Chef John's Italian Braised Beef and Potatoes

This has become a favorite in our house. The original recipe is here. We've modified it just a bit for our taste so that's why I'm saving it here.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 3 pounds beef 
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 cup white wine, or one 187 ml bottle
• 2 cups beef broth or chicken broth (we use the whole package)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 3-4 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Mix salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl, and generously season both sides of beef.
3. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat; add beef to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides. Remove beef to a plate; set aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and celery to the pot with a large pinch of seasoning. Cook, stirring, until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and dried herbs, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook for a few minutes until most of the wine has disappeared.
6. Add broth and bay leaf, and turn heat to high to bring the pot back to a simmer. Add beef back in along with any liquid from the holding bowl.
7. Roast, covered, in the preheated oven until meat is almost fork tender, but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
8. After 2 hours check the meat. If it's close add your potatoes and carrots. Add more stock if needed (or water).
9. Cover; roast at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) until meat and potatoes are very tender, about 1 hour more.
10. Serve in a bowl with cooking liquids spooned over. 

Meatballs version 2

This is a modification of our other meatballs recipe. This is if you only have 2 pounds of meat, or if you'd like to make a meatloaf instead.

Ingredients for the slurry:

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Ingredients for the meat mixture:
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients for the slurry and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the meat mixture until well combined and one good lump. Use your fingers to poke holes in the lump of meat. Take your slurry mixture and put on top of the meat mixtures, using a spatula to spread and smush slurry into the holes you made.

I like my meatballs about golf ball size. I make my ball, and then slightly flatten. I then put them in a sauté pan on medium heat and brown on each side for about 4 minutes per side. Then I transfer to a foil lined, lightly oiled, sheet pan and bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes until they're nicely browned and cooked through. No need to turn.

Dougherty Homemade Beef Stroganoff

This is one of my all time favorite meals that David cooks. It's one of those meals that you can make quick and easy for week-night enjoyment, or you can make it a little more fancy for a nice dinner. It just depends on your mood and what kind of beef you have on hand. Another great thing about this dinner is it can be done in 1 pan (well, 2 if you include the pot to cook the pasta).

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef 
16 oz sliced mushrooms 
10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup (we really like Campbell's Cream of Cremini & Shiitake)
16 oz sour cream (you are only going to use about 3/4 of the container)
Butter (for the mushrooms-trust me)
Salt
Pepper
Egg Noodles

Directions:

First you want to cook up your mushrooms. When I get them I'll get the little boxes from Safeway that are 8 oz each and I will cook each container separately. It takes a little time, but it is worth it because we love mushrooms and it makes them so good. You want to cook them in on a med heat in a sauté pan (the same one you will do your beef in and eventually mix everything together in). I put 2-3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the hot pan and then add the mushrooms. Gently mix it all up a bit to cover the mushrooms and melt the butter. If the pan seems dry, you can add more butter. Mushrooms and butter are a good thing. When the mushrooms as as tender and browned as you like, I will add a tiny bit of salt before dumping them into a bowl while I get the second container browned. Repeat with the second container (if you did two).

Next you will want to brown your hamburger. Just put it in the same pan you just did the mushrooms in. After you have put your beef in and broken it up a bit you should start your water for your egg noodles. You are going to brown the hamburger, and drain off any excess fat/grease. Leave the meat in the pan.

If your water is boiling, cook those noodles!

You can turn the heat down a bit now. Add the can of cream of mushroom soup to the hamburger and stir that up a bit. Next you are going to add the sour cream. I'd start with about half the container and taste it to see if you want to add more (then answer should be yes) and then add enough to make it more saucy and taste how you like. Then add in the mushrooms. The soup we use is salty and peppery enough that I don't add more, but if you feel like it needs either of those now is the time to add and stir it in.

If you aren't already cooking your noodles now is the time to do so. You can just turn the stroganoff to a low setting and stir it once in awhile to keep it all mixed. You should also keep tasting it to make sure it still tastes good.

