beef

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

/ Jodi / 38 Comments

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew.

The weather has turned blustery here, and we are “turkeyed” out from Thanksgiving, so the other day, I made a comforting pot of bubbling, thick, hearty, old-fashioned beef stew.

I finally made a trip to a local pantry I’ve been longing to visit in the quaint town of Zelienople, PA (not far from Mars) – Penn Pantry, where I purchased some local, organic grass-fed beef (amongst many other wonderful treasures) that seemed to be made just for stewing.

I also had an abundance of fresh vegetables from my latest Misfit Market shipment that I knew would work perfectly in a stew – potatoes in sweet, red and white, carrots, parsnips, and onions.

So a stewing I did, and oh how we enjoyed!

Here is how I made ours.  Shake it up with your favorite ingredients, but feel the warmth and comfort in this great classic recipe.

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. beef, trimmed and cut into one-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (or your favorite)
  • 1 tsp. coarsly ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 3 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. fresh sage, finely minced
  • 1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks
  • 4 cups chopped potatoes, sweet potatoes, and/or parsnips
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery

Directions:

Combine flour, seasoned salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.  Add beef cubes, and toss to coat.

Heat oil in a large pot.  Add coated beef cubes and brown on all sides.

Remove beef from pot, and add vinegar and wine to oil and beef drippings in pot.  Stir and scrape browned bits from bottom of pan until all combined and boiling.  Add beef back in, followed by beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and sage.  Bring back to a boil, then reduce to simmer for about a half hour to an hour – until beef is tender.  (Timing will depend on the cut and quality of beef.)

Add onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery, and continue simmering until vegetables are tender and broth thickens – approximately one hour.

Ladle into bowls and serve with fresh, crusty bread to soak up every bit of gravy goodness to comfort your appetite and warm you from the inside out.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Hearty Beef Barley Stoup & Homemade Beef Broth

/ Jodi / 42 Comments

Hearty Beef Barley Stoup and Homemade Beef Broth.

Stoup…  Yep…  That is not a typo.

This “soup” recipe is so hearty, you might almost consider it a stew, so my clever blogging friend Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger, aptly named this recipe Stoup.

I was dying to try this recipe, as I am a huge fan of soups, and a huge fan of barley.  (Grandma used to make a Beef Barley Soup, and I haven’t had it in years!)

Hubby is not much of a soup lover, but when I read Kathryn’s recipe and saw how hearty it was, I thought I might be able to get away with this one.

And did I ever!  Hubby actually ate it with a fork and happily ate leftovers the following night.

This is one of the best new recipes I have tried in a long time!  If all of Kathryn’s recipes are this amazing, I will be excited to try more.

This stoup literally tantalizes your taste buds with it’s bounty of complex textures and flavors, and I think what really took it over the top was the fact that I made homemade beef broth  for it (not canned beef broth or water and bouillon cubes).  I made the broth from scratch with beef bones ROASTED in the oven first with vegetables and then simmered for hours until it became a rich, dark brown pot of goodness.  I found the recipe at Taste of Home and will share below.

This recipe is not hard, but it takes time.  It is great for the type of weather we are experiencing in our part of the world right now… very cold and snowy.  It’s a recipe for when you have time to roast and simmer all day while you are home.  A recipe for when you are in the mood for chopping and dicing and then just totally curling up under a blanket by a fire with a crusty piece of bread to dunk in it and sop it up with.

I tweaked up Kathryn’s recipe just a bit.  She added mushrooms.  For those that like, please do add.  Mushrooms are one thing I just can’t eat.  Hubby on the other hand would have loved, but I just can’t put them in my mouth.  I added a bit more beef and veggies to make it even thicker.  And Barley is such a wonderful healthy grain.

I do hope you try this when you have time, and I hope you will visit Kathryn’s blog (or her Austin Street Taco Food Truck if you are anywhere near Bend, Oregon in the summertime) to check out some of her recipes.  She has become a great blogging friend.

Beef and Barley Stoup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. high-quality beef roast, cut into 1 inch pieces
Salt and pepper, for seasoning meat
Flour, for dusting meat
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 14.5-ounce can diced or stewed tomatoes
4 cups homemade beef broth (recipe follows)
1 bay leaf
3 small sprigs thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Season cubed meat with salt and pepper, then toss with some flour to dust it. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add beef to pot, and sear cubes on all sides until browned. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Add onion, carrots, and celery to pot that you seared meat in, and cook 8-10 minutes to allow veggies to wilt and brown slightly. Add garlic and tomato paste in the last minute of cooking.

