Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces (170g) bacon, roughly chopped
3 pounds (1 1/2 kg) beef brisket, trimmed of fat (chuck steak or stewing beef) cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large carrot sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large white onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
12 small pearl onions (optional)
3 cups red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a Chianti -- for a milder sauce, use only 2 cups of wine
2-3 cups beef stock (if using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups beef stock)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 beef bouillon cube, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (divided)
2 bay leaves
1 pound fresh small white or brown mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons butter

• preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside.
3. Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon.
4. In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat (leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan) and return the bacon and beef back into the pot; season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.
5. Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Then add the tomato paste, bullion and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
6. Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).
7. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, prepare the mushrooms:
Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over heat. When the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Once they are browned, set aside.
8. Place a colander over a large pot (I do this in my clean kitchen sink). Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander (you want to collect the sauce only). Discard the herbs
9. Return the beef mixture back into the dutch oven or pot. Add the mushrooms over the meat.
10. Remove any fat off the sauce (if any) and simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
11. You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly.
If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency.
12. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
13. If you are serving immediately, simmer the beef bourguignon for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.
Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.
14. To serve the following day, allow the casserole to cool completely, cover and refrigerate.
The day of serving, remove from refrigerator for at least an hour before reheating. Place over medium-low heat and let simmer gently for about 10 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Serves: 4

• Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 pound beef sirloin, sliced into thin strips
1 cup sliced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Knorr brown sauce mix
1/2 cup cold water
4 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained

• preparation

In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat to a smoking point. Add meat and brown lightly for a minute.
Transfer meat to a bowl and set aside. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms.
Saute for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add red wine. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. In a mixing bowl stir brown sauce mix and cold water.
Mix into sauce. Bring to a boil. Add beef and sour cream.
Heat to boiling point. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

4 ounces bacon, cut across into 1/2 inch pieces
3 pounds beef chuck, cubed
2 pounds sliced onion
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups beer
1 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
2 bay leaves

• preparation

In a heavy bottom cast iron skillet, cook bacon bits to crisp.
Remove bacon and save. Add the cubed beef chuck in the bacon fat. Add sliced onion, brown.
Remove fat. Singe with flour. Mix well. Add beer and beef stock to cover. Bring to boil. Add small amount of wine vinegar, minced garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cover.
Cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender.
Sprinkle with crisp bacon before serving.
This Flemish style dish is served with braised red cabbage.

Serves: 6

Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Pan-Roasted Root Vegetables.

• Ingredients

6 short rib of beef (5 to 7 pounds)
2 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 stalk celery, halved
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons fresh coarse ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 shallots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup ruby port
4 cups full-bodied wine, such as cabernet sauvignon
6 cups veal stock (veal stock is really best but you can substitute good homemade beef stock)

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°F
Bind each rib with cotton kitchen twine. Place the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf between the two celery halves and bind with kitchen twine.
Season the short ribs with 2 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over a high flame until it smokes.
In two batches, brown the short ribs well on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, pouring off all but 3 tablespoons of oil between batches.
Remove the ribs and set aside when done.
Lower the flame to medium, and add the carrots, onion, shallots, and garlic to the pot and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and light brown.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the flour and stir well to combine. Add the port, red wine, and the celery-herb bundle.
Raise the flame to high and cook until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.
Return the ribs to the pot (they will stack into two layers).
Add the stock and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt; if the stock doesn’t cover the ribs by at least 1 inch, add water up to that level.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, transfer to the preheated oven, and cook for 3 hours. Visit the pot occasionally and stir the ribs, bringing the ones on the bottom up to the top -- they’re done when the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone.
Transfer the ribs to a large platter and remove the strings.
Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce, and then strain through a sieve into a medium saucepan.
Discard the solids.
Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a strong simmer and reduce the liquid until slightly less then half (4 cups) remains, about 1 hour.
Return the ribs to the pot, simmer for 10 minutes to reheat, and serve.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10 ounces spinach, cooked
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground beef, lean
2 tablespoons parmesan, grated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
12 crêpes (see recipe)
2 cups cream sauce (see recipe)
1 cup marinara sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan. Add onion, garlic and parsley and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add chopped cooked spinach.
In a skillet, brown ground beef in remaining olive oil. Chop in a processor. Add grated Parmesan, eggs, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Blend in the spinach mixture.
Divide filling in crêpes. Roll to enclose filling.
Coat the bottom of a baking dish with marinara sauce. Arrange stuffed crêpes in baking dish.
Spoon the cream sauce and tomato sauce over crêpes.
Sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until brown.

