Category: Beef

Beef · Breakfast/Brunch

Act 2: Corned Beef Hash

The Culinary ChroniclesLeave a comment

Feeling pretty good about the outcomes of our Corned Beef and Cabbage, we eagerly embarked on our original objective — Corned Beef Hash!

We looked at a couple recipes and settled on a hybrid of a few. And as my sister had suggested months back, we used heavy cream to get that extra crispy profile that makes Corned Beef Hash so delish! The method described below is pretty straight forward but since we had so much to make, we didn’t have a large enough skillet to allow the hash space/surface area to crisp up. But, no biggie! We transferred the items to a large baking sheet and placed it under the broiler for a few minutes. And Voila! Deliciously yummy and crispy hash–100% from scratch, too!

Sure, this was an eleven day breakfast in the making but when the yolks from your “eggs over easy” run all over, you will be in heaven!

________________________________________________

Corned Beef Hash
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 Pounds Cooked corned beef, cut into chunks
2 Cups Yellow Onion, diced
1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
2 large Red Bell Pepper, cut to match potatoes
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
½ Cup Heavy Cream
3 Scallions, chopped
2 Tablespoon Parsley, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water to cover until just tender, about 3 minutes, then drain. Roughly chop corned beef.

Sauté onion and bell pepper in butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for additional 2 minutes. Add potatoes and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in corned beef and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add cream and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add scallions and sprinkle hash with parsley.

Serve with eggs of your choice.

Beef · Soups/Stews

Act 1: Corned Beef with Cabbage

The Culinary ChroniclesLeave a comment

Corned Beef and Cabbage

The Objective: Corned Beef Hash

The Method: Brine brisket for 10 days and make Corned Beef with Cabbage for dinner. Use the leftovers the next morning for Corned Beef Hash.

Seems like a long and tedious process to get to the original desired dish, right? But we’ve been wanting to make corned beef from scratch for a long time and this was a great excuse. And since we couldn’t get less than 4 pounds of brisket from the butcher, two dishes from one protein was a “Nguyen-Win Situation“!

After much deliberation, we turned to our guy, Alton Brown for his take on Corned Beef and Cabbage. Why Alton? Well…..because I actually have never even eaten Corned Beef Cabbage and Alton is a reliable guy. 🙂

The brining process was actually quite fun and I enjoyed peeking into the fridge every day to check on the brisket. And when the day finally came for us to cook the beef,  I was filled with anticipation! What would it taste like? Did the brine work? After 4 hours of braising the corned beef on the stove (which made the house smell delicious!), we filled our bowls and dug right in.

How would I describe it? Two words….Comfort Food. The beef and root vegetables were so tender–and the broth was simply yummy.  The pickling spices were on the lighter side but overall, we really enjoyed it. Sure, it was a long process but it was fairly simple and the end product was a dish that can warm the soul. Not bad considering Corned Beef Cabbage wasn’t even our first objective 🙂

Next up–Corned Beef Hash!

Beef · Pork

The Onion Burger…a Childhood Favorite

The Culinary Chronicles4 Comments

Growing up in an immigrant family in Minnesota, our meals primarily consisted of Vietnamese food. Occasionally we would have an “American” dish that my mom and sisters learned to prepare from our sponsors or friends. Those dishes such as lasagna, sloppy joes, “steak-umms”, and spaghetti bring back such vivid memories for me at that young age as they would be “treats” from our standard Vietnamese fare. But as life would have it, I would gladly trade any of those “American” items to enjoy those old dishes again…..well, with the exception of our lasagna and onion burgers.

Our lasagna recipe is Top Secret–but trust me, it’s darn good. Now our onion burgers, that’s a whole different story. Why? Well, because the recipe is printed on a box—a Lipton Onion Soup Mix Box to be exact.

Ok, ok….we can’t really claim it to be “our” own recipe. But growing up, this is how I knew homemade burgers to taste like. So when we moved to California and I had other homemade burgers, I was underwhelmed. Where’s the seasoning? Where’s that great flavor in the patty? Needless to say, we continued making these onion burgers–with slight tweaks to the boxed recipe.

However, there’s good news for you dear friends. You, too, can get your little hands on this  yummy burger. It’s tasty and super easy to make. Let’s not forget to mention that you’ll have this on the table within a half hour. 30 Minute Meals has nothing on this burger! 🙂

So get those grills (or grill pans) ready because Summertime = Burger Time!

