Sous Vide + Smoked Brisket: A Journey

As they say, don't bury the lede. Well here it is!

I wanted to document a fun experience I had this weekend to cook a beef brisket point via a new method I read about on Serious Eats. Many thanks to Kenji Lopez-Alt for the procedures and inspiration!

First I acquired a meduim-sized point-cut of beef brisket. Well actually I acquired an entire brisket and separated the point muscle, but that's another story for another day. I failed to weigh it after the butchery, but I suspect after trimming off the hard fat I had about 4-5 pounds of point. I made a rub of salt, pepper, and a little bit of pink curing salt and applied it in copious amounts to all surfaces of the meat.

Then it went into a vacuum bag:

and into a hot water bath at 155 degrees.

After covering the top of the pot with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation, I let it sit for 30 hours. For good measure, I flipped it once, halfway through cooking.

The next step was to place put it in an ice water bath for 30 minutes to chill the internal temperature back down to 40 degrees. The meat is cooked at this point, but I want it to spend enough time in the smoker to get some nice flavor, and if I smoked it still hot from the water bath it would dry out long before the smoke had time to penetrate. (Sorry, no pic of the ice water bath, I was distracted...)

While the brisket in the bag was chilling, I set up my smoker and got it to 220 degrees. This is a little lower than I would normally smoke a brisket, but I didn't want it to heat up too quickly (as the meat is already cooked). Once the meat was thoroughly chilled, I stuck a probe thermometer in the thickest part and put it in the smoker:

Here it is after smoking for about 30 minutes!

Once the brisket reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees, I pulled it out of the smoker and let it rest on the cutting board for a few minutes before slicing pencil-thin.

I served it with a side of pasta salad to a happy family:

In all, it was an amazing experience. I can't wait to try combine smoking and sous vide for other barbecued applications!

BBQ Brisket

So my boss sends me an email the other day and asks me, "Where is your recipe for brisket? I want to barbecue one this weekend," and I realized I have never posted it! This forced me to collect my notes and document this delicious recipe for all of my Texas-loving barbecue friends!
Note: fans of this blog may notice that the rub and sauce recipes are recycled from other posts!

Ingredients

• One beef brisket, fat cap trimmed to 1/4 inch thick.

Rub:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (freshly toasted and ground from whole seeds would be best)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika would also be OK)
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne or chipotle chile powder (1/2 tsp if you don't like heat - wimp!)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Sauce:

• one 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup molasses (or brown sugar, but I like the molasses better)
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• ½ tablespoon onion powder
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Directions

Thoroughly mix all rub ingredients (I like to pulse them together in a food processor). Work the rub into all surfaces of the brisket. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap, put on a tray or sheet pan, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours, flipping 2-3 times during the marinade (if you can).

Mix all sauce ingredients together in a saucepan. Head over medium heat until bubbles start to form, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Adjust sweetness with 2-4 tablespoons of molasses/sugar if you like it less tangy. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Heat the smoker to 225 degrees. Place the marinaded brisket in smoker, fat side up, and apply smoke for 2-3 hours. Baste with sauce and let smoke for another hour. Flip the brisket over, baste with sauce again, and smoke for another 3-4 hours. At this point, it generally has enough smoke flavor for me, so I remove from the smoker, baste with more sauce, and cook in a low oven or crock pot for another 4-6 hours to tenderize it. If you like your brisket super smokey, or have a very thick brisket, you may want to smoke it longer instead of bringing it indoors. Once the brisket is fork tender, let cool for 10-20 minutes and slice across the grain. 

Lime-Cilantro Marinade

Marinades make meat much more flavorful, which makes it easier for us to eat* (as well as more enjoyable)! This is especially true of my two favorite things to grill: steak and salmon. This marinade works equally well for both of those meats, although you would marinate steak for 2-3 hours (especially thicker cuts), but salmon only needs 30-60 minutes (it's much more delicate).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil (regular, not extra-virgin)
• juice of 4 limes
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 jalapeno chili
• 2 cups whole cilantro (stems and leaves) loosely packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Peel the garlic. Cut off the stem end of the jalapeno and discard. Split the jalapeno body down its length and chop into 1-inch long pieces. Put everything in a blender and puree on medium until all the vegetables are minced and it has a uniform consistency, about 15-20 seconds. Marinate the target meat for 1-3 hours and cook as usual (I like grilling).