Serves: 4

• Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
2 (14 oz.) cans kidney beans
1 (19 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper

• preparation

Heat oil in a frying pan. Saute onion for 2 minutes; add ground beef and cook and stir until beef is well done.
Wash and drain kidney beans. Drain some of the juice from the tomatoes.
In a large pot, combine beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, chili powder, salt and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce and cook slowly for an hour. Stir regularly.
Recipe can be doubled. Freezes well.

Serves: 10

Serve this traditional Irish recipe for a special St. Patrick's Day dinner.

• Ingredients

(3 to 3 1/2-pound) corned beef brisket
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
10 (about 1 pound) small whole white onions or small carrots
4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into quarters
1 medium (4 cups) rutabaga, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks (optional)
1 small head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

Mustard Sauce:
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup horseradish mustard*
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

• preparation

Heat oven to 325°F. Place beef brisket in roaster; add juices and spices from brisket package. Combine all seasoning ingredients in small bowl; pour over brisket. Cover; bake for 2 hours.
Add vegetables. Cover; continue baking for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until brisket is fork tender and vegetables have the desired doneness.
Remove brisket and vegetables to serving platter; keep warm. Beat whipping cream in chilled small bowl at high speed until soft peaks form.
Gently stir in horseradish mustard and vinegar by hand. Serve mustard sauce with brisket and vegetables.
*Substitute 1/4 cup country-style Dijon mustard and 1/4 cup prepared horseradish.
Prepare mustard sauce as directed above. Cover; store refrigerated up to three days. This mustard sauce is also good served with roast beef and pork.

Serves: 6

St. Patrick's Day in a flash: A zesty glaze makes corned beef from the supermarket deli your own. Serve with buttered cabbage.

• Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard plus more for serving
1 2- to 2 1/4-pound piece lean fully cooked corned beef
12 small carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise
Fresh parsley sprigs

• preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Boil next 3 ingredients in saucepan until reduced to generous 3/4 cup, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Mix in 1 tablespoon mustard.
Generously brush corned beef all over with glaze; place in center of prepared sheet. Toss carrots and 1/4 cup glaze in large bowl to coat; place around beef. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper. Roast until carrots are tender and beef is golden, brushing occasionally with more glaze, about 35 minutes. Transfer to platter, garnish with parsley, and serve with Dijon mustard.

Serves: 4

These reuben-type sandwiches are easy to make when ingredients are purchased at the supermarket deli.

• Ingredients

4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
8 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
8 ounces thinly sliced deli corned beef
1/2 pint vinaigrette-style deli coleslaw
4 (1-ounce) Swiss Cheese

• preparation

Heat oven to 350°F.
Spread each slice of bread with 2 teaspoons mustard. To assemble each sandwich, layer 1 slice bread, 2 slices corned beef, 1/4 cup coleslaw and 1 slice cheese.
Place sandwiches onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves: 4

Coleslaw from the deli simplifies this sandwich preparation.

• Ingredients

1/4 cup light sour cream
3 tablespoons sweet honey mustard
4 light rye, plain or egg bagels, split
Leaf lettuce
1/4 pound thinly sliced deli corned beef
1/2 pint deli coleslaw, well drained
4 (3/4-ounce) slices Swiss Cheese
4 thin green bell pepper rings

• preparation

Combine sour cream and mustard in small bowl. Spread mustard mixture onto cut-sides of bagels.
Layer bottom half of each bagel with lettuce leaf, 1/4 corned beef, 2 to 3 tablespoons coleslaw, 1 slice cheese and 1 green pepper ring.
Top each with remaining bagel half.

Serves: 8

Chef Boulud says that the success of this dish rests on browning the short ribs well at the beginning of cooking the dish to get the best flavors into the sauce. The Celery Duo starts with a celery root puree and ends with the braised ribs that top the beef. This recipe also can be found in the Café Boulud Cookbook, by Daniel Boulud and Dorie Greenspan.

• Ingredients

3 bottles dry red wine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and crushed black peppercorns
Flour, for dredging
8 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, split, rinsed and dried
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 ribs of celery, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium-sized leek (white and light-green parts), coarsely chopped, washed and dried
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves and 2 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 quarts unsalted beef broth
Freshly ground white pepper
Celery Duo , for serving

