Beef Stew

I posted this recipe back in November of 2010.  I think it's delicious and it's a great ending to a cool day. I've started adding frozen peas at the end for a pop of color and flavor.  Sometimes I add some pearl barley instead of thickening the stew with cornstarch.  If you want to add barley, stir in about 1/2 cup when you add the potatoes and other veggies.  For the best browning results, pat the beef dry with paper towels before adding it to the pot. 

BEEF STEW
adapted from Beef Stew VI on Allrecipes.com

2 pounds stew beef, cubed
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper
garlic powder
4 cups (32 oz.) beef broth
1 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 stalks celery, sliced
4 carrots, thickly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 cup frozen peas
2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbsp. water

Brown beef in oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, sprinkling beef with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Add beef broth, rosemary, parsley, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Add potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, and tomato soup. Return to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer again for 50 minutes. Stir in peas and cornstarch and water mixture to thicken and simmer for 5 minutes more before serving.

Peppered Steak

Here is another recipe I posted back in June of 2010.  Now that I have a nicer photo, I'm republishing it for those who haven't followed my blog for very long.  This is such a great recipe, I don't want it to get buried by all my subsequent posts!

This recipe came from my aunt Renee who passed away several years ago. She had many fantastic recipes (ex: Chinese Chicken Salad, Orange Jello Salad) and this was my favorite. The flavor is just amazing, especially if you let the meat marinate overnight.

The recipe calls for flank or skirt steak, which are pricier cuts of meat. You can make it using a London Broil (or Top Round Roast), which is typically a cheaper but tougher cut of meat. To tenderize it, sprinkle it with some unseasoned meat tenderizer and then attacked it with a fork. Stabbing it voraciously (on both sides) seems to help break down some of the tough connective tissues. Marinating it for at least 3 hours (overnight is best) will help as well because the acid in the lemon juice acts as a tenderizer.

When using a thicker cut of meat like the London Broil, you can prevent the meat from curling up on you during grilling by scoring it with a knife on each side in a grid pattern:

image via shanuska.wordpress.com

In the photo the scoring on the left-hand side is a little too deep. You're going for very shallow cuts, less than 1/8 of an inch. I like to do it in a diamond pattern because it looks attractive.

No matter which cut of meat you use, when slicing it for serving, ALWAYS cut against the grain. Here is a link to a short tutorial on slicing against the grain, if you're not sure what I mean.

Also, once the meat has been grilled, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. I usually put it on a platter, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. This gives the meat time to reabsorb some of the juices and will prevent it from drying out. However, you must realize that if you cook your meat to 'medium-well' or 'well done' that you are going to have drier meat.

Here is a link to a site that lists grilling times for various cuts of meat.

PEPPERED STEAK

1 flank or skirt steak (or London Broil)

Marinade:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery salt
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine marinade ingredients in gallon-size Ziploc bag and add steak. Marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Preheat grill to high heat. Remove steak from fridge and bring to room temperature. Grill for 1-2 minutes and turn steak. Reduce heat to medium and cook until desired done-ness, turning once. Remove to platter. Cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes. Slice thinly and against the grain.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I just love pot roast.  I'm a meat and potatoes girl.  And maybe this makes me a non-gourmand, but I specifically love Golden Corral's pot roast.  It's so tender and full of flavor.  I've tried for a while to get my pot roast to taste the same but it always seemed to fall short until I tried this recipe recently. 

People, I have found my eternal pot roast recipe!  We are going to be so happy together! 

BEST DANGED SLOW COOKER POT ROAST
slightly adapted from When the Dinner Bell Rings

1 rump or chuck roast
2 tsp. olive oil
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups water
salt & pepper, to taste
3 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 celery stalks, thickly sliced
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1/2 onion, sliced
cornstarch, as needed for thickening, optional

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a skillet over med-high heat and sear (brown) roast on all sides.  Place roast in bottom of slow cooker.  Return skillet to heat and add water, onion soup mix, brown gravy mix, and applesauce and whisk to combine.  Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Place vegetables around and on top of roast.  Slowly pour gravy mixture over veggies and roast, being sure to get all potatoes covered with the sauce so they don't turn black as they cook.  Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours*. 

