Stove-to-Oven Fillet Mignon

Ingrediants:

• Fillet mignon
• olive oil
• butter
• salt
• pepper
• aromatics of your choice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Directions:

Set the steak on the counter for a half hour in order to come to room temperature.  Oil both sides, safflower has the highest smoke point.  Then, salt and pepper very liberally both sides.

Heat a pan to really, really hot by allowing it to rest in the oven as it is preheating then putting on a medium high flame.   Sear both sides (2-3 minutes each depending on the thickness of your fillet), without touching the meat as it sears.

Add aromatics and some butter to the pan.  Suggested aromatics are garlic, thyme, rosemary, bayleaves, etc.

Finish in the oven (5-7 minutes, from medium rare to well done).

Move to the plate.  Scoop some of the butter from the pan and drizzle it atop the steak.  Let rest 5 minutes.

Do not cut into the meat at any time during the process.

Myrtle's Note:  I absolutely stink at cooking steaks.  Since all my grilling efforts have been failures, I wanted to explore the stove-to-oven method and have, as I am now wont to do, been watching YouTube videos and Googling lots.  I settled on information from two different sources and started.  Pictured is a fillet pinwheel.  I wanted to try it before I did the plain fillet mignon.  It was rather tasty, although a bit more done than I wanted.  I need to remember just how much a steak will finish once it is taken away from its heat source.

Sources:  http://www.noreciperequired.com/technique/how-cook-perfect-filet-mignon#  AND http://www.floatingkitchen.net/how-to-cook-the-perfect-filet-mignon/

Chili Spiced Steak (for tacos or salad)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder (or regular chile powder)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or chipotle chile pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

In a large shallow bowl, mix the spices, salt, peppers, lime juice, and olive oil.  Place the flank steak in the marinade and flip several times to thoroughly coat the steak.  Cover with plastic wrap an allow to marinate for one hour at room temperature.

Preheat your grill to high temperature (700 degrees).  Cook the steak for 3-5 minutes per side (on my propane grill 3 minutes made for a rare-in-the-center steak).  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Cut the steak in smaller portions with the grain, 2-3 depending on length.  Rotate and cut thin strips against the grain.


Myrtle's Note:  I replaced the ancho chile powder with regular chili powder and the chipotle chili powder with chipotle chili pepper.  I also increased the cumin and coriander because I thought it needed a bit more.  And I changed the type and increased the amount of brown sugar to better balance all the other ingredients.  Finally, this is a recipe for skirt steak, but I made with flank steak.  Either steak will work well.

The original recipe contains a link to a cilantro cream sauce that looks tasty ... if you like cilantro, which I do not!

As for eating instructions, I had it as tacos, but think that the flavoring would also be tasty on a salad.  I tried to reduce the sauce, as I did for the recipe, but reducing it was a dismal failure, not even to be salvaged by mixing the sticky paste with sour cream.

For the record, having cooked both, I prefer flank steak to skirt steak.


Servings:  4-6


Adapted from:  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/06/chili-spiced-skirt-steak-tacos.html

Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sliced sirloin steak
• 1 bag Archer Farms® sugar snap peas
• Peanut oil
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens® minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 table spoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Miren® (or rice wine)
• 2 tablespoons Golden Mountain Sauce®
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, pepper, cornstarch, and one-half teaspoon peanut oil into a slurry.   Slice your sirloin into very thin strips going against the grain and put them into the bowl.  Stir thoroughly and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Golden Mountain Sauce, Miren, and balsamic vinegar for your stir-fry sauce and set aside.

Mince 3 large garlic cloves and set aside.

If you want, carefully cut off the tips of your sugar snap peas and set aside.

Start your rice.

Put a sauteuse pan on the stove and turn it to medium high heat.  When the pan is radiating heat, put in one tablespoon peanut oil and swirl around.  Dump in the minced garlic.  And begin cooking the beef.

Cook the beef in single layers.  Cook the strips for about 30 seconds per side.  [The way I did it was to lay out the pieces around the pan and then start flipping them once I have finished placing the last piece.]  Set the cooked beef on a plate and then cook the next batch until all the beef is cooked.  [It took me four batches to cook all the beef.]

