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Category Archives: Beef

Meals with Family and Friends, Part 2 – London Broil with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

This was actually a meal we made while my family was here visiting last week and it was the one I forgot to take a picture of. I wanted to make an easy dinner that could easily feed a crowd, and my brother generously offered up a couple of London broils he had in the freezer for us to use for dinner that night. I found this very easy recipe from Food Republic that is a very basic recipe with a nice marinade and it makes a great horseradish sauce to serve alongside the beef.

London Broil with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

For the London Broil:

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 to 2 1/2 pounds top round London broil or flank steak

For the Creamy Horseradish Sauce:

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives

To make the London broil, Mix together all of the ingredients except for the meat. Place the meat in a shallow dish and cover it with the marinade. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but no more than 24 hours.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before cooking. Preheat a grill to high, oil the grate, and set it 5 to 6 inches above the coals. If you are cooking the meat indoors, preheat the broiler to high and set a rack 5 to 6 inches below the heat source.

Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Grill (or broil on a broiler pan) on each side for 6 minutes for rare or 7 to 9 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the meat to a carving board and allow it to rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Slice the meat at a 45-degree angle across the grain and serve with the horseradish sauce.

For the horseradish sauce, Whisk all the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Place the sauce in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld. Serve in a ramekin beside the meat.

This is a very simple recipe that produces a great tasting steak. The marinade really helps to break down some of the toughness of the meat and gives it fantastic flavor. I also really liked the horseradish sauce as a side dish and it goes really well with any kind of steak or beef meal that you make. We served this with mashed potatoes and asparagus, but baked potatoes would go really well with this as well and any steamed vegetable would be an ideal side. I wish I had remembered to take a picture of this one as it was a good one that is easy to make for any night of the week.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I still have a simple pan seared rib eye steak with a nice red wine sauce, some fall vegetable risotto, and a simple sautéed spinach among other recipes to share. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on October 18, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Sauce

Tags: creamy horseradish sauce, Food Republic, grilled London broil, horseradish sauce, london broil, London broil with creamy horseradish sauce

Sunday Dinner on a Saturday, Part 1 – Sunday Slow-Roasted Chuck Roast

06 Oct

For many families, having a roast on Sunday is something of a tradition. I can remember having the meal as a child either at my parents’ home or at my grandparents’ home fairly regularly. Unfortunately, really good cuts of beef for roasts have gotten very expensive, making the roast something that does not happen very often. Even just getting a cut like an eye round or top sirloin can be quite expensive unless it happens to be on a good sale. The chuck eye roast is not one I typically buy because it is quite fatty. it’s fine if you are going to cube it up for a beef stew or even use it to grind for your own hamburgers, but it can be tough to turn a quality roast dinner into this cut of beef. That is why when I saw this recipe in the latest issue of Cook’s Country magazine, it intrigued me enough to want to give it a try. They take the chuck roast and transform it into a tender roast fit for a Sunday meal.

Slow-Roasted Chuck Roast

1 (5- to 6-pound) center-cut boneless beef chuck-eye roast

5 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup prepared horseradish, drained

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Separate the roast into two pieces along the natural seam of the roast and trim the fat to 1/4-inch thickness. Tie kitchen twine around the larger roast at 1-inch intervals. Cut the smaller roast into 1-inch cubes. Combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, and granulated garlic in a bowl. Rub the surface of the tied roast evenly with half of the spice mixture and wrap it in plastic wrap. Transfer the beef cubes to a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; add the remaining spice mixture to the bag, seal, and toss to coat the beef cubes. Refrigerate the tied roast and the beef cubes for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the tied roast on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes total; transfer to a plate.

Return the now-empty skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until just smoking. Add the cubed beef and brown on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook, stirring constantly, until the beef is evenly coated, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until the pan is dry, about 1 minute. Add the beef and chicken broths and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 1 hour.

Uncover the skillet and place the browned roast on top of the cubed meat. Return the skillet to the oven and continue to cook, uncovered, until the cubed meat is fork tender and the roast registers about 150 degrees, about 1 hour longer. Transfer the roast to a carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash the cubed meat until it is shredded into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the shredded and gravy to a separate dish to cool completely and use for another meal.

While the roast is resting, make the horseradish sauce. Whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream, horseradish, Dijon mustard, garlic and pepper until it is smooth.

Remove the twine from the roast and slice thin. Serve the roast with the horseradish sauce.

