Braised brisket or pot roast

If it's done right, you can eat it with a spoon!

Beef Brisket or Pot Roast

Beef brisket, 3-4 lbs
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
2 - 3 lbs onions, sliced thin
1 T tomato paste
2 T brown sugar
4 - 5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c flour
3/4 c dry red wine
Up to 2 c broth (half beef and half chicken)
3 bay leaves
3 large sprigs of thyme
Quartered potatoes, large chopped carrots, other root vegetables
1 T cider vinegar

Set out the meat for about 1/2 hour and let it dry and warm up.  Salt and pepper it generously.  Preheat the oven to 300 with the rack in the middle-low position.  Slice up the onions and garlic and set aside.

In a Dutch oven, brown the meat over medium-high heat until well browned, about 5 minutes per side.  Place the meat on a plate and set it aside.  Lower the heat to medium and cook the onions along with the tomato paste and sugar until onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and flour, and cook for about a minute, stirring.  Stir in the wine to deglaze the pot; cook until almost completely evaporated, and then return the brisket to the pot, on top of the onions.  Add the broth, bay leaves, and thyme, enough broth to come up 1/3 to 1/2 way up the sides of the meat.  Bring the broth to a simmer, cover with foil and with the lid, and stick it in the oven for 3 to 4 hours.  Add the vegetables around the meat, submerging them as best as possible for the last 1 1/2 to 2 hours of cooking time.

Optional serving methods:
1. Transfer the brisket and vegetables (not the onions) to a platter, tent with foil, and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.  Place the pot on the stove top, add 1 T cider vinegar and bring to a low boil to reduce the sauce somewhat, about 5 minutes, fishing out the bay leaves and thyme.  When the sauce is reduced enough, slice the brisket, arrange on the platter, and pour the sauce over.  Serve onto plates.

2. Or, transfer the brisket and vegetables (not the onions) to a platter, and tent with foil.  Let it rest for 15 minutes, and then slice.  Place the pot on the stove top, add 1 T cider vinegar and bring to a low boil, fishing out the bay leaves and thyme. Place the meat and vegetables back into the sauce and serve directly from the pot, probably into bowls.  
  

Cuban shredded beef

More Cuban!  Now that my taste buds have been fully enticed, I don't seem to be able to get enough!  This is another Cook's Illustrated recipe, and you can find a kind soul who posted his own version of it right here: Cuban Shredded Beef.

Beef index

Beef burgundy stew

The Main Event

Asian casserole

Beef and linguine casserole

Beef roll-ups

Beef stroganoff

Beef stroganoff meatballs

Braised brisket or pot roast

Chile and garlic beef

Corned beef

Cuban shredded beef

Italian meat sauce, quick

Italian stuffed mushroom caps

Kalbi beef

Meat loaf, basic

Meat loaf, premium

Meat loaf, chipotle

Meatball master mix

Middle Eastern meatballs

Salisbury steaks

Sauerbraten meatballs

Sesame beef

Sloppy Joes, somewhat healthy

Slumgullion

Spaghetti and meatballs

Steak tips au poivre

Stuffed grape leaves

Taco salad, Deb's



Soups and Stews

Beef and lentil stew

Beef and squash stew

Beef barley soup

Beef burgundy stew

Beef chowder

Beef stew with Belgian beer

Beef stew with cinnamon and fennel

Beef stew with Mchuzi Mix

Chili, easy basic

Chili, spicy braised

Cuban picadillo

Hamburger and tomato stew, hearty

Hungarian goulash

Provencal beef stew

Sag gosht stew



Grilled

Chipotle marinade

Chipotle-orange barbecue sauce

Flank steak with mango sauce

Flank steak with spice rub

Grilling brisket or other tough cuts

Middle Eastern burgers (Kofte)

Mustard rub and sauce



Stir Fries

Beef and broccoli stir fry

Beef and cabbage stir fry

Fast stir fries

Stir fry with Mchuzi mix

Middle Eastern burgers

Köfte is a Persian word which means "mashed".  Kofte are meatballs or kebabs, served commonly in Turkey, Greece, and throughout the Middle East, and they are a delicious change from regular grilled burgers.  I think they taste best if you mix them up the day before grilling.  Soak some wooden skewers in water for at least 15 minutes, and form the kebabs around them.  Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge overnight.  Traditionally, the kebabs are formed as long ovals so you can wrap them in pita along with a garlicky yogurt sauce.  You can also make them into meatballs, or even into burgers as I did above.

