Category: BEEF

CARNE ASADA




What you have left after the marinating.

CARNE ASADA
2-3 pounds flank or skirt steak, sliced THIN
1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 lemons, 1 sliced thin, 1 wedged for squeezing
1 lime, sliced thin
1 orange, sliced thin
1/3 cup champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

  • Soak the meat in the vinegar for an hour or so.
  • Remove meat from vinegar and dry on paper towels.
  • Sift together all the seasonings and rub into the meat on both sides.
  • Layer the meat into a container alternating with the slices of lemon, limes, oranges and onions squeezing lemon juice on each layer as you go.
  • Let marinate for overnight or a day or so.
  • Grill on a VERY hot grill to desired doneness.
  • Serve with warm tortillas, Fresh Guacamole and Garden Tomato Salsa.

Meatloaf with a Kick




Meatloaf with a Kick

2 pounds hamburger
4 ounces Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 teaspoons minced garlic (jar)
1 jumbo egg
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
1 Tablespoon creamy horseradish
1 sleeve Townhouse crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

  • Mix all ingredients together thoroughly
  • Use a tall loaf pan
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are browned and crisp
  • Immediately pour off excess grease
  • Enjoy

STUFFED MEATBALLS & ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

  • I start with whatever vegetables I have in the vegetable bin. Today was Roma tomatoes, celery stalks, green onions and snap peas.
  • Then I drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over it all and bake it for an hour at 400 degrees.
  • I started the sauce with a can of Contadina tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Better than Beef Bouillon paste, 2 cups orange juice and a V8. This truly was a clean out the fridge day.
  • When done roasting add the vegetables to the sauce and set to simmer all day. The vegetables will continue to cook down into a uniform consistency with the sauce. Salt & pepper taste.


For the meatballs:
1 pound hamburger
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 large slices sourdough bread, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheeseAlign Center
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
mozzarella cheese, about 4 ounces, cut into 1 inch cubes

  • Crumble bread into a large bowl.
  • Toss in Parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions and garlic.
  • Add meat and with your hands mix extremely well until you have a uniform mixture.
  • Roll meatballs around a Parmesan cheese cube.
  • Chill Meatballs until sauce is done.
  • Just before the sauce is finished, brown meatballs.**
  • Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a medium high simmer until meatballs are cooked though, about 20 minutes.
  • Prepare pasta and Parmesan Cheese Bread while meatballs are cooking.
  • Enjoy

**If you prefer you can add the meatballs directly to the sauce and SLOW simmer for a couple hours instead of browning.



LAVERNE DEFAZIO ROAST

1 can pepsi
3+/- pound pot roast, with good marbling
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 package KNORR brown gravy mix
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef base
Kosher salt and white pepper

  • Bring roast to room temperature.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Brown the roast, generously ~ salt and peppering it.
  • Whisk together the milk, pepsi, bouillon base and gravy mix.
  • Surround roast with onions and mushrooms.
  • Pour Milk/Coke mixture over roast.
  • Bake for at least 3 hours undisturbed. Depending on the thickness of the roast it will probably take 4-5 hours for a thick 3 pound roast until the meat begins to fall apart. You should be able to cut your roast with a fork.
  • The combination of ingredients makes its own gravy that is soooooooooooooooooo good.

And look at these awesome hot beef sandwhiches we had for leftovers!

Now, for the oven I like to use my grandma’s old Magnalite dutch oven which cooks really even! And see those little hobnail bumps in on the bottom side of the lid? Those are better known as drip catchers. They collect the steam from the juices and redistribute it all right back down on the roast as it cooks. These help keep the meat moist and juicy. After the roast is browned, place it in the dutch oven and spread vegetables all around it.

