Tag Archives: beef

Gyro Sandwiches

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When ever I see ground lamb at the grocery I always snap up two or three packages and stash them in the freezer.

For the Meat Mixture:

1 pound Ground Beef
1 pound Ground Lamb
1/4 cup finely chopped Green Onion
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup plain Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

For the Sandwiches:

Greek Flat Bread or Pita Bread
Shredded Lettuce
Tomato
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Calamata Olives
Tzatziki Sauce (Recipe to Follow)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I like to smush it around with my hands. The amount of bread crumbs needed will vary depending on how wet your meat is. Cover and let set out for about 30 minutes.

Shape your meat mixture into small patties, or meat balls or smush it onto skewers (if grilling), what ever shape suits you.

Cook the meat over medium high heat 4 minutes a side or until the meat is just cooked through.

To assemble the sandwiches fold the meat into a flat bread and top with Shredded Lettuce, Tomato, Feta Cheese, Calamata Olives and Tzatziki Sauce.

For the Taztziki Sauce:

2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped Cucumber
1 1/2 cups Plain Greek Style Yoghurt
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 tablespoon Fresh Dill (or dried is fine too)
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 clove grated Fresh Garlic

Combine everything in a bowl then taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Ideally you can make this ahead and store it for days.

Truly Texan Chili

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The debate has raged for decades at potlucks and cookouts; beans or no beans. Tomatoes? Turkey chili!?! This is the “3 B’s” school of chili: beef, beans, and beer. None of that citified ground beef and green peppers nonsense, also, not one speck of tomatoes.

Truly Texan Chili

For the Seasoning Mix:
3 tablespoons Chili powder
1 tablespoon ground Cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose Flour
1 tablespoon dried Oregano
½ teaspoon Cocoa Powder
Combine all ingredients and set aside.

For the Chili:
2 tablespoons Canola or Olive oil
3 pounds Stew Beef
2-3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
3 cups Beef Stock combined with 1 cup Beer
1 15 oz. can Pinto Beans (drained)

Combine beef broth and beer; set aside. Heat the oil in a large stew pot. Brown beef until no longer pink, and drain most of the extra liquid off. Reduce heat and stir in garlic.

Sprinkle the seasoning mix over meat, stirring until evenly coated. Add broth/beer mixture and stir then bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer on low for 2 ½ to 3 hours, stirring occasionally until thick and meat is tender. Stir in pinto beans.
Serve with corn bread muffins with lots of honey and butter.

Dinner Tonight: Beef Tacos

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The boys invited a friend over tonight for a “sleep” over. This recipe is perfect for feeding other peoples children.


Beef Tacos

2 lb. ground beef
1 cup water
1 package taco shells or 10 small flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 small tomato (diced)
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

Prep:

Dice tomato.
Make seasoning mix:
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Mix all the ingredients well and set aside.

Brown the ground beef and drain the excess fat.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add 3 tablespoons of the seasoning mix. Stir making sure all of the beef is coated. Add the water and stir well.
Simmer the meat for 10 minutes or until the sauce becomes thick.

Scoop the finished taco meat into a tortilla or taco shells and add cheese, lettuce, tomato.

Dinner Tonight: Beef Sauvignon

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I can never find Burgundy wine. Maybe it’s the same thing? Maybe I’m not looking hard enough. Whatever the case, I’ve always used Cabernet Sauvignon in my version of Beef Bourguignon.

Let me tell you a secret about this classic French stew. It’s cheap eats. It’s what you want to have when you are pinching pennies as hard as you can. I made this for six people for $6.34 per person.
Also, this is a great seduce a man or impress the in-laws meal.

Beef Sauvignon

1 large (7-10 lbs) or 2 small: Beef Chuck Roast
10 rashers of Bacon
8-10 medium Carrots
1 large Sweet Onion
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups water
10 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Prep:
Cut up your roast into large chunks, about 1 1/2 inch cubes. Trim off most of the fat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. (I’ll let you decided how much)
Snip the bacon into 1 inch chunks.
Peel and dice the onion.
Peel and cut the carrots into 1 inch rounds
Wash and strip the leaves off the thyme.

Heat a heavy bottomed stew pot over medium high heat. Brown the bacon until crispy, then remove and set aside.
Brown the beef in small batches on all sides. You’re not going for fully cooked just a browned crust on the outside.
You should be developing a browned stuck on mess on the bottom of your pot. This is good. Yur doin it rite! If the bottom is getting black, turn down the heat your pot is too hot.
After all your meat is browned, place it on the plate with the bacon and set aside.
In go the diced onions. Saute on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
Turn up the heat to high for just a moment and then add about a cup of the Cabernet and scrape the bottom of the pot freeing the lovely browned bits and stirring them into the wine until dissolved.
Turn the heat back down to medium and toss in the carrots.
Toss back in the beef and bacon and stir everything together.
Add the rest of the wine. Yes, the whole bottle.
Add about 2 cups of water or enough to barely cover the meat.
Bring the stew to a boil, Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Skim the fat off the top of the stew every 1/2 hour or so.
If the finished sauce is not thick enough for your liking, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. Stir this mixture into the sauce. It’s cheating yes, yes I know!
Sprinkle the thyme over the top before serving with a nice baguette.