Archive for Beef

Coffee Marinated Flank Steak

November 11, 2009 at 8:56 pm · Filed under Beef ·Tagged , , ,

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I’m a sucker for a terrific marinade.  I love that they always go together so quickly and then they get popped into the refrigerator while I move through my day.  All of the credit for this amazing marinade (with perfectly tasty results) goes to the Food Network.  My husband enjoyed this one quite a bit and marveled at how tender the meat was.  Well, “marvel” might not be it exactly, but he did comment that it was tender and he doesn’t hand out the compliments readily.  I loved this recipe so much that it may go into regular rotation. 

Coffee Marinated Flank Steak

Ingredients

3 tbsp strong coffee

1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp whole black peppercorns, crushed

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 lb flank steak

 

Method

Whisk all ingredients together, except flank steak.  Place flank steak into zipper top bag and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. 

Set oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Remove flank steak from marinade and place inside roasting pan.*  Broil steak for 6 minutes and then turn over.  Broil on other side for 8 minutes.  Let steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Kitchen Note:  Ovens vary widely.  Through trial and error (i.e., a less than perfect flank steak) I’ve learned that the timing referenced above works.  You may need to broil for 1 or 2 minutes longer on the first side.

*I use an Emile Henry roasting pan tobroil flank and skirt steaks and it is perfect for roasting whole chickens too.   Purchase one here.

 

 

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Beef Stew with Red Wine and Mushrooms

October 16, 2009 at 12:28 pm · Filed under Beef ·Tagged , , , , ,

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This recipe is similar to my first beef stew post, but has a few less ingredients but still has the same bold flavors that most of us enjoy in a beef stew recipe.  It will also make your home smell amazing as it simmers on your stove top.

I made this a couple of weeks ago for my family.  My youngest ate the carrots, but the older ones at everything except the mushrooms (with lots of egg noodles resting underneath).  I’ve left out the onions in this stew recipe as I realize there are more than a few onion-haters out there.  Personally, I happen to be a big fan (definately my father’s daughter).

Beef Stew with Red Wine and Mushrooms

1/4 cup flour

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 lbs beef stew meat, cut to 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup red wine

32-ounces beef broth or stock

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

2 bay leaves

4 large carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch thickness

1 container of sliced mushrooms (white or cremini, your choice)

Method

 Combine the flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Dredge beef in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. 

In a large stock pot, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, brown beef on all sides in stock pot.  This may take up 7-8 minutes per batch.  Return beef to pot.  Add wine and broth (or stock, if using)and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and add paprika, oregano and both bay leaves.  Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour. 

Uncover pot and add carrots and mushrooms.  Cover pot and simmer for 45 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Kitchen Note:  Do not crowd the pot when browning the beef.  Crowding limits the beef from browning on all sides.  Browning is part of what will give your stew great flavor.

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Sloppy Joes in a Hurry

October 15, 2009 at 6:01 pm · Filed under Beef, Calling all kids! ·Tagged , , , ,

sloppy joes 003While I admit this is no food-stylist-arranged photo here (obvious, I know), I  hope you’ll take a look at this recipe and method below. 

It comes together rather easily and there is no long simmer time or lots of steps.  You can shorten the ingredient list or toss in what you have on hand (diced red or green bell pepper would be nice additions).

And one more thing, it re-heats beautifully the next day for lunch (or freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month).

 Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes (drained)

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp prepared Dijon mustard

1 tsbp liquid smoke

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 cup frozen corn (I used Green Giant shoepeg corn)

Kosher salt to taste

Method

In large saute pan over medium-high heat, brown beef and onions together.  Stir and break up beef.  Cook until no pink remains.  Drain, if necessary.

Add next 7 ingredients and stir to combine.  Lower heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes until heated through.  Serve on rolls.

Kitchen Note:  You can add 1-2 tbsp brown sugar and eliminate liquid smoke to make a sweeter sloppy joe.  You can also use ground chicken, turkey or a combination of beef and pork.

