Where's the Beef?

So after an entire day of Eleyna  pondering her options for dinner yesterday, we decided to just wing it and go out.  First choice?  Freddy's Custard.  Not a personal favorite of mine, but why not.  It was going to be a rare moment for some valuable Father-Daughter bonding, and if she wanted to go there, then so be it.  While driving north up Interstate 35, we saw Buffalo Wild Wings, and Eleyna perked up.  "Can we go there?" 

"Do you want to?"  Her excited grin was enough to convince me to swerve across 3 lanes of traffic and catch the last exit before having to do the turnaround.  We found parking about a mile away (okay, maybe it wasn't that far...) and made it into the restaurant.  We were promply seated by a smiling hostess, and that was where the positive elements of the visit ended.  After waiting 7 minutes to be greeted, and after having fully perused the menu, I said, "We should have gone to Genghis Grill."

Eleyna looked at me in surprise and said,"Can we?" At my nod, she said, "What do we do, just get up and go?"  And we did.

Genghis Grill ended up being the visit we expected, with Eleyna creating a teriyaki chicken bowl served on their fried rice (which is one of the worst I have ever tasted) and then polishing off dessert while I plowed through my bowl.  I built mine with the ever-present chicken, beef, shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, beansprouts, tomatoes and garlic.  It was DIY mastery.  In a perfect world, the beef would have been shredded, and while Genghis Grill does offer a sliced beef, it is not as flavorful as their marinated stew meat.

I remember just what a rarity eating beef at home was.  Mom always used to make us Chinese food with seafood or chicken.  While I never complained, probably because I did not really know better, I often wonder what marvelous creation would have come to fruition had she made a beef recipe.  I asked her once, many years ago, why we did few recipes utilizing beef, and the response I got made perfect sense.

Years ago beef was a luxury in the average Chinese kitchen because of its short supply and high cost, and Mom wanted to make sure that we understood the significance of that kind of scenario.  As a result, it was rarely seen on dinner tables when I was growing up.  Thankfully, things have changed significantly since then. Nowadays, beef is just as common as other meats in Chinese households.  More and more Chinese youngsters are influenced by western diets, putting pressure on moms to conform, and to cook them hamburgers and steaks. But for the older Chinese, traditions still prevail.  In the hands of an experienced cook, there can indeed be a multitude of ways to prepare a delicious beef dish. In addition to various beef stir fries, we have very elaborate beef stews, beef cold cuts, aromatic beef dumplings, beef egg rolls, crispy or tender meatballs made of chopped or ground beef, and much more.

Stir-frying seems to be designed especially for beef since it cooks rather quickly. This method is a real saver of time, money, and calories. Imagine a chunk of sirloin steak that serves only one; that same steak cut into thin strips and stirred with a head of broccoli, also cut up, and now you have a dish that serves three or four.

The hearty flavor of beef goes well with almost every vegetable. The most popular accompanying vegetables for beef are usually the ones with strong flavors such as green peppers, scallions, or celery. Greens with a crunch and refreshing taste such as asparagus, green beans, and snow peas are also good matches. One little used vegetable which gives beef a unique good taste is tender young ginger shoots.

Unlike pork, beef demands more care in stir-frying; otherwise you can end up with tough and tasteless meat. Many inexperienced cooks fail to meat the criteria for tenderness and smoothness when they cook beef because they lack the required knowledge to treat beef in the proper way. For satisfying results, remember these guidelines:

• Flank steak is the best choice if it is fresh; but if not available fresh, use other tender cuts such as sirloin or tenderloin. I try to find flank steak as often as possible from a Chinese market for stir-frying, and the resulting dish is surprisingly tender and very flavorful, indeed!

• Cut against the grain for better texture. Allow the beef to absorb enough liquid (soy sauce, sherry, and a small amount of oil) during the marinade (30 minutes or longer). The purpose is to create a tender and juicy texture. Mixing continuously helps bring the desired results.

•For a smooth texture, mix in half-teaspoon baking soda. This is a very efficient tenderizer which has been widely used by many restaurants.  If you do not want to use baking soda, use one teaspoon of cooking oil and a small amount of egg white. This combination will also give beef a smooth texture and help it remain tender.

Apart from these special techniques, another important factor when cooking with beef is the sauce. A dish is usually named after the sauce in it. Besides soy sauce, the most popular seasonings for stir-fried beef are oyster sauce, fermented black bean sauce.

