Tag Archives: beef

Salsa Verde

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Salsa Verde

This is great served as an appetizer with taco chips, drizzled over eggs and served as a topping for any meat.

1 pound tomatillos – husked and washed

1 large white onion, sliced thickly

4 cloves garlic

2 jalapenos

1/3 bunch cilantro

We like our salsa grill roasted, so everything but the cilantro gets a little time on the grill before hitting the blender.  Give it a zap or two until purified.  Taste for seasoning and adjust a bit if you need to – adding salt and pepper to your preference.

If you don’t have a grill handy you could either use a comal, as they do in Mexico, which is just a simple flat fry pan, or your own favorite fry pan.  Nothing wrong with just blending it all fresh either – try it both ways and see which you like best.

This can be processed in a hot water bath to preserve it for the winter, or put it in the freezer.  Either way works really well. Bring it to a boil on the stovetop prior to processing and use hot jars.  If you do a hot water bath, make sure your jars and seals are all sterilized and the seals are new – place carefully in hot water bath with 2 inches water over top of the jar and process pint jars for 20 minutes.

Yummy Greek Burgers

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Sorry, no photo yet – I was in such a hurry to eat these I didn’t take a picture first …. soon I promise as I will be making them again quickly!

 

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound mild Italian sausage meat

½ a medium size onion, grated fine (about ½ cup)

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp freshly chopped basil (if it is out of season use dry)

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes

1 tsp kosher salt

 

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

 

Gently mix together and allow to rest until firm.  Lightly oil and grill.

Serve with flatbread buns, tsatsiki aioli, grilled tomato slices and crunchy lettuce.

Barbacoa (Mexican Beef Tacos)

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If you love beef tacos, don’t look any further than this recipe.  We have enjoyed more than our fair share of Mexican street tacos, and these fit right in there.

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp mexican chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 chipotle chiles, in adobo sauce

1 tbsp mexican oregano

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock

Blend all ingredients together in food processor – be sure to taste it and adjust seasonings.  You really want it tangy and full of taste – if you are cooking this the next day put roast in a ziplock bag with the adobo sauce and marinate overnight.

Taste the sauce before putting it over the beef – if necessary you may have to adjust a bit – keep tasting for balance of flavour!

3 pound bone in chuck roast – MAKE SURE YOU USE A CUT WITH SOME FAT RUNNING THROUGH IT – a leaner cut of beef won’t give the same result!

Put roast in the bottom of a slow cooker, and then pour adobo sauce over.  Add enough water to come half way up the roast.  Put lid on and cook on slow for 6 hours.

Remove liquid from cooker and reduce in saucepan until sauce has thickened and is deliciously rich.  Shred beef with two forks.  When liquid has reduced by about half, return liquid to meat.

Serve with fresh tortillas, cole slaw, pickled red onions, and slices of avocado.  You will think you are on the streets of Mexico City!

BBQ Rub

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This rub is so amazing, use it on bbq ribs, steak, chicken,

whatever you feel like throwing on the grill!

RUB

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp dry mustard
  • 1 tbsp ground fennel
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
  • Check out my rib recipe, and trust me on this … you will not taste anything better!

Mile High Beef Burgers

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One of the most important things to remember about making a burger is to handle the meat as little as possible!  Gentle treatment makes for a tender, juicy hamburger.  Use the best quality beef you can find, always.

2 # lean ground beef (extra lean just doesn’t have enough flavour)

3 tbsp minced basil

1/2 cup grated sweet onion

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

jalapeno jack cheese

Gently mix ingredients and form into burgers. (should make about 8 burgers)  Allow to rest in fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes to allow the burger to set.

Grill until cooked through – if you happen to grind your own meat, and know the source, it is great to have it medium rare.  Top with jalapeno jack cheese for the last few minutes, allowing to just melt slightly.

This mile high burger had fresh herb aioli on the bottom of a thin red pepper bun, the burger, jalapeno jack cheese, grilled sweet red and yellow pepper, grilled avocado,  sauted onions & mushrooms, then topped off with fresh tangy coleslaw.

Delicious and mouth watering good!  Get the napkins out …

Italian Pot Roast

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1 stick cinnamon

3 all spice berries

4 whole cloves

8 peppercorns

Combine spices in blender and process until a fine powder – set aside.

3 # outside round, or other less tender cut of beef

olive oil

salt and pepper

3 carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves

28 oz can of tomatoes

1 cup of good red wine (make sure it is one you would like to drink!)

While oil is heating in fry pan, season beef with salt and pepper – brown all sides in fry pan and place in slow cooker. (you can also use a good braising pan to do this in the oven)

In the same fry pan, saute onions until tender.  Add the rest of the vegetables and saute until just starting to carmelize.  Add the spice mixture, stir well until all the vegetables are coated and cook for a few minutes.  Add the red wine and cook until it has reduced about 1/3.  Add tomatoes, and salt to taste.

Pour sauce over meat.  In a slow cooker this will take about 8 hours, but if you are using a braising method it will take 3-4 hours (keep tasting for flavour and tenderness).  The meat should be fork tender.

The sauce is quite thick so if you are using a braising method, you may need to add a bit more cooking liquid as it cooks, eg a good beef stock.

When cooked, and your beef is falling apart tender, shred with 2 forks and stir in with the sauce.  I love to serve with hand made pasta – in which case I remove the sauce from the cooking pot and add to a sauce pan.  As soon as my pasta is cooked I turn it into the pan to allow it to be fully seasoned by the yummy flavours.  Turn into serving platter and pile your shredded beef on top.

Not only will your house smell fantastic while this is cooking you will be rewarded with a fantastic dinner.

Thai Curries …. not just 1!

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All curries in Thailand start out the same way, and then you proceed with each variation … we ate this dish served on a boat restaurant on the Mekong River … pretty amazing!

Any Thai curry can be a meal in a dish – just add any protein you are craving at the moment, and serve over rice.  

If you do add meat – I did learn in Thai cooking classes that you add it to the curry, thinly sliced, and gently dropped in, then do not stir until it has cooked through – that way you avoid any raw meat flavour and your curry still has such a rich, but light flavour.

Heat a bit of oil in the bottom of pan and add 1 cup coconut milk and 1 tbsp curry paste,(choose one of the following)  along with lemon grass, galanga, chili peppers to taste (start with 1!) and ginger. Cook until slightly thickened over med heat. Add meat, whatever you choose, remember that in Thailand only a little bit of meat goes a long way!  onion and cook a bit. Add 1 more cup coconut milk and water as necessary. Add vegetables. Remove from heat.

SEASON WITH
(for all curry dishes)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp palm sugar

Adjust seasonings as necessary.

MASSAMAN CURRY
Precook potato and carrot to add when meat is cooked. With 2nd cup of coconut milk add 2 tbsp chunky peanut butter and 2 tbsp tamarind. Serve with crushed peanuts and cilantro over top.

Massaman Curry

GREEN CURRY
Same as above but using green curry paste and a variety of different vegetables

RED CURRY
Same as above but different! Always use red curry paste and add pineapple.

PENANG CURRY
Same as above with the addition of kaffir lime leaves.
Reserve some of the coconut milk to swirl in the top
of the curry at serving time along with fresh basil.

I can’t say it enough … taste and season, season, season.  Your curry should have a full bodied flavour, many complex notes and so full of taste you can not get enough of it!

Spaghetti Bolognese ala Kat!

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Any Italian would probably take offence if I said this was true bolognese …. so it is ala Kat!  The best part of this recipe is the fact that it is loaded with vegetables, and simmered until the aroma fills your kitchen, and your taste buds can hardly wait for the reward!  We have a vegetarian in our home right now, so this version allows for any vegetarians to get a great, hearty meal as well as those carnivores (like myself …).

 

2 onions, finely diced

2 medium size leeks, finely sliced

8 garlic cloves (yes, eight)

2 medium size carrots, finely diced

4 celery stalks, finely diced

1/2 each of red, green and yellow peppers, finely diced

olive oil

1 pound / 1/2 kg each of ground beef and pork

1/2 pound / 300 gms  of bacon, finely sliced (depending on how much you like bacon)

1 28 oz / 796 ml can good quality tomatoes

1 24 oz / 680 ml good quality tomato sauce

1 5.5 oz / 156 ml can tomato paste

1/2 cup good red wine (always use wine you would like to drink!)

bay leaves

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp dry basil

1 tsp dry parsley

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

enough pasta to feed your crowd – the above Bolognese will probably feed 6-8

Saute the onions in olive oil until just starting to carmelize, add the rest of the diced vegetables.  When the carrots are fork tender, add the garlic and the tomato sauce.  Simmer just until all the vegetables are tender.  Using either an immersion blender or your food processor (being VERY CAREFUL to allow steam to escape by leaving the lid ajar or center portion removed) whiz vegetables and sauce until a thick paste forms.  ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SPACE FOR STEAM TO RELEASE FROM BLENDER, BURNS CAN BE A DISASTER (and so will the mess).  Return sauce to sauce pan and stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine and seasonings.

If you have fresh herbs, a nutmeg that you can grate, and fresh cinnamon – so much the better!

In a separate fry pan saute the bacon, beef and pork until cooked through.  The biggest reason I use a separate sauce pan is the vegetarian …. This is the point where you can separate the amount of sauce you need for a vegetarian, and then add the rest of the carnivorous goodness to your stock pot.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Personally, I like to take the amount of salt and pepper I would add in total, and with each layer sprinkle a bit of each.  That way all the vegetables end up seasoned, and I think the flavour goes right through.

Cook pasta until just al dente – drain and add just a bit of the bolognese to the pasta to coat the noodles.  Serve with extra sauce over top, then a generous grating of parmigiana.

Flank Steak

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This has been a family favorite for years!  While it is pretty good with any cut of steak, flank is definitely the best.  Also – if you can’t access a grill ….

you can use the broiler, but – well it just won’t be as fantastic!

  • 1 flank steak
  • 1/2 cup soya sauce
  • 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil (I usually stay with 1/4 cup)
  • 4 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 6 cloves garlic – minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary (and only fresh will do)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Prepare marinade and put in ziplock bag along with the steak.  Seal for a minimum of 2 hours, but really …. overnight is best.  I have also put it in the freezer at this point, and then you always have one ready!

Grill for 5-7 min per side (depending on thickness) for medium rare, and then slice thinly on the diagonal.

Garnish with slivered green onions