Painted Creek Natural Beef

Cooking Terms Glossary

Cooking With Dee - September, October 2009

Ground Beef, It’s Whats For Dinner!

Summer is over and as much as I love the warmth, the beaches, the barbecues, vacation and all that encompasses the summer months, there is something to be said about Fall. The warm days and cool nights makes for perfect sleeping weather. Vegetable gardens give up the last and some times best offerings of the season and parents get to pack their kids off to school again marking the beginning of a new year.

The start of the school season also means life starts getting hectic again. There are after school sports and school functions not to mention making sure homework gets done and the parent teacher conferences. Vacation schedules at work slow down so there is more traffic on the roads and getting home seems more of a chore than in the summer. However, It does have its own charm in a way. As life speeds up again it’s difficult to plan family meals. Ground beef can be a comforting friend. The versatility of this particular form of beef can stretch your budget and your portion sizes. This summer we talked about hamburgers but that’s only touching the surface of what you can make with ground beef.

A little technical talk first and then we’ll get to the recipes. Ground beef or “Beef Mince” or “Minced Meat” in the rest of the world is beef finely chopped by a meat grinder. Almost any cut of beef can be used however when most people talk about Ground Beef they are talking about Ground Chuck steak used for its richness and fat to meat ratio. Our lean Angus ground beef has no additives or water added giving it a very rich and intense beefy flavor.

There are so many ways to use ground beef that it would take me at least 3 more articles to cover all the different styles of cooking that use it. From basic Italian Spaghetti Bolognese to Lebanese Kibbeh, ground beef is a sure to please ingredient to complete your meal.

As always we encourage you to write us back and tell us your cooking stories as well as sharing your recipes.

Use this link cromanpcf@gmail.com We love hearing from you. I have included a lot more recipes this month covering not only my own recipes but also many international recipes hoping you will try some of these out on your families. Let me know how they work out for you. I hope you enjoy this month’s offerings and as I always say, Keep love in your heart and it will show in your cooking.

Fall Recipes

The following recipes are comfort food that my family and I have been making for years. I hope you enjoy them!

Mom’s Thursday Night Meatloaf

1lb Ground Beef

1lb Ground Pork

1small onion diced

1 8 oz can Hunts tomato sauce

1 egg

Salt and Pepper to taste

3/4 cup of Quaker Rolled Oats

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a loaf pan, pour a small amount of the tomato sauce in to coat the pan. In a bowl, add ground beef, pork, the onions, ¼ cup of the tomato sauce, raw egg, oatmeal, salt and pepper. Mix well. Don’t over mix or the textured will be more like a meatball than a meatloaf.

Pat the mixture into the loaf pan and pour the remaining sauce on top using a spoon to spread evenly over the top. Bake in the oven for 45 min to an hour.

Since ovens are different I would use a knife to cut into the middle to see if it’s done. Serve with a baked potato and peas (we ate this every Thursday night growing up) Funny how this memory has stuck with me all these years!

Dee’s “Kicked Up” Hair Raising Meatloaf

1lb ground beef

1lb ground pork

½ diced large Spanish onion

1 finely diced green pepper

1 8oz can Hunts tomato sauce

1 8oz can Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce*

2 tsp Goya Adobo*seasoning with Cumin (Green Top)

Pepper to taste

1 raw egg

3/4 cup of Quaker Rolled Oats

*Canned Chipotle Chilis can be found on your grocery store shelf in the International section under Mexican food. Goya Adobo seasoning can be found in the Goya section also under International foods.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a small bowl mix, 1 tbs of the adobo sauce into the tomato sauce and mix well.

In a loaf pan, pour a small amount of the tomato sauce mixture to coat the pan.

Sauté the onions and the green peppers until soft, stop cooking and set aside to cool. Be careful not to overcook. They will continue to cook in the meatloaf.