____________________________________________

Onion Burgers
Serves 4

Ingredients:

Patty:
1 Pound Ground Beef (80/20 mix)
1 Packet Lipton® Onion Soup Mix (or your preferred brand)
2 Teaspoons Garlic, finely minced
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Liquid Smoke (optional)

Fixings:
Grilled Onions
Crispy Bacon
Lettuce
Provolone Cheese
BBQ Aioli Dressing (combine 3 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce & 2 Tablespoons Mayo)
Ciabatta Rolls (or your choice of bread), toasted

Combine all ingredients for the patty, except the liquid smoke. Divide the mixture into four equal patties. Flatten patties and make a small indentation in the center. This is to help the patties from “puffing up” when they cook. If cooking on a grill, place patties directly on oiled grate and cook approximately 3-5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  If cooking on a stove top with grill pan, heat pan to medium high and cover lightly with cooking spray. Brush each patty with the liquid smoke (optional) and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. *For both methods, place a slice of cheese on top of each patty during the last minute of cooking.

Spread a spoonful of the BBQ Aioli Dressing on the bottom of each toasted roll and place patty on top. Continue adding the remaining accoutrements. Serve with chips and pickle spears.

ENJOY!

Beef · Condiments/Sauces

Beef Fajitas with Fresh Tomatillo Salsa and Pico De Gallo

The Culinary Chronicles2 Comments

I love Mexican cuisine. Something about the spice and citrus flavors remind me of my own heritage’s cuisine—though, in a completely different light.

Lucky for me, I live in an area where Mexican and Spanish ingredients are readily available for my culinary experiments. Plus, the BF has become quite adept to making some stellar salsas and pico de gallos

One night, we decided to try our hand with tomatillos. It is, after all, my goal for 2010 to cook with ingredients I’ve never tried before. So we headed to our local Mexican grocer, Mercados Suvianda in San Jose, California to pick up some supplies. Sure, this trusted establishment has their own array of pre-marinated proteins to choose from. However, I was up for the challenge and wanted to marinate my own carne asada with chipotle peppers.

The overall results? Muy Bueno!!! Of course, I think salsas get better over time. And in fact, our Tomatillo Salsa and Pico de Gallo improved after each day. We opted to cook the Tomatillo Salsa a bit to mellow out the “green”—almost “not yet ripe” flavor that it has. That choice proved quite successful. As for the beef, I was quite heavy handed with the chipotle peppers. Therefore, if you like a less “smoky” flavor, decrease the amount to only 1.5-2 ounces of the peppers.

We were quite pleased with our midweek Mexican eats. And since we knew exactly what was going in it—it was all fairly healthy. Whole-wheat tortillas, good fats from the avocado, moderate amounts of beef, tons of veggies. And that’s the key to balanced eating. Fresh, bright, flavors will make you a balanced foodie 🙂

Prepping the Tomatillo Salsa

 

 

Simmering the Tomatillo Salsa

 

 

Assemble and ENJOY!

 

______________________________________________

Beef Fajitas with Fresh Tomatillo Salsa and Pico De Gallo
Serves 4-5

Beef Fajitas
1 Pound Carne Asada (Beef skirt steak or flank steak)
3 Ounces of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, diced
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Tomatillo Salsa
3 Pounds Fresh Tomatillos, chopped
2-3 Tablespoons Cilantro, diced
1 Large Jalapeno Pepper, diced
1 Medium Serrano Chili, diced
1 4-Ounce Can of Roasted and Peeled Green Chiles, diced
¼ Cup Yellow Onions, diced
1 Tablespoon Garlic, diced
½ Tablespoon Lime Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pico de Gallo
2 Pounds Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
¼ Cup Yellow Onions, diced
1-2 Tablespoons Cilantro, diced
½ Large Jalapeno Pepper, diced
1 Medium Serrano Chili, diced
2 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Side Accompaniments
1-2 Ripe Avocados, diced
8-12 Tortillas
Grilled Bell Peppers and Onions
Tortilla Chips
Lime Wedges

Take the first 8 ingredients of the Tomatillo Salsa and place in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste before moving to a medium sized sauce pan. Simmer on low for 7-10 minutes. Let cool before moving to the refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour. Taste to check seasonings prior to serving. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Take the first 6 ingredients of the Pico de Gallo and mix in a medium sized bowl. Salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. Taste to check seasonings prior to serving. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Take all ingredients for the beef fajitas and place in a gallon sized ziploc bag. Be sure to get most of the air out of the bag before sealing it. Let marinate for 30-40 minutes.

Heat grill pan to medium-high. Lightly cover pan with cooking spray. Cook beef for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove to cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing into strips. Plate along side grilled onions and bell peppers.

Assemble each wrap with beef, grilled bell peppers & onions, avocados, and salsa/pico de gallo.

ENJOY!

Beef · Pastas/Noodles

Breaking in the New Dutch Oven with a Short Ribs Ragu

The Culinary Chronicles22 Comments

I have dreamed of having my very own Le Creuset Dutch Oven for a long time. And for a “long time”, I mean longer than I even knew what it really was or how fabulous they really were. I think the first memories I could recall of it was back in the day when “The Frugal Gourmet” had one on his stove in the 80’s. And although as a kid I thought it was just a “pretty pot”, I knew I wanted one when I grew up.

