sweet and spicy slow-cooker beef

I recently made a chuck roast in the slow cooker intending to toss it with bbq sauce and have it for sandwiches. The meat ended up so flavorful and delicious that we ate it by itself on slices of bread! You can use any cut of stewing beef you like, whatever happens to be on sale. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can just as easily make it in a large stock pot covered tightly with aluminum foil in a 300 degree oven.

serves 4

1 boneless beef roast (approx 2 - 2 1/2 lbs)
1 1/2 cups root beer (not diet!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp montreal steak seasoning

Add all ingredients to slow cooker set on "high". Let cook for 4 - 4 1/2 hours, or until beef falls apart when you try to pick it up. Remove beef from slow cooker and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then shred with 2 forks and mix with 1/4 cup leftover juices.

mexican lasagna

This is a great way to use up leftover corn tortillas, even if they've become dried out. This dish freezes well, so make two smaller ones and freeze the second to eat next week!

serves 4

9 corn tortillas, cut in half
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped green peppers
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can green chilis
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin
chili powder to taste
canola oil

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet and add beef or turkey, breaking up with the back of a spoon as it cooks. Season meat with garlic salt, cumin, and chili powder. Add onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and chilis, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until meat is cooked through, vegetables are tender, and most of liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Spoon a small amount of meat mixture into the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish and distribute evenly, to prevent tortillas from sticking. Place 6 tortilla halves in the bottom of the dish, covering as much of dish as possible (there will be some gaps). Spoon 1/3 meat onto tortillas and top with 1/3 of cheese. Repeat, ending with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is browned.

grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches

I adapted this recipe from Bon Apetit. These grilled cheese sandwiches are elevated beyond lunch with the addition of shredded beef short ribs and arugula.

serves 4

8 slices crusty sourdough bread
cooked meat from 1 1/2 lbs beef short ribs, shredded
4 slices monterey jack cheese
2 cups baby arugula
butter

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top half the slices of bread with 1/4 of the meat, 1/2 cup arugula, and a slice of bread. Top with other slices of bread and place sandwiches in pan. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are browned and cheese is melted.

braised beef short ribs

Short ribs are a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, and easy to prepare: this recipe takes less than 15 minutes of hands on time. The oven does the rest! Make twice as much as you need, the leftover meat shreds nicely and makes great sandwiches or tacos.

serves 4

3 lbs beef short ribs
1 small onion, cut into chunks
handful baby carrots
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large, ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides. When oil is hot, brown short ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd pan. While ribs brown, process onions, garlic, celery, and carrots until finely diced. Remove short ribs and place on a platter. Add vegetables to pan and cook until lightly browned. Add tomato paste, wine, stock, and herbs to pan and stir to combine and bring to a boil. Return ribs to pan, cover with a lid, and braise in oven for 2 1/2 hours. Serve short ribs with braising liquid.

sage meatballs

For best results, combine all ingredients and refrigerate for up to a day to allow flavors to combine. The most important thing to remember with meatballs (or any ground meat, actually) is to mix it as little as possible: the more you mix ground meat, the tougher it becomes. Roll these into large balls and serve with pasta or skewer with a toothpick and serve as an appetizer. Or, roll into balls the size of an olive, coat in breadcrumbs, and deep fry. Serve with toothpicks and marinara for an appetizer.

makes 16 large or 32 small meatballs

2/3 lb ground chuck
1/3 lb ground pork
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (plus 2 cups if making small fried meatballs)
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried sage
4 dashes worcestershire sauce
4 dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil, for frying
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Combine first 9 ingredients (mixing as little as possible) and allow flavors to combine at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. Form meat mixture into balls.

For large meatballs: heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saucepan. In a separage pan, heat 1 jar tomato sauce. When oil is hot, add meatballs to pan and fry, turning as needed for even browning. When brown on all sides, place meatballs into tomato sauce to finish cooking.

For small meatballs: add enough olive oil (or canola oil, if preferred) in a large saucepan to make 1 inch of oil. Form meat mixture into small, olive sized balls. Place 2 cups breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and add meatballs. Shake dish until meatballs are evenly coated. Heat oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot (a drop of water placed in oil crackles), place meatballs into oil and fry until deep brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Serve with toothpicks and tomato sauce, for dipping.

texas beef brisket

1 4-lb beef brisket
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
1 bay leaf, crushed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together all spices and coat both sides of brisket. Wrap in 2 layers of aluminum foil, place in a roasting pan, and roast for 4 hours. Remove from oven and let sit, still wrapped in foil, 30 minutes. Remove foil, reserve juices. Slice brisket against grain and drizzle with reserved juices.