Ground beef may receive less attention than whole beef in the average Chinese household, nevertheless, it stars in a few famous dim sum dishes such as Cantonese Steamed Beef Meatballs and Northern-style Pan Fried Beef Dumplings.  (This recollection brings to mind the gross potstickers I had at Asian Buffet a couple of days ago, and in their defense, I will allow myself to believe that they were TRYING to replicate that recipe.)  In many cases, beef may be used the same way as ground pork if measures are taken to eliminate its strong taste and improve its texture. Some of the Chinese secrets for use with ground beef include:

•Use Szechuan Peppercorn Oil, minced ginger and scallion to combat any gamey or strong tastes.

•Mix in egg, cornstarch, and sesame oil for added smoothness.

Interestingly, Pan Fried Beef Dumplings, when made properly, are a tasty beef snack made from ground beef, have a better taste than egg rolls. These dumplings are juicy and flavorful on the inside, aromatic and crusty on the outside.

One advantage of Chinese cooking is that everybody, even the novice cook, can discover the ability to transform uninteresting inexpensive cuts of meat into delicacies. A good example of this can be seen in Beef Stew Noodles, which is made from beef shin or brisket. Almost all Chinese people love this dish. When it is cooked to perfection, it tastes robust and incredibly delicious. Another famous beef shin dish is Five Spice Beef. It is succulent and aromatic, and the beef is usually cut into large slices and served as a first course at a banquet or as cold cuts during a regular meal.

While I am bound to the flavor profiles that the family enjoys when cooking a meal, I do enjoy the ability to throw a meal together and call it my own.  As long as it is tasty and the kids eat it, I consider it a success.  So now, comes the question:  What is for dinner tonight?

Until then, Good Eating, Friends...

Tomato Beef

Ingredients:


1/2 pound flank steak

4 Tablespoons oil

2 medium tomatoes, sliced

1 Tablespoon chopped scallions

1 teaspoon sugar

salt to taste

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

Marinating sauce:

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon dry sherry

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Preparation:

1. Cut beef into thin slices, and mix with the marinating sauce, and allow to stand for at least fifteen minutes.

2. Heat two Tablespoon oil until very hot and saute scallions until they are light brown. Add the tomatoes and while stirring, add the salt and sugar. Cook about two minutes until the tomatoes are barely limp.  Remove and set aside.

3. Rinse and dry the wok or pan and heat the rest of the oil. Saute the garlic half a minute then fry the beef until no longer red. Return the tomato mixture to the pan, mix well, and cook one minute longer then remove to a serving platter.  Serve with steamed rice.




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cooking, Martin Yan, Gordon Ramsey, Asian Stir Fry, Chino's Cafe, Chinese Food, Asian Stir Fry

Beef Recipes

Colin's Beef Stroganoff

*Two hours before service, pat dry then cut a tender piece of raw beef into small cubes and sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic powder and onion salt..

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs tender beef
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• 1/4 lb butter
• salt
• 2 spoons flour
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1.5 pounds of hamburger meat

Take 1 pound of raw egg noodles, toss in boiling water, bring back to a boil, and strain. While egg noodles are cooking, saute chopped onions and sliced mushrooms in butter until onions become transparent and mushrooms just soften up. Use a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan, then toss in marinated beef. After the meat is browned evenly, toss in cooked egg noodles and let sit for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons very fresh sour cream before serving. (For an extra kick, 1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard can be added, as it gives a new dimension to the flavor.)



Cheesey Beef Alfredo Casserole

• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• parmesan cheese
• cheddar cheese
• 1 box of  Ditalini (or any other small pasta)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Brown the hamburger meat while starting a pot of water to boil. After the meat was seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper, and well browned, drain. The pasta was then cooked to "al-dente" then drained.

Take 2 tablespoons of butter, melt over medium heat, poured the cream in, let it cook to just below boiling, then mix in 1 cup of parmesan cheese. When the parmesan cheese had just started to melt, combine the meat and noodles, season it lightly with salt and pepper, and stirred in half of the grated cheddar cheese. Put it into a 9" round stoneware dish and topped it with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven and serve.