In a bowl, add the ground beef, pork, onions and green pepper mixture. Finely mince one of the chipotle chili’s and add to the bowl, Reserve the remaining can of Chilis and sauce for another use. Add ¼ cup of the tomato sauce mixture, raw egg and oatmeal. Add 2 tsp of the Goya Adobo seasoning and pepper. Mix well. Don’t over mix or the texture will be more like a meatball than a meatloaf. ( I say that a lot, it’s important)

Pat the mixture into the loaf pan and pour the remaining tomato mixture on top using a spoon to spread evenly over the top. Bake in the oven for 45 min to an hour. Since ovens are different I would use a knife to cut into the middle to see if it’s done. Serve with Warmed Corn Tortillas, Rice and Beans.

****Caution: when working with Chili’s be sure not to touch your eyes after use until you have washed your hands.****

* Note if you can’t find Chipotle’s then substitute one minced raw jalapeno and sauté with the onions and green peppers. Also substitute the adobo sauce with 2 tbs of Paces Medium Salsa in the tomato sauce mixture.

Mom’s Old Skool Slop

(This recipe came out of the 60’s and 70’s when people used soups to stretch their meals. It’s very filling and comforting. It’s a form of goulash but at the time mom didn’t know what to call it so it became Slop. It reminds me of my childhood every time I make it.)

1 lb ground beef

1 diced onion

1 small green bell pepper diced

1 can of Red Pack whole tomatoes

½ box of cooked al dente Elbow macaroni

1 can Campbell ’s cream of celery soup

½ can water

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

Kraft American Cheese slices (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325°

Sauté the onion, green pepper and ground beef until onion is translucent and beef has browned.

In a casserole dish, add the macaroni, ground beef mixture and can of soup.

Add ½ cup water to the can to clean it out and pour the liquid into the dish. Add the whole tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands as you add them to the dish. Then pour the remaining tomato juice into the dish. Add the thyme and salt and pepper. Mix well. If it seems too dry add a little more water. Even it out in the dish with a spoon and add the Kraft cheese slices, if desired. It’s perfectly fine without them but the cheese does add to it. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Serve with a salad.

Dee’s Everything but the Kitchen Sink Jumble

(The trick to this recipe is using all the leftover raw veggies in the refrigerator. There are some things I wouldn’t use, such as beets, carrots or some squashes but that’s only my preference. I’m including what I typically use, however you should experiment and come up with your own combinations.

1 onion halved and thinly sliced

1 clove minced garlic

½ cup sliced fresh okra

½ cup sliced mushrooms

5 asparagus stalks bite size cut pieces

1lb ground beef

1 large diced tomato

½ cup diced zucchini

Goya Adobo Seasoning with Cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 cup Pastina (or dry couscous)

1 ½ cup water

1 envelope Goya Beef Bullion

Olive oil

Sauté the onion and garlic in 2 tbs olive oil. Add the okra, mushrooms and asparagus. Sauté until the asparagus start to soften. Add the ground beef breaking it up with a fork. Add the oregano and the Adobo seasoning at this point to taste. I usually give it about 1 and a ½ good shakes over the pan.

Once the beef has browned, add the tomatoes and the zucchini and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Add the water and the bullion and mix well. Add the Pastina or couscous and stir once. Let the water come to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let cook for about 5 to ten minutes until the pasta or couscous is thoroughly cooked.

An alternative way to do this is cook the pastina or couscous separately with the water and beef bullion. After the pasta or couscous is cooked, add it to the dish and mix well.

Spaghetti Bolognese

1 lb. ground beef

1 (15 oz.) can whole tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 medium onions
5 garlic cloves
6 or 7 large mushrooms
1 large carrot finely diced
1 green pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dry thyme
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lb. spaghetti
Parmesan cheese, grated
Extra virgin olive oil

Peel and chop onions, garlic cloves, mushrooms, carrot and green pepper. Put large skillet on burner and heat olive oil on medium high setting. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, and green pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes or until onions and garlic become translucent. Pour all ingredients into a bowl and reserve for later.

