fat on the surface solidifies, making it easier to remove. You can skip this step, but the oxtails will be better if they are chilled in this state overnight. 6 The next day, remove the pot from the refrigerator and scrape off the layer of rendered fat that has solidified on top of the oxtails. If you are not waiting for the oxtails to chill, the fat still needs to be removed. If working with a room temperature or warm pot, use a fat separator or a large metal spoon to skim away the fat. 7 Heat the oxtails on medium heat. Cook uncovered for about another half an hour, or until the meat can easily be pulled off the bones. Then use a slotted spoon to remove the oxtails from the pot. Let cool enough to touch. Use your hands to remove the meat from the bones to a bowl. Take care to remove as well the round tough cartilage caps on either end of the vertebrae. 8 (Optional, if you want a smoother glaze) While the oxtails are cooling in the step above, strain the mixture in the pot, discarding the solids and returning the liquid to the pot. Increase the heat to high to bring the liquid to a boil. 9 When the liquid has reduced by about a half, add the oxtail meat back to the pot. Bring to a boil, continue to boil away the liquid until it has reduced to a light syrupy consistency. As the mixture boils down, you may want to reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir the oxtails a little so that the glaze doesn't burn and so that the meat doesn't stick to the pan. When the right consistency, remove from heat and serve. Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta, egg noodles, or rice. (Avoid egg noodles if cooking gluten-free.) |
“Now this is how oxtails should taste,” my father declared after taking a bite of these glazed oxtails. I couldn’t agree more. We have a thing for oxtails in our family. Oxtail stew was a favorite winter dish my mom prepared when we were growing up. If you are unfamiliar with oxtails, they are tails of steers, typically sold cut into segments. Most of what you buy is bone, and the meat is well exercised and fatty, so oxtail preparations lend themselves to slow cooking. Much like short-ribs, but in my opinion, even better. Think of the best pulled pork imaginable, but with beef. In this recipe the oxtails are first browned, then slow cooked with red wine and stock. Then the segments are removed so you can strip the meat off of them and the liquid is reduced to a glaze. It’s actually pretty easy to make, most of the cooking time is hands-off while the oxtails are simmering. |
Elise Bauer | Oxtails, browned, slow cooked until falling off the bone tender, red wine and stock reduced until coating oxtails with syrupy glaze. | Elise Bauer | Oxtails, browned, slow cooked until falling off the bone tender, red wine and stock reduced until coating oxtails with syrupy glaze. | 15 minutes | 4 hours, 30 minutes | Serves 4-5 | |
2753 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1392 | 2017-09-25 03:29:16 | Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew | 2 Tbsp butter 2 pounds (900 g) well marbled chuck beef roast, cut into 2-inch pieces Salt 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion) 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 pint (16 ounces, 475 ml) Guinness extra stout (make sure you use extra stout and not draught) 3 cups (700 ml) beef broth 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 3-4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks 1/2 pound (280 g) celery root, potatoes, or young turnips, peeled and cut into chunks 2 teaspoons dried thyme Salt 4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional) |
These instructions are for making the stew in a slow cooker. If you don't have a slow cooker and would prefer to make the stew in the oven, cook everything in a large Dutch oven. After you add the liquid, bring it to a simmer on the stovetop then put it, tightly covered, in a 225°F oven for 6 hours (or a 300°F oven for 4 hours). Note that different people have different sensitivities to bitter flavors. If Guinness Stout tastes bitter to you, then the stew will taste bitter as well. If it doesn't taste bitter to you, the stew should not taste bitter. You can either use celery root, young turnips or potatoes in addition to parsnips and carrots. If you use turnips, make sure you only use young turnips, which are smaller and sweeter than regular turnips. Regular turnips can be quite bitter. |
1 Brown the beef, transfer to slow cooker: Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the butter, starting with the fattiest pieces of meat, fat side down in the pan. This will allow some beef fat to render out. Work in batches as to not crowd the pan. Sprinkle salt over the beef as it browns. Once browned on all sides, transfer the beef pieces into the slow cooker. 2 Sauté onions and celery, transfer to slow cooker: Add the onions and celery to the pan in which you just browned the beef. Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for a minute or two, then add a little of the Guinness, enough to make it easier for you to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Transfer the celery and onions into the slow cooker. 3 Add Guinness, broth, root vegetables, thyme, salt: Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef broth, carrots, parsnips, celery root, and thyme to the slow cooker. Add two teaspoons of salt. 4 Cook in slow cooker: Cover and cook on "high" for 4 hours, or "low" for 8 hours. When done, add more salt to taste. If you want, sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve. |
If molasses were a beer, it would be a Guinness stout—rich, thick, dark, caramel-y, deeply flavorful. It is Ireland’s most popular brew with, get this, more than 1.8 billion pints sold around the world every year. (That’s a lot of beer!) Around here it’s a favorite for St. Patrick’s Day, and you can find stacks of Guinness displays at practically every store that sells beer. Naturally Guinness has made its way into flavoring many dishes, including breads and cakes as well as stews like this one. Guinness stew is Ireland’s answer to Belgian carbonnade, with chunks of beef and with stout instead of ale, and with root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, and celery root. This stew we are making in a slow cooker (though you could make it in the oven as well). The controlled low and slow cooking is perfect for tenderizing the flavorful but tough pieces of beef chuck roast, while keeping the root vegetables intact. The trick is to brown the meat first, before adding to the slow cooker. That way you get all of the wonderful flavor from the browned meat in your stew. Enjoy! |
Elise Bauer | Slow cooked Guinness beef stew with carrots, parsnips and Guinness stout. | Elise Bauer | Slow cooked Guinness beef stew with carrots, parsnips and Guinness stout. | 20 minutes | 4 hours, 30 minutes | Serves 6-8 | |
2795 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1401 | 2017-09-25 03:29:43 | New England Boiled Dinner | 3 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket or plain beef brisket 15 peppercorns 8 whole cloves 1 bay leaf Salt, if using plain brisket 2 medium sized turnips, peeled and quartered 4 red new potatoes, peeled and quartered 3 large carrots, cut into thirds and the thickest pieces quartered lengthwise 1 small head cabbage, cut into fourths | Corned beef can be pretty salty, so if you are making boiled dinner with corned beef you may want to put it in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and then discard the water before starting the recipe. If the broth ends up being too salty, you can serve just the meat and vegetables, without the broth, or add water to the broth to dilute it. | 1 Put corned beef in a pot, cover with water, add seasonings, simmer: Put the brisket in a 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven and cover with an inch of water. If you are using corned beef brisket and it does not come already packed in seasoning, add peppercorns, cloves, and a bay leaf to the pot. If using plain brisket, add a teaspoon of salt for every quart of water. Bring to a simmer and then cover, lower the heat until it is barely simmering. Keep at a low simmer for four hours or until the meat is tender (a fork goes through easily). 2 Remove meat, add vegetables, simmer: Remove the meat and set aside, keeping the meat warm. Add the vegetables to the pot. Check the broth for taste. If it is too salty, add a little more water to taste. Raise the temperature and bring the soup to a high simmer. Cook at a high simmer until done, about 15-30 minutes longer, depending on the size of the cut of your vegetables. 3 Slice meat across the grain: Slice the meat in thin slices across the grain. You may find it easier to slice if you first cut the roast in half along the same direction as the grain of the meat. Then slice smaller lengths across the grain. Serve in bowls, a few pieces of meat in each, add some of the vegetables and some broth. Serve with horseradish or mustard or both. |
New England boiled dinner is a one pot dish consisting of corned beef or plain beef brisket or smoked picnic ham shoulder, with cabbage, carrots and potatoes. When made with corned beef, it’s an Irish-American corned beef and cabbage dish, traditionally made around St. Patrick’s Day. My parents like to make it with plain, uncured brisket. Others make it with smoked ham shoulder. The following recipe is for boiled dinner made with either corned beef or plain beef brisket. |
Elise Bauer | New England boiled dinner, a one pot dish consisting of corned beef or plain brisket, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. | Elise Bauer | New England boiled dinner, a one pot dish consisting of corned beef or plain brisket, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. | 4 hours, 30 minutes | Serves 6 to 8 | ||
2751 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 1536 | 2017-09-25 03:32:12 | Hot Dogs with Sriracha and Asian Slaw | Coleslaw: 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter 6 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil 4 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (if seasoned rice vinegar is not available, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to regular rice vinegar) A sprinkle of salt A sprinkle of sugar 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (Napa, green, purple, or a combination) 3/4 cup grated carrots 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 3 thinly sliced green onions 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds Hot Dogs: 4-6 hot dogs 4-6 buns Sriracha hot sauce Chinese mustard |
1 Make the dressing for the cole slaw. Mix the peanut butter in a medium bowl with the vegetable oil and sesame oil until smooth. Whisk in the seasoned rice vinegar, then add salt and sugar to taste. 2 In a large bowl, toss the sliced cabbage, grated carrots, cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds together. Don't mix in the dressing until you are ready to cook the hot dogs. 3 Cook the hot dogs as you like (boil, grill or fry). 3a: To boil the hot dogs, put hot dogs in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them with an inch of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for a couple minutes. All you need to do is to heat the hot dogs thoroughly, because they are packaged already cooked. 3b: To grill the hot dogs, preheat heat your grill on high, direct heat. Right before placing the hot dogs on the grill, lower the heat to medium (if using a gas grill) and place the hot dogs perpendicular to the grates. If using a charcoal grill, sear the hot dogs first on the hot side of the grill to get grill marks, then move them to a less hot side of the grill. Turn the hot dogs occasionally so that all sides get cooked. 3c: To fry them, score the hot dogs 3 times on each side, slicing about 1/4 inch deep. Place a little vegetable oil in the fry pan, heat on medium high. Add the hot dogs and cook, turning every minute, until lightly seared and cooked through. 4 Toast the buns in a toaster or in the frying pan alongside the hot dogs or on the grill. 5 To serve, spread some Chinese mustard on the bun. Put the hot dog in the bun, sprinkle with sriracha sauce, and top with coleslaw. |
Have you ever played around with sriracha hot sauce? It’s that spicy red sauce you often find at south east asian restaurants in the plastic bottle with the rooster on the side. It’s sort of an “in” thing these days, a great combination of sweet, spicy, garlicky, and sour, with the consistency of ketchup. People are finding all sorts of culinary uses for sriracha, check out these mean buffalo wings with sriracha sauce from my friends Diane and Todd. For an experiment we thought we would jack up the humble hot dog with this sauce. We added a little Chinese mustard and topped the dog with asian coleslaw; it turned out great, we loved it! Even my dad, who tends to hold back on hot chilies gobbled up his. Do you use sriracha in your cooking? If so, please tell us how in the comments. |
Elise Bauer | Asian style hot dogs with sriracha hot sauce and Asian cole slaw. | Elise Bauer | Asian style hot dogs with sriracha hot sauce and Asian cole slaw. | 20 minutes | 15 minutes | Serves 4-6. | ||
2773 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2038 | 2017-09-25 03:41:18 | Ginger Beef Stir Fry | Marinade 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar 5 Tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free) 1 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon chile pepper flakes 1 teaspoon ground cumin Beef and stir-fry 1 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb top sirloin steak 1 Tbsp cornstarch 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (preferably peanut) 1 Tbsp dark toasted sesame oil (optional) 3-4 green onions, cut on a diagonal, 1/2-inch apart, including the greens 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2-3 hot chilis, preferably red serranos, seeded, sliced 1-inch nob of ginger, peeled, cut lengthwise into matchstick shapes 1/2 cup loosely packed, chopped cilantro |
1 Chill steak, slice into strips: Chill the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes before you slice it, this will make it easier to cut in thin slices. Slice the steak first crosswise in 1/2-inch thick slices. The cut each slice lengthwise into strips. 2 Marinate the beef: In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients; the soy sauce, vinegar, grated ginger, honey, red chile flakes, and cumin. Mix the beef in with the marinade to coat and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and up to 4 hours, in the fridge. 3 Make cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry. 4 Brown the beef strips: Heat the oil in a wok (vegetable oil plus dark sesame oil if using), or a large sauté pan, over high heat until it is nearly smoking. As the oil is heating up, pat the beef dry and separate it into small batches no larger than what can fit into the palm of your hand. Working in batches, sauté beef until just brown outside but rare inside, no more than 1 minute. Transfer beef to a bowl. 5 Stir fry chiles, garlic, ginger: When all of the beef is cooked, put the chiles and garlic into the pan and stir-fry 30-45 seconds. Add the julienned ginger and cook for 30-45 seconds more. 6 Add beef, cornstarch slurry, scallions: Add the beef back to the pan. Add the cornstarch slurry. Add the scallions and mix everything together. Cook for 1 minute. 7 Remove from heat, stir in cilantro: Turn the heat off and mix in the cilantro. Serve at once with steamed white rice. |
The best thing about stir fries? They come together so quickly! In this ginger beef stir fry we marinate strips of beef sirloin in a honey soy marinade, then quickly fry them in a hot pan with julienned ginger, red chilis, and sliced garlic. A cornstarch slurry helps keep the beef strips from drying out and helps create a tasty glaze over the meat. Thinly sliced scallions are stirred in at the end, and the whole thing is served over rice. Fast, easy, and tastes great! The trick to a good stir-fry is working with a very hot, relatively stick-free pan. I say relatively stick-free because you don’t want one of those stick-free pans with the coating that peels off, but say more like a well-seasoned wok or a cast iron frying pan. Hard anodized aluminum will work too, as its surface is bonded into the pan and can take high temperature cooking. Cooking on high heat allows you to get a good sear on the meat and vegetables without overcooking them. |
Elise Bauer | Easy Beef Stir Fry! With ginger and scallions and a honey soy marinade. | Elise Bauer | Easy Beef Stir Fry! With ginger and scallions and a honey soy marinade. | 15 minutes | 10 minutes | Serves 4-6 | ||
2790 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2042 | 2017-09-25 03:41:30 | Quick Beef Stir-Fry with Bell Peppers | 1 pound top sirloin or chuck steaks (about 1/2 inch thick), trimmed Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large garlic clove, minced 3 Tbsp grapeseed, safflower, canola, rice bran or other high-smoke point oil, divided 2 medium bell peppers, one red, one green, sliced into 1/4-inch strips 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced lengthwise (root to top) A dozen cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or one large tomato, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional) 1 Tbsp soy sauce 2 teaspoon sesame oil |
1 Season steaks with salt, pepper, garlic, then pound thin: Season the steaks with salt and pepper and rub minced garlic over one side. Place the steaks between two sheets of plastic wrap. With a meat pounder, pound the steaks to a 1/4 inch thickness. Let the steaks sit for 10 minutes to absorb the flavor of the garlic. 2 Cut the steaks across the grain into 1/2-inch wide strips. 3 Sauté onions and peppers: Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add the sliced onions and bell peppers, cook, stirring, until just barely tender, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan to a bowl and keep warm. 4 Sauté beef strips: Heat an additional Tbsp of oil in the skillet on high heat, until the oil is shimmering, but not smoking. Add the strips of beef let the beef brown initially, without stirring, but as soon as it is brown on one side, then stir. Cook for no more than a minute (for medium-rare). 5 Add the peppers and onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and sesame oil and cook for a half minute longer, stirring. Remove from heat. Serve alone (paleo, low carb), or with steamed rice. Salt and pepper to taste. |
Sometime in the mid-80s I gave my father a subscription to Gourmet Magazine for Christmas. I think this goes down in family history as the most appreciated gift ever given to him by one of his kids. He continued to subscribe to Gourmet for at least 15 years. Over the last few years, mostly to get ideas for this site, dad has been skimming through decades old issues that he still has in stashes all over the house. Here’s a recipe that started out from an old issue of Gourmet and used Worcestershire sauce, but over the years has morphed into something with a more Asian flare with soy sauce and sesame oil, and onions along with the strips of bell pepper. The original recipe called for chuck, we used top sirloin, which made the beef strips very tender, but because the strips are so thin, and cut across the grain, you could easily use chuck. |
Elise Bauer | Quick stir-fried beef strips with sliced onions and red and green bell peppers. | Elise Bauer | Quick stir-fried beef strips with sliced onions and red and green bell peppers. | 15 minutes | 10 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2785 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2053 | 2017-09-25 03:41:51 | Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew | 3 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 Tbsp butter 3 medium yellow onions sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups) 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth 1 1/2 cups (12 oz bottle) Belgian beer 4 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard 1 Tbsp brown sugar | You are trying to achieve a sweet and sour flavor with this stew. So, you can swap out the sugar for tomato paste and you can use cider vinegar instead of mustard if you want. You can also brown the meat in vegetable oil instead of butter, though it will be more flavorful with the butter. You can also use a couple slices of bread, instead of adding flour, to thicken the stew. | 1 Pat beef dry with paper towels, then season well with salt and pepper. On the stove top, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, almost smoking. Working in batches, brown the meat, without stirring, about 3 minutes on each side (do not stir, give the meat an opportunity to brown well). Transfer browned beef to a separate bowl. 2 Add 2 tablespoons butter to dutch oven; reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; cook until onions are browned, about 15 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits; stir in beer, thyme, bay, browned beef with any of the accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a full simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, let cook for 2-3 hours until beef is fork tender. (Alternatively can cook in the oven at 300°F.) Stir occasionally, scraping up anything that is sticking to the bottom of the pan. About half an hour before it finishes cooking, add the mustard and brown sugar. Adjust seasonings to taste. 3 Discard thyme and bay leaf. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Can serve plain, with potatoes, over noodles, or over French fries. Whatever ale you have used in the cooking makes for a great drink accompaniment to the stew. |
When the days are cold, dark, and damp, all we really want to do around here is to curl up with a nice big pot of stew. Known as “Carbonnade a la Flamande”, this Belgian beef stew is made with hearty Belgian ale and plenty of onions. The flavor is a little sweet and sour, the sweet from the onions and either a little added sugar or tomato paste, and the sour from a touch of mustard or vinegar. Since I first posted this recipe I’ve made a few adjustments to the recipe itself, and we’ve received several recommendations for which ale to use (check the comments). The general view is that you should try to use a Belgian ale for this stew. If you can’t find a Belgian ale, or a Belgian-style ale, you can try Newcastle Brown Ale or Anchor Steam (the last two recommended by Cooks Illustrated for their carbonnade). We found a couple American ales made in the Belgian style at our local Whole Foods and for our most recent batch of stew used a bottle of Ommegang Abbey Ale. Apparently it is also traditional to include some beef liver with the stew. We passed on this, but if a stew exists that could hold up to the strong flavors of liver, this one would be it. Wonderfully hearty, flavorful, and filling. |
Elise Bauer | Carbonnade Belgian beef stew recipe, with beef, onions, and Belgian ale, and seasoned with bay and thyme. | Elise Bauer | Carbonnade Belgian beef stew recipe, with beef, onions, and Belgian ale, and seasoned with bay and thyme. | 15 minutes | 3 hours, 30 minutes | Serves 6. | |
2774 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2095 | 2017-09-25 03:42:38 | Bison Burger | 2 pounds ground bison (buffalo) 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 1/2 onion, finely chopped 2 Tbsp vegetable oil Smoky barbecue sauce | 1 Sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent. Turn off the heat and let it cool. 2 When the onions are cool enough to touch, use your (clean) hands to gently mix them in with the bison burger meat, and add everything else. Do not overwork the meat, it will result in a tough burger. Just gently fold it until the onions, sage, salt and pepper are well mixed in. 3 Form patties with the meat, using about 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of meat per patty. Here's a tip on making the patty: if you press a slight indentation in the center of each patty it will help keep the burgers in a nice disk shape when cooking. Otherwise the burger will start to get a little egg-shaped as the edges contract from cooking. 4 Grill or fry the burgers on medium heat, about 6-7 minutes per side, less or more depending on the thickness of the burger and the heat of the pan/grill, or until the internal temperature is 140°F for medium rare, or 160°F for well done. A note on internal temperature. If you are getting the ground meat from a source you trust (we got ours from Whole Foods) that does their own grinding on site, or you grind your own meat, you can safely cook the burgers rare or medium rare. Otherwise you'll want to cook the burgers until well done. Don’t press on your burgers while cooking, and keep the flipping to a minimum. Let the burgers rest about 5 minutes before serving. Serve the burger with lettuce and tomato, topped with a smoky barbecue sauce. |
Sing along! ♪ Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam ♫ … and the deer and the antelope play; where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the sky is not cloudy all day. ♫ Yes we do break into song occasionally around here. It’s good for you and it warms the soul. What better song to sing than Home on the Range when enjoying an all (North) American buffalo burger. And yes, this is more accurately called a bison burger. For the record we are talking about an American buffalo (bison), and not an Asian buffalo. There used to be just a few American buffalo still alive, but now they are no longer endangered, and enterprising ranchers are raising bison as a leaner alternative to beef. Have you ever eaten bison? Imagine a really lean, deep red, grass-fed beefy beef. If you like the taste of a good steak or beef burger, you’ll love buffalo. Ground buffalo is not that expensive, and is readily available at good supermarkets. We got ours at Whole Foods. There are also several online purveyors who sell it. You can cook buffalo much the way you would lean, grass-fed beef. For this burger, we decided to stick with the Western cowboy theme and season the burger with plenty of sage and smoky barbecue sauce. Do you have a favorite way to prepare bison? Please let us know about it in the comments. |
Elise Bauer | American buffalo (bison) burger made with ground buffalo meat and seasoned with sage, topped with smoky barbecue sauce. | Elise Bauer | American buffalo (bison) burger made with ground buffalo meat and seasoned with sage, topped with smoky barbecue sauce. | Makes 6-8 burgers | ||||
2784 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2097 | 2017-09-25 03:42:48 | Cowboy Steak with Chimichurri Sauce | Steak 1 2-lb "Cowboy Steak" (frenched beef rib steak) Salt Pepper Chimichurri 1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems 4-6 garlic cloves 3 Tbsps fresh oregano leaves 3 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar 3/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper | A cowboy steak is a rather thick (2-inches) cut of meat. It lends itself well to searing first, to get browning, then slower cooking with either indirect heat on the grill, or in the oven. | 1 Prepare the chimichurri sauce/marinade. Finely chop the parsley, garlic and oregano (can do with a food processor), place in a small bowl. Stir in the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Set aside two thirds of the sauce for serving with the steak (cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature). The remaining third of the sauce will be for the marinade. 2 Place steak in a bowl or large ziplock bag. Take about a third of the prepared chimichurri sauce and coat the steak for a marinade. Cover completely with plastic wrap or remove air from ziplock bag and secure close. Let steak marinate for several hours. Remove steak from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking so that it gets close to room temperature before cooking. Right before cooking, wipe off marinade from steak and sprinkle steak generously with salt and pepper. 3a Grilling Instructions Prepare grill so that one side has high, direct heat and another side has indirect heat. Brush grill grates with vegetable oil. Place steak first on the side of the grill with high, direct heat, so that it sears. Grill for a minute or two on each side, enough to brown the meat. Then transfer the steak to the indirect heat side of the grill. Cover the grill, try to maintain a grill temperature of 350°F. Cook for 5-10 minutes (or more) until the steak is cooked to your desired level of doneness. You can use the finger test to check for doneness, or a meat thermometer. For rare, pull the meat off the gril at an internal temp of 120°F. For medium rare, 125-130°F. Remove the meat to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. 3b Stovetop/Oven Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high to high heat. Hold the steak fat-side down to render a little of the fat into the pan. Then sear each side until nicely browned, about a minute or two each. Transfer the steak (if using cast iron pan, can place the whole pan in the oven) to the oven to finish to desired doneness, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness and size of the steak and how well done you like it. You can use the finger test to check for doneness, or a meat thermometer. For rare, pull the meat out of the oven at an internal temp of 120°F. For medium rare, 125-130°F. Remove the meat to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve steak with remaining chimichurri sauce. |
The first time I saw a “cowboy steak” at our local butcher, all I could think was, “wow, that’s one BIG steak”. Looking like a two-inch thick steak ping-pong paddle, the cowboy cut of steak is actually a beef rib-eye, bone-in, with the bone Frenched, so that if you were the cowboy eating this steak, you could just hold it by the bone. (So cowboys don’t use forks and knives?) I can just see Marlboro Man now, sitting by the campfire, tin coffee cup in one hand, cowboy steak in the other. (Hmm. Maybe I should ask Ree, the Pioneer Woman herself, if cowboys even eat steaks like this.) Or maybe it’s just a marketing ploy to sell more steak. In any case, we love cooking meat bone-in for the flavor, and this is a very flavorful cut. We marinated the steak in, and served it with, an Argentinean chimichurri sauce, appropriate because, as you know, Argentina is home to the famed gauchos, South American cowboys. Have you ever prepared a cowboy steak cut? If so, what’s your favorite way of doing so? Please let us know in the comments. |
Elise Bauer | Frenched beef rib-eye steak seared first to brown, then cooked on lower heat to finish, served with parsley, oregano, garlic chimichurri sauce. | Elise Bauer | Frenched beef rib-eye steak seared first to brown, then cooked on lower heat to finish, served with parsley, oregano, garlic chimichurri sauce. | Serves 3-4 | |||
2761 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2134 | 2017-09-25 03:43:45 | Veal Goulash with Sauerkraut | 4 Tbsp unsalted butter or rendered beef fat 2 pounds of veal, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 1 1/2 cups sliced onions, sliced root to tip, 1/4-inch thick slices 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, or chopped fresh ripe tomatoes 1 cup full-fat sour cream 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, chopped or crushed in a mortar with pestle 2 28-30 ounce jars sauerkraut (we recommend Bubbies, in the refrigerated section of the grocery store) 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley |
1 Heat butter or beef fat in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Pat dry the cubed veal. Sprinkle with salt and add to pan. Working in batches, sauté the meat until the meat is just beginning to brown. 2 Add the onions to the pan with the veal, cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. 3 Add a teaspoon of salt, a half teaspoon of black pepper, and the tomatoes. Add enough water to just barely cover the meat, about 2 cups or so, depending on the size and shape of your pan. 4 Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer, uncovered. Cook until the meat is almost cooked through, about 30 minutes. 5 Use a slotted spoon to remove the veal from the pan to a bowl to temporarily set aside. Increase the heat to high and let the liquid boil until it is reduced by half. Lower the heat to medium. Add the meat back to the pan. 6 Add the sour cream, paprika, and crushed caraway seeds, and simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes. 7 Heat the sauerkraut in a medium pot on medium heat until hot. To serve, strain the sauerkraut. Place the sauerkraut in a serving dish and top with the goulash. |
Years ago in Manhattan, there was a rather famous German restaurant by the name of Luchow’s. It was established in 1882 and operated continuously for a hundred years, finally shutting down in 1984. In its heyday Luchow’s was well known as a hang out for musicians and entertainers such as Steinway, Dvorak, and later, Oscar Hammerstein. It even had a room named after Diamond Jim Brady, a regular. I don’t recall how it happened, but my father came across a used copy of Luchow’s German Cookbook, a compilation of recipes from that now long gone restaurant. He quickly zeroed in on the recipe for an Austrian goulash with sauerkraut, also called Szegedine Goulasch in the book. I often accuse my dad of having sauerkraut in his veins, and not without reason. He just can’t pass up an interesting recipe that calls for that fermented cabbage. This “goulash” is chunks of veal, cooked with onions and tomatoes in a paprika sour cream sauce, served over sauerkraut. So so good. We have since made the recipe six ways to Sunday—with pork instead of veal (not as good), with beef instead of veal (also not as good), shorter cooking time, longer cooking time, etc.—and have come to the conclusion that it is a fabulous recipe, it just needs more sauekraut (we doubled it for ours) and it really is best with veal. It’s also important to not get overzealous with the browning of the meat. It just needs the slightest hint of brown so that you know it’s done, not a sear which can toughen up the delicate veal meat. |
Elise Bauer | Veal cooked with onions, tomatoes, and served with a paprika sour cream sauce over sauerkraut. Also known as Szegedine Goulasch, an Austrian goulash. | Elise Bauer | Veal cooked with onions, tomatoes, and served with a paprika sour cream sauce over sauerkraut. Also known as Szegedine Goulasch, an Austrian goulash. | 10 minutes | 1 hour, 30 minutes | Serves 8. | ||
2772 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2154 | 2017-09-25 03:44:29 | Hawaiian Oxtail Soup | 2 lbs oxtails 1 strip dried orange peel (zest, not the pith) 2 star anise 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced Salt, at least a tablespoon, more to taste 1/2 cup of shelled, skinned, raw peanuts (can sub roasted unsalted peanuts) 1/8 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (or more to taste) A handful of fresh mustard greens, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups, loosely packed) Garnishes: Fresh cilantro, chopped Green onions, white and green parts, sliced on diagonal Freshly grated ginger |
An odd ingredient, one that isn't readily accessible in the stores around here at least, is dried orange peel. (Apparently you can buy it pretty easily in Hawaii.) What I did for this ingredient is I used a vegetable peeler to strip off a long strip of peel (just the zest) from an orange. This I set on a shelf in my kitchen for a week to dry out. It worked great! I wondered why one would use the dried and not fresh orange peel and I think perhaps it's because of the long cook time; maybe the dried peel holds up better to long cooking? If I didn't think ahead to dry the peel, I would just use a couple teaspoons of orange zest instead. |
1 Parboil the oxtails, trim of excess fat: Bring a large pot (5-quart), half filled with water, to a boil. Add the oxtails. Parboil for 30 minutes. Drain the pot. Rinse the oxtails in water. Trim the oxtails of any excess fat. 2 Simmer oxtails in water with seasonings for 1 hour: Return the oxtails to the pot. Cover with water by an inch. Add the orange peel, star anise, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for one hour. 3 Add peanuts, simmer 2-3 more hours: Add the peanuts and simmer for 2-3 more hours, until the oxtail meat is tender and falling off the bone. 4 Skim fat: At the point, you can either skim the fat off the soup and proceed to the next step, or let the soup cool, and chill it overnight in the refrigerator. The next day the fat will have solidified and will be easy to pull up from the top of the soup. The flavors will also have had more of a chance to blend and be absorbed by the oxtails if you let the soup sit overnight. 5 Add chili pepper flakes, mustard greens: Bring soup to a simmer. Add the chili pepper flakes and mustard greens. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until the mustard greens are tender. 6 Garnish with cilantro, green onions, ginger to serve: Serve with garnishes of chopped fresh cilantro, green onions, and freshly grated ginger. If you want, you can strip the meat off the bones before serving. We prefer the meat served bone-in, in which case you will want to provide a bowl for the bones. |