Pour in the red wine, and deglaze the pot by scraping up the browned bits. Add tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaf and thyme. Stir well to combine. Add the meat, including any accumulated juices in the bowl.

Bring to a boil, then stir in the barley. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45-60 minutes or until the barley is cooked. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs and taste for additional salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Best-Ever Homemade Beef Broth

  • Servings: approx 10 cups
  • Print

Ingredients:

4 lbs meaty beef bones (beef shanks or short ribs)
3-4 large carrots, cut into chunks
3-4 ribs of celery with green leafy tops, cut into chunks
2 large onions, quartered
1/2 cup warm water
3 bay leaves
3-4 large garlic cloves
1 tsp coarse black pepper or peppercorns
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tsp salt
12 cups cold water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  In a large dutch oven, roast soup bones, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Add carrots, celery, and onions, and roast an additional 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, and add warm water, stirring to loosen browned bits.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and slowly boil for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered 4-5 hours.  Skim any foam that forms.

Remove bones (and send for Charlie!).  Strain broth through a colander, discarding solids.  If time allows, refrigerate to allow removing fat that forms on top.  Otherwise skim as best possible from top.

Broth can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 4-6 months.

If you want a super easy, homemade crusty rustic bread to go with it, try this recipe.

Stay warm, and enjoy this hearty and healthy meal.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Perfect Prime Rib Roast

/ Jodi / 51 Comments

Perfect Prime Rib Roast.

On Christmas Eve this year, we decided on a Simple Surf and Turf Dinner menu to have with the family.  The Surf was Bacon Wrapped Scallops.  The Turf was Prime Rib.  Both were prepared simply, and turned out delish!  Baked potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and a Salad of romaine lettuce, apples, dried cranberries and walnuts accompanied the entrees.

I managed to quickly snap this iPhone photo of Hubby cutting the prime rib.  Not the best photo, but this recipe I found and slightly modified is such a keeper, I had to share!  The roasted vegetables not only help to make the perfect base for the au jus, they also taste great too as an extra veggie.

Whenever you want a simple, but elegant entree, this is a winner you will want to try.

Perfect Prime Rib Roast

Ingredients:

  • 7-8 lb Prime Rib Roast (with bones)
  • 1-2 Tbsp Horseradish
  • 1-2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 4 tsp fresh thyme
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 4-6 stalks celery, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup carrots, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1 large sweet onion, quartered
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Rub roast with horseradish and mustard.

Combine salt, pepper thyme and garlic powder, and sprinkle over roast.

Place celery, carrot, and onion chunks in the bottom of a large roasting pan.  Place roast on top of vegetables.

Roast for 30 mins.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and roast until meat is 135 degrees F.

Remove from oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 30 mins.

Make  au jus sauce by placing pan drippings in roasting pan (veggies removed and reserved to serve) over a burner set to medium.  Stir in beef bouillon and water.  Bring to a boil.  Combine cornstarch and water, and whisk into sauce.  Allow sauce to thicken slightly, and serve with roast.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Stuffed Butternut Squash

/ Jodi / 35 Comments

Stuffed Butternut Squash.

I wanted to do something new and creative with butternut squash for dinner one day this past week.  I absolutely love butternut squash and have shared several recipes through the years here at The Creative Life In Between on how I enjoy preparing it.

The most simple is yummy, but easy Roasted Butternut Squash.

Another fabulous way to serve it is Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna – OOOO LA LA!!

Or how about Penne with Goat Cheese and Butternut Squash?  Such a delight with crunchy toasted walnuts!

But how about a meaty version?

I had a fresh package of grass-fed ground beef in the fridge, so after googling beef and butternut squash, I found some ideas and tweaked up a favorite found at Civilized Caveman Cooking.

This full-flavored, meaty, and paleo version was DELISH!

Another winner of a way to serve Butternut Squash!

Here is how I made it.  Hope you’ll give it a try.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 1 lb. ground beef (grass-fed organic if possible) or ground turkey
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 sweet onions, sliced and coarsely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh minced rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds.  Place flesh down in glass 9×13 baking dish.  Pour 1/2 inch of water into baking dish.  Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes or until a fork can be easily inserted through skin into soft flesh.

