Food & Wine Chickie Insider

Beef Stroganoff

Both my mother and my sister make delicious versions of beef stroganoff and I often use their recipes, but this one is a bit luxurious with the use of beef tenderloin and bourbon.  I typically make this recipe when I buy a whole tenderloin as I use the end pieces and uneven bits I get while trimming.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 3″ long and “1 inch wide strips and patted dry
• 1/2 tsp each, salt & pepper
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
• 1 pound cremini or small white mushrooms, chopped roughly
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tbs bourbon
• 1  cup sour cream
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tbs flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Cooked white rice or wide egg noodles

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet over high heat until nearly smoking.  Season meat with salt and pepper, then add to hot skillet and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes.  Place meat into a shallow baking dish for later use.
2. Melt butter in the skillet used for the meat over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook until softened and slightly golden, about 4 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms and sauté for about 10 minutes.
4. Add broth and bourbon and cook down until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 15 minutes.
5. Incorporate the sour cream and mustard, combining well, then add the reserved meat and any juices from the baking pan. Continue cooking on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.  Add parsley and re-season with salt and pepper if needed.
6. Serve over white rice or egg noodles.

Serves 4.

Notes:  I typically serve this dish over egg noodles, but my guy loves it over white rice.  Nice alternative.  I also like to add an additional dollop of sour cream to top off the dish at serving time.

Meatloaf 101

I’ve used this meatloaf recipe by Martha Stewart for many years and always have great results.  Don’t omit the carrots!

Ingredients

• 4 slices white bread, torn into pieces
• 1 3/4 pounds ground beef
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into eighths
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 4 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse bread until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl; add ground beef and ground pork.
2. Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add to beef mixture; combine using your hands. Add egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt, and pepper; combine thoroughly, using your hands. Place in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 teaspoons dry mustard, and the brown sugar; stir until smooth.
4. Brush mixture over top of the meatloaf. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch drippings, and transfer to oven. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. (If the top of the meatloaf gets too dark, cover with foil and continue baking.) Let meatloaf stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8 to 10

From The Martha Stewart Show, July/August 2000

Grand-Mother’s non-traditional meat sauce.  Perfect over spaghetti and used in a lasagna. I suggest this recipe be doubled as it freezes very well.

• ¾ lb ground pork
• ¾ lb ground beef
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 ounces celery, diced
• 1-20 ounce can tomato juice
• 1-28 ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small cans of tomato paste
• ½ tbs. red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• ½ tbs. chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• salt & pepper
• ¼ tsp. cloves
• 1 tbs. sugar

Sauté onion and celery in oil for 5 minutes in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and sauté another minute.  Add meats and sauté until completely cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add spices and sugar and cook 1 minute.  Add tomato juice, paste, and Italian-style tomatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.  Reseason with salt and pepper as needed.

6 Servings.

• 2-750 ml bottles Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4 cups beef stock or canned broth
• 2 cups ruby Port
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 large shallot, peeled, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tsp. dried thyme

• 1 6-pound boneless prime rib beef roast
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed

Combine first 6 ingredients and 1 tsp. thyme in a large nonaluminum saucepan.  Boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour.  Strain.

Preheat oven to 450 F.  Place beef, fat side up, in heavy 13×9x2-inch baking pan.  Rub beef all over with pressed garlic and remaining 2 tsp. thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast 1 hour.  Tent beef with foil.  Continue roasting until meat thermometer inserted in center registers 118 F for rare, about 35 minutes.  Transfer to platter and let stand 20 minutes.

Pour all of the fat from the roasting pan.  Place pan over medium-high heat.  Add Cabernet mixture to the pan and bring to a boil, scrapping up any brown bits.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour jus into a sauce boat.  Carve beef and serve.

8 Servings.

• 1-2 lb. beef chuck underblade roast
• 1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix ( dry )
• 3 carrots halved and cut into 3 sections
• 6 potatoes cut into chunks
• 1 jar pearl onions not marinated
• 2 stalks celery cut into 3 sections
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 275 F.  Place roast in a 9”x13”x2” pan.  Sprinkle onion soup mix over the roast, rubbing the mix into the meat.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 4 hours.  After the 4 hours, uncover roast and add all vegetables.  Recover with foil and bake another 2 hours.

3-4 Servings.

Beef Chili for a Crowd

This simple and delicious chili recipe makes enough to feed an army…or at least 15 of your friends at your next party.

• 5 lb. ground beef
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 Tbs. chopped garlic
• 4 – 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
• small can kidney beans
• 2 packages Shelby’s Chili Mix, spice packets only
• 1/3 cup chili powder
• 2 ounces Worcestershire sauce

Sauté onion, and garlic on high heat for 5 minutes.  Add beef and cook until cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes.  Add Worcestershire sauce.  Sauté until completely gray in color.  Add spices and blend well.  Add beans and tomatoes.  Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours.

15 Servings.

• 1 beef chuck roast (3 pounds), trimmed
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 whole peppercorn
• 8 French rolls, split

Place roast in slow cooker.  Add water, soy sauce and seasonings.  Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until beef is tender.  Remove meat from broth; shred with fork and keep warm.  Strain broth; skim off fat.  Pour broth into small cups for dipping.  Serve beef on rolls.

Serves 8.

• 1 pound dried navy or kidney beans
• 3 pounds brisket of beef
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tbs. prepared mustard
• 1 tbs. salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup molasses

Wash beans and pick over, discarding stones.  Place in bowl and cover with cold water.  Let soak overnight.

Next morning, drain beans and place in saucepan.  Cover with fresh water.  Heat slowly and cook just below boiling point until skins burst, about 30 minutes.

When done, drain beans and place them in large 6-quart casserole with lid.  Add brisket of beef and onions.

Mix mustard, salt, brown sugar, molasses, and 2 cups boiling water and pour over beans and brisket.  Cover and bake at 225 degrees for 8 hours, uncovering casserole last hour to brown.

6-8 Servings.

• 1 1/2 lb. sirloin
• 5 Tbs. butter
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• salt, pepper
• parsley, minced

Cut the beef in strips.  Melt 4 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. oil in a pan.  Sear the meat.  When meat is cooked, about 5 minutes, place on a plate.  Add to the pan, the rest of the butter and oil and sauté the green onion for 2 minutes.  Add the wine, the sour cream, and the lemon juice and let cook for one minute, making sure the mixture does not boil.  Pour the sauce over the meat.  Salt, parsley and pepper to taste.

6 Servings.

• 1 beef brisket ( 3-4 lb.)
• 1-1/4 cups water, divided
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbs. oil
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 taps red wine vinegar
• 2 tbs. lemon juice
• 2 tbs. brown sugar
• 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ¼ tsp. liquid smoke

Place brisket in a large Dutch oven.  Add ½ cup water.  Cover and bake at 275F for 2 hours.  Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add ketchup, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and remaining water.  Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Add liquid smoke; mix well.  Drain drippings from Dutch oven.  Pour sauce over meat.  Cover and bake 1-2 hours longer.

6-8 Servings.