In Beef, Canning and Preserving, Main Dishes, Soups Stews and Chowders on July 8, 2018 with No Comments

Pot Roast in Jars

I’ve been busy canning now that my garden is in full swing. I didn’t realize how much I missed canning, but going a year without a garden made me appreciate how great it is to have a pantry full of home-canned goodies. I’ve been busy with green beans (93 pints so far and counting), dill pickles, sweet pickle relish, dilly dog relish, and I have a crock with sauerkraut and 2 crocks with sweet pickles just waiting to finish and put on the shelves.

Since I had a little time on my hands today, I decided to try two meals-in-jars recipes that I’ve been wanting to try for some time. The first one is Pot Roast in Jars. I found the post on canningandcookingathome.com, and this recipe is from the All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. It’s super easy to prep, and best of all, I now have 7 quarts of ready-to-eat beef on my shelves. What’s not to like?

I’ve listed the ingredients below per quart jar. Feel free to divide into pints if you like, and you can double/triple the amounts to can the number of meals you want. I ended up with 7 quarts, which will definitely come in handy those nights when I don’t feel like cooking and don’t want take-out.

Pot Roast in a Jar

1 pound boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks

1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup onions, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup dry red wine (if you prefer, replace using room-temperature beef broth)

About 2 cups hot beef broth (liquid to top off jars)

Layer all ingredients except for the hot beef broth into jar. Pack meat, veggies, and spices tightly.

Add the red wine. Pour enough hot beef broth into jars to reach 1-inch headspace. Remove any bubbles. Add lids and rings, adjusting until finger tight.

Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure for 1 hour 30 minutes for quarts (1 hour 15 minutes for pints).

You can see from the picture I have plenty of room in my jars for the liquids. This will probably end up more like a soup/stew, but if that’s the case, it’s fine with me. Beef stew is one of my favorite comfort foods.

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In Beef, Main Dishes, Pressure Cooker on January 8, 2017 with No Comments

Pressure Cooker Beef and Noodles

I was in a hurry the other night and didn’t have much time to prepare dinner, so I went through what was available in the freezer and pantry and decided to make beef and noodles. I had some really nice Amish-made wide egg noodles, and I knew the stew meat I had would turn out super tender if I used the pressure cooker. But I didn’t have any beef stock in the house. I knew I wanted to have a tasty beef gravy to pour over the cooked noodles. A little more rummaging through the pantry found some home-canned tomato juice and a individual-sized bottle of Merlot, both of which are perfect to cook beef in.

I did cook the noodles separately from the stew meat. I have yet to cook pasta in my Instant Pot, and I’ll get there someday, but these were such nice noodles, and I didn’t want them to get all mushy by overcooking them under pressure along with the meat, which was still partially frozen. After cooking the noodles separately and finishing the gravy for the meat, everything went back into the Instant Pot to keep warm and let the noodles soak up some of the sauce. All in all, it turned out to be a pretty good meal.

Beef and Noodles

2 pounds beef stew meat

Olive oil

4 ounces Merlot or other dry red wine

1/4 cup tomato juice

1 cup water or beef stock

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

One bay leaf

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Milk or cream

Cooked egg noodles

Drizzle some olive oil in the Instant Pot, and select the Sauté function. Season the stew meat with garlic powder and black pepper, and add the stew meat to the Instant Pot. Sauté on all sides until nicely browned. Add the wine, tomato juice, water or beef stock, and the bay leaf to the pot. Secure the lid, and select the Beef/Meat function, setting the cooking time to 40 minutes at high pressure. Make sure to close the vent.

When the cooker beeps, turn off the Instant Pot. Let it naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, do a quick release to let out the rest of the pressure.

Remove the bay leaf and the beef with a slotted spoon; set aside and keep warm.

Select the Sauté function. In a coffee cup, add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and enough milk or cream to completely dissolve the cornstarch and make a slurry. Stir to completely combine. Add the slurry to the liquid still in the Instant Pot, and cook until it reaches a gravy consistency. Carefully taste the gravy (it will be hot!), and add additional salt and/or pepper if needed. Add the beef pieces back to the pot along with the cooked egg noodles. Stir everything to combine well. Can select the Keep Warm function if you like or serve immediately.

