Filet of Beef with Mustard Herb Crust

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary, finely crumbled
1 Tbsp. dried thyme, finely crumbled
1 filet of beef
Vegetable oil for sautéing
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, olive oil, savory, and thyme. Trim the meat of all excess fat and silverskin. Tie each roast at 2-inch intervals.

Heat the oven to 450°F. Heat a heavy-duty roasting pan or large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in enough vegetable oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Pat the filets dry, salt them generously, and lay them in the pan; cook without disturbing them until the bottoms are a rich brown. Turn the beef and sear the other sides. It will take about 4 minutes per side (there are three or four sides per roast) to get a good sear.

When the filets are seared, transfer them to a cutting board, brush them with the mustard and herb mix, and then generously grind fresh pepper over them. Put a rack in the roasting pan, lay the meat on the rack, and roast until the internal temperature reaches 120°F for medium rare, about 20 minutes (Check after 15 minutes; roasting time will vary depending on searing time.) Remove the filets from the oven and let them rest in a warm spot for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Inspired by: http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/roasted-filet-of-beef-with-whole-grain-mustard-herb-crust

How to Roast Beef Tenderloin 

Shepherds Pie

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup flour + salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
500ml can of Guinness or other dark beer
1 cups beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp butter
8 oz package brown or white mushrooms
Garlic mashed potatoes

Cook ground beef. Drain. Add chopped onion, carrot, garlic, salt and pepper to pan; cook over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour. Cook for a few minutes and gradually add beer and broth. Bring to boil and add Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook until thickened. Fry mushrooms and butter until browned and add to beef mixture. Spread in casserole dish and top with garlic mashed potatoes. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes until top is lightly browned.
Add some black beans for extra fiber and change of pace. Why not? And peas if you like them 😢

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5-6 medium potatoes cooked with 3 bulbs garlic
1/4 cup milk
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp parmesan
salt and pepper 

Sunday Roast

1 beef roast
oil
6 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon corn starch

Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons Montreal steak spice
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Combine seasoning mix in a small bowl. Set aside. Coat both sides of meat with oil. Sprinkle a third of the seasoning mix onto each side. Sear both sides of the meat. Transfer roast to slow cooker.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle on a little oil to coat vegetables. Sprinkle on the remaining seasoning mix. Add the vegetables to the same skillet that was used to sear the meat. Sauté for about five minutes - stirring occasionally.

Transfer the vegetables to the top of the roast in the slow cooker. Can also cook carrots and potatoes separately in oven, about 45 minutes at 375. Pour in the beef broth. Cover with lid. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

Scoop out cooking juices from the slow cooker. Transfer juices to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat on the stovetop. Whisk together the cornstarch with a little water. Blend into the pan juices while whisking. Bring back to a simmer until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve with Yorkshire Pudding.

Meatballs-Hungarian Style

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 small onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg, beaten
1 pound lean ground beef

Mix all ingredients together and form into small balls. Precook at 350F for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Can be added uncooked into Hungarian Goulash 1 hour before serving.

To try: fry onions, carrots and celery until soft. Purée and add to hamburger with breadcrumbs soaked in milk, eggs, nutmeg, s&p, Worcestershire and garlic powder.

Hungarian Goulash

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tbsp crushed caraway seeds
pinch hot pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 can water
salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1/2 - 1 cup sour cream
1 recipe Meatballs (click link)


Fry the onion, peppers, carrots and garlic in 2 tbsp oil until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add another tablespoon of oil, paprika, caraway seeds and hot pepper flakes. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker and add tomatoes, water and bay leaves.

Cook on low for 4 hours. Add meatballs and cook for another hour until meatballs are cooked through. Add the sour cream to a medium bowl and mix in a few ladles of sauce to temper it then pour the entire thing back into the pot and stir well. Cook for another 1/2 hour to blend the flavours and heat through.

Serve over egg noodles.


Note: Can be cooked on cooktop but it burns easily and spatters everywhere!

Inspired from: http://www.itheecook.com/2015/02/slow-cooker-hungarian-meatball-goulash.html

Korean Beef

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you like it)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced
Rice, cooked
Cilantro 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions and cilantro.


From: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/02/korean-beef-and-rice.html

German Meatballs with Jäger Sauce

1 pound ground pork (or use sausage meat)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup Dijon mustard or grainy mustard
1 small finely chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
½ tsp caraway seed, ground
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp celery powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg beaten
½ cup breadcrumbs
salt & pepper


Mix all together and form into small balls. Bake in 375F oven until cooked through. Serve with Jäger Sauce.

