Carne en su Jugo (Meat in it's Juices)

 

 

I first had this when a friend brought it over from a restaurant. I'd never heard of it, but I love Mexican food and this soup was amazing. It's also easy to make! The fun thing about it is since the toppings and veggies are served on the side, it can be customized to anyone's preferences. A great meal for a party or a cold wintry night.

Ingredients:

8 fresh tomatillos
3 serrano chile peppers
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3 cups beef stock or broth
12 slices bacon
3 pounds skirt or flank steak
3 cans pinto beans (15.5 ounce each)
1 red onion
1 bunch cilantro
Ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Optional Toppings / Extras:
Diced Tomato
Diced Onion
Grilled Knob Onions (Cebollitas Asadas)
Chopped Cilantro
Lime Wedges
Hot Sauce or Salsa
Pickled or Sliced Radishes
Sliced or Diced Avocado
Mexican Rice
Corn Tortillas and/or Tortilla Chips or Strips
Cheese (Queso Cotija or Cheddar)

Directions:

There are 2 options here; to truly make this from scratch, or skip a couple of steps and make it an easier way. I made it from scratch, but if you don't have access to tomatillos or an immersion blender, you can easily buy tomatillos in cans or even tomatillo juice in the Mexican aisle of any grocery store... or even go one step further and substitute the tomatillos for one bottle of mild salsa verde, in which case you wouldn't need to blend the soup at all.

Here's the from scratch version:  Cook the bacon until crispy, remove to drain and reserve some of the bacon fat. While the bacon is cooking, dice the skirt steak into bite sized pieces. Using some of the bacon fat as oil, season the skirt steak with a little salt and pepper and sear it in a frying pan until lightly browned. It doesn't have to be cooked all the way through, as it will be going into the soup; this step is just to give it a bit of caramelization so it will have more flavor. Once all the steak is lightly cooked, set it aside. 

Peel the tomatillos and rough chop the serrano peppers (remove the seeds if you want the soup to be less spicy). Rough chop the garlic and red onion and remove the larger stems from the cilantro. Add the tomatillos, peppers, garlic, onion, cilantro, beef broth, about 1/2 cup of the cooked steak and a few slices of the bacon to the bottom of a large soup pot. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until smooth.  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender and then transfer to a pot.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Add the beef. Simmer until tender, at least 30 minutes, or until the texture of the soup is to your liking (the longer you cook it, the thicker it will get).  Either crumble or rough chop the bacon while the soup is cooking. Just before serving, stir the bacon and beans into the soup.

As mentioned, you can serve this with any number of toppings or rice on the side. I served it with rice, tortillas, grilled knob onions, sliced radishes, cilantro, extra salsa and diced avocado!

Crispy Mongolian Beef

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil (for frying)
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 lbs flank steak
1 cup cornstarch (divided,1/2 cup for sauce, 1/2 cup for beef)
6 green onions, sliced on the bias in approx. 1 inch pieces
2 cups sliced mushrooms (if desired)
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds (if desired)

3 cups white rice (if desired)

Directions:
Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add green onions, ginger and garlic to the pan and fry until softened. Add soy sauce and water, then add brown sugar and cornstarch and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let stand.

If you would like to add mushrooms to the dish, cook those separately and set aside.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into thin, bite sized slices. Dab with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then dip each piece of meat into cornstarch on both sides. Let the beef stand for about 10 or 15 minutes, to allow the cornstarch to adhere.

Heat about 1 cup of oil in a skillet or wok on medium heat. Add beef to the oil in batches, frying until just crisp and removing to let drain on paper towels.

Once all the beef is fried, pour any remaining oil out of the pan. Add the beef, sauce and mushrooms (if using) and warm on low heat until meat and veggies are covered in sauce and hot.  Remove and garnish with sesame seeds if desired, then serve.  This is most frequently served over white rice. Enjoy!

French Fry Hamburger Bun

 

Okay, so this is barely a recipe... it's almost an edible craft idea.  I personally don't like to put french fries on a burger but I know many people (including my boyfriend Kyle) who do this to a burger every time they eat one, so the concept makes a lot of sense.  And of course it's an impressive presentation!

