Beef Stew and Dumplings

Ingredients

For the beef stew
2 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz butter
750g/1lb 10oz beef stewing steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp plain flour
2 garlic cloves, crushed
175g/6oz baby onions, peeled
150g/5oz celery, cut into large chunks
150g/5oz carrots, cut into large chunks
2 leeks, roughly chopped
200g/7oz swede, cut into large chunks
150ml/5fl oz red wine
500ml/18fl oz beef stock
2 fresh bay leaves
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dumplings
125g/4½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
60g/2½oz suet
water, to make a dough
To serve
mashed potato
1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the beef stew, heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof casserole and fry the beef until browned on all sides.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and all the vegetables and fry for 1-2 minutes.
5. Stir in the wine, stock and herbs, then add the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, to taste. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for about two hours, or until the meat is tender.
7. For the dumplings, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
8. Add the suet and enough water to form a thick dough.
9. With floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the dough into small balls.
10. After two hours, remove the lid from the stew and place the balls on top of the stew. Cover, return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the dumplings have swollen and are tender.

Beef Carbonade

Ingredients

3 - 3.5 lbs. of stew beef, cut in 2" cubes

4 Tablespoons of butter

2 Tablespoons of flour

3 large onions

1 Tablespoon of chopped parsley

1 Tablespoon of wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of tarragon

1 teaspoon of thyme

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon of honey

3 cups of beer

2 cups of boiling water (approximately)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat the butter on high.
Sauté the meat until brown.
Sprinkle the flour on the meat and cook while stirring for 1 to 2 minutes.
In a heavy casserole dish:
Place half of the meat in the bottom,
Add herbs (cumin, tarragon and parsley), onions (cut in fine slices),
Place remainder of the meat on top,
Pour beer over the meat and add enough boiling water just to cover.
Salt and pepper to taste and add thyme and bay leaf,
Cook until boiling.
Mix the vinegar and Honey and add into the dish.
Place lid on casserole dish and put in oven heated to 300 degrees F.
Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours

Beouf Wellington

Ingredients

1 kg/2lb 4 oz middle cut beef fillet, trimmed
¼ bunch of thyme, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
55g/2oz butter
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
500g/1lb 2oz flat field mushrooms, finely chopped
a few drops of truffle oil
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
English mustard, to taste
500g/1lb 2oz block puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten, to seal the pastry
melted butter, to glaze

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Season the beef with the thyme, sea salt and pepper and rest for 30 minutes.
3. Heat a pan and sear each side of the beef until golden brown.
4. Allow to cool to room temperature.
5. For the Duxelle, sweat the butter, garlic and mushrooms in a pan over a low heat until all the moisture evaporates.
6. Add the truffle oil and parsley, and season to taste.
7. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
8. Smear the beef with an even coating of English mustard.
9. Lightly dust a sheet of baking paper with flour.
10. Roll the pastry so it is a little wider than the beef, and the beef can be completely rolled in pastry.
11. Place the pastry so the longest half is facing you.
12. Spread the Duxelle mixture evenly over the half of the pastry closest to you.
13. Place the beef on top of the mushroom mix.
14. Roll the beef up in the pastry, leaving a slight overlap of 3cm/1¼in. Brush this with beaten egg and seal.
15. Trim the ends of the pastry so they are flush with the beef.
16. Cut a sheet of baking paper to the size of the beef Wellington.
17. Place the beef Wellington on the paper, lightly brush the top with melted butter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
18. Put the beef Wellington in the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until dark golden in colour.
19. Serve.

Cajun dirty rice and blackened ribs

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound chicken gizzards
• 3 1/2 cups hot chicken broth or beef broth
• 1 to 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 pound ground lean pork
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions with tops
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or a few dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 1/2 pound chicken livers, finely diced

Preparation:

Simmer gizzards in the chicken or beef broth for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove gizzards with a slotted spoon; grind or mince. Reserve broth. Heat bacon drippings and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy casserole. Sauté the pork and gizzards over high heat until pork is no longer pink. Lower heat; add vegetables and seasonings and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and reserved broth; bring rapidly to a boil, stir once, cover, and lower heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, until rice is tender.
Sauté minced chicken livers in remaining butter for 3 minutes. Toss with the rice, taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and let rice fluff in a 225° oven for 10 minutes .
Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

110 g brown sugar

4 g ground cumin

15 g ground black pepper

10 g ground coriander

30 g chili powder

30 g salt

60 ml soy sauce

65 g chili powder

25 g Cajun-style blackened seasoning(see below)

2725 g prime rib roast, bone in

475 ml water

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, coriander, 1/4 cup chili powder, salt, and soy sauce. In a separate small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup chili powder and blackened seasoning. Set aside.
2. Cut ribs from roast, and place in a roasting pan. They will act as a roasting rack. Rub the meat all over with the soy sauce mixture. Then rub and coat with the Cajun seasoning mixture. Let marinate for at least one hour or wrap in plastic, and chill overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
4. Remove any plastic from roast, and place pan into the preheated oven. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Pour water into the pan to produce moist heat. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and continue roasting for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature is at least 130-140 degrees F/55-60 degrees C) for medium rare, or (145-155 degrees F/63-68 degrees C) for medium . Let the roast stand for 30 minutes before carving to let the juices return to the centre.

Cajun Style Seasoning

2 teaspoons ground paprika

4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix

Technorati Tags: Food,Blackened Ribs,Dirty rice

Delicious Beef Curry

Dry spice mixture

• 1 dessertspoon ground coriander
• 1 dessertspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek seed
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon green chilli (finely chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red chilli

Wet spice mixture

• 4 oz creamed coconut
• 4oz tomato puree
• 1/2 teaspoon tamarind puree
• 1 dessertspoon honey
• 1 crushed garlic

Spice mixture

• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cassia bark
• 1/2 teaspoon curry leaves

Fried mixture

• 2 Spanish onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 1 cube of fresh ginger, finely chopped

Method

1. Mix together the dry spice mixture and roll 1lb cubed beef until well covered.
2. Chop onions, garlic, ginger and fry for a few minutes in ghee. Add the meat and gently fry a few pieces at a time.
3. Separately dissolve wet mix ingredients in warm water. Then add to the fried meat, combine and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add spice mixture and gently simmer for a few minutes more.
5. Put curry in an oiled casserole dish and simmer for half an hour, stir regularly to prevent the curry from sticking.