beef

Viva Poblano

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Viva Poblano! How can such small pepper plants produce so many poblanos?  When it rains, it pours!  It seems as though we have peppers coming out of our ears: jalapeño peppers, Marconi sweet peppers, poblano peppers, bell peppers, and finally habanero peppers. I have roasted, baked, dried, and pickled peppers in all sorts of delicious ways. Today’s dish is a Mexican specialty that showcases the smoky taste of poblanos. It’s a meal in itself. To tone down the heat, always add cheese. Permission granted. 

VIVA POBLANO 

Ingredients:

4 large poblano chiles, roasted, halved, seeded, skins removed

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions. Add ground beef, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until meat is completely brown and crumbly. Remove from heat. Spray four individual casserole dishes with nonstick oil. Place one poblano pepper in the bottom of each dish, laying the split pepper open to fill the dish. Cover the pepper with Monterey Jack cheese. Add a layer of seasoned ground beef mixture. Finally top with cheddar cheese. Spray aluminum foil with nonstick oil. Cover each casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve with chips and salsa. 

Wagyu Smash Burger

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Wagyu Smash Burger! Has anyone besides me noticed the growing popularity of smash burgers? It seems every sports bar menu raves about the monstrous sandwich with unbelievable crispy craggy edges followed by umami crunch. In my day, it used to be called a burnt hamburger because Dad got distracted watching the game. Not so any more. With an interior juiciness that runs down your chin, you can’t help but be satisfied. Most times, once it is assembled, this is a two-handed burger addiction you can’t put down. Burger World take notice, you just got a new member of the smash burger club. 

WAGYU SMASH BURGER

Ingredients: 

2 pounds of Wagyu beef, ground

4 slices provolone cheese

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

4 brioche buns, sesame seed tops

4 teaspoons butter, room temperature 

Instructions: 

Place an iron griddle on the grill grates. Close the lid and preheat the gas grill to 450°. Form the Wagyu beef into 4 balls. Using a wide heavy spatula, press down firmly on each ball to make an even pattie as thin as possible. Sprinkle both sides with sea salt, black pepper, and seasoned salt. Transfer the patties to the iron skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges are brown and crispy forming a crust on the bottom. Flip and add a slice of provolone cheese. Cook for 2 minutes longer to melt the cheese. At this time butter the cut sides of each brioche bun. While the cheese is melting on the smash burgers, place the buttered buns on the grill to toast. To serve, stack the cheesy smash burgers on the toasted buns. Add desired toppings including lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and condiments. 

Hot Dog Coney Island Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Hot Dog Coney Island Sauce! Sometimes it’s a treat to dress up an ordinary grilled hot dog with a thick tangy coney sauce bursting with flavor. Now you can make your own secret sauce to keep on hand for that weekend picnic…or any time. 

HOT DOG CONEY ISLAND SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons butter

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups catsup

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon basil, crushed

Instructions:

In a large sauce pan, lightly brown the onion and garlic in butter.  Remove from heat. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Return to heat and cook on medium until the beef is crumbled and cooked. Cover and simmer on low setting for one hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with grated cheese, green onion snips, and mustard. 

Quesabirria Tacos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Quesabirria Tacos! One of the advantages of living in Florida is the convenience of a year-round food truck park located along a scenic waterway. It attracts a plethora of local vendors intertwining their cultural and generational street foods that offer appealing taste opportunities for locals, tourists, and foodie enthusiasts alike. You’ll see everything from gourmet lobster rolls, decadent desserts, fresh seafood, authentic gyros, sesame tofu, elote fritters, thirst-quenching cocktails at the waterfront bar, and more. When my son visited me recently, he suggested we go check it out. It was there he introduced me to my first taste of Quesabirria Tacos. It was love at first bite. What better way to kick back, bask in the tropical breezes, enjoy the live music, and catch up on each other’s lives. Well done, Son. 