Remove roast and veggies to oven-safe serving platter, cover immediately with foil, and place in a warm oven.  Turn slow cooker to HIGH and whisk in some cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the gravy.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or until thickened.  Serve with roast and veggies.

*I don't always get my roast ready in time to cook for 8 hours, so I usually cook it on HIGH for two hours or so and then reduce it to LOW for another four.

Mongolian Beef

My husband is always on my case to try making more Asian food (I cannot for the life of me find a chow mein recipe I like).  This recipe is touted as a copycat of P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef.  Since I've never had their Mongolian Beef, I have no idea if it's a perfect match or not.  All I know is I really enjoyed it and so did my husband and daughter. 

And it's really not such a complicated recipe that I'll only make it once in a blue moon.  Pretty much the only thing holding me back is the price of beef, specifically flank steak.  Luckily my local grocery store had some thin-sliced beef for fajitas on sale, so I grabbed it and did a little dance of joy (please tell me I'm not the only one who does that).  Whatever beef you use, you want to slice it thinly (1/4-inch thick or less) and against the grain.  For more info on that, check out this video.

MONGOLIAN BEEF
slightly adapted from Tish's recipe on Food.com

1 lb. flank steak (or another cut of lean beef - see above)
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce (I prefer the less-sodium variety)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
3 green onions, sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

Slice the beef into 1/4-inch thick slices against the grain.  In a bowl, toss the beef with the cornstarch until evenly coated.  Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat 2 tsp. oil over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and ginger to the pan and stir for about 15 seconds, then add soy sauce and water.  Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce and increase heat to medium.  Bring sauce to a boil and simmer for about 2-3 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.  Set aside.

In a wok or skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil over medium heat.  Cook slices of beef in oil in 2-3 batches for about 2 minutes each or until edges start to brown.  Remove beef with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, then discard the oil from the wok or skillet. 

Return pan to heat and add the meat back into it; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the sauce and cook for one minute more while stirring to coat.  Add the green onions and cook for one more minute; remove from heat and serve over steamed rice.

Tender Beef Tips With Gravy

This recipe comes from a cute food blog called Mommy's Kitchen.  I really enjoyed this dish - probably because it's similar to stroganoff (one of my favorite comfort foods).  It calls for beef tips, but the slow cooking process makes it so you can use a tougher (and cheaper!) cut of meat like a chuck roast or stew meat.  I've slightly adapted the recipe because my husband and I found it to be a little salty and I wanted more sauce for the noodles. 

The directions call for baking this covered, for 3 hours.  I think you could just as easily throw it all in a slow cooker and leave it on low for 6-8 hours.

TENDER BEEF TIPS WITH GRAVY
slightly adapted from No Peek Beef Tips on Mommy's Kitchen

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. beef tenderloin tips, chuck roast, or stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (0.87 oz) packet brown gravy mix
1 (1 oz) envelope onion soup mix
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained, optional
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup sour cream, optional

1 (16 oz) bag egg noodles (cooked according to package directions)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place cubed meat in a 9x13 baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine mushroom soup, brown gravy mix, onion soup mix, mushrooms (if using), and water.  Pour mixture evenly over meat, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 3 hours.  Stir in sour cream, if using, before serving over egg noodles.

Alternately, combine beef with soup mixture in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is tender.  Stir in sour cream, if using, before serving over egg noodles.

Easy Oven Tacos

Okay, once again I got a pretty crummy photo.  But that is what happens when it's dark by 6pm and your family is hungry and drooling over these delicious tacos.  And this is simply what they look like out of the oven.  Just imagine them with your favorite toppings!

