BLOGHUNGRY

Best Ever Steak Sandwiches

My grandmother used to fry up cube steaks all the time. They're cheap and tenderized cuts of beef that always cook evenly and are never tough. This sandwich is even better than my grandma's steaks. Popmuse has deemed it his favorite sandwich of all time and one of the best things I've ever made. Post sandwich, we've become full converts of the Pioneer Woman and I obsessively watch her new show on Food Network.

Best Ever Steak Sandwiches

2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced
1-1/4 stick Butter
2 pounds Cube Steak, Cut Into 1/2-inch Strips
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
8 dashes Tabasco Sauce
4 whole Deli Rolls (crusty), Split
8 slices (thick) Fresh Mozzarella (optional)
8 slices (thick) Ripe Tomato (optional)
1-1/2 cup Arugula (optional)

Season meat with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt 1/3 stick of butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions for several minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a separate plate and set aside.

Return skillet to stove and increase heat to high. Add another 1/3 stick of butter. When melted, add meat to pan in a single layer. Do not stir. Allow meat to sit, undisturbed, for a minute in order to brown. With a spatula, flip meat to the other side and allow to brown. Reduce heat to low. Add onions back into pan, then add Worcestershire, Tabasco, and remaining 1/3 stick of butter. Stir and allow to simmer, adding more Worcestershire or Tabasco as desired.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter on griddle or in a separate skillet. Place roll halves, cut side down in butter and brown over medium-low heat until golden brown.

To serve, spoon meat/onion mixture over bottom half of rolls. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons pan juice over the top. Lay two mozzarella slices on each sandwich, followed by two tomato slices. Top with a generous amount of arugula, then press the top half of the roll on top. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Beef and Guinness Stew

I love Susan Feniger and I love beef stew. Naturally, I had to try Susan's recipe for beef stew. This would be great for St. Patrick's day y'all.

Beef and Guinness Stew

2 pounds stewing beef
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups Guinness
3 cups largely diced carrots
Sprig of fresh thyme
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Trim the meat of any fat or gristle, and cut into 2-inch cubes. Toss beef with 1 tablespoon of the oil. In a small bowl, season the flour with salt, pepper and cayenne. Toss meat with seasoned flour. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large dutch oven over high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Reduce the heat, add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato puree to the skillet, cover, and cook gently for 5 minutes. Transfer the contents to a bowl and pour half of the Guinness into the dutch oven. Bring Guinness to a boil and stir to dissolve the caramelized meat juices on the pan. Return meat to pan and pour in the remaining Guinness. Add the carrots and thyme. Stir and adjust seasonings. Cover and put in a 300 degree F oven until the meat is tender, 2 to 3 hours. Garnish the beef with parsley and serve.

Bloghungry Burgers

Every food enthusisest should have their own spin on burger making. Mine is a flavorful suburban crowd pleaser. You can use any ground meat and it always comes out tasty. I prefer to make my burgers in a frying pan and finish them in the oven to melt some cheese and grilled onions on top. It also helps keep them warm until dinner time.

Bloghungry Burgers

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder

shredded cheese (for topping)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Using 2 forks, pull apart meat and mix all ingredients until well combined. Form into 4 equal patties. Make a hole thought the center of your patties with your finger to help them cook through in the center and reduce burger shrinkage once cooked. Heat frying pan to medium high. Cook patties 3-4 minutes per side. Place cooked patties on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Top patties with grilled onions and a handful of your favorite grated cheese. Heat in oven until cheese melts and keep them warm until ready to serve.

Grilled Onions (for burger topping)

1 large onion

1 tbsp butter

splash of red wine or beer (optional)

Thinly slice onion into rings. Melt butter in a frying pan. Toss in onion and saute until soft and slightly browned. Deglaze pan with a splash of beer or red wine.

Open-Faced Meatloaf Sandwich

While my In-laws were visiting, I rediscovered my childhood love of chain restaurants. Mall food isn't just for teenagers and the elderly. Angels wept the day that I discovered the Mile High Open-Faced Meatloaf Sandwich was taken off the Cheesecake Factory's menu. Without acknowledgement or a mourning period it was replaced by some less comforting Thai-like salad nonsense. Who needs Cheesecake Factory?! After a little research and spiritual guidance I have achieved a pretty convincing homemade version. People stood up and applauded after eating this sandwich.

Cheesecake Factory Meatloaf (sandwich layer 2)

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground veal

3/4 cup large-curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup dry, unseasoned bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/3 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 tablespoon Dijon

1 tablespoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Combine all in a bowl and mix well. Pack into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes (sandwich layer 3)

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl.Combine potatoes with butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mash together until smooth and creamy.

