Category Archives: BEEF RECIPES

BEEF STROGANOFF

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I am a strong believer in the power of positive thinking. That’s the only way I have found to be successful at anything I have ever attempted. Well positive thinking and a Betty Crocker cookbook given to me when I was 20 years old! You see, Betty taught me to cook. And one of my early culinary successes was Beef Stroganoff. And through becoming confident in the kitchen, I became confident in other areas as well. Or at least confidence enough to try other endeavors that interested me. And believe me, through the years I have taken on many projects and adventures that had I been told as a teenager I would be doing, would have caused me to laugh out loud or bury my head under a pillow!

Now don’t get your hopes up too much. This is not the recipe that was in my 1961 First Edition Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cook Book. This is my version that has been manipulated, adjusted, and massaged for over 50 years. But even with all the revisions I have made, this is still one of the easiest and quickest dishes to prepare. Also one of the most delicious. So, absolutely perfect for a weeknight meal. Serve with a green salad or a nice steamed green veggie, and dinners ready.

And as far as using your cooking skills to translate into the power of positive thinking, it really only makes sense. Good food on the table makes your family and friends happy. Which means they will always want to be at your table which only makes you feel better about yourself and want to continue feeling that way. So I say, cheers to good food and to those who provide it! Of course you still have to use your head while reeling from the afterglow of a meal well prepared. You still can’t fly or jump off roofs or any of the other skills attributed to super heroes. You are still human, even if you are a marvelous cook! But if you drift off to sleep dreaming of your face on the cover of Time magazine, that’s OK. It means you have the confidence to believe that anything is possible. And confidence in confidence alone is a great thing. Just ask Julie Andrews!  

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 T. unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, cut in half then thinly sliced
  • ½-¾ lb. button mushrooms, sliced
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ lb. high quality lean beef, cut in very, very thin strips against the grain, then into bite sized pieces
  • ¼ c. brandy
  • 1 c. beef stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
  • 1 c. sour cream
  • 1 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley or 2 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1½ c. uncooked thick egg noodles, cooked al dente

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(I buy my thick noodles at Costco. They are every bit as good as homemade – and a lot less work!)

Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy skillet. Fry the onion and mushrooms over medium heat until the mushrooms are dry and browned. While they are cooking add salt and pepper. Remove to a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Add cut steak to the same skillet and quickly fry over high heat for 30 seconds to a minute. (The meat should still be semi-rare.) Remove from pan and add to the bowl with the cooked onion and mushrooms; set aside. Remove pan from heat and add the brandy, beef stock, and bay leaf to the pan. Return pan to stove and reduce the liquid by half. (If there are brown bits on the bottom of the pan, be sure to scrape them up into the liquid.) Stir in the mustard and add the cooked onion, mushrooms and meat, sour cream, parsley, and cooked noodles. Adjust seasoning and discard the bay leaf. Cook just until hot, then serve immediately. 

And remember: if any part of this dish has to wait, make your sauce wait for your noodles, not the other way around.   

CREOLE MEATLOAF WITH MASHED BUTTERMILK POTATOES AND TRINITY GRAVY

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I love Creole food and I love meatloaf. So I decided that a recipe for Creole meatloaf would be next on my list of “how in the heck am I going to use up more of the ground beef in my freezer?!?!”

Having decided on the flavor theme, I went about looking for Creole recipes I could adapt. And one of the first recipes to pop up on my search was a recipe from Rachael Ray. But I couldn’t stop with just looking at one recipe, so I brought up a few more and the recipe below is the result of combining several recipes and my own ideas on the subject.

Now, unless you have done a lot of Creole cooking, you might be wondering about “trinity” gravy. If you are like me, my “trinity” in cooking is a combination of onion, carrot, and celery. I start almost every stew, soup, or red sauce with this combination of base ingredients. In French cooking it’s called mirepoix, and consists of 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, and 1 part celery. But the Creole and Cajun cuisine considers onion, celery, and green pepper to be the holy trinity of flavor. 3 parts onion, 2 parts celery, and 1 part green bell pepper. Cajun/Creole dishes such as étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya almost always start with this base. And since I love all three of these dishes, I decided maybe a trinity gravy was right up my alley too.