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In Beef, Main Dishes, Paleo on January 6, 2017 with No Comments

Perfectly Cooked Prime Rib Roast

Do you love prime rib? Does the thought of cooking prime rib yourself make you go all primal and start beating your chest like a caveman? That’s pretty much what happens when my husband decides he’s going to make prime rib for the family during the holidays.

Over the years, we’ve tried several different recipes in search of making the perfect prime rib. One recipe that my folks raved about was from a now-closed small restaurant in northern Missouri. We waited with anticipation when we tried that one because it had such good reviews, but alas, it just didn’t do it for us, and we felt like we had wasted a good piece of meat.

We eaten prime rib in restaurants lots of times, and there you can find it prepared in any number of ways—garlic crusted, rosemary crusted, so on and so forth. But to cook a rib roast at home, we wanted to get back to basics and do a simple yet tasty recipe. Once you know that we don’t even like to use steak sauce with a sirloin (we think it covers up the taste of perfectly delicious beef), you’ll understand why we think this recipe is the best we’ve come across. It’s super simple, and there were no complaints at the dinner table when this was on the menu.

I found all kinds of tips and tricks on how to fix a rib roast on the What’s Cooking America website, including cooking time instructions based on the weight of your roast, and I’ve provided a link to it here. Be forewarned: if you go to print out the recipe, you may end up with pages and pages of instructions.

I admit that the picture of the sliced prime rib is not mine. While I remembered to take a picture of the rib roast when we took it out of the oven, I got busy getting everything else ready for the meal, and then we dove in—with no picture of how delicious it looked when sliced. I used one from the Internet, but you get the idea of what it looked like. We did have garlic mashed potatoes with our prime rib, though, which were also delicious.

We’ve used this recipe to roast a huge 14-pound rib roast, and we’ve used it for a smaller 7-pound prime rib. Just adjust your roasting time based on the size of your roast, and you’ll do just fine. Enjoy going primal!

Perfectly Cooked Prime Rib Roast

Prime rib roast

Butter

Several hours before you plan to cook your beef roast, take it out of the refrigerator, and let the roast come to room temperature, anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. This is necessary so that the roast cooks evenly.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pat the room temperature roast dry, and liberally smear softened butter on the ends of the roast. Do NOT salt your rib roast (this will dry it out).

Place the rib roast in a large roasting pan fat side up, on a rack if you have one is preferable. If you’re using a bone-in rib roast, you can omit the cooking rack.

Sear the rib roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn down the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for the remainder of the cooking time. Do NOT cover the roast. Every half-hour or so, baste the roast from the juices that accumulate in the pan.

Cook roast until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit (for rare) or your desired level of doneness. Remove roast from the oven, and lightly cover it with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Remember that the internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests, so take that into consideration before you remove the roast from the oven. After roughly 20 minutes, the internal temperature will be around 125 degrees Fahrenheit if you removed it from the oven at 120 degrees. For us, this is perfectly done (rare), but you may wish to cook your roast longer. You can find cooking times for level of doneness and sizes of prime rib roasts on the What’s Cooking America link I posted above. Enjoy!

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In Beef, Main Dishes, Pressure Cooker on December 10, 2016 with No Comments

Pressure Cooker Cubed Swiss Steak

I was hungry for Swiss steak, so I went to the grocery store looking for some beef. While I know that Swiss steak is traditionally made using minute steaks, I knew I would be serving this over mashed potatoes, so I decided to look for a cheap cut of beef that I could cube. Since I would be using my Instant Pot, I knew whatever cut of beef I used would turn out tender. But what cut is “charcoal steak”? That’s what I ended up buying because it was cheap. I have no idea whether it was arm roast, chuck roast, or whatever, but the package had enough beef, so I went with it. It turned out extremely tender, so have no fear when you see packages labeled this way.

Mom always made her Swiss steak with tomatoes, celery, and carrots. I decided to use the “trinity”—green bell pepper, onion, and carrots—in mine, and I really liked it this way. I actually cooked everything in the Instant Pot this time, even sautéing the beef in the cooking pot. Usually I break out my cast iron skillet and sear the meat in that first, but the Instant Pot really is a one-stop cooking appliance, which made cooking and cleanup easy peasy. You could serve this cubed Swiss steak over rice or cooked egg noodles, but I was hungry for mashed potatoes, so that’s what I did. This made a delicious and quick meal that had no leftovers.

