Curried Beef Puffs

Curried Beef Puffs

A favorite of my mom's and a bit of an ethnic twist! It tastes best if freshly made. Direction #5 is very important, otherwise the triangles will look pale and sickly. Also, don't roll the sheets. The puffs will not be as flaky.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. curry powder, or to taste (I like more)
• soy sauce or salt to taste
• Pepperidge Farm pastry sheets (2 sheets to a box. 1 box makes 18 puffs)

1. Sauté onion in oil. Add curry powder. Then add ground beef.

2. Add soy sauce or salt when beef is almost done.

3. Let cool.

4. Cut pastry sheets into 9 squares. Fill each square with curried beef. Fold the square into a triangle.

5. Put triangles on pan and brush the top of each with a beaten egg (to give it a nice yellow color).

6. Bake at 400º F for 30 minutes.

7. Serve immediately.

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"Kitchen Sink" Meatloaf

"Kitchen Sink" Meatloaf

• 2 pounds good lean ground beef
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1 cup tomato juice (I use the juice from the canned tomatoes that go on top streched with wine if I need more liquid)
• 3 - 5 tbsp. (or more) red chile powder. (The kind I use is just chile, no added cumin or garlic) Your choice of heat level.
• 2 tsp cumin
• a lot of garlic, chopped, minced crushed or whatever.
• 1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted peeled red or green chile (or bell pepper if you can't get chiles)
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes (I like the plain ones but the seasoned ones are good too)

Mix everything except the beef and canned tomatoes together in a large stainless or other non-reactive container. This mixture can be stored in the fridge for a while to blend flavors. (Do not leave it to sit out for more than a few minutes because of the eggs.)

Prepare your baking pan by lightly oiling it with a little olive oil. Add a nice thick layer of sliced onions and then a layer of sliced potatoes.

Mix the ground beef into the other stuff, shape into a blob, plop in onto the layer of potatoes, cover it with a layer of canned diced tomatoes, and bake for about 1-1/2 hours at 350° F. I generally use a meat thermometer and call it done at 170° F internal temp.

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Homemade Sausage

Homemade Sausage

I wouldn't try to make dry-cured sausage without an experienced tutor at hand, but home cured cooked sausage is easy. There was a mini fad in the Cincinnati area about 35 years ago.

We used ground beef, well seasoned, with Morton Tender Quick for the curing agent. The meat was rolled in plastic wrap, then foil, and refrigerated for several days. Then it was poached, still in the wrap.

Jaques Pepin does a sausage made out of pork with pistachio nuts on his latest PBS series, Essential Pepin, using the same method. I'd forgotten all about our sausage attempts until I saw that show recently, and now this discussion pop ups on SheepThrills.

Tender Quick used to be right next to the canning and kosher salts at the grocery. It may still be. I think I saw it recently, but I wasn't looking for it at the time.

Maryanne
(1/14/12)

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Comments
That's the kind of sausage I was writing about with a few differences. I mixed the mess up and stuck it in the frig for 3 days mixing it every day. Then it was formed into rolls etc and put into a very slow oven for I think it was 8 hours. The house smelled like the Yea Old Sausage makers. I still have some Tender Quick up on the mountain.

Marian

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I have made this many times with venison, living in Michigan farm country with a hubby, 2 sons and a son-in-law who all hunt. very easy to do, also made jerky and used a food dehydrator, you can change the seasoning, adding more heat, or a bit of maple syrup, peppers, etc. Good made with beef also.

Gail

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If you ever get tired of making sausages, try making terrines, especially French country terrines with rabbit, etc. Wonderful!!!

Charles

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Quick and Easy Shredded Meat and Noodles Crockpot Meal

My favorite Crockpot recipe:

Beef, a can of Roi Tel Tomatoes and chilies, some water, a good teaspoon of Penzey's Beef Soup Mix.

Cook until meat shreds. Be sure there is enough liquid and add a couple handfuls of noodles.

Marian
(12/10/11)

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Easy Chili

Coming out of the moat for this:

Easy Chili

2 pounds ground beef
2 tbsp Penzey's Taco Seasoning
4 tbsp Penzey's Chili Seasoning
3 cans Tomato Sauce

Brown the meat with the Taco Seasoning. Drain (or not - we have been buying direct from the rancher, and the beef is SO lean it isn't funny!), then dump in the crockpot. Add the Tomato Sauce and Chili Seasoning. Set on low, and leave it for at least 6 hours.