While squash is roasting in the oven, saute sliced strips of bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy.  Set aside and pour off all but about a tablespoon of bacon drippings.  Saute onions (reserving 1/4 for topping) and celery in same skillet for 2-3 minutes.  Add beef, rosemary, cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper.  Stir and saute until beef is cooked through.

When squash is done, remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Scoop out all but about 1/4 inch of flesh from squash halves.  Add mashed squash and crispy bacon (reserving 1 Tbsp. for topping) to meat mixture .  Stir to completely combine.  Fill both butternut squash shells with meat and squash filling.  Return to oven in same baking dish for 10-15 minutes.

Saute remaining 1/4 chopped onion with balsamic vinegar until caramelized.

Remove stuffed squash from oven.  Top with balsamic caramelized onions and reserved bacon.  Cut each squash half in half to create 4 servings.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

/ Jodi / 34 Comments

crockpot-cuban-shredded-beef

It was so cold this past Sunday and hunkering in was the order of the day.  While watching football playoffs (our Pittsburgh Steelers won!), I wanted a no fuss, but warm and comforting dinner to eat afterwards.

Beef chuck roasts are so versatile and cook so tender and juicy in the crockpot.  I make them a variety of ways, but wanted to try something new and different, and this Cuban Shredded Beef was just the ticket!  So yummy over a bed of rice with beans!  We’ll surely be eating them wrapped in tortillas this week too.

A tiny bit of a spicy kick and tons and tons of flavor make this easy recipe a new winner in my book.  And if you can’t get warmed up on the outside, this one will warm you up from the inside out!

I adapted this recipe slightly from Little Spice Jar.

Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

Ingredientscrockpot-cuban-shredded-beef

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 1/2 lbs. beef chuck roast
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. oil
  • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced sweet bell peppers
  • 1 large sweet onion, sliced
  • 2 4-oz. cans chopped green chilies
  • 2 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. salt
  • 2  Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime

Directions:

Make 3 deep “x” cuts into the chuck roast. Insert 3 whole garlic cloves into the cuts. Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the chuck roast and fry on each side for 5 minutes to sear.  Don’t cover the pan as the meat will end up steaming rather than searing.

Chop the remaining 3 cloves of garlic, and add to crockpot along with all the remaining ingredients except for the lime. Cover and let cook on the low setting for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When the beef falls apart easily when pulled with two forks, it’s done. Shred the beef with the forks and stir.

Serve over a bed of rice with beans on the side topped with additional cilantro and a few lime wedges. You can also use the shredded beef for burritos, quesadillas or tacos.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pappardelle with Beef Ragu

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

beef-ragu-with-pappardelle-1

We had our first snow of the season here in Mars yesterday.

Not only did it snow, but it snowed ALL day!

After a 73 degree F day on Friday, it was quite a shock, but also such a glorious treat for a lazy Sunday to build a fire in the morning and burn it all day long while cooking and watching football and reading and resting.

After a very busy and exciting week, it was nice.  It was also the first day I didn’t see my new granddaughter since she was born, so I am thankful for text messages and IM pictures and so proud of her Mom and Dad for the amazing job they are doing.  They are naturals, and my heart is so very full.

beef-ragu-with-pappardelle-3

My belly is full too….. after making and feasting on this amazing recipe I tweaked a bit from Jamie Oliver’s recipe.

What a perfect dish to cook for hours on a cold day teasing our noses with the amazing aroma and warming the house with the oven on for hours.  Jamie Oliver does his in a pressure cooker.  You could also do this in the crockpot.  But we were home all day, and I was perfectly content to have the oven on.

beef-ragu-with-pappardelle-2

I swear I am a “wannabe” Italian!  I adore Italian food.  In Italian cuisine, ragu is a meat-based sauce that is commonly served with pasta.  Pappardelle are large, broad, flat pasta noodles that originate from the Tuscany region and are similar to wide fettuccine. The name derives from the verb “pappare,” which means to gobble up.

Isn’t Papparedelle so much more fun to say than wide noodles?  And doesn’t it sound so much more delicious?!

beef-ragu-with-pappardelle-4

Hubby said I could definitely make this for company!  It is so full of flavor!  I could just lick the sauce from a spoon!  And then…… when you top it with a tiny bit of finely grated orange zest and rosemary…. the flavors just BURST with freshness too.  The balance between tender slow cooking with deep, layered flavors and fresh, bright citrus – even though just a tiny bit – is simply amazing!

