If you like Thai curry then you’re probably going to love this super quick and easy-to-make dish: tender beef and fresh veggies simmered in a flavorful coconut-infused red curry…YUM! 

I had a rib-eye in the freezer so I substituted it for the sirloin steak, and used light coconut milk. I also added some sliced mushrooms and onions to the simmering curry before I added the bell peppers. If asparagus is out of season, broccoli would be a great substitute. TIP: freezing the beef for 20-30 minutes will make it easier to slice.

I crave spicy foods but found this curry dish to be quite mild. You can always add some Sriracha or other hot chili sauce if you want it spicier.

Serve the curry with steamed jasmine rice or cooked rice noodles. Enjoy!

Beef-and-Asparagus Curry
-recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food, April 2012

Serves 4.

1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk, shaken well
1/4 cup red curry paste
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain
Cooked rice noodles, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

In a large wok or skillet, heat 1/2 cup coconut milk over medium-high, stirring, until shiny and thick, 2 minutes. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Add bell pepper and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add steak and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 2 minutes. Serve over noodles with lime wedges and cilantro.

Tags: Asian, Beef, beef curry, beff and asparagus curry, coconut milk, red curry, sambal olek, sirloin, sirloin steak, Sriracha, Thai curry, Thai food

I love grilling recipes and am always looking for new ways to grill a meal. These Skirt Steak Fajitas are super easy and delicious! The steak is rubbed with a spice mixture which I then let marinate for a few hours before grilling it. Set out your favorite fajita makings (salsa, guacamole, etc.) and you’ve got a great dinner!

Skirt Steak Fajitas
-recipe from Williams-Sonoma.com
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma On the Grill, by Willie Cooper (Oxmoor House, 2009).

Skirt steak is the best choice for quick marinating and grilling. It is well marbled, which makes it very flavorful, and slightly stringy, which makes it chewy—so be sure to slice it across the grain.

Serves 8.

1/4 cup olive oil 
1 small yellow onion, minced 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
3 Tbs. red wine vinegar  
1 tsp. chili powder 
1 tsp. ground cumin 
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper 
2 skirt steaks, about 4 lb. total, trimmed 
Salt, to taste 
8 large flour tortillas 
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro  
2 cups guacamole
1 head lettuce, shredded  
1 cup fresh salsa  
1 cup pico de gallo salsa  
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese  
1/2 cup crema or sour cream  

In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, onion, garlic, vinegar, chili powder, cumin and pepper.

Cut each steak crosswise into 3 or 4 pieces. There will be thicker pieces and thinner end pieces. Place the meat in a disposable aluminum roasting pan and generously season with salt. Pour the marinade over the meat and turn to coat well. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Alternatively, dip the steaks in the marinade just before grilling.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard the marinade. Grill the skirt steaks directly over high heat, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until done to your liking. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them on the side of the grill to warm.

Transfer the steak to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steaks across the grain into strips, toss with any accumulated juices from the carving board and mound onto a platter. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately with the tortillas, guacamole, lettuce, fresh salsa, pico de gallo, cheese and crema in separate dishes alongside.

Tags: Beef, grilling, guacamole, Mexican, pico de gallo, skirt steak fajitas, tacos

Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Prime, Choice or Select steak was? Here’s an explanation of this USDA grading system and what you should look for when buying steaks.

How to Select the Best Steak
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tip/how-to-select-the-best-steak.html
 
No matter what the cooking method, the same criteria apply to choosing steaks. Look for meat that is bright red with streaks of fat, or marbling, running through it. The red indicates that the meat is freshly cut, while the fat in the interior, most of which drains away during cooking, provides juiciness and flavor. Exterior fat should be white to ivory and firm to the touch.

In the United States, all beef is inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but grading is voluntary. Marbling is the main way beef is graded and priced in U.S. markets. The more marbling, the more tender, flavorful and expensive the beef will be.

- Prime meat, the highest-quality meat with the most marbling, is found mainly in luxury restaurants but has been making its way into more retail markets in the last few years.

- Choice meat, well marbled and tender, is available at many quality markets and butcher shops.

- Select meat, with little to no marbling, is the grade most commonly stocked in supermarkets.

