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Beef

Beef, Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes

Meatballs & Spaghetti ~ Mike Maroni Style

November 25, 2012

There’s something to be said for a good meatball.  You start with ground beef which by itself is nothing special, until you transform it with flavorful ingredients. Though meatballs take a bit more time than say a hamburger patty, you will be rewarded in the end.  I was watching a Bobby Flay Throwdown episode one afternoon and the challenge of the day was meatballs and spaghetti one of my favorite dishes.  So I dropped whatever chore I was doing and plopped down on my big comfy chair and watched the entire show.

Mike Maroni was Bobby’s opponent.  Maroni is noted for his grandma’s famous meatball recipe. Bobby makes some terrific food and typically wins the Throwdown but in this case, Mike defeated Bobby.  I had to have that recipe.  The original recipe calls for ground chuck and a lot more cheese, twice as much cheese!  I adapted the recipe and used ground sirloin which is leaner, and less cheese but go ahead and use ground chuck and all of the cheese if you desire.

With 3 ounces of cheese, 3 eggs and breadcrumbs the meat mixture is quite rich and makes for a very tender meatball.

Maroni bakes his meatballs on a sheet pan rather than browning in a skillet which is more time consuming.  I line a 16 3/4 x 12 inch jelly roll pan with heavy duty foil for easy clean up.

Maroni’s Meatballs (my variation)

About 18 meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound ground sirloin or ground chuck

1/2 cup + breadcrumbs

1/4 c milk

3 large eggs

2 ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano (about 1/2 cup)

1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano Regianno (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 c finely minced onion

3 medium garlic cloves

4 tablespoons finely chopped basil

4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a large baking pan with heavy duty foil.

In a large bowl gently break apart the ground sirloin with a fork.  Add all other ingredients and mix lightly (I use disposable gloves) just until combined.  You may add  more breadcrumbs if you feel the mixture is too soft however it should not be too firm or the meatballs will be dense and dry.  Very gently (do not pack) form into 18 meatballs, approximately the size of a golf ball.  Place meatballs on prepared baking pan so they do not touch one another.  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Heat your favorite tomato sauce and add meatballs to the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Serve on spaghetti noodles with extra cheese.

If I’m not feeding a crowd, I freeze the leftover meatballs in plastic containers with waxed paper between each layer.  Defrost in the refrigerator the morning you plan to have them for dinner then simmer the meatballs in tomato sauce to warm up.

 

Beef, Chicken, Dinner, Japanese, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Granny’s Teriyaki Sauce

November 20, 2012

 

A recipe named after “Granny” might not sound all that exciting but if you love homemade teriyaki sauce this is really delicious. My mom gave me her recipe card for this sauce a long time ago and she made a note on it “the best.”  She was right. It’s the best teriyaki sauce I have ever had.

The secret ingredient that makes this sauce so tasty is sherry.  So go ahead and buy a bottle of sherry.  Not the cooking sherry they sell in the condiment aisle, decent sherry like Hartley & Gibson’s Amontillado sherry which you can find at a full service grocery store or liquor store.  Stash the bottle in your cupboard until your next craving for really good teriyaki sauce, it will last indefinitely.

You can use this marinade for chicken, tofu, fish and beef.  I use part of the sauce to marinate whatever I’m cooking and simmer the rest of the sauce until it becomes thick and syrupy.  I drizzle this on grilled chicken, tofu or fish and finish with a few sliced green onions before serving.  Really good.

Granny’s Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)

4 tablespoons sherry (Hartley & Gibson’s or similar quality)

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 large garlic cloves chopped

green onions, sliced (use a good amount since they tend to shrink quite a bit once mixed into the sauce)

Preparation

Combine sugar with soy sauce and sherry until the sugar has dissolved.  Add oil, garlic and chopped green onions.

Use to marinate boneless chicken breasts chicken thighs, or your favorite cut of steak for about 3 hours.  For tofu and fish such as salmon or ahi marinate for just one hour or so.  Turn pieces occasionally.