I am happy to report that both the meatloaf and the gravy are a wonderful combination of flavors, very simple to prepare, and economical to build. In fact, I would classify this dish as perfect for company. It does take time to prepare, but all can be made ahead of time, and then reheated just before serving. And although the ingredients aren’t expensive, the presentation looks like a million dollars.

Now I’ve heard, that half the enjoyment one gets from food is in the presentation. Frankly, I think that’s a load of rutabaga skins! I’ve tasted many a dish that looked terrific, but the flavor – less than satisfactory. But this delicious dish is not just beautiful on the outside. Remember – “external attractiveness has no relation to goodness or essential quality.” I know this maxim first stated by Sir Thomas Overbury in his poem “A Wife”, was meant to imply that beauty (in a wife) should not be just skin deep. But, as far as I’m concerned, his reflection speaks equally to culinary presentations! And if this dish doesn’t yell “good wife” I don’t know what dish does!! (And yes, I can make any quote or maxim have something to do with food. It’s a DNA abnormality handed down through my father’s side of the family!)  

For a small family or a senior couple like Mr. C and me, this wonderful meatloaf and gravy is a three meal delight. First night – eat until you can’t walk. Second night, eat until you remember how bad you felt after dinner the night before! Third day, argue over who’s going to get the last couple of slices of meatloaf for lunch! Enjoy, and no fighting kids!     

Meatloaf:

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for smearing on meat loaves before baking
  • 1 lg. onion, finely chopped, divided
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely minced, divided
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 2 T. fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 T. Creole Seasoning, divided (to make your own, see two very good recipes below)
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. grainy Dijon mustard
  • ½ c. bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ c. milk
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 lb. ground pork

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4th of the onion to the skillet, and cook to soften, 5-6 minutes.  (The rest of the onion is used in the gravy.) Add half of the minced garlic and cook for one minute. (The rest of the garlic goes in the gravy.) Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool.  To the cooled onion mixture add the paprika, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the Creole seasoning (the rest of the Creole seasoning will be used in the gravy), ½ teaspoon of the salt (the rest in the gravy), black pepper, mustard, breadcrumbs, egg, and milk.  Mix to combine. Add the ground beef and the ground pork, stirring gently just until well combined. (I use my hands for this part.) Form into 2 loaves, each about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide.

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Place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Smear the entire surface lightly with olive oil. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

To serve: Slice the meat loaves. Arrange the slices over Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and pour the Trinity Gravy over both.  Garnish with sliced scallions and serve.

Trinity Gravy:

  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1/8 tsp. white pepper
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • small bay leaf
  • 2 T. all-purpose flour
  • 1½ c. beef stock (I use beef base and water)
  • 1 tsp. hot sauce or more to taste (I use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce)
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • mashed sweet or russet potatoes (see recipe below)
  • 2-3 scallions, sliced on the bias, for garnish

Meanwhile, in the same skillet you used for the meatloaf mixture, melt the butter and add the remaining onion. Cook for about 7 minutes, then add the celery, bell pepper, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and white pepper.  Cook the mixture long enough to soften, about 30 minutes. (I usually cover the pan after about 10 minutes and let the veggies gently steam/fry.) The veggies should be kinda brown and kinda mushy. That’s what you want. None of this crisp tender for this recipe!

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Add the remaining garlic and cook for one minute.  Add the tomato paste and bay leaf; stir for 1 minute.  Sprinkle the flour and remaining Creole seasoning over the mixture and stir for another minute.  Whisk in the stock, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; cook to thicken over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Turn the heat to the lowest setting to keep the gravy warm. Stir periodically.

If you are not going to be serving in the next little while, remove from heat and re-warm when ready. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes:

  • 2 lbs. sweet potatoes or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ to 1 c. buttermilk

Cover the potatoes with water in a medium pot and bring to a boil, then season with salt, reduce heat, and cook for 12-15 minutes until tender.  When the potatoes are done, drain and return to the hot pot and mash with black pepper and buttermilk to desired consistency. Add salt if necessary.

