Beef Kebabs

I've posted this recipe before, but we really love these beef kebabs, so when I made them again recently, I took the time to take a photo that actually does them justice. These kebabs are not the shish-kabobs I grew up with, but instead, they're the Middle Eastern-style kebabs the husband enjoyed as a kid.

The husband's cooking skills leave something to be desired, but this is one meal he'll jump in and help me prepare without a second thought. The cilantro and chipotle chilies bring a nice flavor and slight heat to the meat, which pairs well with the smokey flavor from the charcoal.

I usually serve these kebabs with tzatziki or plain yogurt mixed with chopped onions (sounds kind of gross, but it works. Also, the husband insists it is authentic and it's not kebabs without it).

Beef Kebabs
Source: Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (June 2011)

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
2 Tablespoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Prepare a charcoal grill for direct heat. Clean and lightly oil the grates.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with your hands until well combined.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into an oval patty (about 4 inches long, 1 inch thick) with your hands. Insert skewers lengthwise.

Grill, turning occasionally, about 6-8 minutes, or until meat is cooked through.

Smoked Tri Tip

The husband and I were debating what birthday present I should get for my big 30th birthday last month, and we kept going back and forth between a new lens--L glass, drool-- for my camera, or the Weber smoker I'd been wanting for quite awhile. We'd go to BBQs Galore and stare and the smoker, then come home and I'd log into Amazon and oogle the lens. Decisions, decisions.

Well, I'm sure you can figure out what direction I ultimately went, based on the title of this post. The free prime shipping and the allure of smoked meats won beat out the new glass. (Though I still hope to get the lens for Christmas!) The smoker arrived a few days before my birthday, but with all my prior commitments it was a few weeks until we were able to finally smoke some meat. Finally, a Saturday arrived where I was only semi-busy with coaching swim practice, followed by presenting at a literacy conference, and since tri tip takes less than 3 hours to smoke, I had the husband pull out the tri tip on my way home and I lit the charcoal moments after stepping in the door. With the smoker holding steady around 240 degrees, the small cut of meat was ready in just about two hours.

We anxiously waited for the meat to rest once we pulled it off the smoker, and when it was finally time to cut into it, the husband and I kept eating small chunks of meat while I cut it into slices. Each piece was infused with a rich smokey flavor that enhanced it without overpowering the beefy flavor of the meat. We opted to just pour a little bit of BBQ sauce on the side, rather than directly on the tri tip, to allow the meat's natural flavor to take center stage.

Smoked Tri Tip
Source: Smoking-Meat.com, The Smoker King.com, and BBQBug.com

Recipe
1 tri tip
garlic salt
pepper
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil

Directions
Fill in chimney starter with crumpled newspaper and charcoal. Light the newspaper and let sit, about 20-30 minutes, until the top layer of charcoal starts to turn grey and ashy. I have a Weber Smokey Mountain-- I take the body off the smoker and set the
chimney on the charcoal grate for this step.

Sprinkle the tri tip liberally with the garlic salt and pepper, rubbing the seasonings into the meat.

Once the coals are ready, pour them onto your charcoal grate and re-assemble the body, if necessary. I added about 10 unlit coals at this point, to keep the fire hot throughout the cooking process. Once the smoker reaches 225 degress, add about 3-4 chunks of wood (I used apple) to the top of the coals, and then place the tri tip, fat side up, on the grill. Put the lid on and leave the smoker alone for the next 45 minutes. Be sure to monitor the temperature of the smoker, keeping it in the 225-250 degree range. If it gets too hot, close the bottom vents.

While the meat is smoking, mix the apple cider vinegar and oil in a small spray bottle. Shake it up well and spray it on the meat after about 45 minutes. Spray the meat again every 30 minutes; be sure to do this quickly to prevent too much heat from escaping. You do not need to flip the meat over; the fat will render into the meat, giving it a rich, moist flavor.

Test the meat's temperature after about an hour and 15 minutes; take the meat off the smoker at 130-135 degrees (this will be pink throughout).

