ROAST BEEF FRENCH DIP SANDWICH WITH GREEN PEA PESTO

Posted in Beef, Burgers & Sandwiches by sallybr

Vegetarian readers: stick around, because the GREEN PEA PESTO IS AMAZING!

One of Phil’s favorite sandwiches is a roast beef au jus, also called a French Dip. I had never heard of it until we started dating, and was a bit confused by the association with France, as I had never seen it while living in Paris either. 😉 It turns out that this is an American classic, created in the beginning of last century in Los Angeles, of all places! Two restaurants claim to have “invented” the deliciously moist sandwich, and quite likely the issue will never get settled. You can read all about it here. I never thought of making it at home, but watching FoodTV the other day I caught a show by Rachael Ray in which she made her own version. It perked my attention, not only for the sandwich itself, but also for her choice of green pea pesto to gild the lily. Something told me that would be a winning combo. Plus, the fact you can prepare the meat in advance and just re-heat the slices in simmering beef broth makes it a perfect option for a quick and easy dinner after work. If you have home-made beef broth (also known in our home as “liquid gold”), by all means use it, as it will make your sandwich very special.

ROAST BEEF FRENCH DIP SANDWICH WITH GREEN PEA PESTO
(adapted from Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day TV show)

for the green pea pesto:
1 cup fresh basil leaves (about 20)
1 cup defrosted frozen green peas
1 tsp dried mint leaves
1 clove garlic, pasted (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for desired consistency

for the roast beef:
2 pounds beef eye of round roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beef stock, home-made is best
bread of your choice for the sandwich

For the pesto: In a food processor, combine the basil, peas, mint, lemon juice, and garlic (if using) and process until a paste forms. Add just enough olive oil to get a spreadable consistency. Season with salt and pepper and process to almost smooth. Refrigerate and bring to room temperature when ready to serve.

For the beef: Bring the roast to room temperature. Sprinkle the meat with the salt, pepper and rosemary.

Heat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meat evenly, 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 120 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

Transfer the roast to a cutting board and cover with foil, 30 minutes. Wrap and store if not serving right away.

To serve, very thinly slice the meat. Heat the stock to warm but not boiling. Quickly dip the meat slices in the stock and place on the French bread. Top with the green pea pesto and set the bun top in place.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You might be wondering how on Earth would I be turning the oven at 475 F in the height of the Kansas summer to roast the meat? Well, let’s say I did not need to heat up the house for that. Stay tuned for my next installment of “In My Kitchen”, when the mystery will be solved. I loved making this meal! Some people like to have the bread very moist with the beef broth, so you might offer a small, individual bowl with hot beef broth at the table. I prefer to just add a tablespoon or two of beef broth to the bread before assembling the sandwich. The combination of the meat with the green pea pesto is simply fabulous! We added a slice of cheese, did not seem to hurt at all…

I cannot give enough praise to the green pea pesto. Next day my lunch was just a few slices of the roast beef simmered in beef broth, and all the leftover pesto. All of it. I did not share. I announced that the pesto would be consumed, so that Phil would not count with it for his dinner preparation that evening. You know, we do the “alternate cooking days thing”. It was a perfect lunch, and in fact I would have been equally happy with just the pesto on some bread. Wouldn’t you?

ONE YEAR AGO: A Smidgen of a Tart

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THREE YEARS AGO: Groceries

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Souffle to Remember Julia Child

28Feb2013

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON ON A SNOWY EVENING

Posted in Beef by sallybr

Phil rarely requests a specific recipe for dinner, with the exception of my chicken parmigiana, that he craves on a regular basis. Last weekend, though, he did not even blink when I asked for ideas. Boeuf Bourguignon. Clearly, a man of fine tastes! It was my turn to cook on Sunday, so that was a perfect suggestion. With all our grocery shopping done the day before, I indulged in the preparation of this French classic all afternoon. The snow falling outside was a perfect setting for our dinner…

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
(adapted from Julia Child)

6 oz bacon
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup sliced onions
2 cups sliced carrots
1 bottle of red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 bouquet garni (tie 8 parsley sprigs, 1 large bay leaf, a few sprigs of dried thyme and wrap in cheese cloth)
24 pearl onions
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
Chicken stock
1 pound cremini mushrooms, cut in large pieces

Blanch the bacon to remove its smoky taste by dropping the slices into 2 quarts of cold water, bringing to a boil, and simmering for 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry on paper towels.