There are a couple of things about this recipe. The cubed meat and gravy can be used for another recipe that I plan to make tomorrow that is included with this recipe in Cook’s Country. It is for roast beef po’boys and is simple to make. I did save 4 tablespoons of the drippings and also used that to make a side dish of Yorkshire pudding, the recipe I will post tomorrow. Even at rest at 150 degrees, the roast when sliced was still pink in the center and juicy and flavorful. While this is a little bit hotter temperature than usual for a medium-rare, with this cut of beef it does help to make the beef flavorful and not chewy. The twine does help to hold it together for slicing nice roast slices instead of it falling apart.It is a nice Sunday recipe to try with an inexpensive cut of beef to help save you some money and you do get extra meals out of it as well. I served this with a braised cauliflower, roasted potatoes and the Yorkshire pudding. I’ll be posting the recipes for the cauliflower and Yorkshire pudding tomorrow.

That’s all I have for today. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the roast after I took it out and sliced it, so I don’t have one of it to show. I apologize for that. Check back next time for the other recipes from this meal. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on October 6, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce

Tags: Cook's Country, horseradish sauce, roasted chuck roast, slow-roasted chuck roast

You Can Never Have Too Many Meatloaf Recipes

20 Sep

It seems like every time I look at a cooking magazine or cooking website, there is a new recipe for a way to make meatloaf. Don’t get me wrong; I love meatloaf and could probably eat it every week, but I would have to try new recipes just to keep it from getting boring. I think that is why I am always willing to give a new meatloaf recipe a try. I saw this one in the recent edition of Cook’s Country magazine and it looked like it would have great texture and an interesting flavor to it, so I thought I would give it a try.

Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy

1 cup water

1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed

16 square saltine crackers

10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped fine

Salt and pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground pork

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound ground beef

3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Microwave the water and the porcini mushrooms in a covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let the porcini mushrooms sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the porcini mushrooms from the bowl with a fork and mince them. Strain the porcini liquid through a strainer lined with a coffee filter and reserve 3/4 cup.

Process the saltines in a food processor until they are finely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer the crackers to a large bowl. Pulse half of the white mushrooms in the food processor until they are finely ground, about 8 to 10 pulses.

Heat the vegetable in a large, non-stick, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until it is browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the processed white mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook until any liquid present evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the bowl with the saltines and allow it to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Once the mixture has cooled, add the pork, eggs, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/4 cup of the reserved porcini mushroom liquid to the cooled saltine-white mushroom mixture and knead gently until it is mostly combined. Add the beef and knead until the mixture is well combined. Transfer the meat mixture to the now-empty skillet and shape into a 10″ x 6″ loaf. Bake until the meatloaf registers 160 degrees, about 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board using a spatula and tent it loosely with aluminum foil.

Thinly slice the remaining white mushrooms. Discard any solids from the skillet and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. If you don’t have enough fat left in the pan after removing the meatloaf, you can supplement it with melted butter or vegetable oil. Heat the fat over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Add the sliced white mushrooms and the minced porcini mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until a deep golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, the remaining 1/2 cup of reserved porcini liquid and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits in the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the meatloaf and serve with the mushroom gravy.

I really liked this recipe. There is nothing better than having a good gravy with your meatloaf and this recipe certainly gives you that. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, you may not go for the gravy but Michelle and Sean are not big fans of mushrooms and they loved the meatloaf. The texture of it was perfect, it sliced nicely and tasted great. Cooking in the skillet instead of a loaf pan made a big difference in keeping the meatloaf from getting soggy and falling apart.Sauteing the vegetables to mix into the meatloaf also made a big difference. You also get to do everything in one pan to help save on cleaning up. I served this with mashed potatoes and some fresh steamed broccoli. I’ll be using this recipe again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for more great recipes. I still have lots to go through of recipes I have gotten from magazines and online lately, so we’ll see what comes along for next week. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 20, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Gravy

Tags: Cook's Country, Cook's Country meatloaf with mushroom gravy, meatloaf recipe, meatloaf with mushroom gravy, mushroom gravy

