Archive for Beef

Juicy Cheeseburgers with Baked Smothered Fries

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I may be dating myself, but one of my favorite burger places to eat was Cool Spot, a quaint drive-in burger joint in Barrigada owned and operated by Josefina and Francisco Cruz.  The juicy burgers and hot-out-of-the-frier french fries were the perfect lunchtime meal when I was going to high school.

Anyone can make burgers at home, but to me, it’s about the special sauce that set these apart from ordinary.  You don’t have to use my recipe below, but give it a try.  The addition of my special sauce sets these apart from ordinary cheeseburgers.

Juicy burgers are not hard to make, but surprisingly, you’ll find that most homemade burgers use store-bought patties that turn out dry and hard.  Here are some tips to ensure moist, juicy burgers every time.

  1. Use ground beef that has at least 18-20% fat.  Beef that is too lean will make your burgers too dry.
  2. Do not over-handle the meat.  Add your seasonings to the meat then mix as little as possible.
  3. Do not–I repeat, do NOT smash the patties with your spatula!  Doing this squeezes out a lot of the meat’s natural juices that keep the meat moist.
  4. In addition to not pressing on the patties as they cook, another tip is to flip them one time only.  If you like rare burgers, cook them for 2 minutes on each side, 3 minutes on each side if you like them medium-rare, 4 minutes on each side for medium, and 5 minutes for well-done burgers.

Fantastic burgers go hand-in-hand with french fries, but no ordinary fries will do.  Try my version — potato slices (wedges are good too) that are generously seasoned then baked and topped with shredded cheese and bacon.  Yum!!

Give my recipes a try.  I think you’ll like them. 🙂

Juicy Burgers with Baked Smothered Fries

Ingredients for the Smothered Fries:

  • 2 large potatoes (russets are great for this)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (I use garlic-infused olive oil for more flavor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (you can add more after baking if you’d like it more salty)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese blend (I like a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, asadero and queso quesadilla)
  • 5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced

Ingredients for the Special Sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons Best Foods real mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

Ingredients for the Burgers:

  • 3 pounds ground beef, 80-82% lean
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 slices of your favorite cheese (I used American cheese in these photos)
  • 12 sesame topped burger buns
  • Optional toppings:  romaine lettuce leaves, sliced tomates, pickles, bacon strips

Directions:

1.  Prepare the fries.

Peel the potatoes then cut them into 1/4-inch sticks.  Place them onto a large baking sheet.

Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes.  Use your impeccably clean hands to toss the potatoes to evenly distribute the oil.

Sprinkle the garlic powder, chili powder, paprika and salt over the oiled potatoes.  Toss to evenly coat the potatoes.

Bake the potatoes at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

After the fries are done, taste one and add more salt if you’d like.

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and green onions on top of the fries.

Add the shredded cheese.

Bake for 5-10 more minutes, or just until the cheese melts.

Serve alongside the juicy burgers and ENJOY!

2.  Prepare the Special Sauce while the fries are baking.

In a small mixing bowl, place the mayo, mustard and ketchup.

Add the onion powder.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and relish.  Stir, mixing well.  Set aside.

3.  Make the burgers while the fries are baking.

In a large mixing bowl, place the ground beef, garlic, salt and black pepper.  You can also add some chopped onions (optional).  Mix together (do not over-mix) then separate into 12 balls.  Flatten each ball into patties, about 1/4-inch thick (they will shrink as they cook, so don’t make them too thick or you’ll have burgers that are much smaller than the buns).

Cook over a hot grill or skillet (see my tips above for how long to cook them).

Top each burger patty with a slice of cheese.

4.  Assemble the burgers.

Spread some of the Special Sauce onto each sesame bun half.  Top the bottom bun with a juicy burger patty, pickles, tomato slices, bacon strips and romaine lettuce.  Place the top bun on the assembled burger, serve with a side of Smothered Fries and ENJOY!

 

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Posted in Beef, Dinner, Lunch, MEALS, SIDES

Ground Beef Stir Fry

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Stir fried lean meat and vegetables are delicious and healthy meal choices. Use your favorite vegetables or whatever is in season.

I like using the leanest ground beef I can find — I used 96% lean ground beef in this recipe. Broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions were my vegetables of choice today, but I also love adding eggplant, zucchini, and carrots.  Use your favorite vegetables.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Ground Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Dashida
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 broccoli “crown”, cut into pieces
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 container sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, more or less, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the garlic, Dashida, and black pepper.

2. Add the broccoli, onions, bell pepper and mushrooms. Stir to combine the ingredients.

3. Add the hoisin sauce to the pan. Stir to combine. Turn the heat up to high; cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are done to your liking.

4. Stir in the soy sauce. Cook over high heat for another minute or two.

5. Serve with steamed white or brown rice and ENJOY!

 

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Posted in Beef, Dinner, Healthy Alternatives ~ Recipes, MEAT

Hannah’s Carne Asada Tacos

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My daughter loves to cook as much as I do, and she loves to experiment with new dishes.  This is her take on Carne Asada Tacos, complete with her recipes for the Marinade, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo.

