Posts filed under 'Beef'
I’m backlogged — this was Tuesday’s dinner. I made Spicy Sauteed Chickpeas, Beef & Cilantro, but adjusted it a bit, inspired by some feedback from Ranee. I added sauteed onion and sweet red pepper, and omitted the vegetable stock. It was delicious, although I think I like how the chickpeas soften a bit more when there’s more liquid in the pan. It’s an easy recipe to adjust based on what you have in the house. The only thing I think is absolutely necessary is lots and lots of cilantro.
On the side, I roasted yellow squash, which was simply cut into rough chunks and tossed with salt, pepper, a smidgen of olive oil, and lemon juice (from a lemon-shaped plastic bottle, I confess). The citrus flavor was a nice addition, and seemed perfectly matched not just with the light, fresh flavor of the squash but also its sunny color.
September 12th, 2008
This is one of J.’s grilling specialties (he makes an awesome hamburger, too). We stack bamboo skewers with slices of sweet onion, red peppers, pineapple chunks, and beef, then brush with a 50/50 mix of Saucy Susan (peach-apricot sauce) and Open Pit barbecue sauce. Grill until caramelized and the meat is cooked through.
They are divine — no matter how many kebobs you make, they’re always all eaten. I can’t get enough of pineapple on the grill!
June 15th, 2008
This is my second attempt at stuffed peppers in my crock pot — the first time turned out tasty, but I got the quantities all wrong. This time the quantities are correct and they’re still tasty! My mother-in-law and GG thought it was one of my better meals (and they are fans of my cooking in general); I enjoyed it and would make it again but it’s a little on the bland side.
I used a braising greens mix from my farm share to bump up the vegetable content of the meat mixture. They were a lot more subtle than I expected, especially since they were very aromatic (sharp, mustard-like) when I was chopping them. You could substitute any other green leafy vegetable, such as fresh spinach. Mushrooms would work well, too.
I also used unseasoned, boxed (Pomi brand) chopped tomatoes and some vegetable broth as the sauce and seasoned it with a bit of garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper; a jarred marinara would likely work just as well.
You end up with a complete one-pot meal: protein, veggies, and starch in a colorful, edible container.
Slow Cooker Beef, Barley & Veggie Stuffed Peppers
1/2 c. pearled barley
1½ c. water
26 oz. chopped tomatoes in their liquid
1 c. vegetable broth
garlic powder, oregano to taste
6 medium bell peppers, any color
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 oz. tomato paste
1½ c. braising greens, finely chopped
1 small onion, minced (about 1 c.)
ground pepper
Bring barley and water to a boil in a covered pot, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain any excess water and set aside, uncovered, to cool.
Combine chopped tomatoes, broth, and spices in the bottom of your crock pot.
Wash and cut the tops off of your peppers, reserving the tops. Remove seeds and pith, and set peppers aside.
Remove the stems from the pepper tops and chop the remaining pepper pieces. In a large bowl, combine pepper pieces, beef, tomato paste, greens, onion, and ground pepper. Mix well with clean hands.
Stuff peppers with the meat mixture, and stand them upright in your crock pot. Spoon some of the sauce mixture on top of the peppers. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
Remove peppers and serve remaining sauce on the side.
June 6th, 2008
This dish was a nice surprise — I chose it only because I wasn’t able to get to the grocery store, and yet I had everything I needed at hand. Usually I can get a feel for how something will taste after it’s cooked just by reading the ingredients, but the combination of whole cloves with lemon and garlic was stumping me. (Or perhaps it’s just that I haven’t been getting much sleep.)
The braised skirt steak tasted comfortable and familiar, yet with the creamy-looking gravy (which I forgot to add in the photo above) it can certainly be made for company. Dredging the meat before pan-frying (which leaves a soft, tender coating on the meat as it cooks), plus the lemon, reminded me a bit of a francese sauce. And there was an element of pot roast flavor, too, but less earthy.
After the initial pan-frying, this recipe could be completed in a crock pot instead of on the stove. I will probably try that next time, since I’m not usually home in time to start dinner two hours before we eat (the prep is short, but it simmers on the stove for an hour and a half).
An important note: when you’re blending the sauce, make sure the liquid in your pan is deep enough to use an immersion blender! Mine wasn’t quite, and I briefly sprayed the sauce all over myself and the kitchen. I had to remove the sauce to a tall, heat-proof container and blend it in there instead. You can also use a regular blender, of course.
Braised Skirt Steak with Garlic Sauce
Adapted from Braised Flank Steak with Lemon and Garlic
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
black pepper (about 10 grinds)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
3 lbs. skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 6″ lengths
3 c. vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
12 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
6 whole cloves
Combine first three ingredients and spread flour mixture out on a dinner plate. While the oil is heating in a large skillet, dredge the skirt steak pieces in the flour mixture. Then add to the hot skillet and cook until browned on both sides. (I needed to do this in two batches, but I did not add more oil.)
Add remaining ingredients to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for an hour and a half, or until the meat is tender. Check periodically to ensure meat is mostly submerged in the liquid.