Garlic-Chipotle Beef Kebabs

Do you ever wish you could go back in time and experience something from your own life all over again? Is that weird? Well, I feel like that sometimes and if I could pick one experience to revisit I'd go back to age 20 when I spent 3 months in London. Amazing doesn't even begin to describe my time across the pond. However, I never got around to trying kebabs while I was there (London has a huge Indian population, which means they have tons of Indian eateries as well), mistakenly thinking they were the same as the shish-kabobs I'd eaten at home so many times before.

Now, more than nine years later I've come to find out they are totally not the same thing at all. The husband, who as you may remember is Pakistani, mentioned wanting some kebabs the other day, but explained he didn't want what we usually have, he wanted Indian kebabs. He totally laughed when I told him that I thought they were the same thing. A few days later my newest issue of Everyday Food arrived, with a special section on kebabs, including one Indian-style recipe. I was super excited to show the husband and try making them.

The best part of this meal was that the husband decided to join me in the kitchen and help mix up all the ingredients--a rare occurrence for sure. He said these kebabs were very similar to those his mom made when he was growing up and we should definitely make these again. We doubled the recipe to make 12 kebabs since we weren't having any side dishes. I also made a yogurt dip to serve; simply stir about 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cucumber peeled and thinly sliced, and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic salt into a small container of Greek yogurt. Let the flavors meld for about 30 minutes, then dip your kebabs.

Garlic-Chipotle Beef Kebabs
Source: Everyday Food
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 small yellow onion, finely grated (I just threw mine in the food processor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
big pinch black pepper

Directions
Heat a grill to medium heat. (As always, I highly suggest using a charcoal grill rather than gas. Charcoal lends a much better, smokey flavor, which I just feel you cannot achieve with a gas grill.) Clean and lightly oil the grates once they are hot.

If using a charcoal grill, I found it best to build a pyramid of charcoal in the center, so you can set your kebabs in a circle over the direct heat.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your hands until well combined.

Dived the mixture into 6 equal portions. Using your hands, shape each portion of meat into a long oblong, about 1" across. Make sure they are each an even thickness so they cook evenly. Insert a long skewer lengthwise through each oblong .

Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, for about 6-9 minutes, until they are cooked through. I found it best to let them cook, with the BBQ lid on, without turning for about 4 minutes, then I turned them about once per 45-60 seconds after that. This keeps the meat from falling apart on the grill.

Herb-Marinated Sirloin Tip Steaks with Mushroom Sauce

Did you know I'm in grad school? Yep, I'm taking 12 units (3 classes) towards a Masters Degree in Education, while continuing to work as a full time teacher. I'm stressed and feel like I'm buried under homework, but I'm also really glad I decided to persue another degree. What does this all mean to you, my dear readers? Well, one, it answers the question of why I've been slacking on my blog; I'm not cooking as much, and when I am, it's usually nothing special.

I'm attending classes at Cal Poly Pomona, which has an excellent teacher preparation program, but it's really known as an engineering and agriculture school. They have a whole program dedicated to the meat sciences, including breaking down sides of beef and making their own sausages! If I could cram a few more hours into my day, I'd love to take some of those classes...and maybe some classes in the Restaurant and Hospitality program. And a photography course or two. Sorry, birdwalk.

Anyway, I recently decided to check out the campus farmstore after tasting the Meat Sciences original "Broncowurst" and discovered they sell free-range, grass-fed, organic cuts of beef. Ever since the husband and I watched Food Inc. we've eaten less red meat and have been interested in buying more humanely treated meat when we can, which isn't always easy to do. Well, here was a whole freezer section of meat that fit that criteria, so I grabbed a package of sirloin tip steaks and headed home.

A quick search on Google informed me that this is a tougher cut of meat, and isn't the same thing as a sirloin steak. The websites I looked over highly recommended marinating the cut for several hours before cooking to produce a more tender entree. I also cooked up a mushroom sauce to top the dish, which tasted very similar to the mushroom sauce at Henry's Pacific Grill. Yum.

The husband and I both loved this dinner and can't wait to make it again. The marinade was definitely the right way to go; the meat was tender and incredibly flavorful.