Twisting a Classic: Spaghetti (Squash) and Meatballs

12 Sep

As sacrilegious as it may sound, I don’t like pasta. I have never eaten it, even when I was a little kid. I don’t know if it’s the taste, flavor, texture or what, but I just don’t like it. Don’t get me wrong; if I am at someone’s home and that’s what they serve, I am eating it without a fuss. Do I go out of my way to make it at home? No, not for me. I do make it for Michelle and Sean, who both love pasta, but I make something else for myself. So when I decided I was making meatballs this week, I wanted to try something different. It was lucky that I had come across this recipe from Food Network recently to give me the inspiration.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 large eggs

1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 28-ounce cans tomato puree

2 large sprigs basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle the cut sides with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and then brush both sides with olive oil. Put the squash, cut side up, in a baking dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 20 minutes, then uncover the squash and continue roasting until the squash is tender, about 35 more minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Pulse the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor to make a paste. Transfer half of the vegetable paste to a bowl; add the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix with your hands until it is just combined. Form the mixture into about 24 two-inch meatballs; transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs until they are firm but not cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining vegetable paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it looks dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree; rinse each can with 1 cup of water and add it to the pot. Stir in the basil, oregano and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the meatballs and simmer until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the basil.

Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash flesh into strands; transfer the squash to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste. Divide the squash among plates or bowls and top each with some meatballs, sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

A couple of notes about this recipe. This particularly recipe makes a lot of sauce and meatballs, so you will have leftovers to store or freeze if you like. You can store the sauce and meatballs for up to a month in the freezer. You can always skip making the sauce and just use your favorite jarred sauce if you choose to go that route. I have tried multiple meatball recipes and posted several of them on here. This one is one of the more flavorful I have tried, so it’s worth a shot. Everyone really liked the spaghetti squash as an alternative. I thought Sean would resist, but he really liked it too. There is a great flavor from the squash and it goes well with the meatballs.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for another recipe. I did make the lemon icebox pie, so you’ll want to check back for that one. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 12, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: food network, meatballs recipe, spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash and meatballs

Having an Easy London Broil Meal

31 Aug

London broil is one of those cuts of meat that cries out for seasoning and marinade. When you cook it and season it right it can be a great meal at a very reasonable price. Leave it plain and overcook it and you might as well just eat a sneaker. I had picked up a London broil on sale recently and decided to make it for dinner last night using this recipe I picked up from Food Network. All that’s really required is the time to let the meat sit in the marinade; the cooking time itself is only about 15 minutes.

London Broil with Herb Butter

3/4 cup beef broth

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 top round London broil steak (about 2 pounds)

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Prepare the steak: Pour the beef broth into a medium bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade and seal, squeezing out the air. Refrigerate the steak for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Prepare the herb butter: Mix the butter with the chives, parsley, tarragon, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and the lemon juice in a bowl.

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade. Dry the steak well with paper towels and bring it to room temperature. Heat a large skillet over high heat, about 2 minutes. Rub the steak with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over the surface of the pan; add the meat and set a heavy skillet on top to weigh it down. Sear the steak for about 7 minutes; turn the steak, replace the weight over the steak and cook until a thermometer inserted into the side of the steak registers 110 degrees for medium-rare, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board, brush with some of the herb butter, tent with aluminum foil and allow the steak to rest for about 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and top with more of the herb butter.

The herb butter adds a really nice flavor to the steak and the marinade is tasty but not overpowering at all. You want to make sure that you don’t overcook this cut of meat. It gets very chewy pretty quickly, even if you marinade to help break the meat down some before cooking. I actually added 1 tablespoon of Montreal steak seasoning and rubbed it into both sides of the steak before cooking just to get some extra flavor and it was great. I served this steak with mashed potatoes, some mixed vegetables and I whipped up some caramelized onions right in the pan I had cooked the steak in.

Caramelized Onions

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon butter

Add the sliced the onions to the pan you cooked the steak in along with the beef broth. Turn the heat to high and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir, allowing to cook down, about 1 minute. Add the butter to the pan and swirl to melt and coat the onions.

It’s a quick little side dish that makes up some great onions. You can try it anytime you cook any type of beef or change things up and use chicken broth when you make some chicken.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see what recipe comes along. I am starting to plan some things out for next week so check and see what I decide to make. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 31, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: caramelized onions, herb butter, london broil steak, London broil with herb butter, London broil.Food Network

A Quick Dinner of Beef Tacos

29 Aug

I am always on the lookout for quick weeknight meals that taste great. Sean had requested we have tacos for dinner a few nights ago. I like to make taco dinners because they are simple to make and clean up from and always taste great. The nice things about tacos are that, like fajitas, you can use any protein you like best for your main component. I have made and posted fish taco recipes before, but this time I thought I would keep it simple and use the ground beef we had on hand to make some beef tacos using this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen.