Once meat is cooked tender, remove to a plate and tent with foil.
To prepare the sauce, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any flour, meat bits, etc. Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until garlic is incorporated into the sauce, and the sauce is smooth, velvety, and creamy. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve sauce over the skirt steak (on top of brown rice is perfect). If you slice your steak before serving, do so against the grain.
May 19th, 2008
I originally planned to bake these meatballs in the oven (without the sauce), but I felt pressed for time and think that simmering them is the easiest, no-fail way to prepare them. Since I needed to use up a packet of onion soup mix, I threw that in as the seasoning — it was delicious. I know that’s a common ingredient in meatloaf, but I’d never tried it myself. Now I’m a convert. The wheat germ takes the place of more traditional breadcrumbs — it acts as a binder, but adds no flavor (just some fiber).
I’ve been buying Bove’s marinara lately, since it’s one of the only prepared sauces I can find in my supermarket without added sugar. It’s very good and I’d recommend it if you can find it.
We served this over spaghetti, natch, and with sauteed red, yellow, and green peppers, mushrooms, and onions on the side.
Meatballs Simmered in Tomato Sauce
Makes about 2 dozen meatballs
2 lb. lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 packet onion soup mix
1/4 c. wheat germ
2 26-oz. jars marinara sauce
Using your hands, combine first four ingredients in a bowl until they are well-mixed.
Pour one jar of sauce into a pot. Form meatballs into balls (about a heaping tablespoon per meatball), and drop into sauce — it’s OK if they’re not in a single layer. Top with remaining jar of sauce, and cover pot.
Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Then lower flame and simmer for 45 minutes.
April 8th, 2008
This Cuban-inspired dish is one of the first meals I ever made in my crock pot when I got it years ago, and it’s a keeper. Easy to make, mild flavor, and good comfort food on a chilly, rainy day. Lauren suggested adding a jalapeño to the pepper mix, which would be a nice addition, I think. For now, I’m sticking with the mellow, earthy flavor of the tomato and beef slow-cooked all afternoon.
This recipe really tastes best when you take the time to brown the meat and caramelize the onions, but it works fine if you skip those steps and layer the raw ingredients in the same order (veggies, then meat, then seasonings). Just omit the tablespoon of oil.
Ropa Vieja
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. skirt steak, trimmed
3 peppers, thinly sliced (I like to use red, green, & yellow peppers)
2 carrots, diced or cut into matchsticks
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz. veggie stock
8 oz. tomato puree (or plain sauce)
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side (does not need to be cooked through) and set aside.
Layer peppers and carrots in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Saute onion and garlic in same pan in which the steak was cooked (don’t add more oil) until translucent. Add to slow cooker and arrange steak on top of veggies. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, remove beef to a cutting board and shred using two forks. Return beef to the crock and continue cooking on low for 1 hour or more.
March 31st, 2008
This meal was a big hit with me and my mom. The spices were perfect to us — just the right amount of heat, a freshness from the cilantro, and a beef dish that wasn’t very heavy. In fact, I think it was a little too easy to eat a lot of it. Next time I will either halve the beef per the original recipe, or double the chickpeas so that I get more servings.
I walked in the door at 4:30 this afternoon, and had dinner on the table at 5. I’ve mentioned before that I feel like I’m a pretty slow cook (it takes me forever to chop and slice and dice). There is minimal prep here, so it’s truly a 30-minute meal. I intended to serve a light cucumber salad (slice cucumbers, onions, and a little olive oil and vinegar) but I forgot to buy the cukes. Oops. Instead we used up some Dr. Praeger’s spinach pancakes and the leftover butternut squash and apples from last night. I also served it with toasted pita bread, though I don’t think it needs a starch.
G. actually ate a piece of pita! It may sound crazy to be excited about him trying something as vanilla as pita bread, but I am thrilled when anything unfamiliar is embraced. As usual, A. was vocal in his disapproval of the meal, and ate an apple instead. At least he’s been getting his fruit servings lately.
Spicy Sauteed Chickpeas, Beef & Cilantro
Adapted from Spicy Sauteed Chickpeas with Beef and Cilantro
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (I use the salt-free version)
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained with 1 c. liquid reserved
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. garlic, minced
black pepper (about 10 grinds)
1 c. vegetable stock
1 c. cilantro, finely chopped
In a large non-stick skillet, crumble ground beef and brown on high heat. Use a spatula to break up the beef as it cooks — you do not want any large pieces. Sprinkle with Spike Seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add drained chickpeas and continue cooking on high heat until chickpeas and beef are browned — about another 5 minutes. Add cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic, and pepper and stir to combine. Then add the 1 c. reserved liquid from the chickpeas, plus the vegetable stock.
Cook uncovered on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the pan is almost dry. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Adjust seasonings and serve.