• preparation

1. Pour the wine into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When the wine is hot, carefully set it aflame. Let the flames die out, then increase the heat so that the wine boils; allow it to boil until it cooks down by half. Remove from the heat.
2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F.
3. Warm the oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and the crushed pepper. Dust half of the ribs with about 1 tablespoon flour. Then, when the oil is hot, slip the ribs into the pot and sear 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until well-browned. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with remaining ribs. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, lower the heat under the pot to medium and toss in the vegetables and herbs. Brown the vegetables lightly, 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine, ribs and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven to braise for 2 1/2 hours or until the ribs are very tender. Every 30 minutes, skim and discard fat from the surface. (It's best to make the recipe to this point, cool and chill the ribs and broth in the pan overnight; scrape off the fat the next day. Rewarm before continuing.)
5. Carefully transfer the meat to a platter; keep warm. Boil the pan liquid until it has reduced to 1 quart. Season with salt and white pepper and pass through a fine strainer; discard the solids. (The ribs and sauce can be combined and kept covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently, basting frequently, on top of the stove or in a 350°F oven.)
6. To serve, spoon the celery root puree into the center of 8 plates and top each with a short rib. Cross 2 pieces of braised celery over each serving. Pour the sauce onto the plate around the puree.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
1 lb (454 g) stewing beef cubes
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
1 bay leaf
4 large carrots
2 stalks celery
1/2 small rutabaga, peeled
2 cups (500 mL) beef stock
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) tomatoes
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas or beans
1 tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh parsley, chopped

• preparation

In heavy plastic bag, shake together flour, salt and pepper. In batches, add beef and shake to coat, reserving any remaining flour. In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown meat all over, in batches and adding up to1 tbsp (15 mL) more oil if necessary. Transfer to plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onions, garlic, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and remaining flour; cook, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan, until softened, about 5 minutes. Return beef and any accumulated juices to pan.

Meanwhile, cut carrots, celery and rutabaga into 2-inch (5 cm) chunks. Add to pan along with stock and tomatoes; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over medium-low heat or in 325°F (160°C) oven, stirring once or twice, for 1-1/2 hours. Add potatoes; cook for 1 hour or until tender. Add peas and vinegar; cook for 2 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley.

Serves: 20

• Ingredients

1 pound skinless fatback about one-inch thick
2 1/4 pounds lean pork butt, (25% ) fat, cut into one-inch cubes
2 1/4 pounds lean beef, cut into one-inch cubes
salt to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups ice cold water
8 feet natural beef round sausage casings, 3 to 4-inch diameter

• preparation

Cut the fatback into the thinnest possible slices. Cut the slices into very thin strips, and very fine dices. There should be about 3 cups. Set aside.
Put pork, beef, salt, pepper, and garlic into a mixing bowl. Add diced fatback.
Blend starch and ice water, and add to meat mixture. Cut the sausage casings into five lengths of about 18 inches each.
Outfit a meat grinder with a medium cutting blade and attach the sausage stuffer. Slip the sausage casing onto stuffer. Tie it at the end.
Add meat cubes with seasonings and liquid to the open feeder of the grinder, allowing the casing to be filled to a length of 15 inches. Tie end. Repeat this action with remaining casings. This will make about 5 sausages about 1 1/4 pounds each.
To cook the garlic sausages, bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add sausages and let simmer ( the ideal temperature is 180 degrees) for 30 minutes. Serve sliced. The sausages could also be grilled or smoked.

Serves: 14

• Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 pounds lean ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
1 teaspoon dried savory
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Knorr brown sauce mix
1 recipe never fail pie crust

• preparation

In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir for 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add the beef and pork, stirring to blend. Cook until no longer pink.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, allspice and savory.
Allow the mixture to cool. Remove any excess of fat and place in a food processor. Pulse to finely chop the meat. Return to dutch oven.
Combine water, Worcestershire and brown sauce mix powder. Stir well to dissolve. Add to meat. Mix and heat to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Taste the mixture and season if necessary. Cool for 30 minutes or longer.
Divide meat between 3 pastry lined 9 inch pie plates.
Cover with top crust, trim, crimp edges to seal and cut steam vents. Bake for 10 minutes in 425 oven.
Reduce to 350 degrees and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Note: Meat pies freeze well unbaked. Cover the ready-made pies with foil. and freeze.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

3- 1-pound packages frozen puff pastry
Flour for rolling

For the mushrooms:
2 large Portobello mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper

For the onions:
3 tablespoons butter
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine
salt and pepper

For the spinach and cheese:
1 cup cooked chopped spinach
6 ounces blue cheese
For the beef:
6- 5 to 6 ounce center-cut beef tenderloins
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