I got the idea for these here.  Pinterest to the dinner rescue again.  I did not follow the recipe for the filling, nor did I bake these at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes because if I did, they'd be black.  So I guess you can say I was inspired by the original recipe, but I didn't stick to it much.  :)

You'll find that you can easily fit 10 tacos in a 9x13 pan.  I did eight across and two on the side.  I used a 10-count box of Old El Paso "Super Stuffers" for my shells.  I also freshly grated some Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.  Yum.  

If you are wondering what I mean by "chili beans" in the ingredients list it's these:

Pretty much every brand has them (including Bush's).  It's pretty much pinto beans in a mild chili sauce - so don't drain these puppies; we're using the sauce, too.

EASY OVEN TACOS
inspired by Mommy? I'm Hungry

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (15 oz) can chili beans
1/2 cup water
1 packet or 1/4 cup taco seasoning
1 - 2 cups shredded cheese (to taste)
10 taco shells

Assorted taco toppings (whatever you like):
chopped tomatoes
shredded lettuce
diced onions
guacamole
sliced olives
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain any excess fat.  Stir in beans with sauce, water, and taco seasoning; cook on medium heat until most of the liquid has reduced and mixture is thick, about 5 minutes.  Place taco shells in 9x13 baking dish, open side up.  Fill shells evenly with meat mixture; sprinkle with cheese.  Bake tacos for 10 minutes.  Fill with your choice of toppings.

Danish Goulash

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought it sounded interesting.  Goulash is typically a Hungarian dish (see my recipe here), but this one is more like your typical beef stew.  For more of the story, visit the blog favfamilyrecipes.com.  It's delicious served over mashed potatoes and even my 8-year-old loves it.

DANISH GOULASH
slightly adapted from favfamilyrecipes.com

2 lbs. stew meat, cubed
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg. onion soup mix
3-4 c. beef broth
4 carrots, peeled and cut (or 2 cups baby carrots)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup milk
salt and pepper
mashed potatoes

Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat; brown meat on all sides (I usually do this in two batches for optimal browning).  Remove meat from skillet and set aside.  Add onions to skillet and reduce heat to medium.  Cook onions until translucent.  Transfer beef and onions to a large pot and add beef broth and onion soup mix; bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours (the longer, the more tender the beef).  Add the carrots and simmer another 30 minutes.  Just before serving, mix cornstarch and milk in a small container until smooth.  Slowly add cornstarch mixture to beef, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps.  Once thickened, add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

Vegetable Beef Soup

If someone out there in blogland would like to donate a DSLR camera to me, I wouldn't mind in the slightest.
It would make my food actually look something you want to eat!

This is a great way to use up a small, boneless roast. Since the beef is slow-cooked you can use a tougher cut like chuck. I make it the way my grandmother made it; with barley.

Quick pearled barley is used as a "thickener" - essentially it's a healthy filler and sucks up some of the extra broth. I've usually found it by the dried beans and rice:

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

1 1/2 - 2 lb. chuck roast
1 can beef broth
8 cups water
4 tsp. beef bouillon or base
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup quick barley
1 can tomato soup
salt & pepper to taste

Pat roast dry with paper towel(s). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray bottom of large pot with cooking spray; heat over med-high heat. Brown roast on all sides; add beef broth, water, and bouillon or base and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

Add onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes; return to a simmer. Cover and cook for another hour.

Remove roast from pot and shred into bite-size pieces. Return to pot with tomato soup and barley. Cook another 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Tender Beef and Bean Stew

I found this recipe in a magazine years ago. It's one of my favorite slow cooker recipes because you just dump it all in and you've got a one-dish meal. It's great topped with shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

TENDER BEEF AND BEAN STEW

1 lb. lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup chopped onion
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2 Tbsp. uncooked long grain rice
1-2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules, cubes, or base mixed with 1 cup hot water
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except tomato sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until beef is tender. Stir in tomato sauce; cover and cook 30 minutes more or until heated through.

Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Dogs

I saw this recipe for pretzel dogs on Allrecipes.com and thought it would be a great way to use up some hotdogs in the fridge (especially since the only buns we had were freezer burned). Turns out, this is Alton Brown's recipe for soft pretzels - just with hot dogs. Mine got a little darker than expected but that's because I have a small, non-standard-sized oven and things cook a little faster. The dogs are great for potlucks and barbecues since the recipe makes a lot (Labor Day, anyone?). I like to dip them in Dijon mustard but they are good alone or with nacho cheese. You will get 18 pretzel dogs out of this recipe.

For the pretzels, obviously you leave out the hot dogs and just twist the dough into pretzel shapes. Other than that, the process is the same. You will get 8 large pretzels out of this recipe.

SOFT PRETZELS AND PRETZEL DOGS
from Alton Brown and Jan's Pretzel Dogs

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 - 115 degrees)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 (0.25 oz) package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp. water
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
kosher salt - to taste
18 hot dogs, optional

Combine the water, sugar, and 2 tsp. kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top.* Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place for approximately 50-55 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil in a large pot.

In the meantime:

For pretzels: turn dough onto lightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press into the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.

For pretzel dogs: turn dough onto lightly oiled work surface and roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 18 1-inch wide strips, then wrap each strip tightly around a hot dog, pinching the edges to seal, and leaving the ends open. About half an inch of hot dog should peek out from each end.

Place the pretzels or pretzel dogs in the boiling water, 1 by 1 (or up to 3 at a time with the dogs), for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water with a large, flat spatula and place on the prepared baking sheets. Brush each pretzel or pretzel dog with the egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbsp. water. Sprinkle with kosher salt if desired. Bake 12-14 minutes or until dark golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

*The dough can be made in a bread machine: Combine the warm water, sugar, and 2 tsp. kosher salt in a bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Place the bread flour and butter in the machine. Add the yeast mixture and select the dough cycle.

Hungarian Goulash

I got this recipe from my mom. It was an old staple in our house. It is similar to stroganoff, but with a tomato base. It can be served over egg noodles or white rice.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH

2 lbs. round steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1 bay leaf
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 (16 oz) bag egg noodles

Combine beef, onion, and garlic in slow cooker. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, bay leaf, and tomatoes and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7-10 hours. Remove bay leaf and stir in sour cream 30 minutes before serving.

Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain. Serve goulash over noodles.

Pacific Island Grill

I think this recipe originated from a local Hawaiian cookbook that belonged to my grandmother. It's packed full of flavor. It calls for flank steak, but as I've mentioned in past posts you can do it with a cheaper cut of meat such as London Broil. When using a cheaper, and thus less tender, cut of meat, you can tenderize it by stabbing it like crazy with a fork. And the longer you marinate the meat, the more tender it will be (overnight is best).

I just realized I've never discussed using fresh ginger root. If you aren't sure what it looks like, here is a picture:

Image via.

When picking out a root at the grocery store, choose one that is firm, not soft or squishy. I also try to pick one that doesn't have too many "arms" coming off the main body, mostly because it's easier to grate.

I know a lot of people peel the outside skin off, but I don't bother. I actually keep the root in a freezer-weight Ziploc bag in the freezer. It will keep for a long time as long as you push as much air out of the bag as possible to keep it from getting freezer burn. When I need fresh ginger root I just pull it out of the bag, grate how much I need (without thawing it), and then put it back in the bag in the freezer until next time. I think I've had my current root about 6 months now. I've had one last as long as a year ... maybe more.

PACIFIC ISLAND GRILL

2-3 lb. flank steak
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 2)
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar will work as well)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dry ground mustard
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a gallon size Ziploc bag and marinate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to med-high heat. Grill 7-8 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Remove to a plate and cover with foil; let rest 10 minutes. Slice against the grain to serve.

