Guinness Beef Stew

 This is a recipe we had before Christmas at the home of friends.  It was good to get together; almost normal after almost 2 years of pandemic ruined gatherings.  This is delicious and hearty; a perfect winter meal with some crusty bread.  A word of warning early in the cooking process, this smells terrible.  Don't worry, the bad smell goes away quickly and then your house smells amazing while it simmers.

4 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces (do not skimp on this, it adds great flavor)

2 1/2lbs stew beef; marinated in salt and pepper

2 onions; rough chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

1 14oz can Guinness

1/4 C. tomato paste

4 springs fresh thyme

3 carrots; rough chop

2 stalks celery; rough chop

2 1/2 C. chicken stock

Bay leaves (I used 2 large), salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes (I used Yukon gold roughly 3lbs) cut into large pieces

In a stock pan fry bacon, remove and set aside.

Brown beef, remove.  Soften onions for 5 minutes.  Add minced garlic for 1 minute.  Deglaze with Guinness.  Scrape with wooden spoon for 2 1/2 minutes.  Add tomato paste, thyme (I tied the sprigs with butcher's twine), carrots, celery, bay leaves and potatoes.  Add stock, cook on high until mixture comes to a boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until fork tender.  Uncover and raise heat to reduce and thicken.  Add a cornstarch slurry for further thickening if desired.

Garlic Apple Pork Roast

I found this in the February/March 2020 issue of  Taste of Home.  I like to try different things with pork roasts and this recipe looks delish.  The recipe uses a slow cooker but I bet it will be good in the smoker as well.

1 boneless pork loin roast (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
1 12oz. jar apple jelly
1/2 C. water
2 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. pepper

Cut the roast in half; place in a 5qt. slow cooker.  In a small bowl, combine the jelly, water, and garlic; pour over the roast.

Cover and cook on low until meat is tender; 8-10 hours. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.  Serve with cooking juices if desired.

4oz. cooked pork- 237 calories, 6g. fat, 66mg. cholesterol, 165mg. sodium, 19g. carbohydrates, 26g. protein.

Paleo Breakfast Sausage

I have been reading the book Paleo for Beginners and I came across a couple of recipes that seem interesting.  I am not ready to commit to the full Paleo program but a meal here and there isn't going to hurt me.

I have often wanted to try to make my own sausage.  This will be a good starting point for me.

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp. smoked hot paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. rubbed sage
2lbs. lean ground pork
1 tbsp. coconut oil

In a large bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, paprikas, and herbs until well mixed.

Add the ground pork and mix together until the herbs are incorporated.

Form the pork mixture into 16 equal balls and flatten into patties.

Place in a skillet over medium heat; add the oil.

When the skillet is hot, cook the patties in batches until browned and cooked through; about 5 minutes per side.

Serve with eggs.

Grilled Pork Roast

Happy Sunday dinner all.  I am winging today's recipe.  I had a recipe here on the blog that I was going to try for the very first time and I somehow, through my incredible tech savvy, lost it.

1/4 C chopped fresh rosemary
2 3lb. pork roasts
several springs chopped fresh thyme
Zest and juice of two lemons
8 (yes, 8) garlic cloves
olive oil
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

This is going to be a situation where if this tastes half as good as it smells, it's going to be a good meal!!

The roasts are going on the grill...I am hoping to have the heat at about 350-400 degrees and will cook the roasts on indirect heat to about 150 degrees and then cover them and let them rest and cook the rest of the way.

Grilled Coffee and Cola Skirt Steak

Here is a new recipe to try while we still have plenty of time left in grilling season; found on allrecipes.com.  Love the flavor combinations and the recipe itself is fairly easy.