* It is a common misconception that a marinade "tenderizes" meat. I quote Alton Brown's seminal cooking tome, I'm Just Here for the Food:

Sure, acidic liquids can dissolve proteins and even plant cellulose, but the effect is localized to the surface of the target food...
The reason that marinades seem to tenderize has more to do with flavor than any actual textural alterations. Most marinades contain salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy components. When these compounds are drawn into meat via capillary action, they strongly season the meat. Then you cook it, slice it, and put it in your mouth. Immediately the salt and acid flavors divebomb your taste buds, which in turn tell your saliva glands to start pumping. By the time you're onto your third chew your food is thoroughly lubricated, and since saliva contains enzymes like amylase, the meat is already well on its way to becoming an easy-to-digest goo. Marinades may not actually do much in the way of tenderizing meat, but their use does help us to tenderize it.

Quick and Easy Enchiladas

Enchiladas are quick, easy, and tasty. Half of the ingredients are staples that you probably already have: cheese and tortillas. The remaining ingredients are common enough as well: meat, beans, and enchilada sauce. And you only really need the sauce!

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) enchilada sauce, divided.
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 oz. cooked beef or pork (ground, chopped, or shredded)
• 8 oz cooked black or red beans
• 8 medium (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Nonstick spray

Note: if you don't have meat or beans, you could double up on the ingredient that you do have. The exact content of the filling doesn't really matter, and if you wanted to you could just make cheese enchiladas!

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium saucepan, mix the meat, beans, and 1/4 cup of the sauce over low heat, until just warmed through. Spray a medium-sized baking dish (8 or 9 inches on a side) with nonstick spray. Spread 2 ounces of the filling over 1/3 of a tortilla, near the edge. Cover with 2 tablespoons cheese and roll up tightly. Place in the baking dish and repeat with remaining tortillas, filling the baking dish as tightly as possible. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and evenly spread the remaining sauce over it. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce and cheese start to bubble.

BBQ Meatloaf

Meatloaf too often becomes a tough, overcooked mess of hamburger and ketchup. I have learned a few tricks to making it better from the scientists and cooks on PBS's America's Test Kitchen. One big improvement is to skip the dried-out canned bread crumbs in favor of freshly ground bread. The starch and moisture in the fresh bread gets in between the protein strands and keeps the texture tender, but not mushy. Another improvement that I really like is to skip the ketchup and use barbecue sauce instead for more tang and less syrupy-sweetness. Finally, I find it best to cook the meatloaf on a rack instead of a pan, allowing the grease to drain away as it cooks.

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 slices rye bread, torn into pieces (french bread, white sandwich bread, or sourdoughs also work well)
• 1 large onion, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup smokey BBQ sauce, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a wire cooling rack onto a sheet pan. Fold a piece of aluminum foil so it makes a double-layer the same size as the rack. Starting about a half inch from the sides, cut 2-inch slits in the foil about 1/2 inch apart. Put the foil on the rack.Make fresh bread crumbs by processing bread in food processor. Transfer 3/4 cup bread crumbs to large bowl; set aside (any remaining bread crumbs may be frozen up to 3 months). Add onion and garlic to food processor; process until finely chopped (do not puree). Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic with a pinch of kosher salt; sweat 6 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally (if it starts to brown, reduce heat to medium-low). Let cool 5 minutes. Add beef, sausage, eggs, 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, salt and pepper to reserved bread crumbs. Add onion mixture; mix well. Form the meat into a 9" x 6" loaf shape and transfer to prepared rack. Trim foil so it is only directly under the loaf (you want grease to run straight off the sides). Bake 30 minutes. Spread remaining 1/2 cup BBQ sauce over meat loaf; bake 30 minutes more or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Reserve half of the meat loaf for BBQ Shepherd's Pie (tomorrow's recipe!)

Beef & Veggie Pita Pizzas

With some leftover ground beef we made this delightful dish. The fennel and oregano give the beef a sausage taste, without the extra cost.

salt and pepper to taste
1 lb ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon oregano

1/8 dried red pepper flakes (optional)

1 green pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
5 pitas

1 can of prepared spaghetti sauce

3 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season ground beef with salt and pepper. Brown ground beef with garlic. Midway through cooking add fennel, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook beef until no longer pink , stirring constantly. Drain fat.