Pressure Cooker Cubed Swiss Steak

2 pounds beef roast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 onion, largely diced

1 green bell pepper, largely diced

1 cup diced carrots

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

Splash of red wine

1 can diced tomatoes (I used tomatoes seasoned with basil and garlic)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste), plus more for seasoning beef

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning beef

1 bay leaf

Add the olive oil to the pressure cooker pot, and select the sauté function. When the oil is hot, add the cubed beef, and sauté until the beef is lightly browned. Remove beef cubes with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Add the onion, green pepper, and carrots to the cooking pot, and sauté for a few minutes until the veggies are slightly softened. Add the diced garlic, and cook for another minute or so until it starts to soften. Add a splash of red wine to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any browned bits at the bottom.

Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste. Add the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the browned beef back to the pot, and stir to combine everything. Add the bay leaf to the cooking pot.

Lock the lid in place, and select the manual setting. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. When the pressure cooker beeps, turn off the cooker, and let the cooker naturally release the pressure. While you’re waiting for the pressure to reduce, mash your cooked potatoes or make some rice or egg noodles to serve with the Swiss steak.

When your potatoes, rice, or noodles are ready, release any remaining pressure (if any). Remove the lid, and serve.

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In Beef, Main Dishes, Paleo on September 9, 2016 with No Comments

Paleo Meatloaf

I love meatloaf, and so does my family, so this is one of the first recipes I tweaked when I decided to follow a Paleo diet. Before I would use bread crumbs, which now, of course, is off limits. I also used brown sugar in the topping, which is another no-no. Other than that, I really didn’t have to make a lot of changes to my normal meatloaf recipe, and when the family tried it, they said they actually liked this recipe better. I paired the meatloaf with some grilled onions and a nice tossed salad – quick and easy dinner menu.

paleo-meatloaf-and-onions

If you’re like me, once you decide to go Paleo, you have to change several ingredients that have been staples in your pantry. Flour is an obvious one, but you also have to look at things such as soy sauce, salad dressings, mayo, and other ingredients that contain hidden gluten. My small town of just over 3,000 people has a small, family-owned grocery store. To their credit, when they recently expanded, they did start stocking some gluten-free products – just the basics, however. I have to go to Iowa City (thank you Lucky’s Market and Hy-Vee) to find a lot of the ingredients that Paleo and gluten-free recipes call for. And they’re not cheap. Luckily, I’ve found a few places online where you can find affordable Paleo and gluten-free products. Each has it’s pros and cons. Some have fast shipping (Amazon). Some have a yearly fee but cheap prices compared to my local stores (Thrive Market), and some drop the price tag in your cart depending on how much you purchase (Jet.com). I really like Thrive. You get 30 days of free membership to see if you like the products, and I tried a bunch in those 30 days! If you’re interested, there are ways you can save even more by referring a friend to join with you. If they join, you receive$25 in Thrive cash to spend on the website however you wish: win-win!

Now for the recipe. Keep in mind that I’ve made this recipe for years, and I really don’t have exact measurements for the spices. I just go by dashes and shakes, so feel free to adjust seasonings to your family’s tastes.

paleo-meatloaf-plated

Paleo Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup gluten-free Panko bread crumbs (I used Ian’s gluten-free Panko)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Couple dashes of gluten-free soy sauce (I used San-J Organic Tamari)

Organic gluten-free ketchup (I used Cucina Antica – this is good and tastes better than Heinz!)

Prepared mustard

Real maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, eggs, Panko, and seasonings. Add a couple dashes of soy sauce and a couple of squirts of the ketchup. You want enough ketchup just to make the ground beef really stick together. Combine everything until thoroughly mixed.

Place meatloaf in a medium-sized baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking oil (use something Paleo friendly like olive oil or coconut oil). In the same bowl, add a couple squirts of ketchup, some mustard, and about a tablespoon of the maple syrup, and stir to combine. Taste to see if you need more of one or more ingredients. When you’re happy with the flavor, pour the sauce over the top of the meatloaf, evenly coating it.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 50 minutes, or until the meatloaf tests done.

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In Beef, Paleo, Soups Stews and Chowders on July 4, 2016 with No Comments

Bone Broth

One of the things I’ve always wanted to try making is bone broth or stock to use in various soup and stew recipes. Now that I’ve started my Paleo diet, this is something that is actually encouraged to drink on a daily basis and use in homemade soups. The diet I’m following says to drink 1/2 to 1 cup of bone broth daily. I don’t know if I’ll keep up with it daily, but since it can be frozen, I’ll definitely make up batches to keep on hand in the freezer to make soup quickly.

