Category Archives: beef

Brisket with Cola Barbecue Sauce

I have been intrigued with cooking with cola and other soft drinks ever since I first read about it – which was in the Nigella Lawson’s book “Nigella Bites”. Leave it to me to learn about Southern cooking  from a British food writer.  I started to experiment with barbecue sauce and the result is this jazzed up version for brisket. It’s a great way to entertain a crowd with big flavor and little work. The sweetness of the cola permeates the brisket which is then perfectly balanced with the acid coming from both the Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. You will find yourself making dish over and over again. Yes, it’s that good!

From by the bay wishing you sweet cola food memories! Maryann

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Brisket with Cola Barbecue Sauce

Serves 6

3 pounds brisket

3 cups cola barbecue sauce

Directions

Place brisket overnight in a sealed plastic bag along with the barbecue sauce. Next day, preheat oven to 275F. Empty the contents of the plastic bag into a Dutch oven include all the sauce. Cover with lid and place in the oven for approximately 4 hours. Brisket takes approximately 1 hours and 15 minutes per lb to cook. Remove from oven. Using two forks pull the meat apart and shred into the remaining sauce. Combine and serve. This can also be served as a sandwich using either fresh rolls  and coleslaw or as a soft taco along with some sour cream. 

 

Cola Barbecue Sauce

Makes 3 cups

12ozs. Cola

1 ½ cup ketchup

4 garlic cloves, smashed

5 bay leaves

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

5 bay leaves

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions

In a medium saucepan bring all ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes , sauce will thicken . Cool and use with steak, chicken or pork.

Note: no diet cola for this – the sugar is essential to the taste of the barbecue sauce.

 

Short Rib Burger with Rosemary Onion Jam

I have a bit of a competitive streak when it comes to cooking. Each year we have an outdoor grilling get together where we try to out do one another for the best burger recipe. This year I went for a burger made of ground short rib. Short rib has just the right fat ratio for a juicy burger. Next, I made some vidalia onion jam as a topping that along with melted smoked cheddar cheese, crisp cooked pancetta and a little arugula made for a real winning burger! Try it for your next cookout and get rave reviews!
From by the bay, wishing you winning food memories!
Maryann

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Rosemary Onion Jam

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large vidalia onions, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 springs rosemary, leaves chopped
Directions
In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil and add onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute onions until soft, about 15 minutes, stir so that onions to not burn. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to saute until onions are brown and the consistency is jam like. Remove from heat and cool. Place into a jam jar until ready to use. If not using within a few hours refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
blog onion jam burger
Short Rib Burger with Rosemary Onion Jam
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 pounds ground short rib
6 sesame seed buns
6 slices smoked cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons onion jam
12 slices pancetta cooked, crisp
4 ounces baby arugula leaves
Directions
Cook burgers , as preferred. Cut rolls through middle and toast. Add the cheddar cheese to top of burger and melt. To assemble place some arugula to the toasted bottom of the bun. Place burger with cheese on top of the arugula. Top with the onion jam and then the cooked pancetta. Finish with the toasted top of the bun and enjoy!

Dad’s Wild and Crazy Marinade

My dad was the great griller in our family! It was something he enjoyed and I think , he took this role pretty seriously. He always had his hat , apron and tongs at the ready! I smile at the thought of dad coming in and saying what should we grill for dinner today? When it was to be special, it was a flank steak!  My dad would marinate  the steak for hours. We actually are not quite sure what dad had in his marinade.  I actually think he changed it every time he made it. I would try to peek , but it was his secret marinade. We would just call it John’ wild and crazy marinade. It tasted like it had a little bit of everything. I’m sure it even included a splash of scotch from the glass in his hand!  All I know is that those were the best steaks and memories I ever had. That’s the beauty of marinades, it’s the time you could let your freak flag fly a bit with creativity. I , of course ,have tried to recreate dad’s marinade over the years and this is what I’ll share with you in honor of dad and father’s day. I suggest you use this as a jumping off point and play around with your own version of this to create fond food memories for your family and friends this summer.

Happy Father’s Day to my dad and all those cooking dads ( or moms) out there!

 

From by the bay wishing you wild and crazy food memories,
Maryann
blog dad's marinade
Dad’s Wild and Crazy Marinade
2 pound flank steak
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons scotch
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Directions
Place all ingredients into a resealable plastic bag, mix well and refrigerator over night. Prepare on grill as you like.

Chuck Wagon Chili

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Chuck Wagon Chili
Serves Eight
3 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
4 medium white onions chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juice
2 cups coffee
2 bay leaves
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Brown the beef cubes in batches in the dutch oven and remove and place in bowl to the side. Add onions and garlic to the remaining oil in the dutch oven and saute under softened , about 8-10 minutes. Once the onions are softened add cumin, brown sugar, cayenne, cloves, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and cocoa powder and stir well. Cook for 1 -2 minutes until fragrant. Put the browned meat back into the pot and then add the tomato paste, tomatoes , coffee and bay leaves stir again and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer , covered for 2 hours, until meat is fork tender. Serve warm in big bowls.

Coffee Marinated Skirt Steak

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Coffee Marinated Skirt Steak

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lbs skirt steak
  • 2 cups cold coffee
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a sealed plastic bag. Marinate overnight. Preheat charcoal grill or stovetop grill pan. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Grill the steak for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Transfer the steak to a cutting surface and allow to stand for 5 to 8 minutes. Cut steak across the grain into thin 1/2-inch slices.

Grandma’s Beef Goulash

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As we move further into fall, the winds pick up over the water by the bay. It becomes time for meals that are slowly cooked at the stove and shared with family. One of my childhood favorites is my grandmother’s goulash. She was born in Austria and a wonderful cook. I grew up watching her cook for hours.  Unfortunately, I never took notes and she had just a few things written down, mostly for baking and just ingredients. I had bits and pieces of recipes from my memories and those of my family. I tried often to recreate grandma’s goulash recipe and it always fell slightly short. It wasn’t until my mom remembered that grandma added a large piece of lemon zest right before serving and oh I think she added a little cognac to the stock in the beginning of the recipe that I finally hit the mark.  I admit, I have tweaked the recipe a little more, but only for the better. I don’t think grandma would mind at all. With the bar held so high, when I pleased the family, I knew I finally had it right! So it’s with great pleasure that I share this dish. Guten Appetit!

 

blog goulash

Beef Goulash

Serves 4-6

4 tablespoon olive oil

2 ½ lbs cubed beef stew meat

¼ cup flour

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

4 cups onions finely chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon cognac

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a sealed plastic bag. Add beef cubes into bag and coated with flour mixture. In a large Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté floured beef cubes until browned. Remove browned meat into bowl and place aside. Add remaining olive oil to pan and sauté the onions with the sugar until onions start to caramelized. Add the caraway seed, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté until fragrant about one minute. Add the tomatoe paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and stock , then add the meat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat , cover and simmer until very tender, approximately 2 hours. Add one tablespoon cognac and simmer another ten minutes. Remove from heat add lemon zest and serve with noodles, rice or dumplings!