QUESABIRRIA TACOS

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 small onion, quartered

2 guajillo chiles 

1 ancho chile, dried

1 Roma tomato, quartered

2 cloves garlic 

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup beef broth

12 corn tortilla shells

2 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Cilantro, for garnish 

Green onions, chopped, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Place a Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat. Warm the olive oil. When it is hot, season the beef with salt and pepper. Add beef chunks to the pan and sear all sides, turning as needed. Add half the onions and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat. Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the guajillo peppers and ancho chile pepper. In a medium pot, combine the chiles, tomatoes, remaining onions, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Add 2 cups water to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat; turn heat down to simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Add oregano, cumin powder, and thyme. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Pour the mixture into a strainer over a bowl. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf; discard. Transfer the solids to a blender, adding the beef broth, and purée until smooth. Return the beef mixture to the burner on medium-high heat. Pour the blended vegetables over the beef. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat, cover pan and cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until beef is soft and tender. Once the beef is completely cooked, using tongs, take the beef out of the sauce. Use two forks to shred the cooked meat. Set aside. To assemble the tacos, warm a skillet over medium-high heat. Dip one corn tortilla into the sauce to coat both sides. Place the dipped tortilla onto the skillet. Top with shredded beef and Mexican cheese blend. Fold over the tortilla; frying it for one minute per side until crispy. Transfer Quesabirria taco to a baking sheet. Repeat process until all corn tortillas are assembled. Keep warm in a 250° oven. When ready to eat, ladle birria sauce into individual bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and chopped green onions. To eat, dip each taco into the seasoned broth. Enjoy!

Lavash Fajita Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Lavash Fajita Flatbread! Lavash is a Turkish flatbread rolled into thin sheets and baked. Its texture is soft and pliable, which also makes it ideal for sandwich wraps or quesadillas. You can often find it in the Deli Department of your local grocery. The size I chose fit perfectly on a 9”x12” baking sheet. A typical package contains 4 sheets of lavash. Being a healthy option for the bread group, lavash contains fewer calories, less carbs, and is low in fat. When making a lavash flatbread pizza, show restraint when adding ingredients. Too many toppings can turn it into a soggy mess. 

LAVASH FAJITA FLATBREAD 

Ingredients: 

1 sheet of Lavash bread; flax, oat bran, and whole wheat variety

3 tablespoons marinara sauce

1/2 cup chihuahua cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 cup shredded fajita meat mixture with sautéed peppers and onions 

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Drizzled ranch dressing, if desired. 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Place the lavash flatbread onto the pan. Spread marinara sauce evenly over all. Layer shredded chihuahua cheese on top. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Arrange fajita meat and vegetables over the cheese layer. Bake 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges of the flatbread are crispy. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs. Drizzle with prepared ranch dressing. Serve immediately. 

Tiki Tacos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Tiki Tacos! There was a time I could eat a dozen tacos at one sitting. Seriously. I was 20 years old, working two full time jobs and rode my bicycle everywhere!  Nowadays, I show a little more restraint and stop after two tacos. But it’s still one of my favorite meals. Sometimes I use corn tortilla shells and other times I use flour. The shell determines which spices to use. Today it’s flour tortillas. 

TIKI TACOS

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

8 flour tortillas

1/4 cup butter, melted

Lettuce, torn

Tomato, chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, sliced

1/2 cup prepared salsa

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium skillet, brown ground beef. Drain. Stir in garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Brush one side of tortillas with butter. Spoon about 1/4 cup of meat mixture onto center of unbuttered sides. Fold in half; place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and meat is distributed evenly between them. Bake in the oven about 15 minutes or until tortilla shells are crisp. Remove from oven and serve with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Spoon salsa over too and garnish with jalapeño pepper slices. 