HAMBURGER STEAKS with PARMESANMASHED POTATOES & ONION GRAVY



HAMBURGER STEAKS
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound hamburger
1 sleeve Keebler club crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 Jumbo eggs
1 tablespoon liquid Smoke – MYSTERY ingredient
PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES
6 medium red potatoes, washed and cut into pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4-1/2 cup Buttermilk
ONION GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoons cream sherry
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon better than bouillon beef base
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
salt and pepper to taste

  • Combine all the hamburger steak ingredients until well mixed. Form six steaks.
  • Bake 30 minutes in convection oven at 350 degrees.
  • In a large skillet melt the butter for the gravy. Saute the onions until browned.
  • Add the bouillon base, cream sherry and hot water. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, add flour and continue cooking to desired consistency.
  • Bring potatoes to a boil until tender. Drain.
  • Combine potato ingredients and beat until smooth.
  • Enjoy

Sweet & Zesty Meatballs

These are a great recipe for a potluck or buffet.
I always make too much on purpose because the leftovers freeze so well.

MEATBALLS*

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, finely minced
1/2 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon minced garlic from the jar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 jumbo egg, beaten

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and blend well.
  • Shape into 1 inch balls.
  • Place meatballs on un-greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes until browned and baked through.
  • For frozen meatballs, put the sauce in the crock pot first and then stir in frozen meatballs. They’ll be ready in 3-4 hours.

*I sometimes cheat and buy the bags of meatballs from Costco or Sam’s Club

SAUCE
3/4 cup Welch’s grape jelly
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 3/4 cups Heinz chili sauce
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin slivers

  • In a large saucepan combine jelly, chili sauce and vinegar.
  • Bring to a soft boil and simmer 5 minutes stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
  • Layer meatballs, peppers and spicy sauce in crock pot.
  • Warm meatballs in sauce for 3-4 hours before serving.

You can put all the leftovers in the freezer together. Be sure to thaw them thoroughly before reheating.

Savory Pot Roast

Super Savory Pot Roast & Veggies

I love Pot Roast. I adapted grams old recipe to my family and their likes.

Ingredients:
2-3 pound Pot Roast
2 medium Onions
1 bag baby carrots
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 large Yukon potatoes~scrubbed clean, but not peeled
Kosher Salt
White & Black Pepper
3 t. minced garlic
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef Rosemary mix
Beef bullion
Red Wine (2 cups) OR White Wine (2 cups)



Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. The meat you use is important. My favorite roast is the chuck roast because it has wonderful marbling throughout the meat, and when cooked right (prep, cover, cook ~ don’t fiddle with it while it’s in the oven) any chuck roast winds up being tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Be aware that the tougher the piece of meat is, the longer it needs to cook so that the connective tissue will soften and break down. You truly can’t rush a pot roast, you’ll be disappointed if you try as it will be dry or lack flavor. BE PATIENT. You want the meat to basically fall apart. You SHOULD NOT need a knife to cut it.

Bring the piece of meat to room temperature. GENEROUSLY sprinkle the first side of meat with the Kosher Salt and Pepper mix. Heat enough olive oil in the bottom of a fry pan to make a thick coating. Heat to a medium-high heat. Cut the onions tip to root, cut off root and stem, peel and lay flat into hot oil. Brown both sides well. Remove to side. Add the baby carrots and do the same. I normally cut each carrot just in half. Brown carrots and like Ree said you’re trying more for color here than cooking. They will have plenty of time to cook in the oven. I also like to add my garlic (I use the bottled minced garlic from the produce section) and spices at this point. By this time I have put them all into a mortar and pestle to revive their scents and aromas. When carrots are finished, remove them to the same plate as the onions. If necessary add more olive oil to the pan and add the roast seasoned side down. While it’s browning season the other side really well Brown both sides and all edges really well.

Now, for the oven I like to use my grandma’s old Magnalite dutch oven which cooks really even! And see those little hobnail bumps in on the bottom side of the lid? Those are better known as drip catchers. They collect the steam from the juices and redistributes it all right back down on the roast as it cooks. These help keep the meat moist and juicy. After the roast is browned, place it in the dutch oven and spread vegetables all around it.

While fry pan is still hot, add white or red wine and the beef bullion to deglaze the pan ~ make sure you scrape up all the stuck little bits from the bottom. Cook long enough to mix well and then pour over the roast. The liquid should come up at least half way on the sides of the roast and vegetable mixture. For this recipe we added the white wine to the recipe and drank the red. The red wine, Harrod wine, is from our nephew’s vineyard so we don’t waste it cooking, but enjoy every last drop.