The garlic will be all browned and the oil gone, so, first, add a large dollop of the minced ginger and swirl.  Then add the sugar snap peas and another half-tablespoon peanut oil and swirl and stir.

Finally, add the stir-fry sauce and beef to the pan.  Stir and allow the sauce to thicken before removing from the heat.

Serve over rice.


Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe is for beef and broccoli, but I wanted to use sugar snap peas.  Plus, I wanted some ginger, so I added that into the recipe.  Finally, the original recipe called for oyster sauce, but I always substitute Golden Mountain Sauce for any seafood sauce (oyster or fish sauce).


Yield:  4 servings

Adapted from:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/jadens-beef-with-broccoli/

Chipotle Steak (for tacos or salad)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole skirt or flank steak
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Chipotle Chili Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

In a wide, shallow bowl, mix olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, honey, and chipotle chili pepper. Whisk to combine.

Pour marinade over steak, coating both sides. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least two hours. Once or twice, pull out the steak to turn over in the marinade, since you might need to fold the steak in the bowl.

Remove steak from fridge. Grill over high heat, only about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side for skirt steak or 3-4 minutes per side for flank steak until rare/medium rare. Remove from heat and allow meat to rest a few minutes. Slice very thin shingles of meat on an extreme diagonal.
Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe is for a salad, but I used it for tacos.  It also calls for a can of chipotle chili peppers, but I used powdered.

The first time, I used skirt steak (pictured) and cooked it 3 minutes per side on high heat.  That was too long.  However, as I have learned, flank steak cooked on high (at least on my grill), needs a minimum of 3 minutes per side.

Since there was a healthy amount of marinade and juices left once the steak was out of the bowl, I cooked it in a sauce pan to turn it into a steak sauce.  It was very, very tasty.  That said, I would recommend doubling the marinade ingredients and planning for the sauce.

The original recipe is for steak salad, but I had this as steak tacos.


Yield:  4 servings

Adapted from:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/08/chipotle-steak-salad/

Beef Stew with Beer

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds beef chuck tender roast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour, plus extra for dredging
• 1 red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons of Gourmet Gardens® Minced Garlic
• 5 red potatoes
• 36 baby carrots
• 4 cups beef broth/stock
• 1 bottle Honey Brown Lager
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoke sauce
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Chipotle Chile Pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 package Shenandoah Growers® Poultry Blend (fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme)

Directions:

Cube the beef.  Dredge with flour.  Divide into two piles and set aside.  Mince the red onion and set aside.

In a cast iron dutch oven, melt two tablespoons butter into two tablespoons olive oil.  Braise the beef in two (or more) batches, so that you can get a good sear.  Put the beef on a plate and set aside.

Place the onion and garlic into the pan and sauté until golden brown.  Add brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, smoke sauce, paprika, all the peppers, and salt.  Stir well and simmer a bit.  Add beer and broth.  Stir well.

Cut the beef into smaller pieces and return to the pot.  Be sure to scrap all the juice from the resting plate back into the pot as well.  Cover and simmer for 90 minutes, then start prepping the vegetables.

Cut the baby carrots into thirds.  Cut the potatoes into half inch cubes.  Mince the herbs.  [Since I know nothing about fresh herbs, I stripped the rosemary and thyme leaves from the stems and removed the stems from the sage and then minced everything together.]  Add the vegetables and herbs to the pot, cover,  and simmer 30 minutes more.

Remove the cover for the rest of the cooking.

Remove two cups of liquid to make a roux.  Melt two tablespoons butter into a sauce pan.  Slowly add two tablespoons flour, stirring constantly until well mixed and smooth.  Allow to brown a bit as you keep stirring.  Very, very slowly add the two cups of liquid, stirring constantly.  Once all is mixed together, allow to simmer for a minute or two.  Then return the roux to the pot and stir thoroughly.

Raise heat to bring the stew to a more vigorous boil.  Cook uncovered for 15 more minutes to finish reducing and thickening.

Serve with crusty bread.


Myrtle's Note:  I was trying very hard to stick to the advice in this article about the making of stew.  However, my stew looked nothing like the photos in the original recipe and I did want a thick stew.  So, I went with the roux route, as well as mincing a cup of the vegetables.  I am decidedly a savory and sweet person, and it struck me that I had the same sort of outcome as in Myrtle's Medley Black Eyed Peas.  In the end, I am enormously pleased with the stew because it is tailored to my desires:  thick, savory, sweet, heavy on the meat, and no celery!!

