Tag Archives: beef

Dinner, Level 1, Lunch, Recipe

Basic Meatloaf

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I don’t typically crave meatloaf often (it’s not a dish my husband enjoys) but for some reason I had to have some this week. Why? I want a leftover, cold meatloaf “sandwich”. I want the mayonnaise and mustard, mostly. So, I am slapping a slice of this onto a leaf of iceberg lettuce and BAM! I have my cravings met! I let this cool in the refrigerator, sliced it, placed each slice between parchment paper, and threw those into the freezer.


This recipe is totally adaptable. You can add diced bell peppers, salsa, cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, etc. As you can see in the video above, I added caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms.

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Basic Meatloaf

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner

Description

This is a low carb meatloaf option

Ingredients

Low Carb Meatloaf

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use either a baking sheet with baking racks or a broiler pan, to allow as much of the fat to drain away while baking. Line the bottom with aluminum foil for easier clean-up.
  2. Place all of your ingredients in a large bowl. With your hands (gloves help), squish all of the ingredients together. You want to make sure the seasonings and onion are well incorporated.
  3. Pour out your meat mixture onto a platter and shape it into a loaf. Place the platter into the refrigerator to let it solidify (about 15 minutes).
  4. Now, take your meatloaf out of the refrigerator and transfer it to your baking tray. Place it in the oven and bake for roughly 1 1/4 hours (or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees F). You can serve immediately or let cool for easier, less crumbly slices.
  5. Nutrition Per Serving (includes sugared ketchup): 193 Cal; 19 g Protein; 10 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 0 g Trans Fat; 7 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 5 g Sugar
Keywords: low, carb, paleo, carnivore, beef, ground, meat, loaf
Breakfast, Dinner, Level 1, Lunch, Recipe

Oven Roasted Tri-tip

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One dark and stormy night (a relief in Central California) we really didn’t want to barbecue in the rain (and we were low on charcoal). So, my husband made a tri tip roast in the oven. If you aren’t accustomed to this cut, here’s the Wiki about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-tip.

How we (my husband as I watched and took pictures) made it:

Oven Roasted Tri-tip Roast
Ingredients:

  • 1 beef tri tip roast
  • Your choice of seasonings

Season your roast (we have been using McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning lately).
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Place a heavy skillet (we love our cast iron) on the stove and heat on high. Once the skillet is hot, add about a teaspoon of oil to the pan (or spray with Pam). Place the roast in the pan and sear it for about 4 minutes (as you can see from the photos, it wasn’t that brown this time and turned out better than ever). Flip it over and sear the other side.
Now, place the skillet in the oven (do not cover) and let cook until you are happy with the doneness.

Here’s a great webpage about proper doneness of beef: https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/kitchen/doneness.php.

The basic rule of thumb is 10 minutes per pound. We baked ours for almost 20 minutes and removed the tri tip from the oven when the thermometer read 135 degree F.

While resting (we let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting) it reached 140 degrees F.


That’s it! To serve, either slice it thick (against the grain) like a steak or thin (think roast beef). My favorite way to eat it is with some cheese and avocado (OH! Maybe some horseradish sauce, too!). Tri tip is great leftover, too! Either dice it and add to scrambled eggs, pan-fry and serve with fried eggs, or just grab a piece and munch away!
Here’s some pictures (unless you do not like this setup, I think I will post any recipes I/we create before any pictures because I HATE having to scroll a mile just to read a recipe).

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Browning in cast iron skillet
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Our meat thermometer from Home Depot
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Resting
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Medium Rare (almost medium) 140 degree internal temperature
Dinner, Recipe

Chile Colorado

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This was the best dinner I haven’t had to make in so long!

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Chili Colorado

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Beef Section

Sauce Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Pre-Cooking the Beef

    Combine all of the dry seasonings into a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

     

    Start by trimming off any excess fat and then dice into about 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.

     

    Preheat a large stock pot to high heat. Add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil to your pot and wait until it just starts to smoke.

     

    Add 1/2 of the meat and 1/2 of the seasonings and sear on all sides. This will take about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the cooked beef to a large bowl and set aside for now.

     

    Repeat with the rest of the meat, seasonings and oil.

     

    Note: The reason for two batches is so that the meat will get a good sear. Adding all of the meat at once will “steam” it. In order to get a good sear there needs to be at least some space to stir and rotate to sear all sides.

     

    When the second batch has seared pour the first batch back in and add enough water to almost cover.

     

    Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat until you have a slow boil when covered.

     

    Keep it covered and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You should have about the same amount of water at the end of this hour, if you notice the water evaporating just add a little more when needed.

     

    We’ll finish simmering the meat in this beautiful sauce. You should have enough time to make the sauce while the meat is cooking.

  1. Cooking the Sauce

    Stem and seed the dry chilis and add them to a large bowl. Cover with 3 1/2 cups hot water to reconstitute. Soak for about 20 minutes or until soft.

     

    Chop onions. Cut, seed and stem the fresh Anaheim chili, green pepper and jalapenos (seeds are optional) into large chunks for easy blending.