Drain your noodles. Put some noodles in a bowl/on a plate and then scoop some stroganoff on top and enjoy!

Variations:

• You can cook an onion or shallot with the meat
• You can use different cuts of meat, great way to use some holiday prime rib
• Different cream of mushroom soup
• Try different pasta
• You could use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream

Braised Short Ribs from Chrissy Teigen

Get the recipe here (really please go check out her site!)

Ingredients:

3 tsps kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
2 tsps cayenne pepper (I cut it down to under 1 tsp because I'm a wimp)
2 tsps paprika (I used the same amount of this as I did of the cayenne)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
4 lbs beef short ribs (cut English-style, meaning meat on top of long bones as opposed to cut across the bones)
6 tblsps canola oil, divided
4 large carrots, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
3 stalks celery, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 (14.5 oz) bag frozen pearl onions, defrosted or 1 large onion, diced (I used a small shallot)
1 tblsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tblsp flour
1 (12 oz) bottle beer, any kind (I used flat tire)
2 tblsps light brown sugar
2  14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine 1 teaspoon of the salt with the cayenne, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all of the meaty parts of the ribs with the rub. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the ribs and brown all over, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate, drain and discard the liquid, then wipe out the pot with a paper towel (some of the spices in the pot may be a tad burnt and you don’t want that involved with the rest of the recipe).

2.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the pot, then add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook until the celery and carrots begin to soften, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until it disappears into the vegetables and the flour browns a drop, 1-2 minutes. Add the beer, scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot, bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half and thickened, 5-6 minutes.

3.  Stir in the brown sugar, then add the tomatoes, beef broth, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then add the short ribs, bone side up. Reduce to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven; braise until the meat is falling off the bone and the liquid has thickened, 2½ to 3 hours. Remove from the oven.

4.  Using tongs, transfer the ribs from the liquid to a serving bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Arrange a colander over a large bowl and dump the vegetables and liquid into the colander. Skim the fat off the liquid and season it with salt and pepper. Arrange the veggies on the serving platter with the short ribs and serve the cooking liquid on the side for drizzling, pouring, or dunking.

Easy Tri Tip Roast

This came about thanks to trying one of Chef John's recipes (here). It was good, but for our taste we prefer less of a rub on the meat. This is our simple but delicious variation.

1 tri tip roast (I usually get a 1 - 2 lb roast)

Salt

Pepper

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees. I like to lightly grease my roasting pan. Put your roast on a plate and generously salt and pepper both sides. I like to take and get the parts unseasoned by picking it up and mopping up the salt and pepper on the plate with the ends and any parts that missed the seasoning. Put the meat in your roasting pan and put it in the heated oven. Your roast is done when your thermometer reads 130 degrees. For a 1 - 1 1/2 lb roast I cook it for about 45 minutes. For a 2 lb roast 60 minutes seems to be about right. Chef John recommends flipping the meat half way to help keep the heat even and a more consistent cook, so I do that. Let the meat rest (covered) at least 10 minutes and up to 20 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Casserole

1 Lbs. brown hamburger w/onion

salt & pepper

1 tsp chili powder

Drain the above and add:

1 can tomato soup

1 cup tomato juice, or

1 can tomato soup & 1 can whole tomatoes

12 oz cooked spaghetti, broken in pieces

Mix and place in 9 x 13 greased pan

Top with ½ lb mozzarella cheese & bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Cover with foil.

Green Bean Casserole

3-4 med potatoes, sliced

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 (1 lb) can green beans (drained)

¼ tsp garlic salt

1 can cream of celery soup

4 oz (1cup) grated cheese

¼ cup liquid from beans

Brown beef, add onions & simmer until onions are cooked, Place potatoes in greased 6 x 10 casserole. Top w/meat, add green beans sprinkled w/garlic salt. Combine bean liquid w/soup & pour over all. Sprinkle w/cheese & bake uncovered at 350 for 45 min or until potatoes are done.