2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 12oz. can or bottle cola flavored beverage
1/2 freshly brewed strong coffee
1/4 C. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. Louisiana style hot sauce or to taste
1-1 1/4 pound skirt steak
salt to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper or to taste

1. Place garlic into a nonreactive bowl and whisk in cola, coffee, rice vinegar, ketchup, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and hot sauce until thoroughly combined.
2. Unroll the skirt steak and cut into 6-inch lengths with the grain, using a kitchen scissors. Submerge the meat totally in the marinade; place a piece of plastic wrap onto meat and marinade surface. Marinate 8 to 12 hours in refrigerator or overnight.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
4. Remove meat from marinade; save the marinade. Pat meat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides of meat with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
5. Pour marinade into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
6. Grill meat on the preheated grill until steak pieces are still pink inside and meat has good grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Place thin cooked pieces onto thicker pieces of meat to prevent thin ones from overcooking. When the surface of the meat looks shiny and wet from juices being forced up to the surface, the meat is medium-rare to medium in doneness. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of a piece should read 125 to 130 degrees F (52 to 54 degrees C).
7. Remove meat to a platter and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain to serve. Drizzle servings with reduced coffee-cola marinade.

Grill Master??? Maybe

Have you ever decided you were just going to fly blind when cooking something?  Have you been lucky enough to have it work out?  My only regret from today's meal is that we were all so hungry, it never occurred to me to take some photos.  Guess I'll have to try it again sometime soon.

Chris bought two small roasts recently.  Oddly enough for those who have stopped at my blog before, they were not pork roasts.  I had a NY strip roast and a bone in prime rib roast.  We were having some people over for dinner and I decided to cook them both on the grill.  So, about 1:30pm this afternoon, I realized I had no idea what I was doing with these roasts so I fired up the internet and googled grilling beef roasts.

I came across several options but here is the one I used.

Grill the roast approximately 15 minutes per pound but it really depends on the internal temperature of the grill and the size of the roast. Continuinggrilling until an instant-read thermometer registers 125-130 degrees for medium-rare which should be another 30-60 minutes. You should always use an instant-read thermometer to check the doneness of a roast. Always remove the roast 10 degrees before the desired temperature, the roast will riseanother 10 degrees well resting. When grilling rib eye turn the roast work quickly to close cover and retain as much heat as possible in the grill.

Now, my grill was around 550 degrees so I was in and out a bunch of times because I didn't want the meat going around the bend.  It didn't, it was awesome.  The biggest thing I can tell you is pull your meat when you reach a temp 10 degrees UNDER what you're looking for.  You'll achieve desired temp when you let the meat rest.  

Another point I will stress...make sure to leave yourself enough space on the grill for the meat to be off direct heat.  With a grill at 550 degrees, you need to make sure you don't burn your meat beyond recognition.  

I had two good cuts of meat so they were simply seasoned with truffle salt and pepper.

I promise there will be photos the next time I try this.

Salt and Pepper Steak

I saw this in the June issue of Bon Appetit.  We don't grill skirt steak often enough.

Cut 1 1/2 pounds of skirt steak into 4 pieces; season with salt and pepper.  I might use truffle salt here.  Grill over medium high heat until medium rare, about 4 minutes per side.  Let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.

Use leftovers for tacos, in tagliata or in a sandwich.

What is tagliata, you ask?

Lay cold slices of steak atop a bed of arugula, followed by good Parmesan cheese, a glug of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.  YUM!

"TO DIE FOR" Smoked Brisket

Chris made this brisket a couple of weeks ago and it was SO SO SO good.  My house smelled like some BBQ joint in Memphis, St. Louis, North Carolina, or Kansas City.  He made a rub using the following ingredients.

• 5 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

You can put whatever you want in a rub...you can go hot or sweet.  This rub gives nice flavor with a slow after burn that really sneaks up on you as you eat.  Rinse the brisket and pat it dry.  Be generous with the rub, you want a good crust.  If you're a BBQ fan, you know how good the crust is.

