Where's the Beef?!!

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Country Beef Stew


2 lbs. Round steak, cut into 1” cubes (or 2lbs. beef cubes)
2 medium red onions, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½” pieces
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup burgundy wine
1 ½ cups beef stock
cooked egg noodles

In a large bowl, mix together thoroughly the beef cubes, onions, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, 2 Tbsp. canola oil and vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two (2) days; occasionally turning ingredients.

Remove cubes and place in a large plastic bag. Add in flour, close the bag and shake; coat cubes thoroughly. In a 12” non-stick skillet, heat ¼ cup of oil on high heat and brown the cubes on all sides. Drain on paper towels; remove to a 2-quart round casserole dish and mix in the marinated vegetables.
Drain oil from the skillet; deglaze the pan with the wine and gradually stir in the beef stock. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Cover with the plastic wrap and put back into the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 F. Cook for three (3) hours, stirring occasionally, and serve over the cooked egg noodles.

Serves six.

Recipe Origin: I don't like quick cook stews for they don't let the meat become tender. This recipe takes a lot of time, but is definitely worth the wait.

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Just like my grandma used to make, but she handmade her phyllo dough.


Yugoslavian Burek (Borek) Recipe

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 box phyllo pastry sheet (12 inches x 17 inches)
3/4 cup butter, melted


Instructions
Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Saute the onion until soft, and then add the beef, spices, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the meat is crumbly but not dry. Cool completely before you continue.

Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Brush with some of the butter. Place a heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture acrosss the sheet along the long side, 2 inches from edge. Fold the bottom over the meat mixture and roll into a snake shape. Cut the roll in half and coil each roll into a snail shape. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and butt the end up against the edge of the pan to prevent uncoiling. Brush with additional butter.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden.

Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo dough covered with plastic, and work quickly to prevent in from drying out.

Hint on handling phyllo dough: Be sure the dough is at room temperature before you open the box. Place the sheets of dough on a large cookie sheet and cover them with plastic wrap and then a heavy towel. In this way, they will not dry out while you are working with them. Work fast for best results and do not have the butter too hot when brushing the dough.

Yield: 18 to 20

Credits
Recipe from: The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors by Jeff Smith (Wm Morrow)

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Steak Fajitas


This serves 6 people.


2 lbs. round steak, cut in strips

1 large onion, cut into narrow strips

1 large red bell pepper, cut into narrow strips

1/2 cup of lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

2 tomatoes, diced

Sour cream to taste

Tortillas

2 cups monterey jack cheese.

Salsa for dipping


In a bowl, marinate steak strips, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for 15 minutes. After marinating, transfer to a skillet and saute' until cooked to your preference (I prefer medium-rare for better flavor). In a separate skillet, saute' the onion and bell pepper until the edges start to blacken, but do not burn. Warm tortillas. Place a few beef strips, onion/bell pepper strips into the tortillas and top with diced tomato, sour cream and cheese. You can also top with salsa if you desire.

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Sirloin Steak A La Backa

Ingredients

1 1/2 tb red wine vinegar
1 1/4 tb honey
1 cup beef broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
4 tb tomato paste
2 tb olive oil
2lbs round steak; trimmed of fat,
cut in 8 pieces
1 lg yellow onion; sliced
1 medium apple; peeled, cored, cut into 1/4" slices.


Preparation:

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the vinegar, honey, broth, tomatoes and paste;
set aside. In a 10 inch nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil and high heat.
Sear the steak for about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels andclean out the skillet. Return the steak to the skillet. Add the onion,
apple and liquid mixture. Cover and cook on low heat for 25-30 minutes,
stirring frequently. Serve over cooked noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Slow-Cooked Swiss Steak


INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds beef round steak, cut in 6 to 8 serving-size pieces, pounded to tenderize
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 to 3 cups thinly sliced onion
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomatoes, or 4 to 5 medium tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup beef broth

PREPARATION:

Combine flour, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Baste steak pieces with Worcestershire sauce, then dredge in the flour mixture. Heat oil over medium-high heat and brown steak pieces about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer steak to slow cooker/Crock Pot. Sprinkle garlic and celery over steak, then add the sliced onion and tomatoes. Pour beef stock into the hot skillet to loosen brown bits; pour over steak. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours (on high 4 to 5 hours).

Serves 6 to 8.

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Gravy Train
(beefy barbecue macaroni)


Ingredients:

3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Additional cheddar cheese, optional

Preparation:

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the macaroni, barbecue sauce, pepper.

In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in cheese until melted. Pour over the macaroni mixture; gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.

Makes 4 servings.