Note: Prior to marinating your chicken, fish, beef or tofu reserve part of the sauce and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes on medium low heat.  Watch so the sauce does not boil and burn.  You can do this in advance, the sauce will thicken as it cools.  Drizzle over grilled chicken, fish, beef or tofu.  Sprinkle on green onions and roasted sesame seeds before serving. For a larger quantity of meat double the recipe.

Beef, Dinner, Italian, Recipes

Ragu alla Bolognese

October 5, 2012

Here is a recipe I adapted from Saveur magazine.  It’s a rustic dish I think your family and friends will really enjoy.  Once you add all the ingredients to your pan, the meat sauce will simmer for 2 1/2 hours and you’ll have time to tidy up the kitchen before your guests arrive.

A mirepoix of celery, carrots and onion.

Ragu alla Bolognese

6 – 8 servings

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion peeled and finely minced (about 1 cup)

1/2 medium carrot finely minced (about 1/2 cup)

1 large celery stalk finely minced (about 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use lean ground sirloin)

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup hot milk

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 28 oz. can tomato purée (I use Muir Glen)

salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat oil in a large sauce pan (I use my 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the celery and carrots and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Start with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Break up the meat and cook just until the meat is still slightly pink.  Do not fry or brown the meat.  Add the wine and cook, stirring until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the hot milk stirring the meat mixture occasionally until the milk has evaporated, about 8 – 10 minutes.

While the meat is simmering in the milk, heat the broth and tomato purée together over medium high heat until hot.  Add this to the meat once the milk has evaporated.

Reduce the heat and gently simmer uncovered for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with more salt and pepper before serving.

It is equally delicious served on spaghetti, wide pasta noodles such as pappardelle or short pasta shapes like rigatoni.  A generous sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano completes the dish.

***The sauce freezes well.  Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and heat gently before serving.  The meat sauce makes a delicious filling for lasagna.

 

 

Beef, Dinner, Korean, Recipes

Korean Style Hamburger Patties

September 21, 2012

My recipe card says “Korean Buns.”  My mom used to make these for me and my friends when they would come over for a slumber party.  The name of this dish derives from the “Korean” ingredients my mom added to the ground beef that she spread thinly on split hot dog buns. The buns would be placed on a baking sheet and set under the broiler for a few minutes until the meat was cooked through and nicely browned.  These were the perfect slumber party snack.  My variation is to make mini patties which can be eaten with rice and Japanese pickles. Leftover patties make a satisfying bento lunch.

These patties pair perfectly with white rice.

I include water chestnuts in the patties which adds a nice crunch. They remind me of jicama adding texture to the patties without affecting the flavor of the other ingredients.

Diced water chestnuts

Form the meat into small patties and either fry or if time permits heat up the barbecue grill.

Japanese pickles (radish and cucumbers).

Korean Patties with watercressOn another occasion I added a few handfuls of chopped watercress to the patties.  The watercress along with the water chestnuts add a pleasant crunch to these savory patties.

Korean Style Hamburger Patties

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (I use lean ground sirloin)

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts

3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 heaping teaspoon sugar

1 whole egg

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl add onion, green onion, garlic and water chestnuts to ground beef.  Mix gently with a fork to combine ingredients.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and mix again.  Add whole egg and mix until all ingredients are distributed well.  Lightly form meat mixture into small patties (2 1/2 inch).

In a large non-stick fry pan heat 1 – 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium high heat.  When the pan is hot, add half of the patties.  Fry for 3 minutes then flip patties over and fry for another 3 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through (cooking time will depend on the size of your patties).  Repeat with the remaining patties.

They are especially delicious served with white or brown rice, Japanese pickles and Kabocha No Toroni (Kabocha squash simmered in rice wine and soy sauce).

***You may grill the patties however I prefer to pan-fry them which ensures they have a nice crust on them. And by all means, try the recipe the way my mom made it; spread meat mixture on split hot dog buns and finish under the broiler.

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