Carne Guisada

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 large white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons comino (cumin)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 serrano pepper, slightly toasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (regular is fine)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Dredge the cubed meat in flour, coating well.

In a heavy, deep-sided skillet or Dutch oven, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Add the cubed meat and brown thoroughly, stirring often.

 While the meat is browning, in a small saute pan, toast the comino seeds and then add them to the molcajete (mortar and pestal). Use the same pan to toast the serrano pepper.

In a molcajete which already has the comino, add the garlic, and black peppercorns. Grind into a paste. Add 1/2 cup of water and stir, this is to make sure you remove all the paste from the molcajete and set aside.

Once the meat is browned, add the garlic, comino and peppercorn paste and liquid from molcajete to the pot. Add the salt, paprika, oregano, chili powder, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and serrano to the pot and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.

 

Add beef broth, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the mixture has cooked down to a thick sauce. Stir every 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Tip:  You can serve this with rice, or beans or make some great tacos! I love breakfast tacos made with some carne guisada, scrambled egg and cheese! Carne Guisada is a Mexican inspired take on beef stew.

Yesterday I had to pick up some things from Dillard's at Barton Creek Mall and found that in their kitchenware department they now sell Molcajetes! They were made of granite and beautiful. Of course they are not made from the original basalt/lava stone. But they are really nice and will surely do the job! 

You can buy Mexican molcajetes online nowadays, but beware! The quality can vary enormously. There is a world of difference between the best quality molcajetes, made usually from dark ‘river rock’ basalt with low sand content, and cheap and cheerful ones made from grey, very porous lava-rock. The problem with the latter, to quote the gourmetsleuth.com website, is that ‘They are softer and easier to carve and thus less expensive. Unfortunately they are terribly sandy and no matter how you may try to cure them they will always be sandy. They are also typically very shallow so they don’t have a very usable capacity. These pieces are fine for decoration or serving only but we don’t recommend using them as a preparation or grinding tool.’ 

Taken from "http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/index.php?one=azt&two=wus&tab=aus&id=21""

Cuban Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef)

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

3 pounds flank or chuck

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon peppercorns

Kosher salt

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large Roma tomato, chopped

1 large onion, halved and sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1/4 cup Spanish olives, sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup water

Directions:

Grind the oregano, comino, salt and pepper together.

Pat the meat dry, remove fat or any silver lining, cut into 3" to 4" squares. 

Season all over with the oregano, cumin and pepper mixture.  Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the meat, in batches, do not overcrowd the skillet  and sear on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Remove meat and add to pressure cooker. De-glaze pan with 1/2 cup white wine and add to pressure cooker.

Add the tomatoe, onion, crushed garlic, bay leaf and 1 cup water.
 

Lock the lid in place, increase the heat to high and bring the cooker to high pressure. Lower the heat to maintain high pressure and cook 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and use the quick-release valve to bring down the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions.

 

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

Carefully remove the pressure-cooker lid. Discard the bay leaf, then transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and shred the meat into thin rope-like pieces with a fork.

Return the shredded meat back into the large bowl and add the peppers, olives, parsley and minced garlic. Add 1 cup of the liquid from the pressure cooker to the bowl and stir.

Season with salt, if needed.  Enjoy!

Tip:  Ropa Vieja means, "Old Clothes".  Serve with black beans and white rice!

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion

1 celery rib, chopped fine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 carrot, chopped fine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2/3 cup ketchup

1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck

3/4 pound Sweet Italian sausage

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 large eggs, beaten slightly

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

2 slices bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large heavy skillet cook the onions, celery, carrot, and garlic in butter, over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes.

Cover the skillet and stir occasionally until the carrots are tender, about five minutes. Stir in pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup and cook for one more minute.

In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley.

Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Place two slices on bacon on top, crisscrossed. 

Place in preheated oven and bake for one hour.

Servings: 4 - 6

Tip: Meatloaf is a traditional German, Belgian and Dutch dish, and it is a cousin to the Italian meatball. American meatloaf history in US has its origins in scrapple, a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since Colonial times. The American version is usually topped with ketchup.

Grilled Beef Fajita Tacos!

Grilled Beef Fajita Tacos

Ingredients:
1 flour tortilla
grilled fajita meat
2 slices of avocado
1 tbs Pico de Gallo

Directions:
Heat tortilla on stove top grill or your open pit grill where you grilled your fajitas  Add avocado and pico.  Enjoy!

Labor Day Grilling! Beef Skirt Fajitas!

Beef Skirt Fajita Marinade

The Beef Skirt Fajita meet has been marinading since last night.  Here's the marinde recipe!  Enjoy the day!

Ingredients:
12 ounces beer (Preferably Amber)
1 cup canola or olive oil
1 small white onion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour marinade over meat in shallow glass, plastic or other non-reactive container (a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag works well). Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

Makes enough to marinate 3 pounds beef skirt (6 generous servings).

Skirt steak is thin and doesn’t take long to cook. Depending on your grill, it should take 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare, longer for medium.

Game Time! Lite the Grill! Smoky Bacon & Gorgonzola Burgers!

Smoky Bacon & Gorgonzola Burger Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Ground Chuck

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

4 1" Cubes Gorgonzola or any Blue Cheese
4 Slices of 2 % Kraft American Cheese

4 Sesame Seed Burger Buns

4 Green Leaf Lettuce Leaves

1/2 Medium Onion, Sliced, 1/8" thick

1 Medium Tomato, Sliced Thin

8 Pieces of Crispy Fried Smoky Bacon

Mayo or Mustard

Directions:
Prep grill and spray with grill cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine ground chuck, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Chuck is the most flavorful type of ground beef, and comes from a single cut of beef.  Plain "ground beef" can include meat from all over the animal.  Make sure the chuck has a fat content of at least 15 to 22 percent to ensure juiciness.  If you prefer your burgers well done, ask your butcher for a higher fat content.  This will allow you to cook them more without drying them out.  Chill the beef well before forming patties.  Wash your hands well, then form the patties.  Shape mixture into 4 equal balls.  Press a cube of Gorgonzola into the center of each, covering cheese completely with meat. Shape balls into patties, each about inch thick. Place burgers on hot grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through (less for medium-rare meat).  Do not press on the burgers with your ladle or cooking spoon. The juices will run out and cause the burger to be dry.

Right before burgers are almost done, throw the buns on the grill and toast them lightly. Remove all from grill and assemble burger. Bun (spread mayo or mustard as desired), burger, 1 slice 2 % Kraft American Cheese, 1 Green Leaf Lettuce, 1 slice tomato, some onion and last but not least 2 slices of crisp bacon, top it off with the other bun!