Beef Dishes

Mom's Meat Loaf

Brown beef well; drain. In large bowl, combine beef, bread, onion, egg, spices and condiments. Mix thoroughly. Pat into bottom of greased casserole dish. Cover with peas and corn. Spread mashed potatoes atop. Garnish with grated cheese. Cook covered about 30 minutes at 350 degrees ; uncover and cook additional 15 minutes until cheese is browned.

In a large skillet, cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat stirring until onion is soft. Stir in tomatoes, the jalapeno peppers, the Tobasco and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer mixture stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups of the beans with a slotted spoon from the kettle to the skillet and mash them with the back of a wooden spoon thoroughly into the onion mixture adding two cups of bean-liquid gradually. Simmer the mixture, stirring for 15 minutes or until thickened. Transfer it to the kettle. Stir in the kale and the rice simmering, stirring for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in the cilantro, orange juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve the stew with the tortillas.

Dissolve yeast in bowl with water and sugar. Let stand 5-10 minutes or until foamy. In another bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in olive oil and yeast to make soft dough. Knead on floured surface about 5 minutes. Grease bowl; place dough in bowl and cover with damp cloth. Let rise in warm place 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch down dough. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll dough into 5" diameter circles. Top with ham and cheese, add spices and drizzle of olive oil. Fold in half and crimp edges. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until done.

Fry the meat and onions and spices together. Drain the fat and divide the meat into four equal parts. Place one portion in the center of a dough triangle. Pick up the corners and stick them together. Seal the resulting three edges to obtain a Hamantashen shaped pastry. Bake at 450oF for ten minutes.

Mix the stock, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, and pour it over the meat. Cover and cook in the oven at 300F for one hour or until the meat is just tender. Remove and allow to cool. If the gravy is too thin, reduce it until it thickens.

Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl; cut the butter and lard into pieces and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Mix the egg yolk with the water and pour it into the flour. Mix quickly with a palette knife until it forms a dough. Knead lightly until the dough is smooth. Wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Roll out half the pastry to about 1/4 inch thickness and line a 9-inch pie dish with it. Put the filling on top of that, and then roll out the rest of the pastry to make a lid. Moisten the edges of the base before putting the lid on, then press down the edges of the lid with a fork and trim off any excess pastry.

Make a hole in the centre of the lid, brush the pie with milk and beaten egg, and bake at 450F for 20 minutes and then at 325F for another 30 minutes.

Make a mixture of the remaining onions, peppers, and about 2 cups of the diced cabbage.

Make a stack of tortillas and sauce (alternate tortillas and sauce). Top with the cabbage mixture and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Brown hamburger in skillet with onion, parsley and spices. Drain. Mix in cheese and corn. In cookie tray, lay two sheets of filo dough; brush with butter. Lay two sheets; again coat with butter. Repeat until 10 sheets have been laid. Spread filling on dough. Cover with filo dough and butter layers until 10 sheets have been laid. Cut into squares. Beat eggs and milk together; pour over top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Blend beans with enough water in blender to make 3 cups smooth puree. Heat oil in frying pan and cook puree about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside and keep warm. Combine tomatillos, serranos, coriander, salt, garlic and onion in blender; puree until smooth. Set aside. Fry or microwave tortillas until soft and flexible. Spread bean puree across surface of each tortilla, top with chorizo and 2 tablespoons green sauce. Fold and place in baking dish. Pour any remaining sauce over tortillas in dish, garnish with onion, cheese and coriander, and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees or until warm.

Blend all ingredients in blender. Will marinate 2-3 pounds of beef. Let sit in refrigerator 24-48 hours before cooking.

Heat wok. When wok is hot, add 2-3 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and ginger. Stir fry until aroma is strong (about 1-2 minutes). Add meat mixture and chillies. Fry until meat is lightly browned. Remove meat.

Vegetables & Extras: These vary from cook to cook. All can be added, or none, and the volumes I've put are entirely up to your own tastes. It's mostly for a bit of colour or extra bite. Add others (e.g.. snow peas, apples) if you feel like it.

Pour oil in a large frying pan so that it just covers the bottom. Heat. While the oil is heating, stir in garlic (do not let it burn). Add the meat. Fry until the red color disappears. Add the sauce. Add the peppers to the mixture in the frying pan and simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer 3 minutes. more. Serve with rice.

In a large skillet cook the garlic and the onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the white mushrooms, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened and begin to give off their liquid. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and cook the mixture, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated. Let the mixture cool, transfer it to a food processor, and puree it with the bread mixture. Add the veal, the remaining 1/4 cup cream, and salt and pepper to taste and blend the mixture, scraping down the sides, until it is smooth. Transfer the veal mixture to a bowl and keep it covered and chilled while cooking the wild mushrooms.

