Spicy Thai Steak "Salad"

I’ve actually already made this recipe three times, but just finally got around to taking the photo. That gives you an idea of how good this is, as well as how lazy I am when it comes to winter food photos. (It’s just so hard to get a good photo when it’s dark out!) Oh, and then I realized that this time I forgot to add the cilantro and chives, so now my photo isn’t even accurate. OY VEY!

Anyway, I’m not sure how this qualifies as a salad, but I’m keeping that in the title because it makes me feel all healthy and stuff. There’s really nothing salad-y about it. It’s seared meat, onions, spicy chiles and a very flavorful citrusy-umami sauce. You could serve it over lettuce, I suppose, but it’s really quite tasty over rice instead. I found it on food52, although I made a few modifications and added a little sesame oil because I’m in love with it.

Ingredients

1pound steak (flank, top sirloin)

1 to 2 chilies (I used fresno, but use whatever spice-level you like)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp sugar

4 Tbsps fish sauce

4 Tbsps fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 packet chives, sliced into 1-inch lengths

1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped

I know this goes against everything in your cheftastic being, but do NOT season the meat. I know, it’s crazy, but there’s actually enough salt in the marinade. So, start by searing the steak in a pan or on a grill to your desired doneness. You can use olive oil or if you love sesame oil the way I do, that’s also an option. Let the steak rest while you make the marinade.

Thinly slice your chiles and then cut the slices in half. Seed it if you are a big baby about heat. Add the chiles, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and sesame oil to a large bowl and stir to make sure you dissolve the sugar. Add in the onions, chives and cilantro and toss well. Thinly slice your steak (against the grain!) and add the slices to the bowl as well. Stir everything thoroughly and then stick it in your fridge to marinate for a half hour. I also stirred mine about every ten minutes. Not sure that helped anything, but it made me feel useful. Then serve over rice. Keep in mind that your steak mixture will be cool, so you may want to use rice that is cool or room temperature as well.

Short Rib Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce

I believe you can read the stages of someone’s cooking based on pasta. Think about it. When you’re just starting out, making spaghetti probably involves dry pasta and a jar of sauce. As you progress, your next step is to make your own sauce. Then, you might start making your own pasta. The next stage, in my opinion, is making your own complicated pasta. Ravioli for example. This is generally not something that your average home cook attempts. But as you get more serious about cooking, it’s definitely something you want to try. Well, the Hubs and I reached this stage recently, and while it certainly is worth the trouble, I have to be honest: it IS trouble. They make ravioli look so easy on Iron Chef, but in real life it’s a whole situation. Make the filling, mix the pasta, roll it out, form the raviolis, cook the raviolis, make the sauce, and finally… devour. To quote the Hubs, “5 hours, 10 pots, pans, and plates used during the prep. Stand mixer, pasta roller, two burners and the oven. Consumed in under 10 mins, and I would do it all again.”

            This is not easy, but it’s really good, and satisfying on a culinary level. Plus it’s just damn homey. I mean, it doesn’t get much more homey than braised meat inside pasta, covered with a rich, meaty mushroom sauce. A little fresh parmesan on top. This is living.

Short Rib Filling

2 lbs boneless short ribs

1 tsp olive oil

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 leek, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot,  diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 cup dry red wine (I used merlot)

6 sprigs thyme, divided

4 cups beef broth

We got the idea for this recipe from the Busy in Brooklyn blog, but used Tyler Florence’s pasta recipe for the dough. Start this early in the day since it needs to cook for 3 hours before it’s ready to put in the ravioli. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat up your handy Dutch oven and drizzle in a little olive oil before searing the short ribs on all sides. Remove them from the pot and toss in the leek, garlic, carrot and celery. Saute for 5-7 minutes and then deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the short ribs back into the pot and pour in the broth, 4 sprigs of thyme, and a little salt & pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, before covering and putting it in the oven for 3 hours at 300 degrees. Don’t forget to wrap a little foil around your lid handle to protect it.