Saute onions and peppers until onions are translucent.

Arrange pitas on baking sheets. Spoon 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce onto each pita, and spread evenly. Divide onion & pepper mix, beef mixture, and mozzarella evenly among pitas.

Bake 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the pita edges are golden brown. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each pita and serve.

Chili Beef with Greens and Corn Casserole

One thing I love about cooking is unexpected combinations. In this case it is the flavor of chili-spiced ground beef mixed with the earthy flavors of collard greens. The results speak for themselves!

Ingredients

• nonstick cooking spray
• 12 oz. extra lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ cup low-sodium salsa
• 1 cup fresh or thawed corn kernels
• 3 oz chopped collard greens, about ½ inch pieces (1 cup packed)
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup (1 oz.) shreddedsharp Cheddar cheese
• tortilla strips / crushed chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat and cook beef, stirring constantly, until no longer pink. Add chili powder, cumin, and salsa; cook and stir 1 minute and remove from heat.

Coat 8x8x2 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place corn and collards in bottom of pan and toss to blend. Spoon beef mixture evenly over all, cover tightly with foil and bake 25 minutes or until collard are tender. Serve, topping each serving with 2 tablespoons sour cream and 1 tablespoon cheese. Garnish with tortilla strips.

Ground Beef Assistor

There are a wide variety of products out there that help you turn plain ground beef (or whatever) into a complete meal by providing the extra ingredients and seasonings needed. I am not a fan of these products, because a well-stocked pantry should have pretty much everything you need to make beefy-macaroni casserole. I came up with this recipe off the top of my head 10 minutes after I got home from work one day last week and it was probably the tastiest thing I've had in a while.

BTW: Feel free to notice how carefully I've avoided the use of any trademarked names or phrases in this post!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 can (14 ounces) plain tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 cups dried macaroni pasta (small shells, elbows, etc.)
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (topping)

Directions

Brown the beef, onion, celery, and bell peppers together in a dutch oven or large, heavy skillet. Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked. Put into serving bowls and sprinkle with the cheese. Makes about 12 servings and is great the next day heated in the microwave.

Note: Depending on how much liquid was in the tomatoes (and how moist the veggies were), you may need to add more water to allow the pasta to cook. Ideally, the stew should thicken up so there is very little liquid in it just as the pasta cooks completely. You may need to add 1/2 cup of water once or twice during cooking if the stew sets up while the pasta is still crunchy.

Shepherd's Pie

Although lamb is the traditional meat for this dish, I use lean ground beef because it's quite a bit easier to come by. Sauteeing the mushrooms and onions separate from the beef gives the stew a deep, rich flavor, without toughening the meat (which can happen if you brown it too long).

Ingredients

• kosher salt
• 4 russet potatoes, cleaned, optionally peeled, and cut in half crosswise (so they are as spherical as possible)
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) plain tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• spice mixture - grind together in a spice mill or coffee grinder
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flake
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover with 2-4 inches of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 2 quarts of water in the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until a paring knife slides through without much resistance (do not overcook so they start to fall apart). Drain and mash -

Meanwhile, put the beef into a large dutch oven over medium low heat with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Gently cook the meat until it is no longer pink, stirring frequently - you are not trying to deeply brown the meat, just remove it's raw red color. Pour the meat into a large bowl and set aside.

If there is not 2-3 tablespoons of grease leftover from the beef in the dutch oven, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt for 5 minutes, until the onions have softened and started to brown. Add the garlic and saute one more minute, until the garlic is fragrant and lost its raw bite. Deglaze the pot with the canned tomtaoes. Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar, spice mixture, and cooked beef. Stir well to combine. Gently fold in the bay leaves, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes and uncovered for 10, gently stirring occasionally.

Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the stew from heat and fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice. Spoon on the mashed potatoes and smooth into an even layer on top. Sprinkle on all of the cheese and put under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble. Serve immediately

We plate the 3A's their portion, then top our portions with cheese.

Beef Stew

One of the most economical ways to cook is to use bones to make homemade stock. You can get beef soup bones from the butcher very cheaply, plus they add texture and flavor that you can't get from canned beef broth.