Oxtails! My oh my how I love thee. We grew up with oxtail stew, a deeply rich, hearty stew perfect for cold days. You don’t find them that often in the market, so when they appear I’ll usually pick up a few pounds. The oxtail is the tail of a steer, usually cut into segments. It is a flavorful, tough cut, perfect for slow braising in stews or soups, well marbled with fat, and here’s the best part, the bones have a ton of collagen, so good for making a gelatinous stock. Oxtail soup is served all over Hawaii. Unlike the thick and hearty stew I grew up with, the Hawaiian soup is relatively light (a blessing post holidays), with a thin broth and seasonings from ginger, star anise, orange, green onions, and cilantro. Peanuts make an appearance too. What a combination! The flavors just sparkle. By the way, although oxtails are often hard to find at regular markets, Costco often carries them. |
Elise Bauer | Hawaiian oxtail soup with oxtails, slowly cooked to produce their own broth, with ginger, anise, orange peel, peanuts, chili, mustard greens, onions, and cilantro. | Elise Bauer | Hawaiian oxtail soup with oxtails, slowly cooked to produce their own broth, with ginger, anise, orange peel, peanuts, chili, mustard greens, onions, and cilantro. | 3 hours, 45 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2775 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2223 | 2017-09-25 03:45:58 | Steak Teriyaki | 1/3 cup mirin rice wine 1/3 cup sake 1/3 cup soy sauce (if cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce) 1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger 1 1/2 to 2 lb flank steak or skirt steak Olive oil or canola oil | You can either pan-fry or grill this steak, either way you'll want to sear it on very high heat. If pan frying, I recommend using a large cast iron frying pan or griddle pan. | 1 Marinate the steak: Combine the mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and grated ginger in a large, shallow bowl. Place the steak in the marinade and let marinate for at least an hour, and up to 48 hours. If marinating for more than an hour, keep chilled until an hour before you plan to cook. 2 Boil marinade to make the teriyaki sauce: When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade, reserving the marinade. Place steak on a plate and set aside. Place marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, or until the marinade has reduced to a thin glaze, becoming your teriyaki sauce. Please note that if you are concerned by the idea of reusing the marinade after raw steak has been sitting in it, you will be boiling the heck out of this marinade, killing anything that may have decided to grow in it during the marinating process. Also steak isn't the same as chicken. People eat steak raw (beef carpaccio). Salmonella is not a problem with steak; it is with chicken. If you are still concerned, make twice as much marinade, and reserve half to boil down to make the sauce, using the other half as a marinade. 3 Grill or fry the steak: If grilling the steak, prepare your grill for high, direct heat. If pan frying, heat a large cast iron pan on high heat. If grilling oil the grill grates. Pat dry the steak. Rub a little olive oil all over it. Place the steak on the hot grill or pan. Sear for 3-5 minutes on one side, or until the side is well browned, and turn the steak over and sear the other side. Baste the steak with teriyaki sauce. 4 Let the steak rest: When the steak is well seared on both sides, remove from the heat, cover with foil, and let rest for 10-15 minutes. 5 Slice steak in half with the grain, then in thin slices across the grain: Notice the direction of the grain of the steak (the striations in the muscle fibers of the steak). Slice the steak in half, following the grain of the steak so that you are slicing along the grain. (This will make it easier to make cuts across the grain.) Then make thin slices (1/4-inch) across the grain and on a slight diagonal. Slicing this way will break up the muscle fibers, making this naturally tough cut of meat quite tender. If there are juices that run out of the steak as you cut it, add the juices to the teriyaki sauce. There's lots of goodness in the steak "jus" that you don't want to waste. Arrange on a serving plate and pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over it. |
I love this photo. It makes me want to eat this steak all over again. Don’t you love it when you make something that you know is good, and you feed it to someone who has their doubts (because that’s just how they are, they doubt everything), and their eyes light up and they get a big smile on their face right after the first bite? That was my mother and father after biting into this steak teriyaki. Flank steak is naturally tough, but the combination of marinating it in a homemade teriyaki marinade of mirin, sake, and soy sauce, along with a fast sear on high heat, and cutting thin slices against the grain, makes for a juicy, tender presentation. |
Elise Bauer | Seared flank or skirt steak, marinated first in a teriyaki marinade made with mirin, sake, and soy sauce, glazed with the sauce while cooking, and cut thinly against the grain to serve. | Elise Bauer | Seared flank or skirt steak, marinated first in a teriyaki marinade made with mirin, sake, and soy sauce, glazed with the sauce while cooking, and cut thinly against the grain to serve. | 10 minutes | 30 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2750 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2393 | 2017-09-25 03:49:45 | Chipotle Burger | 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1/3 cup grated onion 2-4 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotle chili peppers in adobo), depending on how much chile heat you like, minced, plus 1 Tbsp of the adobo sauce 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon black pepper 6 hamburger buns 6 slices jack cheese 2 avocados, sliced Chipotle hot sauce to taste (we use Tabasco brand) 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish 2 poblano chile peppers, roasted, seeded, peeled and sliced (optional)* * Optional step for roasted poblanos. Coat the poblanos with a little oil and grill or broil them until they are blackened on all sides. Alternatively, you can take the plain, un-oiled peppers and place them directly on a gas stovetop burner, turning them as needed, until they are blackened on all sides. Place the blackened peppers in a covered bowl for 15 minutes or so to steam. Peel off the charred skin and remove all the seeds. Slice into thick ribbons and toss with a little vegetable oil and salt and set aside. |
1 Mix the ground beef, grated onion, minced chipotles, the adobo sauce, salt, cumin and black pepper together in a large bowl. Mix gently, just until the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix or the burgers will be tough. 2 Form 4-6 patties from the burger mix, about 1/4 pound to 1/3 pound each. Tip: form the patties with a little indentation in the center and as they cook the patties won't bulge as much in the center. 3 Grill the burgers over medium-high heat (with the grill lid down) until done, about 6-7 minutes per side, depending on how hot your grill is. Cook until the internal temperature is 140°F for medium rare, or 160°F for well done. When the burgers are almost ready, place a slice of jack cheese on each patty and close the grill lid. The cheese should melt in a little over a minute. 4 If you want toasted burger buns with your burgers, toast them after you've flipped the burgers. Watch that the buns don't burn; when they are lightly toasted move them to a tray near the grill. When the burgers are ready, place them on the buns. Top with slices of avocado, then some of the roasted poblanos (if using) a little cilantro and hot sauce. |
Happiness is … finding a half-full can of chipotle chilies in adobo in the fridge, when you have burgers to grill! These smoked red jalapeños add pizzaz to almost anything grilled. Fold minced chipotles into your burger mixture, form patties and grill. Top the burgers with melted jack cheese, sliced avocados, and a little cilantro. If you want even more heat, double down and add strips of roasted poblano chilies. Have a safe and fun Fourth of July! ~Elise |
Elise Bauer | A hamburger flavored with chipotles in adobo, cumin and onion, served with jack cheese and avocados. | Elise Bauer | A hamburger flavored with chipotles in adobo, cumin and onion, served with jack cheese and avocados. | 15 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 4-6. | ||
2756 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2475 | 2017-09-25 03:51:00 | Hot Dogs with Pineapple Bacon Relish | 1/4 pound thick cut bacon 1/2 large red onion, chopped, about 1 cup 2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple (about 10 oz) 1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles 1 Tbsp sweet pickle juice 8 hot dogs 8 hot dog buns | If you are grilling the hot dogs, if you want you can grill the onion instead of sautéing. Just cut into thick rounds, coat with olive oil, and grill for about 5 minutes per side. Then chop. | 1 Place the strips of bacon in a skillet on medium heat. Slowly cook the bacon, turning the strips over occasionally until much of the fat is rendered and the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon strips to a paper towel lined plate. 2 Pour off all but a teaspoon of the bacon fat (do this into a jar, do not pour down the drain or you will clog your pipes). Increase the heat to medium high and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. While the onions are cooking, finely chop the cooled bacon strips. 3 In a large bowl stir to combine the bacon, onion, pineapple, and sweet pickles. Mix in a tablespoon of sweet pickle juice. You can make ahead at this point, chill until ready to serve with the hot dogs. 4 Heat the hot dogs your favorite way. The hot dogs are already cooked when you buy them, so all you really need to do is heat them through. Over a grill, grill for about 5 minutes on a medium flame, until lightly browned, and toast the buns for a minute if you wish. Or, put the dogs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Or, pierce the hot dogs all over with a fork and put on a plate in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds per hot dog. 5 Place a hot dog in a bun and top with a couple spoonfuls of relish. |
You know you’ve made something good when it disappears faster than the backside of Usain Bolt. No need to beg your loved ones to take seconds on these hot dogs. You’ll be lucky if there are any left for you! Chop up some fresh pineapple, and mix it in with chopped bacon, onions, and sweet pickles. Pile the relish over a sizzling hot dog and enjoy. Watch out, it’s messy, but I think that’s just how it goes with hot dogs and relish. Slather on some mustard too. You may as well go full-on mess while you’re at it. |
Elise Bauer | Hot dogs, cooked your favorite way, served with relish of pineapple, chopped bacon, red onion, and sweet pickles. | Elise Bauer | Hot dogs, cooked your favorite way, served with relish of pineapple, chopped bacon, red onion, and sweet pickles. | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | Makes enough relish for 8 hot dogs | |
2757 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2476 | 2017-09-25 03:51:06 | Santa Maria Style Tri Tip | 1 tri-tip roast, also known as triangle steak, a bottom sirloin cut (anywhere from 2 1/2 pounds to 4 pounds), look for one well-marbled with fat Santa Maria Rub (enough for a 4 pound roast) 1 Tbsp Kosher salt 1 Tbsp finely ground black pepper 1 Tbsp garlic powder 1 Tbsp onion powder 1 teaspoon cayenne 1 Tbsp dried oregano 1 teaspoon dry rosemary (or fresh, finely minced) 1/2 teaspoon dry sage |
Tri-tip roasts range from 2 1/2 pounds to 4 pounds. Figure on 1/2 pound of meat (before cooking) per person. A Santa Maria rub has salt, pepper, and either garlic salt or garlic powder. That's the base of the rub, anything beyond that is optional. If you don't have access to the tri-tip cut where you are, try using a thick london broil or sirloin steak. | 1 Mix the rub ingredients together in a bowl. Place the roast in a roasting pan or a baking pan with edges (this will help keep the rub from getting all over the floor). Sprinkle the rub on the meat on all sides, and massage the rub into the meat. Cover and let sit at room temp for an hour. 2 Prepare your grill for hot direct heat on one side, and indirect heat on the other. (By the way, if you are working with a wood-fired grill, Santa Maria BBQ traditionally uses red oak wood.) Sear the roast on all sides, 3-4 minutes per side. Carefully watch the roast during this process as one side of the roast is typically quite fatty and as the fat heats up it can drip down and cause flare-ups. Keep moving the tri-tip away from the flame if flare-ups occur. 3 Once the tri-tip is seared on all sides, move it away from direct heat and place it fat-side up on the grill rack. If you are using a gas grill with a top rack, I recommend placing the roast on that rack, with an aluminum tray on the bottom rack underneath to catch the fat drippings. If you are grilling on charcoal or wood, you may want to turn the roast over every few minutes, for more even heating. Try to maintain a grill temperature of 250°F to 300°F. 4 Cover the grill and cook until the temperature of the interior of the tri-tip reaches 120°F for a rare roast, 130°F for medium-rare and 140°F for medium. At this point the meat will take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes to cook, depending on how hot your grill is, how well done you want it, and the size of the cut. Note that the interior temperature will continue to rise at least 5°F after you take the roast off the heat. 5 Once the roast reaches temperature, remove it from the grill and let it rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve. |
What are you grilling for Labor Day? My favorite is this cut of beef, a triangle-shaped “tri-tip”, from the bottom sirloin. It’s also called a “Santa Maria steak” because Santa Maria, California is where it first became popular. Typically it is rubbed first with a mixture of salt, black pepper, and garlic salt, and then whatever other seasonings you want, and then barbecued over red oak wood. I love the cut because it’s just a fat, juicy steak that cooks up beautifully on the grill. You can marinate it, or use a classic Santa Maria rub. In this recipe we are starting with the basic rub and adding some herbs and a little cayenne. Some recipes will have you cut the layer of fat off the roast, I prefer to keep it on, and bathe the steak in the juiciness of fat as it cooks. Now, the only problem with tri-tip is that it can be hard to find outside of California, though I understand Costco does carry it. If you can’t find it, you can still use this approach and the Santa Maria rub with a thick (look for a two inch thick or greater) well marbled sirloin steak, or london broil. |
Elise Bauer | A California classic, Santa Maria style tri tip beef roast, a triangle shaped bottom sirloin cut, with a peppery, salty, garlic-y crust. | Elise Bauer | A California classic, Santa Maria style tri tip beef roast, a triangle shaped bottom sirloin cut, with a peppery, salty, garlic-y crust. | 1 hour | 35 minutes | Serves 5 to 8 | |
2765 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2484 | 2017-09-25 03:51:23 | Beef Kebabs | Marinade Ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup soy sauce 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1/4 cup honey 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger Freshly ground black pepper to taste Kebab Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs top sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 1 large bell pepper 1-2 medium red onions 1/2 to a pound button mushrooms About 20 bamboo or wooden skewers | Using bamboo or wooden skewers instead of metal will help keep the steak from getting overcooked on the inside. Metal transfers heat, so is useful to use for chicken, or a meat that you want to cook all the way through, but not so useful for steak that you want done rare or medium rare. | 1 Marinate the meat: Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and add the meat. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably several hours or even overnight. (Heck, I've kept the meat marinating for a couple days, still great.) 2 Soak skewers in water: Soak the wood or bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. This will help prevent them from completely burning up on the grill. 3 Thread the meat and veggies onto the skewers: Cut the vegetables into chunks roughly the width of the beef pieces. Taking care not to poke yourself, thread the meat and vegetables onto double bamboo skewers. One way to do this safely is to put the piece that you are trying to pierce on a cutting board, and then push the skewers through the piece to the board. Using double skewers will help you turn the kebabs on the grill. If you keep a little space between the pieces, they will grill more evenly. Paint the kebabs with some of the remaining marinade. 3 Grill on high, direct heat: Prepare your grill for high, direct heat. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is, and how done you would like your meat, turning occasionally. 4 Let rest: Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before serving. |
How is it that two people can remember things so differently? If you ask my mother she’ll say she’s only made beef kebabs a couple times in her life. If you ask me, one of my favorite childhood memories is my mother’s kebabs, cooked over the little cast iron hibachi grill my parents had on the back porch. My most vivid memory of them was the time I was recovering from pneumonia, hadn’t eaten anything for 3 weeks, and was allowed for the first time to sip some broth. And sip I did while the rest of the family ate beautiful, smoky, meaty, hearty, beefy kebabs. It. Was. So. Unfair. I can still smell them now. There was nothing I wanted more in the world at that moment than those kebabs. Sigh. Funny, the emotional ties we can have with food, isn’t it? I love, really truly love beef kebabs. Why? They’re fun, they’re on a stick. You can make your own, just they way you want them (lots of mushrooms please). If you’ve marinated the meat properly (several hours or preferably overnight), they’re the most juicy wonderful morsels you could possibly eat. A few tips that will help ensure your kebabs turn out well. Marinate the meat, the longer the better. Use double skewers to make them easier to turn. Use bamboo or wooden skewers so that the inside of the steak pieces stay nice and pink. Keep a little space between the items (more space than shown in the photo above, I sort of forgot that part when I did the batch pictured), so that the food grills versus steams. Most important, keep an eye on them! Do a finger test for doneness, or if the grill is too hot, tap the meat with the end of your tongs to see how much its giving. The meat and veggies will continue to cook a little once you’ve taken them off the grill and they are resting, so keep that in mind. |
Elise Bauer | What's a summer grill without beef kebabs? Top sirloin chunks, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, olive oil marinade, grilled with onions, mushrooms, bell peppers. | Elise Bauer | What's a summer grill without beef kebabs? Top sirloin chunks, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, olive oil marinade, grilled with onions, mushrooms, bell peppers. | 45 minutes | 15 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | |
2766 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2489 | 2017-09-25 03:51:38 | Grilled Beef and Mushroom Burger | 1 pound ground beef A 1-ounce package of dried mushrooms (porcini, morels or other mushrooms) 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (add more if you like burgers a little saltier) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms (can substitute button or cremini), sliced 1 large onion, sliced thin (about 2 cups) 2 Tbsp olive oil Salt 4-6 slices of Swiss cheese Burger buns |
We call for fresh shiitake mushrooms, but only because they are so much more flavorful than regular button mushrooms. Feel free to use whatever mushroom you want, buttons, cremini, morels, etc. Although this recipe calls for using a grill, you can easily pan fry them on your stovetop. I would recommend using a large cast iron pan for pan frying. | 1 Process the dried mushrooms in a food processor, or a clean coffee grinder (grind some raw rice to clean out coffee grinds), until ground into a powder. Remove any large mushroom pieces that didn't grind down, a few small pieces will be fine. 2 In a large bowl, use your clean hands to gently mix together the meat, salt, mushroom powder, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix just until everything is mostly combined, a minute or two. Do not overwork the meat mixture or it will become tough and meatloaf-like. Shape the meat into 3-4 patties, using about a quarter to a third of a pound per patty, creating a slight indentation at the centers of the patties (this will help keep the patties fairly flat when they cook, as the sides tend to contract more than the center). 3 Prepare your grill for high, direct heat. While the grill is heating up, heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and dry-sauté them until they release their water, about 2-3 minutes. Add the onions and the olive oil, toss to combine and continue to sauté over high heat 1 minute. Add salt to taste and cook until the onions soften and begin to brown. Turn off the heat and place in a bowl. 4 Grill the burgers to the desired doneness, between 5-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the burgers and how hot your grill is. 5 When the burgers are almost done, lay the Swiss cheese over them and allow the cheese to melt. Paint the burger buns with a little olive oil and toast them on the griddle or grill grates. To assemble, put a burger on the bun and top with the sauteed onions and mushroom mixture. |
“Hey dad, wanna come over for lunch? We’re making mushroom burgers.” Radio silence. That’s weird. Usually an invitation for free food and the company of his firstborn is met with gleeful enthusiasm. “Don’t worry, it’s a beef burger, with lots of mushrooms, you’ll love it.” Bingo, that was it. “Okay, sure! We’ll be right over.” It used to be, “mushroom burger” just meant a hamburger with lots of mushrooms piled on top. These days it usually refers to a burger in which a portobello mushroom takes the place of the patty. Nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t what my father wanted. A grilled beef patty with melted Swiss, and slathered with sautéed shiitakes and onions? Hard to resist. So, this one was a big hit with my dad, and with my mom too, for that matter. The things that make it a step up from your typical retro mushroom burger are the dried mushroom powder mixed into the ground meat, intensifying the mushroom taste, and using shiitakes for the topping, which are highly flavorful mushrooms. You can easily skip the dried mushroom bit it you don’t have any on hand, and you can easily sub button mushrooms, or any other mushrooms, for the shiitakes if you want. |
Elise Bauer | Ground beef and porcini grilled burger, topped with Swiss cheese and sautéed onions and shiitake mushrooms. | Elise Bauer | Ground beef and porcini grilled burger, topped with Swiss cheese and sautéed onions and shiitake mushrooms. | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | Serves 3-4 | |
2767 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2491 | 2017-09-25 03:51:49 | Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Bell Pepper Salsa | Marinade 2 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar 2 Tbsp olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Steak One 2-pound tri-tip steak or roast Salt Freshly ground black pepper Salsa 1 large bell pepper (any color), stem and seeds removed, finely chopped 4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped (1 teaspoon) 2 Tbsp chopped parsley, basil, or arugula 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes 2 Tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste |
If you don't have a grill, you can prepare the tri-tip by browning it in a hot cast iron pan on the stove top, then placing it a 325°F oven until the internal temperature of the steak/roast reaches 130°F. | 1 Prepare the marinade in a large bowl, stirring together all of the marinade ingredients. Place steak in the bowl and coat on all sides with the marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes while you are preheating the grill. 2 Prepare the grill for direct high heat. If you are using charcoal, use approximately 5 pounds of coals. Bank the coals so that more of them are on one side than the other, so that you have a high heat zone and a lower heat zone. 3 When the grill is ready and hot, remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 4 Place the tri-tip on the hot side of the grill. Leave the cover off and watch carefully for flare-ups. As the meat browns, any fat will melt and drip on to the coals causing flare-ups. These are okay, as long as they don't get out of control. Keep moving the tri-tip around the grill away from the flames if they get too high. Brown well on both sides. When it is browned all around, move the tri-tip to the lower heat side of the grill. Cover the grill and close the vents enough so that you maintain about 300-325°F temperature in the grill. (If you are using a charcoal grill, you can place a meat thermometer through the vents to measure the heat.) If you are using a gas grill, turn off one of the burners and move the meat over that burner for indirect heating. 5 Cook the tri-tip until a meat thermometer reads 130°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat (15-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat). Remove from grill, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. 6 Make the bell pepper salsa by stirring together all of the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. 7 Cut the tri-tip in 1/4-inch slices across the grain of the meat. Serve with the bell pepper salsa. |
Tri-tip roasts are popular here in California; it’s a flavorful cut, perfect for barbecuing and grilling. Triangular in shape, it is also called sirloin tip, culotte steak, triangle steak, and Santa Maria-style. The tri-tip cut is rather lean and can get tough if over-cooked. So, don’t trim the fat before cooking (it will be needed to keep the steak tender), and use a meat thermometer and stop the cooking at 130°F. This cut can be hard to find outside of California, though I understand that both Costco and Sam’s Club carry it. You can also use this recipe with a flank steak. Why the bell pepper salsa? Well, we were out of tomatoes and chiles, but we happened to have bell peppers, green onions, and chile flakes, and you know what? It was great. Perfect with the steak. Updated, first posted 2007. |
Elise Bauer | Grilled, marinated tri tip steak with a salsa made with green bell peppers, garlic, and scallions. Also called sirloin tip, culotte steak, triangle steak, and Santa Maria-style barbecue. | Elise Bauer | Grilled, marinated tri tip steak with a salsa made with green bell peppers, garlic, and scallions. Also called sirloin tip, culotte steak, triangle steak, and Santa Maria-style barbecue. | 5 minutes | 30 minutes | Serves 6 | |
2776 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2508 | 2017-09-25 03:52:19 | Grilled Flank Steak with Mushrooms | 2 pounds flank steak Salt Olive oil Black pepper 2 pounds mixed mushrooms (if you can, make sure the assortment includes some shiitake mushrooms, they're especially flavorful), cleaned, rough chop 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup minced shallots (or onions) 1 cup red wine (or beef broth) 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary | 1 Salt the steak well and let it come to room temperature. 2 Dry sauté the mushrooms. Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan, as is (no butter or oil). Stir the mushrooms occasionally, and shake the pan a bit. You should hear the mushrooms squeak when they move in the pan. Continue to cook until the mushrooms release their moisture. Add a large pinch of salt and stir to combine. 3 Add the butter, rosemary and shallots. Stir to combine and sauté over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the red wine (you can substitute beef broth) and boil until the sauce has reduced by half. Turn off the heat. 4 While the mushrooms are cooking, prepare the grill for high direct heat. If you are using a gas grill, turn it on, cover it, and let it heat up for at least 10 minutes. (You want the grill to be very hot, which can difficult to do on a gas grill if the grill hasn't pre-heated long enough.) If you are using a charcoal grill, get the coals very hot. The grill is hot enough when you put your hand about an inch over the grill and you can only hold it there for 1 second. When the grill is hot, clean the grill grates with a wire scraper and then moisten a paper towel with vegetable oil. Using tongs, wipe down the grill grates with the oil-soaked towel. 5 While the grill is heating up, massage olive or other vegetable oil into the flank steak. You want the steak well coated. When the grill is hot enough, place the flank steak on a hot part of the grill. Sear for 4-6 minutes without moving. If you want a cross-hatch pattern of grill marks, about halfway through grilling, gently lift up a corner of the steak to check for grill marks, if you have them, pick up the steak with tongs and put it back down on the grill at a 90° angle (a quarter turn) from where it had been. 6 Turn the steak over. touch it to test for doneness (see the finger technique for checking for doneness). You might only need a couple minutes on this side, depending on how thick your flank steak is. Flank steak is best rare or medium rare; it becomes tough if it gets too well done. Try to undercook the meat just a little, as it will continue to cook a bit while it is off the heat resting. When the flank steak is almost done, take it off the heat and let it rest. Grind black pepper over it. 7 Finish the mushrooms. Turn the burner on high and boil down the liquids almost to a glaze. Add any meat juices that have accumulated with the resting flank steak. Taste for salt and add any if needed. 8 If you have a large steak, it may be easier to first cut it in half along the grain of the steak fibers. Then slice it thinly, on an angle, against the grain. Serve immediately with the mushrooms. p.s. If you end up with leftover mushrooms (how this was even possible here I have no idea) you can throw them into some scrambled eggs for breakfast. |
Get ready for something fabulous. Steak and mushrooms. Grilled flank steak that is, and assorted mushrooms dry sautéed first, then sautéed with butter, shallots, and cooked down in a red wine reduction. If you don’t want to navigate between the stovetop and the grill, you can make the mushrooms ahead, and reheat when it’s time for the steak to come off the grill. The mushrooms will go with any steak, skirt steak, hanger steak, tri-tip, or even a grilled hamburger. Grilling season is here my friends. Let the good times roll. (Please make this, you’ll thank me.) |
Elise Bauer | Grilled flank steak with a sauce of assorted mushrooms, sautéed with butter and shallots and cooked down in a red wine reduction. | Elise Bauer | Grilled flank steak with a sauce of assorted mushrooms, sautéed with butter and shallots and cooked down in a red wine reduction. | Serves 4-6, depending on appetite | ||||
2782 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2510 | 2017-09-25 03:52:28 | Jamaican Jerk Burgers | 2 teaspoons white vinegar 1 Tbsp water 1/2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chili pepper, seeds removed, minced 1/2 cup chopped green onion, including greens 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 Tbsp fresh thyme 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon molasses 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, at least 16% fat 2 cups shredded cabbage 1/4 cup chopped red onion Pinch of chopped thyme 3 Tbsp mayonnaise 2 Tbsp of orange juice or lime juice (if using lime juice add a teaspoon of sugar) 1 teaspoon of grated orange or lime zest Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste |
Scotch Bonnet and Habanero chile peppers are very hot and can cause extreme pain if they come in contact with your eyes. We strongly recommend wearing protective gloves while handling the chilies and the jerk mixture. | 1 In a food processor, put the vinegar, water, chili, green onion, garlic, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, molasses, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. If you do not have a food processor, finely mince the chili, garlic, and green onion. Mix ingredients together in a bowl. 2 Using your hands, gently mix the jerk mixture in with the ground beef in a large bowl until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Shape into patties, about 1/2 inch thick and wider than the diameter of your hamburger bun. Chill about 30 minutes or until you are ready to cook. (Remember to wear gloves while handling jerk seasoning or thoroughly wash hands with soap and water after handling.) 3 In a medium bowl, gently mix the cabbage, red onion, thyme, mayonnaise, citrus juice, zest, salt and pepper. 4 Prepare gas or charcoal grill for cooking over high direct heat. Place the patties on the clean, well-oiled grill grate. Grill the burgers for about 5 minutes per side. Do not press down on the burgers while cooking. If you don't have a grill, you can use a grill pan or a cast iron frying pan. Serve burgers topped with coleslaw, with or without hamburger buns. |
Looking for a way to spice up a summer barbecue? Try these hamburger patties, seasoned with a homemade Jamaican jerk spice mixture of Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, green onions, and garlic. Scotch bonnets, or their habanero cousins, are insanely hot, so you don’t really need much, half a 1 1/2-inch long pepper, seeds removed. Some people substitute jalapenos, but the flavor really is different, so I would stick to Scotch bonnets or habaneros if you can get them. Cool off the chili heat with a citrus, mayo-based coleslaw. The oil in the mayo helps to absorb the spicy chili, to take the edge of the heat. |
Elise Bauer | Spice up your hamburger with the feisty flavors of Jamaican jerk, habanero, allspice, cinnamon and ginger. Served with a citrus coleslaw. | Elise Bauer | Spice up your hamburger with the feisty flavors of Jamaican jerk, habanero, allspice, cinnamon and ginger. Served with a citrus coleslaw. | Makes 6 burgers. | |||
2793 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2521 | 2017-09-25 03:53:00 | Blue Cheese Burgers | 1 pound ground beef (16-20%) 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 2 cloves minced garlic 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese 1 egg 1 Tbsp water Salt and freshly ground black pepper | Here's a tip, although you might be tempted to go with extra lean hamburger meat for this burger, given all the cheese, I don't recommend it, unless you want blue cheese flavored dry burgers. | 1 Gently mix ground beef with the other ingredients: Put ground beef, mustard, garlic, onions, blue cheese, water, egg, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper into a large bowl. Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. 2 Shape into patties and chill: Shape into patties, about 1/2 inch thick and larger than your bun. Refrigerate until you are ready to cook. 3 Prepare charcoal or gas grill for cooking over high direct heat. Using tongs and a folded up paper towel dipped in vegetable oil, oil the grill grates. Make sure grill is hot and well oiled before laying down the patties. 4 Season and grill the burgers: Season patties with salt and pepper. Place the patties on the clean, well-oiled grill grate. Grill the burgers for about 5 minutes per side. Do not press down on the burgers while cooking. If you don't have a grill, you can use a grill pan or a cast iron frying pan for the burgers. Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce and mayonnaise. |
Have you ever made a cheese-stuffed burger? The most common method is to put a mound of cheese between two ultra-thin hamburger patties and pinch the sides. The downside to this approach is that if you haven’t sufficiently sealed the edges of the burgers, all the melted cheese leaks out when you cook them. Also you can scald your tongue on the hot melty cheese if you’re not careful. So, when my pal Garrett described a way for making blue cheese burgers that mixed the cheese in with the burgers, I was all ears. Garrett calls the burgers “Sassy” and sassy they are indeed. They aren’t as pretty as a stuffed cheese burger, but you’ll get a great dose of tangy blue cheese flavor with every bite. Garrett made these for my parents the other day and they loved them. |
Elise Bauer | Fabulous grilled blue cheese burgers, with ground beef, mustard, garlic, green onions, and tangy creamy blue cheese. | Elise Bauer | Fabulous grilled blue cheese burgers, with ground beef, mustard, garlic, green onions, and tangy creamy blue cheese. | Makes 4 burgers | |||