Now, if you're going to smoke a brisket, you need TIME.  We have a stovetop smoker and it cooks on the stove for an hour or so and then it was hours in the oven at 275 degrees.  The longer you cook the more tender the meat gets.  I think this went 6 hours in the oven.  The finished product looked like this.

Notice the crust??  You can only imagine how good the house smelled!  The brisket didn't shrink down to a glorified hockey puck either.

Look at that smoke ring!

We finished out the meal with twice baked potatoes and prosciutto wrapped asparagus.  

Our furry sous chef was exhausted after all of the work that went into this meal.

Orzo and Ricotta Meatballs with Marinara

This is a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe I found in the May 2014 issue of Food and Wine.  I need to try this.  C'mon Spring...I need to get my fresh basil plants going!

1/4 C. orzo
1 large egg
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1lb. ground chuck (preferably 20% fat)  Fat is flavor!!!
1/2 C. fresh ricotta cheese
1/4 C. water
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. chopped basil, plus more for garnish
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
24 oz. jar marinara sauce  (I may use my own while it lasts)
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

In a saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente.  Drain and let cool.

In a bowl, beat the egg, shallot, garlic, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add the orzo, ground beef, ricotta, water, salt, pepper and 1/4 C. of the chopped basil and mix well.  Shape into 1 1/4 inch meatballs and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil.  Cook the meatballs over moderately high heat, turning until just cooked through (7 minutes).  Transfer to a plate.

Add the marinara sauce to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until hot, five minutes.  Add the meatballs and simmer until hot (3 minutes).  Spoon the meatballs and sauce into shallow bowls, garnish with basil and serve with shaved cheese.

Deviled Flank Steak

OK, we are making progress.  The giant pile of snow that was block the door to our crawlspace is gone.  So, if the temperature ever gets above 50 degrees for more than 2 hours at a time, maybe we can break out the outdoor grill for 2014.  I know, I know, that's crazy talk but a girl's gotta dream!

1lb. flank steak
1/4 C. A1 Thick and Hearty Steak Sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Heat grill to medium high heat.

Brush steak with 2 tbsp. steak sauce.  Grill 16 to 16 minutes or until medium doneness, turning after 9 minutes.  Transfer to cutting board; tent with foil.  Let stand 5 minutes.

 Meanwhile, mix remaining steak sauce with all remaining ingredients in saucepan.  Bring to a boil on high heat; simmer on medium low heat 2 minutes or until thickened.

Cut steak across the grain into thin slices, Serve topped with sauce.

Use tongs to turn the steaks to avoid piercing the meat.

Sirloin Steak Oreganato

This is another recipe from my Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook.  I can remember when I was a kid, there was a Greek family that lived down the street from us.  They used to grill steaks with lemon.  That has been a favorite flavor combination for a long time.  The recipe calls for the steaks to be broiled but I bet this would be really good grilled too.  I wonder if we'll ever get the grill out of the crawl space under the house.  The door to the crawl space is currently behind almost 2 feet of snow.

1 medium lemon
2 garlic cloved, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 boneless beef top sirloin steak, 1 1/4 inches thick; about 1 1/2lbs.

Preheat broiler.  Grate peel and squeeze juice from the lemon.  In a 12x8 baking dish or deep ceramic platter, mix lemon peel, lemon juice, garlic, oil, salt, oregano, and pepper.  Add steak, turning to coat both sides.

Place steak on rack in broiling pan. Place pan in broiler at closest position to heat source.  Broil steak, turning once and brushing with any remaining marinade after turning, 12 to 15 minutes for medium rare, or until desired doneness.

Transfer to platter.  Let stand 10 minutes; keep warm. To serve, thinly slice steak.  Spoon any juices from the broiler pan over slices.

Apricot Glazed Smoked Ham

Chris has an idea that we are going to do a cook off for Easter dinner.  Maybe ham and lamb.  I like the glaze idea in this recipe I found in the Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook.  We'll talk about the results of this "cook off" after Easter. :-)

Half fully cooked smoked bone in ham (7 pounds)
1/2 C. apricot jam
3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 14.5oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Remove skin and trim all but 1/4 inch fat from ham.  Score fat just through to the meat, into 3/4 inch diamonds.  Place ham on rack in medium roasting pan.