Jäger Sauce (Hunters Sauce)
1 tbsp bacon fat (optional)
4 tbsp Butter
2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp dried thyme
4 tbsp Flour
3 cups beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper
Bacon, cut in pieces cooked crisp (optional)


Add the bacon fat and butter to pan. When melted add mushrooms and thyme to pan and cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Add flour to the pan and cook for a minute or two. Gradually add beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking frequently. The sauce will thicken. Season with salt and pepper.


Add the meatballs, to the sauce. Cook for a minute or two to reheat all. Sprinkle with bacon if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Boeuf Bourguignon

1 lb boneless beef sirloin tip roast or stewing beef
Flour + salt and pepper

Vegetable oil 
1/2 pound sliced bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped in large chunks 
1 leek chopped (optional, see Note)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 cup red wine, (or substitute 1 small bottle of Guinness)
1-2 cups beef broth (add as needed)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp butter
1-2 containers cremini mushrooms

Trim fat from beef; cut meat into 1-1/2-inch (4 cm) cubes and set aside. Dredge in flour/salt/pepper mixture in ziplock bag.

In Dutch oven, sauté bacon over medium-high heat until crisp; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Drain fat from pan. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil to pan; brown beef, in batches and adding remaining oil as necessary. Transfer to bowl. Add chopped onion, carrot, leek, garlic, salt and pepper to pan; cook over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine (or beer) and broth. Bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits. Add beef, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme and bay leaves. Cover and braise in 325°F (160°C) oven, 2-1/2 to 3 hours adding extra broth if needed.

Fry mushrooms and butter until browned and add to beef mixture 30 minutes before serving along with the bacon bits. Can easily be made in crockpot (reduce broth). For thicker gravy, mix 2 tbsp flour with enough olive oil to make a slurry and mix into pot. 

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, carrots or roasted vegetables (asparagus, peppers).

Substitute ground beef to make base for Shepherds Pie. Add some black beans for extra fiber and change of pace. Why not? And peas if you like them 😢

Note: Leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced


Original Recipe: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/boeuf_bourguignon.php

Taco Seasoning

This recipe is all over Pinterest. This one from The Way to His Heart blog is quite good. I've adjusted a couple of the amounts for easier measuring. Bonus is no salt.

4 Tbsp Chili Powder
4 Tbsp paprika
3 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all of the spices and store in a baggie or spice jar. Use 2 heaping tablespoons for each pound of meat plus 1/2 cup of water. Cook until most of water has evaporated.

Stuffed Peppers

1 lb lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp Taco seasoning

1 cup Salsa

1 can black beans, drained

1 cup rice (cooked)

4 peppers (red are best)
Shredded cheese

Cook beef with onion and garlic til cooked. Drain any excess fat. Sprinkle with Taco seasoning. Add salsa, beans and rice and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and white stuff. Place in a 8 x 11 pan. Stuff rice mixture into peppers halves and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, depending on how thick your peppers are.

Yield: 8

Chili

1 lb ground beef, cooked (may substitute ground chicken)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green & red pepper, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil
28 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can Accents Chili tomatoes or Salsa
1/2 can tomato paste
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
3 bay leaves
4-5 cans kidney and/or black beans

Cook onion, peppers, celery and garlic in oil until softened. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1- 1 ½ hours. This can also be made in the crock-pot by combining the cooked meat, cooked veges and then remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. Serve with crusty bread and shredded cheese.

Meatloaf

1 pound extra lean ground beef (or substitute ground turkey or chicken)
1 tsp onion powder or 1 small onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1-2 tbsp grainy mustard
1 egg
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
pepper
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
BBQ sauce

Cook the onion and pepper til soft. Combine with mustard, egg, garlic, curry, paprika, Worcestershire, ketchup and pepper. Mix with beef and add bread crumbs. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with ends of bread (helps soak up any grease) and press meat mixture into a loaf pan. 

Bake at 350 F for 30-45 minutes until no longer pink inside. Turn out onto a baking sheet, remove and discard the bread pieces and cover with BBQ sauce. Bake another 5-10 minutes. Serve with extra BBQ sauce.

Makes excellent meatballs.

Pulled Beef (Crockpot)

One 3.5 pound boneless beef chuck roast
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup ginger ale
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red chili powder
12 sandwich buns or soft hamburger buns

Place the roast in the crockpot. Combine all remaining ingredients, except buns, in bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Transfer the roast from the crockpot to serving platter, cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes before shredding meat with two forks. Place the shredded meat back in the cooker and stir to evenly coat with sauce. With tongs, pile meat onto sandwich buns and add a bit of sauce.

Serve with:
Coleslaw
Grilled veges-mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, zucchini
Roasted sweet potato/white potatoes