Tag Archives: beef

Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Have you watched The Chef Show with Jon Favreau and Roy Choi? They’re adorable- kinda like an old married couple talking about experiences and eating amazing comforting food.

Well, I finally made the spaghetti and meatballs from the “Roy’s Italian Cuisine” episode and it’s soooooooo good. This will be a go to for a very long time.

This is one of those recipes you need to prep for. So, go roast a head of garlic and pick up the ingredients (including ordering some fennel pollen – really, you need this in your spice collection)

Roy Choi’s (Adapted) Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs

  • 1 lb ground meat (70/30 if you can get it)
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely minced
  • 1/2 garlic head, roasted
  • 1/2 white onion, chopped then blended in the blender with 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp fennel pollen
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 TBSP olive oil

Sauce

  • 1 large can san marzano whole tomatoes
  • Shiitake mushrooms (two handfuls)
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • A head of garlic, cloves deskinned
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 375.

Put 1/4 cup of sauce oil into a small sauce pan. Set on medium low heat and add the garlic cloves from the sauce ingredients. Let that simmer on low until the garlic cloves get soft and golden brown. Takes about 15-20 mins.

Put the water and shiitake mushrooms in a small pot. Let simmer on low for 20 mins.

Mix everything from the meatball ingredient list together except 1 T of the olive oil in a bowl.

Pan fry a bit of the meatball mixture until cooked so you can taste for salt. Adjust seasoning if needed in the meatballs.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or douse the sheet with some oil.

Roll the meatballs into 2”-2.5” diameter balls. And place on sheet.

Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20-22 mins. They should be medium rare.

While meatballs are cooking, add the garlic that’s been simmering in the oil (not the oil) to a medium pot. Add 1 cup of the mushroom broth and the tomatoes. Simmer on low for 40 mins or until slightly reduced.

Blend the sauce in the pot and taste for salt.

Take meatballs out and add some to the sauce for added deliciousness.

Cook a pot of spaghetti. Serve with sauce and meatballs. Top with Parmesan and enjoy!

Sesame Steak Rice Bowls with Miso Turnips

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We had a super thick ribeye that needed to be cut. And we were too lazy to fire up the charcoal grill. So, husband filleted the ribeye and marinated it in soy sauce, minced garlic and sesame oil. Tokyo turnips are growing at our local farmers. So I brushed some olive oil and miso paste on them and threw them in the oven. Rice was made and that’s how we collaborated on one of our most delicious SIP meals AND THE KIDS LIKED IT!!

Sesame Steak Rice Bowl and Miso Turnips

  • 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
  • 1 1/4 lb ribeye, 2″ thick, filleted or 2 ribeyes 1″ thick
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 TBSP sesame oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Bundle of turnips, sliced in half and greens removed.
  • 2 TBSP miso paste (I used red but white would be good too)
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • Kimchi (optional)
  • Nori Furikaki (add this to your kitchen staples)
  • Gochujang (add this to your kitchen staples)
  • 4 fried eggs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic. Marinate the meat with the sesame/soy mixture for 15-30 mins.

Mix olive oil and miso paste in another bowl. Put turnip bottoms on a baking sheet. Reserve the green tops. Brush half the miso dressing on the turnips. Bake for 12-15 mins.

While turnips are baking, heat pan on medium/high heat and cook steaks (reserve marinade). Remove and let rest under foil for 10 mins. In the same pan, add turnip green tops and miso dressing. Cook until wilted and remove to another plate. In same pan, add steak marinade and cook for 2 mins and drizzle over steak.

If you want to go wild, fry an egg to top your bowls.

Assemble rice bowls with a cup of cooked rice, turnips and steak on top, kimchi and all you other fixings on top.

Enjoy!

Gigante Meatballs

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Make these when you have time because they’re delicious and they freeze well. I just pulled a bag out of the freezer for dinner added them to a pot of sauce and served it over spaghetti. So easy. They’re also great over polenta!

Giant Meatballs

THE MEATBALLS:

  • 1 pound 80% fat ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 6 Tbsp Italian style breadcrumbs
  • 6 Tbsp seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara (more if you’d like more sauce. Up to 5 cups)
  • Mozzarella for top (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 375˚F
  2. In a large bowl, mix meatball ingredients until evenly combined.
  3. Portion meatball mixture into 1/4 pound pieces, rolling into balls.
  4. Place meatballs in a large baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
  5.  Remove dish from oven and top meatballs with the sauce. Return to oven and bake for an additional 25 – 30 minutes, or until meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165˚F. If adding mozzarella, add 10 mins before pulling out of oven.

Filippino Beef Stew

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I love beef stew. It’s easy and when cooked well, the beef is tender and it is oh so comforting.

This beef stew recipe reminds me of the holidays because my SO’s family makes a similar stew every nocha buena.

I had stew meat so I thought, let’s make xmas in March. Enjoy!