Here's my favorite spice mix, no matter which way I'm going to fix them:

Kofte

For each pound of meat (ground lamb or beef):
1/3 c pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
1 t hot smoked paprika
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t cloves
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of cinnamon
1/3 c grated onion
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
1/4 c minced fresh mint
1 t unflavored gelatin

Process the pine nuts and garlic with all the spices until it forms a coarse paste.  Scrape into a large bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and knead well.  Form into burgers, meatballs, or cylinders around soaked wooden skewers.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Serve kebabs wrapped in pita bread.

Garlicky Yogurt Sauce

6 oz plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 12 T tahini
1 garlic clove, minced fine
Dash of salt

Cuban picadillo

I've never made Cuban Picadillo before, so I wasn't sure what the "right" way to do it was, but after looking at a lot of recipes, I discovered that they are all basically variations on a theme: ground beef, bell peppers and onions, tomatoes, raisins, and wonderful briney green olives.  Of course, there's a lot more to it than just throwing those things together!

Here's a nice basic recipe for Cuban Picadillo for your first time out.  I made some modifications that I learned from Cook's Illustrated, including using dry white wine to deglaze the pot, adding ground pork to the ground beef, and tossing in some capers and red wine vinegar for extra zip.  Serve it with black beans and rice.

Steak Tips au Poivre

Don't get excited: "poivre" simply means "pepper", as in cracked black freshly ground pepper.  Yum.

Steak Tips au Poivre

1 1/2 lbs sirloin tip steaks, cut into 2-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil

2 T butter

1 shallot, minced

1/2 c red wine (Cabernet or Merlot)

1/2 cbeef broth

1/2 t minced fresh thyme

Rub the steak tips thoroughly with pepper and salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook to desired doneness, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to platter and tent with foil.

Quickly add 1 T butter and shallots to the skillet and cook until softened. Add wine, broth, and thyme; simmer, scraping up browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in the rest of the butter plus any accumulated steak juices. Spoon sauce over steaks and serve immediately. Delicious with roasted vegetables and slice-baked potatoes.

Beef and broccoli stir fry

This one is so easy that I almost hesitate to share it.  Almost :-)

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

4 parts hoisin sauce
1 part Asian chill-garlic sauce
2 parts soy sauce
Up to 4 parts water


2 heads of broccoli
2 - 3 carrots

Vegetable oil
1 lb flank steak, sliced, or other lean sliced steak
1 T fresh ginger, minced
Sesame seeds for garnish

Mix the hoisin sauce through the water and set aside.  To make enough sauce to thoroughly coat the amount of vegetables and meat listed here, start with 1/4 c hoisin sauce.

Cut up the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and steam them for a few minutes until tender.  Set aside.  Heat some oil in a wok and brown the meat quickly.  Remove and set it aside.  Add the vegetables and the ginger to the pot and stir fry until heated through.  Add the meat and the sauce mixture and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, just a few minutes.  Divide into bowls and garnish with sesame seeds.

Chili cook-off winner

We have many chili recipes that we already like, but I am of the opinion that you can never have too many.  Sometimes you need it fast and easy, other times you don't mind taking the time to slow cook or braise.  When I saw the recipe for Brian Daddio's award-winning chili, I knew that we were going to have to make it, but change it up just a bit.  If you want to make Brian's version, visit the link above: it's faster than mine and you'll also notice that I cut the recipe in half.

Besides taking longer, mine is a bit spicier since I leaned towards the high side in my "halving" of hot ingredients.  Be warned...his or mine...this is a hot and spicy chili!

Spicy Meaty Braised Chili

2 red bell peppers
Olive oil
1 lb cubed stew beef

1/2 lb hot Italian sausage 
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
3 (14.5 oz) cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (Brian recommends Hunt's)
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans
1 (7 oz) can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 t sugar
2 T fresh basil
1 t cumin seeds
Sour cream for serving

Slice, seed, and roast the red peppers under the broiler until blackened.  Let the oven cool down and reset it for 300.  Peel and chop the peppers and set them aside.