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Dinner Tonight: Stuffed Peppers

August 29, 2009 at 2:25 pm · Filed under Beef ·Tagged , ,

April and May 2009 041Tonight’s dinner is an easy one, but always a favorite at our house:  stuffed peppers.  I’m using some old standby’s like ground beef, mozzarella cheese and chopped onion, but then using a couple of ingredients to punch it up such as ground allspice, and freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano and Romano cheeses.  I’ve also used boil-in-a-bag brown rice to speed things along but keep it healthy at the same time.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

1 3 1/2 ounce package of boil-in-a-bag brown rice

4 medium-sized bell peppers (you can certainly used red or orange)

3/4 lb lean ground beef

1 Cup Vidalia onion, chopped (substitute brown or yellow)

1/2 Cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1 Cup tomato-basil sauce

3/4 Cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1/4-1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese

1/8-1/4 Cup freshly grated Romano cheese (Romano is a saltier cheese so be careful with the quantity)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare rice according to package directions.  Cool in mixing bowl.   Wash bell peppers.  Cut tops off of peppers and remove seeds and membranes; discard.  Heat large stock pot filled with water to boiling.  Submerge prepared bell peppers and parboil for 5 minutes.  Drain and cool peppers so you can handle.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, saute ground beef and onions until meat is cooked through and no pink remains.  Stir beef so that it crumbles.  Add beef-onion mixture to mixing bowl with brown rice.  Add parsley, salt, and allspice.  Combine thoroughly.  Fill prepared bell peppers with meat mixture, topping each with tomato-basil sauce and topping each fill pepper with mozzarella cheese.

Place filled peppers into baking dish.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.

After removing from the oven.  Uncover baking dish and top with grated Parmagiano-Reggiano and Romano cheeses, if desired.  Serve.

Yield: 4 servings

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Marinated Flank Steak

August 28, 2009 at 8:34 pm · Filed under Beef ·Tagged , , , ,

I know I’ve talked about marinating before in this blog and in others, but it really is simple to pull together a great meal and as long as you don’t over-cook the flank steak, you’re in for a real treat at your table tonight. 

There is a lot of room to play with the ingredients in this recipe (as in many marinades).  For example, if you don’t care for onions (there are shallots in this recipe) leave them out.  The key ingredients are the wine, the thyme and to season the meat well with salt and pepper.

For more on flank steaks, check out my previous post here.

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Marinated Flank Steak

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs flank steak

3/4 cup good red wine

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium shallots, diced

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place flank steak into large zipper-top bowl.  Place steak into bag.  Place bag inside of medium-sized mixing bowl.   Add next six ingredients to bag.  Close top of bag and combine, using hands all ingredients.  Place bag back inside of mixing bowl and refrigerate for two hours.

Pre-heat broiler.  Place flank steak in broiler pan.  Discard marinade.  Season steak with salt and pepper.   Broil steak about 4 inches from heat source for about 7 minutes per side (steak will be medium-rare).  Remove steak from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.

Yield:  4 servings

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Meat Loaf

March 9, 2009 at 11:14 pm · Filed under Beef ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Lately my husband has made a few requests for dinners.  This doesn’t happen too often and just when I think he’s going to request something new or interesting, he hits me with an old standby:  meat loaf.  Now, I’m a meatloaf fan myself but we still have some trouble talking our kids into enjoying it for dinner so we generally prepare ourselves for the moans and groans, as well as my favorite:  “…but I’ve tried it and I don’t like it.”  Oh well.

Certain things just work well in a meatloaf:  lean, ground beef, not too much filler, good seasoning and a traditional glaze on top with ketchup.  So here is a version I made earlier today to serve at tonight’s dinner.    And, as my husband left with my oldest to attend a Cub Scout meeting, he said:  “That was a good dinner.”  I guess those old standby’s will always have a place in my monthly rotation.

In this recipe I’m using portabello (or portabella, depending on marketing) which are basically crimini mushrooms that are all grown up.  Once they get to 4-6 inches (cap size) they get a new name:  portabello!  You can easily substitute cremini or any other mushroom for that matter into this recipe.  I already had baby portabellos on hand, so that’s what I used.  You can read a lot about  the various varieties at the Mushroom Council and find some great recipes as well.

Sliced and ready to serve.
Sliced and ready to serve.

Meat Loaf

 
Ingredients
 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, minced (I mince it because of the kiddos but you can certainly do a dice or small chop)
1 cup portabello (or Baby Portabellas) mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt and fresh ground, black pepper
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 lbs lean, ground beef
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup dry, plain bread crumbs (or fresh breadcrumbs made from day-old French bread)
1 1/2 cups ketchup, divided
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp light brown sugar
 
Method
 Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray baking sheet very lightly with oil. 
 