• preparation

Prepare the pastry and fillings:
The frozen puff pastry usually comes in sheets.
Two in each 1-pound package. Thaw pastry. Unwrap each sheet. Sit a 10-inch round cake pan on pastry.
With a sharp knife, cut out pastry sheets into 10-inch rounds. Lightly score a 4 by 3-inch rectangle in the center of each pastry round. Do not cut through the pastry.
Extend the lines of the rectangle and cut out the corners as shown in sketch.
Use scraps to cut out 12 leaves or other shapes to use as decoration. Layer the pastry rounds between sheets of wax paper.
For the mushrooms:
Slice the portobello into strips. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add oil, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and rosemary.
Stir until mushrooms are brown. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl.
For the onions:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion and cook over low heat until onion are caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add Sherry wine and cook until pan is dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Set aside to cool.
For the fillets:
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add oil and sear fillets 3 minutes on each side.
Season with salt and pepper. Transfer fillets to a plate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the sauce:
Pour 1 cup red wine in skillet. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir a package of brown sauce mix in cold water. Pour in skillet with wine. Whisk until thickened. Set sauce aside.
Assemble the wellingtons:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the prepared pastries on a work surface.
Spread half of the well drained spinach over center of pastries. Divide blue cheese and well drained onions into six equal portions and spread over spinach.
Top with fillet, mushrooms and remaining spinach. Fold each side panel onto top to seal the content of pastry.
Turn the packages and arrange on a baking sheet seam side down. Decorate with pastry cut outs Brush pastries with a beaten egg.
Bake in for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is at 110 degrees. Be sure that the tip of the thermometer is inserted in the center of the package.
Set cooked wellingtons aside no longer than 10 minutes. The sealed fillets continue to cook out of the oven.
Cut each wellington in half. Arrange on warm plates and serve immediately.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 4-5- pound round or shoulder beef roast, trimmed of excess fat
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
5 whole cloves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine

1 1/2 quarts boiling beef stock
3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons carrots, peeled and cut into very small dice
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
lemon slices for garnish
shredded lettuce for garnish

• preparation

Heat the oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over high heat, add the meat, and turn to brown well on all sides.
Remove the meat and add the onions, chopped carrots, chopped garlic, parsley, cloves, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are soft and lightly colored , 10 to 15 minutes.
Return the meat to the pot and add the wine and just enough of the simmering stock to barely cover the beef.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beef is very tender but not falling apart, about 3 hours. Remove from heat and cool the beef in the stock.
Remove the meat from the stock and shred or cut it into strips that are about 1/4 inch wide and 2 inches long; reserve.
Strain the stock into a bowl through several layers of cheesecloth; add to a pot and simmer for 10 minutes with the diced carrots, minced parsle and minced garlic.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded beef with 1 1/2 quarts of the stock and vegetables, the dissolved gelatin, Worcestershire, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste; mix well.
Dip the lemon slices into the mixture to coat with liquid, then arrange them on the bottom of a loaf pan 9 by 5 by 3 inches or a 2- quart mold. Pour in the beef mixture.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 12 hours and as long as 2 days.
Before unmolding, scrape off any congealed fat that has formed on top.
Run a thin knife blade around the inside of the pan and briefly dip the bottom of the pan in a container of hot water for a few seconds to loosen the beef. Cover with a serving platter, invert and tap the pan all around to unmold.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Surround with the shredded lettuce just before serving. To serve, divide into inch-thick slices.

Serves: 8

Kapana, Namibian grilled beef Strips over open fire is one of the most popular street foods in Namibia.

• Ingredients

1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) well marbled beef steak
2 teaspoons kapana spice mix
2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil

• preparation

Cut the meat into long interconnected strips.

Place the beef strips, in a casserole dish or similar. Add kapana spice and oil. Using your hands rub the meat very well. Cover with cling film and chill for about 1 hour. In the meantime, make the fire and let the grill heat up.
About 10 minutes before grilling the meat take the meat out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
Next place the meat on the grill, our grill had about 175 °C (347 °F). After about 3 minutes turn the strips and grill on the other side for 3 minutes. Then turn it again and grill for about 2 minutes. Turn and grill again und grill for about 2 minutes or until the meat has perfect shear marks.
Kapana tastes best grilled over the fire, but can also be made in the oven and on an electric grill and it still tasted delicious.

What to serve Namibian style grilled meat with:

Yellow rice with raisins
Tomato sauce and these incredible easy fat cakes
Hot millet pap or mielie pap
Beetroot and feta salad

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
3 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 14-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 beef bouillon cubes
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried basil
to taste salt and ground black pepper

• preparation

In a skillet, heat the oil. Brown the beef until it loses its pink color. Transfer to a saucepan. Add the onions to the skillet.
Stir until brown. Add to meat. Add remaining ingredients.
Cook over medium heat, covered for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve with pasta or lasagna.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1½ pound 1-inch thick sirloin steak
⅓ cup cornstarch
¼ cup canola oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
4 tablespoon garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes or chili oil
⅓ cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
½ cup water
⅓ cup brown sugar
8 stalks scallions, green parts only, cut into 2 inch pieces
Serve over white rice, rice noodles or in lettuce wraps

• preparation

Slice the steak in ¼-inch slices. Cover with plastic wrap and use a meat pounder to flatten the meat. Add cornstarch to the steak to fully coat each piece.
Heat canola oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
Add the steak to the pan in a single layer and cook for 30 seconds per side (1 minute total). Cook the steak in batches rather than over-crowding the pan. Remove the steak from the pan as it finishes cooking, set it aside on a plate, then sprinkle with salt.
Next, add the ginger, garlic, and chili oil or red pepper flakes (if desired for more spice) to the pan and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
Stir in tamari (or soy sauce), water and brown sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
Fold the steak back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds. (The cornstarch used on the steak should thicken the sauce.)
Turn off the heat, add the green onions, and stir to combine.
Serve over white rice, rice noodles or in lettuce wraps.