In a Dutch oven, brown the stew meat in olive oil.  When all sides are brown, add about 1 c of diced tomatoes to the pot and cover it with both foil and the lid.  Braise at 300 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Remove the beef and juices from the pot and set aside.  Return the pot to the stove top and add the sausage to brown.  When almost totally browned, add the jalapenos and saute until softened.  Add the beef and juices, red peppers, and all the rest of the ingredients (except for the sour cream).  Stir together and cook over low heat, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Serve in bowls with sour cream.

The best quick Italian meat sauce

Seems almost like sacrilege, doesn't it?  How can Italian meat sauce (or gravy, if you prefer) be quick?  Well, the folks at Cook's Illustrated have figured it out.  Use only the highest quality canned tomatoes to make this, and don't use anything but 85% lean ground beef. 

You know that you can't see their recipes online without an online subscription, but if you google Simple Italian-Style Meat Sauce, you'll find a few folks who don't mind ignoring their copyright. 

New England boiled dinner

 Gray corned beef - much lighter in color and not pickled, just brined

I was not aware until just recently that what we call gray corned beef is not available much outside of New England and New York!  I also wasn't sure what the difference was between the gray and the red corned beef, other than I like the gray better.  Turns out that the Worcester Telegram and Gazette had the answer for me!  For the record, I like the gray better, but it's harder to find, even in New England except around St Patrick's Day!

Since you never know how long a newspaper will keep its articles on file, I'll reprint the important paragraphs here, with special thanks to Linda Bock of the Telegram staff.

Red or gray?

At Tatnuck Meat Market, 1100 Pleasant St., Worcester, Harvey Slarskey sells hundreds and hundreds of pounds of both red corned beef and gray corned beef throughout the year, but he sells even more in March for traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinners.

Most people outside of New England have never tasted, much less heard of, gray corned beef. But here in New England, butchers have been working nonstop for weeks to keep up with the demand for the beef for St. Patrick’s Day.

“I sell equal amounts of red and gray corned beef throughout the year,” Mr. Slarskey said. He has owned and operated his meat market for 35 years. “Throughout the year, red is prevalent, but during this time of year — it’s gray.”

Old-fashioned corned beef is brined in salt and water in barrels for up to a week, and is salty and grayish-pink. For red corned beef, potassium nitrate is added to a brine with pickling spices. The meat is less salty and is rosy red.

 

Since the gray corned beef is not pickled, I end up putting more spices into the cooking broth.  My recipe for that is at the link.  After the vegetables have boiled and softened, I fish out the cabbage and let it drain, and then saute it in butter with the sliced onion.  Delicious!

Moist and meaty meatloaf

The Sept/Oct issue of Cook's Illustrated took on the problem of meatloaf, which tends to either have great meat flavor but be dry dry dry, or be nice and moist but taste bready from all the panade.  Not surprisingly, given how they've been able to make a better turkey burger with similar additions, the solution calls for a small amount of bread along with chopped white mushrooms (great umami enhancers) and a tablespoon of unflavored gelatin. 

I passed on making the glaze, because we're just not much for putting ketchup on our meatloaf.

Italian Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Not all my friends are as crazy about mini-bell peppers as I am, so I recently tried making my appetizers in mushroom caps instead.  The filling is an Italian-inspired ground beef mixture, related to the Greek Stuffed Mini-Bell Peppers that I already shared. 


Italian Stuffed Mushroom Caps

2 packages (12 oz) of large mushrooms
1 lb ground beef
1 c cooked rice
Salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T lemon zest
2 T fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 400.  Remove each mushroom stem and reserve for another use. 

Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl by hand.  Using a small spoon, fill each cap and place on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet.  Place on the high-middle rack of the oven and cook for about 5 - 7  minutes.  Turn on the broiler and cook a few more minutes until the meat is sizzling and cooked through. 

Corned beef

I just realized that I forgot to post my favorite broth mixture for boiling corned beef when it was St Patrick's Day.  Since New Englanders are likely to eat corned beef any time of year in the form of a "boiled dinner", I guess there's really no problem with posting it now!

Corned Beef Cooking Broth

Garlic cloves
Pepper corns
Thyme
Bay leaves

12 oz Guinness beer
1 c beef broth
Water

Make a cheesecloth bundle from the garlic and herbs and tie to the handle of the stock pot.  Add the beer and broth to the pot and add enough water to cover the meat.  Boil forever.  The broth becomes very concentrated as you continue to add more water and boil it away.  At the end, you can reduce some of the broth for a wonderful sauce.

