SLOW COOKER HAWAIIAN MEATBALLS

Call me Sandra Lee. Who? She's on the Food Network with a show called semi-homemade. She does a little cooking herself and has help with pre-made ingredients. 

I had BAD jet lag a couple of days ago. I didn't want to go anywhere. I had been gone for almost two weeks and hubby stayed home. Did a quick inventory of the fridge. Not much in there...cheese, bread, BEER, 1/2 pineapple. I don't know how he survived without me :) I thought about a recipe I had saved. Frozen meatballs (that's the Sandra Lee part) pineapple and bell pepper. I had the meatballs in the freezer, bell peppers still growing in the garden and that 1/2 pineapple in the fridge. So I put the ingredients in the slow cooker for 4 hours and it was really good! Served it over rice. Yum! I'll make this again soon.

SLOW COOKER HAWAIIAN MEATBALLS

32 oz. package of precooked, frozen meatballs. ( I used Trader Joe's)

13.5 oz. can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (I used fresh and a small can of pineapple juice)

1 large green pepper, diced (I used what was in the garden, a yellow one but red or green would look better)

1 cup of brown sugar

2 TBSP. cornstarch

2/3 cup of white vinegar

2 TBSP. soy sauce

Place meatballs in slow cooker and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks. In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through

Serve over rice. 

OPEN FACE PATTY MELT

Remember Patty Melts? Back in the 70's they were everywhere. Grilled beef on grilled rye bread, spread with Thousand Island dressing and topped with Swiss cheese and grilled onions. You can still find them on the menu in some diners. 

I had a pound of ground beef. I didn't want a traditional  burger. I just stared into the fridge for what seemed like forever. Then I spotted some rye bread. Who has rye bread hanging around in their fridge? Maybe after St. Pat's day for Rubens but that's about it. Ron bought it. When he shops he always comes home with random things. I call them Rondom things.

Then I thought about Patty Melts, and caramelized onions..and Havarti cheese. Oh YES! This was great.

I started out by caramelizing my onions in a cast iron skillet. Then I grilled an oval shaped beef patty for just about 5 minutes.

 Turned it over and topped it with Havarti cheese and caramelized onions. I put the lid on the grill and let the cheese melt. I buttered one side of the rye bread and toasted it in the cast iron skillet. It picked up a lot of flavor from the onions. When the bread was nice and toasty I spread some Thousand Island dressing on it and topped it with the grilled beef.. This was amazing.

I don't think a recipe is necessary here. It's pretty straight forward. If you need one let me know in the comments.

VEGETABLE AND BEEF KABOBS WITH CHIMICHURRI

This is my week to host The Food Matters Project. It has been 21 weeks of cooking together with 50 food lovers using Mark Bittman's philosophy and recipes as inspiration for our meal. This week I chose Mixed Grill with Chimichurri. Chimichurri is amazing, it's a very easy Argentinian herb sauce made with parsley and used to top grilled food. Mark's recipe uses parsley but you can substitute other herbs such as cilantro or basil. I followed his recipe using parsley.

When I chose this recipe months ago I had no idea that most of the veggies I would be using to grill would be picked from my garden. How exciting is that???

This was the first year we have grown potatoes. I always thought it was a waste of time since they are so inexpensive to buy.

I was SO wrong.....what a thrill it was to dig this up. They were delicious.

I decided to grill beef and vegetable kabobs.

The potatoes were cooked until almost soft and then finished on the grill. We have been thinning  our tomatoes and ended up with some green tomatoes and learned something new. They were great when grilled. They are on the middle skewer. 

Ron basted the beef and vegetable kabobs with the chimichurri sauce while they grilled.

We served the kabobs family style and passed the sauce.

To see the other members creatives takes on Mark's recipe stop on over at the Food Matters Project by clicking here.

Below is the original recipe as written from Mark Bittman's cookbook The Food Matters Cookbook.

MIXED GRILL WITH CHIMICHURRI

Makes 4 servings    Time  45 minutes

1 or 2 eggplants, cut into thick slices
2 cups fresh parsley (mostly leaves, but thin stems are okay)
Salt and black pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for grilling
2 TBSP. sherry vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp. red chile flakes
2 portobello mushrooms
2 summer squash, cut lengthwise into thick slices
4 ripe tomatoes, cored but left whole
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or pork tenderloin, cut in half crosswise and pounded to about 1/2 inch thick
1 bunch scallions

Prepare a grill or turn on the broiler; the heat should be medium-high and the rack about 4 inches from the fire. If time allows, sprinkle the eggplant liberally with salt, let rest in a colander for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour, rinse, and pat dry.