Many supermarkets have their own grading system, which can sound similar to USDA grades; ask the butcher or read the label carefully. Officially graded meat will carry the USDA designation.

Tags: Beef, how to select the best steak, steaks, USDA

A perfectly grilled rib-eye steak, in my opinion, is the epitome of meaty deliciousness. This is what I chose to make Husband recently as a “Congrats On Your New Job” meal. He lit up like a Christmas tree when I told him what we were having for dinner that night: a juicy, well-marbled steak nicely charred from the grill then topped with a simple parsley-garlic butter that melts and covers the luscious meat with a savory herb mixture of added deliciousness. OH MY!!

For the garlic butter, I didn’t have cognac so I substituted dry white wine. Cognac would’ve been better but the white wine works in a pinch.

Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or so before grilling because cold meat takes longer to cook and you don’t want the outside to be burnt to a crisp while the inside is still rare.

When grilling the steak, be sure to stand guard at the grill. Because the rib-eye is marbled with fat (which is why it’s so flavorful), it’s easy for flare-ups to happen. Pay attention to the grill and you’ll be fine. This is not a time for multi-tasking. If you have a flare-up, move the steak to a cooler part of the grill. After the steak has cooked to your desired doneness, remove them from the grill, cover with foil and let them rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into them. Serve with baked potato and sautéed spinach or other veggies.

Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Parsley-Garlic Butter
- recipe from Bon Appétit, June 2006

The garlicky herb butter is similar to the butter served with escargots in southwestern France. IMPROV: When preparing the butter, try a shallot instead of garlic, and thyme instead of parsley.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

For the Parsley-Garlic Butter, mix together in small bowl, then cover and chill:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons Cognac
Salt and pepper

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Rub with generous amounts of salt and pepper:
3 1 1/2-inch-thick rib-eye steaks (about 1 pound each)

Grill steaks to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cut each steak in half, top with spoonful of chilled butter, and serve.

Tags: barbecue, bbq, Beef, Bon Appetit Magazine, flare-ups, grill, grilled rib-eye steaks, grilling, parsley-garlic butter

This recipe for Pasta Bolognese is from a chef at the Culinary Institute of America, the world’s premiere culinary college. It’s rich, hearty, meaty and a perfect pasta dish for these cool, autumn evenings.

The recipe calls for 6 ounces of pancetta but my container only had 4 oz., so that’s what I used…I didn’t want to spend another $4 dollars for a few more ounces. Also, I used 1 lb. ground beef instead of a mixture of pork, beef and veal. Next time I’ll add sauteed mushrooms to the sauce, which would be a delicious addition. Serve with a big green salad or your favorite veggies and you’ve got yourself a meal. Enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese Epicurious
-recipe from Epicurious.com

This recipe was shared with Epicurious by Chef Joseph W. DiPerri of The Culinary Institute of America.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes with juice or crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces pancetta or 6 slices bacon, finely chopped

1/4 pound ground pork (not lean)
1/4 pound ground beef chuck (not lean)
1/4 pound ground veal
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 carrot, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound small pasta such as orecchiette or rotini

Garnish: Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

If using whole tomatoes, in blender or food processor, purée tomatoes with juice. Set aside.

In large, heavy pot over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add pancetta and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add beef, pork, and veal and sauté, breaking up meat with back of spoon, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add onion and carrot and sauté until vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in red wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cream, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and brick-red in color, approximately 30 minutes.

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until almost tender. Drain well and toss with sauce. Serve with grated cheese.

Tags: Beef, carrot, heavy cream, Italian, meat sauce, onion, orecchiette, pancetta, pasta bolognese, pork, Quick Cooking, red wine, rotini, tomato sauce

This delicious beef stir-fry dish is everything I was hoping it would be! You get great flavor from the peanuts, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice, and a nice kick from the chiles. Yumm!  

Changes I made to the recipe: I doubled the cilantro and omitted the basil, substituted red onion for the shallot, and substituted flatiron steak for the flank steak. Cut back on the chile if you don’t like spicy food.

Serve the stir-fry with an Asian-inspired salad and steamed rice and you’ve got a great dinner in a flash!

Spicy Beef with Peanuts & Chiles
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Serves four. 