2798 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2523 | 2017-09-25 03:53:03 | Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Hot Dogs | 1 teaspoon ketchup 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 4 large hot dogs, knockwurst, or kielbasa 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese, cut into long sticks 2 Tbsp chopped onion 1 cup refrigerated sauerkraut, drained, roughly chopped 4 slices bacon Vegetable oil 4 long hot dog buns | 1 Prepare your grill for direct medium high heat. 2 Slice open hot dogs, coat with ketchup and mustard: Mix together the ketchup and mustard in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the sauerkraut with the chopped onion, set aside. Slice open the hot dogs, down the center, lengthwise, forming a deep pocket in each, but not cutting all the way through. Coat the inside of each hot dog with the mustard ketchup mixture. 3 Stuff hot dogs with cheese, sauerkraut, and onions: Place a strip of cheese deep within the pocket of each hot dog. Top with sauerkraut and onions. Encapsulate the cheese at the ends with the sauerkraut mixture as well, so that no cheese is exposed (otherwise it will drip out when cooking). 4 Wrap bacon around each hot dog: Wrap a strip of bacon around each stuffed hot dog, securing with toothpicks at each end. Make sure you wrap tight enough so that the stuffing stays in, but not so tight so that when the hot dog expands will cooking the bacon would tear. 5 Grill the hot dogs: Coat your grill surface with vegetable oil so that the hot dogs don't stick. If you have a grill screen (a screen with smaller holes so that small pieces of whatever you're cooking don't fall through the grill), you can use it, just coat it with vegetable oil first and pre-heat for a couple of minutes. Place the stuffed hot dogs on the grill, stuffing side down. Grill for 2 minutes, until the bacon on that side is cooked, turn the hot dogs a quarter turn and grill for a couple more minutes. Continue to grill for a few minutes each on all sides until the bacon is cooked. Cover the grill in between turnings to help with the cooking. 6 Grill the buns: During the last minute of cooking, open up the hot dog buns and place them open-side down on the grill to lightly toast. 7 Remove toothpicks: Remove the hot dogs and buns from the grill. Remove the toothpicks from the hot dogs. Place the hot dogs in the buns and serve. |
I remarked to my father than we had been doing a lot of salads and veggies lately and without missing a beat dad said, “I want to make stuffed hot dogs,” adding, “on the grill,” pointing to a particularly appetizing recipe in our Mastering the Grill cookbook. Note that, in spite of gender stereotypes, my he-man father is the main baker in our family, and I am in charge of anything to do with the grill. (Mom avoids both grilling and baking.) So, when dad says he wants to make a grilled recipe, he means that he wants me to do the cooking, while he’ll do the prepping, which is more than fine by me. Do you like hot dogs, mustard, ketchup, cheese, onions, sauerkraut and bacon? Then this is the stuffed hot dog recipe for you! It’s all in there, held in place by a wrapping of bacon around the hot dog. You can easily exchange the toppings for others, though note that the sauerkraut does help keep the cheese inside the hot dog while cooking. |
Elise Bauer | Hot dogs stuffed with cheese, onions, and sauerkraut, wrapped in bacon and cooked on a hot grill. | Elise Bauer | Hot dogs stuffed with cheese, onions, and sauerkraut, wrapped in bacon and cooked on a hot grill. | Makes 4 stuffed hot dogs | ||||
2815 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2530 | 2017-09-25 03:53:29 | Jim’s Famous Hamburger | 1 lb hamburger meat 2 heaping tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary leaves (not the stem) 2 Tbsp A1 sauce Salt and pepper to taste (perhaps half a teaspoon of each) Buns Lettuce Tomatoes, sliced Onions, sliced Avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced Mayonaise, ketchup, mustard | Safety tip: Try to get your hamburger meat from a butcher who grinds their own. That way you know where the meat came from. Bacteria love raw hamburger, so once you have some in your fridge, eat it up quickly—no more than a day or two at the most after you've bought it or defrosted it. | Mix the rosemary and A1 sauce into the hamburger meat, distributing evenly. Add salt and fresh ground pepper. Form the hamburger patties. If the meat is low-fat, you may want to add some olive oil to the mixture, or after the patties are made (but before cooked), rub some oil over them. Place on a hot grill or grill pan. If you are indoors with a grill pan, be sure to use your stove fan. If on grill pan, lower the heat to medium high. Grill on one side until you can see the juice begin to run at the surface. Flip over and grill on the other side, again until you can see some juice coming through. If you wish, grill the buns on remaining grill surface. Onions can be either served fresh with the hamburger or sautéed a little in olive oil. Serve burgers with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado, mayo, ketchup, and or mustard. (For the low-carb version skip the bun.) |
Most summer grilling is done for large groups and as such is not too fancy – burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and the occasional kabob. For this recipe I’ve borrowed a tip from my good friend Jim Honniball – a way to dress up a simple hamburger. Everybody should have a friend like Jim. He can swim a mile, bike thirty, and still have the energy to cook up a batch of his legendary hamburgers for his friends. Jim learned to cook from his mom and loves nothing more than to see everyone’s delighted faces as they bite into something delicious he’s prepared. Especially satisfying after a hard day of body-boarding and surfing are his hamburgers which are seasoned with fresh rosemary from the garden and A1 sauce. At the time of this writing I did not have a grill, so to simulate the high heat grilling environment I went to Williams-Sonoma and bought a heavy-duty cast iron grill pan for the task. They also sell calphalon pans (for about 5 times the price) but the calphalon simply cannot hold the high heat that cast iron can to match the heat of a real grill. Eventually the heat will warp the calphalon. The brand I picked up was “Lodge” for about $22. They also carry Le Creuset for somewhat more. |
Elise Bauer | Juicy, grilled hamburger recipe seasoned with fresh rosemary and A1 sauce and topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, and avocado. | Elise Bauer | Juicy, grilled hamburger recipe seasoned with fresh rosemary and A1 sauce and topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, and avocado. | Serves 3 to 4 | |||
2743 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2743 | 2017-09-25 03:58:30 | Beef Stroganoff | 5 Tbsp butter 1 pound of top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1-inch wide by 2 1/2-inch long strips 1/3 cup chopped shallots (can substitute onions) 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced Salt to taste Pepper to taste 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon of dry tarragon or 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh tarragon 1 cup of sour cream at room temperature | It helps to cut thin strips of the beef by putting the meat into the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes first. If you substitute yogurt for the sour cream, use full fat yogurt, and make sure to take the pan off the heat before stirring it in or it may curdle. | 1 Brown the strips of beef in butter: Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Increase the heat to high/med-high and add the strips of beef. You want to cook the beef quickly, browning on each side, so the temp needs to be high enough to brown the beef, but not so high as to burn the butter. You may need to work in batches. While cooking the beef, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. When both sides are browned, remove the beef to a bowl and set aside. 2 Sauté the shallots: In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for a minute or two, allowing them to soak up any meat drippings. Remove the shallots to the same bowl as the meat and set aside. 3 Sauté the mushrooms: In the same pan, melt another 2 Tbsp of butter. Increase heat to medium high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. While cooking, sprinkle the nutmeg and the tarragon on the mushrooms. 4 Add sour cream, beef, shallots: Reduce the heat to low and add the sour cream to the mushrooms. You may want to add a tablespoon or two of water or stock to thin the sauce (or not). Mix in the sour cream thoroughly. Do not let it come to a simmer or boil or the sour cream may curdle. Stir in the beef and shallots. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note that you will likely need more salt than you expect. Taste, and if it needs salt, add 1/2 teaspoon or more. Serve immediately over egg noodles, fettuccine, mashed potatoes, or rice. (Potatoes, rice, and gluten-free pasta are gluten-free options.) |
Oh Beef Stroganoff—the ultimate comfort food! Tender strips of beef and mushrooms are first sautéed in butter, then swirled with sour cream to make a creamy sauce, and served over noodles, rice, or fries. It’s not diet food, but it will make you smile. You will want to make stroganoff with a tender cut of beef, such as tenderloin or top sirloin. For a quick version you can use ground beef instead of beef strips. You can also substitute yogurt for sour cream and leave out the mushrooms entirely. According to the Wikipedia, Beef Stroganoff first appeared in Russian cookbooks in the mid 1800s, presumably named for a prominent member of the Stroganoff family. The dish became popular in the U.S. in the 1950s from servicemen returning from Europe and China after WWII. Some versions use mustard and stock and a little sour cream, our version includes shallots, no mustard (though you could easily add some), and plenty of sour cream. It’s not particularly fussy, the bulk of the prep time comes from slicing the beef and mushrooms. Updated from the recipe archive, first posted in 2006. |
Elise Bauer | Tender strips of beef and mushrooms cooked in sour cream and served over noodles make up this classic beef stroganoff recipe. | Elise Bauer | Tender strips of beef and mushrooms cooked in sour cream and served over noodles make up this classic beef stroganoff recipe. | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2747 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2747 | 2017-09-25 03:58:38 | Chicken Fried Steak | 4 quarter-pound cube steaks (pre-tenderized) or round steaks A sprinkling of salt for pre-salting the meat 2 cups of flour for breading 2 teaspoons Kosher salt for breading 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk Canola oil, rice bran oil, or other high smoke point oil or fat for frying Gravy: 3 Tbsp pan drippings 3 Tbsp flour 1/4 cup whipping cream 1 3/4 cups milk Salt Freshly ground black pepper |
1 Pound steaks to an even thinness: If you are using round steak instead of the pre-tenderized cube steak, you will need to pound the steaks thin or they will be way too chewy. (Already tenderized cube steaks can also use some meat mallet attention to get more thin.) Place each steak between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, rubber mallet, rolling pin, or empty wine bottle, beat the steak until it is very thin, less than 1/4-inch. As you beat the steak, you will want to turn over often, and spread out the plastic wrap which tends to wrinkle as you work. 2 Salt meat, preheat warming oven: Sprinkle a little salt over the meat. Preheat the oven to 200°F. In the oven put a wire rack over a baking sheet. This will keep the finished steaks warm and dry while you cook the gravy. 3 Dredge steaks in flour, egg, and flour again: Prepare two wide, shallow dishes such as a pyrex casserole dish. In the first whisk together the eggs and milk. In the second, whisk together the flour, salt, cayenne, and garlic powder. Working one at a time, dredge a steak into the flour. Using the heel of your hand, press the flour into both sides of the steak. Lift up the steak, shake off the excess flour and dip the steak into the egg wash, coating it on both sides. Lift the steak out of the egg wash, shake off the excess egg wash, and then dredge the steak again in the flour. Again, press the flour into the steak on both sides. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining steaks. 4 Fry the steaks: Pour enough oil in a large frying to cover the bottom by 1/4-inch. Heat the oil to 350°F or when you drop a little flour into the oil it sizzles. If the oil doesn't sizzle it isn't ready, if it burns, the oil is too hot, reduce the heat. Working one at a time, lay a flour-egg-coated steak into the hot oil. Gently shake the pan a little to wash a little hot oil on the top of the steak. Or you can use a metal spoon to spoon some of the oil over the steak. This sets the coating. Fry until you see the edges of the steak turn golden brown, about two minutes. Carefully turn the steak over in the pan, and fry for two more minutes. Once both sides of the steak are golden brown, tip the steak up with a metal spatula to drain the excess oil. Remove it from the pan and place if on the wire rack in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining steaks. 5 Make a roux with fat and flour: Turn off the heat of the pan. Pour out all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and turn the heat on to medium. Let the flour mixture cook until it's the color of milk chocolate, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 6 Stir in milk and cream to make gravy: When the flour fat mixture is smooth and a lovely milk chocolate color, slowly add the milk and cream, whisking constantly. Note that the mixture will seize up initially, and will loosen as you whisk in more liquid. Add milk to your desired thickness for gravy. If the gravy is too thick for you, add more milk. If it's too thin, let it cook longer. Season with salt to taste. Season with lots of black pepper, to taste. Serve chicken fried steak with the gravy and a side of mashed potatoes. |
What evil genius came up with the idea for chicken-fried steak? Just when I’m trying to be good, eating my greens, avoiding sweets, the notion to make chicken-fried steak takes hold in my brain and doesn’t let go until the deed is done. This isn’t Lenten food, dear brain, what are you doing? Chicken-fried steak, if you are unfamiliar with the dish, is a Southern favorite—tenderized beef cutlets, dipped in egg and flour and fried, much like fried chicken, but with steak. It’s usually served with a creamy country gravy, made with some of the drippings from the pan. It’s made most often with cube steak, or steak that has already been tenderized, or a cheap cut like round steak, which you have to pound thin with a meat mallet. Of course, as is the case with almost any regional dish, variations abound. If you make chicken-fried steak at home, what is your favorite way to prepare it? Please tell us about it in the comments. |
Elise Bauer | Classic chicken fried steak, steak cutlets, pounded thin, breaded, fried, and served with country gravy. | Elise Bauer | Classic chicken fried steak, steak cutlets, pounded thin, breaded, fried, and served with country gravy. | 20 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2749 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2749 | 2017-09-25 03:58:45 | Hamburger and Macaroni | 2 cups uncooked macaroni (use rice pasta or gluten-free pasta for gluten-free version) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 pound ground beef 1 yellow onion, chopped (or mixed chopped green onion greens and yellow onion) 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt Pinch chili pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste |
1 Start cooking the pasta: Get a large pot of hot water heating and begin cooking the macaroni as per the directions on the macaroni package. 2 Brown the beef and onions: While the water is heating and macaroni cooking, prepare the sauce. In a skillet, brown the ground beef in a tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. Stir only infrequently so that the ground beef has an opportunity to brown. When the beef has mostly browned, add the onions to the pan and toss to combine. Cook until the onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. 3 Add seasonings, tomatoes: Add the celery seed, a dash of crushed red pepper and seasoned salt. Pour in canned tomatoes, add the Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes. 4 Add cooked pasta: Mix in the drained and cooked macaroni and the parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. |
Rachael Ray has nothing on my mother. As far as this family is concerned, my mom invented healthful, delicious comfort food that one can cook in 30 minutes or less. This hamburger and macaroni dish has been served in our house at least once a month for the last 45 years. We even have a special name for it—HMO (Hamburger Macaroni Onions). I’ve also heard it called “goulash” or “American chop suey”. My father gets a song in his voice when he announces that we’re having HMO for dinner. You make brown the meat and make the sauce while the water is coming to a boil and the macaroni is cooking. So it takes less than half an hour to make. So easy! |
Elise Bauer | American comfort classic hamburger and macaroni! Browned ground beef cooked in a tomato onion sauce, mixed in with elbow macaroni. | Elise Bauer | American comfort classic hamburger and macaroni! Browned ground beef cooked in a tomato onion sauce, mixed in with elbow macaroni. | 5 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2754 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2754 | 2017-09-25 03:58:46 | Beef Roulades with Walnut Parsley Pesto | Pesto: 1 cup chopped parsley 1/2 cup shelled walnuts, about 1 3/4 ounces 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup olive oil Flank steak roulade: 1/2 pound thin-cut bacon 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds flank steak Salt and black pepper Lemon wedges to serve | You can use prosciutto instead of the bacon (no need to cook, it's already cured), or skip it all together and just do a roll-up with the pesto of your choice. | 1 Make the pesto: Put the parsley, cheese, garlic, salt and walnuts into a food processor. Pulse to combine. Turn the machine on again and slowly pour in the olive oil, just to combine. Reserve. 2 Cook the bacon in a large pan — you will be searing the roulade in this later, so it needs to be wide — over medium-low heat until it is about half-cooked. You want it cooked, but still limp. Do not crisp it up or it will break when you try to wrap it inside the roulade. When the bacon is ready, set it aside on paper towels. 3 Pound the meat thin: Place heavy duty plastic wrap (or two layers of plastic wrap) on a large work surface and place the flank steak on it. Cover with more plastic wrap. Using a rubber mallet, the flat side of a meat mallet or an empty wine bottle, pound the flank steak until it is 1/2 inch thick or thinner. Flip the meat from time to time to pound everything evenly. Once the meat is as thin as you want it, if you have a meat mallet with a tenderizing side (the pointy side), remove the plastic wrap and pound this on both sides for a minute or two. If you don't have a meat mallet, you can skip this step. 4 Find the grain of the steak: Look at your steak. You will be rolling it up with the grain of the meat facing side to side. You do this because when you slice it later, the beef will be more tender when you cut across the grain. Arrange the meat until the grain faces side to side, and if it is not squarish or rectangular, cut it to fit. Sprinkle on some salt and black pepper. 5 Layer with pesto and bacon: Spread a thin layer of pesto on the meat, leaving about 1/2 inch free on all sides of the meat. Lay down the bacon across the grain of the beef. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 6 Carefully roll the roulade up tightly, as you would a carpet. If you want, cut off any bacon that is extending beyond the steak. Tie off the meat with 6 to 8 lengths of string, each about an inch or so apart. 7 Sear the tied roulade in the pan with the bacon fat. You want to quickly brown the surface, not cook the inside of the roulade. 8 Roast: Put the roulade in a roasting pan on a rack, seam side down. If you don't have a rack, improvise with celery stalks. Roast this for 20-25 minutes, or until the interior of the meat is 130°F. (Note that the ends of the roulade will be far hotter than the center — so always test the temperature from the center of the roulade.) Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 9 Slice the roulade so each serving is wrapped in string. You can either let everyone cut their own string at the table, or cut it yourself and secure the roulades with toothpicks if you want. Serve with lemon wedges to add a little tartness to the dish. |
Roulades, pinwheels, whatever you call them, this is a classic party dish. When I was a boy, my mum used to make these for our Christmas Eve smorgasbord, where they took their place alongside Swedish meatballs and huge plates of cold cuts, cheeses, pickles and such. Some years she’d serve them with Hollandaise sauce, which made them very, very rich even for a little kid. Mum’s version didn’t use pesto. Her filling was just parsley and garlic salt. But with those two ingredients already in the mix, it’s only a step away from a full-fledged pesto—especially the classic winter pesto of parsley and walnuts. This is not mum’s exact recipe, but it comes close: Super tender meat, smoky, fatty bacon and an intense hit of parsley in the center. Even though I last ate these close to 30 years ago, I can still remember that parsley. It was so “adult” when I was a kid. My addition of the pesto, with the walnuts and cheese, makes my version as rich as mum’s, only without the Hollandaise. I do like a squeeze of lemon on the roulade right at the table. Making these roulades isn’t hard, but it requires a little dexterity to secure the roulade with the kitchen twine. Once the roulade is tied, however, it’s pretty sturdy. Don’t skimp on the tenderizing process at the beginning of this recipe. Flank steak can be very chewy, so you will want to pound it well, and a meat mallet’s tenderizing side is a good finishing step. If you don’t have a meat mallet, use the point of a sharp knife to pierce the meat all over. |
Hank Shaw | Flank steak pounded and stuffed with pesto, wrapped in bacon, rolled into a roulade or pinwheel and roasted. | Elise Bauer | Flank steak pounded and stuffed with pesto, wrapped in bacon, rolled into a roulade or pinwheel and roasted. | 30 minutes | 35 minutes | Serves 4-6 | |
2758 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2758 | 2017-09-25 03:58:49 | Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce | 2-4 filet mignon steaks, 1 to 2 inches thick* Salt Canola or grape seed oil 3-4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided 2 cups full bodied red wine (we used a favorite Zinfandel) Black pepper to taste *If you have thicker steaks, you can butterfly them and cook on the stovetop as directed here, or you can sear them on the stovetop and finish them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or more, until the center of the steaks are done to your liking. |
As with any recipe that calls for a substantial amount of wine, use a wine that you enjoy drinking. The sauce in this recipe is just a concentrated version of the wine with some butter and pan juices. So, if you don't like the wine to start, it will not make a good sauce. Pick a wine you like. | 1 Your steaks should already be trimmed of the tough silverskin. If not, cut away any gristly bits. If your steak has the chain attached and you don't want to serve it, cut it away and save for another purpose. 2 Allow the steaks to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 90 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Just before getting ready to cook, pat the meat dry with paper towels, then coat with the canola or grape seed oil. Salt well. 3 Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron pan on high heat for 1 minute. Swirl to coat the pan. Put the steaks in the hot pan and immediately turn the heat down to medium to medium high (depending on your stovetop, medium on a high BTU gas range is about medium high on most electric ranges). Sear untouched for at least 3 minutes, up to 6 minutes for a 2-inch thick steak. 4 Flip the steaks and cook for another 2-5 minutes, depending on how thick the steak is and how rare or well done you like your meat. You can use the finger test to test the doneness of your steak. Or you can use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak (120°F to 125°F for rare, 130°F to 135°F for medium rare, 140°F to 145°F for medium). Remove from the pan, loosely tent with foil and allow to rest while you make the sauce. 5 Pour the wine into the pan and turn the heat to high. Boil this furiously until it is reduced by 3/4, about 10 minutes. Add any juices the steaks have released while resting. Turn off the heat and wait until the wine has stopped bubbling. When it has, add the tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon at a time. Swirl each tablespoon into the sauce until it is completely incorporated before adding the next tablespoon of butter. Add salt to taste and serve the sauce with the steak. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over the meat when you serve it. |
Have you ever noticed how crowded restaurants are on Valentine’s Day? Every table is a two-top, the menus are often fixed, and the staff frantically busy. After several misfires over the last few years, I’ve given up with going out that night, and instead focus on lovely dishes we can make at home. Here is a classic date night meal—filet mignon in a red wine reduction. Filet mignon is a steak cut from the tenderloin, a missile shaped muscle which lays beneath the ribs, right along the backbone. The tenderloin muscle is called “tenderloin” because it is just that, tender. It doesn’t get the exercise that would make it tough, like a shank or shoulder. It is also relatively lean. To prepare filet mignon, either you are going to buy the steaks already prepped, or you have a large beef tenderloin, from which you cut the steaks. If you are cutting steaks from a whole tenderloin, first decide if you are going to keep the chain muscle or not. The chain muscle is a smaller muscle that runs along the tenderloin. To make a classic filet mignon medallion shape, most people trim way this piece, but it is still part of the tenderloin cut and tastes great, although not quite as tender as the rest of the tenderloin, so keep it if you want. The steak we have prepared here includes the chain. (Here’s an excellent tutorial from Fine Cooking about trimming the chain and silver skin.) Here’s a whole beef tenderloin, and where the chain muscle is attached to it. Trim away the ends of the tenderloin and any silver skin. The thicker end of the tenderloin is best for filet mignon medallions. As you get closer to the thin end, that part can be folded and tied for a roast. Think about how well done you would like your steaks and how thick they are. If you have a thick steak and you like your steak rare, or medium rare, you’re in luck, this will be easy. If you have a thick steak (2 inches or more) and you want your steak medium or medium well, then you may want to butterfly it first. If the chain muscle is still attached, you can make a lovely heart shape with the steak. Here’s an example of butterflying a thick filet mignon into a heart shape. Romantic! Either cut will work with the following recipe—medallions with or without the chain, or heart-shaped butterflied. |
Elise Bauer | Filet mignon steak, pan seared and served with a sauce of a red wine reduction with butter. | Elise Bauer | Filet mignon steak, pan seared and served with a sauce of a red wine reduction with butter. | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 2-4. | |
2759 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2759 | 2017-09-25 03:58:54 | Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms | 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 2-3 pounds beef chuck, cut into chunks Salt 3 cups chopped onions 1 pound button or cremini mushrooms, quartered if small or 1/4-inch sliced 1 quart beef or chicken broth 3 cups water 2 teaspoons dried marjoram 1 cup pearl barley 1 cup roughly chopped carrot 3 cups celery root, peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch to 1-inch chunks Black pepper About 1/2 cup sour cream (around 1 Tbsp sour cream per serving) Dill for garnish |
If you can't find celery root, you can substitute turnips, rutabagas or potatoes. Just be sure to adjust your cooking times—potatoes cook faster than celery root. Save time in the prep work by prepping the onions and mushrooms while the beef is browning. | 1 Sear the beef: In a large, thick-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add enough pieces of the beef to sear in the pot without crowding. You will need to brown the meat in several batches. Salt the beef as it cooks, and set aside browned pieces in a bowl. 2 Sauté the onions: When all the beef has browned, add the onions. As the onions release some of their water, use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions as they cook. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onions until they begin to brown, 5-6 minutes. 3 Add the mushrooms: When the onions have lightly browned, mix in the mushrooms and increase the heat to high. Cook the mushrooms until they release their water, about 2-3 minutes. 3 Add back beef, add marjoram, stock, water, then simmer: Add the beef back to the pot and sprinkle with marjoram. Add 1 cup of the stock and use the wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the rest of the stock and water and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and simmer very gently for 1 hour. 4 Add barley, celery root, carrots, continue to simmer: Add the barley, celery root and carrots, stir well and recover the pot. Simmer gently until the barley and celery root are tender, between 40 minutes and an hour. 5 Serve with sour cream and dill: Ladle servings into bowls, then top with a dollop of sour cream and a few sprigs of dill. Grind a little black pepper over right before you serve. To eat, stir in the sour cream. |
Although the days are getting longer, the sun just beginning to ride a little higher in the sky, the nights are still bone-chilling. Honestly, I never look forward to winter. But when I’m smack in the middle of it, I do appreciate its comforts—warm clothes, thick blankets, an excuse to use the fireplace, and a big pot of stew. And I mean a big pot. Heck, if you are going to go through all that trouble, you may as well make enough for plenty of meals during the week. This is one such stew, a hearty cousin of beef barley soup, but bulked up with carrots, celery root, and lots of mushrooms. It’s a riff off a stew that Hank likes to make with goose, inspired by Russian stews he’s encountered over the years. The stew is served topped with sour cream, which when mixed in, gives a wonderfully creamy consistency to the stew with just a touch of tang. |
Elise Bauer | Hearty beef and barley stew with mushrooms and root vegetables. Perfect cold weather stew! | Elise Bauer | Hearty beef and barley stew with mushrooms and root vegetables. Perfect cold weather stew! | 15 minutes | 2 hours, 30 minutes | Serves 8-10 | |
2762 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2762 | 2017-09-25 03:58:58 | Traditional Roast Beef Hash | 2 cups roughly chopped cooked roast beef or pot roast beef 1 large russett or 2 smaller yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 large onion, peeled and quartered 3 Tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper Ketchup | To make the hash you want approximately equal amounts of cooked beef, raw potato, and onion. The amounts listed here in the ingredient list are approximations. Scale up or down as needed. A grinder makes a big difference here because of the way it grinds the beef into the onions and potatoes. | 1 Grind the beef, potatoes, and onions together: Take approximately equal proportions of beef, potatoes, and onions and put them through a meat grinder using a medium grinder attachment so that they are well mixed and ground. If you don't have a meat grinder, you can pulse a few times in a food processor, or finely chop by hand. 2 Brown the hash: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, preferably a cast iron pan, on medium high to high heat. Add the hash to the frying pan so that a half an inch of hash covers the bottom of the pan. If you have more hash to cook, do so in separate batches. Brown the hash, stirring only infrequently at first to make sure that the hash has an opportunity to brown well. As you cook the hash, add pinches of salt and fresh ground pepper. Do this a couple of times with each batch of hash. Cook for at least 10 minutes and until the hash is well browned. Serve immediately with ketchup. |
Hash is a great way to use up leftover cooked meat. We tend to use roast beef, but leftover pot roast or other meats could easily be used. What really helps making an excellent hash is an old fashioned meat grinder. If you don’t have a meat grinder, you can use the grinder attachment of a KitchenAid. You can also chop the meat, potatoes, and onions very fine with a knife, though the resulting consistency will not be as blended as what you can achieve with a meat grinder. |
Elise Bauer | Traditional roast beef hash! Cooked beef, ground through a meat grinder with onions and potatoes and then fried. | Elise Bauer | Traditional roast beef hash! Cooked beef, ground through a meat grinder with onions and potatoes and then fried. | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | ||
2763 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2763 | 2017-09-25 03:58:59 | Beef Roast Braised in Red Wine | 1 (3 1/2 pound) chuck roast, boneless Salt and ground black pepper 4 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 2 medium onions, chopped medium (about 2 cups) 2 medium carrots, chopped medium (about 1 cup) 2 ribs celery, chopped medium (1 cup) 1 Tbsp tomato paste 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon) 1 (750 ml) bottle Zinfandel wine (can substitute Cabernet Sauvignon, or other full bodied red wine) 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary |
1 Salt the roast and let sit at room temp while you prep the vegetables: If your roast is very fatty, trim some of the fat. But it is important to keep some fat, as this will keep the roast moist while braising. In many supermarkets chuck roasts will already be properly trimmed. Salt the roast well and set aside at room temperature while you prepare all the other vegetables. 2 Render fat and crisp the pancetta: Pour a little water into a Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot. Set the pot over medium heat and add the diced pancetta. As soon as the water begins to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and slowly crisp up the pancetta; the water allows some of the fat in the pork to render out without charring the pancetta. When the pancetta is crispy and brown, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside. 3 Brown the roast on all sides: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pat the beef roast dry with a paper towel, increase the heat to medium and brown all sides in the pot. 4 Sauté the chopped vegetables: Once the meat has browned remove it to a bowl and add the onions, carrot and celery. Sprinkle salt over the vegetables while they cook. Increase the heat to medium-high and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well, sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. 5 Add tomatoes, pancetta, herbs, wine, and the roast. Cover and cook: Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes, the pancetta, herbs and red wine. Nestle the beef roast into the pot, cover, place in the 300°F oven and cook for 3 hours. At the halfway point, use tongs to turn the beef roast over. 6 Strain and reduce the sauce: Remove the pot from oven and transfer beef to a large bowl; tent with foil to keep warm. Allow the liquid to settle in the pot for a few minutes, if you'd like, skim off some of the fat with a wide shallow spoon. If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the contents of the pot. If you don't, use a whisk to help break down the vegetables. Boil the sauce until it is reduced to about 3 1/2 cups. Strain liquid through large fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids with spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; you should have a couple cups strained sauce. Add any accumulated juices from the bowl you have the beef in. Boil the sauce again until it has reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. 7 Slice the meat and serve with the sauce: Cut the meat into roughly 1/2-inch-thick slices and pour the sauce over them. Serve with a bold red wine and crusty bread or mashed potatoes. |
“This isn’t your everyday pot roast,” my father declared as we sat down for dinner to enjoy the roast that he had been cooking all afternoon. No, indeed it isn’t. The sauce includes an entire bottle of bold red Zinfandel wine. The vegetables in the sauce are cooked until every ounce of flavor is extracted from them, and then the sauce is pressed through a sieve and reduced even further. The beef, braised for hours is fork tender. Enjoy! |