EMERIL’S ESSENCE CREOLE SEASONING

  • 2½ T. paprika
  • 2 T. salt
  • 2 T. garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1 T. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T. onion powder
  • 1 T. cayenne
  • 1 T. dried oregano
  • 1 T. dried thyme

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

CREOLE SEASONING MIX (my recipe) 

  • 1½ tsp. onion powder
  • 1½ tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ½ tsp. dry mustard
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½-1½ tsp. cayenne (depends on how much heat you like or can tolerate)
  • ½ tsp. gumbo file

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

 

GROUND BEEF AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BURGERS

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As I’m sure you already know if you have read any of my previous posts, I am the number one fan of ground beef. I actually much prefer it to steak, and as a breakfast meat, in my mind there is no comparison. And now, after having purchased a quarter of a Highland cow and had a good portion of it ground, I am even more convinced that ground beast is indeed a food from the Gods. (And yes I meant to write “beast”, because that was a common mispronunciation when my kids were young, and I still often lapse into “kiddie language world”.)

Anyway, I decided I wanted to serve a tasty barbequed burger to my friends who would be helping us celebrate our new trailer on our shakedown cruise. When I am trailer camping, I still like to serve great food, but I really don’t want to spend my entire day in the kitchen. (Our trailer kitchen is very nice, but never-the-less, one of the reasons I go camping is to get away from my usual routine, and treat myself to some quality outside time!) So I planned the menu around quick and easy recipes like this one.

This recipe is based on a recipe I found on the Food Network Kitchen site. Their recipe called for ground turkey, but I thought using ground beef (since I had 24 pounds in my freezer) would be perfect too. So I changed a couple of ingredients, and the following recipe is the result.

And I am telling you, all the ingredients work perfectly together to make just a delicious, succulent burger. And using grilled English muffins instead of regular hamburger buns is genius. English muffins toast beautifully on the grill and are not as filling as those puffy things you usually associate with a hamburger. I will never again buy a package of squishy buns. My heart now belongs to English muffins, or homemade rolls of course!

So do yourself a favor and mix up a batch of this ground beef mixture, form it into patties, and throw the burgers on the grill. Your family won’t even suspect that they are eating vegetables when they bite into one of these burgers. But they will notice that the burgers taste just wonderful. But do it soon. Fall is fast upon us. And even though you can still BBQ in the winter, burgers always taste better when you eat them al fresco! Plus it saves cleanup under your kitchen table. After all, any burger worth its gooey additives is going to be messy. So when you eat outside, the juices running off your elbows aren’t a problem. Plus your hose is probably nearby. (So much easier than throwing your kids in the shower after they have eaten!) Happy end of summer.

(Sorry about no picture, but we were all hungry and the burgers disappeared before I could get my camera out of its case.)

  • 1 lg. portobello mushroom cap, stem and gills removed, finely chopped
  • 1 small finely chopped shallot
  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on the grill
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. Monterey Steak Seasoning
  • 1 tsp. seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • thin slices manchego or sharp cheddar cheese
  • English muffins, split
  • mayonnaise
  • Dijon mustard
  • sliced avocado

Mix the mushroom, shallot, parsley, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Montreal Steak Seasoning, seasoned salt, and pepper together. Add the ground beef and mix together with your hands until just combined. Divide the mixture into 4-5 balls, then lightly press into 1-inch-thick patties. Place on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Brush the grate with olive oil. Grill the patties, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Give the patties a quarter turn and cook until marked again, 2-3 more minutes. Flip the patties, top with cheese, and grill until cooked to your liking. Remove from grill to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to stay warm.

Toast the English muffins on the grill, then spread one half with mayonnaise, the other half with mustard. Add a hamburger patty, a couple slices of avocado and take a bite. Heaven I’m telling you, heaven! Or if you like a more traditional burger, add any of your favorite condiments. It’s all good!

