#24 - Beef Barbacoa

This one is a keeper... fix it and forget it! I got it all ready to go, threw it in the crockpot, went to the beach, and came home to the delicious smell of Beef Barbacoa! All I had to do was shred the meat, heat up some tortillas and chop a few veg and dinner was served. A few days later I made quesadillas with the left overs and I STILL had meat left! It was good stuff!

Beef Barbacoa

(Recipe adapted from That Skinny Chick)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

A pinch ground cloves

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 12 oz.bottle of beer (can substitute chicken broth)

3 bay leaves

3 tablespoons lime juice

2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo

¼ cup tomato paste

4 pound chuck roast

½ yellow onion, sliced

diced tomatoes, grated cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream, tortillas, etc.

 

Instructions:

1. To make the adobo sauce combine vinegar, lime juice, chipotles, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and cloves in a blender or processor on high speed until smooth.
2. Remove any excess fat from the roast and then cut into a few large chunks.
3. Pour oil into a frying pan and sear all sides of roast on medium-high heat until browned.
4. Place meat into Crockpot and pour adobo sauce over meat.
5. Pour in the beer and add bay leaves and onions.
6. Cook on high heat 6 hours or on low all day.
7. Shred the meat with two forks and serve with tortillas and a variety of toppings when ready.

Enjoy!

 

 

Had to share some of our beach day too (aka. what to do while dinner is cookin' )...


Beach Glam!

 

My Guys

 

#22 - Spicy Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheddar Grits

I might have mentioned before that I have a thing for grits. I mean I REALLY do! That having been said, it's not unusual that I would base a meal around them. For me they are more than I side dish... they are the STAR!

I found this recipe on Ree Drummond's website. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to try it! As usual though, I made a few changes to the recipe. First of all, Ree's beef cooks on the stove for about 3 hours and one day I'll try it that way. I just didn't have that kind of time to hang out in the kitchen, so I converted it into a slow cooker recipe. The second thing is that she put a whole stinkin' 11 ounce can of Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce into hers... that would be why it's called SPICY Stewed Beef! I decided to be a little more conservative and only used half a can (and it was still pretty spicy!). And the last thing I did differently was my grits. Stone Ground Grits are not all that common in my local grocery stores. Short on time, the only grits I could find were instant grits. Ree's grits took about an hour to cook and mine took about 20 minutes. Again, one of these days, I will try it her way! Oh, and I ended up making WAAAAAAAY to many grits! That's not a bad thing because a few days later I served the leftovers with bacon, a little more cheese, and topped with a fried egg... Mmmmmmm....

This recipe is prefect for a crowd or a Sunday dinner.  It's a bit on the spicy side, but so good and rich. I didn't bother making anything else to go with it, but it would be great with green veg or a loaf of crusty bread (lots of butter). So, here you have it... get your grits (and spicy beef) on!

Spicy Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheddar Grits
(Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman )

Serves: A LOT!

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 pounds Stew Meat Or Diced Chuck Roast
• 1/2 can Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
• 4 cups Low-sodium Beef Broth
• 5 cloves Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
• 1/2 an Onion, Diced
• 1/2 a  Red Bell Pepper
• 1 whole Anaheim Chili
• 3 cups Instant Grits
• 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 3 cups Water
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

Instructions:

To make the meat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over high heat. Throw in stew meat and brown for 1 minute, then add chipotle peppers, beef broth, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir, then bring to a boil. Transfer beef mixture to a preheated slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of both oil and butter. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and chilies and cook for five minutes or so. Add chicken broth and water, then bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to low, stir in grits and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the grits have thickened and start to become tender, add heavy cream.  Cook a minute or two more, remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Serve a big ol' heap of grits smothered in the beef and all of it's yummy juices!

(Recipe #22 of 52)

#3 - CROCKPOT BRAISED BEEF RAGU WITH POLENTA

Cream of wheat. Grits. Polenta. I love it all! Warm and creamy, the definition of comfort food!  So of course I would be all over a recipe that involves one of my favorites!

If you’ve never had polenta, it’s like cream of wheat but it’s made with cornmeal. Water, salt, cornmeal and a little bit of butter… easy peasy! Some people prefer a firm polenta “cake” which you’ll get by pouring the cooked polenta into a pan and letting it sit. I’ll eat it just about any way! When we go to Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria (my guys’ favorite pizzeria), I always order a side of creamy polenta (with a little marinara sauce).  They eat pizza and I eat polenta! Mmmm….. Enough about me, you’re here for the recipe!
  

It sounds fancier and like you spent all day slaving over the stove if you leave off the “crockpot” part... braised beef ragu with polenta.  It’s up to you.  I do have to give the crock its props though, because it smells delicious while the beef is slow-cooking to perfection and I barely work up a sweat in the prep.  That’s my kind of recipe, simple!

Have I mentioned how seriously yummy it was yet? Really! While I was eating it I kept thinking, “I actually made this”!  I was also thinking, “Take it easy, you don’t have to eat the whole pot”!  The Hubs and my son that didn’t leave me yet for higher learning ate heartily too.  “Mmmm, good,” and “Thanks Mom,” were the reviews given.  I served it with a salad and warm bread.  The ragu was even tastier the next day.  Ladies and gentlemen, this one is DEFINITELY a keeper!

Manga!  I'm off to find the next recipe….

CROCKPOT BRAISED BEEF RAGU WITH POLENTA

Adapted from: Pinch of Yum

Serves: 10

INGREDIENTS

For the Braised Beef Ragu

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         3 lbs. beef rump roast or round roast

·         half a yellow or white onion, minced

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes

·         ½ cup red wine

·         3 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 teaspoon basil

·         1 teaspoon oregano

·         2 bay leaves

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         black pepper to taste

For the Polenta

·         6 cups water

·         1-2 teaspoons salt

·         1¾ cup finely ground yellow cornmeal

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the roast and fry on each side for about 5 minutes, turning until the whole exterior is golden brown. If you’re short on time you can skip this step, but searing the meat really keeps the yummy flavor in!

2.    Place all remaining ingredients with the beef in a crockpot or slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the beef falls apart easily when pulled at with two forks. I put the beef in a pyrex pan to shred it into pieces.  Then add it back to the crockpot and give it a good stir.  I pulled the bay leaves out at this point – nobody likes to chomp down on a bay leaf, well I don’t!

3.    For the polenta, bring salted water to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. The polenta will start to thicken quickly. Continue whisking or stirring for 2-3 minutes before removing from heat. Stir in the butter until melted. Stir in the parmesan now if you’re using it, but why wouldn’t you?  For solid and chewy polenta, pour into a rectangular dish, let cool for 15-20 minutes, and cut into pieces. For softer, creamy polenta (so good), serve immediately topped with a big ol’ scoop of beef ragu.  Sprinkle on some parmesan or chopped parsley if you want.

Recipe #3 of 52