March 25th, 2008
When I was planning my meals for the week last Sunday, what to make for tonight’s dinner stumped me. I needed something in the crock pot because I knew we’d get home right at dinnertime, and I wanted to use up meat from my freezer. My friend Carol at Pure Sugar suggested inventing some sort of stuffed pepper soup, and that inspired me to cut right to the chase and just make stuffed peppers. (Carol is the person that introduced me to blogging back in 2000!)
It was just one mistake after another getting dinner made this afternoon. First, I realized that I had defrosted a pair of 1-lb. packages of ground beef when I had intended to only do one. OK, so we’re doubling the recipe. Then the meat wasn’t defrosted fully, and I really didn’t want to have to cook it before throwing it into the peppers. My 20-year old microwave came to the rescue — it actually has a “defrost ground beef” and I used it successfully tonight. Whoo hoo! Score one for the cook.
I was running late, so I only partially cooked the barley on the stove (for 20 minutes instead of 45) before adding it to the meat mixture — I am not that experienced cooking with barley, and I wasn’t sure if putting it in to the crock pot raw would work. Next time I’ll skip the extra cooking step, it would have been fine, I think. In addition to the meat and barley, the stuffing included 1 can of condensed tomato soup (next time I would just use tomato paste), 8 oz. mushrooms (chopped), about a cup of parsley (finely chopped), 2 tsp. garlic, and 1/2 c. green onion (thinly sliced), ground pepper, and the diced tops that I cut off my five red, yellow, and orange peppers.
I only wound up using about a quarter to a third of the stuffing in the actual peppers (4 large and one small pepper). Then I slapped the rest of the meat mixture into an 8×8 pan and baked it like a meatloaf in my toaster oven for an hour at 350° F. (Merrie, you must be so proud of me! I made meatloaf!) I’ll freeze it for another time.
For the peppers that went into the crock pot: I mixed 8 oz. vegetable stock and a 28-oz. can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes in the crock. I placed the 5 gently-stuffed peppers in the liquid, and then spooned some of the liquid on top of the stuffing. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
The peppers were very tender — no knife needed! And I was a little concerned about the dish tasting greasy since the meat had not been browned beforehand. However, this was actually the least-greasy beef dish I’ve ever cooked in my crock pot. It was overall a very comforting, easy dish. We sopped up all the tomato sauce with challah. Or, if you are my kids, you just ate challah.
All in all, I wound up with a delicious dinner but not quite a recipe to share — the proportions were just too off. If you tinker around with your own stuffed pepper version, let me know in the comments.
March 13th, 2008
This is the most involved crock pot recipe I make, since it involves a significant amount of time browning the meat and then sauteeing the onions before they go into the slow cooker. You need to do these steps, though, because the ribs are so fatty (even when well-trimmed).
I follow a rule of 1 lb. of short ribs per person, which makes for very generous servings. Some recipes suggest a half pound per person — probably 3/4 lb per is about right.
This is my favorite beef recipe, other than steak — I’m not usually a fan of stew-type dishes, so that’s saying something! Thanks to my father-in-law for taking the photo above and helping us eat up the ribs.
Orange-Hoisin Short Ribs
Adapted from Parents magazine
*Note: This recipe completely fills my 6-quart slow cooker.
6 lbs. beef short ribs, trimmed
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 tsp. crushed garlic (6 cloves)
2 heaping Tbsp. grated ginger (fresh is best, but I used jarred)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 c. vegetable broth
1/3 c. hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 orange, squeezed for juice and with the entire peel zested
chopped scallions for garnish
In a large skillet, sear ribs in two batches until golden brown, wiping the rendered fat out of the pan in between the first and second batch. (You’re just looking for color, they do not need to be cooked through.) Transfer ribs to your crock pot.
In the fat rendered from the second batch of ribs, saute onion over a medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, cooking for another 5 minutes.
Add onion mixture on top of the ribs. Then add remaining ingredients except for scallions, and cover. Cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a serving bowl (most of the bones will have separated from the meat). Garnish with scallions. Then ladle liquid into a fat separator and serve the strained gravy on the side.
February 24th, 2008
My friend Sharon, who inspires me with her own meal planning, had made this goulash recipe successfully for her family and recommended it to me. It was an instant hit with J., and it’s great to make for a crowd since you prep it in the morning and then just let it cook all day. I am not much of a stew person, but even I enjoy this dish on a cold day.
J.’s Favorite Goulash
Adapted from Hungarian Goulash in Fix-It and Forget-It
2 lbs. beef stew meat, in 1-2 inch pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. ketchup (reduced sugar works fine)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tsp. Hungarian hot paprika
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1 c. vegetable broth
2 8-oz. packages fresh mushrooms, sliced (I like baby bellas)
Place meat in a lined slow cooker, making sure it is evenly distributed across the bottom of the crock. Layer remaining items on top — with a final layer of mushrooms covering it all — making sure to distribute the spices evenly.
Cover. Cook on LOW 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, remove meat and vegetables to a serving bowl. Then ladle liquid into a fat separator and serve the strained gravy on the side.
February 17th, 2008
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I'm Dara, the chick in the kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 3 and 5, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Reach me at .