 

CHEESEBURGER SALAD WITH BACON AND AVOCADO

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If you have been following my blog, you already know that I am not a gourmet. I am however, a gourmand.* (Not always proud of that classification, but if the shoe fits, etc. etc.) And as a true and faithful gourmand, some of the food I am passionate about is as common as a cheeseburger. But as I get a little older, some of the foods I used to eat with nary a concern for calories or nutritional content, have turned against me in the form of digestive problems and additional weight. (Simply not fair!)

So, in trying to still be able to wholeheartedly enjoy my favorite foods, I have been working on recipes that mimic certain foods, but are healthy, less caloric, and easy to prepare. And since a good bacon, avocado, and cheese hamburger is still one of the foods that make life worth living for both of us, I decided to try putting all the ingredients associated with our favorite burger into salad form. And by golly, both Mr. C and I felt totally satisfied after eating one of these salads last evening. We absolutely did not miss the bun, or the mayonnaise sauce in the least. The salad had way more veggies than a real burger, but regardless, the flavor of a good burger came through in every bite. And of course, this new recipe fulfilled my desire to provide you all with more recipes containing ground beef.

So give this recipe a try. It’s a very nice change of pace from a taco salad, while still being a snap to prepare.

*Gourmand – a lover of good food who often eats too much.

  • 4 slices thick lean bacon, chopped
  • 1 lb. very lean ground beef
  • ½ red onion, very thinly sliced, divided
  • ¼ c. ketchup
  • 2 tsp. yellow mustard
  • 2 tsp. Montreal Seasoning
  • 1 lg. heart romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1-2 lg. dill pickles, diced
  • 1 Hass avocado, cubed
  • ½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

Fry bacon until crisp in a large skillet. Remove cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside. Pour off as much bacon grease as possible from pan. Brown the ground beef in the same skillet over medium heat. Add half of the sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard, and Montreal Seasoning; stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.

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To assemble: Place lettuce on 2 large dinner plates. Add some of the meat mixture (I usually have extra meat when I make this salad). Then top with tomato, pickle, remaining red onion, avocado, cheese, and the cooked bacon. Serve immediately. No additional dressing required.

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ASIAN GROUND BEEF OR GROUND CHICKEN SALAD (OR WRAPS)

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I love salads and am always looking for new ways to serve healthy salad ingredients in a more interesting and tasty fashion. So when I was also trying to think up exciting ways to use ground beef, I immediately thought of Asian wraps.  But there is something you should know about Mr. C and me. We are messy eaters. And trying to keep even an ingredient as ordinary as taco meat corralled in a crisp tortilla can be daunting for us. And don’t even get me started on what kind of a mess we can make when eating a really good and juicy hamburger!

So the thought of deliberately setting us up for another messy food experience just for the sake of presenting this set of ingredients in a trendy culinary manner, fairly screamed for an alternate solution. So last evening, when all the usual wrap suspects were assembled as a salad, we actually looked like two adults enjoying a wonderful meal, rather than two children left unsupervised to make as much of a mess as possible! After all, the same ingredients were in the salad as would have been presented in a wrap. So there really was no taste difference. The ingredients were simply presented in a much more dignified manner! (Plus we didn’t need to spend any time after dinner cleaning up after ourselves.)

So if you too are inept with hand held food, give this recipe a try as a salad. If you are able to walk and talk at the same time and eat wraps in a decorous fashion, by all means serve this delicious meat filling and veggie additives (inspiration from PF Chang’s recipe for Chicken Lettuce Wraps) in darling little lettuce leaf cups. Just please don’t tell me about it. I know I’m uncoordinated, but I hate to have that reality stuffed in my face. (Actually, if any stuffing is to be done, I want it to be another one of these wholesome and delightful SALADS, thank you very much! And in the near future too!)