Insert meat thermometer into center of ham careful that pointed end does not touch bone.  Bake 1 1/2 hours.  Meanwhile, prepare glaze.  In a cup, mix jam, mustard, and ginger until blended.  Brush glaze over ham.  Bake ham another 30 minutes or until thermometer reaches 140 degrees.  Place on a large platter.  Let stand 15 minutes, keep warm.  Slice and serve.

Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream Cheese

There is something about beef tenderloin that is so elegant.  We buy them in bulk at Caputo's and cook them whole or make filets out of them.  I like mine rare...a good cut of red meat shouldn't be cooked too long in my humble opinion.  This would be a great New Years Eve meal.

4 beef tenderloin steaks, 4oz. each
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; this would be a great place to sub in truffle salt if you like it.
1 tsp. olive oil
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. prepared horseradish
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add steaks; cook 4-6 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and horseradish until blended.  Serve with steaks.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Puerto Rican Shredded Pork

I saw this in the November 2013 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  It's in a pork ad.

2-3lb boneless pork sirloin roast, trimmed and tied with kitchen twine if necessary
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4-5 cloves garlic, skins removed, crushed
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp coarse salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 oranges, juiced or 1 C. freshly squeezed orange juice
4 limes, juiced

Poke 3-5 holes in pork with sharp knife; stuff with half the crushed garlic,  Warm oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add pork and brown on all sides, 6-8 minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients in blender and blend 3-5 seconds until evenly combined.  Place pork in slow cooker, pour liquid mixture over pork and let marinate about 10 minutes on each side.

Turn slow cooker on low; set timer for 8 hours.  After 8 hours, remove pork and shred using two forks on large cutting board.  Remove from all liquid from slow cooker except 1 C. and add pork back to pot.  Let cook another 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve shredded pork in lettuce wraps or in corn tortillas. Top with pico de gallo, chopped cilantro and avocado.

Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I have this in the crockpot as I type.  My tenderloin is a tad smaller than what the recipe calls for so I will vut back on the glaze just a bit.  I am definitely going to put it in the broiler later to get the crust described in the recipe.  Yum!

• 2 pounds Pork tenderloin
• 1 teaspoon Ground sage
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Pepper
• 1 clove Garlic; crushed
• ½ cup Water
• ½ cup Brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
• ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ cup Water
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce

Instructions

1. Mix together the seasonings: sage, salt, pepper and garlic.
2. Rub over tenderloin. Place ½ cup water in slow cooker; place tenderloin in slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. 1 hour before the roast is finished, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small sauce pan: brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, water, soy sauce.
5. Heat over medium and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
6. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. (For a more caramelized crust: remove from crockpot and place on aluminum lined sheet pan, glaze, and set under broiler for 1-2 minutes until bubbly and caramelized. Repeat 2 to 3 more times until desired crust is achieved.)
7. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Churrasco with Chimichurri

Churrasco is a Portuguese word for grilled meat.  Who doesn't love grilled meat?

This appears to be similar to Arancharra.  If it tastes half as good it will be a summer staple.

Of course I'll need to watch the sales on beef tenderloin!

2 bunches curly parsley, thick stems discarded
1/3 C. garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 C. plus 3 tbsp, extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2lbs trimmed center cut beef tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, combine the parsley, and garlic with 3/4 C. olive oil and the vinegar and pulse until smooth.  Refrigerate the chimichurri for at least 2 hours.

Using a sharp chef's knife, make a 1/4 inch lengthwise cut in the top of the tenderloin.  Turning the tenderloin and rolling it out as you go, spiral cut the meat until you have a long rectangular piece about 1/4 inch thick.