Elise Bauer | Not your everyday pot roast recipe! Beef roast braised in red wine, with pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, tomato, and garlic. | Elise Bauer | Not your everyday pot roast recipe! Beef roast braised in red wine, with pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, tomato, and garlic. | 15 minutes | 3 hours, 30 minutes | Serves 6 | ||
2764 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2764 | 2017-09-25 03:59:05 | Italian Meatballs | Meatballs: 1 pound ground beef (at least 16 percent fat) 1 pound ground pork 2/3 cup milk (whole or 2 percent) 3 slices of white bread, crusts removed (about 3 ounces) 1/4 cup ricotta cheese 1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese 2 eggs 2 teaspoons Kosher salt 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram 2-3 garlic cloves, minced About 1 cup of flour for dusting 1/3 cup olive oil 2 1/2 cups (24 ounces) of tomato sauce (make in step 1 of method or use already prepared) Tomato Sauce: 2 Tbsp olive oil 3/4 cup finely chopped onions 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots 3/4 cup finely chopped celery 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1 28 oz. can crushed or whole tomatoes, including the juice, or 1 3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon tomato paste Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste |
We've used equal amounts of ground beef and ground pork. You could also use a third each of ground beef, pork and veal. | 1 Make the tomato sauce: Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and parsley. Stir to coat with the oil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Remove the cover, add the garlic, and increase the heat to medium high. Cook the garlic for half a minute, then add the tomatoes (if using whole canned, break up with your fingers as you add them to the pan.) Add the tomato paste and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and let cook uncovered until thickened while you prepare the meatballs, 15 to 30 minutes. Purée in a blender, or push through a food mill for a smooth consistency. Return to pan. Adjust seasonings. 2 Soak torn bread in hot milk: Heat the milk in a small pot until steamy. Turn off the heat, tear the bread into little pieces and soak it in the milk until it partially dissolves. Mash it until you get something that resembles a paste. Turn it out onto a plate to let it cool. 3 Make meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, eggs, salt, parsley, oregano, black pepper, garlic cloves and the bread-milk mixture. Mix it well with your hands until it barely combines. Don't overwork the mixture or it will become tough. It is OK to have some discernable bits of bread or meat in the mix; better that than overworked meatballs. 4 Form meatballs, roll in flour: Wet your hands and form the meatballs. A traditional size for this sort of meatball is 2-3 inches across, but you can make them any size you want. Once you roll the meatball in your hands, roll it in the flour to give it a good coating. Set each one on a baking sheet as you work. You might need to rinse your hands a few times as you make the meatballs. 5 Brown meatballs: When all the meatballs are formed, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on at least two sides. Don't worry about the center getting cooked through, as you will finish these in the sauce. 6 Finish cooking meatballs in tomato sauce: Once all the meatballs are browned, arrange them in the sauce, turning each one over in the sauce to coat. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Serve with the sauce and pasta or crusty bread. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley for garnish if you want. |
When I was a kid, the only time we ever had meatballs was with spaghetti or in albondigas soup. It never occurred to me that one could simply have meatballs with sauce, until I wandered into a restaurant in San Francisco and ordered some Italian meatballs, as an appetizer, or so I thought. To me, meatballs were small little things and three of them would have made a lovely starter for the more substantial entré to follow. Hah! My eyes practically fell out of their sockets when the meatballs arrived. They were almost the size of baseballs. Holy moly. But they were fabulous, and it just meant I had more food to share with my friends. These meatballs aren’t quite the size of baseballs though they could be if you wanted them to. Actually you could make them any size you wanted. They’re tender, loaded with herbs and cheese, a mixture of ground beef and pork, and covered with a classic tomato sauce. Enjoy! |
Elise Bauer | Classic Italian-American style meatballs, huge, pillowy soft and loaded with herbs and cheese, mixed with ground beef and pork, served with a traditional tomato sauce. | Elise Bauer | Classic Italian-American style meatballs, huge, pillowy soft and loaded with herbs and cheese, mixed with ground beef and pork, served with a traditional tomato sauce. | 25 minutes | 1 hour | Makes about 16 meatballs. Serves 8 | |
2768 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2768 | 2017-09-25 03:59:11 | Steak Diane | 4 (6-ounce) center cut beef tenderloin steaks or another cut of your choice Salt 1/2 cup beef broth* 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons tomato paste 2 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup finely minced shallots 4 Tbsp cognac or brandy 1/3 cup heavy cream Freshly ground black pepper 1-2 Tbsp chives, finely chopped *If cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free broth | 1 Salt steak and let sit at room temp: Sprinkle salt on both sides of the steak and set aside at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. 2 Mix broth, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomato paste: Whisk together broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and tomato paste; set aside. 3 Sear steaks in butter: Melt the butter in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Increase the heat to high and sear the meat for 1-4 minutes, depending on how thick the steak is. (You may need to cook the meat in batches.) Turn and sear on the other side. Use the finger test to check the doneness of the meat. When the steaks are done, move to a cutting board and tent with foil. 4 Sauté shallots: While the meat is resting, sauté the shallots in the pan, 2 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring once or twice. 5 Deglaze pan with cognac: Add the cognac to deglaze the pan. Increase the heat and cook until the cognac is almost evaporated. 6 Add broth mixture, then cream: Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for two more minutes. 7 Serve steak with sauce: If you want, thinly slice the steak to serve. Otherwise serve individual steaks. Drizzle warm Diane sauce over the steak and garnish with freshly ground black pepper and chives. |
Steak Diane is traditionally made with a thinly pounded steak, and a cognac, butter, and shallot sauce that is flambéed right before serving to great dramatic effect. Doing some research into Steak Diane, I found that the “Diane” part refers to Diana, the Greco-Roman goddess of the hunt, and “a la Diane” sauces were typically served with venison and game meat in centuries past. It was probably New York hotels that popularized the flambéed steak version. This Steak Diane recipe is based off of one I got years ago from my friend Heidi, who found a version in her local paper, the Carlisle Mosquito (great name for a newspaper, isn’t it?). The recipe calls for pan-frying the steak, using the pan juices as a base for the “Diane” sauce—a sauce made with mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cream—and then serving the steak with the sauce poured over it. No flames are involved. Heidi’s husband Vaughn is a master at the grill, so they often grill the steak instead of pan-frying it, and just make the sauce separately. The sauce can be used over chicken or pork as well, and if you have leftovers, you can even stir it in over some pasta. |
Elise Bauer | Pan-fried steak with a Diane sauce of cognac, shallots, butter, mustard and cream. | Elise Bauer | Pan-fried steak with a Diane sauce of cognac, shallots, butter, mustard and cream. | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2769 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2769 | 2017-09-25 03:59:14 | Home Cured Corned Beef | Pickling spices: 1 Tbsp whole allspice berries 1 Tbsp whole mustard seeds (brown or yellow) 1 Tbsp coriander seeds 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes 1 Tbsp whole cloves 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns 9 whole cardamom pods 6 large bay leaves, crumbled 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 stick cinnamon Brine: 1 gallon water 2 cups Kosher salt 5 teaspoons pink curing salt* 3 Tbsp pickling spices 1/2 cup brown sugar *Pink curing salt, or sodium nitrite, goes by many names, such as Prague Powder #1 or DQ Curing Salt #1, and is available online and may be available at your local specialty market or butcher shop. If you don't have it, you can still make corned beef, but it is necessary for that vibrant pink color we associate with corned beef. And it adds flavor too. Without it the corned beef will be a dull grey color. Brisket: 1 4-5 pound beef brisket 1 Tbsp pickling spices |
The spice mix with the gallon of brine makes easily enough curing brine for a 5 pound brisket, cured in a somewhat large-ish container. If you were to use a 2-gallon freezer bag or marinating bag, you would likely need just half (or less) of the amount of brine and brine spices. | 1 Toast and crush spices: You can either used store-bought pickling spices or you can make your own. To make your own, toast the allspice berries, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom pods in a small frying pan on high heat until fragrant and you hear the mustard seeds start to pop. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the spices a little (or the back of a spoon or the side of a knife on a flat surface). Add to a small bowl and stir in the crumbled bay leaves and ground ginger. 2 Make curing brine with spices, salts, sugar, water: Add about 3 Tbsp of the spice mix (reserve the rest for cooking the corned beef after it has cured), plus the half stick of cinnamon, to a gallon of water in a large pot, along with the Kosher salt, pink salt (if using), and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until well chilled. 3 Cover brisket with brine, chill: Place the brisket in a large, flat container or pan, and cover with the brine. The brine should cover the meat. The meat may float in which case you may want to weigh it down with a plate. Alternatively you can use a 2-gallon freezer bag (placed in a container so if it leaks it doesn't leak all over your refrigerator), place the brisket in the freezer bag and about 2 quarts of brine, squeezing out the air from the bag before sealing. Place in the refrigerator and chill from 5-7 days. Every day flip the brisket over, so that all sides get brined equally. 4 Cook cured meat: At the end of the cure, remove the brisket from the brine and rinse off the brine with cold water. Place the brisket in a large pot that just fits around the brisket and cover with at least one inch of water. If you want your brisket less salty, add another inch of water to the pot. Add a tablespoon of the pickling spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer (barely bubbling), and cook 3-4 hours, until the corned beef is fork tender. (At this point you can store in the fridge for up to a week.) 5 Cut across the grain: Remove the meat to a cutting board. (You can use the spiced cooking liquid to cook vegetables for boiled dinner or corned beef and cabbage.) Notice the visible lines on the meat; this is the "grain" of the meat, or the direction of the muscle fibers. To make the meat easier to cut, cut it first in half, along the grain of the meat. Then make thin crosswise cuts, across the grain to cut the meat to serve. |
Vibrant pink, salty, and spicy, corned beef is always a welcome meal in our home, whether in a boiled dinner, with cabbage, or in a sandwich with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Who knew it was so easy to make? Corned beef is essentially beef cured in a salt brine, with some pickling spices for added flavor. It gets its name “corn” from an old English word for grain, or small pieces of hard things the size of grain, such as salt. Over the years, many of my friends have encouraged me to cure my own, insisting that it wasn’t hard to do, and well worth the effort. After finally getting around to it, I’m happy to report that my friends were right! It really is easy; it just takes about 5 days to cure. Because you get to choose what pickling spices to use, you can make your own distinctively flavored corned beef. You know how BBQ masters have their own favorite homemade dry rubs? It’s sort of like that. Pretty much every packaged corned beef brisket I’ve bought tastes about the same. The one I home cured? Wonderful and different. While I researched several online sources for curing your own corned beef, as well as interrogating my colleague Hank, the source I referred to the most was Michael Ruhlman’s brilliant Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (high recommend). You can also see his instructions on Leite’s Culinaria. I played around a bit with the spice mix, and kept the garlic out of the brine, but other than that, pretty much followed Michael’s method. I’ve linked to a couple other methods from food bloggers in the links below if you are looking for some recipes with which to compare this one. |
Elise Bauer | How to easily cure your own corned beef, with beef brisket, pickling spices, and salt. | Elise Bauer | How to easily cure your own corned beef, with beef brisket, pickling spices, and salt. | 5 days | 3 hours | ||
2770 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2770 | 2017-09-25 03:59:15 | Quick Beef Stew with Mushrooms and White Beans | 4-5 ounces of cremini or button mushrooms, quartered 4-5 ounces some other fresh mushroom, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, etc. 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 Tbsp olive oil Salt 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices 1 medium onion, cut lengthwise into thin wedges 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin 1/2 cup dry white or red wine (can sub beef or chicken broth) 16-ounce can small white beans (such as Great Northern, navy, or cannellini), rinsed, drained 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained Chopped parsley for garnish |
1 Put a large skillet over high heat and add all the mushrooms. Shaking the pan from time to time to prevent the mushrooms from sticking, dry sauté them until they being to release their water. Keep cooking until the mushrooms begin to brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside. 2 Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium-high. Brown the beef cubes in batches, turning to brown at least two sides of the meat. Remove from skillet, add to the bowl with the mushrooms and sprinkle salt over them. 3 Add the carrots and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add the onions and cook another 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add wine, bring to a boil and return the cooked beef and mushrooms to the pan. Continue cooking 3 more minutes. 4 Stir in the beans and tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes more. Add salt to taste. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley. |
Hmm. “Quick stew” is somewhat of an oxymoron isn’t it? Most stews are braised in plenty of liquid for long slow cooking. This stew is barely “stewed”, and the main reason it comes together so quickly is that you are using top sirloin for the beef, a much more tender cut of beef than chuck, which is what is usually used in stews and requires long slow cooking to become tender. This recipe is updated from one I posted several years ago, with slight modifications to extract more flavor from the ingredients given the short cooking time. The revised stew has passed the parent approval test, with two thumbs up from both mom and dad. Enjoy! |
Elise Bauer | Beef stew, quickly prepared with top sirloin steak, white beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms. | Elise Bauer | Beef stew, quickly prepared with top sirloin steak, white beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms. | 10 minutes | 40 minutes | Serves 4-6. | ||
2771 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2771 | 2017-09-25 03:59:18 | Beef Bourguignon | 6-8 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch chunks 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided 4 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels Salt 10-12 shallots, chopped, about 2 cups 2 large, peeled carrots, 1 chopped, 1 cut into 2-inch chunks 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms (optional) 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cup brandy, plus 2 Tbsp 1 bottle Pinot Noir, or other red wine Beef Stock (low sodium), at least 1 cup, quite easily more 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 bay leaves 2 teaspoons dried thyme 4 whole cloves 24 pearl onions, fresh or frozen 1 lb fresh shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms Beurre manie: 3 Tbsp flour blended with 2 Tbsp butter |
We are using shiitake mushrooms for the fresh mushrooms in this recipe, even though they are not traditionally used for this dish, because they are just so meaty and good. Feel free to use any fresh mushroom you'd like. If you don't have access to salt pork, you can use bacon, but simmer it first for 8 minutes in water, then drain and rinse, to remove its smokiness. A word on salt. Salt pork is salty. Be sparing with salt as you make this dish until the end, when you can adjust. Commercial beef stock is also salty, so you very well may have enough salt for the dish just from these two sources. |
1 If you are using them, pour 1 cup of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and allow them to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Pour the soaking water through a paper towel (to remove any dirt or debris) into a bowl and set aside. 2 In a large sauté pan, pour enough water to cover the bottom by about 1/8 inch. Over medium heat, cook the salt pork in the pan until the water evaporates, stirring occasionally. Once the water is gone, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook the salt pork until much of the fat has rendered out of it. Add a tablespoon of butter and continue to cook the salt pork unti the pieces are browned and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the salt pork pieces to a large Dutch oven or other large, thick-bottomed, lidded pot. 3 Increase the heat to medium-high. Working in batches so that you do not crowd the pan, brown the beef. Leaving space around each piece of sizzling meat ensures that it browns and does not steam. Don't move the pieces of beef in the pan until they get a good sear, then turn them so they can get browned on another side. Take your time. This will take 15-25 minutes, depending on how large a sauté pan you have. Once browned, remove the beef from the sauté pan and place in the Dutch oven with the salt pork. 4 When all the beef has browned, add the shallots, the one chopped carrot, and the chopped porcini mushrooms if using. Stir in the pot to remove any browned, stuck-on bits in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and the tomato paste. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. 5 Add the brandy and stir to combine. Boil down by half, then add the strained mushroom soaking water (if using). Scrape any remaining browned bits off the bottom of the sauté pan and pour the contents of the pan into the Dutch oven. 6 To the Dutch oven add the bottle of wine and enough beef stock to almost cover the beef; the beef pieces should be barely poking up out of the liquid. Add the parsley, bay leaves, thyme and cloves. Cover and bring to a bare simmer. After 1 hour, add the second carrot, peeled and cut into chunks of 1-2 inches. Continue cooking for another hour, or until the beef is tender. 7 Meanwhile, trim the tough stems off the shiitake, cremini, or button mushrooms and slice into 2-3 large pieces; small mushrooms leave whole. Prepare the pearl onions. Boil them in their skins for 4-5 minutes. Drain and submerge in a bowl of ice water. Slice the tips and root ends off the onions and slip off the outer skins. 8 When the beef is tender, use tongs to remove all the beef and the chunks of carrots; set aside in a bowl. Strain the contents of the Dutch oven through a fine-meshed sieve set over a medium pot. This will be the sauce. Boil the sauce down, tasting frequently. If it begins to taste too salty, turn off the heat. Otherwise, boil down until you have about 3 cups. Turn off the heat. 9 Heat a large sauté pan over high heat and add the mushrooms. Dry sauté the mushrooms over high heat, shaking the pan and stirring often, until they release their water, about 4-5 minutes. Add the pearl onions and 3 tablespoons butter and toss to combine. Sprinkle salt over the onions and mushrooms. Sauté until the onions begin to brown. Remove from heat. 10 Returning to the sauce, reduce the heat to medium and whisk in the beurre manie. Whisk in a third of the paste, wait for it to incorporate into the sauce, then add another third of the beurre manie, and so on. Do not let this boil, but allow it to simmer very gently for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of brandy. Taste for salt and add some if needed. 11 To serve, coat the beef, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions with the sauce and serve with potatoes, egg noodles or lots of crusty bread. |
Looking for something celebratory? This is our take on the iconic French dish, Boeuf Bourguignon, popularized in America by Julia Child. Less of a stew and more of an event, classic beef bourguignon is beef stewed with aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices which are then strained off, reduced and finished with a butter-flour mixture to create a densely flavored, dark and silky sauce. Yes the sauce is a bit fussy, but truly it is worth it. We made this for the family the other day and not a drop was left. (You can of course skip all the sauce straining fussiness and prepare this as a traditional stew, but then it would just be a lovely stew, not the dish everyone expects.) We’ve included dried porcini mushrooms in this dish. They’re called cepes in France, and are frequently used in French stews. Dried porcini are available in many supermarkets, but don’t worry if you can’t find them. For this they’re optional and you’ll still have a fabulous dish without them. As for the wine, if you can find it, use a Pinot Noir. It is the dominant wine used in Burgundy, France, and it is what gives this dish its name. Obviously you can use a real French Burgundy wine, but they tend to be far more expensive than a California Pinot Noir. Look for a bottle you’d happily drink. Finally, the thing that usually stops me from making beef bourguignon is the pearl onions. Yes, blanching and peeling them is simply a lot of work. However, salvation may be at hand. According to my sources you can get frozen pearl onions already blanched and peeled. Apparently Trader Joe’s carries them. If you can’t find them, the following instructions include steps for preparing the onions. |
Elise Bauer | Luxurious beef bourguignon, or beef Burgundy, with beef chuck, carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, and coated with a deeply flavored, silky sauce. | Elise Bauer | Luxurious beef bourguignon, or beef Burgundy, with beef chuck, carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, and coated with a deeply flavored, silky sauce. | Serves 6-8 | |||
2777 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2777 | 2017-09-25 03:59:24 | Peppercorn Steak | 4 good-sized steaks (1/2 pound to a pound each, allow for 1/2 pound per person) Salt 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, canola oil, or other high smoke-point oil 3 Tbsp black peppercorns, cracked 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or onions 1/4 cup cognac or other brandy 1 cup beef broth or stock (for gluten-free version use gluten-free stock) 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley |
What kind of steak? Any good quality cut of steak will work, for example top sirloin, ribeye, filet mignon, porterhouse, T-bone, or New York strip. (Avoid chuck, that's best left for pot roasts.) We used inch-thick steaks, but you could go as thin as half-inch to as thick as 2-inches. | 1 Salt the steak and let sit at room temp: Sprinkle salt generously over both sides of the steaks and let them come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. 2 Sear the steaks: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. (Use a pan that can handle high heat. Cast iron works well for this, or hard anodized aluminum.) When the oil begins to smoke, take the pan off the heat. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels (steaks brown better if they are patted dry first) and place in the hot pan. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat down to medium-high. Sear, without moving the steaks, for at least 4 minutes. Try to pick up a steak with tongs, and if it comes clean, flip it and turn the heat down to medium. If it sticks to the pan, let it cook for another minute or two on that side. For this recipe, we sear on one side on high heat, and cook on lower heat on the other side. This way you get great flavor from the seared side, and better control over how done you want your steak by cooking the other side more slowly. 3 When done, remove steaks from pan, sprinkle with crushed peppercorns: Use the finger test for doneness or a meat thermometer. For rare, remove the meat from the pan when the inside reaches 120°F, for medium rare 125-130°F, for medium 140°F, and medium well 155°F. Once the steak is done to your liking remove the meat to a baking sheet and sprinkle on a generous portion of crushed black peppercorns on both sides of each steak. Tent with aluminum foil and let the steak rest while you are preparing the sauce. 4 Make the sauce: Add the shallots to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the brandy and as it boils, deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (helps to have one with a straight edge) to dislodge all the browned bits. Once the brandy is almost cooked away, add the beef stock and turn the heat to high. Boil the sauce down until there's a noticeable trail when you drag a wooden spoon through the center of it (4-5 minutes). Pour in the heavy cream and resume boiling. Again, boil down until you can make that telltale trail from the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and add the parsley and any remaining black pepper (no more than 1 Tbsp, the rest should have already been used to pepper the steaks). Taste for salt and add if needed. Pour the sauce over the steaks right when you serve. |
A standard on the menu of any respectable steak house is peppercorn steak, or “steak au poivre” as the French call it. There is some debate over the exact origins of this recipe (which French chef, or French king, and what era), but a thick juicy steak served with a peppercorn sauce has been popular in American homes and restaurants for at least 50 years. The steak is usually crusted with cracked black or green peppercorns, and served with a sauce with cognac, and cream or demi-glace. The following recipe uses crushed black peppercorns, brandy, beef stock, and cream. In many recipes the peppercorns are pressed into the steak before cooking. In this recipe (adapted from the Joy of Cooking, same ingredients, slightly different method), the steak is seared first, so you can get good flavorful browning without burning a bunch of peppercorns. After searing, then a peppercorn sauce is made and served over the steak. By the way, as an experiment, we made this recipe with both boneless ribeye (a rather expensive cut) and top sirloin (half the price). The ribeye was predictably more tender (more fat marbling), but the top sirloin was also excellent. So I would say that with this sauce, you can get away with a less expensive cut of meat. |
Elise Bauer | Classic Steak au Poivre, or steak with a creamy peppercorn sauce | Elise Bauer | Classic Steak au Poivre, or steak with a creamy peppercorn sauce | Serves 4-6, depending on how big the steaks, and how hungry the eaters | |||
2778 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2778 | 2017-09-25 03:59:26 | Beef Tacos de Lengua | 1 3-4 lb beef tongue 2 large onions, peeled The cloves from 1 head (yes an entire head) of garlic, peeled and crushed 6-7 bay leaves 1 Tbsp of peppercorns 2 Tbsp salt Vegetable oil Corn tortillas (2 to 3 per person) Salsa verde* Avocados Cilantro Chopped red onion Thinly sliced radishes for garnish * Bottled or canned salsa verde can be found in the Hispanic section of markets. To make homemade salsa verde, remove husks from 1 lb of tomatillos, place tomatillos in a pan, cover with water, simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Place tomatillos, 1/3 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice, a jalapeño or serrano chile pepper, and about a teaspoon of salt in a blender. Blend until smooth, add more salt to taste. |
Beef tongue may be found at local Asian markets, Mexican markets, or ordered by your local butcher | 1 Fill a large (12-quart if you have one) stock pot two-thirds full with water. Add the tongue, onions, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours, until the tongue is soft to the touch and tender. 2 Remove tongue from water and let cool for a couple of minutes. Notice the light colored skin-like covering over most of the tongue. Using your fingers, and/or a sharp small knife, remove this covering and discard. Notice the rough patch of meat where the tongue would attach to the bottom of the mouth. Arturo removes this patch (as does his mother when she prepares tongue) because it is a little rough. It's perfectly edible though, so keep it attached if you want. 3 Slice the tongue in 1/4-inch slices. (If you are not preparing the whole tongue for tacos, you can return whatever tongue you do not slice to the cooking water to soak.) Heat a little oil in a frying pan on medium high and sauté the slices on both sides until they are lightly browned. Remove from pan and slice first into strips, then crosswise again so that you end up with small cubes. 4 Soften tortillas either by cooking on the stove-top until pockets of air appear in them, or in the microwave (about 10 seconds per tortilla). Place a large spoonful of meat in the center of a tortilla. Add a spoonful of salsa verde and some chopped avocado, onion, and chopped fresh cilantro. Garnish with radish slices. |
This recipe is not for the food-queazy. If that’s you, you might want to just skip this one, or instead check out some of our chicken breast recipes. What? You’re still with us? Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you. My first recollection of beef tongue was when I was about 8 years old and there happened to be a huge one in the refrigerator. It looked, and felt (I touched it, who could resist?) like a ginormous tongue. Just like my little 8-year old tongue, but oh my gosh, it was so big! And then my parents cooked it and made us eat it. (No idea how they prepared it.) The texture. It was so, so tongue-like. All too weird, even for me. Fast forward a couple decades (okay, more than a couple) and I’m in Mexico when my bud Matt announces that there’s a crowd around the lengua tacos in the buffet line. I get there just in time to scoop up the last of the day’s lengua for my taco and I’m in tongue heaven. So tender, so perfect in a taco. Here’s the deal with tongue. Prepared correctly it is melt-in-your-mouth tender (from slow braising), flavorful (because it’s a muscle that got a lot of exercise), if you chop it up enough the texture isn’t an issue, and its home of homes is truly in a taco, slathered with salsa verde. By the way, my mother instructed me to tell you that the way you know you are at an authentic taqueria is that there are “tacos de lengua” (tongue tacos) on the menu. If you find yourself at such a taqueria, try some! Or if you are the adventurous sort, and love tacos and Mexican food, the following is a traditional Mexican recipe for tacos de lengua, taught to me by my Acapulco friend Arturo. This is the way his mother made it for him growing up. Outrageously good. If I could, I would eat the entire batch all by myself. |
Elise Bauer | Classic Mexican tacos de lengua, beef tongue which has been braised with garlic and onions, finely chopped, and served with salsa verde and avocados. | Elise Bauer | Classic Mexican tacos de lengua, beef tongue which has been braised with garlic and onions, finely chopped, and served with salsa verde and avocados. | One 3-pound tongue makes enough meat for about 18-24 tacos. | |||
2779 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2779 | 2017-09-25 03:59:31 | Chili Con Carne | 2 Tbsp red chili powder 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder 1 Tbsp ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground oregano 1 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds 3-4 Tbsp water 4 strips bacon One 2 1/2 pound chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes Salt 1 medium white onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 jalapeño chili peppers, stems removed, seeded, ribs removed, minced 1 14-oz can whole tomatoes 2 1/2 cups water 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1 teaspoon sugar 1 14-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in a couple tablespoons of water Salt Grated cheddar cheese and chopped red onion for garnish |
1 Make chili paste: In a small bowl mix the chili powder, chipotle chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, thyme, and ground coriander seeds. Mix in water so that chili forms a light paste. Set aside. 2 Cook bacon: Cook the bacon in a large skillet on medium high heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel. Pour bacon fat from the pan into a separate container, reserve. When the bacon cools, crumble it into smaller pieces and set aside. 3 Brown beef chunks in bacon fat: Increase heat to medium high, add back in 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat. Working in batches so that you don't crowd the beef (crowding will steam cook the meat instead of browning it), brown the beef cubes on all sides, lightly salting as you cook the beef. Remove beef from pan, set aside. 4 Cook onions: Add another Tablespoon of bacon fat to the pan. Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño, cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add the chili paste and cook for 2-3 more minutes. 5 Put beef and onions in big pot, add tomatoes, water, lime juice, sugar: Into a 6-quart thick-bottomed Dutch oven, put onion chili mixture, beef, bacon, tomatoes (break up the whole tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in the pot), water, lime juice and sugar. Heat the chili on medium high heat until it comes to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Then uncover and cook for another half hour, keeping the temperature at a place where you can maintain a simmer. 6 Thicken with cornstarch: Mix the cornstarch powder into a little water to dissolve the corn starch (otherwise you'll have lumps to deal with) and add to the chili to thicken it. 7 Add kidney beans: Gently mix in the kidney beans. Add salt to taste. Adjust seasonings. Depending on the acidity of the tomatoes and lime juice you may need a little more sugar to bring the stew to balance. At this point you can also add a little more chili powder if you desire more heat. 8 Add toppings to serve: Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and chopped red onion. Serve with cornbread, tortilla chips, and or rice. |
It seems as if there as many ways to prepare chili as there are cooks who make chili. Ground beef versus chunks, pork versus beef, pinto versus kidney beans, beans versus no beans, red chili or green chili—the combinations, as the preferences for them, are endless. The Wikipedia has a great write-up on chili con carne if you are interested in exploring its origins and varieties. A few notes on this recipe. We use chuck roast because it holds up the best to long stewing. The meat and onions are cooked in bacon fat which contributes to the flavor. We include kidney beans because we like kidney beans, but you can substitute other beans or leave them out entirely. A little sugar is used to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and lime juice. The “secret sauce” so to speak of this recipe is the addition of chipotle chile powder, made from smoke-dried jalapeño peppers. Chipotle adds a smokey dimension to the chili, enhancing all of the other flavors. If you can’t find chipotle powder, Tabasco makes a chipotle pepper sauce that can be used to add some smokey flavor to the stew. Everyone has their favorite chili recipe. This one is mine, what’s yours? |
Elise Bauer | Chili con Carne! With chunks of chuck roast, browned in bacon fat and cooked with red kidney beans, red chili and chipotle chili, onion, garlic, jalapeños, tomatoes, and lime juice. Top with grated cheddar and chopped red onion. So GOOD! | Elise Bauer | Chili con Carne! With chunks of chuck roast, browned in bacon fat and cooked with red kidney beans, red chili and chipotle chili, onion, garlic, jalapeños, tomatoes, and lime juice. Top with grated cheddar and chopped red onion. So GOOD! | 10 minutes | 2 hours, 15 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | ||