  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef or chicken
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T. grated ginger
  • ¼ c. hoisin sauce
  • 2 T. peanut butter
  • 2 T. soy sauce
  • 1 T. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 T. water
  • 1 tsp. Sriracha, or more to taste
  • 6 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
  • 1½ lg. romaine hearts, cut into bite sized pieces or 1 head butter lettuce, washed and individual leaves removed at the root
  • 1/3 c. chopped salted peanuts
  • 1 small carrot, shredded
  • 1 c. very thinly sliced English cucumber, cut into half moons

Heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large frypan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the meat as it cooks. Stir in the onion and cook until translucent. (Don’t let it get brown.) Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for one minute. In a small bowl combine the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, water, Sriracha, and 1/3rd of the sliced green onions. Pour over the meat just before you are ready to serve. Let simmer for about 1 minute.

To serve, place romaine on two good sized dinner plates. Spoon as much of the meat mixture (you will probably have extra) onto the lettuce as desired. Garnish with the remaining green onions, chopped peanuts, shredded carrot, and cucumber.

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Serve immediately. No dressing required.

To serve as wraps, spoon several tablespoons of the beef mixture into the center of lettuce leaves. Sprinkle on the peanuts, remaining sliced green onions, shredded carrot, and cucumber. Crump the leaves together at the top and eat like a messy taco. (The very reason I serve this as a salad.)

The meat mixture can also be served over rice if the whole healthy “lettuce and veggies” thing is unappealing. (No guilt trip intended!)

 

GROUND BEEF AND VEGETABLE SOUP

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This recipe is an adaptation of a soup that appeared in the first cookbook I ever owned. In 1964 I received the gift of my still loved, but terribly battered first edition, third printing 1961 Betty Crocker cookbook from my Aunt Ruth. Along with several metal baking dishes, some of which I still use today. And one of the first recipes I tried from my new cookbook, was the bones of this recipe for a very simple, economical, savory, and healthy soup.

Of course in those days I wasn’t as much interested in healthy as I was in simply filling my new husband’s and my tummies at a price two full time college students could afford! (And no, there was no red wine in the original recipe, nor was there any red wine in our household.) We were basically eating anything that didn’t eat us first. And the likes of beer and wine were simply not in our budget. (Mores the pity!) 

But over the years I have added ingredients to the original recipe to make it my own. And today, when healthy counts more for us than the price of a dish, this soup is just as welled loved as it was in the 60s. It simply bursts with flavor, even though the ingredients are healthy and economical.

So if you too love a hearty soup that is easy to prepare, contains healthy ingredients, and is economical – give this recipe a try. (And no, you don’t have to be a starving student to enjoy this soup. But if you are a starving student, add more potatoes. That’s what I used to do.)

  • 2 tsp. oil (olive, vegetable, avocado, etc.)
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 c. chopped celery
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ c. red wine
  • 2 c. beef stock
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf, crumbled
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • ½ c. ketchup
  • 1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 small potatoes, cubed
  • 2 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley, opt.

Heat oil in a medium sized covered pan. Add the meat and cook until browned. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and cook until almost all the liquid is evaporated. Add the beef stock, pepper, bay leaf, basil, ketchup, Kitchen Bouquet, Worcestershire sauce, and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Stir periodically. (Add water if the soup starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.) Add the potatoes and cook for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Adjust seasoning, add parsley, and serve piping hot.  

SWISS STEAK WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE POLENTA

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And I know, everyone else puts Parmesan cheese in their polenta. Well I do too! Most of the time! But there are just times when I want cheddar cheese in my polenta, darn it! And for this dish, cheddar cheese is perfect. And yes, I do know that potatoes are traditionally served with Swiss steak. But serving Swiss steak with polenta is my nod to staying current with culinary fads. (Plus Mr. C. loves polenta. Potatoes, not so much!)

Of course serving Swiss steak in the first place is kind of Betty Crocker 50s. But I’m hoping by posting this recipe that those who have never tasted Swiss steak will be so enraptured by the whole ease of preparation and use of fairly inexpensive ingredients that they will gravitate to this recipe like cats to a Christmas tree. Or that those who may remember their mother’s Swiss steak, but have relegated it to the past along with bell-bottom jeans and Cracker Jacks, might just be forced to recall how delicious Swiss steak actually is. And of course learn how easy and relatively inexpensive it is to prepare. (Oh wait, I already mentioned that! Too late, it’s already in print. But truly, can you ever say something is easy and inexpensive to prepare too many times? Especially right after Christmas? I think not!)