Serves: 6

Obama's chili recipe: First lady Michelle Obama shares her family's favorite chili recipe

• Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground basil
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 10-oz can tomatoes, chopped
1 can red kidney beans

• preparation

1. Sauté onions, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil until soft.

2. Add ground meat and brown.

3. Combine spices, then add to ground meat.

4. Add red-wine vinegar.

5. Add tomatoes and corn and let simmer until cooked down.

6. Add kidney beans; cook a few more minutes.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 chopped shallots
2 tablespoons flour
1 quart beef stock
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried savory
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 sliced carrots
20 small white onions, peeled
1/4 cup canola oil
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cut into quarters
chopped parsley for garnish

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees In a heavy casserole, heat butter and oil. Brown beef with shallots.
Add flour, cook to brown, then mix in beef stock and wine. Bring to a boil.
Season with salt, and pepper. Add tomato paste, garlic, savory and thyme.
Cover casserole and bake for 2 hours.
Add carrots and potatoes to stew 1/2 hour before meat is cooked. Blanch white onions in boiling water. Drain.
Heat oil in a frying pan.
Fry onions and mushrooms until brown and tender.
Add to stew when meat is tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serves: 4

Pabellón Criollo is the Venezuelan national dish.

• Ingredients

Shredded meat

1 flank steak, approximately 2 lbs
6 to 8 cups Progresso™ beef flavored broth
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion finely diced
1 cup green pepper, chopped into small cubes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (6 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato paste
1 can (8 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves

Black beans

1/2 cup corn oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 can black beans
Salt to taste

Fried plantains

1 cup oil for frying
2 ripe, peeled and chopped, sliced bananas
4 cups white rice, cooked to your liking

• preparation

1
Shredded beef: Cut the steak into 4 pieces.
2
Place the broth into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken at first boil and let cook for 15 minutes. Test the seasoning and alter the salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let cook for about 2 hours or until the meet is completely cooked and tender. Keep an eye on the meat to prevent it from soaking up all the broth and add more as it becomes necessary. When the meat is ready, remove it from the pot carefully and leave on a dish to cool. Save the broth, about 3-4 cups of broth.
3
Once the meat is cold enough, shred it with the help of two forks or your hands.
4
Add the oil to a medium pan and let cook a bit. Sauté the onions and pepper for 3-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and let sauté for one more minute. Incorporate the shredded chicken to the mixture and mix well.
5
Mix the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and oregano in with the beef stew; mix well until everything is well combined. Add this mixture to the meat and mix well. Add the bay leaves, cover and let cook for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
6
Black beans: Place the oil, onion and garlic in a blender. Mix at medium velocity until everything is well combined.
7
Sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir constantly. Add the can of black beans and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
8
Fried plantains: Add oil to a medium pan and heat. When the oil is hot, fry the plantains in batches of 5 for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they're softened and browned. Remove from the pan carefully and place over paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
9
Serve: Add a generous amount of shredded beef to a dish, then rice, beans and fried plantains. Serve hot.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
One 3-pound center-cut trimmed beef tenderloin in 1 piece
3 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chilled

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Soak the porcini in the boiling water for 20 minutes. Rub the porcini in the soaking liquid to remove any grit; pat dry and coarsely chop. Transfer the porcini to a mini food processor and puree.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the shallots and cook over moderately low heat until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the scallions and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the porcini puree. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Season the roast with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet. Sear the roast over moderately high heat until browned all over; let cool.

On a work surface, slightly overlap three 16-inch pieces of wax paper. Arrange the pancetta on the paper in 4 overlapping rows to form a rectangle the length of the tenderloin. Spread the porcini puree over the pancetta. Set the tenderloin on the bottom edge of the pancetta. Using the wax paper as a guide, tightly roll up the roast in the pancetta. Carefully peel off the wax paper.

Tie the roast with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and brush with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Roast the beef for 25 minutes, or until the pancetta is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 120 degrees.

Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut off the strings and remove. Thickly slice the roast with a serrated knife and serve.