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs beef bones
• 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided, plus extra for the bones
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced fine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups water
• 4 small red potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsely
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Turn on the broiler. Lightly oil the bones and brown on a sheet pan under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, tossing occasionally to evenly brown all sides. Remove from the oven and set the oven for 250 degrees.

Toss the stew meat in 2 tablespoons of the oil and half the salt. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Quickly brown the meat, working in batches so as to not crowd the pan. Put the meat on a clean plate and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the onions, carrots, and celery with the remaining salt. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and evenly sift on the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the flour is just started to brown. Slowly stir in the water and bring to a full simmer. Add the potatoes, pepper, and bay leaves. Cook in the oven for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Remove the bones. If there is any meat or marrow on them, cut/scrape it off and stir back into the stew. Stir in the parsley, thyme, and lemon juice. Serve over rice or pasta.

Jalepeno Burger Surprise

The surprise is that the jalapenos are cooked right into the hamburger patties. This makes the heat more low-level and subtle than stacking the chiles on top. Also, as long as we're mixing in jalapenos, we might as well add some other ingredients as well, just to make things extra-flavorful.

Ingredients

• 24 ounces hamburger meat (I like a 50/50 mix of ground chuck and sirloin)
• 2-4 small jalapeno chiles, roughly cut into large pieces (remove the ribs if you want less heat) - you could use more powerful chiles to your liking if you want it hotter (such as Serrano, Thai, or birds-eye)
  
• 1/2 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1-2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tablespoon cumin
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle chile powder
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats (really!)
  

Directions

Put the jalapeno, onion, and garlic in the food processor. Chop in one-second pulses until a fine mince is formed (do not over-process, or it will turn to mush). In a large bowl, gently mix the jalapeno mixture with the remaining ingredients - your hands (with vinyl or latex gloves) are the best tool to mix thoroughly while avoiding over-mashed beef. Form into 6 patties and grill for 4-5 minutes, flipping once. Serve with normal burger fixings (including Monterrey Jack cheese added for ), also possibly including the recipe below!

Bonus Recipe - Chipotle Ketchup!

Place 2 cups ketchup (I like Hunts), 1 canned chipotle pepper and 1 teaspoon (up to 1 tablespoon if you like the heat!) of the adobo sauce from the can in a blender. Mix on high power for 10-20 seconds, or until smooth.

Spicy Mexican Meat Sauce

So you might be asking yourself, isn't a spicy tomato meat sauce just chili? I say that it most certainly is not. In my opinion, chili is an entirely different kind of stew made with cubed chuck shoulder and thickened with corn masa (or chips). This is a much simpler sauce, designed to be quick and easy. You could serve it on a hot dog or hamburger with cheese, or if you're feeling adventurous, put it over spaghetti (Cincinnati style).

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle chiles (freshly ground or from a jar)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Cook the beef over medium heat in a stew pot or dutch oven until it loses the raw red color. Add the onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, chipotle chile powder, and oregano. Continue to cook until the onions have softened and the bell pepper is crisp-tender. Add the garlic and green chiles and cook for one more minute. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lime juice and cilantro. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the flavors are well blended. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a hot dog in a toasted bun with shredded cheddar cheese.

Foil Dinners

Cooking in foil has a lot of advantages: very little mess to clean up, it's very moist and juicy, and it can be done outdoors without a kitchen. Since I'm going camping, I thought I'd share my recipe for a great foil dinner that makes camp cooking a snap.

Ingredients (per person)

• 8 ounces ground chuck or sirloin (do not use round - it's too dry!)
  
• 1/2 small envelope instant onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  
• 1 small clove garlic, pressed/minced fine
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red chile flake
• 1/2 small onion, sliced thin
  
• 1 carrot, quartered and cut into 2 inch sticks
• 1 potato, sliced thick
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Mix the ground chuck, soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and chile flake in a medium bowl with your hands until combined, working it into a large loose patty about 2 inches thick (do not tightly pack the meat together). On the middle of a 18 x 24 inch piece of aluminum foil, combine the carrots and onions in a pile that is roughly the same diameter as the beef patty (if not a little bit larger). Drizzle the water onto the vegetables and sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Place the beef patty on top of the pile. Season the potatoes with the remaining salt and pepper and place on top of the beef. Tightly wrap up the foil, making a pouch - I like to crimp together the sides over the center line of the foil and then fold over the top and bottom flaps. At this point you can either bake your pouches in the oven for 30-45 minutes or you can put it on a bed of coals in a grill or campfire for 25-35 minutes per side, or until the meat reaches 150-160 degrees. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving in the foil pouches.

