Dijon beef stew

Toned down from Smitten Kitchen, which in turn adapted it from the NYT.

This stew takes forever to make, and has lots of hands-on work. You've got to commit to this one. However, the results are hard to argue with. It's so good it will make me eat carrots, and my husband eat mushrooms. I recommend serving it with egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Dijon beef stew
serves 4 to 6

In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, cook on low until rendered:
1/4 lb. bacon, diced

Remove crisp bacon bits. Set aside.

Add and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes:
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked onions to a large bowl.

Chop 2 pounds beef chuck into ~1-inch cubes. Salt and pepper the beef cubes, then coat with flour. Brown the cubes in the Dutch oven, one third at a time to avoid crowding the pan. Add additional butter to the pan between batches as needed. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef cubes are well browned and crusty on all sides, then transfer them to the bowl with the cooked onions. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Add 1/2 cup brandy to the empty pan and scrape to deglaze it.

Add and whisk to blend:
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup smooth Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarse mustard

Return cooked meat and onions to the pan. Cover the pot most of the way and simmer on low until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

Add 4 med. carrots, sliced into even pieces. Continue simmering until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

While they cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté 1/2 pound mushrooms (stemmed, cleaned and quartered) until browned.

Stir in:
cooked mushrooms
3 tbsp. coarse mustard
1/4 cup red wine
reserved bacon bits

Simmer 5 minutes, then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Shopping list:
2 pounds beef chuck (sometimes labeled "stew beef")
2 cups beef stock
2 large onions
4 medium carrots
1/2 pound mushrooms
1/2 cup smooth Dijon mustard
4 tbsp. coarse or whole grain mustard

Check the pantry:
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup cooking brandy

Garlic and tomato braised beef

The best 3-ingredient recipe ever. From Gourmet Magazine, by way of Smitten Kitchen.

Garlic and tomato braised beef
serves 6

28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
3.0-3.5 pound boneless beef chuck roast, tied with a string
1 head garlic, separated into cloves, left unpeeled

Preheat the oven to 300°F. 

Tie up the roast into an evenly shaped log with butcher's twine. Put it in an ovenproof casserole with a lid, such as a Dutch oven.

Coarsely chop tomatoes with their juice in a food processor (or just chop them in their can with kitchen shears). Pour chopped tomatoes over the roast. 

Scatter unpealed garlic cloves around it. 

Season generously with salt and pepper. 

Braise for 3-4 hours, covered, in the middle of oven. 

Cut roast into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with sauce and garlic (squeezed from its peels), over orzo pasta.

How to cook a steak

This method was introduced to me by my friend Joe.  It's most suitable for fattier cuts like rib-eye and works best with really good cuts of beef, e.g. USDA prime.


How to cook a steak

1. Take the batteries out of your smoke alarm.
2. Turn the oven up to 500 and put an empty cast-iron skillet in the oven to pre-heat.
3. Place the steak on a cutting board and blot off all the moisture with a paper towel.
4. Rub kosher salt (as much as you can hold between two fingers and your thumb) into each side of the steak.  Let it stand for 3 minutes, then dab all the moisture off again.
5. Sprinkle with pepper to taste, then cover the steak in peanut oil (or canola oil, although it has a lower smoke point).
6. Turn on the largest, hottest stove burner to high.
7. Take the pre-heated pan out of the oven and put it on the hot burner, and put the steak on the pan. The house will start to fill with smoke, so get fans going.
8. After 1 minute, flip it over and sear the second side for 1 minute.
9. Then flip it back over and put the pan into the hot oven.
10. After 2 minutes, flip the steak over and cook for 2 more minutes.
11. Place the steak on an elevated cooling wrack to drip and tent it with aluminum foil.  Let rest for 5 minutes.

Beef Vegetable Soup

This recipe can be made with either barley or noodles, as your heart desires.  I grew up on the barley version, so I tend to prefer it.


Beef Vegetable Soup

Buy a 2 to 3 lb. chuck roast or sirloin tip.  If you can find pre-cut stew beef, you can buy 1 to 1.5 lb. (no waste).

Toss in plastic bag:
1.5 pounds beef in 1” cubes
1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In large pot, preheat about 1/8 c. oil over medium to medium high heat until it shimmers.  Brown meat in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Let the meat cubes brown for at least a couple of minutes before turning them.  When they are ready to turn, they should release cleanly from the pan.  Adjust heat as needed.  You want to get a good browned color but not burn the drippings. Add more oil if needed for the second batch. 

Return all beef to the pot.  Add and simmer on medium low, covered, for 1 hour:
3.5 cups Swanson beef broth
3.5 cups Swanson low sodium chicken broth
1 cup red wine

Add:
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf

If desired, also add:
2/3 cup raw pearl barley (do not use “quick cooking” barley)
1 cup water

Simmer covered about another hour until barley is done.  Adjust salt to taste.

To use noodles instead of barley:
Omit the barley and extra water.  After the soup has cooked about 1.5 hours, boil about 1/2 cup raw small pasta separately, drain, and add it to the finished soup. (Do not succumb to temptation and boil the pasta in the soup; it will just absorb all the broth.)

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinian condiment for beef.  This version comes from Epicurious, whose comment section indicates that this isn't a super authentic version and contains too much vinegar for the average person.  For me, it's perfect.  We consume this in vast quantities on top of ribeye steaks.

Chimichurri
makes 1 cup

Puree in a food processor until smooth:
1 c. (packed) fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
1/4 c. (packed) fresh cilantro
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt

Meatloaf

From Joanne Becker.  The Beckers were astronomy graduate students when my dad was at the University of Maryland.  I've never seen another recipe like this - both the wheat germ and the horseradish seem to be unique.  Leftovers make great sandwiches, sauced with either A-1 or barbecue sauce.