In a large frying pan, sauté the blanched bacon to brown slightly in a little oil; set them aside. Brown the chunks of beef on all sides in the bacon fat and some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and put them into a heavy casserole pan with a lid. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and add to the browned beef.

Remove all but a little fat from the frying pan, add the sliced vegetables and brown them. Add the veggies to the casserole containing the beef and bacon. Deglaze the frying pan with the wine, mixing it well to dissolve all the browned bits left from browning the meat and veggies. Once it’s all deglazed, add the wine into the casserole along with enough stock to almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and add the herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and place in a 325°F oven, until the meat is tender, about 3 hours.

While the stew is cooking, prepare the onions. Blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Peel the onions and score the root end with 1/4 inch cuts. Sauté onions in a single layer in a tablespoon of butter until lightly browned. Add chicken stock or water half way up the sides of the onions. Add a teaspoon of sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 minutes or until tender. The onions should absorb most of the water. If there is water remaining after cooking, drain the excess. Set aside.

A few minutes before serving the stew saute’ the mushrooms in butter until browned and cooked through.

When the meat is tender, remove the bouquet garni from the cooking liquid, if necessary cook longer without the lid to reduce it further. Add the onions, mushrooms, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This is comfort food at its best! The big batch I made lasted us for three meals, and it was better and better each day. My only modification of the classic was omitting a beurre manie’ step at the end. Julia thickens her sauce with a mixture of butter and flour, but instead I cooked the meat longer in the oven, reducing the sauce without any need for thickening agents. It was luscious and plenty thick for our taste. In fact, on the last evening I had to add some water to the leftovers to thin it slightly.

When you make this dish, I’d say the most important step is browning the meat. You’ll need all that caramelization on the outside to give maximum flavor and a perfect texture at the end of the cooking time. It makes me think of a Zen proverb, full of the wise simplicity often associated with them: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” Not to make light of the Chinese wisdom, I’d like to add: “When browning the meat, brown the meat.” 😉 Do it slowly, do it mindfully, do it well. No crowding the pieces in the oil, no moving them around until they are properly seared. Enjoy the process!

ONE YEAR AGO: Chickpea Salad

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THREE YEARS AGO: Roasted Onion and Asiago Cheese Miche (this bread is simply outstanding!)

18Jan2013

KEEMA BEEF CURRY

Posted in Beef by sallybr

If you prefer your curry to be mild instead of incendiary, this recipe is for you. I actually don’t mind a very spicy version, but when serving a meal for guests I usually tone it down just to be safe. This recipe from Food and Wine magazine was another great recommendation by our friend Cindy. I made it over the holidays for my stepson and his girlfriend, and we all loved it. I served it over white rice, but it coud lalso be enjoyed as a stew, with soft naan bread. The potatoes make it almost a complete meal.

KEEMA BEEF CURRY
(adapted from Food and Wine Magazine, January 2012)

1 TB canola oil
1 pound lean ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground turkey (or use all beef, omitting the turkey)
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 TB minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
1 + ½ TB Madras curry powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 + ½ cups chicken broth
1 can (14-ounce) unsweetened coconut milk (light is perfect)
1 can (14-ounce) diced tomatoes with their juices
1 + 1/2 cups frozen baby peas
Chopped cilantro to taste (optional)

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. Add the ground beef and turkey (if using) and cook over high heat, stirring to break up the lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot, ginger, garlic and curry powder and season with salt and pepper.

Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the potato, broth, coconut milk and the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the potato is tender, about 15 minutes.

Using the back of a spoon, lightly crush some of the potato. Add the peas and cook just until heated through. Serve in bowls with cilantro, if you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

My only modification of the recipe was to use some ground turkey together with the beef. Not so much to make it lighter, but to use some ground turkey I had bought with the firm intention of making meatballs. It turns out that the intention was not as firm as I thought, so a mixed-meat curry was born. As I mentioned, this version is mild, if you like more spice, use a hotter curry mix or add more pepper or even a red pepper sauce (my never-ending love for Sriracha shows). I love the inclusion of potatoes and the trick of mashing some of them to add body to the curry. And the green peas give that boost of color and a healthy “feel”.

Cindy, thank you once again for another winner!

