Garlic Roast Beef

Roast beef is such a treat, and it's amazingly simple to make.  I love mine on the rare side, so feel free to cook it to a higher internal temperature if you want it cooked more thoroughly.  Tonight I served it over Beef Risotto and green beans with bacon.  

Ingredients

2-3 lbs top round roast

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp seasoning salt or other steak seasoning

2-3 cloves garlic, minced(I used roasted garlic)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  While the oven is heating, place your roast in your roasting pan and let it rest about 10-20 minutes.  Combine olive oil, seasoning salt, and garlic in a bowl and mix together.   Rub the mixture over all of the meat, covering all sides well, then place back in the roasting pan fat side up.  

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, then reduce heat to 275 degrees, leaving the roast in the oven.  Bake for one hour, then take the internal temperature.  I took mine out when it reached 120 degrees, then let it rest for 15 minutes with foil wrapped around it to keep in the heat.  Slice, and enjoy.

Steak Pot Pie

Pot pie is delicious.  What's that you say?  You've only had frozen pot pies?  Well, you haven't lived until you've eaten this hot, savory beef slathered in sauce and golden crust.  Try it, you'll like it.  This delicious dish is something I adapted from Alton Brown, and it's worth the time involved.  This is what I call a "day off dish" because it takes time to prepare.  As always, feel free to add whatever you'd like to suit your tastes, as I am a picky eater.

Ingredients
2 lbs Steak.  Use any kind.  I used 2 leftover filets from last night's dinner.
3-4 potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes
1 cube beef bouillon
2 tbsp olive oil
1tsp balsamic vinegar
8 oz thinly sliced mushrooms
2 cloves roasted garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 c beef stock
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c Cabernet
4 slices of bacon, cut into small squares and fried crispy
1 thawed puff pastry sheet
1 egg white, beaten

Directions
Season the steak with your desired seasonings and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat, and sauté the steak until browned.  Remove steak from pot and set aside.   I cheated and used leftover steak grilled medium rare from last night's dinner, so I just took it from the fridge and cut it into bite-sized pieces, no need to brown.

So easy when you use leftovers!

Peel and diced 3-4 potatoes.  Put the potatoes into a separate pan and boil with 1 cube of beef bouillon.  When the potatoes are soft, drain and set aside.

Using the same pot as the steak, sauté the mushrooms, salt, and roasted garlic over medium heat, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the balsamic vinegar.  Add the beef stock and tomato paste, and stir until incorporated.  Add smoked paprika, oregano, and thyme and stir well.  Add steak and potatoes and reduce the heat to low.  Cover the pot and let simmer for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you haven't already thawed your puff pastry sheet, this is the time to do it.  Preheat your oven to 375. Cut your bacon into small squares and fry it up.  Drain and set aside.

Combine the cabernet with your cornstarch, and be sure to get out all of the clumps.  Turn the heat up to medium-high, and pour in the cornstarch, stirring constantly.  Simmer until thickened, around 5-10 minutes.  Pour into a round glass baking dish.  Add bacon liberally across the top.

Place the puff pastry sheet across the top of the dish, and cut off the excess, crimping the top along the edges.  Brush the top with egg white and poke a few air holes in the top for the steam to escape as it is baking. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

There you have it!  I had a bit of trouble getting it served out of the baking dish in one lovely piece, but it tasted so good.  I served it with roasted green beans and bacon and parmesan cheese, and it was a meal the entire family enjoyed.

Messy but delicious

Better On Day 2 Steakhouse Chili Soup

I love soup, as you've probably read on this blog.  Even in 106 degree heat here in Vegas today, I found myself craving chili.  My chili is very easy to make, not too spicy, and tastes even better on day 2.  I make it soupy because I love to add cheese, sour cream, and lots of crackers until it is practically a solid substance.  The extra liquid makes the crackers extra good.  Make any modifications you would like to suit your tastes and the ingredients you may have on hand.  The beauty of chili is you can make it a million ways and it is always delicious.

Ingredients

1 lb+ beef.  You can use ground beef, or cubed up steak.  Tonight I used 1 1/2 lbs of thinly cubed tri tip steak.

1 cup beef broth

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cans chili beans--16oz each.  I used Bush's Mild Chili Beans tonight.

1 can tomato sauce

46oz bottle V-8 Spicy Hot juice

1 tbsp masa or other thickener

Seasonings to your taste:

Seasoning Salt

Garlic Powder

Chili Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Served with:

Sour Cream

Shredded Colby Jack cheese

Saltines or Oyster crackers

Brown the beef in your soup pot to save cleanup time.  If you are using ground beef, be sure to drain after browning and return to the pan.  Season with seasoning salt and garlic powder to suit your taste.  I don't measure, I just eyeball it.  Add one cup beef broth and worcestershire sauce to browned beef and let it simmer for about 2 minutes.

Add both cans of chili beans, tomato sauce, V-8, Cayenne pepper and chili powder to beef over mid-high heat.  While it starts to bubble, take 1 tbsp of masa, flour, or cornstarch--whatever thickener you prefer and have on hand--and stir it into 1/4 cup of water and mix well.  Stir this slowly into your chili until it has been mixed in.  Reduce heat.  I allow my chili to simmer for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better with chili because the spices blend the longer you let it cook. Unfortunately at our house dinner tends to be a last minute thing, so we cook it for the minimum before digging in.  This is what makes it better on day 2 at our house, that is if you are lucky enough have leftovers for work tomorrow.

Serve in bowls with a spoonful of sour cream and shredded colby jack cheese and lots of crackers for a satisfying meal.