Combine the parsley with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, the garlic, and about 1/4 cup of the oil in a food processor or blender. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container once or twice. With the machine running, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil gradually, then add the vinegar and chile flakes. Add a little bit of water if you want a thinner mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Brush the eggplant, portobellos, and squash with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill or broil the pieces, turning occasionally, until browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. When the mushrooms are done, slice them. As all the vegetables finish, transfer them to a large serving platter.

Brush the tomatoes and chicken with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Again, working in batches, grill or broil the pieces, turning once, until the tomatoes are charred and collapsed and the chicken or pork is white or very slightly pink on the inside, 5 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to the serving platter and cut the meat up a bit if you like. Finally, cook the scallions (no need to brush them with oil), turning once or twice, until they are lightly charred, just a minute or 2. Drizzle some of the chimichurri over the meat and vegetables and pass the rest at the table.

Recipe by Mark Bittman from The Food Matters Cookbook

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR BEEF COMES FROM?

Does your beef come packaged looking like a birthday gift? 

It will if you buy it from Rancho San Julian. Humanely raised, no antibiotics or hormones, and 100% grass fed.

Check it out.

The best ground beef I have ever had.

You can read all about them here.

SEARED BEAN SPROUTS WITH PEAS, BEEF, AND ORANGE SAUCE

 This is week 5 of cooking with our group on the  Food Matters Project

The Food Matters philosophy is all about eating more plants and fewer animal products and processed foods - and the positive impact this has on our health and the environment.

This week our host is Dominica and she chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Seared Bean Sprouts with Beef and Sesame Orange Sauce.

This is a great recipe and you can use whatever vegetables you might have on hand. I had some peas growing in the garden so I picked some to add to the stir fry. I also had some ripe oranges on the tree so I grabbed a few....well two were ripe, one not so much but the bees were having a convention in the tree so I just grabbed what was safe.

Beef Chuck Flat Iron Steak is my favorite cut for stir fry or grilling. It is so tender and has so much flavor.

Instead of pouring the sauce into the stir fry as Mark Bittman suggests, I decided to marinate the meat in the sauce for 4 hours before cooking it.

I made a marinade of orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, honey, chopped ginger, and minced garlic.

The recipe calls for thinly slicing the beef before cooking, but I like my beef rare so I decided to cook it whole and put a nice sear on it. This way the marinade started to caramelize and gave it extra flavor.

I sliced the (barely) cooked meat and set it aside.

When I was ready to cook the stir fry all I had to do was toss the bean sprouts, scallions, and peas in some oil, add the marinade, cook for 3 minutes and toss in the beef for a quick warm up.

I served it over brown rice.

This recipe is delicious.

SEARED BEAN SPROUTS, PEAS, AND BEEF WITH ORANGE SAUCE

8 oz. Flat Iron steak

2 TBSP. vegetable oil

1/2 pound bean sprouts

1/2 pound Chinese peas
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 small garlic cloves, minced
3 TBSP. soy sauce
Grated zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 TBSP. honey
 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated , all chopped

Combine the grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, honey, and zest and juice of two oranges in a small bowl. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Put beef in a glass dish, pour marinade over and refrigerate for 4 hours. Remove meat from dish. Put marinade in sauce pan and bring to a boil for one minute. Set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet until hot and sear the meat until caramelization starts showing. Do this on both sides. Let meat rest  for 15 minutes.

Thinly slice the meat and set aside.

In large skillet heat 2 TBSP. oil until hot. Add the bean sprouts, peas, and white parts on the onions. Cook, stirring frequently until just starting to wilt, about 3 minutes. Pour in the marinade and the sliced beef and cook for one minute.

Garnish with chopped green onions and serve over brown rice.

Recipe adapted from The Food Matters Cook Book.

You can find the original recipe here.

BEEF DIPS

Beef dips are one of our favorite meals when we have leftover beef.

Start with this, a large grilled tri-tip, or any cut of meat. Cook enough for leftovers. Refrigerate for a day or two. Cut leftover meat into thin slices.