2780 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2780 | 2017-09-25 03:59:35 | Hamburger Stroganoff | Butter 1 lb ground chuck Salt and pepper 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (can substitute button mushrooms), sliced 1/3 cup of dry sherry, dry white wine, or water 1/2 cup chopped parsley, loosely packed 1 1/4 cups full fat sour cream (room temperature) 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon paprika or more to taste 8 ounces egg noodles | You can substitute the sour cream and lemon juice for a cup of full-fat plain yogurt (room temperature). Do not allow to boil. | 1 Heat pasta water: Put a large pot of salted water (1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water) on to heat, for the pasta. 2 Brown the ground beef: Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in the pan and swirl it around. Working in batches as not to crowd the meat (crowding it will make it hard to brown), break up the ground beef and add it to the pan. Sprinkle the meat with salt. Do not stir the meat, as stirring will prevent browning. Once the meat is well browned on one side (a couple minutes, depending on how hot the pan), use tongs or a fork or a metal spatula to flip to the other side. Once that side is browned as well, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and set aside. Continue to brown the meat in batches, adding a teaspoon of butter to the pan with each batch if needed, and salting the pan and the meat, until it is all browned. Remove meat from pan. Drain excess fat from pan. 3 Sauté the onions: Add the onions to the pan. If you are working with very lean meat, you may not have any residual fat in the pan. If this is the case, you'll want to add in a tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the pan. Cook the onions, scraping up the meat drippings, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove onions from the pan (add to the meat). 4 Start cooking pasta: Depending on the cooking times of your particular brand of pasta, this is likely a good time to add the pasta to the (should be now) boiling, salted water. 5 Sauté mushrooms, add sherry: While the pasta is cooking, add a tablespoon of butter to the pan, increase the heat to medium high. Add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté until nicely browned (about 4 minutes). Add the sherry (or dry white wine or water) to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let the sherry reduce by at least a half, then lower the heat to low. 6 Stir in sour cream, paprika, lemon juice, meat, onions, parsley: Remove the pan from the heat. Mix in the sour cream and paprika until smooth. Return the pan to very low heat, and not let the sour cream boil (or it may curdle). You may add a few tablespoons of water to the mixture to thin it out a bit at any time. Stir in the lemon juice, and about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt (taste). Stir in the meat and onions. Stir in the chopped parsley. Add more salt, pepper, and/or paprika to taste. 7 Serve with noodles: Keep the stroganoff on warm heat until the noodles are done cooking. When the noodles are ready (al dente) drain. Serve the hamburger stroganoff on top of egg noodles. |
Do you like beef stroganoff? Hamburger stroganoff is a great way to enjoy beef stroganoff but without breaking the bank. Instead of using strips of top sirloin, we use ground beef. The main advantage of ground beef is clearly budget, and if worked properly you can also have wonderful flavor. First, get ground chuck. Chuck is the shoulder cut of beef, the shoulder muscles being well worked from the grazing action of the steer. More muscle action equals more flavor, and a tougher cut of meat. Chuck is notoriously tough as a steak (ask my father who used to try to cook chuck steaks in his poor bachelor days), but one of the most flavorful parts of the animal. Grinding the meat tenderizes it, but the flavor is still there. Second, take the time to properly brown the meat. In other words, don’t stir it! Just let it cook, on relatively high heat, until well browned, before giving it a stir. The browning is what gives you the flavor. Use the cooking of the onions and mushrooms to scrape up any of the browned bits, and deglaze the pan to get the rest. It’s also important to salt while you cook. If you get to the end of this recipe and it’s dull, it’s because you haven’t salted it enough. Experiment with the spices if you want. A little ground nutmeg can give it a lift, as well as tarragon. |
Elise Bauer | Hamburger stroganoff made with ground beef in a sour cream mushroom sauce, with onions, parsley, paprika, served over egg noodles. | Elise Bauer | Hamburger stroganoff made with ground beef in a sour cream mushroom sauce, with onions, parsley, paprika, served over egg noodles. | 10 minutes | 25 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2781 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2781 | 2017-09-25 03:59:41 | Beef Wellington | 1 lb beef tenderloin filet Salt and pepper Canola oil or olive oil 1 lb mushrooms (we used half cremini, half shiitake) 4 thin slices ham (Parma ham if you can get it) or prosciutto 2 Tbsp yellow mustard (we used Coleman's Original English Mustard) 7 ounces puff pastry (needs 3 hours to defrost in refrigerator if using frozen) 2 egg yolks, beaten | 1 Sear filet on all sides: Season the fillet generously with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large pan on high heat. Sear the fillet in the pan on all sides until well browned (hint: do not move the fillet until it has had a chance to brown). 2 Brush the filet with mustard: Remove the filet from the pan and let cool. Once cooled, brush the fillet on all sides with mustard. 3 Prepare the mushroom duxelles: Chop the mushrooms and put them into a food processor and purée. Heat the sauté pan on medium high heat. Transfer the mushroom purée into the pan and cook, allowing the mushrooms to release their moisture. When the moisture released by the mushrooms has boiled away, remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside to cool. 4 Wrap filet in mushroom paste and ham: Roll out a large piece of plastic wrap. Lay out the slices of ham on the plastic wrap so that they overlap. Spread the mushroom mixture over the ham. Place the beef filet in the middle, roll the mushroom and ham over the fillet, using the plastic wrap so that you do this tightly. Wrap up the beef filet into a tight barrel shape, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to secure. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 5 Preheat oven to 400°F. 6 Roll out puff pastry, wrap beef filet: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet to a size that will wrap around the beef fillet. Unwrap the fillet from the plastic wrap and place in the middle of the pastry dough. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten eggs. Fold the pastry around the fillet, cutting off any excess at the ends (pastry that is more than 2 layers thick will not cook all the way, try to limit the overlap). Place on a small plate, seam side down, and brush beaten egg yolks all over the top. Chill for 5-10 minutes. 7 Brush with egg wash and score: Place the pastry-wrapped fillet on a baking pan. Brush the exposed surface again with beaten eggs. Score the top of the pastry with a sharp knife, not going all the way through the pastry. Sprinkle the top with coarse salt. 8 Bake in oven: Bake at 400°F for 25-35 minutes. The pastry should be nicely golden when done. To ensure that your roast is medium rare, test with an instant read meat thermometer. Pull out at 125-130°F for medium rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice in 1-inch thick slices. Recipe adapted from this video for making Beef Wellington by Chef Gordon Ramsey. |
A few months ago my father got an inkling to make Beef Wellington, beef tenderloin smothered with mushroom duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Who knows where he got the idea, maybe just curiosity. Beef Wellington is one of those dishes that was a lot more popular 40 years ago than it is now. But once my dad decides he wants to make something, come hell or high water, it will be made. It also helps that Chef Gordon Ramsey has a video online on how to make his version of Beef Wellington, using Parma ham wrapped around the fillet instead of the more traditional pâté de foie gras. So, we recently set out to make it, dad channelling Chef Ramsey, albeit without the yelling and swearing (though I’m guessing that if dad thought he could get away with acting like Chef Ramsey around the rest of us, he would). It’s actually a lot easier to make than it looks, assuming you are using ready-made puff pastry, and the result is fantastic. A great idea for a father’s day dinner for the beef-loving dads out there. |
Elise Bauer | Perfect Beef Wellington! Beef tenderloin fillet, coated with mustard, mushroom duxelles, ham, wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Based on Gordon Ramsey Beef Wellington recipe. | Elise Bauer | Perfect Beef Wellington! Beef tenderloin fillet, coated with mustard, mushroom duxelles, ham, wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Based on Gordon Ramsey Beef Wellington recipe. | 10 minutes | 2 hours | Serves 4 | ||
2783 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2783 | 2017-09-25 03:59:45 | Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup) | 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water as the meatballs will create their own stock)* 1/2 cup of tomato sauce 1/2 lb of green beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/3 cup of raw white rice 1 pound ground beef 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup of chopped parsley 1 raw egg 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper A dash of cayenne (optional) 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano Salt and pepper 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro *If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free. |
If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often. |
1 Make the soup base with onion, garlic, broth, tomato sauce, carrots and green beans: Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans. 2 Prepare the meatballs: Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs. 3 Add meatballs to soup, let simmer, add peas: Gently add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. |
Albondigas soup is a traditional Mexican meatball soup (“albondigas” means “meatballs” in Spanish) that my mother has cooked for our family for more than 50 years. It is our version of comfort food. A simple soup base is made with sautéed onions, garlic, broth, and tomatoes. Into the bubbling soup you drop meatballs made with ground beef or ground turkey and rice. The meat creates its own additional broth for the soup. Carrots, green beans, and peas are also usually added to the soup. What makes the flavor of albondigas soup distinctive is the chopped mint in the meatballs.I once complained to a Mexican chef about the lack of mint in his cookbook’s albondigas soup recipe, and he looked at me with surprise and said, “my mother puts mint in her albondigas!” You can, of course, skip the mint, substitute with a little fresh oregano or some cilantro, but to me, the soup’s not the same without it. You can also vary the vegetables added, depending on what you have on hand and what’s in season. |
Elise Bauer | Classic Mexican soup made with meatballs (albondigas), green beens, onions, and chicken stock. A family favorite. | Elise Bauer | Classic Mexican soup made with meatballs (albondigas), green beens, onions, and chicken stock. A family favorite. | 15 minutes | 50 minutes | Serves 6-8 | |
2786 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2786 | 2017-09-25 03:59:50 | How to Make Beef Stock | 4-5 pounds meaty beef stock bones (with lots of marrow), including some knuckle bones if possible, cut to expose the center marrow, and include at least a couple veal bones if you can, for their gelatin 1 pound of stew meat (chuck or flank steak) and/or beef scraps, cut into 2-inch chunks Olive oil 1-2 medium onions, peeled and quartered 1-2 large carrots, cut into 1-2 inch segments Handful of celery tops, or 1 large celery rib, cut into 1 inch segments 2-3 cloves of garlic, unpeeled Handful of parsley, stems and leaves 1-2 bay leaves 10 peppercorns |
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub a little olive oil over the stew meat pieces, carrots, and onions. Place stock bones, stew meat or beef scraps, carrots and onions in a large, shallow roasting pan. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, turning the bones and meat pieces half-way through the cooking, until nicely browned. If bones begin to char at all during this cooking process, lower the heat. They should brown, not burn. 2 When the bones and meat are nicely browned, remove them and the vegetables and place them in a large (12 to 16 quart) stock pot. Place the roasting pan on the stove-top on low heat (will cover 2 burners), pour 1/2 cup to a cup of hot water over the pan and use a metal spatula to scrape up all of the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour the browned bits and water into the stock pot. 3 Add celery tops, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the stock pot. Fill the stock pot with cold water, to 1 to 2 inches over the top of the bones. Put the heat on high and bring the pot to a low simmer and then reduce the heat to low. If you have a candy or meat thermometer, the temperature of the water should be between 180° and 200°F (boiling is 212°F). The stock should be at a bare simmer, just a bubble or two coming up here and there. (You may need to put the pot on your smallest burner on the lowest temp, or if you are using an oven-safe pot, place it in the oven at 190°F.) Cover the pot loosely and let simmer low and slow for 3-6 hours. Do not stir the stock while cooking. Stirring will mix the fats in with the stock, clouding up the stock. 4 As the stock cooks, fat will be released from the bone marrow and stew meat and rise to the top. From time to time check in on the stock and use a large metal spoon to scoop away the fat and any scum that rises to the surface. (Do not put this fat down your kitchen drain by the way. It will solidify and block your pipes. Put it in a bowl or jar to save for cooking or to discard.) 5 At the end of cooking time (when you want to end the cooking is up to you, 3 hours minimum, 6 to 8 hours if you can do it) use tongs or a slotted spoon to gently remove the bones and vegetables from the pot (discard them, though if you see a chunk of marrow, taste it, it's delicious). Line another large pot (8-quart) with a fine mesh sieve, covered with a couple layers of cheesecloth if you have it. Pour the stock through the sieve to strain it of remaining solids. Let cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator. One the stock has chilled, any fat remaining will have risen to the top and solidified. The fat forms a protective layer against bacteria while the stock is in the refrigerator. If you plan to freeze the stock however, remove and discard the fat, pour the stock into a jar or plastic container. (You can also remove the fat, and boil the stock down, concentrating it so that it doesn't take as much storage space.) Leave an inch head room from the top of the stock to the top of the jar, so that as the stock freezes and expands, it will not break the container. |
Years ago, when I was in college, I was told by my Chinese doctor to make soup from scratch for my health (the reasons too long to go into now). In his words, “get beef bones and boil them”. The good news is that I had one of those food epiphanies – soup stock comes from bones? I hadn’t connected the dots before. (So why was mom simmering that turkey carcass? Never bothered to ask.) The bad news is that I hadn’t the faintest idea what I was doing; I dutifully went to my local butcher, begged some beef bones, and boiled them for hours with a rolling boil until the bones were practically disintegrating. Then I removed the bones, added lentils and salt, and ate it. For those of you unfamiliar with the process of making stock, this is not the way to do it. (Granted, if you are calcium deficient, and don’t care about the taste of your soup, or the grittiness, it is edible.) No, the trick with stock is to roast the bones first to get some caramelized flavor going, then to slowly heat them in water until a bare simmer, and then let them cook that way, gently, for a good long time. With beef stock, it helps to include some beef scraps or stew meat, as well as aromatic vegetables and herbs. Also a few veal bones will help provide gelatin to the stock. Why make your own beef stock? If you make a big batch and freeze it, you may save some money. But the main reason is that you’ll get a richness of flavor and texture in your homemade stock that you just can’t buy at the store. |
Elise Bauer | Make homemade beef stock by roasting marrow bones and cooking on a low simmer with aromatic vegetables and herbs. | Elise Bauer | Make homemade beef stock by roasting marrow bones and cooking on a low simmer with aromatic vegetables and herbs. | Makes about 4 quarts. | ||||
2787 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2787 | 2017-09-25 03:59:51 | Hanger Steak with Shallots | 1 Tbsp canola or other high smoke point cooking oil 4 hanger steaks, 6-8 ounces each (trimmed of main gristle running through center) Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 6 medium shallots, thinly sliced 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1/2 cup red wine 2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley | If hanger steaks aren't available where you are, you might want to try this recipe with a flank or skirt steak. Hanger steaks are sold either whole, looking somewhat like a "V", or trimmed of the center gristle, in which case they resemble a tenderloin. If you get a whole piece, make sure to cut away and discard the center main gristle that connects the 2 tenderloin-ish pieces. | 1 Sear the steaks on all sides: Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan over high heat. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, place the steaks into the pan, and brown them on all sides. (Do not move the steak pieces until they have browned on one side, if you move them, they won't brown easily.) 2 Cook until done to your preference, remove from pan: Continue to turn them until they are cooked to your preference, 6 minutes total for medium-rare (the steaks will continue to cook as they rest), a few minutes longer for more well done. Transfer the steaks to a warm dish and cover them with foil and let them rest while you prepare the sauce. 3 Make the sauce: Reduce the heat to medium, add a tablespoon of butter and the shallots. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook until it boils away, then add the wine. Bring the wine to a boil and let reduce to about half. Remove pan from heat, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the chopped parsley. 4 Slice steaks across the grain to serve: To serve, cut each steak across the grain into thin slices. Fan the slices out on a warm dinner plate. Drizzle the warm shallot sauce over the meat and serve immediately. |
One of the best things about having a butcher close by who knows a thing or two about meat is that we are often inspired to try cuts that would otherwise be unfamiliar to us. Hanger steak is one of those cuts. Also known as a “butcher’s steak”, the hanger steak “hangs” down from a steer’s diaphragm, attached to the last rib and spine near the kidneys (according to the Wikipedia). Hanger steak is highly flavorful, but isn’t perfectly tender, so it responds well to quick cooking with searing heat, and a thin slicing against the grain to serve. This recipe we picked up from our local butcher at Corti Brothers who in turn got it from Chef Daniel Boulud. According to chef Boulud, French bistros traditionally serve this hanger steak along with pommes frites (French fries). We passed on the fries and went with broccoli and boiled potatoes. Outstanding! And very easy to make. |
Elise Bauer | Hanger steaks, quickly sautéed and served with a sauce of shallots and butter in a wine reduction. | Elise Bauer | Hanger steaks, quickly sautéed and served with a sauce of shallots and butter in a wine reduction. | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2788 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2788 | 2017-09-25 03:59:55 | Oxtail Stew | 3 lbs (1.3kg) oxtails with separated joints Salt and pepper Olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 2 cups (475 ml) stock (chicken or beef)* 2 cups (475 ml) of red wine 3 whole cloves garlic, peel still on One bay leaf Pinch of thyme Parsley 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise 2 parsnips, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise 2 turnips or rutabagas, cut into 1-inch pieces Olive oil Salt and pepper *If cooking gluten-free use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock. |
We serve the oxtails with the bone-in, though if you want you can easily remove the bones from the meat before serving. | 1 Brown the oxtails: Pat dry oxtails with paper towels. Sprinkle oxtails all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium to medium high heat in a 6-quart Dutch oven. Working in batches, and not crowding the pan, sear the oxtails in hot pan on all sides until golden brown. Use tongs to remove oxtails to a plate, setting aside. 2 Sauté onions, carrots, celery: Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent. 3 Add oxtails, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt, stock, wine, then simmer: Add the oxtails back to the pan. Add the whole garlic cloves, the stock and wine. Add bay leaf, thyme, and half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 3 hours, until meat is fork tender. 4 Roast root vegetables: One hour before the meat is done, heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Toss carrots, parsnips, and turnips in olive oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 1 hour, or until lightly browned and cooked through. 5 Skim fat: When meat is tender, remove oxtails from the cooking liquid. Either skim the fat off the top with a spoon, use a fat separator to remove the fat, or chill the cooking liquid for several hours so that the fat solidifies, making it easier to remove. If you are making ahead, at this point you can just put the stew in the refrigerator (let come to room temp first), with the oxtails still in it, and let it chill over night. The next day, scrape off the fat, reheat and then remove the meat from the dish. 6 Strain solids from cooking liquid, reduce liquid: Pour the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to press against the vegetable solids caught in the strainer. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and simmer until reduced by half. 7 Add back oxtails, roasted vegetables: Then add back in the oxtails, and add the roasted vegetables to the pan. Heat on low heat for half an hour for the flavors to meld. Add some chopped parsley before serving. |
Have you ever had oxtails? Most people I know haven’t even heard of them, which is really quite a shame. Think braised beef short ribs, but with even more flavor, and you’ll get a sense of why those of us who eat oxtail get dreamy eyed when we think about them. Yes oxtails come from a steer’s tail—a well exercised muscle, marbled with fat. The segments are vertebrae so they have lots of iron-rich marrow as well. My father, who grew up during the Depression, remembers oxtails as being food for people with little money, because they could be had so cheap. You could get them for pennies a pound. These days, they’re somewhat hard to come by and no longer cheap (though you can sometimes get a good deal on them at Costco and Asian markets). As with most tough cuts, oxtail are best slow cooked for several hours. They tend to be fatty, so we like to cook them a day ahead, so we can chill them overnight and scrape off the fat from the top the next day. |
Elise Bauer | Deliciously rich oxtail stew recipe, with oxtails braised in red wine and stock, with onions, parsnips, and carrots. | Elise Bauer | Deliciously rich oxtail stew recipe, with oxtails braised in red wine and stock, with onions, parsnips, and carrots. | Serves 4-6 | |||
2789 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2789 | 2017-09-25 03:59:57 | Mom’s Stuffed Bell Peppers | 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked white rice (starting from about 3/4 to 1 cup raw white rice) 4 to 6 bell peppers (red, yellow, or green), use 4 large, or 6 medium sized 1 to 1 1/4 lb of ground beef (ground chuck, 16% fat) 6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil) 1/2 teaspoon dry summer savory or thyme 1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram (or 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped) (Can substitute herbs with other herbs such as an Italian herb mix) 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil Paprika |
Red and yellow bell peppers have a very different flavor than green bell peppers. The red ones especially are much sweeter. Any bell pepper can be used for this recipe; use the type you like the best. | 1 Cook the rice: If you haven't already made the rice, start cooking the rice following the package instructions (usually 1 cup of raw white rice plus 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.) 2 Steam the bell peppers: Cut the tops off of the bell peppers. Remove and discard (compost) the stem and seeds. Place bell peppers cut side up on a steaming rack over an inch of water in a large covered pot. Bring to boil, let steam for 10 minutes. (Note you can skip this step if you want, but steaming the pepper shells first will make them more tender and easier to eat.) 3 Mix the filling: Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, basil, summer savory, marjoram, salt, several turns of black pepper, and the cooked rice. 4 Fill the bell peppers: Remove bell peppers from steamer pan. Place cut side up in a pyrex or other oven-proof casserole. Gently stuff the peppers with the ground beef rice mixture. Drizzle olive oil over the stuffed peppers, along the outside of the peppers, and into the pan. Rub the oil over the outside of the peppers; it will help with browning. Sprinkle the tops generously with paprika. 5 Bake: Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 350°F for 35-50 minutes, or longer, until the meat is cooked through. Serve with ketchup. |
Stuffed bell peppers is one of those classic comfort food dishes that my family practically lived on when I was a kid. This recipe my mother adapted from Adele Davis as mom was teaching herself to cook in the 60s. Like so many of those early recipes, mom has modified them to her taste and style through the years. This one she rarely does exactly the same way twice, she’ll use a different set of herbs and seasoning depending on what strikes her fancy looking through the spice cabinet. Whereas my father is a stickler for details and exact ingredients measurements, mom usually can’t be bothered; she keeps things simple, and improvises as she goes along. While dad’s stuffed bell pepper recipe is terrific, it’s a little too much fuss and bother for her to make. This one is easier and more her style. |
Elise Bauer | Perfect comfort food! Bell peppers stuffed with ground beef, rice, and herbs, and baked in the oven. | Elise Bauer | Perfect comfort food! Bell peppers stuffed with ground beef, rice, and herbs, and baked in the oven. | Serves 4 to 6 | |||
2791 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2791 | 2017-09-25 04:00:01 | Quick and Easy Pan-Fried Flank Steak | 1 1/2 pound flank steak Dry mustard Freshly ground black pepper Softened butter Salt | 1 Remove the steak from the refrigerator a half hour before cooking. Cut away any tough connective tissue on the surface of the steak. Using the tip of a sharp knife, poke small cuts into the meat, almost all the way through. The cuts should be at an angle, in the direction of the grain of the meat as the knife tip is going in. The cuts should be about an inch apart from each other. Turn the steak over and repeat the cuts on the other side. Make sure that the cuts you are making on this side are parallel with the cuts you made on the other side, otherwise you may cut across an existing cut, and end up poking a hole through the meat. 2 Sprinkle one side of the steak with dry mustard. (You can use regular mustard if you don't have any dry mustard.) Sprinkle the steak with freshly ground pepper. Rub a tablespoon of butter all over the side of the steak. Turn the steak over and repeat with the dry mustard, pepper, and butter. 3 Heat a large cast iron frying pan on high heat. Sprinkle both side of the steak with salt (unless you have used salted butter, then you can skip the salt.) Place steak in hot pan. Let sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned. Use tongs to lift up to see if nicely browned. If so, flip to the other side and let sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the steak continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes in the residual heat of the pan (assuming you are using cast iron, if not, lower the heat to low). 4 Use your fingertips to check for doneness or insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak - 120°F for very rare, 125°F for rare, or 130°F for medium rare. Flank steak should be served rare or medium rare, otherwise it may be too dry. Remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes, covered with aluminum foil. 5 Cut the meat in very thin slices, at an angle, against the grain of the meat. (This way you break through the tough long muscle fibers.) Any juices that come out of the meat while cutting or resting, return to the pan. Return the pan to a burner on high heat and deglaze the pan with a little water, scraping up any browned bits. Once the water has mostly boiled down, add a little butter to the pan for a nice sauce. Arrange the cut meat on a serving plate and pour the deglazed pan juices over the meat. |
Flank steak is a lean, flavorful cut of meat that is probably best prepared marinated and cooked over a grill. But sometimes you just don’t have time to marinate the meat or deal with the grill. My mother raised 6 kids (all born within 8 years) on my dad’s teacher’s salary. Which means she is the master of efficiency in the kitchen. This is her favorite method of preparing flank steak! The trick is to put little knife pokes in the meat, breaking up some of the long muscle fibers. When I asked about the juices running out of the meat, it’s not really an issue as the meat is cooked rare, and whatever juices do come out get reduced in the pan and served over the meat. You wouldn’t want to cook flank steak this way on a grill, as you wouldn’t be able to catch the juices. Also, grilled meat should be marinated first. (For that see our grilled, marinated flank steak recipe.) |
Elise Bauer | A quick and easy way of cooking lean flank steak on the stovetop. | Elise Bauer | A quick and easy way of cooking lean flank steak on the stovetop. | Serves 4 to 6 | ||||
2794 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2794 | 2017-09-25 04:00:05 | Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce | 1/2 pound penne pasta (use rice pasta for gluten-free version) Salt 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion) 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (blend of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and savory) Dash red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound (16% fat) ground beef 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or a 1/2 teaspoon of dried) 2 1/2 cups canned chunky tomato sauce (almost 1 28-ounce can, Muir Glen brand if you can get it) 1 teaspoon sugar 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley |
1 Heat to boiling a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it. Once the water is boiling, salt it with 2 Tbsp of salt. Once the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Leave uncovered, let cook on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put the timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package says is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain. 2 Once you've started to heat the water, start working on the sauce. Heat olive oil in a very large skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened. Add the garlic, fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside. 3 Heat a large cast iron pan on high heat. Salt the bottom of the pan generously. Once the pan is hot, break up small chunks of ground beef and add them to the pan, without stirring. (You may need to work in batches; do not crowd the pan.) You want the meat to get well browned. If the pan is too hot and the meat is burning, not browning, take the pan off the heat for a little, and reduce the heat to medium high. On our coil electric stove, it takes the high heat setting for the meat to brown sufficiently, but your stove may be different. Once the meat is browned on one side (a couple of minutes), use a metal spatula to flip the meat over to brown on the other side. At this point, assuming you are using a cast iron pan, you can remove the pan from the heat. The residual heat in the pan will finish cooking the meat. 4 Use a slotted spoon to lift the meat from the cast iron pan and add it to the pan with the seasoned onions. Add tomato sauce. Use the edge of your metal spatula to break up the bigger chunks of meat into smaller pieces. Add basil. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Bring to a simmer on low heat, let cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. 5 Once the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, adjust seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a little more sugar if the sauce is too acidic. Add more tomato sauce if the sauce is a little dry. Stir in the cooked penne pasta. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately. |
My mother made a pasta dish the other night that took everyone by surprise. My skinny-as-a-spatula 10-year old nephew who won’t eat anything, ate his serving with gusto and asked for more. My carb-avoiding sister couldn’t resist it. My father declared it a triumph. Later that night dad had my mom recount to him exactly what she did to make it. Thank goodness, because experience has shown that my mother’s memory for recipes has a half-life of only a few hours. Sure enough when we asked her to make it again a few days later (so we could get a good photo for this post) she had a hard time recalling the details. Diligent dad supplied a few notes and it all came back to her. The main trick to this recipe? Sufficiently browning the meat. Which means using a cast iron frying pan on high heat, letting the ground beef cook in its own fat, and not stirring it, so that the meat has a chance to brown well. |
Elise Bauer | Penne pasta with a tomato meat sauce, with ground beef, onions, Italian seasoning, garlic, and basil. | Elise Bauer | Penne pasta with a tomato meat sauce, with ground beef, onions, Italian seasoning, garlic, and basil. | 10 minutes | 45 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2796 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2796 | 2017-09-25 04:00:11 | Beef Goulash with Dumplings | Goulash 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 large onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups sliced onions) 1 Tbsp sugar 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tbsp) 1 Tbsp caraway seeds, toasted and ground 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika 1 teaspoon spicy Hungarian paprika 2 Tbsp minced fresh marjoram or oregano (or 1 Tbsp of dried) 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) 1 bay leaf 3 Tbsp tomato paste 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 4 cups chicken stock 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes (trimmed of excess fat) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Dumplings 2 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup milk 2 Tbsp melted butter |
1 Cook the onions, add garlic and caraway: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with sugar, and cook, stirring often, until the onions are browned and caramelized, about 20 minutes. If the onions at any point look like they are drying out in the pan, lower the heat. Add the minced garlic and ground toasted caraway seeds and cook a minute more. 2 Add spices: Sprinkle with the sweet and spicy paprikas and toss to coat. Stir in the marjoram, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for another minute, until fragrant. 3 Stir in the tomato paste. Add the vinegar and stock and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 4 Add the cubed beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring the whole mixture to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is falling apart tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more salt and pepper to taste. 5 Make the dumplings: To prepare the dumplings, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Combine with the milk and melted butter, mixing lightly. 6 Drop dumplings into stew: After the stew has cooked until tender in step 4, drop the dumpling batter by (heaping) teaspoonfuls into the simmering stew. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam. If you uncover the pan, the steam will escape and the dumplings will boil instead. After 15 minutes, test the dumplings with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the dumplings are done. |