Serves: 8

A flavorful and delicious pot roast

• Ingredients

FOR BROWNING MEAT

3 to 4 pounds chuck roast, tied
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil

FOR AROMATICS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh thyme

FOR BRAISING MEAT
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/4 cups water

FOR GARNISH VEGETABLES
3/4 pounds turnips, about 3, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges
3/4 pound small new potatoes
3/4 pound carrots, 4 to 5 medium, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths. Halve thick ends lengthwise, then cut into 3-inch lengths

• preparation

Pat meat dry with paper towels, then season on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Then add enough oil to barely coat bottom of pot and heat until shimmering. Sear the meat until golden brown, turning to cook all sides evenly, about 8 minutes. Don't be tempted to turn the meat too soon or it will tear; instead wait until it easily releases from the pot. Once it is nicely browned all over, remove it from the pot. If there are lots of blackened bits on the bottom of the pot, wipe it clean with a paper towel, or deglaze with a little water then discard.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the olive oil and all of the aromatics, and cook, stirring fairly often, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to increase the heat after a minute or two if the onion isn't softening, but only slightly. If the garlic or onion begins to burn, add a little water and stir up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the flour into the pot, and stir to coat everything evenly; cook the flour just long enough to remove the starchy taste without taking on any color, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar, tomato paste and water, and bring to a boil. Deglaze pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Put the roast in the pot; the water should come only about 1 inch up the sides of the meat. Reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering, not boiling, and cover the pot tightly with the lid. While the meat is braising, turn it every 30 minutes; the meat should be almost tender (a sharp knife inserted in the center should meet little resistance) after 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the meat from the pot. Strain braising liquid through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible (discard solids).
Return the roast and the strained liquid to the pot. Nestle the garnish vegetables around the roast, submerging them a bit in the liquid (the liquid should almost reach top of vegetables). Bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. The meat should be very tender by now and give no resistance when pierced with a knife (The meat will be firm enough to slice; if you want it be falling-apart tender, cook 30 minutes more).
Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter, leaving the sauce behind (there should be about 1 cup). Cover and keep warm near the stove. If the sauce is too thin, heat until reduced (but be mindful of the saltiness, since the more sauce is reduced the saltier it will taste) or thicken it with a bit more flour, whisking until smooth. Add a small amount of vinegar if necessary to balance the flavors. Let roast stand for about 20 minutes, then slice to desired thickness. Spoon some sauce over pot roast and vegetables to moisten and serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Serves: 4

Potjiekos, which translates to small pot food recipe comes from Namibia and South Africa and is their version of a traditional stew with meat, starch, and veggies or whatever they had on hand and in season.

• Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or oil
3 onions, chopped
1 fresh chili pepper, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pound of fresh mushrooms, whole
2 pounds stewing beef (bone on), cut into chunks
1 pound mixture of your favorite beans: sugar beans, red kidney beans, white kidney beans, haricot beans, black-eyed beans, all work well.
If using dried beans, soak overnight. If canned, drain and rinse before adding them to the pot.
4 carrots, roughly chopped, and other seasonal vegetables of your choice
12 baby potatoes
2 cans of creamed corn (mealies)
2 cups beef stock
Mixed herbs to your taste (about 3 tablespoons). like thyme, oregano, and rosemary, but feel free to experiment.
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine (optional)

• preparation

Braise onions and mushrooms in butter and flavored salt (Ah, the sizzle! The aroma!)
Add chili and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes. Try not to eat it yet.
Add beef, cover the pot, and let it steam for 5 minutes. No peeking!
Toss in carrots, potatoes, and other veggies. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes.

Add beans, sweet corn, beef stock, mixed herbs, and the red wine. Cover the pot.
Simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir well.
Cook for 1-2 hours, or until the meat is tender Add the mushrooms about 20 minutes before serving.
Serve over rice or pasta. Or use crusty loaf of freshly baked bread.

Serves: 6

Can be prepared 2 days ahead.
The leftover meat is also delicious served cold the next day with a green salad.

• Ingredients

5 ounces pork, back fat sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 1/2 pounds braising beef such as top round or top sirloin
MARINADE:
2 medium onions, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 tomato, quartered
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bouquet Garni
20 peppercorns, crushed
3 cups dry red wine
3 tablespoons Cognac

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 ounces bacon, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1 pound tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
salt
6 ounces black olives, preferably Niçoise or Kalamata, stoned .

.