Filippino Beef Stew

  • 1.5 lb stew meat, cut into 2″ cubes
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 lemon juice
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 12 baby red and Yukon potatoes, size of large marbles (fewer cut into smalle pieces is fine)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 cup tomato purée
  • 2 cup beef stock (extra if needed)
  • 2 TBSP fish sauce
  • Cracked pepper
  • Canola oil

Marinate beef with soy sauce and lemon juice for 30 mins.

Heat 1-2 TBSP canola oil and brown garlic. Set aside.

Brown meat in batches. Reserve marinade.

Cook onion with all the beef until onion is wilted. Add fish sauce and cook for 2 mins. Add in the tomato purée, 1 cup of broth, reserved marinade, red bell pepper, garlic and oil and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 45 mins. Checking to stir 2-3 times adding broth if it gets too thick.

Test meat at 45 min mark. It most likely needs to cook for another 30-45 mins to easily pull apart with a fork. Add in broth when necessary.

Once the meat is tender, add in the potatoes and carrots and cook until tender, 20 mins.

Serve over rice with cracked pepper.

Enjoy!!

Beef Bourguignon

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It’s rainy and cold outside. It’s my favorite weather for slow cooked Beef Bourguignon. Not only is it a rather easy dish to prepare, it fills the house with comforting smells and warmth from the oven 🙂

Try it out and let me know what you think.

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Beef Bourguignon
serves about 6
* 2 lbs stewing meat (beef cubes)
* 1 bottle of Pinot Noir
* 2 TBSP fennel seeds
* zest from 1/2 a navel orange
* 1 bay leaf
* 8 sprigs of thyme
* 6 slices of thick cut bacon, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
* a carton of crimini mushrooms (try to get small ones or cut larger ones in half)
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 handfuls of baby carrots
* 2 TBSP tomato paste
* salt and pepper to taste

Put the beef, wine, fennel, bay leaf and orange zest in a non-reactive bowl and marinate overnight.

~3 hours before you want to serve dinner, take the beef out of the marinate and let it sit on paper towels. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven, render the bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Dump all but 2 TBSP of the bacon grease. Keep the 2 TBSP in the pot.

Sear the semi-dried beef in the bacon grease. (Make sure you turn the meat only once and only when it has a nice golden crust. It shouldn’t take too long per side. ~1-2 mins). You also might need to do this in multiple batches. Don’t crowd the pot. Once seared, remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

Add the onions and carrots scraping up any of the browned bits in the pan. Cook on medium for about 5 mins.

Add the tomato paste and stir until it takes on a deeper red color. Add the thyme, marinade (minus the orange peel), and the beef and any beef juices from the reserve bowl. Cook on the stove until slightly simmering.

Cover the pot and put it in the oven at 325 degrees for one hour. Make sure it’s not boiling at this point. If it is, turn down the oven to 300 degrees. Give the pot a stir.

Set your timer for another hour. Check the meat at this point. It should be getting tender and moist. Add the mushrooms and bacon back to the pot. Add 1/2 cup of water and a tsp of salt. Cook for 30 more minutes.

Take it out of the oven (leaving the lid on the pot). Let it settle for about 20 minutes. Check for salt and pepper. Add accordingly.

Serve with egg noodles, boiled potatoes or French bread.

Enjoy!

My First…Pot Roast

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I’m generally a bit anxious about cooking big hunks of meat. Like what happens if it sucks? It seems so disrespectful.

So, I’ve avoided things like whole roast chicken, prime rib, pot roast. Until yesterday when a cooking show inspired my cravings. I knew I wouldn’t settle until I shoveled that comforting roast into my head hole.

The only thing is, I’m not home. Therefore, there’s no crockpot or Dutch oven. I did my best with what I had. And ya know, it turned out spectacular.

If you’re inspired to try this out, make sure you give yourself enough time to cook it. We didn’t have dinner until 8 after starting the process at 4:30. But slow cooking results in some of my favorite meals!

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Oh Pot Roast
• 2 to 2.5 lb beef roast (make sure there’s some marbling going on. You’ll want the fat.)
• 3 celery stalks, sliced on the diagonal 1/2″ thick
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced in half moons 1/4″ thick
• 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
• a large handful of baby carrots cut in half
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce (you may use tomato paste but shrink to 2TBSP)
• 1-2 TBSP balsalmic vinegar
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 pieces if orange zest (1″x3″)
• garlic salt
• salt and pepper

Garlic salt and pepper the meat. Cut up all the veggies while the meat comes closer to room temp. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat up the oil in a large pot (Dutch oven would be best) on medium high heat. Place the meat in the pot and hear the most pleasing pot applause. I love that sizzle. Sear all sides of the meat until it gets a beautiful crust.

Take the meat out of the pot and add the veggies, garlic and a few pinches of salt. Lower the heat to medium and sweat the veggies. Add the tomato sauce and cook for a couple mins. Add the thyme, orange zest, bay leaf and stock and vinegar. Add the meat back to the pot. Cover it and put it in the oven. Bake for approx 3 hours. Turn the meat once halfway through.

Check the meat. It should be fork tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes, pappardelle, or polenta.

Enjoy!