What better on a chilly day than a plate of steaming hot beef stew with light, fluffy dumplings? My super-hero father decided to make goulash for us recently and when the first recipe he tried didn’t work out (go figure—it asked for a quarter pound of paprika), down the drain it went (just the base, thank goodness), and back to the drawing board went dad. The recipe we did end up with dad pulled from one of his thick recipe binders, with his own notes from a Wolfgang Puck Food Network show. The dumpling recipe comes from my friend Elizabeth who brought it back with her from a summer in Prague. The combination is a knock-out! Rich, flavorful, spicy beef stew balanced with light dumplings. |
Elise Bauer | Beef goulash with light, fluffy dumplings. Central European goulash, a beef stew with Hungarian paprika, onions, tomato paste, cubed chuck roast, herbs and stock. | Elise Bauer | Beef goulash with light, fluffy dumplings. Central European goulash, a beef stew with Hungarian paprika, onions, tomato paste, cubed chuck roast, herbs and stock. | 10 minutes | 2 hours, 15 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | ||
2797 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2797 | 2017-09-25 04:00:15 | Boeuf Bourguignon | 6 oz bacon 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil 4 lbs trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cups sliced onions 1 cup sliced carrots 1 bottle of red wine (pinot noir works best for this) 2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth 1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned 1 medium herb bouquet (tie 8 parsley sprigs, 1 large bay leaf, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 whole cloves or allspice berries, and 3 large cloves of smashed garlic together wrapped and tied in cheesecloth) Beurre manié: 3 Tbsp flour blended to a paste with 2 Tbsp butter 24 pearl onions Chicken stock Butter 1 1/2 pounds of button or cremini mushrooms, quartered |
1 Blanch the bacon to remove its smoky taste. Drop bacon slices into 2 quarts of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry on paper towels. 2 In a large frying pan, sauté the blanched bacon to brown slightly in a little oil; set them aside and add later to simmer with the beef, using the rendered fat in browning. Brown the chunks of beef on all sides in the bacon fat and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and put them into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or covered casserole pan. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan. 3 Remove all but a little fat from the frying pan, add the sliced vegetables and brown them, and add to the meat. Deglaze the pan with wine, pouring it into the casserole along with enough stock to almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and add the herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer slowly on the lowest heat possible, either on the stove or in a preheated 325°F oven, until the meat is tender, about 1 to 2 hours. 4 While the stew is cooking, prepare the onions. Blanch the onions in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Slice the end tips off of the onions, peel the onions and score the root end with 1/4 inch cuts. Sauté onions in a single layer in a tablespoon or two of butter until lightly browned. Add chicken stock or water half way up the sides of the onions. Add a teaspoon of sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 minutes or until tender. The onions should absorb most of the water. If there is water remaining after cooking, drain the excess. Set aside. 5 Prepare the mushrooms a few minutes before serving the stew. Sauté quartered mushrooms in a few tablespoons of butter and olive oil until browned and cooked through. 6 When the stew meat has cooked sufficiently, remove all solids from the sauce (except the beef) by draining through a colander set over a saucepan. Return the beef to the casserole. Press juices out of the residue into the cooking liquid, then remove any visible fat and boil down the liquid to 3 cups. Off heat, whisk in the beurre manié, then simmer for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens lightly. Correct seasoning and pour over the meat, folding in the onions and mushrooms. To serve, bring to a simmer, basting meat and vegetables with the sauce for several minutes until hot throughout. Serve with rice, bread, or potatoes (unless you are doing the low-carb version!). |
Boeuf Bourguignon is a classic French stew of cubed beef, slow cooked in red wine and broth, and served with sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions. This is a family favorite recipe, from Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon in her book Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom. | Elise Bauer | Recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon, or beef in red wine sauce, a classic French dish known for its deep rich sauce. | Elise Bauer | Recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon, or beef in red wine sauce, a classic French dish known for its deep rich sauce. | Serves 6 to 8. | ||||
2799 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2799 | 2017-09-25 04:00:19 | Tuscan Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce | 2 oz dried wild mushrooms 1 lb lean ground beef 1 Tbsp milk One 2-in square of white bread, crust removed 1 Tbsp finely chopped yellow onion 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp chopped prosciutto or unsmoked ham 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1 lightly beaten egg yolk 1/2 cup unflavored bread crumbs 4 Tbsp tomato paste 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp butter 1/3 cup dry white wine |
1 Soak the dried mushrooms in two cups of lukewarm water for half an hour or more. 2 Make the meatloaf mixture: In a bowl, break up the beef with a fork. In a small bowl, combine the milk and bread, and mash until creamy. Add the milk and bread to the meat, along with the onion, salt, pepper, prosciutto, cheese, and garlic. Mix thoroughly by hand. Mix in the lightly beaten egg yolk. 3 Form in to a loaf shape: Shape meat into a firm, round ball; then roll this into a salami-like loaf about two and a half inches thick. Tap with your palm to drive out any air bubbles. Roll the loaf in the bread crumbs until evenly coated. 4 Drain and chop the mushrooms: Drain the mushrooms (reserving the soaking water) and rinse them several times in clean, cold water. Chop the mushrooms roughly and set aside. Strain the soaking water through a fine sieve lined with paper towels. Whisk the tomato paste into the soaking liquid and set aside. 5 Brown the meatloaf in butter: Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or heavy casserole pan just big enough for the meat. Brown the meatloaf on all sides in the pan over medium heat after the butter foam subsides. 6 Add wine and reduce: Add the wine. Increase heat to medium high. Boil wine briskly until reduced one half, turning meatloaf carefully once or twice. 7 Add the chopped mushrooms and tomato mushroom water: Turn heat to medium low and add chopped mushrooms. Add the tomato paste mushroom water to the meat and mushrooms. 8 Cover and cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, turning the meat once or twice. 9 Let rest on a cutting board before slicing: Carefully remove meat to a cutting board. Allow it to cool slightly and settle. Cut into slanted slices about 3/8 of an inch thick. If the sauce seems thin, concentrate it by boiling rapidly for a few minutes. Pour a little sauce on a warm serving platter, arrange the meat slices, then cover the remainder of the sauce. |
My father pulled this Tuscan meatloaf recipe by Marcella Hazan from the New York Times magazine a few months ago and we gave it a try the other night. It was excellent, as tasty as a meatloaf can be. It does however produce twice as much sauce as one can reasonably use with the meatloaf. We had ours the next day with pasta. One of the things I like about this recipe is that it is made entirely on the stove top. Most meat loaf recipes are made in the oven, but as the warmer months approach it’s nice to have a stovetop alternative. |
Elise Bauer | A tasty Tuscan meatloaf with mushroom sauce. This recipe has an unusual twist of cooking the meatloaf on the stovetop. | Elise Bauer | A tasty Tuscan meatloaf with mushroom sauce. This recipe has an unusual twist of cooking the meatloaf on the stovetop. | Serves 4 | ||||
2800 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2800 | 2017-09-25 04:00:22 | Tamale Pie | 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons chile powder (more or less to taste) 2 teaspoons cumin (more or less to taste) 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes 1 (4-ounce) can green Anaheim chiles, drained, chopped 1 (16 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained 1 (4 ounce) can sliced ripe olives 1/3 cup raisins 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces) 1/3 cup water 1-pound of prepared cornbread mix (such as Jiffy or Bob's Red Mill). Whatever is needed according to cornbread mix instructions to make the cornbread batter (water, egg, oil, milk) |
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. 2 Brown the beef, onions, bell pepper: Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Add salt, chile powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring infrequently, until the ground beef has browned on all sides. Remove from heat. Drain excess fat if necessary (if you are using lean beef, there shouldn't be excess). 3 Stir in tomatoes, chiles, corn, olives, raisins, cheese, water: Mix in fire-roasted tomatoes, Anaheim chiles, corn, olives, raisins, cheese, and water. Adjust seasoning. Add more chile powder and cumin if desired. 4 Pour filling into casserole dish: Rub a little olive oil over the insides of a 9x12-inch casserole dish (or use a nonstick cooking spray). Spoon filling into the casserole dish. 5 Make cornbread batter, pour over filling: In a large bowl, prepare the cornbread batter according to the directions on the package. Pour the cornbread batter over the top of the filling in the casserole. 6 Bake: Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is browned. |
Tamale Pie is one of those quintessential American pot-luck casserole dishes. It was probably invented by someone who had a taste of a real tamale and tried to recreate the flavor in a cornbread casserole. I always loved tamale pie as a kid, fortunately it was often served in our school cafeteria. The tamale pie I remember was made with ground beef, with green chile, olives, whole corn, and topped with cornbread, though one could just as easily used pulled pork or a more traditional tamale stuffing for the casserole. Tamale pie is not remotely Mexican and only somewhat resembles the flavor of real tamales. But it does taste great, is budget friendly, and easily feeds a lot of people. |
Elise Bauer | Tamale pie, classic American comfort food, made with ground beef, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, Anaheim chiles, corn, olives, raisins, cheddar cheese, and cornbread. | Elise Bauer | Tamale pie, classic American comfort food, made with ground beef, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, Anaheim chiles, corn, olives, raisins, cheddar cheese, and cornbread. | Serves 6 to 8 | ||||
2801 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2801 | 2017-09-25 04:00:28 | Italian Pot Roast | 3 1/2 to 4 pound rump or chuck beef roast 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 large carrot, diced (about 1 cup) 1 large celery stalk, diced (about 1 cup) 1 medium red onion, diced (1 to 1 1/2 cups) 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 bay leaf 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage 3 cups medium-bodied Italian red wine (we used a Barbera) 1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, put through a food mill to remove the seeds |
1 Trim some of the fat from the meat. Pat dry with paper towels. Season generously with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, shimmering but not smoking, add the roast and cook, turning it a few times, until it is nicely browned on all sides, 10-12 minutes. Transfer the meat to a platter. 2 Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are golden brown and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, and sage, and stir until the herbs are lightly colored and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the wine and stir quickly, lifting up the richly browned caramelized vegetables that stick to the bottom of the pan. When the wine is almost all evaporated and thickly coats the vegetables, return the meat to the pan and turn it over a few times to coat it with the savory base. 3 Raise the heat to high, adding the remaining wine, the bay leaf, and the tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, turning and basting the meat every half hour or so, until the meat is very tender and flakes away when pierced with a fork, 3-4 hours. Turn off the heat and let the roast sit in its juices for an hour. (You can also put the pot into a 300°F oven and turn the roast every hour.) 4 Remove the meat from the pot and place it on a cutting board, covered loosely with aluminum foil. If the sauce is too thin, bring it to a fast boil and reduce it until it has a medium-thick consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. 5 Cut the meat into thick slices (it will probably fall apart), and place on warm serving dishes. Spoon the sauce over the meat and serve hot. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta. |
A few weeks ago my mother and I attended a cooking demonstration by our local celebrity Italian chef, the delightful Biba Caggiano. We Sacramentans are proud to call Biba our own; she has a fabulous restaurant, is the author of several cookbooks, and for a while hosted her own cooking show on the Discovery Channel. One of the recipes Biba demonstrated during our evening with her was her “Stracotto di Manzo alla Fiorentina” or “The Braised Beef of Florence”. Biba, in her typical down-to-earth manner called it “nothing more than a glorified pot roast”. It’s a simple and delicious recipe, much like our standard pot roast but with a soffritto base, the addition of tomatoes, and a whole bottle of wine. |
Elise Bauer | Italian pot roast recipe. Rump or chuck beef roast, first browned in olive oil, then slow cooked in a sofritto base of carrots, celery, and onion, with Italian plum tomatoes and red wine. | Elise Bauer | Italian pot roast recipe. Rump or chuck beef roast, first browned in olive oil, then slow cooked in a sofritto base of carrots, celery, and onion, with Italian plum tomatoes and red wine. | 10 minutes | 4 hours | Serves 8 | ||
2802 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2802 | 2017-09-25 04:00:32 | Marinated Tri-Tip Roast with Mushrooms and Garlic | Marinade: 20 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 fresh jalapeño chili pepper, stem removed, the rest left whole Juice of one lime 2 cups warm water 1/2 teaspoon salt Tri tip and sauce: One tri tip roast, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds, with a layer of fat on one side left on Olive oil 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced, or 2 oz dried shiitake that have been soaking in water 6-8 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 1 red onion, chopped 1 to 2 cups fine dry red wine, such as a Cabernet Salt and pepper |
1 Prepare the marinade by putting the marinade ingredients into a blender, and blend for 10 to 15 seconds until well blended. Place meat and marinade in a airtight plastic bag or plastic container. Place in refrigerator and let marinate overnight. 2 Remove meat from refrigerator and still wrapped, let come to room temperature. 3 Pre-heat oven to 500°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Rub olive oil all over the roast surface. Place on a roasting pan, fat side up. Bake in oven for 20-40 minutes (depending on the size of the roast) until the internal temperature is 130-135°F for rare, 140-145°F for medium. If you have a smaller roast (1 1/2 lb), take it out on the low side of the range of temps. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 2-5 minutes (but no more than 5 minutes) before carving. 4 While the roast is cooking, you can prepare the mushrooms. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with about 4 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic and sauté for several minutes, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms get browned and the onions translucent. Add a cup of wine. Reduce the wine, adding more wine as needed if the mushrooms absorb too much. 5 Slice the roast against the grain and serve slices with the mushrooms. Serves 4-8, depending on the size of the roast and your appetites. |
Tri tip is a popular cut of meat here in California, often cut into steaks, or grilled whole. This flavorful cut comes from the bottom sirloin and is fairly lean. My friend Arturo, a local caterer specializing in Mexican cuisine, prepared this for me and other friends recently. It was so delicioso I begged him for the recipe, which is as follows. | Elise Bauer | Marinated tri-tip roast recipe with mushrooms and garlic. | Elise Bauer | Marinated tri-tip roast recipe with mushrooms and garlic. | |||||
2803 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2803 | 2017-09-25 04:00:39 | Osso Buco | 1/4 pound pancetta, diced 1/4 inch cubes (do not substitute bacon) 2-1/2 to 3 pounds veal shanks (4 to 6 pieces 2-3 inches thick) 1/2 cup diced carrot (1/4 inch cubes) 1/2 cup diced celery (1/4 inch cubes) 1 medium onion, diced 1/4 inch pieces 2 Tbsp (about 4 cloves) chopped garlic 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried) 1 cup dry white wine 1-2 cups chicken or veal stock Flour for dusting the meat before browning Salt and Pepper Gremolata 2 Tbsp Minced flat (Italian) parsley 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced |
1 Preheat oven to 325°F. 2 Brown the pancetta: Heat a dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat for about five minutes. Add pancetta to pan, cook, stirring occasionally. When the pancetta is crispy and most of the fat has rendered (about 5 minutes of cooking), remove the pancetta to a plate covered with some paper towel and set aside. If necessary, drain off all but two tablespoons of the fat from the pan. 3 Dredge shanks in flour, brown in pan: Season the veal shank well with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks through some flour, shake off any excess, and add the meat to the hot fat in the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and cook the meat on each side until well browned (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the shanks to a plate, set aside. 4 Sauté onions, carrots, celery: Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the dutch oven. Cook the onion mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent (about five minutes) and toss in the garlic and thyme. Continue cooking until the vegetables just begin to brown (about 10 minutes). 5 Return shanks to pan, add wine and stock: Add the shanks and the pancetta back to the pan. Pour in the wine, and then add enough stock to come a little more than half way up the side of the shanks. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and put it in the oven to cook until the meat is tender, about an hour to an hour and a half. 6 Make gremolata: Combine the gremolata ingredients, place in a separate small serving dish. Serve on top of risotto or polenta. Sprinkle with gremolata. |
I’ve made osso buco, an Italian dish of braised veal shanks, several times. I’ve eaten it in fine Italian restaurants but I’ve never really liked it until now. This is a great recipe that my father pulled from the web a few years ago which uses pancetta, instead of olive oil, for the browning of the veal and cooking the vegetables. Olive oil is the traditional method, so if you want to skip the pancetta, just substitute several tablespoons of olive oil. But the pancetta adds a lovely flavor dimension, and is probably the secret ingredient that has me liking osso buco for the first time. So use it if you can. “Osso Buco” means “hole of bone” because this marrow provides the rich flavor to the sauce. A marrow spoon, one of those long skinny spoons found in old sterling silverware sets, would come in handy with this dish, as the succulent shank marrow can be tricky to extract (I used the skinny end of a teaspoon). The gremolata (parsley, lemon zest and garlic) is an important garnish for this dish, don’t skip. |
Elise Bauer | Italian osso buco, made with veal shanks, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, pancetta, and gremolata with parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. | Elise Bauer | Italian osso buco, made with veal shanks, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, pancetta, and gremolata with parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. | Serves 4 to 6 | ||||
2804 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2804 | 2017-09-25 04:00:45 | Braised Beef Short Ribs | 12 beef short ribs, bone-in Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1 750-ml bottle good dry red wine (we used a zinfandel) 6 cups veal stock (can substitute beef stock) | 1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Season ribs to taste with the salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed ovenproof pan over high heat. Add ribs and brown on all sides. Work in batches if you need to so that the ribs don't get crowded (this will help with browning). 2 Transfer ribs to a plate. Pour off excess fat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pan and sauté, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan, set aside. Then add the wine to the pan, deglazing the pan, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by three-quarters until thick and slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes on high heat. 3 Return the ribs to the pan, add the veal stock and enough water to cover the ribs. Bring to a boil, cover with foil, and place in the oven. Braise, cooking in the oven, until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. During the last 1/2 hour of cooking, add back in the vegetables. Allow the ribs to cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate overnight. 4 The next day, remove the excess fat that has solidified at the top from the overnight chilling. Place the pan with the ribs and cooking liquid over medium heat, uncovered. Cook until the liquid has reduced by three-quarters, about 1 hour. Continue to cook, spooning the sauce over the ribs, until the sauce is thick and ribs are glazed. Take care not to burn the glaze; move the ribs around in the pan to keep them from burning. Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. |
My father made the most succulent, tender, “Wow” beef short ribs this week. Yes, it is a 2 day process, but the actual hands-on cooking time is at most two hours, and is broken up over two days. It is really quite easy to make. The key step is after the initial slow cooking, to let the ribs cool and then chill overnight in the refrigerator. This makes it much easier to remove the generous amount of excess fat that ends up solidifying in the chilling process. The beef ribs also spend the whole night absorbing the flavor of the stock. You must use a good bottle of wine, the better the wine, the better the result. Veal stock can be hard to find, we got ours at our local butcher. Use it if you can get it, if not, beef stock will do. The recipe on which this dish is based came from the Campton Place restaurant in San Francisco. (We found it in a magazine years ago, but we can’t identify which magazine from the clipping.) |
Elise Bauer | Beef short ribs, braised in red wine and veal stock with onion, celery, and carrots. | Elise Bauer | Beef short ribs, braised in red wine and veal stock with onion, celery, and carrots. | 4 hours | Serves 6 | |||
2805 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2805 | 2017-09-25 04:00:47 | Beef Steak Fajitas | 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 lb of flank steak, skirt steak or carne asada 1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced with the grain, not against the grain as one would normally slice an onion. Slice first in half, and then slice off sections a half inch wide at widest point. 2-3 bell peppers of various colors, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced lengthwise into strips Salt Marinade: Juice of 1 lime 2 Tablespoons of olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 fresh Jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped (be careful not to touch your eyes or anywhere near your eyes after handling a Jalapeño pepper!) 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems |
1 Marinate the steak: Mix all marinade ingredients. Coat the steak with the marinade and let it sit at room temperature for an hour, or longer in the fridge. Before you cook the meat, wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle the steak with salt. 2 Sear the steak on both sides: Set a large cast iron pan or griddle over high heat and let this heat up for 1-2 minutes. Add the tablespoon of oil to the pan and let this heat up for 1 minute. Add the steak, frying on each side for 3 minutes, or to desired doneness. 3 minutes per side will yield approximately medium rare doneness for an average cut of flank steak. Carne asada and skirt steak will need less time. If the pan starts to smoke too much, reduce the heat to medium-high. You want the steak browned, not burned. Remove from pan and let sit, tented with foil, for 5 minutes. 3 Cook the vegetables while the meat is resting. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary, then add the onions and bell peppers. Let these sear for 1 minute before stirring, then stir every 90 seconds or so as the veggies sear. Cook for 5-6 minutes total. 4 Slice the meat across the grain into thin slices. If you slice the meat at an angle, you will be able to get your slices pretty thin. These cuts of steak are flavorful but can be a little tough, so thin slices will really help make it easier to eat. 5 Serve immediately with shredded cheese, salsa, shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and warm flour tortillas. (Hint for warming tortillas - put in microwave over a paper towel for 20 seconds on high heat.) |
Classic Tex Mex, fajitas (pronounced fah-hee-tas) are typically made with grilled strips of skirt steak with onions and bell peppers, and served sizzling hot with fresh tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. You can make fajitas with steak or chicken, or even make it plain vegetarian. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for steak fajitas. | Elise Bauer | Classic Tex Mex fajitas recipe, made with strips of skirt steak, onions and bell peppers, and served sizzling hot with fresh tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. | Elise Bauer | Classic Tex Mex fajitas recipe, made with strips of skirt steak, onions and bell peppers, and served sizzling hot with fresh tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. | 1 hour, 10 minutes | 15 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2806 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2806 | 2017-09-25 04:00:50 | Swiss Steak | One 2 to 2.5 pound round or top round steak, about an inch thick A couple tablespoons of flour Salt and pepper 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil, or other high smoke point oil for browning (canola) 1 onion, roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 cups puréed tomatoes (canned or fresh) 2 teaspoons each of fresh thyme, sage, marjoram, or 1/2 teaspoon each of dried Optional: Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, or green beans |
1 Sear the steak on both sides: Rub flour into both sides of the steak. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a wide, shallow (3 inches) pan (with cover) to medium high heat. Place the steak in the pan, and cook for approximately 10 minutes on each side, enough to brown the steak. 2 Sauté onions and garlic: Remove the steak from the pan and set aside. Add onions and garlic to the pan and another tablespoon of oil. Cook the onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes, using a metal spatula to scrape up any steak drippings, mixing them in with the onions. Add half of the herbs to the onions. 3 Add steak, herbs, tomato purée: Return the steak to the pan, placing it on top of the onions. Crowd the onions around and on top of the steak. Sprinkle the rest of the herbs on top of the steak. Add the 2 cups of puréed tomatoes to the pan. 4 Cover and simmer: Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Use a high lid if available. A high lid will help circulate the steam and moisture from the cooking juices and keep the steak moist. Bring the steak in the tomato purée to a simmer and then lower the heat to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer (we use the warm setting on our electric range). Cook for 1 1/2 hours. 5 Pre-cook vegetables: While the steak is cooking, you may want to slightly pre-cook vegetables that you want to serve with the steak. For example, for this dish we steamed 4 small, peeled, quartered russet potatoes and 2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2 inch segments, for 5-10 minutes. (You could use other vegetables, such as green beans, or no vegetables at all.) After 1 1/2 hours of cooking time for the steak, we uncovered the pan, turned the steak over, added the potatoes and carrots, covered the pan and cooked the steak and vegetables for another 30 minutes. The reason that you might want to pre-cook the vegetables a bit first is that the steak is cooking at a very low heat. You'll have more control over how cooked the vegetables are if you pre-cook them a bit first. 6 Slice and serve: The steak should be done after a total cooking time of 2 hours. To check it, you can poke it with a fork. The meat should be quite tender. To serve, remove the steak and slice it on a carving board. Alternatively, you could have started with individual steaks that were smaller. Spoon the sauce over the steak. |
Swiss steak is a method of slow-cooking a relatively tough cut of beef, such as a round steak. The meat is browned, and then braised in a tomato sauce. According to The American Century Cookbook, recipes first starting showing up for Swiss steak in the 1930s. Reynolds Wrap Aluminum popularized it in the late 40s by promoting the recipe as a use for its foil. You can cook this steak on a stove-top (which is the method we describe here), or wrap it in foil and place on a cookie sheet and cook it in the oven. The “Swiss” in Swiss Steak has nothing to do with Switzerland, but refers to the process of tenderizing a tough cut of meat. The following is my mother’s method for making Swiss Steak. |
Elise Bauer | Classic Swiss steak, inch-thick round steak browned and then slow cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs. | Elise Bauer | Classic Swiss steak, inch-thick round steak browned and then slow cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs. | Serves 4 to 6 | ||||
2807 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2807 | 2017-09-25 04:00:51 | Pot Roast | 3 1/2 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast (look for a piece that is well marbled with fat for best results) 2 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil Salt, pepper, italian seasoning to taste 2 large yellow onions, thickly sliced, lengthwise (root to tip), about 4 cups sliced onion 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 1/2 cup of red wine 1 bay leaf Several carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise | In order for this recipe to work properly, let the roast sit (wrapped) for one to two hours outside of the refrigerator so that it comes to room temperature (between 65 and 70°F) before cooking. Otherwise, it will take a lot longer to cook at the low heat called for in this recipe. | 1 Brown the roast on all sides: Use a thick-bottomed covered pot (oven-proof if you intend to cook in oven), such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don't move the roast while a side is browning, or it won't brown well. 2 Brown the onions, add garlic, carrots: When roast is browned, remove from pan and set on a plate. Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and carrots to sit on top of the onions. 3 Add roast, red wine, bay leaf, cover, simmer on lowest possible setting: Set the roast on top of the onions, garlic and carrots. Add 1/2 cup of red wine. Add the bay leaf. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered (we cook our roast on the warm setting of our electric range)*. (If cooking in the oven, bring to a simmer first on the stovetop, then put in the oven, start the temp at 350°F for 15 minutes, then drop it to 250°F for the next hour, and then to 225°F after that.) 4 Cook several hours until fork tender: Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, or longer, until meat is tender. (If you are using a pressure cooker, cut the time by half). After cooking 3 1/2 hours. Note how much liquid has been released by the meat. This comes from slow cooking at a very low temperature. If your pot roast is too dry, make sure the pan you are using has a tight fitting lid and that you are cooking at the lowest possible heat to maintain the low simmering. Suggest serving with green beans and potatoes *If you use a gas range, you may find difficulty getting the flame low enough. A tip I recently read in Cook's Illustrated suggests tightly rolling up some aluminum foil, shaping it into a skinny donut, and putting that on top of the burner to create a little more distance between the range and the pan. If you have one of those high BTU ranges, I recommend cooking the roast in the oven instead. |
Pot roast was a standard growing up, and still continues to be in my parent’s household. It requires slow cooking over low heat to ensure tender, flavorful meat. Pot roasts typically use the tougher cuts of beef—a chuck roast or shoulder roast—which have the most flavor. The slow cooking at low heat is what melts the tough connective tissue between the muscle fibers, leaving you with tender meat that flakes apart with your fork. This is my mother’s tried and true recipe for pot roast. She only adds a half cup of liquid to the pot because she’s able to keep the heat very low and her pot has a tight cover. |
Elise Bauer | Beef pot roast recipe, slow cooked on stove top or in oven with onion, garlic, carrots, and red wine. Slow cooking on low heat practically ensures a tender pot roast from the tougher beef chuck or shoulder roast cut. | Elise Bauer | Beef pot roast recipe, slow cooked on stove top or in oven with onion, garlic, carrots, and red wine. Slow cooking on low heat practically ensures a tender pot roast from the tougher beef chuck or shoulder roast cut. | 4 hours | Serves 4-5 | ||
2808 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2808 | 2017-09-25 04:00:52 | Liver and Onions | 1¼ lb calves liver (be sure to use calves or veal liver, not mature beef liver), thinly sliced ½ to 1 cup of flour, seasoned with Salt, pepper, paprika, dry mustard to taste 3 teaspoons bacon fat 2 yellow onions, sliced thin | 1 Dredge the calves liver in seasoned flour. Set aside. 2 Sauté the onions: Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Add a teaspoon of bacon fat. Sauté the onions until translucent, a couple of minutes. Remove onions from pan with a slotted spoon. Set aside onto a serving dish 3 Fry the liver slices: Add a couple more teaspoons of bacon fat to the skillet. Add the calves liver slices, working in batches. Fry until browned on both sides. Serve with sautéed onions (and ketchup!). |
Once a month, my entire childhood, mom would serve us liver and onions for dinner. I think it was the only dish in which whining was even remotely tolerated. “Liver and onions, OH NOOOOO,” was the hue and cry from the assembled kids. Mom and dad never really forced us to eat anything. But, if you didn’t like what was on the table, there was no alternative. And complaining really wasn’t an option; one look from dad was enough to keep any of us quiet. My parents worked hard enough to put food on the table, and we knew it. It was for these quiet moments of culinary desperation that God invented ketchup. Ketchup was the only thing that could save us from the taste of overwhelming taste of liver, and we poured it on. The onions helped too. Recently mom and dad admitted to me that they don’t like liver that much; they made it as often as they did because (back then, before hormone-fed beef) it was good for us kids. I have been begging them for two years to make it again and they finally did tonight. “I’m sure this will be a popular one for the website,” laughed my dad. And you know what? It was good. Really good. Much better than I remember it being as a kid, and without all that ketchup. Two important points to remember when making liver, first, use the most organic, free-range, antibiotic, hormone-free calves liver you can. As full of vitamins and nutrients that liver is, it also collects the bad stuff, so get beef that is as free of chemicals as you can. Second, use calves liver, veal liver, or baby beef liver, not regular beef liver which is just too strong. |