Meatloaf

serves 6

Cover the top of a small broiler pan with foil.  Cut drainage holes in the foil that go through to the broiler pan’s own perforations.

Whisk together in bowl:

2 eggs

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. wheat germ

1 bunch green onions, finely diced

1 1/2 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. Worcestershire

1 tsp. prepared horseradish (not the creamed kind)

Add and mix with hands:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (~10% fat)

Shape into a loaf.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Recommended product:
Horseradish brands vary wildly in intensity.  Silver Springs is fairly wimpy; my mother recommends one called Good-n-Hot.

Beef & Broccoli

Raw oyster sauce has an off-putting odor.  Soldier through that part and you will be rewarded with an incredibly tasty dish that comes together in the time it takes to cook the rice.

Beef cuts suitable for stir fry are very tender.  I typically pick up top sirloin when it's on sale and use it in this dish.  However, because of its low fat content, sirloin is very easy to overcook.  As soon as the meat looks sealed, add the sauce.  And as soon as the sauce comes together, pull it off the heat!

Beef & Broccoli

serves 4

Whisk together sauce:

1/2 c. beef broth

1/3 c. oyster sauce (usually 1/2 jar)

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sherry

1 tbsp. corn starch

Stir fry:

2-4 tbsp. peanut oil
3-4 medium heads of broccoli, chopped into florettes

1 package mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

When broccoli is mostly done, add:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. sherry
1 bunch green onion tops, chopped

After 30 seconds, add:
1-1.5 lb. beef, cut in bite-sized strips (pref. sirloin or blade steak)
salt and pepper

When beef is just browned, add sauce.  Reduce heat to medium and cook another ~3 minutes.

Serve over jasmine rice.

Recommended products:

Don't buy anything labeled "cooking sherry" that shows up on your grocery store shelves.  Cooking sherry has salt added to make it unpalatable for drinking, and this can throw off the flavor for recipes, too.  Instead, pick up a dirt cheap dry sherry at your local adult beverage market.  The bottle below retails for a whopping $4:

 

Beef Cacciatore

Beef cuts suitable for quick cooking are very tender.  I typically pick up top sirloin when it's on sale and use it in this dish.  However, because of its low fat content, sirloin is very easy to overcook.  As soon as the meat looks sealed, add the sauce ingredients.  And as soon as the sauce comes together, pull it off the heat!

Beef Cacciatore 
serves 6

Boil 8 oz. of short pasta like rotini or penne while the cacciatore is coming together.

Saute in olive oil until soft:

1 large green pepper, large dice
2-3 carrots, thinly sliced

2 cups of mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. salt

Add and cook until beef just browns:

1 lb. beef, sliced thin (pref. sirloin or blade steak)

1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme

Add and simmer until sauce flavors meld:

2 tsp. anchovy paste (or 2 minced fillets)
6 oz. can tomato paste
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c. red wine

2 tbsp. garlic olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cooked pasta.  Serve.


Shopping list:
1 lb. sirloin or blade steak
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper
3 medium/2 large carrots
2 cups mushrooms

Check the pantry:
basil, dried
thyme, dried
red wine for cooking, 1/2 cup
penne or rotini pasta, 8 oz. (1/2 box)
garlic olive oil
anchovy paste
red wine vinegar

Korean Beef & Spinach

My mother collected this recipe back in the 1970s, from a fellow graduate student at Johns Hopkins University whose wife was Korean.  It can be made with fresh spinach instead of frozen, but frozen spinach actually packs a better nutritional wallop.

Beef cuts suitable for stir fry are very tender.  I typically pick up top sirloin when it's on sale and use it in this dish.  However, because of its low fat content, sirloin is very easy to overcook.  As soon as the meat looks sealed, add the spinach and sauce.  And as soon as they come up to temperature, pull it off the heat!

Korean Beef & Spinach

serves 4

Thaw 2 packages of frozen chopped spinach in the microwave, then drain in a colander.

Stir fry in 1 tbsp peanut oil for 1 minute:

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Add and stir fry until just cooked:
1-1.5 lb. beef (pref. sirloin or blade steak), cubed

Add and heat through:

thawed spinach

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. sambal oelek or sriracha (or to taste)

Serve over rice.

Meatballs for Spaghetti

We did have an old family meatball recipe...but quite frankly, it was dreadful.  So around a decade ago, it was quietly replaced with this one from Rose's Celebrations.  So here it is, recipe from old country like grandma used to make - I swear!

I typically make a full batch of two dozen and freeze them in a ziplock until a rainy weeknight when I'm out of food, ideas, and time.  To thaw out frozen meatballs, place them in a microwave-safe container with enough sauce to coat the meatballs.  (This prevents grease meltdowns.)  Nuke for 3 minutes, then let them cool down a bit.  Nuke for a further 2 minutes to bring them up to piping hot.

Two meatballs will feed one average adult; three will feed one very hungry adult. 

Meatballs for Spaghetti
makes 2 dozen

Mix together:

3 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. dry bread crumbs (pref. Progresso Italian)

2/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1 tbsp. dried basil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. hot sauce

Add and work in by hand:
2 lbs. hamburger (10-20% fat)

Roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter.  Arrange the meatballs either on a broiling pan or on a rack in a baking sheet to allow the grease to drain away.

Bake uncovered at 425 for 20 minutes, turning half way through to evenly brown.

Freeze until needed, then thaw in the microwave for ~5 minutes (in sauce).

Recommended product:

Progresso Italian style bread crumbs