Here is the recipe as I slightly tweaked from Jamie Oliver’s recipe shared in The New York Times.  Hope you will give it a try.

Pappardelle with Beef Ragu

Ingredients:beef-ragu-with-pappardelle-2

  • 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 Tbsp finely chopped leaves for garnish
  • 2 sprigs fresh sage
  • 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
  • 3-4 celery stalks, thickly sliced
  • 1/2 cup sliced sweet red and yellow peppers (optional)
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 pound pappardelle
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in dutch oven on stove top over medium-high heat.  Add beef cubes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir until beef is well browned on all sides, about 5 mins.  Add rosemary and sage sprigs, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and sweet peppers. Continue cooking until vegetables are softened, about 5 more mins.

Add wine and continue to simmer until liquid has reduced by approximately half, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes.  Secure lid and place in oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Cook pappardelle in boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes until al dente.   Drain and rinse in cold water.  Return pasta to pot.  Add butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.   Mix gently, cover with lid, and let butter melt.

Remove beef ragu from oven.  Discard herb stems and coarsely shred beef with two forks.

To serve, place pappardelle in shallow bowl, top with beef ragu, sprinkle with orange zest, finely minced rosemary and some more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Bloody Mary Beef Pot Roast

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

bloody mary beef pot roast 1

Last weekend was unseasonably rainy and chilly here in Mars, so comfort food was in order for Sunday supper.

I had recently read a recipe KR posted on AnotherFoodieBlogger for Bloody Mary Beef Stew and was inspired to use up a bottle of Bloody Mary Mix I had in the fridge that I bought on a whim a while back when in the mood for that particular cocktail I only hanker for occasionally.

bloody mary beef pot roast

Here is what I came up with, and it was a definite HIT with my guys here.  Served with some homemade mashed potatoes (which I haven’t made in forever) just sealed the deal.  Enjoy!

Bloody Mary Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients:bloody mary beef pot roast 1

  • 2 1/2 – 3 lb. beef chuck roast
  • 2 cups bloody mary mix (your favorite)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • A shot of two of vodka (or not – whatever you like)
  • 1 head (or bunch) celery, chopped, including some of the leaves
  • 1 large sweet vidalia onion, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 Tbsp horseradish
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

In a large skillet, saute celery, onion, and garlic (the heavenly trinity!) in olive oil for a few minutes until softened and turning translucent.  Add salt and pepper to taste, rosemary, and horseradish, and continue sauteing for a few more minutes until you start to get some little brown bits.

Make room for the beef roast in the center and brown on both sides along with the veggies.  Once the meat is browned, pour all into crockpot.

Combine bloody mary mix, water, and vodka and pour over all.  Cook on high for approximately 6 hours or until beef begins to fall apart with the touch of a fork.  Break apart and stir shredded meat into sauce.  Cook on low another hour if time allows.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a salad or vegetable side dish.  It also tastes yummy on buns as a sandwich (which we had the next day).

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Grilled Marinated London Broil

/ Jodi / 14 Comments

grilled marinated london broil 1

 Where’s The Beef?

(Will we ever, ever, ever, get that famous jingle out of our heads??!!  Such genius in marketing and advertising!)

Well – look no further – Here’s the Beef!

We indulge in beef for dinner about once a week; and when we do, grilled marinated London broil is one of our faves.

The key to a great London Broil is in the marinade.  And the key to a great marinade is fresh ingredients.

A few must-haves in the pantry AT ALL TIMES for me are fresh garlic (powder, granulated, chopped in water, chopped in oil…  NONE compare to freshly minced garlic), fresh basil (I wish there were words to describe the smell of fresh basil being chopped!  I’m sighing just trying to imagine), and fresh lemons for juicing (no bottled, reconstituted versions can be substituted!).

Grilled Marinated London Broil

Bottled pantry must-haves in my pantry include:  olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard – all of which are included in this recipe.

Grilled Marinated London Broil marinading

Dried spices that are must-haves (to be used only when fresh is not at hand) include oregano and thyme.

Before putting this marinade on the London broil, it is a good idea to cut vertical and diagonal slits in the beef to allow the marinade to soak in deeper.