This chili has won cook-offs in the past, and my kids BEG for it - even in the Summer.

I just assembled a pot today - but I used Penzey's Chili 9000. We'll see how it tastes - it smells fantastic. It's a hotter spice blend than my normal, so I only used 2 tablespoons - we'll see how it tastes tonight.

Back to the moat - gotta go milk goats, feed the critters and start the school day. Wouldn't trade it for the world, even though I'm busier now than I was when I worked full-time.

Verna
(12/9/11)

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jp's Black Bean Chili (crockpot)

jp's Black Bean Chili (crockpot)

One of my easy winter crockpot favorites is black bean chili.

1 cup dry black beans (no pre-soaking necessary)
1 can of diced tomatoes (the can size that is about 14-16 oz., though you can go larger if you'd prefer)
1 lb of ground beef (I actually use ground bison instead of beef)
1/2 to 1 onion, diced (optional)
3-4 cups liquid (water works just fine)

seasonings to suit

Brown the meat. Drain the fat if there's a lot of it (don't bother if there's not much). Rinse the beans. Chop the onion if you're using it. Open the can of tomatoes.

Put the meat, beans, onion, and the tomatoes into the crockpot. Yes, you want the liquid in the can of tomatoes. Add about 3-4 cups of liquid. Water is fine, though you can use other liquids for part of it. Turn on the crockpot and walk away.

Cook for 4-5 hours on high, 6-10 hours on low, or some combination of the above. It's done when the beans are done.

If the liquid is too low, add more. I usually start with 3 cups liquid and add more only if it's necessary or if I want a soup or stew instead of chili. If I'm not going to be around all day, I'll start with a bit more water just in case.

I do my seasonings in the last half hour or so of cooking. For chili, I use some combination of salt, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and chili powder (or dried ground chile). Sometimes I'll add a few sploots of Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco or Sriracha or olive oil. You could easily get by with merely using commercial chili powder, to taste.

If you want to use canned beans, I suspect that 1-2 cans would be about right. But if you do that, there's no real point in using a crockpot. It can be cooked on the stove in very little time.

You can use already cooked meat instead of the ground beef, or stew meat instead of the ground meat, or some other kind of meat, or whatever makes your life easier. You can use different beans, though the black beans makes for a deeply-colored, rich-tasting sauce. You can vary the seasonings if you want to skew it towards a different ethnic family. Add more liquid and call it a stew or a soup. And so on.

We really like this black bean chili after a day spent outdoors in the wintertime. I love the simplicity -- 1 cup beans, 1 can tomatoes, 1 lb ground meat, 3 to 3.5 cups water, turn on crockpot and walk away. It goes together in the length of time it takes to get the meat ready. It also makes a pretty good dish to take to a potluck.

--jp
(12/8/11)

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Chile, Barbecued Meat and Sauce recipes (enough for a Small Village)

(Recipes Large Enough for a Small Village)

Chile

You take 50 pounds of good quality steak, cut up in one" cubes. Throw it in a big pot that you have 50 gallons of water boiling. Now throw in 5 pounds of loose sage (more or less to taste) and 25 pounds of fresh chilies (more or less to taste). Add about a cup of salt (more or less to taste). Stir once an hour. Let the fire die down to coals and throw on wood as necessary. Allow to cook for about three days.

Serve over red beans and rice or, my favorite, black beans and corn.

Barbecue?

First you take a half a cow and get the darned thing on a spit (that's the hardest part) and then you get half a dozen guys to lift the spit onto the forks. From now on the rest is easy. Smother the thing with sauce and cook until is just starts to get a tiny bit black on the outside. I don't bother with temperatures, I just cut from the outside.

Sauce:

In a 5-gallon bucket you pout in 2 quarts of Grade B Vermont maple syrup, 2 bottles of Tabasco sauce, 4 ounces of sage, a pound (or 2) of minced garlic, a 1/4 cup of salt, a 1/4 cup of black pepper, 4 bottles of Guiness, and a cup of George Dickel #7. Now add whatever else you like, I usually throw in about a 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce but that's mine. Take a good electric drill, put in a paint mixing blade and use it to stir. Now take a clean string mop, dip it into the bucket and swab the beef with your sauce. Start the beef turning at about 3 rpms and swab every 15 minutes. You can start to serve in about three hours if you have the fire right.

Charles A.
(3/26/11)

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Braised Beef Roast

Braised Beef Roast

Proportions? We don't need no......