This Swiss steak simply melts in your mouth and the cheesy polenta has a wonderful flavor along with a delightful mouth feel. And truly, who cares if Swiss Steak may only appear on the menu of a roadhouse somewhere along Route 66 along with Chicken Fried Steak and Liver and Onions. Good old- fashioned road houses still know what’s tasty and “down home”. And so will you if you give this recipe a try.

So if you want a wonderful “new” and delightful combination of dishes to serve to your family, especially now that it’s officially winter, give these two recipes a try. Each is wonderful on its own. But in combination with a green veggie or salad, you have a winter dinner your family is sure to love. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Ho ho………..

  • 1½ lbs. London broil or thick round steak, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 7-9 pieces
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2-3 T. olive oil or bacon grease
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ c. dry red wine
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 c. beef broth

Tenderize the pieces of meat with a table fork, pricking the meat on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a paper or plastic bag and shake until all the pieces are coated with flour.  Heat the olive oil or bacon grease in a large covered Dutch oven. Add the meat and brown on both sides.   Remove the steaks to a plate and repeat until all of the steaks have been browned.

Add the onions, garlic, celery, and mushrooms to the pot. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the canned tomatoes, smoked and regular paprika, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth; stir to combine. Return the meat to the pot, submerging it in the liquid. Cover the pot and place it in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1½ to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart. Check after an hour and make sure there is enough liquid. Add a bit of water if necessary. Serve with polenta, mashed potatoes, or noodles.

CHEDDAR CHEESE POLENTA

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  • 1 c. whole milk
  • 3 c. water
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c. polenta/cornmeal
  • 2 T. unsalted butter
  • 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Bring the milk, water, salt, and pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour polenta slowly into boiling liquid, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender. Turn off heat and gently stir butter into the polenta until butter partially melts; then mix cheese into polenta until cheese has melted completely. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl.

 

MONGOLIAN BEEF WITH GREEN ONIONS

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During the 70s I worked for Seafirst Bank (remember them?) at their International Branch. I loved working there. Fabulous people to work with, great customers, and nothing like having wonderful Asian food available each and every day.

In those days, the area was known as “China Town”. (It is now more aptly referred to as the “International District”.) And more often than not I would go out for lunch on Fridays. And almost invariably I would order Mongolian Beef.

Now the Mongolian Beef of my yore was spicier (whole red chilies running throughout the dish) and included deep fat fried Saifun (mung bean) noodles. Then all the ingredients were mixed together and fried in even more oil. It was wonderful. But I can’t handle that much spice, fat, or salt anymore. So I needed a recipe for a milder, tamer, more polite, and definitely healthier version of this dish. So to the internet I proceeded. None of the recipes I found were just exactly what I thought I was looking for. So I added, subtracted, reduced, increased, and generally had my way with several recipes, and this combination of ingredients is the result.

And if I do say so myself, which of course I do, this doesn’t taste even close to the Mongolian Beef I used to get in the International District in the 70s! And this, if I’m honest with myself, is a good thing. Because of how I eat today, (less fat, salt, and my bodies rejection of really spicy food), I honestly don’t think I would enjoy “the real thing” any longer. So in remembrance of days gone by, I plan to lift a martini glass (complete with contents) tonight to the good old days when I could eat anything I wanted, was totally unaware of things like sodium content and saturated fat, and not eating spicy food meant you were a sissy!

So for all my readers who like me, are Mongolian Beef lovers, I offer my healthier version of this classic Asian dish. I think it’s pretty OK, and I hope you do too.