Taco Salad

1 Lb. Hamburger

1 chopped tomato

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 sm. Bag Dorito Chipps

8 oz jar taco sauce

1 head chopped lettuce

¼ cup chopped onion

1 ½ cup shredded Colby cheese

Brown hamburger & drain. Add lettuce, tomato, onion, kidney beans & chsse. Before serving, crunch up chips & pour on salad. Then pour 1 8 oz jar of taco sauce over salad & toss.

Giant Empanadas

1 Lb hamburger

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 tbsp chili power

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 pie crusts

Brown hamburger, onions & green pepper.

Add can of diced tomatoes, chili power, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 min.

Spread ½ meat mixture on part of one pie crust, fold over crust and seal the edges. Repeat with other pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Garnish or serve w/shredded cheese, sour cream or salsa.

Runza Casserole (2 ways)

Way 1:

2 Pkg crescent rolls

1 ½ lb ground beef

Salt, pepper, onion

Shredded Cabbage – 1 package

Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese

Brown hamburger, onion until done, add cabbage and cover until tender. Place 1 pkg of rolls in pan, add beef & cabbage mixture, top with cheese and top with crescent rolls. Bake at 350 degree for 30 min.

Way 2:

2 Pkg. Crescent rolls

½ cup water

1 Pkg Lipton onion soup mix

1 ½ lb of ground beef

½ head cabbage

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Brown ground beef, drain. Add ½ cup water & grated cabbage, steam and drain. Mix together the beef, cabbage, soup mix and can of mushroom soup. Line a 9 x 13 pan with 1 package of crescent rolls. Put beef and cabbage mixture on top. At this point casserole may also have grated cheese added to it. Cover with the other package of crescent rolls. Bake as directed on roll package.

Quick Meal in One Dish

2 cups of macaroni

1 26 oz. can tomato soup

1 ½ lb. hamburger

1 26 oz can vegetable soup

1 cup drained kidney beans

chili powder

1 med onion

Cook macaroni according to directions. Drain. Add soups and beans and season with chili powder according to taste.

Brown hamburger & chopped onion. Drain & mix all together. Simmer until heated through. Serve with tossed salad.

Meatballs or Patties

2 lbs. hamburger

1 Tablsp onion, chopped

¼ teas. Pepper

¾ cup oatmeal

1 ½ teasp salt

1cup milk

Mix & form into patties. Brown & pour sauce over.

2 Tablsp. Sugar

½ cup onion

2 Tablsp. Vinegar

1 cup ketchup

½ cup water

2 tablsp. Worcestershire sauce

Heat & pour over patties or meatballs.

David's Meat Loaf

1 pound hamburger

1-2 eggs, depending on how juicy the meat is

Italian seasoning

parsley

onion powder

3/4 cup ketchup

Worcestershire sauce

bread crumbs (not to dry out the mixture, just enough to help it hold shape)

Mix the above ingredients, using bread crumbs to help loaf hold its shape. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour.  You want the temperature to be 160 degrees.

Mom's Meat Loaf

1 1/2 pounds of hamburger
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 beaten egg

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Recipe from Ladonna Love

Empanadas

This is a recipe I clipped from a Martha Stewart magazine a zillion years ago (May 2003). I changed the filling based off a recipe from Pampered Chef, but I liked Martha's dough recipe and steps in making the empanadas. I'm putting it up here so I can find it again.

For the filling (recipe based off Pampered Chef):

2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheese

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies (undrained)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon southwestern/Mexican seasoning

2/3 crushed corn chips

Combine the above together to make the filling

You need a batch of Empanada Dough.

Assembling the Empanada:

Break off 1 1/2 inch ball of dough. On a clean work surface, roll dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick.

Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each round. Moisten the edges of the dough with water; fold dough over to seal, pressing gently. Crimp the edges with a fork; set aside. Repeat until you have used all your dough.

Cook in about 2 inches of vegetable oil. Fry until golden brown, turning once, about 1 minute.