• preparation

Cut the back fat into small strips 3 mm (1/8 inch) wide and 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.
Make deep incisions all over the surface of the beef and insert the back fat.
Prepare the marinade:
combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a non-aluminium container.
Immerse the beef in the liquid and drizzle the olive oil over the surface. Leave to marinate for at least 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade reserving the vegetables and bouquet garni; drain well. Reserve the marinade.
Heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron casserole over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
Remove the meat from the pan; set aside. Add the diced bacon to the pan and brown it.
Then add the reserved vegetables and cook until golden. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the marinade and stir to blend. Return the meat to the pan, along with the tomatoes, the bouquet garni and a pinch of salt. Add a little water if necessary to cover the meat.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and place in the oven for about 3 hours, turning the meat every hour, until it is very tender when pierced with the point of a knife.
Do not allow the liquid to boil. If the olives are salty, simmer in water for 2 minutes.
Drain and refresh under cold water. When the meat is tender, remove it from the pan and cover with a warm damp tea towel, to prevent it from drying out.
Discard the bouquet garni. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Add the olives to the pan and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Adjust the seasoning.
To serve, carve the beef into thin slices. Arrange overlapping slices on a deep serving platter.
Spoon the vegetables and sauce over the beef

Serves: 1

Sriracha is a type of hot sauce available in Asian food markets. It is made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. It is named after the coastal city of Si Racha, in the in the Chonburi Province of Eastern Thailand, where it was possibly first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants. From wikipedia.org




To shape the ramen into a bun, use ramekins that are similar in size to the burger patty. If you don't have ramekins, substitute pint-size deli containers.

• Ingredients

1 package ramen noodles
1 egg
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 tablespoon sriracha
1 beef burger patty
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
1 slice American cheese
1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 cup arugula

• preparation

Cook the ramen according to the directions on the package (including the seasoning), then drain off the liquid. Let cool to room temperature. In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1 egg until no streaks of yolk remain. Add the ramen, tossing thoroughly to coat with the egg. Divide the egg-dressed ramen into two portions, and place each half into a ramekin.
Cover the ramen with plastic wrap, and weigh it down with a can of soup to compress it into a bun shape. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Add the oil to a skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, unmold the ramen buns into the pan, and cook until the bottom is a dark golden brown. Flip both of the patties, and cook until a dark golden brown on both sides.

Whisk together the sriracha and ketchup in a small bowl.

Season the hamburger patty with salt, pepper, a splash of soy sauce, and sesame oil. Wipe out the skillet, and cook the burger over medium-high heat until medium rare, or to your preferred degree of doneness. Finish with a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil. Top with a slice of cheese.

Assemble the burger in this order: ramen bun, arugula, ketchup, burger patty (cheese side up), scallions, and the second ramen bun. Wrap in wax paper for easier eating, and serve hot.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

2 cups dry red wine
1 cup Tawny port wine
2 cups canned beef broth
3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces onions, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms (shitake and crimini) thickly sliced
1 tablespoon flour
2 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil

• preparation

In a large pot, Boil wine, Port and broth until reduced to 4 cups. Melt butter in skillet.
Add onions and sauté until tender. Mix in thyme and sauté until onions are deep brown.
Transfer onions to bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender.
Return onions to skillet. Add flour and stir 3 minutes. Stir mushroom mixture into reduced wine mixture.
Simmer until thickened and reduced to 3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400degrees. Rub meat with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place beef in a large roasting pan. Brown evenly on top of stove. Roast until meat thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125 degrees F. for rare , about 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and cover with foil, let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice beef on a cutting board.
Arrange on serving platter.
Pour juices from roasts into sauce. Heat sauce and serve with beef.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
4 cups beef broth
2 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup brandy

For tenderloin:
2 2-pounds beef tenderloin pieces, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• preparation

Sauce:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté until golden, about 15 minutes. Add flour and herbs, and stir one minute. Pour in broth, wine and brandy. Mix well and boil the sauce until it is reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate.)
Tenderloins:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly over all sides of tenderloins.
Place beef in a large roasting pan. Brown evenly on top of stove. Roast until meat thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125 degrees F. for rare, about 25 minutes. Remove roasts from oven and cover with foil, let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
Slice beef on a cutting board. Arrange on serving platter. Pour juices from roasts into sauce. Heat sauce and serve with beef.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

3 large artichoke bottoms, cooked
6 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded
12 médaillons of beef tenderloin, 2 1/2 ounces each
to taste salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3 ounces scallions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch length
3 cloves minced garlic
18 ripe olives, pitted
3 hot red chili peppers, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons brown gravy
1/4 cup shredded basil
1/4 cup shredded mint leaves

• preparation

Cut the precooked artichokes into halves, then into small wedges.
Cut tomatoes into small wedges. Season the beef médaillons with salt and pepper.
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over high heat in a skillet, and sauté the beef to the desired degree of doneness.
Remove from pan and keep warm.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet and briskly sauté the scallions, garlic, artichokes, and tomatoes for 3 to 4 minutes. Add olives, chili peppers, and meat gravy.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange 2 sautéed médaillons on each heated serving plate.
Arrange the vegetables around the meat, and sprinkle the vegetables with the shredded basil and shredded mint leaves.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 pounds ground lean beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sauce mix
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup diced cooked carrots
1 cup blanched peas
8 cups freshly mashed potatoes
1 cup grated Swiss cheese, for topping
2 tablespoons butter