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

My husband and father-in-law both love chimichangas, which are essentially deep-fried burritos. I really don't like making anything deep-fried because it's messy and smelly. Maybe one day if I have a fryer I'll change my mind. Anyway, to save the mess and some calories, I bake my chimis. And you know what? They are just as good.

The recipe calls for a can of chili beans. This is not the same as chili with beans. Here is an example of what I mean:
It's essentially pinto beans in a flavored sauce. I'm pretty sure most brands make a version.

BEEF AND BEAN CHIMICHANGAS

2-3 lb. beef roast
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 cup water
1 (15 oz) can chili beans
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
10 (burrito size) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack
3-4 Tbsp. butter, melted
diced tomatoes
shredded lettuce
sour cream
guacamole (optional)

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over med-high heat and brown roast on both sides. Pour 1/2 cup water in a slow cooker and add roast; cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove roast from slow cooker and shred. In a medium bowl, combine beef, 1/4 cup drippings from slow cooker, beans (with sauce), chilies, cumin, and chili powder.

To assemble chimis: Scoop about a heaping 1/2 cup of beef mixture onto a tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and roll up burrito style. Place seam side down on a foil lined jelly roll pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Brush chimis with melted butter and bake for 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve with toppings.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

I suspect that in the next few posts you will discover that I am on an Our Best Bites recipe kick. And who wouldn't be? They have great recipes and I haven't been disappointed yet. I saw this one the other day and couldn't get it out of my mind because I love french dip sandwiches. GOOD french dip sandwiches. And this didn't involve spending an arm and a leg on deli roast beef. You make it with the cheapest beef roast you can find! And it's delicious.

One note on provolone cheese. Most varieties have smoke flavor added. Personally, I don't care for it so I search for the "plain" slices. I found them at Safeway this time. But if you don't care one way or the other, no problem.

And when it comes to using the broiler, be prepared. I naively thought it would take a good two minutes to toast the sandwiches. Hah! After one minute I had to scrape the bread because it almost burned. I'd give it 30 seconds and then check it every 10 seconds after that until they're ready.

Crap, just writing about this is making me hungry for another.

SLOW COOKER FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES
from Our Best Bites

1 (2.5 - 3lb) beef roast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper
2 (1 oz) packets onion soup mix
2 cups water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 crusty sandwich rolls
slices of provolone cheese, as desired

Rub roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Once hot, add roast and sear on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Add water and beef broth. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours and then reduce to low for another 3-4 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker and shred the meat (you can add a little of the juices to the meat to keep it moist, if necessary). Divide meat between sandwich rolls, top with cheese, and broil open-faced until bread is golden and toasted and cheese is melted. Serve with remaining juices (au jus) for dipping.

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

My mom used to make this in a skillet on the stove. About a year ago I decided to try it in the slow cooker and it worked out great. I thought I was so clever until I saw the idea on Allrecipes.com this past week. I wasn't as original as I thought. We always served this over white rice, but it would be just as good with mashed potatoes.

SLOW COOKER SWISS STEAK

2 lbs. round steak, trimmed and cut into individual serving sizes
1 tsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 small onion cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup beef broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1 1/2 Tbsp. water (to thicken sauce)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Brown steak on both sides and place in bottom of slow cooker. Reduce heat of skillet to low and add beef broth. Simmer for 2 minutes then pour over steak. Layer onions, celery, and tomatoes over steak, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 6 hours.

Remove steak pieces to plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour sauce and vegetables into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Serve over steak.

Korean BBQ Beef

Here's another fun one for the grill. Can you tell I'm liking kabobs lately? You could always grill the steak whole and then slice it. Just be sure to let it rest a few minutes before slicing.

I made these tonight using, once again, a London Broil. I sliced it thinly, against the grain (easier to do if your beef is slightly frozen and your knife is really sharp):


I forgot to do it, but you could add some unflavored meat tenderizer to the marinade. If you marinate for more than 3 hours, however, the tenderizer is unnecessary because the vinegar will do the job. I recommend marinating 8 hours if you can - you will get the best flavor that way.