     

    Add the reconstituted chilis, fresh veggies and “chili water” to a blender and blend until smooth. (You may have to do this in batches)

     

    Pour the mixture into a medium to large sauce pan.

     

    Add the seasonings and place on a burner over high heat to bring it to a boil.

     

    Reduce the heat to about medium to medium low and simmer covered for about 30 to 40 minutes stirring occasionally.

     

    Your Colorado sauce is ready.

     

    Note: This is a “concentrate”, it makes about 1/2 gallon so you’ll have some left over. It freezes well for up to 3 months. Dilute with water or broth and it can be used as an enchilada sauce or for a Mexican style rice and even as a taco sauce. It can also be used to slow simmer chicken or pork.

  1. Completing the Dish

    Now that your beef has been simmering for an hour or so it should be getting soft and tender.

     

    Add 2 to 3 cups of your sauce and stir it in.

     

    Cover and simmer for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

     

    It’s now ready.

     

    Note: The longer you cook it the more tender it will get. 

Keywords: Mexican, chili, chile, Colorado, red, sauce, beef

Canning, Dinner, Food Storage, Low Carb, Lunch, Preserving, Pressure, Recipe, Supplies

Homemade Corned Beef

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I can’t believe I didn’t post about this!  I made homemade corned beef last year, leaving out the sugar and the pink salt, and it was fantastic!  I thought, well, I could make this, then can it so I know exactly where it came from and what was in it.  I haven’t gotten around to canning this because it usually doesn’t last that long!

Anyway, if you are interested (I wanted to see if I could and I did), here is how I did it:

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Homemade Corned Beef

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 12

Description

It’s so much easier than I thought!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. To Cure:

    Mix all of the other ingredients, ensuring the salts dissolve.

    Remove as much fat as you want, leaving a minimum of roughly 1/4 to 1/8 inch.

    Place your meat and the brine in a container that will allow the meat to remain submerged. Submerging the meat is key to proper curing. Exposure to air introduces bacteria. I prefer plastic freezer bags. This allows me to actually remove all of the air and turn the meat with less mess.

    Place the container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 5 days, with 7 being preferred. Turn once per day. Now, it’s ready to cook or freeze.

     

  1. To Cook:

    Place the meat in a large pot along with enough hot water to cover it by at least 1″ and put the lid on. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a low simmer and keep it simmering for 30 minutes. If you boil it, it will get tough and shrink. Beware that the meat is cold, so when it warms the water will slowly move from simmer to boil. Keep an eye on it and try not to let it boil.

    After 30 minutes, dump out the water and cover 1″ over the meat with fresh hot water. Bring to a low simmer again, this time for 3 hours or until it is fork tender. Keep the meat submerged with a small plate.

    For Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner, remove the meat and let it rest. Now add sliced carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to the cooking liquid. Simmer until the carrots are tender.  

    Slice the meat across the grain and serve.

Keywords: corned, beef, brisket, pastrami, home, made

And here is how to can it (ever since I canned that chicken, I prefer raw canning meats):

http://canninggranny.blogspot.com/2011/05/canning-corned-beef-brisket.html

There you go!  Give it a shot (even if you only do one).  It really wasn’t as difficult as my brain said it would be!

Dinner, Level 1, Levels 2 And Above, Lunch, Recipe

Favorite Chili Recipe Ever

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I have always loved chili (Hormel’s No Bean chili).  About a month into my low carb journey, I had chili dogs (2 hot dogs, in a bowl, with chili, cheese, sour cream and a little onion).  Now, granted, I had about 1/2 cup of chili poured over these hot dogs but I was shocked at my blood sugar response!  That morning was 104 and after my meal it was 137!  That was when I read the label.  That chili not only contains corn flour (which was a huge “Duh!” but also, oatmeal).  I have since been on a mission to find a substitute.  I have yet to find one but this … this looks promising!  Just do away with the corn meal and I’ll be good to go!  I’ll scrounge through the freezer and hopefully be able to try this recipe out tonight!

You NEED to click on the link below. This is, really, the best chili recipe.


Let Me Teach You How To Make Texas Red Chili



UPDATE:  Well, I didn’t have any bulk meat so I threw in what I could and ended up with chili soup.  That being said, the flavor is spot on!  I love it!

  • 1/4 lb Fat [I use clarified bacon fat but beef suet would be more traditional]
  • 5 lbs Beef Tips [Chuck Roast cut into cubes is best but you may use the product labeled beef tips in the market]
  • 1/2 Cup Chili Powder [Gebhardt is king in Texas but if you can’t find it use common sense and buy a good brand. Preferably from a market that sells a fair amount of it so it’s fresh. If you have access to a genuine Mexican market then you can find the really good stuff and get a pure chile powder like Guajillo]
  • 2 T. Cumin [I like to buy the seeds, toast them on a comal, then grind them in a spice grinder but powdered cumin will work just fine
  • 2 T. Ground Oregano aka Mexican Oregano [Not the Italian kind, this Oregano is sold as a powder and is essential in this dish]
  • 1 T. Salt or to taste
  • 1 T. Cayenne [obviously if you’d like to ratchet up the heat just add more]
  • 1 bulb Garlic [Freshly minced garlic,not the stuff that sits in a jar of oil in your fridge]
  • 2 quarts Stock [I use chicken which is not traditional, beef is recommended here for purists. If you don’t have time to make stock the brand Better Than Bouillon is surprisingly good]
  • 1/2 Cup Masa Harina [If you can’t find masa mix in your part of the country, corn meal will do just fine-the finer grind the better]
  • 1/2 Cup Water
Recipe

Ma’s Pepper Steak

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I’ve been posting recipes left and right, forgetting to add them to my blog (as you can tell). I’m trying to catch up!