After the meat has cooked for three hours, remove it from the pot and shred it, getting rid of the bones and any large fatty pieces. Use a sieve to strain the cooking liquid from the vegetables and add those to the meat. Remove and toss the sprigs of thyme. You’ll use the reserved cooking liquid for the sauce, so keep it. You can put it in the freezer for about twenty minutes to let the excess fat congeal, then skim it off. Or, if you are like me, you can get a $10 gadget that is made to separate fat from gravy and use that. It’s pretty magical. Either way, get rid of the fat and then set the liquid aside to use in the sauce.

Pasta

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 Tbsps water

1 yolk & 2 Tbsps water, for egg wash

Using your stand mixer with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt before adding the eggs one at a time. Continue to mix as you drizzle in the olive oil and then add a little water until the dough starts to form into a ball. Then sprinkle some flour on a work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Finally, wrap it in plastic and let it (and you) rest for about a half hour.

We cut the dough into fourths to form our noodles. Dust the counter and the dough with flour. You want to do this often to keep the dough from getting sticky. Roll it through the pasta machine on it’s widest setting a few times, then slowly reduce the setting, running the pasta through twice each time. Tyler’s directions said to go until the machine was on its lowest setting but we only went to 7 (ours goes to 9) and it was really thin. Use your judgment.

Lay out the sheet of pasta on the (floured) countertop and brush the surface with the egg wash. Put about a tablespoon of filling on half the pasta sheet in tight little piles two inches apart. Fold the other half of the past sheet over the top of the filling. Try to get the air out of the pockets around the filling and make a seal. May God help you with this because it was impossible for us. Finally, cut each pocket into squares using a crimper or plain old knife. These stick like crazy so if you are not cooking them immediately be sure to dust them in cornmeal or flour.

To cook the ravioli, get a big pot of salted water boiling and cook them a few at a time. They float to the top when they are done. Tyler’s instructions said to cook them 10-15 minutes, but I only had to cook mine about 4-6 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Make sure to have the sauce done and ready as soon as the raviolis are done because they get cool super fast.

Mushroom Sauce

2 large shallots, peeled and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups chopped assorted mushrooms (I just used baby bella)

1 tbsp flour

To make the sauce (last part, promise), sauté the shallots and garlic for a few minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. Then add in the mushrooms and cook over high heat until the liquid evaporates. Sprinkle in the flour and mix it in, sautéing until the mushrooms start to get some nice golden color. Then add in the cooking liquid, 2 sprigs of thyme, and a little salt and pepper. Cook a few more minutes until it reduces and thickens. Then pour it over the ravioli, grate a little fresh parmesan on top, and enjoy! The eating process is much quicker than the cooking process but very delicious.

We actually ended up making about 15 raviolis and using the rest of the dough to make noodles. Then we mixed the leftover meat into the mushroom sauce to top the noodles. This was also a delicious way to eat it, and practical since we had so much leftover meat.

Chipotle Meatballs

I’ve made a Mexican Meatball before but in the recipe I had the flavors were just a little too sharp and intense. I did like the concept, however, and had my eye out for another Mexican style meatball that might tickle my fancy a bit more. I found this recipe on Eat, Drink, Paleo, and while I made some substitutions that took it out of Paleo land, you could easily take it right back if you were so inclined (Looking at you, Emily). These turned out really good. Lots of robust flavor, but not too much spiciness, and they made a very satisfying meal over rice. My only complaint is that it didn’t really make a “sauce” per se, but that could easily be remedied with a small can of tomato sauce next time. I went ahead and added that into the ingredients for you because that's just the kind of person I am. 