Give her recipes a try.  I think you’ll like them. 🙂

Hannah’s Carne Asada Tacos

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Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds skirt steak, with excess fat trimmed off
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • Sour cream
  • Guacamole
  • Pico de gallo
  • Shredded Mexican cheese blend

Hannah’s Carne Asada Marinade:

  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • The juice of 2 oranges
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup of chopped cilantro

Hannah’s Pico de Gallo:

  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • The juice of 2 limes
  • Salt, to taste
  • Optional: chopped hot peppers

Hannah’s Guacamole:

  • 3 large avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into small pieces
  • 1 small red onion, finely minced
  • The juice of 3-4 limes
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • Optional: 1 medium tomato, diced (the guac pictured here doesn’t have any tomatoes since I made pico de gallo)
  • Optional: diced hot peppers, like jalapenos

1.  MARINADE AND GRILLING DIRECTIONS:

Mix all marinade ingredients together. Pour over the skirt steak (I recommend marinating the steak in a ziplock bag). Let the steak marinate for at least 2 hours. Grill until done to your liking. Slice the meat against the grain (so that it isn’t tough when you bite into it). 

2.  PICO DE GALLO DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the Pico de Gallo ingredients together. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Serve with your carne asada tacos.

3.  GUACAMOLE DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the guacamole ingredients together. I like to gently stir my guacamole so that you still have chunks of avocado. If you prefer, you can mash the avocados with a fork for a smooth texture. Serve with your carne asada tacos or with chips.

4.  TACO ASSEMBLY:

Grill a tortilla until warmed. Fill with slices of carne asada, some guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheese. Enjoy!

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Posted in APPETIZERS, Beef, Dinner, ETHNIC, FAMILY RECIPES, Hannah's Recipes, Lunch, Marinades, MEALS, MEAT, Mexican, SAUCES & SEASONINGS

Beef Tinaktak

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Beef Tinaktak is a delicious Chamorro dish.  It’s one of my favorite comfort foods–I love drowning my rice with the coconut milk kådu (broth).

Tinaktak–I love saying that.  I think the name came from the sound made when pounding pieces of steak with a knife to tenderize it (tak tak tak tak tak).  Well, maybe that’s not really where the name of this dish originated from, but it sounds good, doesn’t it? 🙂

Rather than pounding a piece of steak, you can use minute steak or ground beef in this recipe.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it.

Beef Tinaktak

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Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds minute steak, cut into bite sized pieces (or substitute with 3 pounds lean ground beef)
  • 2 cans coconut milk
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans stewed tomatoes, undrained (chop tomatoes into small pieces)
  • 2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoons Dashida seasoning (or salt, to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • donne’ (hot pepper), optional

Directions:

1.  If you’re using fresh green beans, you’re going to want to blanch them first.  Blanching means to put vegetables into a pot of boiling water, let it cook for a few minutes, then remove the vegetables and immediately place them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Here’s how it’s done.

In a large pot, bring about 5 cups of water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add enough salt so the water tastes faintly salty. While the water heats, fill a medium sized bowl about three quarters full with ice, then add enough cold water to cover the top of the ice.

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When the water is boiling and the ice bath is ready, trim the green beans to the size you need. It’s best to trim them just prior to cooking so they won’t oxidize or dehydrate. Add the beans to the boiling water in batches small enough to ensure that the water doesn’t lose its boil. Boil the beans only until they’re barely cooked through but still tender. To test, remove one piece with a slotted spoon, dip it into the ice bath to cool, and eat it.

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As soon as the beans are done, remove them as fast as you can and submerge them in the ice bath. Remove them from the ice bath as soon as they are no longer warm.  Set aside.

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2.  In a medium-sized pan, sauté the meat, onions and garlic over medium high heat; cook until meat is browned and onions are translucent.

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3.  Add tomatoes to the meat mixture, juice and all.

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4.  Add the blanched vegetables to the meat and tomatoes mixture.

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5.  Add the Dashida and black pepper.  Stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed.

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6.  Slowly stir in the coconut milk; lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the coconut milk is heated (do not boil).

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7. Add donne’ if desired.  Serve over hot rice (steamed white or brown) and ENJOY!

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Posted in Beef, CHAMORRO DISHES, MEAT, Totche (Meat)

Smoked & Slow-Grilled Brisket

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There’s nothing like a good BBQ, be it pork ribs, a good steak, or a brisket.  But to get a great tasting, tender brisket, you need to cook it long and slow.  While you can certainly roast a brisket in an oven, the taste of smoked brisket just can’t be beat.

It takes time and attention to get it right, but when it’s done, you’ll be so happy you spent all those loving hours smoking then grilling the brisket.  In fact, you’d be surprised at how many neighbors you never knew you had–they’ll be coming out of the woodwork when their noses pick up the scents wafting from your grill.

Give my recipe a try.  I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Smoked Brisket

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Ingredients:

  • 1 6-pound brisket flat, trimmed
  • BBQ Rub (find my recipe here)
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 bottle beer
  • 1 can cola
  • 1/4 cup apple vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the brisket by trimming off some of the excess fat (leave some fat on–it’ll keep the meat moist during smoking-grilling).  Season the brisket on both sides with the BBQ Rub.  Let it sit (refrigerated) for several hours or overnight.

  

2.  Make the basting sauce: In a clean spray bottle, combine the beef broth, beer, and cola with the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

    

3.  Arrange the brisket fat-sideup on the grill.  If you have a smoker-grill, smoke the brisket for 4 hours.  Spray the top of the brisket every hour with the basting sauce.  After smoking for 4 hours, set your grill’s temperature to 225 degrees.  Continue to cook the brisket for about 6 more hours, spraying occasionally with the basting sauce.

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4.  When the brisket is (finally) done, place in a pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Let the brisket rest for 30 minutes prior to slicing.  Slice with a sharp knife across the grain.  Serve with fina’denne’ and hot steamed (or red) rice.

ENJOY!

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Posted in Beef, MEAT
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