Corned Beef Hash
I like to make hash after having a Corned Beef & Cabbage dinner. I often poach an egg per serving to put on top of the hash.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Cooked Corned Beef (About 2 Cups)
4 Medium-Size Cooked Potatoes
1 Small Yellow Onion
1/2 Large-Size Green Pepper
1 Small Celery Stalk
1 to 2 Sprigs Parsley
Poached or Fried Eggs
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop corned beef, potatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, and parsley. Combine in large-size bowl. Grease a shallow nine-inch pan. Transfer ingredients (except poached eggs) into pan. Place in oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is brown. Remove from oven and fold as you would an omelet. Serve with poached or fried eggs, catsup or thickened tomato sauce. Serves 4
© Victoria Hart Glavin
Traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner
Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day by making a traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, also known as New England Boiled Dinner, or make this delicious hearty dinner anytime of the year. Be sure to cook extra potatoes, so you’ll have enough left over for making corned beef hash.
INGREDIENTS
1 Corned Beef Brisket (5 to 6 Pounds)
1 Dried Hot Red Pepper (Optional)
2 Whole Garlic Cloves (Unpeeled)
18 Small White Onions (Peeled)
At Least 10 Medium-Sized Potatoes (Peeled & Cut In Half)
12 to 19 Carrots Depending on Size (Trimmed & Peeled)
6 Medium Parsnips (Trimmed & Peeled)
1 Large Green Cabbage Cut In 6 Wedges (About 2 Pounds)
In a large-size pot place corned beef with enough cold water to cover it by about 1 inch. Include the pickling spices that come with it and the hot red pepper. Add the garlic and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 3 hours. To test doneness poke a fork into the center. It shouldn’t fall apart, but the fork should penetrate easily. About 30 minutes before you think the meat is done, add the white onions, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. Continue to simmer until they are almost tender (20 to 25 minutes). Remove the corned beef and wrap it in foil to keep it warm. If any of the vegetables are fork-tender remove them as well. Bring the cooking liquid to a rapid boil. Drop in the cabbage wedges, with the vegetables. If you are going to use any of the potatoes for hash then hold some of them back. Cook for 10 minutes. The cabbage won’t take long to cook so make sure not to cook longer than 10 minutes. Remove cabbage and vegetables. Carve corned beef and transfer to a large-size warmed serving platter. Arrange vegetables around corned beef. Serve with mustard and horseradish. Serves 6 (with plenty of leftovers).
© Victoria Hart Glavin
Rib Eye Steak With Roasted Garlic & Fresh Thyme
Rib Eye Steaks are either bone-in or boneless that has had the fat removed by the butcher. Rib Eye Steaks come from the center rib of the beef and are extremely tender and are best cooked quickly by pan searing or grilling. Make sure to remove your steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to reach room temperature before cooking. Serve with potatoes and green vegetables.
INGREDIENTS
1 Bone-In Rib Eye Steak (2 to 2 1/2 Inches Thick)
25 Skin On & Crushed Garlic Cloves
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. In a heavy (oven safe) pan heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat until it’s just smoking. Place the Rib Eye in the pan. Brown for 5 minutes on the first side. Turn steak over in the pan and sprinkle kosher salt over it. Continue to brown on the second side for 5 minutes. While the second side is browning, add all of the garlic to the pan (with the skin on), along with the fresh thyme. Toss the garlic so that it doesn’t burn. When the second side is browned, place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes for rare, 25 minutes for medium rare. Remove pan from the oven, and place the Rib Eye on a cutting board. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Warm your plates. Cut the bone off of the steak, and then cut the steak into 1/4 inch thick slices from the short side. Place the slices on the warm plates, along with the garlic cloves and the fresh thyme. Drizzle plates with the juices from the pan, and sprinkle with a little more kosher salt to season if you like. Serves 2
© Victoria Hart Glavin
Short Ribs Braised In Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce
These delicious ribs are flavored with rich coffee, two kinds of chiles, maple syrup, and fresh lime juice. Valentine’s Day is around the corner and these ribs make a wonderful Valentine’s dinner. Serve over polenta.