The roast was about two" thick. I browned it in a big ole deep cast iron skillet (which is almost too heavy to lift with the lid on) in two tbsp of clarified butter and two of olive oil.

I put about a tbsp of minced garlic on the bottom, plopped the browned roast back in, poured in a medium-priced red bordeaux to a little less than halfway up the roast. Then I poured in tomato juice to below the level of the roast. The tomato juice was half juice and half water (because I usually can't stand it straight out of the bottle or can). I put another tbsp of minced garlic on top.

Then it went in the oven on 350°F for about two hours.

J. Gayle
(3/30/10)

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Lasagne ala Debbi

Lasagna ala Debbi

1 lb Ground Round/Beef
1 lg chopped Onion
2+ cloves minced Garlic
1 large chopped Green Bell pepper (you can also use red ones. I love both.)
1 (16oz) can chopped Tomatoes
1 sm can Tomato Paste
1+ cups Red Wine
2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 cube Butter
1 lb Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
8 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese
10 oz chopped frozen Spinach (thawed and drained)
1 lb Lasagna Noodles

Brown meat; add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, butter, seasonings and red wine. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

Cook and drain lasagna noodles. Mix together ricotta and spinach. In a lasagna pan, layer half of the noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the mozzarella and top with half of the meat sauce.

Next layer remaining ingredients as follows:
Noodles, ricotta, parmesan, meat sauce and top with mozzarella.

Bake at 350° F for about 45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is bubbly.

Even better the second day.

BETTER! Make in the crockpot. Killer... 

Debbi
(1/28/10)

Comment:

Direct from the Potters mouth.  However as we all do I tweaked it a bit.  Below is what worked for me and it is just as greaaaaaaaaat! 

used 7% ground beef.
2 large sweet red onions
10 cloves garlic (Go Emeril!)
no mushrooms cause didn't have them on hand
used red pepper whole , not crushed.
used homemade ricotta (goat of course)

Yummy,yummy. Had left overs last night and will have two more meals. All in all I got 4 meals for two out of this recipe and lunch two days for the Em girl. Who by the way gave it her stamp of approval.

L  of  C

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Beef Burgundy

Beef Burgundy

3 pound Beef, cut into 1-1/2" squares
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 sliced onions
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Thyme
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp White pepper
1/2 Bottle Burgundy wine (750ml)
4-1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Flour (or cornstarch)

This beef Burgundy is wonderful served with noodles, rices or small boiled potatoes.

Brown meat in olive oil in 5-quart Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire and pepper. Add wine and water.

Cover and bake at 350°F 2-3 hours or until meat is tender. In bowl, blend together flour and butter. Stir into stew mixture. Heat to boiling. Then simmer until thickened.

Debbi
(1/6/10)

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Aziza's Beef Curry

Aziza's Beef Curry

24 oz lean Steak
1-1/2 tbsp Oil
1 med to lg Onion, sliced
5 tsp Curry Powder (at least)
1-1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
2 to 5 lg Garlic Cloves, minced
1 med Tomato, diced
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
2 cups Water, boiling
2 tbsp Cornstarch
2 tbsp Water
1 pkg Noodles, cooked

Cut beef into 1" cubes. Sauté onion in oil over med heat until tender. Stir in curry powder, cook 1 minute. Add beef cubes, mushrooms, tomato, garlic, salt and sugar. Continue cooking until the beef cubes are lightly browned.

Boil the 2 cups of water. Add enough of the boiling water to barely cover the beef. Cover skillet and simmer gently about 1-1/2 hours, or until beef is extremely tender.

Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water. Stir into beef mixture. Simmer gently until thickened. Serve over cooked noodles.

This cooks up perfectly in the crockpot.Do the stove-top cooking part, put the contents of the skillet into the crockpot, add the water, cover and cook according to your manufacturer's directions for your slow-cooker.

Deb's note: Also good over rice or mashed potatoes. Or in tortillas. Even plain.

Debbi
(1/6/10)

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Debbi's Taco Salad

Debbi's Taco Salad

1 lb lean Ground Round (15% fat at the worst)
1 Onion, chopped
1-2 large Tomatoes, chopped
1 small head of Lettuce, shredded
1 lb Cheese, shredded
1 large bag Tortilla Chips, crushed
1 can Kidney Beans, drained
1/2 cup Salsa
1 tbsp Chili Powder
to Taste Salt and Pepper
1/4 tsp Red Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder

Brown meat and onions. Drain if necessary. Add chili powder, salt, pepper, red pepper and garlic pepper. Mix well. Add salsa and kidney beans. Heat thoroughly.