Herb-Marinated Sirloin Tip Steaks with Mushroom Sauce
Source: marinade adapted from Grass Fed Beef 101, Mushroom Sauce adapted from My Recipes
Printable Recipe

Marinade Ingredients
2 sirloin tip steaks (about 2 pounds total)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon honey

Mushroom Sauce Ingredients
1 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 shallots)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound baby bella mushrooms, stems removed, rinsed, thinly sliced
pinch salt
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup green onions, minced

Directions
Combine all of the marinade ingredients, except for the beef, in a medium bowl and whisk together. Place the steaks in a glass bowl or pie pan and pour the marinade over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and marinated in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, turning the mean occasionally.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Sautee the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes, just until the shallots begin to soften and turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and sautee for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt after about two minutes.

Add the broth, wine, vinegar, and butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 6 minutes. Sauce will reduce. Add in the minced green onions and cook another 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and keep warm while steaks cook.

Heat a broiler to high and line the broiler pan with foil. Spray with non-stick spray and set the marinated steaks on the foil. Discard the remaining marinade.

Broiler for 4 minutes, then flip steaks and broil for another 3-4 minutes, depending on your desired level of doneness.

Plate and spoon the mushroom sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Filet Mignon

The husband turned 30 last week, which bummed him out a bit. Knowing he wasn't too excited about entering a new decade (a horror I don't have to face for another year and a half, thank God), I wanted to make this birthday amazing.

He requested steak for dinner, so I headed out to Henry's and asked the butcher for their best cut of meat. They had some preimo-quality filet mignon on sale, which the butcher and his assistant *highly* recommended, so of course, I picked a few up. I asked the butcher for a few cooking tips, since I'd never cooked a filet before, and I have to say these steaks were amazing! Melt in your mouth tender, flavorful, and perfectly done. This coming from a woman who is not really a big fan of steak. But I was so glad I was able to make a delicious steak and make the husband happy on his birthday.

Before he came home, I also stopped by Target and picked up some birthday decorations (no over the hills banners here!) and was surprised to find the 49'ers Jerry Rice jersey I bought as a gift in our mail box--I wasn't expecting that to arrive for several more days. Perfect timing!

But I digress...steak...next time you have a special occasion to celebrate, go pick up some premium filet mignon, and grill 'em up.

Filet Mignon
Source: Advice of the butcher at my market
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
filet mignon
sprinkle salt
a heavy shake of pepper

Directions
Remove filets from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking. Wipe them off with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture--this will help get a nice sear on the outside.

Sprinkle one side of each filet with a bit of salt and a heavy shake of pepper. Let sit.

Heat a charcoal grill to high heat, with the charcoal heaped in the middle. You will be cooking these both direct and indirect.

Once the grill is hot, place the filets directly over the heat and cover. Cook for 3 minutes. Using tongs, gently turn the meat over. Cook for another minute or 2, then move to indirect heat until finished cooking. Rare (135 degrees) or medium (140 degrees) is best, as this is a lean cut of meat.

Remove from the heat, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes, so the meat can reabsorb the juices.

Plate and pour any juices from the plate over the filets.

Enjoy! And Happy Birthday, Husband!!!

BBQ Ribs

This isn't really much of a recipe, per se. It's just the way I cook ribs. But my ribs always come out succulent, meaty, flavorful. The key here--don't add any barbecue sauce until just before the ribs are ready to come off the grill. That, and you must use a charcoal grill. Seriously, get rid of your propane contraption; that is not really barbecuing. Trust me, it's the best way.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Source: my own trial and error over the years with advice from the parents Printable Recipe

Ingredients
baby back ribs (I use a rack and a half from Costco for the two of us)
salt
pepper
dry rub, if you want
your favorite bbq sauce
a charcoal grill

Directions
Tear up some newspaper and layer it in the bottom of your charcoal grill. Pour the briquettes on top into a pile. Squirt some lighter fluid on top and light the newspaper. Leave the lid off and wait.

Rub your ribs with salt and pepper, or the dry rub. Do not add any BBQ sauce yet! Let them sit while the charcoal gets hot.

The flames will die down, but the charcoal is not ready yet. Wait until the briquettes have changed from black to ashy grey. Now they're ready.

Lay the ribs on the grill; I prefer to have mine meaty side up. Put the lid on the grill and leave it alone for the next 20 minutes.

Go drink a beer and watch TV or make some side dishes.

Flip the ribs over, meaty side down, for about 3-5 minutes with the lid on.

Go drink more of your beer or chat with the friends you've invited over for dinner. Be sure to be a good hostess.