1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced on the diagonal against the grain
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped (don’t seed)
3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

Toss the steak with 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce, 1 tsp. of the fish sauce, and the salt. Combine the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce and 1 tsp. fish sauce with 1 Tbs. of the lime juice and the brown sugar and set aside.

Pulse the peanuts, shallots, and chiles in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.

Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil and once it’s shimmering, add the beef. Cook, stirring, until the beef just loses its raw appearance, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil and the shallot mixture, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes.

Return the beef to the pan. Stir the soy mixture and add it, along with half of the cilantro and basil, and cook, stirring to let the flavors meld, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve sprinkled with the remaining lime juice, cilantro, and basil.

From Fine Cooking, September 18, 2007
Blog parties I’m linked to:
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Tags: Asian, basil, Beef, cilantro, fish sauce, flank steak, lime juice, peanuts, serrano chiles, soy sauce, stir-fry

I love Japanese food so I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for Japanese Beef Bowl. It’s a tasty stir-fry that only takes a few minutes to make — perfect for a weeknight meal.

For beef stir-fry, I usually use a flatiron steak because it stays tender. For easy slicing, let the meat freeze for 20-30 minutes (it’s a great tip!). After the beef finished cooking in the sauce, I added a teaspoon or so of freshly grated ginger (just because I had it out for another recipe). Serve the stir-fry with steamed rice and veggies for a complete meal.

For more recipes, check out Tasty Tuesdayand Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Japanese Beef Bowl
-recipe from Sunset Magazine

A simple weeknight dinner full of flavor. To slice beef thinly, wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes before cutting. Makes 4 servings

2 cups short- or medium-grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sake
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound  beef sirloin, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Pickled ginger slices (optional)

In a 4-quart pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, then cook until almost tender, 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

In a small pan, bring soy sauce, sugar, sake, and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and reserve.

In a 10-inch frying pan over high heat, cook onion in oil until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef and continue stirring for 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of soy-sake sauce and stir until beef is cooked, 2 minutes longer.

Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with beef, remaining sauce, and cilantro. Serve with ginger, if desired.

Tags: Beef, cilantry, Japanese, onion, sake, soy sauce, sugar

I love stir-fry dishes! They’re quick, easy to make, and a great way to eat more veggies.  My family is always thrilled to see beef on the menu so this meal was a hit (even with my Young Picky Eater). I particularly liked the sauce, which is flavored with hoisin sauce and sesame oil.

To get thin slices of beef, I froze the flank steak for 20 minutes or so then sliced it as thinly as possible. I used less garlic because I got side-tracked and forgot to put the remaining 4 cloves into the stir-fry (whoops!). It was still really good but the forgotten garlic would’ve added even more flavor. A rib-eye or flatiron steak would be a good substitute for the flank steak (use about a pound of meat). I sprinkled the stir-fry with toasted sesame seeds and served it with steamed jasmine rice.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

Cooking the steak in two batches ensures maximum browning and flavor development. Serves 4.

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small flank steak (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 (16-ounce) bag broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Whisk water, hoisin, sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch in bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of steak until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl and repeat with additional 1 tablespoon oil and remaining steak.

Add broccoli, bell pepper, and remaining oil to empty pan and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are nearly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return steak and any accumulated juices to pan. Stir in hoisin mixture and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note:To spice up this simple stir-fry, add a seeded, minced jalapeno chile (or two) along with the bell pepper.

Tags: Asian, Beef, broccoli, flank steak, garlic, ginger, red pepper, stir-fry

Every party needs a few meaty appetizers to keep the festivities rolling. That’s why I brought these Sweet & Sour Cocktail Meatballs to a party recently. Sure, you can buy store-bought meatballs but I thought these were delicious and worth the effort to make (they are firmer in texture than some spongy, store-bought types). Plus, you can make the meatballs and sauce ahead of time and freeze them for up to a month…a bonus when it comes to preparing for a party!

I was getting lazy towards the end of the meatball rolling process so I started making them a bit bigger. Because of that, I only got 74 meatballs instead of 80 (no big deal, though). I used a regular-sized jar of Smucker’s Apricot-Pineapple Preserves (about 2 cups) and added a splash of cider vinegar to make the sauce a bit more tangy. The smaller you mince the onions, the better because you don’t want chunks of onion the size of the meatballs. And remember to buy the toothpicks to spear them with. 

