Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons thyme
1 pound beef round steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 tablespoons oil
2 large yellow onions
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup beef broth
6 carrots, cut into thin 1 inch strips
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 package egg noodles, cooked

Directions:

Mix flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bag. Add the round steak and shake well. Then brown the beef, a small batch at a time, over medium to high heat. Remove from saucepan and drain the oil.

Cook onions in 2 tablespoons oil over low heat until brown in a large saucepan. Add the sugar and cook for a few minutes to caramelize. Remove from saucepan. Add beef broth to saucepan. Add carrots and bring to a boil. Then add back the caramelized onions and round steak and stir.

Pour into a casserole dish and cover the top with foil. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 30 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles and top with chopped parsley.

Ingredients

* 5 pounds prime beef short ribs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 2 carrots, chopped
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic
* 1 cup dry red wine
* 3 cups brown veal stock
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 2 sweet potatoes, julienned and soaked in cool water
* 1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
* Red Beans and Sushi Rice, recipe follows

Directions

Season the short ribs on all sides with the salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour to coat evenly. Set aside as you heat the oil in the Dutch oven.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and when hot, add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the short ribs, working in batches, and cook until very well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl or platter and set aside. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the red wine and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Add the veal stock, fresh thyme, tomato paste and reserved short ribs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the liquid just simmers and cover the pot. Simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender but not yet falling apart. The bones should come out of the meat easily at this point – remove them and discard. Continue to cook the beef until the meat is fork-tender and the braising liquid is thickened and reduced, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 360 degrees F, and fry the sweet potatoes in batches until golden brown; about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper lined plate and season with salt.

To serve, place the sushi rice in the bottom of a large bowl topped with the red bean, beef short ribs, fried sweet potatoes, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Red Beans and Sushi Rice:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup finely diced celery

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 ham hock

5 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 cup red beans, soaked overnight in 3 cups cold water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups sushi rice

3 cups water

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Set a 2-quart saucepan over a medium high heat, and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, about 30 seconds, add the onions, bell peppers and celery. Sweat the vegetables stirring often until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ham hock to the pan and continue to stir while sweating the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf to the pan and cook for 1 hour. After an hour, add the red beans to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 1 1/2 hours. After 11/2 hours, the beans should be slightly tender, at this point, remove the ham hock from the pan and allow to cool slightly before removing the meat from the bone. Discard the ham hock bones and return the meat as well as 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the pan with the red beans. Cook the beans for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender and the stock has reduced to make a sauce-like consistency with the red beans. Remove the bay leaf from the red beans.

To make the rice, rinse the rice grains in a fine mesh strainer under running cold water. Place the rice in a 1-quart saucepan and add the water. Place the pan over a medium high heat, and when the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the saucepan. Cook the rice for 20 minutes and remove from the heat. Allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes before removing the lid and stirring the sesame oil and cilantro into the rice. Serve immediately.

1 (about 4 pound) well-trimmed beef ribeye roast, small end
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium baking potatoes, quartered
2 large sweet potatoes, halved, quartered
4 small onions, halved

Seasoning:
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine seasoning ingredients; press 1/2 onto beef roast. Combine remaining seasoning with oil in large bowl. Add vegetables; toss.
3. Place roast, fat side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 350°F oven 1 3/4 hours for medium rare; 2 hours for medium doneness. After 15 to 30 minutes, place vegetables on rack around roast; roast vegetables 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
4. Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Tent with foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium.) Carve roast. Serve with vegetables.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the Beef Industry Council.

I saw on television recently that tater tots were better for you than french fries because they are baked, not fried.  So, I thought I’d include a recipe that includes a favorite of kids and since it’s so easy to make, the kids can help you with dinner!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 family size cream of mushroom soup
• 16 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 bag tater tots

INGREDIENTS:

1. Brown and drain ground beef.
2. Mix soup with ground beef and put in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
3. Sprinkle shredded cheese over meat mixture.
4. Put a single layer of tater tots over cheese. 
5. Bake at 425 degrees for 17 – 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1-1/2 T parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 T worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 3/4 cup longhorn cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• 1/8 cup ketchup
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 6 – 8 strips bacon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together the ground beef, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, worcestershire sauce, onion, longhorn cheese, egg, ketchup and pepper.  Mix well.
2. Shape into a roll.
3. Place bacon pieces on waxed paper, place beef roll on one end of bacon strips and roll up.
4. Cut into 6 – 8 patties (one per slice of bacon).
5. Secure bacon ends with toothpicks.
6. Place on a broiler rack.
7. Broil seven (7) inches from source of heat for six minutes.
8. Turn patties over and broil for three (3) minutes.

NOTE:  Whole beef logs can be baked.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Italian Meatloaf using Ground Turkey

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 lbs ground beef or chuck (or turkey!)
• 2 large peppers, red or green, coarsely chopped
• 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced or pressed garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/3 teaspoon oregano
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (do not substitute)
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt or beef bouillon powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup ketchup (or more as needed)
• onion and garlic powder to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine meat, eggs, seasonings and remaining ingredients except ketchup and bacon, adding breadcrumbs to mixture last. If meat is low in fat, add up to 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix well.

Press meat into a loaf shaped pan, forming a dome shape. Brush top with ketchup and sprinkle with onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover with bacon slices. Baste occasionally with additional ketchup during cooking, being careful not to allow oven to get cold or additional cooking time will be required. If desired, cover with thinly sliced onions.

Bake uncovered 1 1/2 hours.

Variation: Substitute your favorite barbeque sauce for basting.

Oven Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds beef stew cubes
• 1 (32 ounce) can tomato juice or V-8 cocktail
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1 beef bouillon cube (optional)
• 3 or 4 carrots, sliced
• 4 or 5 potatoes, cubed
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 250° F.

In a casserole dish, blend salt and pepper, sugar (optional), oregano, flour and one crushed beef bouillon cube (optional).

Stir in tomato juice, mixing well to combine. Add remaining ingredients.

Cover and bake about four hours.

If using a slow cooker, which also works well for this dish, set your timer for six to eight hours on the medium setting.