INGREDIENTS
4 Dried Ancho Chiles (Wipe Clean With Damp Cloth)
2 Cup Boiling Water
1 Quartered Medium Onion
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Canned Chipotle Chiles In Adobo Sauce
2 Teaspoons Adobo Sauce
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (Pure Maple Syrup Only)
1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
3 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
6 Pounds Beef Short Ribs
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Brewed Coffee
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Throw away stem from ancho chiles. Split anchos open and throw away seeds and ribs. Soak in boiling water for 25 minutes until softened. Drain in a colander set over a bowl. Reserve ancho water for braising. Transfer anchos to a blender or food processor and puree with onions, garlic, chipotles (with the sauce), maple syrup, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Pat short ribs dry and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch heavy sauté pan over a medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown ribs in batches – about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large-size Dutch oven (or a large-size roasting pan) and arrange in 1 layer. Slowly add the to the fat remaining in the sauté pan. It will spatter and steam so please be careful. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add reserved chile soaking water (or 1 1/2 cups water if you accidently threw the chile water out), and the brewed coffee. Bring to a boil and then pour over short ribs. The liquid should reach about halfway up the sides of the ribs. Cover Dutch oven tightly with foil. Place in oven and braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until very tender. Skin fat from pan juices and serve ribs with pan juices. Serves 6
Easy Polenta
INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Water
1 Bay Leaf
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cups Cornmeal
Bring water to a boil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan with bay leaf and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook mixture over a medium heat for 2 minutes while continuing to whisk. Cover saucepan and simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes. Stir for 1 minute every 10 minutes. Make sure to replace lid after each stir. Remove from heat and throw away bay leaf. Serves 6
© Victoria Hart Glavin
Meatball Hors D’Oeuvres
If you’re planning your Super Bowl menu you must serve these delicious meatballs. They are easy to make and will be gone before kickoff. The good news is that you can make them a day in advance.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Beef
2 Egg Yolks
1/3 Cup Dry Bread Crumbs
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
3/4 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Stuffed Olives
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Tangy Barbecue Sauce
In a large-size bowl place ground beef, egg yolks, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic salt, chili powder, oregano, pepper, and olives. Mix well. Form mixture into 30 one inch balls. In a large-size skillet add olive oil and heat over a medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add meatballs and cook until well browned. Be careful not to crowd the skillet. Drain on paper towels. Warm Tangy Barbecue Sauce in a medium-size pan and pour over meatballs. Serve warm from a chafing dish. Makes 30 meatballs.
Tangy Barbecue Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Cup Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
1 Cup Strong Coffee
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a heavy saucepan combine all ingredients. Mix well and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool sauce. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until needed. Makes 2 cups.
Pot Roast à la Flamande
On winter days I love to throw a pot roast into the oven and let the aroma of a comforting pot roast dinner fill the house. There is nothing quite like sitting down to a good old fashioned pot roast dinner after anticipating it all day. If you’re cooking it in the oven you will need 3 to 4 hours. Serve with roasted potatoes.
INGREDIENTS
One 3 1/2 to 5 Pound Boneless Chuck Roast
3 Tablespoons Safflower Oil
1 Large Sliced Onion
3 Chopped Carrots
2 Large Minced Garlic Cloves
1/4 Cup Dried Sliced Porcini Mushrooms
One 12 Ounce Bottle Amber Ale
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Teaspoons Minced Fresh Thyme
2 Teaspoons Minced Fresh Rosemary
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large-size heavy bottomed Dutch Oven, heat safflower oil over a medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast all over with kosher salt and pepper. Sear in hot oil for 5 minutes on each side to form a golden brown crust. Remove roast and set aside. Add onions, carrots, and garlic to pan. Sauté for 4 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms, beer, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Smear top of roast with mustard and sprinkle with herbs. Return roast to Dutch Oven, placing on top of vegetable beer mixture. Place lid tightly on pot and place in oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours until tender. Once meat is cooked, remove roast and set aside. Strain pan juices into a gravy separator or other appropriate container, reserving vegetables to thicken sauce. Allow pan juices to rest for 10 minutes until fat has separated and risen to the top. Defat pan juices and then combine with reserved vegetables and puree until smooth. Slice roast, top with sauce and serve. Serves 4 to 6
Grilling Beef Tenderloin
Beef Tenderloin (the long muscle that runs from the rib cage to the pelvis) is the most tender and most expensive cut of beef. Tenderloin tends to lack that beefy flavor that most people crave. I think that grilling it provides that extra flavor kick that makes the whole adventure worthwhile.
Purchase a completely trimmed tenderloin. You will pay big bucks for this beauty!
Remove the tenderloin from the fridge about 45 minutes prior to grilling. You will want it to come to room temperature. Rub with olive oil, pepper and salt liberally with kosher salt. You will notice that one end is thicker than the other. You will need to tie the tenderloin for even cooking. Take the smaller end of the tenderloin and fold it under by 2 inches. Tie in place with a couple of pieces of butcher twine. Tie any other loose pieces with butcher twine as well.
Prepare your grill. You will to pile coals up on one side of the grill. This creates a hot zone, which also creates a cooler zone on the other side. This is what is known as Indirect Grilling.
After your grill is hot and ready to go you will need to sear each side of the tenderloin for 2 minutes on each of the four sides. This creates a nice crust. After searing all four sides, transfer to the cooler side of the grill. Cover the grill with the lid and allow tenderloin to cook over the indirect heat anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes. Turn only once during the cooking time. For rare the temperature should be 120 degrees, medium-rare 130 degrees, etc. It’s not a good idea to cook beyond medium as you risk having a dried out tenderloin. Tenderloin will also continue to cook a bit while resting so you should remove it just a bit earlier, from the grill, than you might think.