Grilled Marinated London Broil cuts

This marinade should be able to be whipped up quickly if your pantry has these items on hand at all times.  Marinades not only add flavor, but they tenderize.

I enjoy my “hunk of beef” with a baked potato topped with salsa and a fresh green salad.

And a sprinkling of blue cheese doesn’t hurt either!
grilled marinated london broil plated

This recipe was originally found on Foodnetwork.com, and is courtesy of Gourmet Magazine.

Hope you’ll give it a try.  You won’t be sorry!

Grilled Marinated London Broil

Marinade Ingredients

2/3 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 fresh lemon, juiced
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme

1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) London broil

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Put London broil in a large resealable plastic bag or in a glass dish and pour marinade over it. Seal tightly. Marinate in refrigerator turning once or twice, for approximately 8 hours.

Remove meat from the marinade, and discarded the marinade.

Grill the meat, turning only once, 9 to 10 minutes on each side, or until it registers 125 to 130 degrees, on a meat thermometer for medium-rare meat. (Alternatively, meat may be broiled.)

Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices, and enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Easy Homemade Mongolian Beef

/ Jodi / 22 Comments

Mongolian Beef

Sometimes yummy, delicious food is not the best “subject” for photographing.  Like this absolutely amazing tasting Mongolian Beef.

Apparently it is a knock-off recipe to what is served at PF Chang’s (per Jo at JoCooks where I found this recipe), but I have never had it there.  If I go to PF Chang’s, it is Chicken Lettuce Wraps E V E R Y… single… time… period.

But I do try to make beef occasionally for Hubby who complains he fears he may grow feathers from eating chicken so many times a week.   I have tried Mongolian Beef from other places like our local Pan-Asian restaurant, Jimmy Wan’s; and I must say, this recipe could take on any that I have tried…

We LOVED this recipe.

I really wish I could have shot some better photos of this amazingness – – and I totally should have sprinkled it with some sesame seeds for the “photo shoot,” but I forgot!  UGH!  I guess I was too anxious to get eating.  And you will be too!

Here is the recipe you REALLY SHOULD TRY as adapted from JoCooks.com.  And it is SO easy too!

Easy Homemade Mongolian Beef

Ingredients:
2 lbs flank steak
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup vegetable oil

Sauce:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water

Garnish:
6 green onions, sliced

Directions:

Slice the steak into thin strips against the grain.

In a large Ziploc plastic bag, add the beef strips and cornstarch, and shake to completely coat the beef.

In a small sauce pan add the oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and water. Stir and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces.

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet, add beef, and cook until browned. Pour sauce over the beef. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.


ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Perfect Pot Roast

/ Jodi / 10 Comments

I always thought I made a decent pot roast.

Throw a frozen chuck roast in a crock pot or enamel roaster pan, add an envelope of Lipton onion soup, onions, carrots, water….

Not bad….

But then……. (drum roll please)…… I discovered Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman)’s Perfect Pot Roast recipe.

(Trumpets Sound and Angels Sing)

No turning back after you try this!

perfect pot roast

I forgot to take some nice pictures of the finished product (BAD BLOGGER Jodi!!!!), but hopefully these will begin to get your mouth watering.

And since when did Chuck Roast become such a premium price cut of beef?!!???!!!  It used to be CHEAP, but then I think people discovered the wonderful marbling and bits chunks of fat actually create A-M-A-Z-I-N-G flavor!

perfect pot roast 2

Here is the recipe I will use forever and ever from this day forward – love without end, amen.

You are going to LOVE it!

Perfect Pot Roast (original recipe from Ree Drumond, Pioneer Woman)

  • 1 4-5 lb. Chuck Roast
  • 2-4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 3-4 cloves of fresh chopped garlic (I added this because garlic always makes it better!)
  • 2 Onions
  • 6-8 carrots
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 cup Red Wine (this is what MAKES it! – though Ree says you can use beef stock if you prefer)
  • 2-3 Cups Beef Stock (I used beef bouillon dissolved in water to make the “stock”)
  • 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, coarsely chopped
  • 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, coarsely chopped (oh my obsession with fresh Rosemary! – this is #2 item that TOTALLY makes it!)

Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil.

When the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and quartered onions.  Brown nicely, then remove to a plate.  Do the same with carrots, adding additional olive oil as needed.

Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove to a plate.

With the burner on high, deglaze the pan with the red wine – scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Cover and roast in a 275F oven for 3-4 hours.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi