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Mom’s Hockey Puck Meatloaf

Dec 20

Posted by admin in beef, british, the recipes | No Comments

“A greatly improved version of this timeless classic, I was surprised to find a meatloaf that was this good, and not as rich as the one I was used to.”

  • 1kg ground beef
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2 slices of bread, made into crumbs
  • 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 medium egg
  • 2 tbsp brown sauce
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 50-100g parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180˚C Mix all the ingredients together until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.  Add more breadcrumbs if you need them. Form the mixture into a loaf shape.
Place the mixture in an ovenproof dish or a loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes until the centre is firm.
Source: Hairy Bikers’ Best-Loved Recipes
Servings/Yield: 4-6
Difficulty: Easy
Course: Main
Preparation: Ready in around an hour twenty

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Five Simple Steps to the Perfect Steak

Jan 9

Posted by admin in beef, the recipes | 1 Comment

Having a discernible talent of ruining perfectly good meat, I’ve constantly shied away from my carnivorous urges.  So home alone for the week, and allowing the opportunity to do my own shopping and cooking away from the girls, I picked up a ribeye and decided to dive right in and do it properly.

Step 1 – Prepare the steaks
• Allow to come to room temperature (for about 20 minutes).
Step 2 – Preheat your pan
• Heat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat until hot, but not smoking. (If the pan is too hot, the outside will burn before the inside is done, too cold, and your steaks will be tough).
• Brush the steaks with oil (to avoid using too much), or pour a little oil into the pan, and season if desired. (Canola or groundnut oil is best, but olive oil is fine too.)
• The steak should ‘sizzle’ when you place them in the pan.
Step 3 – rare, medium, or well done?
• For a medium steak: Cook on one side without touching for 3-4 minutes, then reduce to a medium heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Gently turn the steak over with a pair of tongs (don’t pierce it, or the juices will escape), and cook for a further 6 minutes. (You can vary the times here if you prefer a rare or well-done steak.)
• To see whether they’re ready, press the steak gently with your finger. Rare should be soft and supple, well done firm, and medium in-between.
Step 4 – Let your steaks rest
• Resting is just as important as cooking, as it allows the meat to become warm, moist and tender all the way through.
• Remove from the pan, place on a rack and cover with foil and leave in a warm place for up to 10 minutes. Remember it is always better to over-rest your steaks than to under-rest them. Resting helps the meat to achieve the full flavour and tenderness.
Step 5 – Serve your steaks
• Lay your table with razor-sharp, un-serrated steak knives designed to cut cleanly through the meat.
I found these tips in a couple of books and web sites, but the premise of the 5 step process was taken from the times online.  This project worked better than I thought, with a steak that tasted as good as a restaurant if not better.
Guide to steak cooking times
The times given here are a guide only and refer to a steak that is approximately 2.5cm or 1″ thick. Thicker steaks may require a longer cooking time, and vice versa for thinner steaks.
Rare: 1-2 minutes per side – rest for 6-8 minutes
Medium rare: 2-2.5 minutes per side – rest for 5 minutes
Medium: 3 minutes per side – rest for 4 minutes
Well done: 4.5 minutes per side – rest for 1 minute

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Nacho Night

Feb 21

Posted by the editor in beef, mexican, the recipes | No Comments

“Every once in awhile we have a nacho night, just something to bung together and plate out for a good movie, this isn’t finger food, but as enjoyable on the end of a fork as if it were”.

Make a batch of chili as per the ‘Basic Chili recipe’ on the Southtier website, clicking the above link will take you there. When making the basic chili recipe, try and drain off any extra juices from when you brown the mince, as you want this version to be as dry as possible.

Preheat the oven at 190ºC.  Prepare a large baking dish and line the bottom with the tortilla chips.

Add a layer of Mozzarella and as many jalepenos as you dare.  Once the chili is ready pour onto the top of the chips ONLY when you’re ready to put it in the oven, if you leave the chili on the chips for too long, you’ll end up with a mushy layer of chips that doesn’t really have the most appealing texture in the world.  If you’re not too bothered about the amount of cheese you’re using, sometimes it’s great to use another layer of Mozzarella on top of the chili as well.  You should leave the  nachos in the oven for around 5-10minutess, really enough time to melt the cheese.

Source : Julian Borg Barthet

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 2.50 out of 5)
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Ragu’ Bolognese alla Giuliano

Nov 26

Posted by the editor in beef, italian, pasta, the recipes | No Comments

DSCF9011

“A classic bolognese like sauce adapted from a number of sources, while trying to remain a family classic”

Melt the butter and olive oil in a deep pan and add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Fry for around 10 minutes or until softened but not browned

Add the ground beef. Mix well and cook over low heat for a few minutes until the meat starts to brown. Stir in the stock, worcestershire, tomato paste, and chopped tomatoes. Season to taste and bring to a boil.

Let simmer for a half hour or so, stirring occasionally, and adding more stock if it starts to dry out.

Source : Julian Borg Barthet : Addapted from a number of sources

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Cuisine : European : Mediterranean

Preparation Times : Prep: 10 Minutes Cook: 30-40 Minutes

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Basic Chili Recipe

Oct 19

Posted by the editor in the ingredients, the recipes | No Comments

ChilliConCarne

This chili is basic but tasty; add chopped green chile peppers or your own favorite chili seasonings.

  • 450 g Beef, Ground
  • ½ cup Onion, Chopped
  • 400 g Tomato Polpa
  • 400 g Kidney Beans, Drained
  • ½ tsp Chili Powder (See Recipe Below)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper, Ground
  • 2 tsp Oregano
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, Sliced

Brown ground beef with onion. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Notes: Originally had 1 Tbsp of Oregano, but we felt it dried out the chili and you could taste the oregano in it. This has been reduced slightly to 2 Tsps.

Chili Powder Spice Mix from the Joy of Cooking:

  • 3 Tbsp Paprika
  • 1 Tbsp Tumeric
  • 1/8 Tsp Cayenne

After making a batch of this Chili Powder, store it in a jar, and keep for future use.  It’s great to have around the kitchen and you can play around with it until it matches your taste.  Secondly, you can confidently walk down the supermarket aisle and snub your nose at the Chili Con Carne packets lining the walls.

Source : Combination of Joy of Cooking, common sense, and staying away from pre-packed Sauces.

Servings/Yield : 6 servings

Rating : 5 out of 5

Cuisine : North American : Mexican

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Quick beef & broccoli one-pot

Oct 7

Posted by the editor in beef, the recipes | 1 Comment

1588_MEDIUM

“Create a delicious beef and broccoli meal in one pot, fast! Contains 2 of your 5-a-day”

  • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 50 g Unsalted Cashews
  • 400 g Frying Beef Steak, Cut Into Strips (Minute Steak)
  • 1 large Broccoli, Broken Into Florets
  • 4 Celery Sticks, Sliced
  • 150 ml Beef Stock
  • 2 tbsp. Horseradish Sauce (Colemans Horseradish works)
  • 2 tbsp. Low-Fat Fromage Frais (We used Soya Cream)

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the nuts and toss for a few secs until lightly toasted. Set aside.

Season the steak strips with plenty of pepper and stir-fry over a high heat for 1-2 mins to brown. Set aside with the nuts. Tip the broccoli and celery into the pan and stir-fry for 2 mins. Pour the stock over, cover and simmer for 2 mins. Meanwhile, mix the horseradish and fromage frais together.

Return the steak to the pan and toss with the veg, then sprinkle over the nuts and serve with the creamy horseradish. Great with mashed potatoes.

Notes : To make it with more vegetables add 2 sliced or crushed garlic cloves and more vegetables, such as sliced carrot, mushrooms, cabbage or leeks. Making it Oriental Season the steak with 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder. Use olive oil mixed with a little sesame oil for stir-frying and replace the horseradish sauce with soy sauce.

Source : Good Food : February 2006

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep: 10 Minutes Cook: 10 Minutes

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 269 kcalories, protein 29g, carbohydrate 6g, fat 14 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 3g, salt 0.54 g

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Beef Strogonoff

Sep 2

Posted by the editor in beef, russian, the recipes | No Comments

“This classic Russian dish was named after the Strogonov Family”

  • 700 g Fillet Steak
  • 3 tbsp. plain flour
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 tbsp. Paprika
  • 50 g Butter
  • 1 large Onion, Thinly Sliced
  • 225 g Chestnut Mushrooms, Sliced
  • 300 ml Soured Cream or Greek Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. French Mustard
  • Lemon Juice

Thinly Slice the steak into 5cm Strips. Season the flour with salt, pepper, and paprika then coat the beef strips in the flour.

Heat a deep frying pan, put in half the butter (or Olive Oil), add the onion and mushrooms, and fry over a low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until soft and golden.

Remove the onions and mushrooms and keep warm. Increase the heat and, when the pan is hot, add the remaining butter (or Olive Oil), put in the beef strips, and fry briskly, stirring, for 3-4 minutes.

Return the Onions and Mushrooms to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Shake the pan over the heat for 1 minute.

Lower the heat, stir in the cream and mustard, and cook gently for 1 minute; do not allow the cream to come to the boil.

Add Lemon Juice to taste and serve immediately.

Notes : Good with Rice or Tagliatelle. Butter can be substituted with 4tbsp of Olive Oil. We used Greek Yogurt instead and rump steak cut into thicker shorter strips. Very Very Filling

Source : 1000 Recipes : Page 323

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Rating : 5 out of 5

Cuisine : European : Eastern : Russian

Course : Main

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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What’s Inside a Slim Jim?

Aug 28

Posted by admin in the ingredients | No Comments

Photo: Tim Morris

By Patrick Di Justo 08.24.09

Beef

It’s real meat, all right. But it ain’t Kobe. The US Department of Agriculture categorizes beef into eight grades of quality. The bottom three—utility, cutter, and canner—are typically used in processed foods and come from older steers with partially ossified vertebrae, tougher tissue, and generally less reason to live. ConAgra wasn’t exactly forthcoming on what’s inside Slim Jim.

Mechanically separated chicken

Did you imagine a conveyor belt carrying live chickens into a giant machine, set to the classic cartoon theme “Powerhouse”? You’re right! Well, maybe not about the music. Poultry scraps are pressed mechanically through a sieve that extrudes the meat as a bright pink paste and leaves the bones behind (most of the time).

Corn and wheat proteins

Slim Jim is made by ConAgra, and if there are two things ConAgra has a lot of, it’s corn and wheat.

Lactic acid starter culture

Although ConAgra refers to Slim Jim as a meat stick (yum), it has a lot in common with old-fashioned fermented sausages like salami and pepperoni. They all use bacteria and sugar to produce lactic acid, which lowers the pH of the sausage to around 5.0, firming up the meat and hopefully killing all harmful bacteria.

Dextrose

Serves as food for the lactic acid starter culture. Slim Jim: It’s alive!

Salt

Salt binds the water molecules in meat, leaving little H2O available for microbial activity—and thereby preventing spoilage. One Slim Jim gives you more than one-sixth of the sodium your body needs in a day.

Sodium nitrite

Cosmetically, this is added to sausage because it combines with myoglobin in animal muscle to keep it from turning gray. Antibiotically, it inhibits botulism. Toxicologically, 6 grams of the stuff—roughly the equivalent of 1,400 Slim Jims—can kill you. So go easy there, champ.

Hydrolyzed soy

Hydrolysis, in this instance, breaks larger soy protein molecules into their constituent amino acids, such as glutamic acid. Typically, the process also results in glutamic acid salt—also known as monosodium glutamate, a familiar flavor enhancer.

via What’s Inside a Slim Jim? .

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