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make mashed potatoes.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add onion, ground beef, and garlic.
Stir and cook over high heat until meat is brown. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, brown gravy mix ( such as Knorr brown sauce mix), water salt, pepper, cooked peas and cooked diced carrots. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Spread mixture over a large buttered oven-proof casserole dish. Cover with creamy mashed potatoes.
For a nice presentation, Pipe the mashed potato over meat, using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tube.
Sprinkle with grated Swiss cheese. Spoon melted butter over cheese. Baked at 400 degrees until golden brown.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Tomato beef sauce:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each dried oregano and basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 each carrots and zucchini, grated
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Cheese sauce:
2 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt to taste

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Tomato beef sauce:
In Dutch oven, heat oil. Cook onion, garlic, oregano, basil, and thyme, for about 4 min. Add beef. Cook breaking up with spoon until no longer pink. Add mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and pepper. Cook stirring often until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and vinegar.

Cheese sauce:
In saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour, stirring for 1 minute. Add milk; whisk until sauce boils and thickens. Transfer to bowl; let cool 10 minutes. Blend in ricotta, egg and cheese.
Cook spaghetti for 5 minutes or until almost tender but still firm. Drain and toss with beef sauce.

Spread in a baking dish (13x9-inch). Spoon cheese sauce over. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes.

Serves: 6

This sauce freezes well. Allow it to cool, then transfer into freezer-proof containers and freeze up to 1 month. Defrost and reheat as desired.

• Ingredients

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried basil (optional)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 lb. (85% lean) ground beef
2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 Parmesan rind
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

• preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, garlic, dried basil (if using), oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and light golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef and break up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until beef begins to brown, about 8 minutes; season with 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.


In a medium bowl, crush tomatoes and their juices with your hands until small pieces form. Add tomatoes and Parmesan rind to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces by about one-quarter and raw tomato flavor has cooked out, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; discard Parmesan rind.

Add fresh basil, butter, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt; toss to combine until sauce is glossy and butter is melted.

Note:

Don't mistake it for these popular tomato sauces:

— Bolognese sauce isn’t spaghetti sauce, and spaghetti sauce isn’t Bolognese. Bolognese is basically a glorified ragú—a long-simmered sauce that includes carrots and celery, red wine, beef stock, and milk.
— Marinara sauce is a little less involved, featuring crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and basil. Cooked for under an hour, it’s less concentrated than sauces that have been stewing on the stove all afternoon.
— Pomodoro sauce is a quick-cooking fresh tomato sauce. Chopped fresh (not canned) tomatoes are briefly simmered with olive oil, garlic, and basil to preserve their bright flavor.

Serves: 4

• Ingredients

4 6-ounce sirloin steaks, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry basil
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup Cognac
1/2 cup brown sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• preparation

Arrange steaks in a shallow dish. Combine oil, soy sauce, basil and red wine. Pour over steaks and marinate for an hour. Sprinkle pepper over both sides of steaks.
Press peppers to adhere meat.
Heat canola oil in a cast iron frying pan over high heat. Brown steaks on both sides to the desired doneness.
Pour Cognac over steaks. Ignite.
Transfer steaks to a serving platter. Add marinade liquid, brown sauce and cream to pan.
Reduce sauce to medium thickness. Season to taste and pour sauce over steaks. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with potatoes and vegetables.

Serves: 6

Swedish meatballs, or "köttbullar," are a traditional Swedish dish that has gained popularity worldwide. They are usually made from a mixture of ground beef and ground pork, combined with breadcrumbs, egg, milk, and various spices. The meatballs are typically small in size and are often served with a rich, creamy gravy.

• Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 ground pork
1/4 cup panko or breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup onion finely chopped
½ teaspoon garlic Powder
⅛ teaspoon Pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tbsp. olive oil

5 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

• preparation

In a medium sized bowl combine ground beef, pork, panko or bread crumbs, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt and egg. Mix until combined.
Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs. In a large skillet heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add worchestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
2 pounds ground pork
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoon cumin
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or chopped ortega chiles
2 cups drained kidney beans

Corn bread pudding (optional) see recipe below

• preparation

In a thick bottom skillet, brown ground beef and pork in olive oil. Add chopped onions, peppers, celery, and garlic.
Cook to soften vegetables.
Mix in chili powder, bay leaf, ground cumin, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste paste, beef broth, red pepper flakes, or chopped Ortega chilies, and drained red kidney beans.
Simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and or lime wedges.
Or place in casserole dish and cover with Corn bread pudding, and bake.