In the skillet, cleaned, cook the shallots with salt and pepper to taste in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until they are softened, add the wild mushrooms, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth, the wine, and the remaining 2 tablespoons Cognac and boil mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated.

Let the mixture cool, stir it into the veal mixture, and spoon the mixture into a well-buttered 1-quart terrine, smoothing the top. Cover the terrine with a buttered sheet of foil and the lid, put the terrine in a baking pan, and add enough hot water to the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the terrine. Bake the terrine in the middle of a preheated 350oF oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 14 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 165{ F. Let the terrine cool and pour off any excess liquid. Invert the terrine onto a plate and chill it, covered, overnight.

Make the coulis: In a blender blend together the roasted peppers, the oil, the vinegars, and salt and black pepper to taste until the mixture is smooth. Cut the terrine into 1/2 inch thick slices and pour about 1/4 cup of the coulis onto each of 8 serving plates. Put a slice of terrine over the coulis and sprinkle each serving with some of the diced bell peppers and the chives.

Lamb Vindaloo

Put two tablespoons oil, onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor and puree.

Heat 1/2 cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until they are caramel brown, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add the puree. Reduce the heat and add cumin, mustard, turmeric, red pepper, paprika, sumac and cinnamon. When the spices begin to sizzle and turn dark (about 15 seconds), add the lamb and bones; reserve the marinade. Cook until slightly seared (about 10 minutes). Add water to the marinade to make 2 1/2 cups liquid; add to pan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until meat is very tender (about 30 minutes).

Pick out and discard the bones and serve over rice.

String the meat, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms (in which holes have been first bored to keep them from splitting) on skewers. Brush the vegetables with the marinade and cook separately. Broil until meat is done and vegetables are just barely charred on the edges, turning only once. Serve over rice (plain or flavored).

Add sweet potatoes and continue to cook until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the ginger slices and cinnamon sticks. Lightly mix in spinach; cover and cook until spinach has wilted, about 1 1/2 minutes.

265 calories per serving, 28 grams protein, 7 grams fat

Heat vegetable oil in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season lamb with salt and pepper, add to Dutch oven and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl after each batch is browned. Return all meat and any juices to Dutch oven. Mix in parsley, cilantro, cinnamon, ginger and saffron. Add 1 cup water and 1/2 cup pearl onions. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover & simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 hour.

Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb and pearl onions to bowl. Reserve 3 dates for garnish; add remaining dates and honey to sauce in Dutch oven. Simmer sauce 5 minutes, machine dates to coarse puree with back of fork. Add remaining pearl onions and simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup water if necessary to thin sauce. Return lamb mix to Dutch oven; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season tajine to taste with salt & pepper. Transfer to platter. Top with slivered almonds and reserved dates.

Pork Barbeque

Dissolve spices in vinegar and blend thoroughly. Pour over meat and bring to a boil.

Venison

Venison is probably one of the tastiest meats on the planet. It is also very healthy -- extremely low fat, low cholesterol and high in protein.

Most Lamb & Beef recipes you like will also work with venison. Curries & stews are extremely tasty when made with venison. The venison gives the dish a much fuller flavour.

The recipes below are for roasting venison - the best way to bring out the flavour of the meat. Properly cooked (medium rare), young meat is very tender and juicy.

Unfortunately, venison has an unfortunate reputation for being tough and over strong. This reputation is primarily based on poor hunting skills: if the animal is not killed on the first shot, the more stress it is under, and the more adrenalin it releases into its tissue. Adrenalin causes the meat to become leathery and otherwise inedible (at some point, the meat should only be used for sausage). Also, meat from older (i.e. "prize" animals) tends to be much tougher.

Farmed venison is now becoming widely available which means that we can purchase tender young meat -- sometimes even in local grocery stores. I know of the following mail-order game meat sources: But be warned... it averages about $16/pound!

Light white wine marinade; good for steak

Heavy red wine marinade

Red wine marinade

Red wine marinade

In each of 2 heavy skillets heat 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat until the foam subsides and in the fat saute steaks, seasoned with salt, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until they are just springy to the touch for rare meat.

Transfer the steaks with a slotted spatula to a platter and keep them warm, covered loosely. Pour off the fat remaining in the skillets, to each skillet add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter and half the minced white scallion, and cook the scallion over moderate heat, stirring, until it is softened. Deglaze each skillet with 1/2 cup of the wine, scraping up any brown bits clinging to the skillet, and pour the wine mixture from one skillet into the other. Boil the wine mixture until it is reduced to a glaze, remove the skillet from the heat, and whisk in the remaining 8 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each new piece just before the previous one has melted completely. Whisk in the scallion green and salt and black pepper to taste. Spoon some of the sauce over each steak.