I won't bore you with a standard french fry and hamburger recipe- I'm sure you can figure that part out for yourselves : )

Ingredients:
French Fries (fresh or frozen will work)
Wilton Edible Adhesive
Hambuger Patties
Any desired garnishes (cheese, condiments, veggies, pickles, etc)

Note:  You can find the Wilton Edible Adhesive in any craft store, such as Joanne's Fabrics or Michael's.  It is normally used for decorating wedding cakes, so it can be found in the cake decorating aisle.  It costs about $6-7 bucks and can be used for lots of other edible projects - pic below!

Directions:
Assemble the buns first.  I have done this twice, once with fresh french fries and once with frozen.  The only discernible difference was that the fresh potatoes glued together more readily, probably because they were not as wet.  However, I did like using the frozen fries because I had more options for shapes & sizes to glue together.  If you don't usually make homemade french fries at home, now would be the time to give it a try!  They taste infinitely better than the frozen ones you're used to eating (and that most restaurants are serving you!)

Heat the oil that you plan to fry your french fries in to 400 degrees, or preheat an oven to 450 degrees if you plan to bake them.  Begin by assembling the puzzle of your bun, using longer and shorter pieces to achieve the desired shape.  Then separate them and glue them in the order you assembled them in.  Allow to dry for about 5 minutes, then fry or bake your french fry buns.

If frying, use a large pair of tongs or metal spatula to carefully remove them from the oil to drain.  If any pieces fall off, don't freak out!  The glue has no flavor or texture and you can easily reglue the piece without any noticeable difference to the food.

Finally, make your burgers, add your desired toppings, and enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

This is one of my favorite classic dishes.  I like to update it a bit by using a nice cut of steak (it's traditionally made with round steak or top sirloin) and adding roasted red peppers.  Sure, you can make the Hamburger Helper version, but why bother when this is so quick and so much more delicious? 

Yield:  4-6 servings 

Ingredients:

2 pounds steak (I recommend tenderloin or strip steak), cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup butter
1 cup + 1/2 cup beef broth 
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 cups egg noodles
Salt and pepper, to taste 


Directions: 

Cook mushrooms, onions and garlic in 1/4 cup butter over medium heat until tender.  Roast and slice red pepper and add to vegetable mixture, then set aside. Boil the noodles in salted water until tender, drain and cover to keep warm.

In a skillet on high, sear beef until brown on the outside, about 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.  Add vegetable mixture to skillet and reduce heat to low.

In a separate saucepan, add 1/4 cup butter and heat on medium until almost completely melted.  Stir in flour and, using a fork or whisk, cook until pastelike, making a roux.  Add heavy cream and remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth.  Cook until creamy, stirring continually.  Stir in sour cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

To assemble the stroganoff, spoon egg noodles onto a plate, then top with beef and veggie mixture and sour cream sauce.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

The secret to Mongolian beef is the hoisin sauce.  It is also important to sear the meat at a very high temperature to get that super caramelized and crispy outside, but that sometimes makes it difficult to get the meat tender.  This recipe incorporates the best of both worlds; you sear it first, then cook it long and slow in the crockpot to tenderize it.  It came out perfect!

Yield:  Serves 2-4 entree portions 

Ingredients:
2 pounds flank steak, cut into bite sized strips
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
6 large green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 cup hoisin sauce 

Optional:  2-3 cups steamed white rice for serving 

Directions:
Bring steak to room temperature and slice it.  Place flank steak and cornstarch into a sealed plastic bag.  Shake to evenly coat the flank steak with the cornstarch.  Add the hoisin sauce to the bag and shake again to coat with sauce.

Next, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  Saute steak until evenly browned, about 2 to 4 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Deglaze the pan with half of the water, add that cooking liquid to a crockpot.

Place the vegetables, steak, and remaining ingredients into the crockpot with the reserved liquid and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Serve over rice, if desired.  This is also delicious if you add about a pound of sliced or whole mushrooms into the mix... mmm mushrooms and beef!  Enjoy!

Bloody Mary Flank Steak

This makes a nice spicy sauce that would also be good on chicken or shrimp.