Buy a package of Au Jus mix and combine it with water. Heat until hot.

Purchase some French Sandwich Rolls. Butter them, top and bottom, and broil just until lightly browned.

Dip sliced beef into Au Jus and lay on the bottom of the French roll. Cut each roll in half and serve with Au Jus for dipping.

Prepared Horseradish is also good mixed into the Au Jus for a little zip.

PENNE PASTA SALAD WITH STEAK AND BALSAMIC HERB DRESSING

This is a great dish. It should make everyone in the family happy. Steak lovers, pasta lovers, and salad lovers, or if you are Ron, a whole lot of love all on one platter.

I used flat iron steak but any kind of steak would work. A nicely marbled rib eye would really taste good in this recipe.



Penne Rigate Pasta Salad with Rib Eyes Steak and Balsamic Herb Dressing:

1 (1-pound) Boneless Rib Eye steak or steak of your choice

Steak seasoning (your favorite brand)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound penne pasta, or your favorite pasta
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups salad greens/spring mix


Season the steak with steak seasoning.  In a cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Cook steak about 5 minutes per side until rare to medium rare  Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, follow instructions on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

On the chopping board, add the 1/2 teaspoon salt with the garlic.  Smash the garlic into paste with the back of your knife.  In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and olive oil until well combined. 

In a large mixing bowl toss the pasta, the reserved pasta water, the dressing and the salad greens together.  Taste the pasta and see if it needs more salt and black pepper.

 Arrange dressed pasta salad on plates and arrange steaks on top.  (You can also toss the steaks together with the pasta before arranging on plates if you like).


Recipe from uTry.it.com

SHAKING BEEF

Sharon made Shaking Beef from The Essential New York Times Cook Book this week. I was excited to hear how it came out as it is the most popular dish at the Slanted Door, one of my favorite San Francisco restaurants. The restaurant is in the Ferry Building and if you are in San Francisco check it out. It has a great vibe and good food.

Sharon and Art gave it two thumbs up. I'm looking forward to trying it myself.

Beef tenderloin (Sharon used rib eye) is marinated for 2 hours in garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and oil.

Vinegar, wine, sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce is mixed together. Onions are sliced and added to a hot wok along with the meat.

When the beef is browned on one side you shake the pan to release the beef. Butter is added at the end of the cooking for added flavor.

Sharon served this over brown rice mixed with scrambled egg, peas, and soy sauce. The recipe also suggests that you can serve this over watercress with lime on the side.

                                                                            Shaking Beef

1 ½ to 2 ounces beef tenderloin (filet Mignon), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

About 5 tablespoons neutral oil, like corn or canola

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup rice wine or dry white wine

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 scallions cut into 1 inch lengths

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 bunches watercress, trimmed and washed, or 1 head red leaf lettuce, separated into leaves, and washed

2 limes cut into wedges

1.)     Toss the meat with the garlic, half the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and let marinate for about 2 hours.  (Refrigerate if your kitchen is very warm.)

2.)    Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, remaining sugar, wine, soy sauce, and fish sauce in a bowl.  Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.  Mix about 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.

3.)    Divide the meat into portions, and do the same with the onion and scallions.  Put a wok or a large skillet over the maximum heat and add about 2 tablespoons oil.  When the oil smokes, add half the meat in one layer.  Let it sit until a brown crust forms, then turn to brown the other side; browning should take less than 5 minutes.  Add half the onion and half the scallions and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.  Add half the vinegar mixture and shake the pan to release the beef.  Stirring if necessary.  Add half the butter and shake the pan until the butter melts.  Remove the meat, and repeat.

4.)    Serve the beef, drained of excess juices, over the watercress, passing the salt and pepper mixture and lime wedges at the table.

Serves 4

Chef Notes: I used Rib Eye Steak and served over fried rice instead of lettuce.

Recipe from The Essential New York Times Cook Book



ORANGE-BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH FENNEL AND OREGANO

Sharon and I are cooking from The Essential New York Times Cook Book. We pick a chapter each week and then we cook a different recipe from that chapter. Well so far they have been great. We are four for four. Sharon made the lamb shanks (which is very close to the recipe here under lamb) and she said it was great. I made those beautiful short ribs in the picture above.