Return skillet to heat and add ground beef. Sauté until browned and break apart. Returned vegetable mixture to the skillet. Add whole tomatoes and break them up with your hands. Add tomato sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaf, thyme and ground pepper. Mix ingredients well. Cover skillet and turn heat down to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add spaghetti, a little at a time. Stir and add extra virgin olive oil to avoid sticking. Cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. Transfer to the skillet a little at a time and mix the sauce into the pasta and add a half cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

English Shepherds Pie

5 large Potatoes

Salt

2 tablespoons Butter/margarine

1 dash Milk/whipping cream

Pepper

1 pound Lean ground beef

1 large Tomato chopped

6 Sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons Chopped parsley

1 tablespoon Tomato paste

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Brown gravy

1 package (10-oz) frozen peas or 1 lb -- peas shelled

Preheat Oven to 400°

Cook potatoes in salted water to cover. Drain, cool and peel. Mash in large bowl with butter, milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Saute beef until browned, stirring to keep meat crumbly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley, tomato paste, Worcestershire and gravy. Stir to mix. Add peas and cook about 5 minutes. Turn mixture into casserole. Spread potatoes evenly over meat. Bake at 400 degrees 40 minutes until top is crispy brown.

(Some people add cheese to the top before baking but that’s more of an Americanized version)

Lebanese Kibbeh (courtesy of Saad Fayed on about.com)

Ingredients:

2 lbs finely ground beef or lamb, lean, divided

1/2 lb. bulghur cracked wheat, medium or #2

1 teaspoon salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon

1 teaspoon pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 medium onions, 1 finely chopped, and 1 coarsely chopped, divided

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, soak wheat for 30 minutes in cold water. Remove and drain. Remove excess water by squeezing through thick paper towel or cheesecloth. Place into medium bowl and combine with 1 lb. meat, coarsely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Combine well and place small amount in food processor until doughlike consistency. You can slowly add an ice cube at a time during processing if needed. Place mixture aside covered. Instead of using a food processor, you can use a mortar and pestle, however it will take you over an hour to achieve desired consistency.

Prepare Kibbeh Stuffing

In a medium frying pan, saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil. Add pine nuts if using. Add ground lamb or beef and chop well with wooden spoon or spatula to end make sure the meat is chopped. Add allspice, salt, pepper, and cumin. Once beef is light brown, remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Assemble Kibbeh and Fry

Take an egg sized amount of shell mixture and form into a ball. With your finger, poke a hole in the ball, making a space for filling. Add filling and pinch the top to seal the ball. You can then shape it into a point, or football shape, or leave as a ball. Fry in 350 degree oil on stove top or in deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Makes 25 medium sized kibbeh.

Gus’s Pastichio

(adapted from the Marietta Diner)

Courtesy of http://cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2009/01/im-in-love.html

Meat Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound ground beef, chuck
1 yellow onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup white wine
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste

Bechamel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup Mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, beaten

Noodles:
1 lb. pasticcio/ziti
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
For assembling:
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
¼ cup of grated fresh Parmesan
2 eggs, beaten

For the Meat Sauce:
Heat butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan and saute the onions, garlic and meat until browned over medium heat (season with salt and pepper). Add the oregano, parsley, bay leaves, cinnamon, sugar, wine, tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for a half hour to 45 minutes. Taste and reseason/add more spices if needed about halfway through and again toward the end. Remove from heat and let cool off.

For the Noodles:
In a large stockpot in a generous amount of salted water cook noodles to al dente. Drain, return to pan and stir in butter.

For the Bechamel:
Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for two minutes. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in the milk slowly and bring to a slow simmer, constantly whisking. Remove from heat and whisk in quickly the eggs and cheese. You can temper the eggs by whisking in a small amount of the béchamel first.

To Assemble the Pastichio:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or baking spray a large deep pan. I used a 9x13 casserole with a sheet pan placed underneath it in the oven. Add a bit of the béchamel, enough to generously cover the bottom of the pan.

Strain the ground beef mixture, remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick. You can add your noodles to a giant bowl or mix right in the large pan that they were cooked in. Add the remaining 2 eggs, a ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup of the béchamel and the strained beef mixture. Combine carefully; try not to break up the noodles.

Add the noodle mixture to the prepared pan. Layer the rest of the béchamel over the top. Then sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan. My casserole dish was full right to the top and even a little bit above. But I had only one little drip over the side right at the end of baking. The béchamel firms up and stays in place as it cooks. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let sit for five to ten minutes before serving.