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

3 chipotle chilies in adobo, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ tsp of salt

½ large onion, finely chopped

Sauce

½ large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 chipotle chilies, minced

½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp sweet paprika

2 bay leaves

1 14.5oz can diced tomatos (we used fire-roasted)

½ tsp salt

1 8oz can of tomato sauce (I would add this next time)

Queso Fresco (optional)

Cilantro, chopped (optional)

You’ll notice (or you will now that I’m pointing it out) that there is a half onion in both the meatballs and the sauce. You can actually cook it all at the same time, and split it after it’s been sautéed in olive oil (or butter) for 5 minutes or so. Add half the onions to a bowl and set the rest aside for the sauce. Mix the onions with the ground beef, garlic, chilies, cilantro, coriander, cumin, paprika, olive oil and salt to make the meatballs. Mix them well with your hands and then form them into meatballs. I like to make mine about golf ball size.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a deep frying pan until hot and then brown the meatballs, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Don’t worry that they aren’t cooked all the way through. After the balls are browned, add the ingredients for the sauce to the pan. If you can, when adding the spices, avoid putting them directly on the meatballs as that makes it hard to stir them into the sauce. You’ll have an easier time if you put them into a saucy area of the pan.

Stir everything together, making sure that the sauce gets on and around the meatballs, and simmer on medium low for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. You want to make sure the meatballs finish cooking all the way through. Finally taste the sauce (carefully!) and add more salt if needed. We served ours over rice with a sprinkling of queso fresco. You could also sprinkle on some fresh cilantro as well!  

Beef Chow Mein

I think I may like noodle dishes a bit too much. Ok, not as much as tacos, but a lot. Sesame noodles, spicy noodles, Thai noodles, or cold noodle salad, I’ll take them all. And that’s what drew me to this Beef Chow Mein recipe on The Creative Pot. The noodles look so tasty, with great umami flavor coming through, plus tender meat and crunchy veggies for a whole meal in a bowl. I bumped up the recipe a bit by adding jalapeno, onion, sesame oil, and some chili oil. I think it could still be rounded out a little more but it’s definitely a good base to start from. I also used ramen noodles instead of chinese egg noodles because I didn’t like the egg noodles the last time I used them, but I think if I make this again I’ll give them a shot. The ramen noodles were fine too but might not have soaked up the flavor the same way the egg noodles would have.

1 package Chinese egg noodles
Vegetable oil
½ pound beef, cut into strips
1 medium carrots, peeled and cut into strips
1orange bell pepper, cut into strips 

½ white or yellow onion, cut into strips

1 jalapeno or Serrano, chopped small
4 spring onions, chopped
1/4 cup beansprouts
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1-2 tsps chili oil (to taste)
1/4 cup water

Soak the egg noodles in hot water for 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside. (Since we used ramen, we skipped this step and just made the noodles according to the package instructions). I also think if we make this again that we would add a little salt and pepper to the beef before browning. Heat your vegetable oil in a wok and add the beef in batches to brown. We used stir-fry beef from the store because the recipe didn’t specify what kind. Once your meat is browned remove it and set aside. Add a little more oil if necessary and cook the carrots for about 1-2 minutes before adding the bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno. Stir fry those for another 2 minutes or so. You don’t want them to get soft, but just a little more tender. Finally, add in the beansprouts and spring onions and cook for another minute before setting aside in a bowl.

The original recipe called for me to heat the garlic separately, but I forgot and added it into the sauce when I was gathering ingredients. Not sure it made much difference, but if you want to take that step, go for it. Heat a little more oil and fry the garlic for just under 30 seconds until fragrant but not burnt. Then pour in your oyster sauce, soy, sesame oil, chili oil, and water and stir. I actually premixed all of these to make it easier. Add in the noodles and turn the heat down to low as you mix them. You want to make sure that the noodles get fully cooked and that they soak up the flavors. Then add the beef and veggies back into the wok and toss everything together. Make sure everything is warmed through and you’re all set to serve!