Mix together the meat mixture and remaining ingredients, mixing well, in a very large bowl. Serve immediately.

You can add avocados to each individual portion. Do not add to the whole salad, they brown too fast and go icky.

You can substitute pinto beans for the kidney beans.

Debbi
(1/6/10)

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Old Fashioned Meat Loaf

Old Fashioned Meat Loaf

1 can (10-1/2oz) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup*
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1/2 cup fine dry Bread Crumbs
1 medium or large Onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped Parsley (dry is fine)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 lg. Egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper to taste
a few Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 fresh Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (I add 1 cup)

*I get an organic brand instead of the Campbell's soup junk.

Combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Put into a shallow baking pan or a meat loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until done.

Deb note: halfway through cooking, I pour any grease out. This makes for a nice crust. I prefer the butt-cuts. ;)

Note: If you have enough for a second day (depending on family size, etc.), slice the cold meatloaf and lay out on a broiling pan. Broil, turning when brown. This gives another flavor that is excellent to leftover meatloaf.

Debbi
(10/9/09)

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Burrito Meat

Burrito Meat

1 whole Chicken or large Round Steak or 1 small Beef or Pork roast
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4+ cloves of Garlic, minced or 2 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 lb fresh or canned Tomatoes, chopped and undrained
1/2 to 1 tsp Red Pepper
2 to 4 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 large Green Bell Pepper, chopped
2 large Onions, chopped
Flour

Best method: Boil the meat with salt, pepper and one of the onions, quartered, in a covered pan with enough water to just cover the meat, for 2 hours, or until it falls apart. Drain or fish out the meat, saving the broth-like water, and shred.

(My friend's "quick and dirty" method: Cube meat in small pieces. Coat in flour and brown. Add spices and enough water to cover. (You can use the water you boiled the meat in if you go that route.) Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add water as necessary.)

Add veggies, including juice from canned tomatoes if you use them. Add more water if necessary to cover. Cover and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes to an hour.

This is good in burritos, chimichungas, etc.

For chimichungas, put the meat and whatever else you like in a chimi, in a flour tortilla, roll partially, fold the ends over and finish rolling up tightly. Grease a baking pan in manteca/lard. Lay the chimis with the "flap" down in the pan. Brush lard over the chimis. Bake at 350° F until crisp. This is more flavorful than fried chimis and less mess.

Manteca/lard (pork fat) is what gives Mexican food the best flavor.

Debbi
(12/1/06)

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Green Chile Stew

This recipe is from the Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook by Susan Curtis. It is similar to some green chile stew I ate in a Los Alamos diner a few years ago.

There are so many recipes and adaptations for green chile stew that it is impossible to list them all, and local cooks usually add what they have on hand. The following recipe consistently produces a rich, hearty stew. The piquancy of the stew depends upon the heat level of the chiles used, so choose the chiles that suit your taste. (They recommend roasted green chiles, a mix of hot and mild for a balanced flavor.) We use a tender cut of meat in classes due to the limited time frame. However, simmering a less-tender cut of meat prior to adding the vegetables will work perfectly well. This recipe is actually better when made a day ahead. Serves 8.

Green Chile Stew

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 pounds beef sirloin or pork butt, cut in 1" cubes
1-1/2 cups diced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
6 cups chicken or beef broth
1 pound red or white potatoes, cut in 1" cubes
2-3 tsp salt, to taste
3 cups roasted, peeled, chopped green chilies
3 tbsp diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped cilantro, or to taste

Heat the oil in a 6-quart pot over high heat and brown the meat in batches. Set aside. In the same oil, saute the onions until golden. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Return the meat to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated. Add the broth, potatoes, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender. Add the green chiles and the red bell pepper, and cook 15 to 20 minutes more. Add the cilantro, stir, and serve.

jp
(11/29/06)

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Here are a couple of websites that have recipes for green chile stew. Most share the New Mexico sensibilities.

http://www.vivanewmexico.com/food.recipes.cocinas.html
http://www.santafe.com/history/green_chile_stew.html
http://www.premiersystems.com/recipes/mexican/green-chile.html
http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/nmcuisine.asp

You can see a lot of the variations that creep in, depending on the cook and the local style. I'm looking forward to seeing Jen's version of this dish.

jp

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Bisteces a la Mexicana

Bisteces a la Mexicana

• Thin steaks
• onion
• roma tomatoes
• jalapeno peppers (fresh)
• water
• salt and pepper to taste

Amounts can vary. I usually have about 5 steaks, 1/4 onion (we don't LIKE onions, though), 4 tomatoes, and 2 jalapenos.