Loco Moco

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Loco Moco! Living up to its name, this breakfast food is actually one of Hawaii’s local favorites. The serving size is so generous you might think it’s way too much for breakfast. I didn’t eat the rest of the day after trying it at a local restaurant there. However, when you prepare it at home, you have more control over serving sizes as well as the time of day for this meal. Basically, it is composed of four layers. The bottom is fried rice, the middle is a beef patty, the next is an egg over easy. And the top layer is a ladle of gravy. Don’t knock it till you try it!

LOCO MOCO

Ingredients for Rice Layer:

1 cup prepared brown rice

1 strips bacon, crisp and crumbled 

1 beef patty, crumbed*

2 ounces smoked sausage, 

cut-up

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons onion, cut-up

*Hawaiians favor SPAM. 

Instructions for Rice Layer:

In large skillet add sesame oil and sauté onions. Add remaining ingredients. Stir fry to blend flavors. Set aside. 

Ingredients for Beef Patty Layer:

4 1/4-pound beef patties 

1 can beef consommé 

Dash of pepper

Instructions for Beef Patty Layer:

Cook beef in consommé until tender. I did this the day before in my slow-cooker. It’s worth the effort! Save the broth for turning into gravy. 

Ingredients for Egg Layer:

4 fresh eggs

Instructions for Egg Layer:

Cook on stove to make eggs over-easy (or sunny-side up) so the yolks are still runny. 

Ingredients for Gravy Layer:

1 cup beef consommé*

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

*Add water if necessary to make one cup of liquid. 

Instructions for Gravy Layer:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour to the butter and stir to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the consommé juices and stir until thickened. 

Now serve by assembling the layers in a shallow bowl: rice, beef, egg, and gravy. Loco Moco!

Happy Hobo Picnic

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking featuring a Happy Hobo Picnic! The best thing about this recipe is ANY combination of meat and vegetables can be used!  No more picky eaters. Everyone chooses the vegetables they favor that appeal to their personal taste buds. And clean-up is a snap leaving more time for recreation, shopping, and fun!

HAPPY HOBO PICNIC

Ingredients:

2 pounds of beef tips, marinated 

1 onion, sliced

4 new red potatoes, sliced

1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut up

2 ears of corn, cut into thirds

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence 

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

Dash black pepper

6 tablespoons butter, sliced

Beef Tip Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup garlic wine vinegarette 

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over beef tips. Cover. Allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove tips and discard marinade. 

Instructions for Hobo Packets:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Prepare foil packets for single serving. Layer beef, onion, carrots, corn, and potatoes. Season with spices to taste. Place 1 tablespoon of sliced butter in each packet. Wrap foil around food and seal tightly. Grill 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Carefully open each packet and serve. Caution: Steam will escape packets when opened. 

Beef Au Jus

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Beef au Jus! Talk about a no-brainer.  This is a great meal when you have no time.  I pop a frozen beef roast into my Le Creuset covered roaster first thing in the morning and let it slow cook all day long.  By the time I return, the mouth-watering aroma greets me at the door.  Then all I have to do is add peeled potatoes, baby carrots, and some red wine.  A nice French Bordeaux adds richness and balance.  Go ahead and pour a glass for yourself and relax!  An hour later, dinner is served. Bon Appétit!

BEEF AU JUS

Ingredients:

3 lb. Beef Roast

1 can Beef Consommé 

Herbs de Provence

4 Idaho Potatoes 

1 lb. bag of Baby Carrots

1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms 

1 cup Dry Red Wine

Directions:

Put frozen beef roast, herbs de Provence seasoning, and one can of beef consommé into a covered roaster. Set oven to 285 °.  Let it slow cook for 6-8 hours.  The meat will be juicy and fork-tender.  Add peeled and cut-up potatoes, baby carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Pour one cup of dry red wine over all. Cover.  Bake for one hour, or until tender.   Serve with crusty bread and dip into the “au jus”.  It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to drink it!

***Option:  The potatoes may be mashed with butter and milk.  Leave a few lumps for texture.  Top with “au jus”.