Steak & Bacon Tournedos

1 - 1 1/2 pounds of beef flank steak
Instant non-seasoned meat tenderizer
1/2 pound of bacon
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of snipped parsley
1 (1 3/4 ounce) envelope hollandaise sauce mix
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed

Pound the flank steak to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch thick. Use the meat tenderizer according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile cook the bacon until almost done but not crisp. Sprinkle flank steak with garlic salt and pepper. Score the steak diagonally making diamond shaped cuts. Place bacon strips lengthwise on flank steak. Sprinkle with parsley. Roll up jelly roll style, starting at the narrow end. Skewer with wooden picks at 1 inch intervals. Cut in 1 inch slices with serrated knife. Grill over medium coals for 15 minutes, turning once for rare. Meanwhile in a saucepan prepare the hollandaise sauce mix according to the directions on the package, adding the tarragon to the dry mix. Serve sauce with the flank steaks. Makes 4 servings, 2 pinwheel steaks each.

Beer & Onion Bratwurst

1 package of Johnsonville Bratwursts

2 large onions, sliced thinly

3 (12 ounce) cans of beer

Place above in a pan and heat to a boiling. Cover and turn down the heat; simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the brats and grill. You can caramelize the onions.

Recipe from Johnsonville Brats package

Runzas

This is a family favorite. I will admit, I'm not a cabbage fan so the cabbage hater filling was for me. These are delicious balls of dough filled with warm yummy fillings that will hopefully bring you as much joy as I had eating them growing up!

Traditional Filling:
1/2 lb ground beef
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 c. chopped cabbage
1/8 tsp black pepper

Brown ground beef. Wilt cabbage in butter. Add to beef mixture with salt and pepper.

Cabbage Hater Filling:
1 - 1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/3 - 1/4 lb velveeta cheese (oh yeah)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp oregano
Pinch of parsley and black pepper

Brown the ground beef. Add cheese and mix until melted. Stir in Oregano and pepper.

Sweet Dough:
2 cups milk (or half and half), or potato water

1/4 cup instant potatoes

1/2 cup sugar

2 rounded tbsp lard (or butter)

2 eggs, well beaten

1 tbsp salt

1 package dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water and add 1 tsp sugar

Heat the milk. In a large bowl put sugar, potatoes, lard and salt. Add the warm milk. Stir until lard is melted. Add 2 cups flour and stir real good. Add the eggs and yeast, stir this real good to get all bubbles in it. Then add flour gradually until you can work by hand. Knead about 10 minutes. The dough should be pliable so you can roll it out. 

Roll sweet dough very thin and cut into 6 or 7 inch squares. Place about 3 tbsp of meat mixture into center of each square. Bring corners of dough to the center. Pinch edges together and place smooth side up on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Versatile Marinade for Barbecued Meats

We've had a new grill for a while--a Big Green Egg--and since we purchased it, I've been experimenting with marinades. I've settled on one that works really well with pork, chicken and beef.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. light soy
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp good italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh-pressed if you prefer)
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp sea salt

Mix everything up into a slurry and pour into a large zip-lock bag containing 1 to 1.5 pounds of your favorite barbecuing fare. Seal well, and then gently massage the bag. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, turning it every hour (or so) to make sure all of the contents are getting a good soak. Grill to your liking.

~David

Eggs in a Ham Cup

This recipe is from www.babble.com and can be found HERE

This is one of our new favorite weekend breakfasts, and here is how we do it:

Ingredients:
2 slices of ham per egg (so for us it's 8 slices)
4 eggs
Cooking spray
Salt & Pepper

Muffin tin (I use a large muffin muffin tin)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Spray the muffin tin with the cooking spray to make the little cups of yum easier to get out.  Line 4 muffin cups with 2 slices of ham, letting it ruffle up the sides.  Crack 1 egg into each cup.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  We bake ours for about 23 minutes and it's just perfect-the egg is all set and not runny, but it's not hard and dry.  Enjoy!