Put the lid on the dutch oven, put it in the oven, don’t open the door for AT LEAST 3 hours! Today’s roast was 2.39 pounds and I roasted it for 3 1/2 hours. Go relax or at least get the dishes you’ve dirtied so far done up. At 3 hours, I prep the potatoes for boiling. I too, prefer not to cook mine with the roast ~ I prefer a bit of substance instead of the mush they become with the roast. I do a basic mashed with heavy cream, salt, pepper, and butter (hey you gotta splurge a little sometimes!)

We get 2 meals out of these proportions. Now to us eating starts with the eyes ~ so make it pretty. I love my polish pottery, all of it is unique one-of-a-kind creations and decorates a table and your meal so easily!

Dad’s Crockpot Roast

A  roast is a treat for us.  We rarely have one but then we have cut down on meat, tremendously.  This was a Costco Kosher cut which was extremely reasonable in price.  I love Costco.  My husband made th is one and I was not around.  He deserve several pats on the back for a most delicious main dish that everyone loved.
Crockpot Roast Beef

Ingredients:

2 onions sliced
1/2 pound button mushrooms
1 cup vegetable soup (organic)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt
black pepper
You could use onion soup mix in place of the spices.

10 fingerling potatoes, added after beef is taken out of crockpot

Method:

After sprinkling seasoning all over the meat, sear it, in a separate pan, on the stove.

Place in crockpot.

Add mushrooms and onions.

Add the vegetable soup mixed with maple syrup, pouring it over the meat.

Cook on low for 8 hours.  It stayed overnight and I am not sure but it was between six to eight hours.

Turn it up to high for another hour.

Turn into a roasting dish.  Add fingerling potatoes, as many as you need for your table.  I figure two to three potatoes per person.  Do not peel.  Dave, Tamy and Martha are cheering now. 

In liquid from crock pot, place potatoes around roast. 

Place in oven at 350 degrees and cook fo 40 minutes.

For additional recipes go to Sweet and Savory and Comfy Cook

Sausage Pasta Casserole ~ Cooking with Chaya

My husband said, this was interesting which meant to me, he did not like it, but then I watched him take three servings. He liked it. The truth is it is an interesting recipe because it is not a combination I have ever used and you, very likely, have not used, either. It worked though, it worked very well, blending flavors.

This has some of my favorite food, sausage, pasta, Brussels sprouts, and tomatoes. For me, it had to be good and it was. If you make this, you can substitute in every area. You could use chopped meat or meat balls instead of the sausage. You could use another vegetable in place of the sprouts, (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower or even spinach. I would leave the pasta and tomatoes in place but choose any pasta you want.

Sausage-Pasta Casserole (two servings)

Ingredients:
2 large sausages, cut into about 8 pieces each
1/2 pound pasta of choice – I used penne (gluten free)
10 ounces Brussels sprouts
1 medium onion, sliced
6 tomatoes, bigger than cherry tomatoes, smaller than a full size one, in eighths
1 red pepper, sliced
4 tablespoons crushed tomatoes (canned)
Spray cooking oil
Method:
Put up water to boil and while browning, cook the pasta according to directions.
Microwave or boil Brussels sprouts.
Spray a large skillet with cooking oil and fry sausages in it until they are lightly browned.
Remove sausage. Do not clean skillet.

Fry red pepper and onion until slightly browned.

Add fresh tomatoes.

Add pasta and Brussels sprouts.

Add crushed tomatoes. If you need more crushed tomatoes, add what is necessary. There is also juice from the fresh tomatoes for the sauce.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix all ingredients gently together. I put these in a casserole and heated them in the oven for twenty minutes on 300 degrees.

Savory Pot Roast & Roasted Veggies

Super Savory Pot Roast & Veggies

I love Pot Roast. I adapted grams old recipe to my family and their likes.