 

Steak Diane by Colin

Ingredients

• 
  
  4 x small sirloin steaks, approx 7 ounces each
  
• 3 shallots, peeled
  
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  

                   (if crimini unavailable use button mushrooms instead)

• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 -2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup brandy or cognac

                   (I used Hennessey, as it was all I had available, with great results)

• 
  
  1 cup heavy cream
  
• Small handful of flat-leaf parsley
  

Using a rolling pin, roll out the steaks to flatten and cut off any excess fat. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet pan large enough to accommodate the 4 steaks in one layer. Quickly sauté the steaks for up to a minute on each side then remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

To make the sauce for the steaks, heat some olive oil in a separate pan. Slice the shallots and add to the pan, allow to soften briefly before slicing and adding the mushrooms with a tablespoon of butter. Crush in the garlic using a garlic press.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, then the mustard and heat through for a minute. Turn up the heat and tilt the pan away from you. Pour the brandy into the far end and allow it to ignite - be careful that the flame that flares up doesn't singe your eyebrows! Once the alcohol has burnt off, swirl the juices around the pan. Add the cream and allow the sauce to thicken before turning down the heat.

Introduce the steaks back into the pan and cook a little further depending on how well done you would like them. Chop the parsley and add half to the pan.

 

Chino's Picadillo

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 7 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholula is my favorite)
• 6 cups canned stewed tomatoes, half-drained

Directions

In a large stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion and green pepper until onions are transparent. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl and set aside. In the same pot, heat the remaining oil and brown the ground beef.

In a separate saucepan, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaves and hot sauce. Let simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Place the seasoning mixture and the onion mixture into the pot with the ground beef. Add the half drained tomatoes and cook for 1 hour over medium heat; stirring occasionally.

Ground Beef with Beijing Sauce Over Noodles

If you don’t have bean sauce, it is acceptable to substitute hoisin sauce or oyster sauce and omit the sugar. To save time, boil your noodles according to package instructions while you’re cooking. I’ve added dried peppers, but of course you can leave them out if you’d like. If you enjoy spice, try the “hot bean sauce” instead of the regular bean sauce, add more dried chilies and leave the seeds in or use chopped fresh chilies instead. Serve over your grain of choice.

serves 4

• 1/4 cup stock (chicken/beef/veg)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground bean sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon cooking wine
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 4 dried chili peppers, cut in half, seeds shaken out/discarded
• 1 pound lean ground beef or chicken
• 1/2 cup frozen vegetables (I used carrots and peas), no need to defrost
• 1/2 cup chopped baby corn (1/2 can)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch slurry
• cooked rice or noodles

 Mix the sauce ingredients together, set aside. In a wok or large over high heat, add the cooking oil. When the oil is just getting hot, add the garlic, onions and the chili peppers, fry until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and stir fry for 1 minute until browned.

Add the frozen vegetables and baby corn and stir well. Pour in the sauce and turn the heat to medium. Bring sauce to a boil.

Add in the corntarch and stir for about 10 more seconds, until sauce has thickened and vegetables have achieved a shiny glaze. Taste and adjust for seasoning – you may add a little more soy sauce if needed. Serve over noodles or rice.

Pan Seared Steak Rolls

•  8 ounces flank steak (4 inch x 6 inch piece) or 8 thin sliced sirloin

 Marinade

• 
  
  1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  
• freshly ground pepper
  

 Sauce

• 
  
  1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  
• ¼ cup canned chicken broth
  

Filling

• 
  
  1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  
• 1 carrot, cut into 2 inch matchsticks
  
• ½ red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch matchsticks
  
• 2 ribs celery, sliced thin on diagonal
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• 12 green onions, cut into 3 inches long
  
• 4 ounces enoki mushrooms
  
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  
• 2 teaspoons butter
  
• ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds
  

Freeze steak for 30 minutes until partially frozen. Slice steak against the grain, on the diagonal, into 8 equally thin pieces. Use a meat mallet to pound each piece of meat to 1/8 inch thick. If using thin sliced sirloin, skip this step.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and add meat slices. Let stand 15 minutes to 2 hours.

In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients.

To prepare filling, heat a wok or skillet over high heat. When hot, add vegetable oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 20 seconds. Add carrot, bell pepper, celery and stir fry for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and stir. Transfer to bowl and let cool.

To make the beef rolls, lay beef slices out with short side facing you. Equally divide chives, enoki mushrooms and vegetable mixture among the pieces of meat. Roll the beef up, over the filling and secure with toothpick.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and butter, swirling to coat bottom. When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, not touching and pan fry for 1 minute, turn roll. Add sauce to the pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until beef is just cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Remove toothpick, sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Yields 4 servings

Colin's Hunan Spicy Orange Beef

Made with dried orange peel, this spicy and flavorful dish originates from the Hunan region. Best Practice: deep-fry the beef twice if desired to make it extra crispy.

Serves 3 - 4.

 Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound flank steak

 Marinade:

• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 egg white
  
• 1 ounce cornstarch slurry
  

Sauce:

• 
  
  2 tablespoons water or low sodium chicken broth
  
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  
• 3 teaspoons Tomato Paste
  

                       (Ketchup will suffice if you don't have any tomato paste lying around the house)

• Sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
• 1 fresh orange, including the peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Veggies

• 
  
  2 slices ginger
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 2 green onions
  
• 2 medium celery ribs
  
• Oil for deep-frying and stir-frying
  
• 6 dried red chili peppers
  

Preparation:

Cut the flank steak across the grain into thin strips. Add the salt, egg white and cornstarch. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Complete the next three steps while the beef is marinating.

To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl combine the water or chicken broth, dark soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, ketchup, sesame oil and white pepper. Squeeze the juice from the orange and add to the sauce, along with the sugar. Set aside.

Remove all white rind from the orange peel. Cut the peel into thin strips. Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Wash the green onions and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. String the celery and cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal.

Heat the wok over high heat. Add oil for deep-frying and heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When the oil is ready, add the beef. Deep-fry on both sides until it changes color and is nearly cooked. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Add the celery and submerge briefly in the hot oil (the celery should not be in the hot oil for more than a few seconds). Remove and drain on paper towels.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. Add the dried chili peppers and the orange peel. Stir-fry briefly until the chilies darken, then add the minced ginger and garlic. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Stir in the green onion.

Push the vegetables up to the side of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle. Add the beef back into the pan. Heat through and serve hot.

Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients

• 
  
  3 pounds ground beef
  
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
  
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle tomato-based chili sauce
  
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon prepared
  
• yellow mustard (optional)
  

 Directions

Crumble the ground beef into a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently until evenly browned. Drain off grease. Add the onion and celery, and cook until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. 

Reduce heat to medium and pour in the chili sauce. Stir in the vinegar and sugar. Add mustard if using. Simmer until the mixture is your desired thickness. Serve on buns.

Colin's Stew-Stuffed Potatoes

 Ingredients

• 8 cups low-sodium beef stock
• 3 large russet potatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Water, as needed
• 1 1/2 cups sliced onions
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the beef stock in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, leaving 4 cups.

Put the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until just tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half lengthwise and using a spoon, remove the potato flesh and set aside, leaving 1/2-inch thick rim around the edges. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the baking sheet and put potato shells on it, cut side down; bake until the cut side is golden brown and skin is crispy, about 20 minutes.

Pat the meat pieces dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven and sear the beef on all sides to a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and carefully add a tablespoon of water to the hot pot, scraping up the brown bits from bottom of the pan. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and saute the onions and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring often, until the onions begin to caramelize, adding water, as needed, to deglaze the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the onions are a deep golden brown, add the reduced beef stock and the beef and their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the meat is tender, skimming fat off the top, if necessary, about 35 to 40 minutes

Pass the reserved potato flesh through a ricer or mash with a masher until smooth, adding hot water to loosen them. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, butter, sour cream, then season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix well.

Ladle the stew into the crisp potato bowls, top with a spoon of mashed potatoes and enjoy.

Colin's Easy Barbeque Steak

Ingredients:

• 
  
  2 pounds lean, boneless beef steak
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
  
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 2 teaspoons soy jam (thick soy)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  
  

Preparation:

1. Braise the steaks on a hot grill until done to your taste.

2. Make a sauce blending the scallions, garlic, soy sauce, soy jam, mustard, and sesame oil.

3. When the steak is done to your taste, smother it with the sauce mixture.

4. Serve over rice with your choice of vegetable side.

Colin's Tomato Beef

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1/2 pound flank steak
  
• 4 Tablespoons oil
  
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
  
• 1 Tablespoon chopped scallions
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• salt to taste
  
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
  

Marinating sauce:

• 
  
  1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• 1 teaspoon dry sherry
  
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  

Preparation:

1. Cut beef into thin slices, and mix with the marinating sauce, and allow to stand for at least fifteen minutes.

2. Heat two Tablespoon oil until very hot and saute scallions until they are light brown. Add the tomatoes and while stirring, add the salt and sugar. Cook about two minutes until the tomatoes are barely limp. Remove and set aside.

3. Rinse and dry the wok or pan and heat the rest of the oil. Saute the garlic half a minute then fry the beef until no longer red. Return the tomato mixture to the pan, mix well, and cook one minute longer then remove to a serving platter. Serve with steamed rice.