When you start out with short ribs this thick and well marbled you know you are in for a treat.

The ribs are rubbed with cracked fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. They are browned on all sides and then put into a pot filled with orange scented broth, wine, and other aromatics. A slow braise in the oven produces a fall off the bone, melt in your mouth rib.

The recipe suggests cooking it a day before so the flavors will meld. I had planned on doing just that but after cooking this for a few hours and smelling it all afternoon I couldn't wait. Patience is not one of my virtues. When it was done I thought about putting it in the fridge for the next day but then what would I make for dinner tonight? Reservations never crossed my mind!?!

If you make this I do suggest making a day ahead. The flavors were even better the day after.


                        ORANGE-BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH FENNEL AND OREGANO

4 pounds beef short ribs (about 4" long)
1/2 cup cracked fennel seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 TBSP. vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, sliced into very thin rounds
1/4 cup minced garlic
1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 TBSP. whole-grained mustard
1/2 cup coarsely chopped oregano

Heat the oven to 350~. Rub the ribs on all sides with the fennel seeds and salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Add the ribs and brown well on all sides, 6-8 minutes per side. Remove the ribs and set aside.

Pour off all but about 2 TBSP. oil from the pot, and scoop out any remaining fennel seeds and discard. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until wilted and shiny, 7-9 minutes. add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add the wine, broth, orange juice, and balsamic vinegar and bring just to a boil, stirring once or twice and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the ribs, along with the ketchup, mustard, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste, and return to a boil. Skim any scum from the surface.

Cover the pot, place in the oven, and cook for 1- 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender ( when you try to pick up the ribs with a fork, they should slip off the fork). Remove the ribs from the pot, skim any fat off the sauce, and cook the sauce over high heat until slightly thickened. Skim again.

Return the ribs to the sauce and serve.

Serves 4

Cooking note- Consider cooking the short ribs a day before serving: the flavor will improve and you'll have a chance to lift off all the fat that will rise and harden on the surface of the sauce when chilled.

Recipe from The Essential New York Times Cook Book

GRILLED TRI-TIP

Grilled Tri-Tip. I can hear your thoughts....so what?....ho hum... no big deal...well, who would have thought of giving it a bath in Sriracha Sauce?  Ron of course.

I walked into the kitchen and our tri-tip had a red coating on it. I was expecting a dry rub. It looked like ketchup. Oh no! I asked him what the heck that was on our tri-tip. When he told me that he coated it with sriracha sauce and some garlic salt, I went into my happy dance. Brilliant!

If anyone out there does not know what sriracha is, let me educate you. It looks like this.

It's made right here in California. I read a story about a man named David Tran. He came to the U.S. from Vietnam in the 80's. He couldn't find a chili sauce that he liked, so he decided to make his own. He then started selling it out of the back of his van in Los Angeles. As his following grew, he moved into a processing facility in Rosemead, a Los Angeles suburb. He now sells more than 10 million bottles of it a year.

If you like spicy you will love this sauce. You can put it in almost anything, from eggs, to sauces, and even (gasp!) Bloody Mary's.

This was one great Tri-Tip.

Thanks Ron!

BURGER NIGHT

Oh my, this is not just your average burger. This is Ron's, pretty cool, but then check mine out.

When Ron suggested burgers for dinner I thought, well, ok, but let's kick it up a notch. I asked him to bring home some sort of bun that would be out of the ordinary. Woo Hoo......he scored a 10.

Jalapeno-cheese bagels. Right out of the oven. Fresh, soft on the inside and chewy on the outside. Spicy and cheesy.

I don't usually have mine with a bun so this was my over the top burger.

You can see the gooey blue cheese oozing out from the center of the burger. I topped it with avocado and arugula pesto. It was so good. And just in case there wasn't enough blue cheese in my burger I had a wedge topped with Blue Cheese Dressing.

 It was pretty decadent but then....I didn't have a bun :)

FLAT IRON STEAK WITH HERB SAUCE

Ron made this for dinner last night. The flat iron steak was so tender and the herb sauce was such a nice addition. This is approximately what Ron did.

He melted 2 TBSP. butter and 1 clove of minced garlic in a small pan. Then he stirred in 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, 1 TBSP. fresh parsley, finely chopped, 1 tsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped, and 1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil and a pinch of salt. Warmed it for 5 minutes and served it over the grilled Flat Iron Steak.