Make-Ahead Sweet and Sour Cocktail Meatballs
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine (December 2009)

We wanted to do as much advance preparation as possible so the meatballs could come together in a hurry the night of a party. We needed a sweet, tangy sauce without any hints of artificial candy flavor and meatballs that wouldn’t dry out in the freezer. Here’s what we discovered:
•Browning the meatballs in a skillet was a pain. Baking them in the oven was much faster and ensured the meatballs browned evenly.
•We found that all of the most common binders—bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, and even cornflake crumbs—dried out the meatballs. We settled on a panade, a paste made from bread softened in milk, to protect our meatballs from the dry cold of the freezer.
•Too much seasoning will overpower the meatballs, but too little will be lost in the sauce. The right balance of salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley complimented the sweet and sour flavor of the sauce perfectly.
•Tomato sauce doctored up with red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, and a few other key ingredients took care of the sour portion of the sauce. For the sweet, we tested every type of jam and jelly we could think of and settled on one standout.
•Freezing the meatballs and sauce in separate containers eliminates almost all of the last-minute prep work. When it’s time to serve, simply reheat the sauce, dump in the frozen meatballs, and you’re done.
•Use a 1 1/4-inch melon baller or a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to form the meatballs.

Serves 20.
 
Meatballs
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into pieces 
1/2 cup whole milk  
2 large egg yolks  
1/2 pound ground pork  
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley  
2 garlic cloves , minced 
1 teaspoon salt  
2 teaspoons pepper  
2 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef  

Sauce 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil  
1 onion , minced 
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce  
2 1/2 cups apricot preserves  
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar  
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce  
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard  
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes  

MAKE MEATBALLS: Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Using fork, mash bread, milk, and egg yolks in large bowl until smooth. Add pork, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix until incorporated. Add beef and knead gently until combined.

BAKE MEATBALLS: Form mixture into 1¼-inch meatballs (you should have about 80). Bake meatballs on 2 rimmed baking sheets until cooked through and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through cooking. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer to large zipper-lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

MAKE SAUCE: Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in tomato sauce, preserves, sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, and pepper flakes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.

TO SERVE: Reheat sauce, covered and stirring occasionally, in Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once sauce reaches simmer, stir in frozen meatballs and cook until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

STEP BY STEP: Make-Ahead Magic
1. Bake the meatballs, cool them on the counter, and refrigerate.
2. Place the chilled meatballs in zipper-lock bags and freeze. 
3. To reheat, dump the frozen meatballs directly into the simmering sauce.

Tags: Beef, make ahead, meatballs, onions, pork, sweet and sour, tomato sauce

These smoky-flavored beef tacos are extremely easy and sooo good! I’ve made this recipe several times and no matter how much beef I cook up, we always wish I’d made more. The beef simmers for two hours in a chipotle-tomato sauce and emerges from the oven tender and delicious. Once you shred the meat, mix in some of the sauce it baked in (to keep the meat moist). The garnishes are easy to make and really compliment the beef so I suggest making all of them. The shredded beef would also be great in enchiladas.

Smoky Beef Tacos
-recipe from marthastewart.com

These slow-simmered beef tacos have just the right amount of spice. Serves 8.

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed
16 corn tortillas (6-inch), lightly toasted

To garnish (recipes below):
Avocado-Red Onion Relish
Corn-and-Tomato Salsa
Cilantro-Lime Crema

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Cut beef into 4 equal pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover, and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings.

Avocado-Red Onion Relish
Top off our Smoky Beef Tacos with this relish. Makes 3 cups

2 diced avocados
1 finely chopped medium red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper

Combine avocados, red onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Corn-and-Tomato Salsa
Makes 3 cups.

1 10-ounce box thawed frozen corn
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Combine corn, grape tomatoes, vegetable oil, and red-wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Cilantro-Lime Crema
Makes 2 cups.

16 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Stir together sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Tags: Beef, chipotle peppers, smoky beef tacos