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Mas Pepper Steak

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 4 Estimated Cost: $ 1

Description

Easy customizable steak and pepper recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Mix beef with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, cornstarch and pepper.

  2. Seed bell peppers and cut into julienne strips. Slice green onions. Fry both in 3 tablespoons oil. Remove from pan.

  3. Add remaining oil and fry beef until redness disappears. Add peppers, onions, and remaining soy sauce.

  4. Serve with steamed rice.

Note

It’s easier to cut up the meat when it is still partially frozen. I have, in the past, added mushrooms and hot peppers. Also, there’s less indigestion for us if we use red and/or yellow peppers with green bell peppers. 

Keywords: beef, dinner, Chinese, pepper, rice, steak, easy
Hamburger, Recipe

Army SOS

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Since this pretty much goes along with the gravy thread, this is my favorite SOS recipe I have found.   I have tried a lot but this one is a hit!  Even the picky teenagers scarf this down!

And I ALWAYS serve this with Buttermilk Biscuits (recipe below)

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Ground Beef SOS

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Brown beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in flour, bouillon, salt and pepper. Sauté all together for about 5 minutes or until flour is absorbed. 

    Gradually whisk in milk and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring all to a simmer, whisking constantly. 

    Cook until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot!

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Sprouted Grain Buttermilk Biscuits

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Grate the frozen butter into the flour and, using a fork, coat the butter with the flour. Add the buttermilk and mix until almost all of the flour in incorporated (do not mix too much or the biscuits will be dense).

    Sprinkle flour on your countertop and scoop out the biscuit dough. Gently fold the dough until it becomes more solid (roughly 20 times), only adding flour to prevent it sticking to your hands or countertop. Pat flat so the dough is at least 1/2 inch thick.

    If you want circles, cut with any item that is at least 2 inches round (a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass, an empty food can, etc.). If you want squares, just cut with a knife. Place biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet an bake for 8 to 12 minutes (until the edges start to brown). Let cool a few minutes, then split with a fork (use the tines of a fork to split the biscuit instead of a knife). Serve.

Bread, Hamburger, Meatloaf, Pork, Recipe

Oat Bread and New Mexico Chile Verde

2 Comments

I have been so busy with playing Call of Duty Black Ops that I keep forgetting to post some of my latest concoctions! 🙂

While I love specialty breads (I still haven’t found a good-enough-for-me recipe for jalapeño cheese bread) I have been wanting to find a good every day bread and I think I found it! Why do I like this recipe so much? Well, this is the first one I found without brown sugar, honey, or molasses. Also, it’s not too dense but heavy enough to not break apart when spreading natural peanut butter on it. This makes fantastic sandwiches, toast, french toast, etc.

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Oat Bread

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine 3 cups flour, oats, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and mix well.

    In a small saucepan, heat milk, water, and butter until very warm (just until butter is melted). Add to flour mixture and blend on low speed of mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the medium speed and beat for 3 minutes (I did this by hand and it was not fun).

    By hand, stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead in the rest of the flour for about 5 to 8 minutes.

    Shape into ball, cover with bowl (or in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap) and let rise until doubled (about an hour). Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.

    Divide dough in half and shape into loaves. Place in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (recipe said 15 minutes but I let it go for 30).

    Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Remove from pans and let cool before slicing (which I can never do!).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last (but not least) was dinner last night. I found a recipe in another cookbook (The Border Cookbook) that was similar to this one but I did it the lazy way. I just added a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 28 ounce can of diced Ortega chiles. I also let it cook for 6 hours. Served with rice and heated flour tortillas, this was a fantastic meal!

http://www.simply-best-recipes.com/recipes-beef-pork-dishes.html

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Chile Verde (Green Chile and Pork Stew)

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Toast chiles in a cast-iron skillet (griddle, or over an open flame) until blackened. Wrap in damp paper towel and place in plastic bag for about 20 minutes to steam. Peel off blackened skin (with a spoon or the flat side of a knife) and remove stems and seeds. Chop all chiles. 

    If using pork shoulder, remove fat from shoulder and chop into small pieces. Render fat in large pot and then remove fat pieces. If you don’t use the pork fat, use 2 tablespoons oil or lard. Heat over medium-high heat and brown pork pieces well. Don’t crowd pot; brown in batches, if needed.

    Add the onions and garlic and stir well, cooking until onions are soft. Add the chopped chiles, spices (if using) and crushed tomatoes. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes until well-blended. Add water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 1-½ to 2 hours until pork is very tender. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.

    Serve with rice and beans, and warm soft tortillas.