Elise Bauer | Liver and onions! Calves liver, dredged in seasoned flour, sauteed in bacon fat, with thinly sliced onions. | Elise Bauer | Liver and onions! Calves liver, dredged in seasoned flour, sauteed in bacon fat, with thinly sliced onions. | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2810 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2810 | 2017-09-25 04:00:55 | Steak Salad | Olive oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil 1 lb flank steak or skirt steak Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 head lettuce greens 1 bunch of arugula, young leaves, tough stems removed 1/2 of one red bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut into 1-inch long pieces 4 scallions, thinly sliced 1 avocado, cut into bite-sized pieces 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled Pomegranate seeds or thinly sliced kumquats (optional) 2 Tbsp lemon juice 6 Tbsp olive oil 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (smooth) or 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard Salt and Pepper |
No need to bring the steak to room temp before cooking. You sear on such high heat, and the steaks are so thin, it's actually better to cook the steak while it is still relatively chilled, if you want the centers to be rare. | 1 Cook the steak: Heat a couple teaspoons of cooking oil in a cast iron pan on high heat. Pat the steaks dry. Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with a little salt. Sear the steaks in the pan on both sides, just until nicely browned. Remove pan from heat and cover. Let cook for a few minutes more, until the steak is done to your liking. You can test with a meat thermometer. Remove steak from pan at 125 to 130°F for rare, 140°F for medium rare, 150° for medium. Or use your fingers to test the meat for doneness (see The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat). 2 Let the steak rest before cutting, then cut thin slices: Remove from pan to a cutting board. Let rest for a few minutes before cutting. Cut thin slices, on a diagonal so you slice wide pieces, across the grain of the meat. 3 Compose the salads: Toss together the lettuce greens, arugula, bell pepper, goat cheese, and scallions. Arrange on individual plates. Sprinkle with avocado. Lay on top several slices of chilled sliced steak. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds or sliced kumquats if using. 4 Make dressing: Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle on salad. |
Steak salad is such a great way to enjoy steak! You can even easily put it together with steak leftovers. At a minimum it is simply thin slices of steak over salad greens with your preferred salad dressing. I tend to spiff mine up a bit with whatever we might have on hand—avocados, goat cheese, red bell peppers, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, depending on what’s in season. Arugula is a particularly good complement to steak, though the pepperiness of the arugula can at times be a little too much if not mixed in with some other salad greens. |
Elise Bauer | Quick and easy steak salad with thin slices of steak served over arugula and lettuce greens, goat cheese, scallions, avocado, and bell pepper. Serve with lemon vinaigrette. | Elise Bauer | Quick and easy steak salad with thin slices of steak served over arugula and lettuce greens, goat cheese, scallions, avocado, and bell pepper. Serve with lemon vinaigrette. | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2811 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2811 | 2017-09-25 04:00:56 | Oxtail Pâté (Pate) | 3-4 pounds oxtails, cooked* 1 onion, chopped 3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 2 teaspoons drained bottled green peppercorns 2 Tbsp oxtail bouillon or beef broth 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon salt * To cook the oxtails, follow the instructions on the oxtail beef bouillon recipe. Or, salt the oxtails, then brown them in a little vegetable oil on all sides, place oxtails in a pot, brown a chopped onion, carrot, and celery stalk, add to pot. Cover with water, bring to a low simmer, simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the meat is falling off the bone. |
1 Prepare oxtails: Carefully pick through and discard the fat and bones from the oxtails. Place the meat in a food processor. 2 Cook onions: Heat 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions. Cook until translucent and lightly browned, about 5-10 minutes. 3 Process oxtail meat, onions, butter, juice, peppercorns, bouillon, cloves, salt in food processor: Add the cooked onions to the oxtail meat in the food processor. Add 4 Tbsp more of butter, the orange juice, peppercorns, bouillon or broth, cloves and salt. Pulse until the mixture is finely minced, but not completely smooth. 4 Press the pâté into a crock or mold of some sort. The pâté will keep several days in the fridge, covered. Bring to room temperature for serving, and serve with crusty bread or crackers. |
Recipe accompanies the recipe for Beef Bouillon Soup from Oxtails and is from a recipe in the December 1993 issue of Gourmet. Once making the bouillon, you can use the cooked oxtail meat to make a delicious oxtail pâté. I love pâtés of all kinds (see Pâté Maison), but they usually have liver in them, which many people don’t like. Oxtail pâté, however, has no liver, and is just made with the rich, flavorful meat of oxtails. If you’ve gone through the trouble to make the oxtail bouillon, making this pâté is a cinch, since you are starting with already cooked oxtails. It takes only a few minutes to prepare with a food processor. |
Elise Bauer | Oxtail pate includes no liver, it is just made with the rich, flavorful meat of oxtails. | Elise Bauer | Oxtail pate includes no liver, it is just made with the rich, flavorful meat of oxtails. | 10 minutes | 15 minutes | Makes about 2 1/2 cups | ||
2812 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2812 | 2017-09-25 04:01:03 | Beef Bouillon Soup from Oxtails | 3-4 lbs oxtails, patted dry Salt and pepper 2 onions, peeled and quartered 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch sections Zest of one orange, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler 1 cup dry white wine 4 quarts water 1/3 cup fresh cranberries (if in season, otherwise use a quarter of a lemon) 10 oz mushrooms, chopped coarse 3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch sections 4 sprigs of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf 4 cloves 1 teaspoon peppercorns |
1 Roast the oxtails, carrots, onions: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pat dry the oxtails with paper towels and put them in a roasting pan. Sprinkle on all sides with salt and pepper. Add the carrots, onions, and zest. Roast in the middle rack, turning the oxtails as the are browned. Once browned, remove from oven and place the oxtails and vegetables into a large stockpot. 2 Deglaze the roasting pan: Place the roasting pan on the stovetop on medium high heat. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. 3 Simmer the oxtails and other ingredients: Add the deglazing liquid to the stockpot with the oxtails. Add the cranberries, mushrooms, celery, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and peppercorns. Bring the liquid to a boil, skimming whatever foam rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 3 hours. 4 Strain the bouillon from the oxtails: Ladle the mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towels into a large bowl. Reserve the oxtails for another use, such as oxtail pate. Discard the remaining solids. The bouillon can be made 3 days in advance and kept chilled. Discard excess fat (leave enough to cover soup when chilled). |
Many recipes call for beef stock (e.g. French onion soup), but good beef stock is hard to come by, with beef prices these days, expensive to make. Beef oxtails make a wonderful stock and sometimes you can get them (try Costco) at a reasonable price. If you’ve never cooked oxtails before, they do indeed come from the tail of a steer, and they make the most divinely flavorful stew. Their bones are also filled with marrow, perfect for making bouillon. It makes a delicious soup all on its own. You can also use it as a base for French onion soup or other beef-based soups. We found this recipe in an old issue of Gourmet magazine. It accompanied an oxtail pâté which you make from the strained oxtails from this recipe. |
Elise Bauer | Highly flavorful beef bouillon soup made from beef oxtails. | Elise Bauer | Highly flavorful beef bouillon soup made from beef oxtails. | 10 minutes | 3 hours, 30 minutes | Makes 8 cups, serves 6 to 8 | ||
2813 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2813 | 2017-09-25 04:01:05 | Quick Bolognese Sauce | 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/4 (570g) lbs ground chuck 1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped onion 1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped celery 1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped carrot 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cup (118ml) full bodied red wine (optional) 1 cup (236ml) whole milk (or low fat milk with a tablespoon of cream) 1 cup (236ml) crushed tomatoes Salt and pepper to taste | 1 Heat butter in a large sauté pan on medium high. Add the finely chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Sprinkle a little salt over everything. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine, cook for another minute or so. 2 Add the ground beef to the onions, celery, and carrots, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as you add it to the pan. Again, sprinkle a little salt over everything. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. 3 Stir in the wine (if using), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let this boil down by half. Stir in the tomatoes. Slowly stir in the milk. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce ever begins to dry out. Add salt and pepper to taste. |
A traditional Bolognese sauce requires hours of simmering and careful attention. But sometimes we don’t have hours and we just want a sauce that’s maybe not as spectacular as it could be, but still quite good enough. This simplified Bolognese sauce takes about an hour to make, instead of several, but still delivers on wonderful flavor. Instead of starting the sauce with pancetta, which would be traditional, we use butter, which melts quickly and provides plenty of flavor. A key ingredient in the sauce is milk, whole milk. It’s standard for a Bolognese sauce and important for the flavor and creaminess of the sauce. |
Elise Bauer | Quick, basic Bolognese meat sauce recipe for pasta dishes. | Elise Bauer | Quick, basic Bolognese meat sauce recipe for pasta dishes. | 15 minutes | 45 minutes | Serves 4-6. | ||
2814 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2814 | 2017-09-25 04:01:10 | Lasagna | Sauce: Olive oil 1 pound lean ground beef (chuck) 1/2 onion, diced, about 3/4 cup 1/2 large bell pepper (green, red, or yellow), stem and core removed, diced, about 3/4 cup 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 28-ounce can good quality tomato sauce 3 ounces (half a 6-oz can) tomato paste 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (preferably flat leaf), packed 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning Pinch of garlic powder and/or garlic salt 1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar 1 Tbsp to 1/4 cup sugar (to taste, optional) Salt Lasagna: 1/2 lb dry lasagna noodles (requires 9 lasagna noodles - unbroken) 15 ounces Ricotta cheese 1 1/2 lb (24 ounces) Mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced 1/4 lb (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese Cooking Utensils You'll Need: A large skillet to brown the beef, bell pepper, and onion A large pot (8 to 12-quarts) for cooking the pasta A medium sized pot (3 to 4 quarts) to simmer the sauce 13" x 9" x 2" lasagna pan, preferably pyrex or stainless steel (avoid aluminum pans if you can, they can react with the acidity of the sauce) A large colander to drain the noodles A couple large sheet pans to cool the noodles A large slotted cooking spoon A large wooden cooking spoon A chef's knife or large paring knife to cut the vegetables |
1 Put pasta water on to boil: Put a large pot of salted water (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water) on the stovetop on high heat. It can take a while for a large pot of water to come to a boil (this will be your pasta water), so prepare the sauce in the next steps while the water is heating. 2 Brown the ground beef: In a large skillet heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook it until it is lightly browned on all sides. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl. If there is more than a tablespoon of fat left in the pan (there shouldn't be if you are using lean ground beef) remove it from the pan. 3 Cook the bell pepper, onions, garlic, add back the beef: Add the diced bell pepper and onions to skillet (in the photo we are using yellow bell pepper and red onions). Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the peppers softened. Add the minced garlic and cook half a minute more. Return the browned ground beef to the pan. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes. 4 Transfer to medium sized pot, add tomatoes and remaining sauce ingredients to build the sauce: Transfer the beef pepper onion mixture to a medium sized (3 to 4 quart) pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste to the pot. Add the parsley, oregano, and Italian seasonings, adjusting the amounts to taste. Sprinkle with garlic powder and/or garlic salt, to taste. Sprinkle with red or white wine vinegar. Stir in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition, to taste. (The amount of sugar needed will vary, depending on how acidic the tomatoes are that you are using.) Add salt to taste, and note that you will later be adding Parmesan, which is salty. Bring the sauce to a simmer and lower the heat to low to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 15-45 minutes, stirring often. Scrape the bottom of the pot every so often so nothing sticks to the bottom and scorches. Remove from heat. 5 Boil and drain the lasagna noodles: By now the salted water you started heating in step one should be boiling. Add the dry lasagna noodles and cook then per package directions (al dente). (Note noodles may be cooked in advance.) Stir often to prevent from sticking. Make sure that water remains at a full rolling boil during the entire cooking to prevent noodles from sticking. When ready, drain in a colander and rinse with cool water, gently separating any noodles that may be sticking together. Spread a little olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet, and lay out the cooked noodles on this sheet, turning them over so that they get coated with a little of the olive oil. This will prevent them from sticking together. 6 Assemble the lasagna: In a 13x9x2-inch casserole or lasagna dish, ladle a cup of sauce and spread it over the bottom of the dish. Arrange one layer of lasagna noodles lengthwise (about 3 long noodles, edge may overlap, depending on your pan) over the sauce. Ladle a third of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle a layer of a third of the grated mozzarella on top of lasagna sauce. Add half of the ricotta cheese, by placing cheese dollops every couple inches. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the top of ricotta cheese. Apply second layer of noodles, top it with half of the remaining sauce. Add half of the remaining Mozzarella, the remaining ricotta cheese, and another thin sprinkling of Parmesan. Finish with another layer of noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the top layer of noodles and sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella cheese. 7 Bake: Tent the lasagna pan with aluminum foil (not touching noodles or sauce). Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. May be reheated in conventional oven or microwave. Leave aluminum tent on for storage. (Try to keep the aluminum foil from touching the sauce.) |
Everyone loves a good lasagna, right? It’s a great way to feed a crowd and a perfect dish to bring to a potluck. It freezes well. It reheats well. Leftovers will keep you happy for days. Simply Recipes reader Alton Hoover sent me his favorite recipe for lasagna which he has been cooking up since college days. His original recipe created enough lasagna for a small army so I halved it. What is posted here will easily serve 8 people. From what I can tell the secret behind Alton’s lasagna is the addition of a little sugar to the sauce and using a bit more cheese than most other recipes. There are a few minor tweaks to his original recipe that I found necessary, for example adding a dash of wine vinegar to the sauce and changing the amount of Parm. |
Elise Bauer | Classic lasagna recipe with ground beef, onion, Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses, tomato sauce and lasagna noodles. | Elise Bauer | Classic lasagna recipe with ground beef, onion, Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses, tomato sauce and lasagna noodles. | 15 minutes | 1 hour, 30 minutes | Serves 8 | ||
2816 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2816 | 2017-09-25 04:01:17 | Italian Party Flank Steak | Marinade: 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar 2 coves of garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper Flank steak: 1 flank steak (3/4 in thick, about 1 1/4 lbs), butterflied 2 red bell peppers 3 tablespoons chopped parsley 6 to 8 thin slices of prosciutto or other cured ham 24 medium sized fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground pepper to taste 1 bunch watercress for garnish Kitchen string |
Trader Joe's sells a jar of roasted red peppers that work well as a substitute for roasting your own. Recipe preparation time: marinade 2 hours, prep and cook 1 hour. | 1 Butterfly the steak: To butterfly the steak, orient it first so that the meat grain is running up and down in front of you. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the meat in half, cutting from the side, and going almost all the way across, leaving 1-inch at the edge uncut (the hinge). The butterfly hinge should be in the same direction as the grain of the meat. Open the flaps of the steak. You can even out the middle if you want so that the center is not as thick. 2 Assemble the marinade and marinate the steak for 2 hours. 3 Broil halved red bell peppers until skin is black, remove skin. 4 Layer steak with red bell pepper, parsley, prosciutto, basil, Parm: Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove steak from marinade, reserve the marinade. Layer the steak with roasted red bell pepper, 1 Tbsp of parsley, prosciutto slices, and basil leaves, leaving at least an inch bare at the ends. Sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining parsley and pepper. 5 Roll meat up from the bottom like a jellyroll; grain of steak should run length of roll. Tie in 2-3 inch intervals with kitchen string. Place in shallow baking dish, pour marinade over top. 6 Bake: Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, basting twice. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. Cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick slices, garnish with watercress. |
This flank steak recipe is one of our favorites for company and family get-togethers! A large flank steak is first butterflied, then marinated in an olive oil and vinegar marinade, then layered with prosciutto, basil, Parmesan, roasted red bell peppers, and parsley, then rolled up, tied, and roasted in the oven. To serve, the steak is cut into rounds. | Elise Bauer | Butterflied flank steak that is marinated, rolled up with prosciutto, basil, Parmesan, and roasted bell peppers, and then roasted in the oven. Great for a party. | Elise Bauer | Butterflied flank steak that is marinated, rolled up with prosciutto, basil, Parmesan, and roasted bell peppers, and then roasted in the oven. Great for a party. | 2 hours, 10 minutes | 30 minutes | Serves 4. | |
2817 | 3 | 2017-09-12 03:24:17 | Beef | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 2817 | 2017-09-25 04:01:23 | Dad’s Stuffed Bell Peppers | 4 bell peppers, any color Salt 5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped 1 lb of lean ground beef 1 1/2 cup of cooked white rice (from about 3/4 cup raw rice) 1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (if using can, drain of excess liquid first) 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano Fresh ground pepper 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce Dash of Tabasco sauce |
1 Cook the rice: If you are starting with raw rice, you'll need to cook it first. Cook the rice following the directions on the rice package. 2 Steam the bell peppers: Cut the tops off of the bell peppers about 1 inch from the stem end and remove the seeds. Place a steaming rack in a large pot and add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan by an inch. Place the bell peppers on the rack, cut side up, and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot and let the peppers steam for 5 to 10 minutes until they start to soften. Note that you can skip the steaming if you want, but this step will help ensure that the peppers cook through thoroughly when they are stuffed and baked. 3 Sauté onions and garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. 4 Make filling: Transfer meat, cooked rice, cooked onions, tomatoes, and oregano to a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix everything together with your hands or a wooden spoon, just enough so that the ingredients are all well distributed. Do not over-mix. 5 Stuff the peppers: Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil inside the peppers. Arrange the cut side of the peppers up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling. 6 Bake: Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. Place in 350°F oven and bake for 40-50 minutes (or longer, depending on how big the peppers are that you are stuffing), until the internal temperature of the stuffed peppers is 150-160°F. |
A classic American dish that one can’t easily find in restaurants (unless it is a cafeteria) is stuffed bell peppers. It’s essentially meatloaf stuffed into bell peppers and baked in the oven. My mom and dad have their own different versions, both delicious. Here is my dad’s: | Elise Bauer | Bell peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, rice, onions, tomatoes, and spices. Classic American stuffed bell peppers recipe! | Elise Bauer | Bell peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, rice, onions, tomatoes, and spices. Classic American stuffed bell peppers recipe! | 10 minutes | 50 minutes | Serves 4-6 | ||
93 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 3 | 2017-09-25 02:40:59 | Grilled Fish Tacos with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa | For the salsa (makes 2 1/2 cups salsa): 1 cup finely diced strawberries 1 cup finely diced pineapple 1/2 cup finely diced red onion 1 clove minced garlic 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, loosely packed 1 small red chili, diced (optional) 1 lime, juiced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons juice) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional if the salsa is tart) For the tacos: 1 pound firm-fleshed fish (like sea bass, swordfish, halibut, mahi mahi or salmon) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Heavy pinch of cayenne (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Grapeseed or other high heat oil for grill 12 small (4- to 6-inch) corn tortillas To serve: Shredded red cabbage Sliced radishes Avocado Sour Cream Lime wedges Cilantro |
Any leftover salsa will keep for several days and can be served with chips or mixed into salads. | 1 Make the salsa: In a bowl, mix together all salsa ingredients, except for the sugar, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Taste and add sugar or additional seasonings to taste when ready to serve. 2 Heat the grill. If you have a gas grill, make sure to preheat it for at least 10 minutes with the lid closed. If you have a charcoal grill, push the coals to one side to make high heat and lower heat zones for cooking. 3 Prepare the fish: Remove fish from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl or jar, mix spices until completely combined. Brush the fish with a little oil, then sprinkle all over with seasoning. Rest the fish at room temperature while the grill heats up. 4 Oil the grill: When your grill is hot, wipe the grates with oil. You can either use a grill brush or a small wad of paper towels dipped in the oil. Wipe the grates 5 to 10 times until they look black and glossy. 5 Grill the fish: Place your fish, skin side down, on the grill. If using a charcoal grill, place over indirect heat. On a gas grill, turn the heat down to medium (about 350F) and close the lid. Grill 2 minutes, then check the fish by lifting one corner of the fish to see if it will come up without sticking. The skin should be crisp and brown. If it lifts easily, flip the fish and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes with the lid closed. If the fish doesn’t lift easily, continue cooking and checking every 30 seconds. Grill until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with an internal temperature of 145F. Transfer the fish to a plate to rest. 6 Grill the tortillas: Turn heat to high and brush grates with oil again (or cook over direct heat on a charcoal grill). Cook tortillas for 30 seconds on each side to warm and soften. 7 Serve: Cut the fish into several pieces. Serve on tortillas, topped with salsa and other toppings. |
I love tacos, but if you ask for my favorite, it’s got to be tacos made with grilled fish. The recipe I’m sharing today is one of my favorite versions. It has a bright strawberry and pineapple salsa that truly makes it taste of summer! I like to use sea bass for the fish in my tacos, but these are also fantastic with swordfish, halibut, or any other firm, hearty fish. The salsa is made with pineapple and bright, juicy summer strawberries. If strawberries aren’t in season where you live, you can use blackberries, peaches, or even kiwi. (If the salsa is ends up being too tart, try adding up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.) Fish tacos are delicious on both corn and flour tortillas, but I almost always opt for corn because I love the taste and texture they add. I also tried these out with paleo tortillas and with lettuce wraps. Both tasted great! I like to preheat the grill while I’m making my salsa and prepping the fish. Fish tacos are best eaten as soon as they’re made. |
Sabrina Modelle | July 15, 2017 | Grilled Fish Tacos topped with a sweet and tangy Strawberry Pineapple Salsa! This is the perfect summer meal: light, fresh, and fast. Great for a party. | Sabrina Modelle | Grilled Fish Tacos topped with a sweet and tangy Strawberry Pineapple Salsa! This is the perfect summer meal: light, fresh, and fast. Great for a party. | 30 minutes | 10 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 |
103 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 8 | 2017-09-25 02:53:04 | Spicy Grilled Chicken Tacos | For the chicken: 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried cumin 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 to 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1 1/4 pounds) To serve: 8 small corn tortillas 3 cups packed baby arugula (3 ounces) 2 medium ripe avocados, sliced 4 radishes, thinly sliced 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced Roughly chopped cilantro 1/2 cup sour cream thinned with 1/4 cup milk 1 lime, cut into wedges |
Look for ancho chile powder with the Mexican ingredients at your grocery store, on buy it online. (If you can't find ancho chili powder, you replace the ancho chili, the oregano, and the cumin with 2 1/2 tablespoons regular chili powder, though the flavor won't be quite the same.) | 1 Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high, direct heat. 2 Make the marinade and coat the chicken: In a large bowl, stir together the chili powder, oregano, cumin, sugar, salt, garlic and orange zest. Stir in the orange juice and olive oil to make a loose paste. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat all over. Set aside to marinate while the grill heats and you prepare the rest of the toppings. 3 Grill the chicken: Grill the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165F. Transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes. 4 Warm the tortillas: Place each tortilla on the grill or on a hot, dry skillet over medium-high heat. As soon as you see pockets of the air start to puff up in the tortilla, turn it with tongs and heat for a few seconds on the other side. Wrap warmed tortillas in a tea towel to keep them warm until serving. 5 Assemble the tacos: Slice the chicken into strips. On each tortilla, place a small handful of arugula. Top with chicken slices, sliced avocado, radishes, tomatoes, and onion slices. Drizzle with the thinned sour cream. Serve with lime wedges. |
We have a family motto and it is this: Everything goes better in a tortilla. Any and every kind of leftover can go inside a warm tortilla, usually with a healthy dose of pickled jalapenos. I can always sniff out a late-night snacker when the aroma of tortillas heating in a hot pan on the stove comes wafting through the house. Today’s tacos are more purposeful – a deliberate meal instead of a secretive midnight snack! First, I marinate the chicken briefly in a spicy paste of ancho chile powder, oregano, cumin, and sweet orange juice while the grill is heating. You can also use this time to prepare the taco toppings. Grill the chicken, then let it rest while you warm the tortillas. Now you are ready to assemble the tacos and dig in. The whole meal comes together in about 30 minutes! The ancho chiles I use in the marinade are named for their wide shape. They are large, have a deep reddish brown color when dried, and are mild in flavor with just a hint of heat. You can find ancho chile powder at any markets that sell Mexican ingredients, or online. I like to put all the toppings in little bowls on a big platter at the center of the table: avocados, radishes, tomatoes, red onions, wedges of lime, and a sour cream sauce. I add arugula, as well – this green isn’t traditional for tacos, but we always seem to have some in the fridge and I think it adds a nice green crunch to the tacos. Everyone can grab a warm tortilla from the pile and make their own tacos just they way they like them. You could also easily double or even triple this recipe for a larger party. A taco and a cold beer on a warm day? Now that’s living! |
Sally Vargas | May 22, 2017 | Spicy grilled chicken tacos! Quick marinade, then grill. Ready in about 30 minutes. Great for a quick weeknight dinner, backyard cookouts, and tailgate parties. | Sally Vargas | Spicy grilled chicken tacos! Quick marinade, then grill. Ready in about 30 minutes. Great for a quick weeknight dinner, backyard cookouts, and tailgate parties. | 20 minutes | 15 minutes | 4 to 6 servings |
2912 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 11 | 2017-09-25 02:53:24 | Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elotes) | 6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed 1/2 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup minced cilantro 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, to taste 2 teaspoons lime zest, from one lime 2 tablespoon lime juice, from one lime 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled Lime wedges, to serve | If you aren’t able to find traditional Mexican crema in your local grocery store, by all means, use regular sour cream. You can also substitute grated Parmesan cheese for the cotija. | 1 Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400F. Clean the grates once it has heated. 2 Whisk together the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Taste and season the mixture with salt if needed. (Crema has a little salt already, so add extra judiciously.) Set aside. 3 Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3 minutes, undisturbed, or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate. 4 Top the corn with sauce and cheese: Using a brush or a spoon, coat each ear of corn with the crema mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled cojita cheese. Sprinkle with additional chipotle pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges. |
Please welcome my friend and fellow blogger Megan Keno from Country Cleaver who is sharing a recipe for one of my favorite things to eat—Mexican Street Corn! ~Elise Whenever we go back to my husband’s hometown for any of the summer holidays – Flag Day, July 4th, or Labor Day – there is always a little taco cart sitting at the park with the rest of the food trucks. This one cart always a line stretching out in front and around the corner with people waiting to get their mitts on classic street tacos, burritos, and grilled Mexican street corn (elotes) slathered in sauce. There is absolutely no way to eat this messy corn on the cob delicately, but usually you’re not alone since half of the other people gathering for the event are equally covered in it as well. Small town events, and their street cart food, mean that summer is really here! When we are far away from the lively celebrations of his hometown, my husband and I can relive the fun by grilling corn on the grill and making our own version of Mexican street corn in just a few minutes. The charred kernels and the tangy sauce really make this different from your everyday corn on the cob. If you aren’t able to find traditional Mexican crema in your local grocery store, by all means, use regular sour cream. Crema is a little thinner than sour cream and has added salt, which makes it extra divine. It’s usually what we keep in our house now! And if cotija isn’t available, feel free to omit it, or just use grated Parmesan instead. |
Megan Keno | Char-grilled corn on the cob with a tangy, creamy sauce. Make this at your next backyard cook-out! | Megan Keno | Char-grilled corn on the cob with a tangy, creamy sauce. Make this at your next backyard cook-out! | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | 6 to 8 servings | |
2915 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 14 | 2017-09-25 02:53:36 | Korean Beef Skewers | For the steak: ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce ¼ cup mirin ¼ cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons gochujang or light miso 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (flap steak or flank steak works well here, too) Canola or other neutral oil To serve (optional): 2 tablespoons sesame seeds Cilantro or mint leaves Kimchi Extra gochujang Cooked rice, optional Nori (seaweed sheets), optional |
These Korean beef skewers are best when cooked on a grill, but they are also great cooked on the stovetop. Use a very hot cast iron skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side. If you can't find gochujang or you don’t like the ingredients in the store-bought stuff, use miso in the marinade instead or make your own. It’s an indispensable condiment in our house! | 1 Whisk together the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the tamari (or soy sauce), mirin, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and gochujang (or miso) for the marinade. Whisk until the ingredients are well-combined. 2 Marinate the steak for 20 to 30 minutes: Cut the skirt steak into 2-inch wide strips. Add the strips to the bowl of marinade and stir until evenly coated. Marinate the strips of beef for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes. 3 Preheat the grill for at least 20 minutes while the meat is marinating. The grill is hot enough when you can only hold your palm over the grill grates for a second or two. 4 Grill the beef skewers: Thread meat onto the skewers and brush with oil. Grill the skewers for 4 minutes. Flip and grill another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side, until the steak reaches your preferred doneness. 5 Serve the skewers: Sprinkle the skewers with sesame seeds and cilantro or mint, if using. Serve with rice, kimchi, nori, and extra gochujang |
These grilled Korean beef skewers are a little sweet, a little spicy from the gochujang (which is a Korean chili paste), and full of umami. The best part is that you can have them on the table in about a half hour. I’ll never forget the first time I ate Korean food. We were visiting my mom’s friend in Los Angeles and she took us out for Korean barbecue. My first taste of kimchi, banchan, and bulgogi and I was hooked. I live in California where great Korean food is not difficult to come upon, but in 2012 I learned I would have to be gluten free for the rest of my life. Instead of saying goodbye to my favorite foods, I set about learning to make them at home. Korean food was one of the first cuisines I tackled. I love serving these skewers with rice, kimchi, and some extra gochujang on the side. For a real treat, wrap everything up in a sheet of nori for a Korean taco, like in the photo below! |