The recipe I used is salt-free, so if you’re following a low-salt or no-salt diet, this is perfect for you. I will say that the next time I make this I’ll be adding salt to help bring out the flavors. That said, if you decide to salt yours, keep in mind that as the broth simmers, the flavors will concentrate—and this means the salt intensity will increase, so be sure to start low with your amounts. You can always add more later on.

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Make sure you have plenty of time when you set out to make bone broth. I was in a bit of a hurry, and I should have let my bones roast in the oven longer than I did. The recipe said to roast for 15 minutes, and I went for 25 minutes, but I do think it should have roasted longer to achieve that nice dark brown color and flavor you get from long roasting. However, it still is tasty, but I know it will be better next time when I really roast everything before I start simmering it on the stove top.

My recipe comes from The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser, one of my clients who inspired me to take charge of my health and get started on this Paleo diet. It really is easy to throw together. Once everything is in the pot, you just keep an eye on it and let it do its thing.

Paleo Bone Broth

4 pounds beef bones, preferably marrow and knuckle bones

2 onions, peeled and halved

4 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

4 cloves garlic, peeled

4 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

1 cup fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the bones, onion, and carrots in a roasting pan. Add about 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the pan so the drippings don’t burn and stick to the pan.

bone broth - bones in pan 2

Roast for 15 minutes or until very well browned.

When everything is nicely roasted, add everything from the roasting pan (scraping the bottom) into a large stockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients, and add enough cold water to completely cover everything.

bone broth in stockpot

Cover, and bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for at least 3 hours.

Strain the stock.

bone broth - strained

When the stock is completely cold, pour it into 1-quart Mason jars, and refrigerate it for later use. It should last about a week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it in bulk or in individual portions in freezer-safe containers.

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In Beef, Main Dishes, Pasta on March 29, 2016 with No Comments

Mexican Stuffed Shells

On my last trip to Stringtown, I stocked up on bulk flours, pasta and spices. One of the things I bought was large pasta shells that are great for stuffing with your favorite fillings. I usually tend to go Italian when I make pasta, but this time I decided to shake things up a bit and go with a Mexican-flavored dish. I found this recipe on The Way to His Heart, and this recipe is a keeper.

It’s super easy to do, and you can prepare everything ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it for dinner. My sons will eat anything that has pasta or anything Mexican inspired, so this dish was a win-win at dinnertime.

mexican stuffed shells 2

mexican stuffed shells plated 2

Mexican Stuffed Shells

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 package low-sodium taco seasoning (I use Wildtree’s taco seasoning as it has no preservatives)

4 ounces cream cheese

18 jumbo-sized pasta shells

1 1/2 cups salsa

1 cup taco sauce

2 cups Mexican-flavored shredded cheese (usually a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses)

Toppings: green onions, olives, sour cream, shredded lettuce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain any fat. Add the taco seasoning according to package directions. Add the cream cheese to the skillet, and cook until the cheese is completely melted and blended well into the meat. Add half of the jar of salsa to the meat and cheese mixture, stirring to completely combine. Set aside and let cool completely.

While the beef is browning, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain. When cool enough to handle, you’re ready to assemble the dish.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the other half of the salsa in the bottom of the baking dish. Fill pasta shells with the cooled meat mixture, and place in the baking dish open side up. Cover the shells with the taco sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake shells covered for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover the baking dish, and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tops of the shells. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes without the foil, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with toppings of your choice (black olives, green onions, sour cream, lettuce and additional salsa or taco sauce).

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In Beef, Casseroles, Main Dishes, Pasta on February 18, 2016 with No Comments

Baked Mexican Goulash

Are you the kind of cook that looks through your pantry and wonders what could I make with these ingredients? If you are, you’ll appreciate this recipe for Mexican Goulash. I’d been working hard writing and editing, but I still had to put something on the table for dinner. I knew I had ground meat. I knew I had dried pasta. My pantry is full of seasonings and canned goodies. But I had no ideas running through my head.