Meatloaf Gravy (sandwich layer 4)

1/4 cup meatloaf drippings

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 green pepper diced

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup red wine

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in skillet, blend in flour. Cook and stir over medium heat until flour begins to brown. Add peppers and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir in beef broth. Bring to boil. Add wine and worcestershire sauce and cook at a medium simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced to desired volume. Add freshly ground pepper.

Caramelized Onions (sandwich layer 5)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

a pinch of sugar

a splash of red wine

Heat butter or combination of butter and oil in heavy skillet. Add onions and sugar and slowly cook over medium heat. Cook until onions are caramel colored, stirring often, 10 to 20 minutes. Add a splash of red wine at the end of cooking, stirring to deglaze the pan.

To Assemble Sandwich:

1 box frozen texas toast, prepared according to directions

1 thick slice meatloaf (recipe above)

1 scoop of mashed potatoes (recipe above)

Meatloaf gravy (recipe above)

Caramelized onions (recipe above)

Place 1 slice of toast on a plate. Top with a slice of meatloaf. Add a scoop of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with gravy. Sprinkle with caramelized onions.

Rachael Ray's Cinghiale and Rigatoni

2011 is all about Rachael Ray in my house. I've been burned by other cooking magazines and food blogs, but her recipes are always above average and user friendy. This is her faux version of Chingiale - a thick, savory meat sauce made with wild boar and a hint of cloves. It changed lives when I made it over the holidays this year.

Rachael Ray's Cinghiale and Rigatoni

Salt and pepper
1 pound rigatoni pasta or broken curly-edge lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground beef
1 carrot, finely chopped or grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 sprigs thyme, stems discarded and leaves finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 pinches ground cloves or allspice
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine (eyeball it)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, in a dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the pork and beef and cook, stirring, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the carrot, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, cocoa and cloves; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the wine. Stir in the chicken stock and milk, lower the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Stir the pasta into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the cheese to coat. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls.

Crock Pot Braised Beef with Gorgonzola Sauce

This was a comfort food wet dream that I made last night for a group viewing of Tyler Perry's Why Did I get Married Too. Both the dinner and the movie blew my mind. I served it with a side of polenta to help soak up the juices, but mashed potatoes would also be great. The "chili sauce" is not hot sauce, but a condiment found next to the ketchup that is labeled "chili sauce". Note: For those of you that complain that I only eat meat and cheese, we also had a spinach salad with fresh strawberries.

Crock Pot Braised Beef

3 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
1 (3 pound) beef brisket
1 cup beef broth
1 (12 ounce) bottle chili sauce
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Lightly salt and pepper the roast on all sides. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Put roast in the skillet and sear the meat on each side for 1-2 minuted or until lightly browned. Place the roast into a slow cooker. Pour beef broth in the skillet with the juices from the seared meat, stir it around to incorporate any browned bits from the pan and pour the juices over the meat in the crock pot.. In a medium bowl, mix together the chili sauce, onion soup mix, and garlic powder. Pour over the brisket. Cover, and cook on the Low setting for 8 hours. Pull meat apart into equal-sized juicy-chunked servings. Drizzle with Gorgonzola sauce and serve.

Gorgonzola Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour 
2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
4 oz Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese crumbles
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional)

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium flame. Whisk in the flour and cook the flour-butter mixture (roux) for about 1 minute. Do not brown.

Whisk in the cold milk all at once. Continue whisking as the milk comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir in the salt, pepper and cheeses. Whisk and simmer until smooth. Season to taste and add extra milk if it becomes too thick. Serve warm.

Gorgonzola-Stuffed Meatballs With Creamy Tomato Gravy

We are always trying to reinvent the meatball at my house and this recipe is my new favorite. I'm a stinky cheese addict and these moist and savory meatballs ooze gorgonzola. The creamy tomato gravy is a little wet, but really tasty. After the meatballs were gone, Popmuse ate it  for a few days with everything.

Gorgonzola-Stuffed Meatballs With Creamy Tomato Gravy

1 pound ground veal
1 1/2 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 handfuls plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon ground sage
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gorgonzola
1 tablespoon butter
2 fresh bay leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place meat in a mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, add in garlic, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs and sage. Mix meat, roll into 8 large balls and arrange in a baking dish. Coat balls with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Using the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation half way into each ball and fill the cavity with some Gorgonzola. Bake until golden and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a sauce pot over medium heat, add bay and onions and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and tomatoes and heat through, stir in cream, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to thicken slightly 8 to 10 minutes.

Ladle sauce into shallow bowls and top with big stuffed meatballs and potatoes alongside, if desired.