Chop your onion and tomatoes. Cut stems off of peppers and cut in half. We leave the seeds in, but you don't have to. Salt and pepper your steaks and cook them just a smidge under where you want them. Add onion, tomato, and peppers. Add water to cover. Put lid on and let the tomatoes stew. When they look good to you, eat!

Yet again, the way it's eaten here is with fresh warm tortillas, crema, arroz rojo, and sometimes beans on the side.

Jen in Mexico
(11/28/06)

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Picadillo

Picadillo

• ground beef
• a potato or 2, depending on your taste
• a can of tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• other veggies if you want (peas/carrots/corn)
• onion to your taste (from none to a ton, your call)
• a couple cloves of garlic

Season and cook your ground beef. While it's cooking, chop your potato(s). Drain beef and return to pan. Add potatoes, onion, garlic (crushed), veggies if any, tomato sauce, and enough water to cover.

Cook until it's the consistency you like.

Serve with fresh warm tortillas, crema, and arroz rojo.

Jen in Mexico
(11/28/06)

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Enchiladas (the real ones from "el rancho")

Enchiladas (the real ones from "el rancho")

1 chile pasilla, stem and seeds removed (dried chile)
6 chiles california, stem and seeds removed (dried chile)
2 cloves
2 peppercorns
1 small clove of garlic
a piece of onion (how much do you like onions??)
salt
corn tortillas
shredded meat of your choice or cheese
queso cotija, queso fresco, or panela for garnish

Soak the chiles for an hour or 2, until they are the consistency of a fruit roll-up. Stick everything in the blender and pulverize to a thick liquid. Force it through a strainer or cheesecloth into a bowl.

Heat up some oil in a pan. Dip tortilla in sauce and fry it quickly, just until soft. Put filling on tortilla and roll up or, easier and more authentic, fold in half. Sprinkle queso cotija, queso fresco, or panela on top.

Eat.

Jen in Mexico
(11/28/06)

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Bobotie (Chutney)

Bobotie (Chutney)

Chutney is traditionally served with mince meat dishes in S. Africa. My favorite is bobotie:

2 thinly sliced onions
1 kg ground beef or mutton
1 slice bread
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp. medium curry powder
1-1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tbsp. turmeric
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup almonds (quartered or sliced)
1/2 cup raisins
4 lemon or bay leaves (or zest of one lemon rind)
3 tbsp CHUTNEY

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Brown meat and onion in pan.

In a separate bowl mix milk and bread, stir and pour off the milk (but save). Mix all ingredients expect for half of the milk, 1 egg and the bay leaves (I also keep out the almonds).

Spoon mixture into greased pan and insert leaves into surface of mixture (leave sticking out a bit for easy removal after cooking) and sprinkle almonds on top if not already mixed in. Bake for 30 min.

Mix remaining egg and milk and pour over meat. Bake for another 30 min.

Serve with rice and chutney.

I have another version that uses apricot jam that is mixed with the bread and milk (in lieu of the chutney) but that's in Afrikaans and it's too late for me to translate. I have to admit that I haven't tried this version yet since Mrs. Ball's chutney is more expensive here than apricot jam but the one above is from the Afrikaner equivalent of The Joy of Cooking so I'm sure it's good.

erin in SB
(10/28/04)

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Pasta Bake ala David

Pasta Bake ala David

You'll need:

• mince (we freeze mince in 500g lots, that's, what?, around a pound?) (note: also known as hamburger or minced beef)
• onion
• capsicum
• 2 rashers of bacon (A rasher is a strip of bacon)
• garlic (4 or 5 cloves)
• can of tomatoes
• a spoon or two of tomato paste
• dash of soy sauce
• a dash of balsamic vinegar

Cook pasta. Put in square container in cupboard next to fridge (ok, this probably isn't a useful
instruction to give the rest of the world - its a large corning ware, about 10" square and less
than 2" deep. Its actually meant for microwaving sausages, but we ignore that :)

Cook veggies (I assume he thinks bacon is a veggie ;), add mince, tomatoes, and sauces. Sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook down until not very runny poor on pasta top with frozen cheese, bake at 220° C until brown on top. Done.

(oh, damn - I forgot the salt and pepper. Shhhh... nobody tell him...)

Lea
(5/4/04)

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