Flip the ribs back over, meat side up, and slather them with your favorite BBQ sauce. Add as much as you want. Put the lid back on and grill for 3 minutes.

Remove the ribs from the heat, and let stand on a platter, uncovered for about 5 minutes. You want to give the meat a chance to reabsorb the juices before cutting them up.

Slice the ribs apart and chow down. Feel free to have more sauce available for dipping. Just have a bunch of napkins ready.

Steak Topped with Caramelized Mushrooms, Shallots, and Garlic, Served with Baked Potatos

The husband loves steak, but I rarely buy it. I must have been feeling generous the last time I went grocery shopping; I picked up two organic, free-range, grass fed steaks. Yeah seriously, that is some expensive beef. At least I can feel good about the hippy-ness of its life though and know that the cow did not eat other cows for dinner.

As I was prepping the steaks, I decided I wanted them to be kind of fancy, so I grabbed a bunch of shallots, garlic and mushrooms to caramelize for a topping. Ohhhhhh, the smell was intoxicating! I wanted to spoon the mushroom mix straight from the pan to my mouth. Instead, I waited until the husband got home and topped my steak, as well as my potato with the goodness.

Make this...soon. You won't be sorry. Well, unless you are trying to stick to a diet.


Mushroom-topped Steak with Baked Potatos
Source: me
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
2 small steaks (whatever cut you like.)
2 baking potatos
8 ounces crimini mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves
5 shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt
pepper
chili powder (optional)
baked potato toppings (we had butter, shredded cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream)

Directions

Prepare your charcoal grill with coals on only one side of the grill.

Salt and pepper the steaks. Add a dash of chili powder as well, if you like a bit of heat.

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat.

Roughly chop the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Add them to the butter and oil, and cook on medium-low for 20 minutes, until caramelized.

Scrub the potatos clean and pierce with a fork in several places. Cook in the microwave for 10 minutes.

Once the grill is hot, cook the steaks over indirect heat (the side without the charcoal). Cook for 6-10 minutes (depending on how done you like your steaks), and then move to direct heat for one minute to get the nice char on the outside.

Let the steaks sit for 5-10 minutes to rest and reabsorb the juices.

While the steaks are resting, place the potatos over the hot coals for 2-3 minutes to char the skin a bit.

Plate the steaks, spoon the mushroom mixture on the top, and serve with the baked potatos.

Korean Beef with Brown Rice

I don't have a real recipe for you today, as the main component of this dish is pre-marinated meat I pick up at the Korean market. But if you have a Korean grocery store near you and they carry pre-marinated Korean beef, this is a really quick, easy, and flavorful dish. I'm sure there are tons of recipes for Korean beef online (or from my friend at work, who i have been trying to get the recipe from since last October!), so you can always make the entire thing from scratch if you'd like.

Before you get started on cooking the meat, be sure to get your rice going so it is ready when the beef is.

Korean Beef with Brown Rice
Source: me
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound marinated Korean beef
1 small onion (I used white, but you can use any type of onion here), chopped
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water

Directions:
Combine the rice and water in a rice cooker, turn it on and let it cook for you.

Heat a large wok over high heat. Add the seasme oil and swirl around the pan, up the sides, to coat the surface.

Once the oil is hot, add in the onions and garlic, cooking until softened and garlic is fragrant.

Add in the beef, reserving the juices/marinade, and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Add in the juices/marinade and continue stir frying until the meat is cooked through (about 10 to 15 minutes).



Serve the meat over the rice.

Crockpot Tri Tip

I have not had much success in cooking with my crockpot since I bought it about 2-3 years ago. Everything came out gross, mushy, too liquidy, and just not up to par. I was about ready to get rid of it when my mom advised me to try cooking a tougher cut of beef in the crockpot (I had previously only made boneless, skinless chicken breasts). My husband and I were still skeptical, but Von's had untrimmed tri tip on sale for $2.47 a pound today (they normally charge at least $8 a pound), AND I had a coupon for an additional $2 off of one tri tip. So I headed off to the store and bought two 3-pounders and hoped for the best.