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  When hot, add onion and saute for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add mushrooms, bay leaf and thyme.  Season with Kosher salt and black pepper.  Saute for 5 minutes.   Add minced garlic and stirring constantly, saute for 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and stir in chopped parsley.  Remove vegetable mixture to medium mixing bowl to cool.
 
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, 3/4 cup ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and cooled vegetable mixture.  Mix with hands just until combined.  Do not overmix.
 
Place mixture onto center of prepared baking sheet creating a “loaf” shape.    There should be approximately 1-2 inches of space around the meat loaf from its edge to the edge of the baking sheet.  In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining ketchup with brown sugar.   Spread atop meat loaf and  place in center of oven.
 
Let finished meat loaf stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
 
6 servings

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Feeling Nostalgic

March 5, 2009 at 1:36 pm · Filed under Beef ·Tagged , , ,

cookies-stew-chicken-006It snowed here in my new town this week (Monday actually) and I was feeling nostalgic for the my childhood on Long Island in the 70’s:  snow on the ground, sledding (my kids used a Boogie Board because they’re California kids) and something cooking all day in the kitchen for that night’s dinner.  My parents made a lot of the cuisine of the 70’s including stews, veal, casseroles, meatloaf and many of my mother’s Italian specialties.  My Dad loved a good slow cooker meal and beef stew was one of his favorites. 

 I created this particular recipe for the cooktop and it’s quite simple.  Incidentally, my local grocer had stew meat on sale so I added it to my menu when I went shopping last Sunday. 

Beef Stew with Baby Portabellas

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions, cut in half and then sliced thinly

2 cups sliced portabellas ( found these at Trader Joes)

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

3/4 cup good quality dry, red wine

2 tbsp tomato paste (I used Amore brand found at Amazon)

2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

4 cups peel carrots, cut into 1/4 -inch diagonal slices

2 medium Russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 cup celery, cut into 1-inch diagonal slices

1 tbsp flour (whisked into 1 tbsp broth from stew)

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Place flour into zip-top bag.  Season with salt and pepper (no measurement needed here).  Mix flour with seasonings.  Add beef stew meat in batches and coat with seasoned flour.  Heat large heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add beef in batches (do not crowd pot) and saute until browned.  Place browned beef onto plate.

Add onions and mushrooms to pot; saute for 6 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more (be careful not to burn garlic).  Pour off fat from stock pot.  Add red wine and cook for 2 minutes.  Add beef, tomato paste and beef broth.  Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer until beef is tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

Add carrots, potatoes and celery.  Cover pot partially with lid.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are cooked and tender.

Uncover pot and stir in flour/broth mxture.  Increase heat and bring stew to a boil for 1 minute.  Adjust seasonings if necessary before serving. 

Serve in individual bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

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Flank Steak 101

July 18, 2008 at 2:50 am · Filed under Beef

or how exactly do I cook that thing?  Earlier, I posted a simple, no-fail recipe for marinating a flank steak.  And again, there are a million recipes on the web and inside your favorite cookbooks.  Then, while going through my own recipe archive I realized that I hadn’t really discussed this cut of meat and why it would be such a great addtion to your usually rotation of recipes.

This is a flank steak (raw, of course).
This is a flank steak (raw, of course).

A flank steak is a long, think cut of beef full of tough connective tissue and is found near the hindquarters of the animal.  If you are a beef lover who is looking for the meat “to melt in your mouth,” than this is not the cut for you.  But, what it offers (if cooked properly) is exceptional beefy flavor.

By the way, a flank steak is not the same as a skirt steak.  The skirt steak has risen in popularity in the recent years and is taken from the diaghram muscle of the animal.  The grain of the skirt steak runs across it, rather than the length of the cut like the flank steak (note the photo).
If you are planning to grill your flank steak, you may want to consider cutting into the steak to creat a cross-hatch pattern.  It will look like diamonds.  Never cut all the way through.  This technique will help prevent the steak from curling, particularly on the thinner ends of the steak.
And, most importantly when broiling or grilling your steak, watch the timer carefully.  Nothing ruins a flank steak like overcooking.  It will become tough and unappetizing.  Shoot for rare to medium-rare and you’ll have a great meal.  Finally, let the meat rest for about 5 minutes after you remove it from the heat source.  This will keep the juices (those tasty, beefy juices) from running all over your cutting board.  You want the juice to stay put for great flavor.

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