Beef Tacos

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

Taco shells

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until it is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink,about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar and brown sugar and simmer until the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Divide the filling evenly among the taco shells and serve, putting out any toppings or accompaniments that you wish.

If you have ever bought any of those packaged taco kits, you know that they come with a seasoning packet. Perhaps you have even bought a packet separately to use to make tacos. Do yourself a favor and just use the spice mix listed here in this recipe. It tastes a lot better than anything you will buy. Also, instead of adding the water like the packet asks you to do, you can add the tomato sauce and broth used here and get much better results and flavor.

I always serve tacos with some homemade salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese and lettuce for toppings. Very often I also have guacamole to serve as well, which I did not have this time. I made some Mexican rice to go along with it, which makes an excellent side dish for tacos.

That’s all I have for today. it’s just a simple and quick recipe today. Check back next time as I will have a recipe for london broil with herb butter that sounds pretty tasty. I also hope to have some other recipes this weekend that I have been promising to make but just haven’t had the time to get to yet. You’ll want to check back for those as the lemon icebox pie looks great and I am anxious to try making the ciabatta bread. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 29, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Rice

Meat Loaf in a Loaf

16 Aug

Finding new recipes to use to make meat loaf has proven to be pretty easy. Everyone seems to have their own variation on a meat loaf recipe depending on how they like it or what they grew up with. I try to make it a little different each time I make it, trying out a new spice or herb or blend of meat. This time, I turned to a recipe I had used a long time ago and haven’t tried in quite a while. It takes the meat loaf and places it inside a loaf of bread.

Meat Loaf in a Loaf

1 pound meatloaf mix (this is a mix of beef, pork and veal that you can get at most grocery stores)

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon celery salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder (or you could use 1 onion, chopped fine and sautéed)

3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (or dried, if you’re using store-bough)

1 large egg

1/2 cup ketchup

Tomato paste

1 loaf of French or Italian bread

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the meatloaf mix, dry mustard, celery salt, Worcestershire, oregano, pepper and onion powder until evenly blended. Add in the breadcrumbs and egg and mix again until blended, then add in the ketchup and mix again (I mix this all by hand to really work things in. It’s messy, but the results are worth it). Form the mixture into a free-form loaf.Coat the mixture with tomato paste (as much or as little as desired. I use more to get a nice coating on it). Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Using your hands hollow out the bottom and top halves of the bread to make room for the meat loaf. Place the meat loaf on the bottom half of the bread and cover it with the top half. Wrap the entire loaf well in foil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the loaf until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, about an hour and 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Place the wrapped loaf on a cutting board and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Unwrap the foil from around the loaf and slice into individual portions and serve.

One thing you can certainly do is take the bread you have hollowed out from the loaf and mash it with a little milk and use that as your binder instead of the breadcrumbs in this recipe. You can use any meatloaf recipe you like really and just hollow out the bread and make it that way. I love the way it comes out with the nice, crunchy bread around the loaf, almost like you have a small meatloaf sandwich with each slice. I served this with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, but your really could make it like a warm meatloaf sandwich and make a little beef gravy to go along with the sandwich and the potatoes.

That’s all I have for today. I’ll be away all week starting tomorrow as we are vacationing in the Outer Banks, so my posts are going to be posts and links to other sites that have some recipes I like for the week. You can check back during the week to see what comes up. Until the next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 16, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner

Tags: meat loaf in a loaf, meat loaf in a loaf of bread, meat loaf recipe

Get Your Hot Dogs Here! (And Some Good Toppings Too!)

10 Aug

I think the hot dog gets a pretty bad rap. Granted, it may not be the healthiest alternative when it comes to something to eat, but there are some hot dogs that just taste downright delicious. I can be pretty fussy about the brand of hot dog I have, but there is something about eating a hot dog at a cookout or barbecue that makes it so it doesn’t seem to matter that much what brand it may be. When I am at home, I personally prefer a Sabrett hot dog or a Nathan’s. The other requirement I have is that they need to be hot dogs with the skin on. There is something about biting into a hot dog and getting that snap that makes it just right. Anyway, I didn’t think there would be much in the way of recipes for hot dogs, and there may not be a lot of variations in the way you cook them, but there are countless toppings you can try. This recipe, from Bobby Flay, tries to make these hot dogs just like one you could get on the streets of New York with some great toppings.