It was delish!

Thanks Ron :)

DRESS-THE-BOARD STEAK

Craving a nice thick steak but want to zip it up a bit? Try this out and get ready for a party in your mouth.

First you stud the rib eye with rosemary.

Then you prepare a mix  of herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil on your cutting board. Grill the steaks, let them rest, and then give them a bath in the herbs.

This was just what I needed for a kicked up rib eye.


                                                         DRESS-THE BOARD STEAK

2 pieces thick-cut rib-eye steaks (about 1 inch thick)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2-3 springs fresh rosemary
Olive Oil

FOR DRESSING THE BOARD

1 bunch fresh mint
1 fresh red chili
3 cloves garlic-peeled (I used a microplane)
1/2 lemon
2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil

Heat a 10-12 inch cast-iron pan over high heat (or heat the barbecue)
Heat the skillet on high for about 15 minutes.

While the pan is heating, season the steak liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.

Pull the rosemary leaves off the stem and push them into the meat. Leave the meat aside while you dress the board.

Finely chop the mint, chili and garlic on a clean wooden cutting board. Squeeze the lemon juice and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil onto the chopped herbs. Mix.

Drizzle and rub olive oil on both sides of the meat just before searing. When the pan or grill is good and hot sear the meat. The room will get very smoky, that is why I do this outside on the grill.

Grill or sear the steak on one side without moving it for 2-3 minutes. The steak should release easily from the pan or grill. Flip it over and sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes. This should give you a nice rare piece. Cook a little longer in you like medium rare meat.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board and coat with the dressing.

Let the meat rest for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.


Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver
and Pig Pig's Corner

CORNED BEEF IN THE CROCK POT

I made a crock pot Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day. I liked the fact that I could throw it in the pot in the morning and leave for the day.The Guinness really gave it a great flavor. I served it with garlic mashed potatoes and some cabbage that I sauteed in some bacon fat.

O'Ronald really liked this dinner. He suggested that I use the left over broth for French Onion Soup. I'm going to make that tonight and THEN....Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese on Rye Paninis for dinner tomorrow night. Woo Hoo!

Oh, O'Ronald's dish looks a little messy. Here is mine.

                                                    CROCK POT CORNED BEEF

6 carrots, cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
2-3 pound Corned Beef Brisket with seasoning packet
12 oz. can beer (I used Guinness Stout)
2 TBSP. yellow mustard (I used Creole Mustard)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup water

In a 4-6 quart crock pot, combine carrots and onions. Rinse corned beef under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in crock pot and sprinkle with contents of seasoning mix. Pour beer over brisket and spread mustard on brisket. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar with water and pour over brisket. Cover crock pot and cook on low setting for 10-12 hours.

To serve, cut corned beef across grain into thin slices. Remove the carrots and serve, spooning cooking juices over the food. Offer additional mustard on the side.

Save the liquid. It makes the best French Onion Soup.

UNSTUFFED SWEET-AND-SOUR CABBAGE

I have been wanting to try this recipe for months now. It sounded so interesting and much easier than stuffing and making cabbage rolls. The idea of a sweet and sour sauce intrigued me.

I tried it yesterday and we loved it. If you try it, taste the sauce and adjust to your liking. I added a little more vinegar so it was more sour and less sweet.

This was really good with a side of steamed rice. I used brown rice.

                                   

                                     UNSTUFFED SWEET-AND-SOUR-CABBAGE

1 (2-pound) head green cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cored

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound ground beef chuck

1/2 pound ground pork

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice

1/3 cup dried cranberries

3 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Place cabbage in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet with broth, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered, turning cabbage occasionally, until very tender, about 20-30 minutes. (Add more broth or water if necessary.)

Meanwhile, cook onion and remaining garlic in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in ground meats along with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.

Pour sauce into skillet with cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine.

   

CROCKPOT RIBS

These are fall off the bone, lick your fingers good. The trick is to find good beef ribs. Most of the time they have been previously frozen. I found some fresh ribs at the store and I grabbed them. One fresh  package amongst ten frozen. JACK POT!!