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

I save a lot of steak recipes. Mostly because steak just looks so darn good. So I have a bookmark folder full of recipes like “steak with burgundy mushrooms,” “steak with chimichurri,” “sugar steak,” “garlic steak” or “steak with stout pan sauce.” YUM. But here’s the rub. I never make any of those recipes. Why? Because the Hubs has a secret weapon for awesome steak. It’s some sort of magical steak seasoning that he gets in Wisconsin at a local shop, and it turns a ribeye into something worthy of worship. I LOVE this seasoning. It may have been a big factor in my decision to marry the Hubs. Just saying. Anyway, I digress. All this to say, I don’t often make steak recipes, but I’m really glad I tried this one that I found on Picture the Recipe. It was truly excellent and a nice way to get your meat and veggies all rolled up into one. Plus, balsamic glaze. I mean, you can’t go wrong. I think this could make a great appetizer, but we ate it as our main course and that works too! 

Ingredients

1 1/2 – 2 lb skirt steak/ 8-10 thin sliced sirloin

Salt & Pepper

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Steak seasoning (Whichever kind you like)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot

1 bell pepper (I prefer yellow or orange)

½ a zucchini

5 green onions

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp italian herb seasoning

2 tsp butter

2 tbsp finely chopped shallots

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup beef broth

Ok, full disclosure here… I totally cheated this recipe and went super lazy by buying a bag of broccoli slaw instead of slicing all those veggies. Don’t judge me. But I will probably try the non-lazy route next time just to see if it’s worth the trouble. We also used sliced tri-tip because we couldn’t find skirt steak or a sirloin thick enough. Use whatever you can get.

Start by marinating your steak for at least a half hour or up to a couple hours. Simply slice it fairly thinly, season with salt and pepper, and pour the Worcestershire over the slices. I’m guessing we used more than just 3 tablespoons because we didn’t measure. So you can totally eyeball it. While the steak is marinating you should prep your veggies (even if that’s just opening a bag) and start on the sauce.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and then sauté your shallots for just a few minutes. Then add in the balsamic, beef broth, and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil it until the sauce is reduced by half and turns into a sort of syrup. This only took about 5-7 minutes for us. Pour the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan and add the crushed garlic cloves. You cook for a few minutes to get the garlic flavor in the oil, then add your veggies (except the green onion). Salt them and also add in the Italian seasoning. You only want to sauté them for a few minutes so they still retain their crunch.

Now it’s assembly time! Lay out the strip of steak and place the veggies on it (including the green onion). Then roll the steak over the veggies tightly and secure it with a toothpick. In your skillet, coat the bottom lightly with oil over medium high heat and add the rolls with the seam down. Don’t move them for a couple minutes to get that nice brown crust. Repeat this on all sides of the steak if you can. Ours was so thin that we could only do two sides or else we would have overcooked it. Here’s where you add some of your steak seasoning. To serve, remove the toothpick (it should stay together pretty well) and drizzle some of the balsamic sauce over the top. It’ll be a great addition to your steak recipe repertoire! 

Braised Short Rib Pasta

I know I’ve mentioned my love of braising before. And I’m sure I must have told you how I love a great long-cooking pasta sauce. This recipe combines those two loves into one fantastic, meaty, saucy meal. Short ribs are great for recipes like this because they don’t seem to get as dried out and stringy as other cuts of beef do. This sauce is really flavorful with depth, and tastes great on homemade pasta (if you have the discipline to do it). I will say that although it’s a great dish, it doesn’t have the complexity that my Bolognese has, but it’s still very good and definitely worth a few hours on a lazy Sunday. Although it’s a long recipe, it’s not too terribly complicated. I found the recipe on The Tasty Bite blog and the only real changes we made were to add pancetta (why not?!) and some seasoning adjustments at the end.