Ingredients:
2 cups spicy V-8 vegetable juice
1/2 cup vodka
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 pounds flank steak 
1 cup cherry tomatoes, for garnish (optional) 

Directions:
Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl.  Season to taste.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce for serving.  Add the flank steak to the bowl, making sure it is covered with the sauce. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

Preheat a grill, skillet or grill pan to high heat.  Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with paper towels.  Grill for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on preference for doneness and thickness of steak. 

Lightly drizzle cherry tomatoes with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to soften and give them a smoky flavor.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  Slice against the grain and serve with cherry tomatoes and reserved sauce on the side.  Enjoy!

T-Bone Steaks with Roasted Garlic Adobo Potatoes and Garlic Herb Butter

I was at Costco innocently buying groceries when I ran across these giant prime t-bone steaks, on sale... Needless to say, they went straight into my cart, no questions asked!

Here is the link to the potatoes I made to go with the steaks; they turned out really good: Spicy Garlic Adobo Roasted Potatoes

For those of you that don't know, the t-bone is actually comprised of two cuts of meat; the tenderloin and the New York Strip.  Meat is more tender and flavorful when cooked on the bone, so you can't go wrong with t-bone (well, overeating could be an issue!).  Prime is a grade of meat and is more heavily and evenly marbled with fat, which marinates it naturally during the cooking process, resulting in a more juicy and tender end product.  Prime cuts of meat are usually quite expensive, but sometimes you can find a deal at Costco or your local butcher. 

Here is a pic of the marbling on these particular steaks.  Even when you purchase lower grade meat, you can find yourself a better steak by choosing the ones with the best marbling, so look for long thin veins of white scattered throughout the steak.

Yield: Serves 2-4 

Ingredients:
2 large t-bone steaks (these were 1 1/2 lbs each!)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Garlic Herb Butter:
1 lb butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:
To make the herb butter, bring butter to room temperature.  Mince garlic and chop herbs (any herbs can be substituted here, depending on your own preference).  Whip herbs, butter, and lemon until creamy and then season to taste.

There are a lot of fun ways to store and serve homemade butters.  The most common way is to layer it onto saranwrap and then roll into a log.  Chill or freeze until solid, then peel saranwrap back to slice pats of butter from end.  The butter can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.  You can also form balls (butter balls!) with a melon baller or press it into molds for other shapes.  The butter should be chilled until firm (1-3 hours) before serving, otherwise it will not hold the desired shape. 

To make steaks, bring steaks to room temperature and pat dry.  Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high.  Mix spices in a small bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over steaks on both sides, then season with spice mix.

Place steaks on grill and cook for approximately 4-6 minutes per side (depending on desired doneness), rotating 90 degrees once halfway through cooking time to create hash marks.  Flip and repeat.  Top with a slice of garlic herb butter and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.  Mmmmm.... beef!  Hungry yet?

 

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

I ate this a bit too early, and it wasn't quite as tender as I'd hoped.  Two hours later, it was heaven!  The moral of the story is, patience is a virtue when it comes to crockpot cooking!  I think 6-9 hours would be perfect, so this is a dish you might want to put on before you leave for work in the morning.

Yield:  8 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds flank steak, cut into approx 2-3 inch strips
3 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water (reserve for end) 

Rice or noodles, for serving

Garnish (optional):  Chopped cilantro
 

Directions:
Place beef strips into the crockpot.  Add sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, undrained canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and seasonings and mix with a large spoon. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or until meat is tender.

If you would like the peppers super soft, add them during the first stage of the cooking process.  For less well done peppers, add them during the last hour.  Any kind of peppers would work; I chose three colors for presentation; yes, they're pretty!

About a half hour before serving, mix water and cornstarch into a paste and stir into the sauce in the crockpot.  This will thicken the sauce into a gravy.  Serve the meat and veggie mixture over noodles or rice, with some of the gravy ladled over it, and chopped cilantro on top, if desired.  Yum!

Tips:  I restrained myself because I always make everything spicy, but I don't think a bit of Thai chili or Sriracha sauce would be out of place here... just a thought!  Enjoy!