Remove from grill and transfer to cutting board. Rest for 15 minutes before carving. Letting it rest allows it to retain more juices during carving.
Carve and transfer to serving platter. Your guests will give you a standing ovation!
Meatloaf 2 Ways
I grew up on meatloaf and quite frankly I hated it as a kid. As I’ve grown older I like meatloaf more and more. I especially like leftover meatloaf sandwiches. Here are two ways to make meatloaf. If you haven’t made it in awhile give it a spin and see if either of these recipes work for you.
Nana’s Classic
1 Medium Chopped Onion
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Large Shredded Carrot
1 Diced Celery Rib
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 1/2 Pounds Ground Chuck
2/3 Cup Breadcrumbs
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Mustard
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/3 Cup Ketchup
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Sauté chopped onion, minced garlic cloves, shredded carrot, and diced celery in olive oil until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a large-size bowl mix ground chuck, cooked onion mixture, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, kosher salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in greased glass loaf pan and spread top with ketchup. Place in oven, uncovered, for 1 hour or until reaching target temperature. Serves 4
Nana’s Italiano
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Hot Italian Sausage
1 1/2 Pounds Ground Chuck
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Chopped Sundried Tomatoes
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
3 Teaspoons Dried Basil
3 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/3 Cup Marinara Sauce
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large-size bowl combine the Italian sausage, ground chuck, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, sundried tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, kosher salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in greased glass loaf pan and spread the top with marinara sauce. Place in oven, uncovered, for 1 hour or until reaching target temperature. Serves 4
A Few Words About Hamburgers
A delicious, juicy, tender hamburger can be yours, if you choose the right ground beef. The amount of fat directly contributes to the juiciness of the burger, so the leaner the beef, the drier the burger. Some markets state the cut of beef used for grinding while other indicate the percentage of fat in the grind. Some markets do both. Here are the three grinds that most shops carry:
Ground Sirloin
Ground sirloin has only 7 percent fat which makes it the leanest ground beef, but it can make a dense burger if overcooked. To combat dryness add 2 tablespoons of a wet condiment like teriyaki sauce, pesto, Dijon mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise for every pound of ground sirloin.
Ground Round
Ground round is a great choice for hamburgers because it has 15 percent fat.
Ground Chuck
Ground chuck is the ground beef of choice for many burger lovers. It has a relatively high fat content at 20 percent fat which makes a very juicy and very rich burger.
Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken
There are some people who prefer ground turkey or chicken for their burgers. Both must be cooked through so care must be taken to prevent dryness. Make sure to incorporate moisture by adding one of the ingredients suggested for ground sirloin. Also mix in 2 tablespoons of dried bread crumbs. As the meat heats and the fat melts the bread crumbs absorb and retain the fat that would otherwise drip out of the patty.
Shrinkage
Hamburgers shrink during cooking and a perfectly shaped raw patty can end up looking like a hockey puck. To avoid this, shape about 5 ounces of ground meat into a 4 inch round. Then make an indentation about 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick in the top. As the meat cooks the indentation will equalize the shrinkage.
No Don’t Do It!
Never Ever press on a hamburger to speed its cooking. You’ll squeeze out the precious fat and juices that make the burger taste so good. Yes, we’ve all done it…just resist that innate urge to do it again!
Camille’s Guacamole Bacon Burgers
Add some green to your Red, White & Blue! This July 4th kick up the classics and put a little green in your Red White & Blue with fresh avocado.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Egg
1 Pound Thick Cut Bacon (About 8 Slices)
2 Avocados
1 Chopped Tomato
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1/2 Cup Salsa
1/2 Lemon or Lime
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Lettuce for Garnish
1 Tomato for Garnish
Pickles for Garnish
Start by cooking the bacon, in a large size skillet over a medium heat, on the stove until you have your desired crispiness. While the bacon is cooking put the ground beef into a large size bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the egg. Mix together. With your hands separate the meat mixture into 4 equal balls. Have one of the meat balls in one hand and with the other hand press down with your palm to make a patty. Repeat this process until you have finished with all four. Place onto a plate and set aside. After the bacon is cooked place onto paper towels to drain. With the same pan that you used to cook the bacon place the beef patties. Obviously, this is definitely a calorie splurge, but it really does add a lot of flavor to the burgers. Cook the patties for 6 to 8 minutes per side. If you have a meat thermometer then the temperature goal is 160º F on the inside of the burger.
While the burgers are cooking make the guacamole. Cut up one of the tomatoes into small cubes and put into a medium size bowl. Add the 2 avocados. The avocados should be ripe so that they are easy to mash plus tastes much better. Add the cilantro, salsa, lemon or lime juice, kosher salt and pepper. Mash together with a potato masher, but leave somewhat chunky. This is really easy to do and super delicious! Now that the burgers are done cooking and you’ve made the guacamole take 4 buns and place the patties on the buns. Top with guacamole, bacon and add the toppings of your choice: Mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles and enjoy! Make 4