As I grew older and found out how much they actually cost, I could not bring myself to buy one. This is not to say that I didn’t think it was worth it but a few hundred bucks is pretty steep! Alas, I had to be content to utilize my siblings’ when the chance arose.  🙂

But this past Christmas…my Culinary Life changed when my awesome sister gave my boyfriend and I a gorgeous 7.25 quart round Dutch Oven. I squealed in delight as I hugged our new beauty—finally, we had one of our very own. Dreamy.

Then the next question arose….what were we going to make to break in our new dutch oven??? As silly as this may sound, I wanted a recipe that would require us to utilize as many components of the pot as we could—searing, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc. Heck, it was the first time we would be using it after all! 🙂

I finally settled upon a recipe by Bobby Flay for a Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle. Although I have NEVER been a fan of how Bobby Flay portrays himself on television, his food more times than not, looks delish.

We followed the recipe with the exceptions a few edits and were happy to find that it was pretty simple (although somewhat laborious and lengthy). The end results? D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. The ribs were succulent and tender with the aromatics giving the meat a rich flavor.

A few things about our take on the dish:

  1. We omitted the Port & substituted with beef stock. Ruby Port is often too sweet for me in my savory dishes.
  2. We decided not to remove the beef from the bones and served it directly over the pasta. Next time, I think we’ll do it though to get rid of some of the excess gristle and fat.
  3. Although the recipe doesn’t state to, season with extra salt and pepper before dishing over the pasta. My “Better Half” thinks a bit of heat would complement the dish. Perhaps some red chili flakes?
  4. This recipe could easily serve 6 adults.
  5. We had the leftovers a few days later and served the ribs over mashed potatoes—YUM!

I would definitely recommend this recipe and will make it again (with a few tweaks). If you’re planning on tackling this one, keep in mind–it needs at least 3 hours in the oven for the ribs to get tender. It’s okay though, time goes by quickly if you have a snackie and a glass of vino. 🙂

ENJOY! 🙂

 

 

Heavily season the Short Ribs with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt.

Browning the ribs. The more brown bits the better! 🙂

Browned Ribs = Tons of flavor! 🙂

Cooking down the Shallots and Mirepoix

Short Ribs back in with the liquids & bouquet garni and ready to be put in a 325 degree oven for 3 hours. Yup, I said THREE! 🙂

The finished Short Ribs (with bone -in) over Pappardelle. Garnished with Pecorino Romano and Flat Leaf Parsley.

Did I mention how much I LOVE our new Dutch Oven! And yes, it really does make a difference! 🙂

Beef

The Barefoot Contessa Does It Again….

The Culinary Chronicles3 Comments

It’s no secret that I love me some Ina Garten. The woman has a beautiful house in East Hampton, fabulous friends with amazing professions at her disposal (florists, bakers, photographers, LIGHTING SPECIALISTS?!, etc.), and when it comes down to it, she has delicious & reliable recipes.

With that said, it was a no-brainer to look to her for recipe ideas for a dinner the bf and I were fixing for my family. The criteria were simple. (1) It had to be delicious. (2) Since I don’t get to cook for my family too often, it had to be special. (3) It had to please the pallets from a 3 year old all the way to……..well, I won’t divulge our ages.  🙂

Days before our trip we happened to catch an older episode of the Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics show on the Food Network and saw the perfect dish– Company Pot Roast. It looked super hearty and comforting—and with one pot, it was ideal!

Since it was our first hand at the recipe, we stuck very true to the script. The end results? Quite Delish in our opinion! The additional step of pureeing half of the sauce and then returning it back to the pot seemed a bit laborious at first. However, after trying the dish, the consistency that this step gave is a MUST! That Ina—she sure does know her stuff!

Two things to note when following this recipe:

  1. Some of her estimates seemed a bit off for us. For instance, the recipe calls for 2 cups of celery, which she estimated to be 4 stalks. For me, it was 6 stalks. The recipe could also easily feed 10 adults, let alone the 8 it quoted.
  2. The preparation work of the mirepoix can be killer. 6 cups of chopped carrots, onions, and celery made me wish I had a commis to do the prep work! 🙂

With that said, the dish turned out quite well and we would definitely recommend making it. Pair it with garlic leeks mashed potatoes (like we did) and you’ll have a little party on a plate. And as Ina would say, “How bad could that be?”  🙂

Ina Garten’s Company Pot Roast ©

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5-pound) Prime Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, tied
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
All-purpose flour
Good Olive Oil
2 Cups Chopped Carrots (4 Carrots)
2 Cups Chopped Yellow Onions (2 Onions)
2 Cups Chopped Celery (4 Stalks)
2 Cups Chopped Leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 Leeks)
5 Large Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
2 Cups Good Red Wine, such as Burgundy
2 Tablespoons Cognac or Brandy
1 (28-ounce) Can Whole Plum Tomatoes in puree
1 Cup Chicken Stock, preferably homemade
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
3 Branches Fresh Thyme
2 Branches Fresh Rosemary
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.