Yield:  8 Servings


Based on:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/beef-stew-with-beer-and-paprika/

Oven Beef Jerky

Ingredients:

• Stir-fry Steak
• Archer Farms Garlic Powder
• Archer Farms Ginger Powder
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Fresh ground sea salt
• Natural Hickory Liquid Smoke 
• Worcestershire sauce
• Archer Farms Teriyaki Grilling Sauce
• Soy sauce
• Modenaceti Balsamic Glaze

Pre-heat Oven to 200 degrees.

I have been making beef jerky in the oven for about a year now.  This last time, I think I found the best steak to use:  Beef Stir Fry.  It was pre-cut thin and cooked in about half the time.  However, I have used about six different types of steak.  The "rule" I started following was either to buy thin steaks and cut thick slices or to buy thick steaks and to cut thin slices.  The Beef Stir Fry all ready fits that bill.

I usually prepare four batches at once, which is two packages of steak.  I will marinade one batch overnight before cooking and the rest I will place in the freezer for later.  I prepare the batches in quart-size Ziploc bags.

I have learned it is best to put the ingredients into the plastic bag before the meat.  First put in the dry ingredients, then the liquid ones, and then use your fingers on the outside of the bottom of the bag to mix everything together.

It is my opinion that the proportions you use with beef jerky marinade—even the actual ingredients—really only matter to your taste.  For mine, I have become adept at making up a bag of marinade by sight.  So, my "measurements" are really merely pinches, shakes, squeezes, and pours.

I use a generous pinch of salt and two-three pinches of black pepper.  I then shake a generous helping of garlic powder and a double shake of ginger powder. Next, I put in four shakes of soy sauce, two quick, firm squeezes of Liquid Smoke (a lot will come out of the bottle really easily), eight shakes of Worcestershire sauce, one long squeeze of balsamic glaze (it is very thick), and one long pour (about two dollops worth) of the grilling sauce. I would say that once everything is in and you hold up the bag by the top, the bottom has about 3/4 to one inch of marinade.

After dropping in the steak, I squeeze out most of the air, close the seal, and mash around the meat at the bottom of the bag. I do not turn it upside down or anything, because I try to keep the marinade from rising no more than halfway up the bag, so that the meat is coated, not the bag.  Once the meat is thoroughly coated, I open the seal and squeeze out all the air possible, use my fingers to squeeze down any marinade clinging to the side of the bag, and then I fold the top of the bag over the meat.  What happens is that with all the meat tucked at the bottom, I can fold it over at the top of the meat, which will leave just an inch or so left of bag, that I then fold over a second time, placing that part facing downward to hold the meat tightly together in the bag and keep it from unfolding in the refrigerator/freezer.

Whether I am cooking right away or taking a packet from the freezer, I let the meat set in the refrigerator for a full day.  Throughout the 24 hours, I will periodically pick up the packet, squish the meat around a bit, and then tuck it back into a small packet.

To cook the beef jerky, I will lay the strips on a cooling rack and then place that rack in the oven.  The cooking rack I use holds approximately 16 slices in two rows.  I also line the bottom of the oven with foil since the marinade will drip all over it.

Depending on the thickness of the meat, I will cook it up to two and a half hours.  The first 90 minutes, I cook at 200 degrees.  If I am cooking longer than that, I will drop the oven temperature down to 150 degrees.  For reference, the stir-fry steak cooked perfectly in 75 minutes.

Yield: 12-16 slices per marinade batch/bag.

Basil Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon, black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, spit and toasted
• Fresh basil
• 4 tomato slices

In a medium bowl, combine egg, onion, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, fresh basil, ketchup, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add beef; mix well. Shape beef mixture into four 3/4 inch thick patties.

Lightly coat a heavy skillet with cooking sray (or use a heavy non-stick skillet). Preheat skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add patties. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, turning patties once halfway through cooking. If patties brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium low. Serve patties on buns with basil leaves and tomato slices.

Yield: 4

Source:  Marie Ferderer