Stuffed grape leaves

I had a ball the other weekend, preparing (and eating) stuffed grape leaves.  DH was returning from a business trip, and I wanted something that would constitute a full meal, but would also be easy to eat in installments since he never knows what time zone he's in when he gets home.

Having done a fair amount of Greek cooking, I had several different recipes to choose from for the filling, but as I looked around for some tips on the actual stuffing and cooking, I really liked the recipe that was on the About.com Greek Food site.  So that's what I'm recommending.  I substituted ground lamb for the beef, but use whichever you want.  You can also easily make this into a vegetarian meal by subbing in tempeh or another grain for the meat.

Now I can't wait for our grape vines to start leafing! 

Roasted vegetables, salad, and stuffed grape leaves

Kalbi beef

The most recent wedding that Mike and I attended was for a Korean couple, and the food which followed the ceremony was absolutely to die for.  Now before you yell and scream about the soda being included, I was assured that it has become totally traditional and acceptable to use it.  Don't argue with me...argue with them!

When I made it at home, we had the shortribs with Thai Basil Rice and Chinese-Style Green Beans.


Kalbi Beef (Korean Shortribs)

1/2 c soy sauce
1 Asian pear, grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion, grated
1 T grated fresh ginger
2 T brown sugar
1 T honey
2 T toasted sesame seeds
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 T cayenne pepper flakes
2 green onions, white and green thinly sliced
16 oz lemon-lime soda, like Sprite

4 lbs short ribs

Bacon grease or olive oil
   
Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish. Add the ribs and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or more.

Set oven to 325.  Remove ribs from the dish and place it in the oven to begin heating.  Brown the ribs in the bacon fat or olive oil in a large skillet, turning as they brown.  Return them to the baking dish when browned and cover it tightly with foil.  

Bake for 90 minutes at 325; reduce heat to 250°F and bake for another 2 hours or until ribs are fork tender, basting occasionally.

Beef barley soup

I love all the versions of Beef and Barley Soup that I've had, but with  few minor changes, Martha Stewart's recipe is probably my favorite.  I used homemade beef stock instead of chicken stock, portobello mushrooms instead of cremini, and I added bay leaf to the mix.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

 Well, tomorrow!

Beef roll-ups

Beef roll-ups were a go-to meal when I was young.  My mother made them with slightly thicker slices of beef than I now use, and I doubt she fried them in bacon grease...but I could be wrong.  These are not for people who have clogged arteries.  The last time I made them, we kept the onions separate and made a sandwich that included...what else?...bacon!  Those are onion rolls with poppy seeds.  Heaven. 



Beef Roll Ups

Shaved beef

Spread with French's mustard

Thin sliced onion rings

Sliced pickles or relish

Roll up and spear with toothpicks. Fry in bacon grease. Yum.

Beef Stew with Mchuzi Mix

Recently I experimented with adding Mchuzi Mix to an otherwise garden-variety beef stew.  What a nice flavor it added!  I highly recommend it for a change of pace.

Sag gosht stew (spinach and beef)

This stew can be made in a dutch oven on the stove top, or it can be started in a skillet and finished in your crock pot if you need to simmer the beef a really long time.  As long as I'm home, I like the dutch oven method, but it's nice to have alternatives!  Make this dish with less water and serve it over basmati rice.  Made as a stew, I like to have it with Naan. 

Sag Gosht Stew

Vegetable oil
1 t cumin seeds
1/2 t fennel seeds
1 t ground cardamom
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 t fresh ginger, minced
1 T your favorite curry powder or paste
Water
1 lb stew beef, cut into small cubes
6 scallions, chopped leaves and bulbs
4 to 5 c vegetable stock (less if you want to serve it over rice)
1 T tomato paste
1 T ketchup
Bunch of spinach or beet greens, chopped
1 t dried mint
1/2 t vinegar
1 T garam masalah (my favorite)
Salt

Grind the seeds and stir fry through the bay leaves briefly.  Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute.  Add the curry powder or paste and add a bit of water to loosen the browned bits.  Add the meat and scallions and brown lightly.  Add more water to allow them to simmer for about 5 minutes without sticking.  Add the stock, tomato paste, and ketchup and allow to continue simmering (adding water as needed) until beef is very tender, an hour or more, or transfer to crock pot and simmer that way.  Before serving, add the greens, mint, vinegar, and garam masalah.  Salt as needed and serve over rice (thicker version) or with naan bread (stew version).