Many years ago I became a friend with the butcher at Von's. When I would shop the meat department and he would see me, he would bolt out of the back, put his arm around me and walk me through the meat section. He would tell me what was on sale, and then go in the back and cut me a custom cut. What a guy. What I really loved about him was our rib relationship. We had an agreement. I got the Prime Rib bones. When he would cut Prime Rib Roasts he would cut extra thick ribs for me, meaning killer, thick, meaty, Prime meat bones. Woo hoo. I gave him my home phone number and he would call me once a week with something special, usually ribs.

He was an old guy, but he was passionate about his job and his customers. That's what I loved about him.

 He retired and I moved. My woo hoo became my boo hoo. But so it goes.....

This was so easy. I used a store purchased bbq sauce, added some liquid smoke, some smoked salt and some Sriracha sauce. Layered the ribs in the crockpot and cooked for 8 hours on low. I would say a bottle of BBQ sauce, a TBSP. of liquid smoke, 1 tsp. of smoked salt, and a small squirt of Sriracha.

I love Sriracha. It is a sauce made from sun ripened chilies which are ground into a smooth paste along with garlic. It is very hot so you just need a tiny bit to add some zip to your meal. I like it mixed with mayonnaise, or added to soups. You can do so much with this sauce.

I have been using it for many years. I used to have to drive to Indo China Market to buy it, but now it is on the shelves of most grocery stores.

This was Ron's plate after 10 hours in the crockpot.
.

PRIME RIB WITH RED WINE JUS

I cooked a 10 pound Prime Rib for our Christmas dinner.  It came out perfect. Not quite sure how that happened. We had planned to eat at 4:00 but things got a little delayed and we sat down to dinner at 5:00. I took the meat out at 3:30 and tented it with foil and it was still perfect at 5:00. Medium on the outside and rare in the middle. I cooked it low and slow and 250~ and 17 minutes per pound. I took it out of the oven when the thermometer read 110~.

If you make this, take the time to make the Red Wine Sauce to go with it. It is really good.

Making the Red Wine Jus

Ron's plate.

                The recipe came from Cooks Illustrated and was adapted by Steamykitchen.com.

Prime Rib Roast with Red Wine Jus

Servings: 10-12 Prep Time: 2 hours to let roast come to room temperature, but only 30 minutes of hands-on. Cook Time: 2-3 hours, depending on size of roast

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.
Important points:
1) Get bone-in rib roast, preferable first-cut, ribs 9-12 for most flavor. Choice grade of beef (i.e. not the pricey Prime grade) is what you'll ask for.
2) Take note of how many pounds the roast is prior to cooking (bones and roast) to determine cooking time
3) Use a meat thermometer

Ingredients:

1 bone-on beef rib roast (about 7-8 pounds)
1 1/2 pounds oxtail bones
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 onions, quartered
3 carrots, cut into thirds
3 stalks celery, cut into thirds
1 whole head garlic, halved
2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 cup red wine
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Take roast from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 400F, place rack on lowest position. Rub oxtails with tomato paste, place in roasting pan. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic, toss with just 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. Roast for 20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, cut the bone from the rib roast (try to carve as close to the bone as possible). Rub roast with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Heat large frying pan on high heat. When smoking hot, place rib roast, fat side down in pan and sear each side 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for a few minutes. Place the roast right back onto the bones. Use kitchen twine or strips of cheesecloth to tie roast back onto the bones.

3. When the oxtails and vegetables are done, remove pan from oven.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 250F.

5. Push the oxtail bones and vegetables to the sides, place roast, bone side down in roasting pan. Return pan to oven. Roast for 17-20 minutes PER POUND or until temperature of the middle of the roast is 130F (medium-rare to medium). Transfer roast to cutting board, carefully untie the bones from roast. Cover loosely with tin foil. Rest for 20 minutes.

6. While roast is resting, make the red wine jus. Keep the oxtails and vegetables in the roasting pan but pour out all but 1 teaspoon of the fat (reserve for Yorkshire Pudding if desired). Place the bones that you've untied from roast in roasting pan 2 burners set on high heat.

7. Pour in the red wine and cook until wine is reduced by half. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits. Add the beef broth, chicken broth, thyme. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add any juices accumulated from the rib roast on the cutting board. Turn off heat.

8. Remove the oxtails and the bones. Strain the jus with mesh strainer, pressing down with wooden spoon to extract out all the juice from the vegetables. Carve the roast, serve with the jus.