I didn't use a recipe for this one. I just coated the meat in pepper, added a bit of salt, and some crushed garlic and turned on the crock pot until the meat was cooked and tender. This turned out fantastically! My husband, who has a tiny appetite, ate two servings and finished the few bites left on my plate. We served it with steamed green beans and I spooned the liquid left in the crock pot on top of the meat. We're planning on eating the leftovers, smothered in BBQ sauce, for dinner tomorrow.

This meal has converted me into a crockpot fan; it couldn't be easier. Season the meat, throw it in the pot, and turn on. Several hours later, dinner is ready.

Crockpot Tri Tip
Source: ME!
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 pound untrimmed tri tip
• pepper
• salt
• 3 cloves garlic

Directions

Place the tri tip in the crockpot insert, with the fatty cap facing up. Coat the top in pepper (I used a combination of black pepper and freshly ground citrus pepper).



Chop up the garlic and then sprinkle with salt. Smash the garlic and salt together with the back of a spoon, making a chunky paste. Sprinkle the paste on top of the tri tip.

Let stand for 30-60 minutes.

Cook in on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.

Slice and serve. Or slice, smother in BBQ sauce, and make sandwiches.

Copycat Recipe: Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza

I recieved a free copy of a new cookbook over the summer, America's Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas, with the condition that I make a recipe and compare it to the restaurant original and blog it today.


I love free stuff, so I was really excited to get this cookbook and participate in the blogging event. While there are a large variety of restaurants represented, it was the recipes themselves that I found disappointing. I feel like the author did not include enough "signature" recipes, but rather went with less popular options. This is not the case for every restaurant included (he does include Panda Kitchen's orang chicken), but I was, for example, looking forward to a copycat recipe of Outback's baby back ribs. Not included.

Oh well. The cookbook was free, and there are still a ton of great-sounding recipes to try.

I was originally going to make the aforementioned orange chicken, but since i just cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom, I didn't really feel like deep frying. I needed something cheap, especially since I not only had to make the copycat, but also buy the original for a comparison.

Ultimately, I decided on Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza. This is what I always order when I go there, they're across the street from my condo, a MExican Pizza is under $3 on their menu, and buying the needed ingredients wouldn't break my (already broken) bank account.

The recipe calls for the tortillas to be deep fryed, but as I already mentioned, that was not happening in my sparkling kitchen. I just crisped them over an open flame on my stove instead.


The Taco Bell Original The Copycat













Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza
source: America's Most Wanted Recipes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

8 oz ground beef
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 tablespoons water
vegetable oil for frying
Eight 6" flour tortillas
1 cup refried beans (I used low-fat refried black beans, as I already had several cans in the pantry)
2/3 cup enchilada sauce
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1 cup shredded Cheddar-jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup sliced black olives (I omitted these)

Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the beef, taco seasoning and water together. Brown in a skillet, over medium high heat, for about 5 minutes (or until cooked throughout). Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Set aside. (I drained the grease off first and then set aside.)

Preheat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees in a large skillet. Fry each tortilla for 30 to 45 seconds per side, or until golden brown. Be sure to pop any bubbles that form during frying so that the tortilla lies flat. Drain the tortillas on paper towels. (I skipped this entire step and just crisped them over the stove. If you do as I did, don't expect a crunchy final result.)

Assemble each pizza on a cookie sheet. First, spread 1/4 cup of the refried beans on 4 tortillas. Then, spread 1/4 cup of meat on top of the beans. Top with a second tortilla. Spread the top tortillas with 2 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce, then top with tomato, cheese, and green onions.

Bake in the oven for about 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese is melted.

The Verdict
These are good, but definitely not the same as Taco Bell. I know not frying the tortilla and using refried black beans plays a big roll in that, but the copycat recipe's meat is more highly seasoned (thumbs up) and it looks like the Taco Bell original also spreads some chunky salsa on top of the enchilada sauce. There was more than just diced tomatos and enchilada sauce on the real deal. Also, spread some Taco Bell hot sauce on top of your homemade version, and it comes pretty darn close to a "run for the border". :)
My husband and I enjoyed eating these, and he even said it would be a cute project to make with our future kids (awwww!). I agree, but if I am ever craving a Mexican Pizza, I will just go across the street to Taco Bell and order one. They're less than $3 and it will take less than 5 minutes. These took me about 30 minutes to make, which is the opposite of "fast food".