Mexican Lasagna

I love enchiladas. The one problem is that they are messy and hard to make. Why go through all the trouble of rolling up tortillas with cheese, meat, and sauce if it's just going to ooze all over the place when you eat it. Why not forgo the filling and rolling and just layer it - like lasagna! (Why should the Italians have all the fun?) I know this is really just "enchilada casserole," but "Mexican Lasagna" sounds so much more exotic!

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (freshly toasted and ground would be nice)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  

Mexican Lasagna

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  
• 1 (4 ounce) can hot green chilies
• 1 recipe taco seasoning, see above (or cheat and use a packet of prepared taco seasoning - but it won't be as good!)
  
• 15 corn tortillas
• 14 oz farmers cheese, chopped/crumbled (or use 15 ounces of cottage cheese, queso fresco, or any soft and mild flavored cheese)
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can of black beans
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (more if you like it)
  

Directions

Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink; drain (a stainless steel colander works well for this). Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine farmer's cheese and egg; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Put down a layer of 5 slightly overlapping tortillas (you may need to tear a couple in half to get them to fit and cover evenly). Evenly spread a third of the beef mixture into the dish, half of the cheese/egg mixture, and half of the beans. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, meat, cheese, and beans. Add one more layer of tortillas, the remaining meat sauce, and all of the shredded Mexican cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Cross-Rib Pot Roast

I think we too often overlook some very fine pieces of meat because we are unfamiliar with them. I went to the store the other day and the butcher was out of chuck roast (my preferred pot roast cut). Since I really wanted to do a pot roast, I looked for other cuts. I've been disappointed by round/rump cuts as pot roast, and I wasn't in the mood for brisket. That left the cross-rib roast. I'd never personally done one before and was not disappointed - moist, tender, and flavorful, I'm sure I'll be doing this again soon.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cross-rib roast, 2-4 pounds.
• 1 small onion, frenched
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
  
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup beef broth
  
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 bay leaf
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is smoking, brown all sides of roast, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove roast to a plate, reduce heat to medium-high and add remaining oil and vegetables. Saute veggies until the onions are softened and everything starts to brown, 3-5 minutes. Deglaze the dutch oven with broth and add the soup. Stir everything to combine, add the bay leaf and put the roast back in the dutch oven. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and roast in the oven for 4-5 hours, or until the roast is fork-tender. Remove the roast to a serving dish and cover with foil. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Using a stick blender, puree the remaining liquid and vegetables. Shred the roast with two forks and mix in some of the pureed gravy. Serve with potatoes or as a sandwich with gravy on the side.

Beef with Cabbage and Carrots

Who hasn't had some leftover ground beef that needed to be cooked up? This recipe only takes a few minutes to cook up and uses up leftover meat and vegetables that you were just going to throw out anyways. If you don't like/have carrots and cabbage, you could use bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, or anything else you would stir-fry.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (AKA sushi vinegar)

Directions

Brown beef in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high and add cabbage, carrots, caraway, salt, and pepper. Stir fry for 5-10 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened. Add vinegar and cook for 30 more seconds. Serve immediately with rice.

Steak Dinner

Sorry about the late/missing posts over the last week. My work got kicked into high gear. To make up for it, you get not one recipe, but three today. Steak, Lemony Greens, and Baked Potato. This is a great meal for entertaining (for 2 couples or you and 3 guests) that can be done in less than 90 minutes total, with about 60 minutes of that time actively cooking or preparing food.