And, again, for kabobs: if you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for an hour before grilling. I got 15 kabobs out of a 2 lb. steak.

KOREAN BBQ BEEF

2+ lbs. flank steak or London Broil
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped

Slice beef into thin strips, against the grain. Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Marinate in fridge at least 3 hours, preferably 8, flipping every hour or two.

Thread strips onto skewers, using 2 strips per skewer. Preheat grill to med-high heat. Lay skewers perpendicular to grill grate and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until desired done-ness.

Marinade for Beef on the Grill

I seriously can't come up with interesting names for recipes. We tried this one tonight and it was unanimously voted "Good!" I used a London Broil again and treated it the same as in this recipe.

MARINADE FOR BEEF ON THE GRILL aka "Pathetic Name for Yummy Recipe"
adapted from Marinated Flat Iron Steak on Allrecipes.com

1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. basalmic vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
pinch of salt
London Broil or other cut of beef for grilling

Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and marinate in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat grill to high heat. Remove steak from fridge and bring to room temperature. Grill for 1-2 minutes and turn steak. Reduce heat to medium and cook until desired doneness, turning once. Remove to platter. Cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes. Slice thinly and against the grain.

Oven Roast

My mom-in-law asked me to put this recipe on my blog. The problem is, I don't have an actual recipe, per se. I just throw stuff together. But I made this today and tried to pay attention to what I did so I could give some helpful instructions.

Essentially, this is very simple. There is not a lot added to the beef - just a few spices to enhance the flavor of the meat. You can do this with pretty much any beef roast, but I really like two particular cuts: Bottom Round roast and Eye of Round roast. They have less fat and great flavor. The Bottom Round I usually just shred, but the Eye of Round is good for slicing.

The high temperature at the beginning sears the roast, so there is no need to brown it ahead of time. Once the temperature is reduced, you can follow the usual rule of thumb: one hour for each pound. I typically like to cook it longer than that because I think it gets more tender that way. If you wanted to cook it all day, just reduce the temp to 300 or even 250 degrees. Today I used a Bottom Round roast that was about 3 pounds and cooked it for a little over 4 hours.

The roast will shrink as it cooks (see photos below), so take this into account when purchasing your roast. It does produce some wonderful drippings that you can either mix back in with the meat after shredding or slicing, or use as a base for gravy.

So here are a list of ingredients and the instructions will follow:

OVEN ROAST

beef roast
salt
pepper
minced dried onion
3 garlic cloves, sliced in thirds
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line a casserole dish (I use a 9x9 glass dish) with a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, shiny side facing up. Place roast in dish, fat side up. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and onion:


Add sliced garlic and water to dish:

Wrap roast tightly with the foil. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake at least one hour per pound.

Remove roast from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Unwrap roast:

If desired (I prefer it), scrape or remove fat from top of roast. Shred or slice (against the grain!). Drippings can be added to beef or:

Pour drippings into a sauce pan (you may want to strain out the garlic cloves). Add one cup of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in 1 tsp. of beef bouillon. In a small resealable container, combine 2 Tbsp. cornstarch with 2 Tbsp. water. Shake until no lumps remain. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into gravy, until desired consistency (more for a thicker gravy, less for a thinner gravy). Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with beef.

Slow Cooker London Broil

London Broil is a fairly cheap cut of meat that I usually use for grilling. It is not the most tender cut of beef, so this recipe treats it like a roast. Very simple, very satisfying. Makes a lot of gravy that goes great with mashed potatoes or rice.

SLOW COOKER LONDON BROIL

2 lb. london broil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 package onion soup mix

Place london broil in bottom of slow cooker (cut up if necessary to make it fit). In a medium bowl, whisk together soups and soup mix. Pour over beef. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Shred and serve with sauce.