New York Street Cart Dogs with Onion Sauce and Red Pepper Relish

Onion Sauce:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grilled Pepper Relish:

6 cloves roasted garlic, coarsely chopped

3 grilled red peppers, peeled, seeded and diced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus leaves for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grilled Hot Dogs:

8 all-beef kosher hot dogs

Vegetable oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Hot dog buns

Mustard

For the onion sauce: heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chile powder and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water, the ketchup, the hot sauce, salt and black pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until it is thickened and the onions are very soft, adding more water if needed, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before serving.

For the grilled pepper relish: Combine the garlic, peppers, oil, red wine vinegar and parsley in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

For the hot dogs: heat a grill to high heat for direct grilling. Brush the hot dogs with oil and sprinkle them with pepper. Grill the hot dogs until slightly charred and golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. put the hot dogs in the buns and top with mustard, onion sauce and the grilled pepper relish.

I did make a few alterations to this recipe. First, we were having pretty heavy rain and thunderstorms yesterday, so there was no grilling involved at all for me. I roasted the peppers and garlic in the oven and made the relish indoors. It also meant cooking the hot dogs inside, but instead of frying them or boiling them, I like them steamed. You get a much better snap from the hot dogs when you steam them. Just put about an inch of water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then insert a steamer basket into the pan, put the hot dogs in the basket and allow them to steam for about 3 minutes. They come out much more like a hot dog cart hot dog than grilling, in my opinion. I also added some yellow and orange pepper into the pepper relish for more color and flavor.

The onion sauce really does take like the onion sauce you can buy in the stores or get from a vendor. It was sweet with a little heat and tasted great with the mustard. The same goes for the pepper relish. You can really taste the garlic in this one, so you may even want to cut back a bit on the garlic to get more pepper flavor.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I just made the Tar Hell Pie in the latest issue of Cook’s Country magazine, so you can check back for that recipe tomorrow and see how it came out. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 10, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Sauce, Side Dishes

Tags: Bobby Flay, food network, grilled red pepper relish, hot dog toppings, hot dogs, kosher hot dogs, New York street cart dogs, onion sauce, red pepper relish

Cook’s Country Recipe Week Part 2 – A Myriad of Meatballs and Marinara

30 Jul

I think everyone has their own meatball recipe that they love. Odds are it was something that was handed down from generation to generation and you have gotten so used to having it that way that you don’t really stray from the method. There’s nothing wrong with that – if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. However, much like I am with my meatloaf recipes, I like to experiment with different meatball recipes. I am always on the lookout for something tastier when it comes to having a meatball. My experience very often with meatballs when I have had them out at various places is that they either have no flavor because they do not have much in the way of herbs and spices and are all breading, or they are soft and mushy because they have cooked in the sauce too long and no longer have flavor of their own. When I looked through Cook’s Country and saw this recipe, it sounded like a great one to try.

Meatballs and Marinara

For the Onion Mixture:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 pounds onions, chopped fine

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the Marinara:

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

4 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Salt

1-2 teaspoons sugar, as needed

For the Meatballs:

4 slices white sandwich bread

3/4 cup milk

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 pounds 80 percent lean ground beef

For the onion mixture, Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook until they are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of the onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

For the marinara: Add the tomato paste to the onion mixture remaining in the Dutch oven and cook until it is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and water and simmer over low heat until the sauce has thickened, about 45 to 60 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the meatballs: Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Mash the bread and the milk together in the bowl with the reserved onion mixture until it is thoroughly combined. Add the sausage, Parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, garlic and salt and mash to combine. Add the beef and gently knead with your hands until combined (try not to overwork the mixture). Form the mixture into large meatballs (about 2 inches), place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they are well browned, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the meatballs to the pot with the thickened sauce and simmer for 15 minutes before serving.