Light a grill.  Season both sides of the tenderloin with salt and pepper.  Rub all but 1/3 of the chimichurri over the meat and grill over moderately high heat, turning once about 4 minutes for medium rare meat; let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in a bowl mix the remaining chimichurri and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with the meat.

Mini Bacon Meatballs

I found this in Cuisine at Home...believe me when I tell you that I have a constant running pile of magazines, clipped recipes, and bookmarks on my computer of recipes to try.  Theses look interesting and I am intrigued by the recipe they go into which I will include in the next post.

2 strips bacon, diced
1/4 C. diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
1/4 C. dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until starting to crisp, about 4 minutes; remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.  Pour off all but 1 tbsp.  drippings from the skillet.

Saute onion in the same skillet in the drippings over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic to skillet; cook 1 minute.

Combine sirloin, cooked bacon, onion mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Stir in beaten egg.

Form mixture into 1 inch meatballs and place on prepared pan.  Bake meatballs until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

Dijon and Herb Crusted Pork Loin

This was the main dish we made (OK we watched it being made) at our Chopping Block class.  It was delicious and if it ever gets warm enough here to grow things outside, I'll have fresh herbs.  The jury is out about it ever getting warm enough.  :(  Of course, it's awesome to have the oven going when it's this cold.

2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 2-2 1/2 pound pork loin
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 roasted garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, rough chopped
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, rough chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add the oil.

Season the pork loin with salt and pepper to taste and sear all sides to a deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Place on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan.  Save the saute pan to prepare the sauce.

To prepare the mustard glaze, mix together the Dijon, olive oil, roasted garlic, thyme and rosemary in a small bowl.

Brush the seared pork loin with the mustard glaze and roast until the internal temperature reaches 135 to 140 degrees.

Remove the pork from the oven and set it on a cutting board with a juice groove.  Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.

Cut the loin into 1/2 inch slices and serve with Sauce Robert and Aged Cheddar and Potato Au Gratin (recipes to follow).

Mistakenly Zesty Pork Chops

I found this on allrecipes.com  A simple mistake of cocktail sauce instead of chili sauce and a taste sensation was born!

1 C. soy sauce
3/4 C. water
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 tbsp. honey
1 dash lemon juice
1 C. ketchup
1/2 C. cocktail sauce
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. ground dry mustard

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the soy sauce, water brown sugar, honey, and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cool.

Place the pork chops in a large resealable plastic bag.  Pour the cooled soy sauce mixture into the bag, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the pork chops, and discard marinade.  Arrange the pork chops in a baking dish and bake 30  minutes in the preheated oven.

In a bowl, blend the ketchup, cocktail sauce, brown sugar, water and mustard.  Pour over the pork chops and continue baking 30 minutes to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Garlic and Herb Crusted New York Strip Roast

Today is my Mom's birthday and true to form when you have a birthday in January and you live in a suburb of Chicago, you can usually count on some wild weather.  Today's menu outside called for snow, sleet, freezing rain and Mother Nature threw in some lightning and thunder for good measure.

The menu inside the house was garlic and herb crusted New York strip roast with mashed potatoes and green beans.

I modified the recipe below because, well it's January in a suburb of Chicago and I don't have a ton of fresh herbs handy.  The way this roast tasted made me forget about a lack of fresh herbs.

I only wish I had take in photo because it was gorgeous as well as delicious!

• 4 garlic cloves
• 8 fresh sage leaves--I used dried
• 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves--I used dried
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• 1 4- to 5-pound boneless beef loin New York strip roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch

With machine running, drop garlic into processor; blend until finely chopped. Add sage, thyme, oil, salt and pepper; process until paste forms.

Pat meat dry with paper towels. Rub meat all over with herb paste. Cover; chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place meat, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Roast meat 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast meat until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 130°F for medium-rare, about 35 minutes (or 140°F for medium, about 40 minutes). Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on platter.