Sabrina Modelle | Grilled beef skewers with a spicy Korean marinade. Quick and easy Paleo dinner. | Sabrina Modelle | Grilled beef skewers with a spicy Korean marinade. Quick and easy Paleo dinner. | 10 minutes | 8 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | |
2925 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 16 | 2017-09-25 02:53:42 | How to Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts | Brine: 4 cups water 1/4 cup kosher salt (or 3 Tbsp table salt) Chicken: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 3 Tbsp olive oil (plus more olive oil for the grill) 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika | It's always a good idea to use a meat thermometer when cooking meat at least an inch thick. We take our chicken off the grill at a little bit lower temp (150°F) than is usually recommended for poultry, but that's because the chicken will continue to cook for a few minutes off the heat, and we let the chicken rest for several minutes before eating, so it's safe. | 1 Brine the chicken breast: Use a whisk to dissolve the salt in the water in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts to the brine. Put in refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. 2 Prepare your grill: Arrange your grill so that one side is for high direct heat, and the other side is cooler. Alternatively, you can use a grill pan, heat on medium high heat. 3 Coat chicken with oil and paprika: Remove chicken breasts from brine and pat dry. Coat with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with paprika. 4 Grill the chicken breasts: Brush some olive oil on the grill grates. Place chicken breasts on the hot side of the grill (or on the grill pan). Let grill without moving, until the chicken pieces start getting some grill marks (you can lift up one to check). When the chicken pieces have browned on one side, turn them over, and move them to the cooler side of the grill. Cover, and let finish cooking. Remove chicken from grill when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 150°F. 5 Let the chicken breasts rest: Cover the breasts with foil to rest. The chicken will continue to cook in its residual heat while it rests. Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it. Serve with grilled peppers, pineapple salsa, or just a squeeze of lime! |
When it comes to grilling, chicken breasts can be problematic, especially boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The meat itself is lean, and without the bones to insulate it or skin to protect it, that naked chicken breast on the grill has a tendency to easily overcook and dry out. So, what to do? One method is to marinate chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, and quickly grill them on high heat. We use this method for our cilantro lime chicken and it works fine. Another way, which doesn’t require you to change the shape of the chicken breasts, is to brine the chicken first, for half an hour. All it takes is 30 minutes in a simple 1/4 cup salt, 4 cup water brine solution, for the chicken breasts to absorb enough moisture so they can better hold up to the heat of the grill without drying out. After half an hour the salt that is absorbed isn’t so much as to make your chicken salty, but enough so that the flavor of the chicken is enhanced. We would normally salt the meat, right? Don’t need to do that if you brine. Then it’s a simple rub with paprika (great for color) and olive oil (no sticking on the grill), and onto the hot side of the grill it goes for searing, and the cool side for finishing. And you have beautifully grilled, perfectly juicy chicken breasts! |
Elise Bauer | How to grill boneless skinless chicken breasts so they stay juicy and don't get dried out. | Elise Bauer | How to grill boneless skinless chicken breasts so they stay juicy and don't get dried out. | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | Serves 4 | |
2927 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 18 | 2017-09-25 02:53:46 | Grilled Sweet Potatoes | 2 pounds sweet potatoes 3-4 Tbsp olive oil Kosher salt Dressing 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (including tender stems) 1 teaspoon of lime zest or lemon zest 2 tablespoons of fresh lime or lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil Pinch of salt | 1 Prepare the grill, prep the sweet potatoes: Prepare your grill for hot, direct heat. While the grill is heating up, peel the sweet potatoes and slice lengthwise, or on a diagonal, into 1/4 inch-thick pieces. Coat the sweet potato slices with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with Kosher salt. 2 Make cilantro lime dressing: Combine all of the dressing ingredients into a small bowl. 3 Grill the sweet potatoes: Once the grill is hot, lay the sweet potato pieces down onto the grill grates. Cover the grill and cook until each side gets some grill marks, between 3-6 minutes for each side, depending on how hot your grill is. 4 Toss with dressing: Toss the sweet potatoes in a bowl with the dressing and serve hot. |
Have you ever tried grilling sweet potatoes? It’s quick and easy. You just peel the sweet potatoes, slice them into 1/4-inch slices, paint them with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt, and place on a hot grill. To serve, you want to slather them with some sort of vinaigrette—olive oil to keep them from tasting too dry, and an acid like lime juice or lemon juice to balance the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. We played around a bit with this recipe, after thinking we had “discovered” the wonderful combination of lime, cilantro, and sweet potatoes, only to find out many others have made a similar discovery. It’s a great combination! You can substitute lemon juice for the lime, lime is better but lemon juice will work. And you can substitute parsley for the cilantro, especially if you are one for whom cilantro tastes like soap. Otherwise stick with the cilantro, in our opinion, it just works better here than the parsley. We’ve also tried adding some minced garlic to the dressing, but I prefer it without it. A favorite from the archives, first published July 2012 |
Elise Bauer | Slices of sweet potatoes grilled and slathered with a cilantro-lime dressing. | Elise Bauer | Slices of sweet potatoes grilled and slathered with a cilantro-lime dressing. | 20 minutes | 10 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
2964 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 24 | 2017-09-25 02:54:16 | Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers | 1 pound 16-20 count large prawns, peeled and deveined (can still have tail on for presentation) Olive oil Salt 3 Tbsp butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon minced chives for garnish Short bamboo skewers, about 20, soaked for 30 minutes in water before grilling | 1 Prepare your grill for direct high heat, with one side of the grill as a cool side with no coals or flame. 2 While the grill is heating, thread the pre-soaked skewers through the shrimp. Start at the tail and push the skewers through the middle and end of the shrimp. Brush shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 3 Place butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave until the butter has melted and is hot. (If you don't have a microwave you can also just melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan on the stovetop.) 4 Arrange skewers on grill so that the shrimp are over the coals or flame and the exposed bamboo skewer ends are over the cool side of the grill. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side. 5 As soon as the shrimp are done, remove from grill and place in a serving dish. Baste generously with melted garlic butter. Sprinkle with chives to serve! Serve immediately. |
Anyone up for shrimp on a stick? Grilled, slathered with garlic butter, and sprinkled with chives, these big beautiful prawns are perfect party food for a backyard cookout. Here’s a tip when grilling shrimp. First make sure you soak your wood or bamboo skewers (I recommend bamboo, they hold up better to heat) in water for at least half an hour. Then set up your grill so you have one side that is hot, and another cool. Put the shrimp over the hot side, and the exposed skewers over the cool side. That way the shrimp cook quickly and the skewers don’t burn. Once you take the shrimp off the grill, immediately brush them with garlic butter, while the shrimp are still hot. The shrimp will absorb the garlic butter flavors better that way. I do recommend you make more of these than you’ll think you need. Because even though 1 pound of shrimp should serve four, you’ll want to eat them all yourself. They’re sort of irresistible that way. |
Elise Bauer | Easy grilled shrimp basted with garlic butter. It's shrimp on a stick! | Elise Bauer | Easy grilled shrimp basted with garlic butter. It's shrimp on a stick! | 15 minutes | 10 minutes | Serves 4 | ||
81 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 30 | 2017-09-25 02:54:35 | Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes | 2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on 1 pound marble-sized baby potatoes (or small waxy potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces) 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 1/2 teaspoon paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked – your choice) 1 teaspoon garlic granules, or garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion granules, or onion powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper A pinch of cayenne (optional) 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into small florets Zest of 1 lemon, to serve Mince chives, to serve Lemon wedges, to serve |
Mix up the seasonings in this recipe with any favorite spice mix! | 1 Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 500F for at least 15 minutes. 2 Season the chicken and potatoes: Combine the chicken and potatoes in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of oil, paprika, garlic granules, onion granules, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Use your hands to toss the chicken and potatoes with the oil and spice, mixing until everything is evenly coated. 3 Roast the chicken and potatoes: Pull the hot pan out of the oven and place the chicken skin-side down. Scatter the potatoes around the chicken. Place the pan with the chicken and potatoes in the oven. and immediately lower the heat to 425F. Roast for 15 minutes. 4 Add the broccoli: Toss the broccoli in a clean mixing bowl with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove the pan from oven (and close the oven door so the heat doesn't escape). Use tongs to flip the chicken and potatoes. Arrange the broccoli on the pan around the chicken. Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and registers at least 165F in the thickest part of the thigh. The potatoes and broccoli should also be tender. 4 To serve: Rest chicken thighs for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the chicken, broccoli, and potatoes on the sheet pan with lemon zest and chives, then serve with lemon wedges |
Everyone should have at least one meal that they can make without having to think too hard – a recipe that is easy, reasonably healthy, and totally delicious. These chicken thighs with roasted potatoes and broccoli truly fit the bill. And the best part is that you only have one pan to clean up after dinner! Chicken thighs are a fantastic protein because, in addition to being affordable, they are so forgiving when cooking. Unlike breast meat, which get dry and stringy when over cooked, chicken thighs will still be tender and juicy even if they’re in the oven a minute or two too long. Of course, chicken thighs are not complete without crispy skin. In order to get that gorgeous golden crackly skin, preheat the sheet pan and cook the thighs skin side down so the skin has a chance to sear. Flip them over halfway through cooking, and you’ll have perfectly crispy skin! The potatoes can cook right alongside the chicken thighs. Since broccoli cooks quickly, wait to add it until you flip the chicken. All told, dinner is on the table in just about 35 minutes, most of which is hands-off time. Serve this with a simple side salad and a glass of white wine for a nice treat! |
Sabrina Modelle | August 28, 2017 | Sheet pan chicken with roasted potatoes and broccoli! Everything cooks together on one baking sheet - so easy. Use chicken thighs for tender, juicy results every time. | Sabrina Modelle | Sheet pan chicken with roasted potatoes and broccoli! Everything cooks together on one baking sheet - so easy. Use chicken thighs for tender, juicy results every time. | 15 minutes | 30 minutes | 4 servings |
82 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 31 | 2017-09-25 02:54:42 | Chinese Smashed Cucumber Chicken Salad | For the salad: 2 large English cucumbers or other thin skinned cucumbers, such as Persian or Japanese (2 to 2 1/2 pounds) 1 teaspoon salt 1 pound (about 2 cups) shredded cooked chicken, cold from the fridge 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, to serve Cilantro leaves, to serve (optional) Dried red chili flakes, to serve (optional) For the dressing: 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup chopped cilantro |
For a vegan version, substitute 1 block cubed tofu for the chicken. Two poached chicken breasts will make enough for this recipe. See: How to Poach Chicken Breasts. | 1 Smash the cucumbers: Wash cucumbers well and pat dry. Use the flat edge of a large knife or cleaver to smash the cucumbers in several places along their length. The cucumbers should split into several strips. Use your hands to break the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. 2 Salt and drain the cucumbers: Transfer the cucumber pieces to a colander and place the colander inside a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss gently so all the pieces are salted evenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. As they sit, the salt will draw moisture from the cucumbers, which will collect in the bottom of the bowl. 3 Make the dressing: Whisk together rice vinegar, soy, honey, ginger, minced garlic, and cilantro. Chill in the fridge while cucumbers are draining. 4 Assemble the salad: Transfer the cucumbers to a serving bowl. Add the shredded chicken and dressing. Toss to combine and dress the salad. Taste and add an extra splash of vinegar or soy sauce if needed. Divide between serving plates and top with sesame seeds, dried chili, and more cilantro. Serve immediately. (Leftovers do not keep well.) |
Is there anything more refreshing than ice cold cucumber on a hot day? This Chinese-style cucumber salad with bits of shredded chicken (or tofu!) takes almost no effort to prepare and makes a fantastic light summer meal. This salad is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover chicken. Shrimp is also great if you have it, and tofu is excellent option for a meatless meal. A few keys to success when making this salad: Use thin-skinned cucumbers like English, Persian, or Japanese Make sure your ingredients stay nice and cold right up until you toss the salad together and serve. Salt your cucumbers for 20 to 30 minutes (no longer!) Eat it immediately! Smashed cucumbers can get an off texture if they sit around too long. Why “smashed” cucumbers? Sweet and mild, cucumbers are already a perfect vehicle for flavorful dressing, and smashing them gives a nice uneven surface for the sesame vinaigrette to cling to. Smashing also brings out the flavors and aromas in the cucumber itself. |
Sabrina Modelle | August 21, 2017 | This Chinese smashed cucumber salad with bits of shredded chicken is so fast and easy. Great for hot summer nights. | Sabrina Modelle | This Chinese smashed cucumber salad with bits of shredded chicken is so fast and easy. Great for hot summer nights. | 5 minutes | 4 servings | |
83 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 32 | 2017-09-25 02:54:43 | Quick Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini Noodles | 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 1/4 pounds zucchini 1/2 medium yellow onion (about 2/3 cup sliced) 1 large red bell pepper 1 large carrot 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil (or any high heat oil), divided 1 1/2 tablespoons green curry paste (like Thai Kitchen or Maesri) 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk 1/2 cup water 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice 3 tablespoons chopped Thai basil, divided Special equipment: Spiralizer |
If Thai basil is difficult to find, you can use sweet basil instead. If you don’t have a spiralizer, use a julienne peeler or a vegetable peeler to shave the zucchini into thin noodles. | 1 Prepare and marinate the chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Add the garlic, ginger and 3/4 teaspoon salt to the bowl and mix to combine the ingredients. Set the chicken aside while you prep the vegetables. 2 Spiralize the zucchinis: Rinse the zucchini and trim off the tops and ends. If you have any zucchini that is slightly curved, slice those in half. Make thin zucchini noodles using a spiralizer. Once you have spiralized all the zucchini, give the noodles several rough chops to shorten them. Set the zucchini aside. 3 Prepare the vegetables: Cut the onion into thin slices. Peel the carrot, cut it into thirds, and then cut each third into thin matchsticks. Remove the seeds from the red pepper, cut it into thick 1-inch slices, and then cut each crosswise into thin matchsticks. 4 Make and simmer the curry: Heat a large skillet or sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sliced onions and cook for about 2 minutes, until they start to soften. Transfer the chicken to the pan and spread it around. Cook the chicken for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked. Add green curry paste and stir to coat with the chicken. Add the remaining vegetables and toss with the chicken. Add the coconut milk and water. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let everything simmer while you cook the zucchini. 5 Cook the zucchini noodles: Heat another large skillet or pan with 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the zucchini noodles and cook for about 3 minutes. The noodles should be softened but not mushy. Season with a pinch of salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped basil, if using. Turn off the heat. 6 Finish and serve: Uncover the chicken curry and mix in the remaining chopped basil, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste the chicken curry and add more salt, if necessary. Serve the chicken with zucchini noodles, spooning extra curry sauce over top. |
This green curry chicken dish is one of my favorite things to cook on a weeknight. It comes together so fast and it is packed with vegetables! For this recipe, I’m using store-bought green curry paste, which you can find at the Asian section of a supermarket or at Asian markets. The paste should be thick, not saucy. Once opened, a jar of curry paste will keep in the fridge for a month or more, and you can use it to make other curries. (If your curry came in a tin, I recommend transferring it to a small storage container or freezing it in tablespoon portions.) I tried two different brands for this dish, Thai Kitchen and Maesri, and they both turned out great. I didn’t notice anything different in taste. To get the full flavor of the dish, make sure to use full-fat coconut milk. It adds a sweet fragrance and taste, and it will balance out the flavor of the curry paste. If you are in the mood for spice, add 2 or 3 sliced Thai chilis (also known as bird’s eye chili) at the same time as the chicken. The chilis will add a bright spice to the dish! Want to try making your own green curry paste from scratch? Try this recipe for Thai Green Curry with Chicken! |
Lisa Lin | August 16, 2017 | Quick Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini Noodles! Use store-bought green curry for a fast dinner and keep it light with zucchini noodles instead of rice noodles. | Lisa Lin | Quick Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini Noodles! Use store-bought green curry for a fast dinner and keep it light with zucchini noodles instead of rice noodles. | 20 minutes | 15 minutes | 4 servings |
89 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 35 | 2017-09-25 02:54:49 | Baked Chicken Parmesan | Sauce: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons) 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (we use Muir-Glen) 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 Tbsp of chopped fresh basil) 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano) 1/4 teaspoon sugar Salt and ground black pepper to taste Chicken: 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp white-wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets (or skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs that have been pounded to a 1/4-inch thickness) 1 cup of breadcrumbs (panko or homemade) 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted |
1 Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens a bit and flavors meld, about 10-12 minutes. Taste sauce, adjust seasoning if necessary, cover and keep warm. 2 Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, parchment, or Silpat. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the chicken in the next steps. 3 Make the coating: In a large bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Add the chicken cutlets to the mixture and coat well on both sides. 4 Dredge the chicken: In another bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix well and stir in the melted butter. Transfer to a shallow plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken cutlets. Place dredged chicken on the lined baking sheet. 5 Bake: Bake at 450°F on the center rack of the oven until cooked and golden brown, about 15 minutes. 6 Serve: Serve with a side of rice, noodles or pasta. Ladle sauce with the chicken. |
Chicken Parmesan has to be one of the easiest and tastiest ways of preparing chicken, don’t you agree? In this version we first get started on a simple homemade tomato sauce with crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil, and oregano (though you could easily use already prepared sauce). While the sauce is simmering we take boneless chicken cutlets, breast or thigh meat, dredge them first in a mustardy coating, then in Parmesan tossed breadcrumbs (we like panko), and bake! By the (short) time the chicken is done, the sauce is perfect. The trick to cooking the chicken just right is to start with cutlets that are a thin, even thickness, about 1/4 inch. You can buy them this way, or cut whole breasts in half horizontally, then pound them thin between 2 pieces of plastic wrap with a mallet or meat hammer. Updated recipe and photos, first published 2005 |
Elise Bauer | July 30, 2017 | Baked Chicken Parmesan! EASY and quick, chicken cutlets breaded with Parmesan and crumbs, fried, topped with a tomato sauce. | Sally Vargas | Baked Chicken Parmesan! EASY and quick, chicken cutlets breaded with Parmesan and crumbs, fried, topped with a tomato sauce. | 10 minutes | 30 minutes | Serves 4 | |
94 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 37 | 2017-09-25 02:54:59 | Skillet Chicken Puttanesca | 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices 4 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped (optional) 1 cup pitted Kalamata or other black olives, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup capers 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds) 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped Extra sprigs fresh oregano, for garnish Crusty bread, to serve (skip if serving gluten-free) Special Equipment: 12-inch skillet with a lid |
The anchovy fillets in this recipe are highly recommended. They add a savory, somewhat salty depth and hardly any fishiness. You can double the recipe easily if you have a larger skillet. | 1 Prep the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands or with a wooden spoon until you have uneven 1-inch pieces (you can also use scissors to snip the tomatoes into small pieces). Mix in the anchovies, olives, capers, red pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the oregano to the bowl. Set aside. 2 Sear the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until hot. Add the chicken and cook without disturbing for 3 minutes, or until browned. If you are using a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, do not turn until the chicken moves easily without prodding. Turn and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 3 Make the sauce: In the skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato mixture – be careful since the juices will splutter when you add them to the pan. Cook for 1 minute or until the spluttering stops. Stir well, turn down the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, black pepper, or red pepper, if you like. 4 Add the chicken and finish the sauce: Add the chicken breasts and any juices to the skillet and spoon a little sauce over top. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165F. 5 Serve: Serve straight from the skillet or transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon oregano over the top and garnish with oregano sprigs. Serve with plenty of crusty bread. |
Puttanesca is a spicy and highly seasoned Italian tomato sauce. It’s usually tossed with pasta, but today, I’m serving it with boneless chicken breasts. This sauce is so good, it will make you want to grab crusty bread and wipe the plate. You can’t ask for a meal that gives you more, considering how little time you spend making it. The sauce is named for Italian ladies of the night, and though there are many stories about how it got its name, the one that seems plausible to me is that those women needed a quick, satisfying pasta to make between clients. True to its history, this chicken version of puttanesca is ready in a flash! You only need to simmer the sauce for five minutes, and then simmer five minutes more once you add the chicken. It’s surprising how much flavor you get from this quick simmer with just canned tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, fresh oregano, and plenty of olive oil. The chicken breasts give the sauce a light meaty flavor, while the tomatoes turn gutsy and pick up a pleasing amount of heat from the red pepper flakes. You can double the recipe easily if you have a larger skillet. Serve it right from the pan or arranged on a platter. Don’t forget to put some crusty bread on the table for swiping up the last of the sauce. You’ll get rave reviews! |
Sheryl Julian | July 12, 2017 | This Skillet Chicken Puttanesca comes together so quickly, you'll hardly believe how good it tastes. Made with chicken breasts, canned tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, fresh oregano, and plenty of olive oil. Ready in 30 minutes. | This Skillet Chicken Puttanesca comes together so quickly, you'll hardly believe how good it tastes. Made with chicken breasts, canned tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, fresh oregano, and plenty of olive oil. Ready in 30 minutes. | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | 4 servings | |
104 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 42 | 2017-09-25 02:55:04 | Chicken Breasts with Mustard Cream Sauce | 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total) Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 tablespoons oil 1 cup white wine 1 cup heavy cream 1 rounded teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed well 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley | 1 Heat the oven to 350F. Place a baking sheet near the stove, ready for the chicken. 2 Prepare the chicken: Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour the flour onto a large plate and dredge the chicken breasts until well coated. Shake off the excess. 3 Brown the chicken: In a large skillet over medium high-heat, heat the butter and oil. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the chicken. (Work in batches if your pan isn't big enough so that you don't crowd the pan.) Brown the chicken for 3 minutes per side, or until golden. 4 Finish the chicken in the oven: Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes (longer if the chicken breasts are thick), or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast registers 165 degrees. If the chicken is done before the sauce, transfer it to a serving platter and tent it loosely with foil to keep warm. 5 Make the sauce: While the chicken finishes cooking, return the skillet to medium heat and add the wine. Be careful since the oil in the pan will sputter a little when you add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by about half. Add the cream and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the mustard, capers and parsley, reserving a little parsley for sprinkling over top. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you like. 6 Serve the chicken: Place each chicken breast on a plate, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. |
This elegant dish is so easy to make, it’s almost criminal. But luckily, I don’t think anyone will get in trouble just for making really special chicken fit for anything from a weeknight meal to a dinner party — even if it does only take a half an hour. The first trick is to brown the chicken in a mix of butter and oil. This gives you the best combination of flavor and browning for your chicken. If the breasts are slightly thick (which they probably will be), they won’t cook all the way through at this point. That is a good thing! Place them on a baking sheet and let them gently finish cooking in the oven while you make the sauce. For that sauce, just add some wine to the skillet and let it reduce by half. Don’t worry about exact measurements here, so just eyeball it. Most of the alcohol evaporates at this point and just leaves flavor and acidity behind. Next, add some cream to the pan. Don’t skimp and try to use half and half. You need the fat in the cream to keep the sauce smooth. Last but not least, stir in the mustard, capers and parsley. Spoon this over your (now finished) chicken, and serve! Oh, and try not to lick the plate |
Sally Vargas | May 17, 2017 | Easy recipe for chicken breasts with a quick mustard cream sauce! Ready in under 30 minutes. Great with rice, pasta, or a green salad. | Sally Vargas | Easy recipe for chicken breasts with a quick mustard cream sauce! Ready in under 30 minutes. Great with rice, pasta, or a green salad. | 5 minutes | 25 minutes | 4 servings | |
2847 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 43 | 2017-09-25 02:55:11 | Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta | 12 ounces dried short pasta (bowties, penne, gemelli, etc) 4 chicken breast cutlets (1 to 1 1/2 pounds total) Salt 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup white wine or stock 8-16 ounces of fresh spinach*, washed, long stems removed and chopped Black pepper 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup (or more) pesto *To wash spinach, fill up a clean sink basin with cold water and let the spinach soak in the water. Move it around a bit to loosen any dirt. Fresh spinach is usually pretty dirty, so you may need to do a couple of soakings. Remove the spinach and shake off excess water. Lay the spinach leaves down on a clean towel and pat dry. |
We've used fresh spinach in this recipe, but you could easily use frozen. Just defrost and drain. | 1 Start cooking the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water (add enough salt so that the water tastes salty) to a boil. Add the dried pasta and cook until al dente. 2 Cook the chicken: While preparing the pasta, cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and brown the chicken breasts on both sides over medium-high heat. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. 3 Sauté onions: Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the chicken into strips. Put any pieces that are cooked all the way through in one pile, and put the ones that still need a little cooking in another pile. 4 Add garlic, then white wine or stock: When the onions are just beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the white wine or stock and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by half. 5 Add spinach, chicken: Add the spinach and the undercooked pieces of chicken to the pan. Using tongs, turn them over to coat them with the juices in the pan. Continue to cook, turning and stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken cooked through, about 2 minutes. 6 Combine chicken, spinach, pesto, pasta, cream: Turn off the heat and add some black pepper, the pile of cooked chicken pieces and the pesto. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta put it in a large bowl. Add the cream to the sauté pan and stir well to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl with the pasta and mix well. Serve at once. |
Dear chicken Florentine. I like you. I like your spinach and your cream sauce. But honestly? I don’t love you. You’re missing a little pizzaz. So, I would like to introduce you to my friend pesto pasta. You kinda need that punch from the pesto’s garlic, basil, and Parmesan. Now we have the makings of love. Go forth and multiply. Recipe and photos updated, first published 2011 | Elise Bauer | May 6, 2017 | A marriage of traditional chicken Florentine with pasta and basil pesto. Sliced sautéed chicken breasts with spinach, garlic, white wine, cream, pesto, and pasta. | Elise Bauer | A marriage of traditional chicken Florentine with pasta and basil pesto. Sliced sautéed chicken breasts with spinach, garlic, white wine, cream, pesto, and pasta. | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | Serves 6-8 |
2851 | 4 | 2017-09-12 03:26:02 | Quick and Easy | 1 | 2017-09-12 02:50:14 | Featured | 45 | 2017-09-25 02:55:19 | Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets | For the bruschetta topping: 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed in a garlic press 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper For the chicken: 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets (about 4 cutlets) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley |
Look for chicken cutlets next to the chicken breasts and tenders at the grocery store. If you have trouble finding them, you can also make your own by butterflying chicken breasts in half and pounding them flat. Serve this chicken on top of fettuccine or zucchini noodles or alongside steamed rice and vegetables. | 1 Heat your oven broiler to its highest setting. Place a rack a few inches below the broiler. 2 Make the bruschetta topping: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all of the bruschetta topping ingredients. Set aside. 3 Sear the chicken: Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch), oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. I like to use either a cast iron or stainless steel skillet -- nonstick and enameled cast iron cookware usually aren't meant to be used above 500ºF, so they aren’t broiler safe. When the oil is shimmering, sear the chicken cutlets for 3 minutes on one side, just so they get a little bit of color. It’s ok if they are not cooked through, since they will finish cooking in the oven. 4 Flip the cutlets over, then spoon on the bruschetta topping and sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 5 Broil the chicken: Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and brown and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Check for doneness by cutting into one of the cutlets to see if it’s opaque in the center, or by checking the temperature of one of the cutlets with an instant-read thermometer (the chicken should be 165ºF or higher in the center). 5 Serve: Sprinkle the parsley on top of the chicken and serve the cutlets hot. |
This is a fast-as-it-gets weeknight dinner, perfect for those midweek nights when you’re ready to cave and order a pizza instead of cooking. Put the phone down, open the pantry, and you’ll have these cheesy bruschetta-topped chicken cutlets ready in about fifteen minutes! Bruschetta chicken cutlets are just what they sound like: thin cuts of chicken breast, seared and topped with diced tomatoes and lots of melty cheese. The recipe makes use of a convenient pantry staple: canned diced tomatoes. Doctor them up with some olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and they make a great stand-in when fresh tomatoes are out of season. Use chicken cutlets for this recipe because they cook so quickly. Look for them next to the chicken breasts and tenders at the grocery store. If you have trouble finding cutlets, you can also make your own by butterflying chicken breasts in half and pounding them flat. With its warm topping of tomatoes and cheese, this dinner is plenty rich and flavorful. Serve on top of fettuccine or zucchini noodles, or alongside steamed rice and vegetables. I actually like these more than their fussier cousin, chicken parmigiana! |
Coco Morante | April 22, 2017 | QUICK and EASY cheesy bruschetta chicken cutlets! Ready in 15 minutes flat. Canned tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella and parmesan. | Coco Morante | QUICK and EASY cheesy bruschetta chicken cutlets! Ready in 15 minutes flat. Canned tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella and parmesan. | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 4 servings |
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