  • 1 lb. lean beef steak (round, London broil, sirloin, etc.) cut into very thin strips
  • ¼ c. cornstarch
  • ½ c. tamari (low sodium & GF)
  • ½ c. water
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2/3 c. brown sugar
  • ¼-½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 T. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 T. minced ginger
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced on the diagonal

Mix the steak strips and cornstarch together and set aside. Whisk together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large fry pan, heat 4 teaspoons of the oil to medium high. Add the meat and fry just until each side is lightly browned. (The middle should still be slightly pink.) Remove from pan and set aside. Add the additional 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan along with the ginger and garlic. Fry for one minute then add the reserved soy sauce mixture. Let burble for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the reserved meat and the green onions. Cook about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning, and serve immediately. Great served over brown rice.

ADOBO SEASONED GRILLED FLAT IRON OR SKIRT STEAK

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Flat iron and skirt steaks are two of the best cuts of beef available for grilling. They are rich in flavor, extremely juicy, and just amazingly succulent and tender if not cooked to death. Both are perfect when served medium rare. Any more done and you might as well eat shoe leather! So if you are one of those people who want your steak cooked till no semblance of beef flavor remains and you basically have to use a hack saw to cut the pieces into bite size; please move on to another recipe. (I said please, so that makes it OK!) And since I know many of you like your steak really rare, I will give you the same advice I received from a waiter at the now closed Buenos Aires Grill in downtown Seattle. I ordered entraña (grilled skirt steak) rare. The waiter informed me that for cuts of meat like skirt and flat iron, they are at their best when cooked medium rare. I followed his advice and I have never looked back. I now order or cook steaks medium rare regardless of the cut.

Although flat iron and skirt steaks are good when seasoned only with salt and pepper, I think using Adobo Seasoning is absolutely the best way to enhance the natural flavor of the meat. So give this blend of spices and herbs a try. And for heavens’ sake, if you don’t have one or more of the listed herbs or spices at home, don’t buy one of those cute little spice jars or cans at your local grocery store that cost an arm and a leg. Winco, your local food co-op, IGA, Haggen Foods, Central Market and many other grocery stores carry herbs and spices in bulk including the ones used in this Adobo Seasoning blend. And trust me; you will save an incredible amount of money if you buy in bulk. And that doesn’t mean that you have to buy a great deal of product. You can actually scoop out as much or as little into a bag as you need. Just don’t be surprised at how little the bulk spice or herb actually costs.

A few years ago I conducted an experiment when I was writing Spice it Up! I performed a cost comparison at our very own Camano Island IGA. For 1 pound of McCormick oregano, the cost would have been $164.90 ($6.39 for each .62 oz. bottle). For 1 pound of oregano in bulk, the cost would have been $9.19. Buying oregano in darling little glass bottles would cost 1800% more than buying in bulk! Now as I said, this cost comparison was done a few years ago so both the bottled oregano and bulk price have undoubtedly gone up. But I’m sure the price ratio difference is still about the same. Don’t believe me? Put about a half cup of bulk oregano in a bag and pay for it along with your other groceries. If it costs more than a buck fifty, I’ll send you the difference!

But for those times when I need dried herbs or spices that are unavailable at my local grocery stores, or I simply want the luxury of ordering them over the internet, I use www.myspicesage.com. I have always been more than satisfied with the price, delivery method (most of the time free delivery) and products I have received from this company. So basically what I am saying is this. Don’t give me any lame excuse about the cost of dried herbs and spices or how expensive it is to prepare your own herb and spice blends! Because my dears, your own homemade blends are always going to be less expensive to prepare (if you buy in bulk), taste fresher, and not coincidentally be generally healthier for you. Now granted, they won’t contain the likes of cottonseed oil or silicone dioxide, but I’m sure you’ll get over their absence in time!