This recipe does not make quite a bit (the recipe says it serves 8), so you may want to freeze some to have on hand for future meals. The meatballs and sauce should freeze well and will keep for up to 1 month. There are a few notes about this recipe. Browning the onions in the same pot you are going to make the sauce in saves you a few steps and gives great flavor to the sauce and the meatballs. Also, you want to make sure that you do add some water in when you add the crushed tomatoes. Without it, the sauce will over-reduce in 45 minutes and be too thick for your use. For the meatballs, making the mash of bread and milk (called a panade) will bind the meatballs better than any breadcrumb you buy at the store and with the onion mixture will have a lot more flavor. Using the Italian sausage, Parmesan garlic and parsley also help with the binding and they give the meatballs some great flavor. You want to make sure you do not overwork the mixture when you add the beef; just blend it gently until everything is mixed and you won’t end up with rubbery meatballs. I love baking the meatballs in the oven over the stove top because you seem to get better overall browning in the oven and it’s a lot neater than using oil or butter to brown them.

Naturally, you can serve this with pasta or make meatball subs (which I did for myself with some garlic bread since I don’t eat pasta). Michelle and Sean actually had theirs over cheese ravioli. Now I am no pasta expert, especially since I don’t eat it, but I do know how to cook it and there are a few tips you should follow. Make sure you salt the water to season the pasta properly. You want to be sure you stir the pasta as soon as you get it in the water to prevent it from sticking to the pot (I hate cleaning stuck pasta out of a pot!) and then stir it every few minutes as it cooks so it doesn’t all clump together. Adding oil to the water doesn’t really do anything; it won’t prevent the pasta from sticking and it will keep sauce from being absorbed. Also, you know how you like your own pasta; don’t go by what the package says. Check it often to see if it is done to your liking by fishing a piece out and trying it yourself. Finally, even I as a non-pasta eater know you shouldn’t rinse off your pasta. It washes all the starch off the pasta that helps the sauce adhere nicely.

That’s all for today. Check back next time for another Cook’s Country recipe this week. Tomorrow you will find a recipe for a spicy pork and broccoli stir fry. It promises to be tasty, so come back and check it out. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on July 30, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Pasta, Sauce

Tags: Cook's Country, Cook's Country meatballs and marinara, marinara sauce, meatballs and marinara, meatballs recipe, pasta tips

It’s A Cook’s Country Recipe Week, Part 1 – Grandma’s Roast Beef and Gravy

29 Jul

I have always been a fan of America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country. I follow them on Facebook and Twitter and have several of the cookbooks. I also recently started getting the Cook’s Country magazine via subscription and I have to say I really like it. The recipes are great with easy to follow steps and they give you all kinds of great cooking advice as far as techniques, pantry items and equipment. For this week, I decided to do some of the Cook’s Country recipes I have been trying lately. First up is the roast beef dinner I made last week. Luckily I picked one of the cooler days to give it a try so I could use the oven.

Grandma’s Roast Beef and Gravy

1 (4- to 5- pound) boneless top-round roast

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 tablespoons butter

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1 celery rib, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2 cans beef consomme

1 1/2 cups water

Pat the roast dry with paper towels and rub with 2 teaspoons of salt. Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 225 degrees. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and rub with 2 teaspoons of pepper. Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until it is just smoking. Brown the roast all over on all sides, about 8 to 12 minutes; transfer the roast to a plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Add the butter to the skillet and melt it over medium heat. Cook the carrots, onion and celery until they are lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the flour and the tomato paste and cook until the flour is golden and the paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, push the vegetables to the center of the pan. Place the roast on top of the vegetables and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook the roast until the meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Transfer the roast to a carving board, tent with foil and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, keeping in mind that the skillet handle will still be quite hot, return the skillet with vegetables to medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the consomme and water, scraping up any browned bits, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the gravy is thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the gravy through a fine mesh strainer into a serving bowl. Discard the vegetables. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste.

Thinly slice the roast crosswise against the grain and serve with the gravy.

Cooking the roast beef in this method made things much easier. You do a slow roasting and everything is done in just one pan, making cleanup even easier. Salting the meat helps a great deal in drawing out some of the moisture from the meat. Also, instead of flouring the meat beforehand and searing it, adding the flour to the vegetables instead helps you eliminate that pasty flavor a roast can get from raw flour and still lets you make a rich, dark gravy. You could certainly use water instead of the beef broth when making the gravy, but the broth really does help add another layer of flavor to the gravy, so I would use it. Of course, you also then have options with leftovers like making things such as open-faced roast beef sandwiches, French dip sandwiches or Philly cheesesteaks. I served the roast beef with mashed potatoes and some fresh corn on the cob and broccoli.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see another Cook’s Country recipe. This time I will be making the meatballs and marinara recipe that appears in one of the issues I just received. Be sure to check that one out tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!