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13Oct2012

MARCELA’S SALPICON

Posted in Beef by sallybr

This is another recipe from Mexican Made Easy, a current favorite show on FoodTV. Marcela used it as part of hearty “Beef Tostadas“. Salpicon brought childhood memories because my Mom used to make a similar dish called “roupa velha”, (ropa vieja in Spanish, old clothes or rags in English). The name describes the nature of the beef, shredded into pieces that are melt-in-your-mouth tender from a long, slow cooking. My Mom used to make “roupa velha” with leftovers from pot roast, and served it as a braised dish piping hot over mashed potatoes or rice. Confession from my young days: I loved to have “roupa velha” as a sandwich. All that tasty, saucy meat, served between slices of crusty baguette. Maybe not appropriate to serve for company, but totally awesome! Napkins were mandatory, though… 😉

SALPICON
(adapted from Marcela Valladolid)

One 2-pound boneless beef brisket
1 large white onion, quartered
Kosher salt
3/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons dried crumbled Mexican oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup seeded chopped cucumber
1 cup seeded chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup capers, drained (or to taste)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Put the brisket in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the meat by an inch. Add the onion quarters and 1/4 cup of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer partially covered until the brisket is very tender, 2 and a half hours. Add more water if needed to keep the meat covered. Turn off the heat and let the brisket cool in the cooking liquid to room temperature. Drain the brisket, discard the water and cool completely.

Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking the olive oil and vinegar in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the lime juice, red onion and oregano and whisk again. Season with salt and pepper.

Shred the brisket into a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, capers, and cilantro and toss to combine. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I was not sure if Phil would like this recipe, as beef salad is not something he would normally go for. To my delight, he absolutely loved it, and kept telling me to include salpicon in our regular rotation. I suppose that every food blogger’s partner lives in fear of never tasting a dish again once it is published in the blog… 😉 No risk with this one, because I already made it twice! The second time I used top round, a cut that is not that popular for its fibrous nature, but perfect for this dish. I used my pressure cooker, and advise you to do the same if you have one and would like speeding up the process. The recipe makes a pretty big batch, so leftovers were my lunch for several days. But, as Marcela mentioned in the show, it’s great to have a batch of salpicon in the fridge for little snacks throughout the day.

I served salpicon with rice, refried beans, and slices of avocado, but I suggest you to stop by the FoodTV site and take a look at Marcela’s Tostadas.

ONE YEAR AGO: Pork Kebabs

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21Sep2012

BEEF AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY

Posted in Beef by sallybr

This classic Chinese dish is often abused beyond belief. It is easy to overcook the broccoli, turning the florets into a mushy version of their beautiful self, and at the same time producing beef that has the wrong texture. The real thing is like velvet in your mouth, with a crisp, bright green broccoli giving the perfect counterpoint to the beef. No excessive, cloyingly sweet sauce. When properly prepared, this is a fantastic recipe that will please everyone – except the broccoli haters out there – but they might make an exception in this case. 😉

BEEF AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY
(adapted from Jaden Hair’s guest post at Simply Recipes)

1 pound flank steak or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
1 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut in slices
1 clove garlic, very finely minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

For the beef marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
freshly ground black pepper

for the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)

Start by marinating the beef: mix all ingredients in a bowl, add the pieces of beef and stir to coat the slices. Let it stand for 10 minutes, while you prepare the sauce and blanch the broccoli.

Make the sauce by mixing the oyster sauce, rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, and chicken stock (or water) in a small bowl. Reserve. Place the broccoli in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain very well and reserve.

Now, the fun begins: heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the yellow bell pepper and cook it for a couple of minutes until it begins to soften. Remove and reserve. Make sure the pan is again very hot, and add the slices of beef, spreading them out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic and reserved bell pepper to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until the beef is cooked through.

Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This dish highlights well how a couple of extra-steps that might seem like a waste of time and energy make a world of difference in the final product. If you skip the beef marinade and blanching the broccoli, it simply won’t be the same. The original recipe does not call for yellow bell pepper, but I wanted to add a bit more color. You can certainly omit it. This is a great dish for weeknights, all you’ll need is some steamed white rice. Meat, veggies, carbs, all there in perfect harmony: the omnivore’s dream!

If you are fond of Asian recipes, make sure to stop by Jaden’s blog, The Steamy Kitchen, and consider getting her cookbook, I have it and love it!

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