Ginger Flank Steak & Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

I'm a meat and potatoes man at heart. I love a juicy cut of red meat with rich side dishes. These recipes are cheap, fast, and flavorful ways to throw together an Asian inspired steak house meal.

Ginger Flank Steak 

2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1/4 cup tamari aged soy sauce
2 limes, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, eyeball it
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
2 pounds flank steak

Preheat a grill pan or indoor/outdoor grill to high. Combine ginger, tamari, lime juice, oil and grill seasoning in a large sealable plastic bag. Add meat to marinade and coat evenly. Let stand 10 minutes then grill meat 6 to 7 minutes on each side.  Let meat rest 5 minutes then thinly slice on an angle against the grain.

Wasabi Smashed Potatoes

4 large potatoes, cut into chunks
Salt
1/3 cup cream
2 tablespoons wasabi paste

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, salt the potatoes and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and add them back to the hot pot. Smash the potatoes with a masher to desired consistency with the cream and wasabi. Adjust salt and wasabi to taste.

Dijon, Garlic, & Thyme Mini Burgers

Sometimes I like to envision myself living in the Hamptons with Ina Garten. First, we'd pick Hydrangea and herbs from her garden. Then, we'd spend the day churning ice cream and drinking strong cocktails. Sadly, I will never have her estate or life. I'll have to settle for her sliders recipe.

Dijon, Garlic, & Thyme Mini Burgers
(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

1 pound premium ground beef (80 percent lean and 20 percent fat)
2 teaspoons good Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces grated Gruyere
6 small Brioche buns
2 ounces baby arugula
2 small tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
Ketchup, for serving

Build a charcoal fire, heat a gas grill, or grill pan to medium high.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, taking care not to compress the ingredients. Shape the meat into 6 (2-inch) patties of equal size and thickness.

When the grill is medium-hot, brush the grill grate with oil to keep the sliders from sticking. Place the sliders on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the sliders over with a spatula and cook for another 4 minutes, until medium-rare, or cook longer if you prefer the sliders more well done. For the last 2 minutes of cooking time, place 1/2-ounce Gruyere on the top of each burger and close the grill lid. Remove the sliders to a platter and cover with foil.

Slice the buns in half crosswise and toast the halves cut side down on the grill.

Divide the baby arugula among the 12 bottom buns, top each with a slider, and finish with a slice of tomato and red onion. Cover with the top of the bun and serve hot with ketchup.

South Beach Friendly Southwestern Pot Roast

I just had a friend over for dinner who was on the South Beach diet. I didn't have the time or energy to research exactly which phase she could eat what foods so I looked through Kalyn's Kitchen Blog and found a pot roast recipe for all phases of South Beach. I served mine with black beans on a bed of fresh spinach. It was rich and filling with a fresh crispness. I'm thinking southwestern pot roast and black bean salad is going to take the world by storm.

Southwestern Pot Roast Cooked in the Crockpot

(Makes about 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

3 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat
1 can reduced sodium beef broth
1 cup + 1/4 cup your favorite salsa (I used Pace Picante Sauce - mild. For South Beach Diet choose salsa with less than 2 grams sugar per serving)
steak rub or your favorite seasoning for steak to rub on meat before browning
1-2 tsp. olive oil for browning meat

Put beef broth in a small saucepan, removing any fat that has collected on top in the can. Boil until the broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.

While beef broth is reducing, trim all visible fat from chuck roast. You may need to cut the roast into several pieces to remove big pockets of fat. Rub pot roast on all side with steak rub (or your favorite seasonings for steak.) Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan (pans that aren't nonstick will give the best browning.) Brown roast well on all sides. Don't rush this step because browning provides flavor, and I think it's especially important in crockpot cooking.

When roast is browned on all sides, put pieces of meat in crockpot, arranging them in a single layer. Pour reduced beef broth into frying pan and use a metal turner to scrape off any carmelized bits from the browned meat. Add salsa and stir into broth, then pour salsa/beef broth mixture over pot roast.

Cook on high for one hour, then turn to low and cook 3-4 more hours, or until meat is very tender when pierced with a fork. (You could also cook for a longer time on low setting. If you don't have a slow cooker, cook in a heavy dutch oven on stovetop at lowest setting for 2-3 hours.) Remove meat from crockpot and pour sauce into small saucepan. (If there is a lot of fat on top of the sauce, spoon it off or use a fat separator to remove the fat. You may not need to do this if you did a good job trimming.) Put meat back into crockpot to keep warm, then add final 1/4 cup salsa to the sauce and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup.

To serve, slice meat across the grain and serve hot, with sauce spooned over the top. I also think this meat would be great served as a filling for tacos or burritos.