Ingredients

2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

3 lbs. flanken-style short ribs with bones, cut 2 inches thick

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 oz pancetta, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

4 cloves garlic

28 oz. canned tomatoes

2 tbsps tomato paste

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 cups beef broth

1½ cups dry red wine

1 lb dried or fresh tagliatelle

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

Start by chopping your veggies and setting them aside. Then pat dry the short ribs and season well with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour. Add your oil to a dutch oven over medium heat, and then brown the ribs on all sides, in batches. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add in your pancetta and crisp it up for about five minutes before adding in your onion, carrots, parsley and garlic. Cook for another 10 minutes until the veggies are soft and then add in the tomatoes, paste, cocoa, rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, broth and wine. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Take it down to a simmer and return the ribs to the pot. Cover and cook for an hour and a half. Then remove the lid, stir and simmer for another hour and a half. After it’s done cooking, you’ll want to start your water boiling for pasta and cook as directed on the package. As I said, we used fresh pasta, but this would be just fine with dried as well. Take the meat out of the sauce and remove the bones and any membrane before shredding. Remove the bay leaves and discard them before using an immersion blender (or a regular blender carefully) to blend up the vegetables in the sauce and make a puree. Return the meat to the sauce and taste. This is where we had to add a good amount of salt and pepper, and also chose to add in about a teaspoon and a half of cayenne. We liked the subtle heat it brought, but it’s totally a personal decision.

Once your pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the sauce. Mix, and serve with some high quality grated Parmesan on top! Then spend the rest of the evening lying around with a full belly, groaning but happy.

Aloha Burger

I don’t often make burgers for home consumption, although I do often ORDER a burger at a restaurant. And I really do enjoy burgers of all shapes and sizes (with fries, gotta have great fries!) But I think they are one of those things that seem really simple to make, and they really aren’t. First you have the patty. Gotta figure out what kind of meat, and do you want to add any seasoning or anything to pep it up. It’s hard to make the perfect patty. Then come the toppings. And when do you prep those? Do they go on the burger while it’s cooking or after? And the bun! There are a thousand buns to choose from. English muffin is a personal favorite, but the classic is good too. So, as you can see, there’s a reason why I’ve never posted a burger on this site before. But I decided that I’d try one for the July Fourth weekend. This aloha burger caught my eye because it has pineapple on top! Yes, pineapple! It seems a little strange, but it actually tasted really good. We had some issues with our patty, but I’m modifying the recipe below to reflect changes I would make to solve the meatball effect. I would definitely make this again.

Patty Ingredients

½ pound ground beef

½ pound sausage (I used Hot)

1 medium onion, diced small

1 jalapeño, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano (or basil)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons barbecue sauce

Toppings

Barbeque Sauce

Pineapple Slices

Bacon

Cheddar (or your favorite cheese)

This makes about six big patties. We actually only cooked half and froze the others to make later! If you want to make it with all beef, that’s fine too. I just like the extra flavor that sausage brings. Take your beef and sausage out of the fridge while you prep so that when you mix with your hands you won’t freeze your fingers. Sauté your onion and jalapeno for just a few minutes in a little olive oil to soften them up. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds before taking it off the heat and letting it cool. You can skip this step if you aren’t feeling it, but the heat helps bring out the flavors a little and I think helps it feel more incorporated into the patty. Sometimes raw veggies want to separate from the meat a little more than sautéed ones do.

In a bowl, mix together the beef and sausage with the cooled onion, jalapeno and garlic. Add in your spices and barbecue sauce and mix those really well with your hands. I’ve found that using cooking gloves really helps with the mess here. Seems a little excessive but no one likes raw meat under the fingernails.

Once the meat is thoroughly mixed, form it into patties and cook on your grill! Add the cheese towards the end to melt onto the patty. Give your buns a light toast while you’re at it. And don’t forget to grill the pineapple! Then build your burger. I opted to put the pineapple on top of the burger so that it wouldn’t get the bottom bun all soggy. So, cheese, pineapple, a little BBQ sauce (Stubb’s Spicy is my favorite!) and a few strips of bacon. Then say Aloha to your hunger!