So if you want to serve your family and friends a steak that will knock their socks off, get yourself to the store and buy a flat iron or skirt steak. Then mix up some Adobe Seasoning, fire up the BBQ, and prepare for a taste treat even an Argentinean would take pride in serving. If you want to send this steak over the top, serve with Chimichurri Sauce. (See recipe below)

  • 1½ lbs. flat iron or skirt steak, room temperature, trimmed of silver skin if necessary (skirt steak), cut into 2½-inch wide pieces – basically in half lengthwise (flat iron steak)
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • Adobo Seasoning (see recipe below)

Lay the steak on a baking pan and lightly coat with olive oil. Sprinkle on enough adobo seasoning to almost cover up the meat. (Don’t go hog wild, but don’t be too shy either. You should have over half of the amount from the recipe below left after you are finished decorating the steak on both sides.) Grill over a very hot fire, but don’t cook past medium rare. (With my grill, that’s about 4 minutes on the first side and about 1 minute on the second.) Let rest about 4 minutes before slicing into 1-inch diagonal strips. Use the remaining adobo on any meat, poultry, or fish dish. Or after trying this recipe, use it the following week when your family begs you for more of that wonderful steak!

ADOBO SEASONING

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  • 2 T. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. regular paprika
  • 1½ tsp. onion powder
  • 1½ tsp. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
  • 1½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Store in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE 

  • 2 T. drained capers
  • 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
  • 1 bunch Italian parsley
  • ½ bunch cilantro
  • 2 T. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano (Mexican is best)
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ c. extra virgin olive oil

Place capers and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Whirl until finely chopped. Add the parsley and cilantro and pulse 4-6 times to rough chop the leaves. (Don’t over process.) Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

Refrigerate until ready to use (preferably the same day).

 

PEPPER STEAKS WITH BOURBON SAUCE

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So, I guess you have been wondering where I have been and why I haven’t posted a recipe for over a month. Well, Mr. C and I were kidnapped by our truck and trailer and taken down the Oregon and California coasts and over to Goodyear (near Phoenix) to visit good friends and then home again.

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(A picture of the culprits!)

Apparently the trailer was really tired of being out in the cold weather and talked the truck into a little nefarious yet harmless prank at our expense. All things considered, I think it was a grand plan. We had a wonderful time and if was so nice to sit outside in February and early March  without wondering when the chilblains were going to appear. (The picture below was taken somewhere on the California coast when we stopped to enjoy a picnic lunch.)

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Anyway, we had a marvelous time and we sincerely hope the trailer develops a case of Cold Weather Fatigue Syndrome (CWFS) again next year. (BTW – don’t bother Googleing CWFS. The name itself is so self explanatory that it has never been necessary to write a single word about this winter ailment.)

So what has all this to do with pepper steaks? Not a darn thing. I simply wanted to explain why I mysteriously disappeared from blogging for a month. (I thought you might be worried, you see.) Anyway, I’m back. And after I get finished preparing food for this next Sunday’s JazzVox concert, I will be back to my usual schedule of several postings a week. In the mean time, back to pepper steaks.

Covered with peppercorns and drizzled with a lovely sauce is Mr. Cs favorite way to eat a steak. And this recipe, which is ever so easy to prepare, tastes better than most peppercorn steaks you can find in even upper end restaurants. All it takes is a trip to your local meat market and a few additional ingredients. Then get out your heaviest pan and fry yourself up a winner. I hope you enjoy this once in awhile treat as much as we do.

  • 2 room temperature thick steaks (your choice) trimmed of all visible fat
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 T. cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T. bourbon
  • ¼ c. dry red wine
  • ¼ c. beef stock
  • 1 T. unsalted butter

Cover the room temperature steaks with salt and cracked pepper. Press the peppercorns into the meat as well as possible. Pour the olive oil into a heavy skillet and heat to almost smoking before adding the steaks. Reduce the heat to medium high and cook the steaks for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second side for medium rare. Remove the steaks to plates. Tent the steaks with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Remove the pan from heat and drain any excess fat. Add the bourbon, return the pan to low heat and reduce the bourbon until the pan is nearly dry. Add the red wine, raise the heat to medium, and reduce the wine by half. Add the beef stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until reduced again by half. Whisk the butter into the sauce and pour over the plated steaks.

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The steaks are great served with a big old baked potato and a green veggie or salad. Oh, and a lovely bottle of red wine, of course!