Steak Ingredients

• 4 Steaks such as T-Bone, Ribeye, or New York Strip, between 3 and 4 pounds total
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 5 teaspoons (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons) kosher salt
• canola or vegetable oil

Steak Directions

Grind together peppercorns, coriander seed, rosemary, and mustard in a spice grinder. Mix with the kosher salt in a small bowl. Take steaks from fridge, pat dry with paper towels to remove any surface moisture and gently rub both sides with the spice mixture. Let rest on a cutting board or sheet pan at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour. Ensure the meat is at room temperature before grilling. While the meat rests, prepare grill for direct, high heat. Lightly brush both sides of the meat with canola oil. Grill for 2-5 minutes on a side, depending on how cooked you like your steak (130 for rare, 145 for medium, and there is no reason to cook it more than that!). Let rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Potato Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes, washed and patted dry
  
• canola or vegetable oil
• kosher salt

Potato Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke the potato several times on all sides with a fork to let out steam. Rub the potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about an hour, or until the skin is crispy and the flesh is soft.

Greens Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot or red onion
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups of washed, trimmed, and chopped kale
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth
• fresh ground black pepper

Greens Directions

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, add garlic and shallot. Sweat the vegetables for 3-5 minutes, or until the onions have just started to soften. Increase heat to medium and add kale and salt. Saute for 2-4 minutes, or until the kale has just started to cook down and the garlic just starts to turn light brown (if the garlic gets too brown, it will get bitter so don't overdo this step). Add the lemon juice and broth, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced and the greens are tender, about 5 more minutes.

Meal Organization

Season the beef first. Then get the potatoes in the oven. Wait 15 minutes and start the grill. As the grill heats up, do the greens. Keep them in the skillet on the lowest setting to keep them warm while you grill the meat. When the meat is done resting, pull the potatoes from the oven and plate everything on warm dinner plates.

Garlic & Ginger Soy Marinade

Full of Asian flavors like sesame, ginger, and soy, this marinade is a great way to add both flavor and moisture to more boring cuts of meat like pork tenderloin or chicken breasts. You can also use this for steak or shrimp that you are going to grill. Steaks and chops should probably marinate 30 minutes to 2 hours. Larger cuts (like roasts) can go up to 12 hours. It's a good idea to shake up the bag and stir things around every couple of hours to make sure the meat marinates evenly. This makes enough marinade for 2-4 steaks or a 1-2 pound pork tenderloin roast - double or triple it for larger amounts of meat.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
  
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced or chopped

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a one gallon zip-top bag. Add the meat, squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal the bag. Place in a leak-proof container and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Serving Suggestion

Marinate a 1-2 pound pork tenderloin roast for 2 hours (up to all day) in the fridge. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thickly slice 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, and 2 small zucchini and place in a baking dish or small roasting pan. Remove the roast from the marinade, put on the vegetables, and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Remove pan from oven, tent with aluminum foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving with white rice.

Corned Beef Breakfast Hash

The world's best breakfast. Or lunch. Or midnight snack. Seriously, this stuff is good! All the work you did when you brined and boiled your brisket is about to pay off.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 cup finely chopped bell pepper (red or yellow would be nice)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 5 cups leftover boiled dinner, well drained and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, oregano, thyme, or cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

Melt butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or some other very heavy-duty pan) over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and cook until it just begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until it becomes fragrant. Add the leftover boiled dinner, herbs, and pepper and stir to combine. Press down with a spatula and place a heavy skillet, pie plate, or lid directly onto the hash, pressing down to firm things up and increase browning (you may want to lube whatever you use with butter or nonstick spray). Cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir up the hash, trying to get all the browned parts facing up, press down, and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with fried eggs (I like mine nice and runny!).

Boiled Dinner

Common throughout New England, the boiled dinner is both economical and tasty. I definitely do not reserve this dish only for St. Patrick's Day - that's not nearly frequent enough for me!

Ingredients

• One Corned Beef Brisket, store bought or prepared according to Monday's recipe.
• 1 tablespoon black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 pound chopped carrots
• 1/2 pound chopped onion
• 1 pound red potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 pound chopped celery
• 1 small head cabbage (about 2 pounds), chopped

Directions

Thoroughly rinse the brisket under cold running water. Place the brisket, pepper, allspice, and bay in a large stock pot (at least 8 quarts in volume), with 3 quarts (12 cups) of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 2 1/2 hours.

Add potatoes, carrots, and onions. Return to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork-tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

Note
This might seem like it makes a ridiculous amount of dinner. Do not despair - leftover corned beef hash is good enough to justify making this dinner just for the leftovers!