3-4 pound Pot Roast
2 medium Onions
1 bag baby carrots
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 large Yukon potatoes~scrubbed clean, but not peeled
Kosher Salt
White & Black Pepper
3 t. minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef Rosemary mix
Beef bullion
Red Wine (2 cups) OR White Wine (2 cups)

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • The meat you use is important. My favorite roast is the chuck roast because it has wonderful marbling throughout the meat, and when cooked right (prep, cover, cook ~ don’t fiddle with it while it’s in the oven) any chuck roast winds up being tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Be aware that the tougher the piece of meat is, the longer it needs to cook so that the connective tissue will soften and break down. You truly can’t rush a pot roast, you’ll be disappointed if you try as it will be dry or lack flavor. BE PATIENT. You want the meat to basically fall apart. You SHOULD NOT need a knife to cut it.
  • Bring the piece of meat to room temperature.
  • GENEROUSLY sprinkle the first side of meat with the Kosher Salt and Pepper mix.
  • Heat enough olive oil in the bottom of a fry pan to make a thick coating. Heat to a medium-high heat.
  • Cut the onions tip to root, cut off root and stem, peel and lay flat into hot oil.
  • Brown both sides well. Remove to side.
  • Add the baby carrots and do the same. I normally cut each carrot just in half. Brown carrots-you’re trying more for color here than cooking. They will have plenty of time to cook in the oven. I also like to add my garlic (I use the bottled minced garlic from the produce section) and spices at this point. By this time I have put them all into a mortar and pestle to revive their scents and aromas. When carrots are finished, remove them to the same plate as the onions.
  • If necessary add more olive oil to the pan and add the roast seasoned side down. While it’s browning season the other side really well Brown both sides and all edges really well.

Now, for the oven I like to use my grandma’s old Magnalite dutch oven which cooks really even! And see those little hobnail bumps on the bottom side of the lid? Those are better known as drip catchers. They collect the steam from the juices and redistributes it all right back down on the roast as it cooks. These help keep the meat moist and juicy.

  • After the roast is browned, place it in the dutch oven and spread vegetables all around it.
  • While fry pan is still hot, add white or red wine and the beef bullion to deglaze the pan ~ make sure you scrape up all the stuck little bits from the bottom. Cook long enough to mix well and then pour over the roast. The liquid should come up at least half way on the sides of the roast and vegetable mixture. For this recipe we added the white wine to the recipe and drank the red. The red wine, Harrod wine, is from our nephew’s vineyard so we don’t waste it cooking, but enjoy every last drop.
  • Put the lid on the dutch oven, put it in the oven, don’t open the door for AT LEAST 3 hours! Today’s roast was 2.39 pounds and I roasted it for 3 1/2 hours. Go relax or at least get the dishes you’ve dirtied so far done up. At 3 hours, I prep the potatoes for boiling. I prefer not to cook mine with the roast ~ I prefer a bit of substance instead of the mush they become with the roast. I do a basic mashed with heavy cream, salt, pepper, and butter (hey you gotta splurge a little sometimes!)

We get 2 meals out of these proportions. Now to us eating starts with the eyes ~ so make it pretty. I love my polish pottery, all of it is unique one-of-a-kind creations and decorates a table and your meal so easily!

Previously posted at 3 Sides of Crazy

Don’t forget the party starts next week!
Halloween Fall Round Up

WHEN: Sunday, October 18th ~ Saturday, October 31st, 2009
WHERE: OuR KrAzY kItChEn
RSVP: MR. LINKY

We’re having a party here at the OuR KrAzY kItChEn and you’re invited. Bring your favorite recipe, decorating idea, pictures, anecdotes and let’s have some fun together.

  • Do you have a special popcorn ball recipe?
  • What is your favorite fall recipe?
  • Do you have a favorite apple recipe?
  • Do you have special way to carve pumpkins?
  • How about a party punch that’s perfect for Halloween?
  • What is your idea of a best costume?

We’ll post Mr. Linky on October 18th and leave him in place through Halloween. Write your post piece and come link it up. We’ll all have some time to blog hop and see each other and try recipes.

The Original Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce Product Review & Giveaway

Earlier this week I was contacted by a nice man from Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and asked if I would be interested in doing a product review. I said I’d love to. In just 2 days time a box was on my stoop with bottles of sauce and recipe brochures. I had this little niggling in my brain though. I could not figure out why the name of this sauce sounded so familiar. I tried to find the sauce locally and failed until I finally found it at a Walmart store 30 miles away. You have to remember I live rurally for the moment. That is when it occurred to me where I had heard the name before. I had won a cookbook awhile back over at Forgetfulone, but was never able to prepare any of the recipes because I couldn’t find the sauce.

As you can see from all the slips of paper sticking out of the top of the book I had marked a multitude of recipes to try and now I finally can. I found 2 meatloaf recipes, 1 from the brochure which is extremely similar to hubby’s favorite one that I have made for years and years and a sour cream recipe from the book that I decided to try. In the end the recipe I made was a combination of both recipes and hubby all but licked his plate. He kept telling me to find out where to get more of this sauce. He even put it on his mashed potatoes and thought that was just scrumptious. Normally he would use ketchup on his meatloaf, but tonight he used Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce. He decided Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce is our new ketchup.

I will be trying a few more recipes this week and will do a follow up for you. Head on over to tHe KrAzY KiTcHeN to enter the giveaway.


The true test came when I made dessert with the sauce. It was the most unusual group of ingredients I had ever mixed together. I have to admit I had my doubts that we were going to like this recipe, but I also thought it would be a good test of the versatility of an all purpose sauce.
All I can say is that I was sooooooooooooooooo pleasantly surprised by the flavor. Hubby can’t say anything, he’s too busy licking the bowl. You have to try Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and start with this fudge recipe.
Justify Full

One of the greatest things about this recipe besides the awesome flavor is the consistency. How many times have you made fudge and weren’t sure it would set up okay or it turned out dry? That will never happen with this recipe. This recipe is truly foolproof.

COUNTRY BOB’S INCREDIBLE FUDGE
12 ounces Velveeta cheese*
2 sticks butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
2 pounds powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)**

  • In a microwave safe bowl combine the Velveeta, butter, Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and chocolate. Microwave on high 2-4 minutes, stirring every minute until mixture is smooth and well blended.
  • Pour the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate mixture gradaully while beating with an electric mixture until well blended.
  • Beat in the vanilla.
  • Stir in the nuts.
  • Pour into a greased 9×13 pan.
  • Cover and chill until firm.
  • Store in the refrigerator.

*When I made a second batch of this recipe. it worked better cubed before microwaving
**I exchanged this for Heath Bar bits and loved it

COUNTRY BOB’S SOUR CREAM MEATLOAF ala TAMY
3 pounds ground beef
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup + Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
1 sleeve crushed saltines
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

  • Mix all together.
  • Pour additional sauce over the top.
  • Bake 1 1/2 hours.
  • Pour off any excess moisture.
  • Let stand 5-10 minutes.
  • Serve.

Simple Supper Saturday

I always shoot for very simple suppers on week nights and had to make my menu plan super easy this week since I’ve been working ten hour days. On Sunday I made an large (bulk) eye round roast beef with a minced garlic and herb rub. I made all the yummy sides for Sunday – homemade country mashed potatoes, fresh green beans and dinner rolls. For the first leftover meal on Monday I sliced it very thin and served warm and piled high on “everything” bagels with chips and coleslaw. The second easy leftover night is the dinner I’m featuring here today …


This is a beef stew I made simply by cutting the rest of the leftover roast beef into bite sized chunks, plus 6 cubed potatoes, baby carrots, and a package of mushrooms cut into halves. I added the pan drippings from the roast (fat skimmed from the top), 4-5 cups of water, a packet of beef stew seasoning and thickened with a little cornstarch dissolved in cold water – simmered until the veggies were done (about 30-40 minutes) and then served in big shallow bowls over Pepperidge Farms puff pastry cups.

It was delicious, quick, easy, made a very pretty presentation, and it was a big hit with the whole family!