When I get like this, I usually do one of two things: Italian or Mexican. Since I had more Mexican-themed ingredients on hand, including home-canned chili beans, that’s the way I went. The ingredients can obviously be changed to include things you have on hand in your pantry, and amounts are approximate. This is a throw-it-together-quick casserole that comes together quick for those busy nights, and you can top each serving with shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole or taco sauce if you prefer.

mexican goulash

Baked Mexican Goulash

1 box dried macaroni or rotini pasta

1 pound ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 pint chili beans

1/2 cup salsa

1 small can sliced black olives

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and taco sauce (optional)

Cook dried pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef until no longer pink; drain. Return the browned beef to the skillet, and add the package of taco seasoning according to the package instructions. Cook for a few minutes to incorporate the seasoning into the meat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, ground beef mixture, tomatoes, chili beans and salsa. Stir to thoroughly combine. Pour pasta mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Evenly spread the sliced olives over the top of the pasta. Top the casserole with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely brown on top and the casserole is bubbly. Top each serving with shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and taco sauce if desired.

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In Main Dishes, Soups Stews and Chowders on February 2, 2016 with 2 Comments

Provencal Beef Stew

I love European cuisine, especially French and Italian, because they know how to use the freshest ingredients in their dishes to come up with incredible flavor. My bucket list includes a trip to both France and Italy, and while the scenery and the history would be extremely interesting to me as a college history major, I’ll be honest that I’d go primarily for the food. Finding local cooks and cafes that shop the local market and then decide what to prepare – that would be a little bit of heaven.

The best recipes I’ve found use slow-cooking methods, and this one for Provencal beef stew definitely fits the bill of slow-cooked, mouth-watering flavor. I dug out my large cast iron Dutch oven for this, but a large enamel pot would work well too. Just make sure it has a tight-fitting cover, as you’ll be baking this low and slow in the oven.

provencal beef stew in bowl

The recipe calls for 2 cups of wine. If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute additional beef broth, but you will definitely be losing some of the incredible flavor that wine gives this dish. Choose a good quality, full-bodied red wine for this – one you’d be happy to have a glass of with dinner.

I found this recipe through Pinterest, as I do many of the new dishes I try, and the link took me to The Café Sucré Farine, which has amazing recipes throughout its site. I followed their recipe to the letter with the exception of the anchovy paste, as my local grocery store doesn’t stock it. I’m guessing it would add another depth of flavor to this stew, and the next time I’m in the “big city,” I’m finding some because I know I’ll be making this recipe again.

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This stew can be prepared the day before or even 2 to 3 days before you want to serve it. The stew’s flavor improves with time, but if you can’t wait, you can obviously have it the same day it’s prepared. Serve some crusty fresh-baked bread alongside, and you’ve got yourself a traditional French meal. Bon appétit!

provencal beef stew in pot 3

Provencal Beef Stew

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 to 2 1/2 pounds sirloin tip roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons neutral-flavored cooking oil

12 medium garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 pound baby carrots

1 medium onion, halved and sliced into thin wedges

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (plus more for garnishing)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (plus more for garnishing)

2 medium bay leaves

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound fresh mushrooms

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Add the beef to the bolw, and toss with your hands until the beef is coated.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, and saute until soft and pale golden. Remove to a large plate or bowl. Increase heat to medium.

Add half of the beef to the Dutch oven. Distribute cubes so the beef is in a single layer. Cook for several minutes without stirring, until the beef is nice and brown on the underside, the flip and brown the other side. Remove beef with a slotted spoon to the plate with the garlic, and repeat with the second half of the beef. When beef is nicely browned, remove to the plate.

Add the wine to the Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Scrape the sides and bottom of the Dutch oven with a metal spoon or spatula to loosen all the cooked bits. Continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the wine mixture has reduced to about 1/2 cup of liquid.

Add the beef broth, beef, garlic and any remaining flour that left in the bowl. Stir to combine. Add the carrots, onion, tomato paste, anchovy paste, fresh herbs and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Remove bay leaves, and set the stew aside to cool. You can refrigerate this overnight or for as long as 2 to 3 days.

To warm the stew before serving, preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the stew in the oven, covered, for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated through.

While the stew is warming, melt the butter in a medium-size pan. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a generous grind of freshly ground black pepper. Saute the mushrooms until golden brown. After several minutes of cooking, the mushrooms will release liquid and look watery. Keep cooking until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms turn golden. Add the mushrooms to the stew just before serving.

Serve stew on its own or over mashed potatoes or polenta. Garnish with fresh herbs.

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In Canning and Preserving, Homestead Life, Main Dishes on January 31, 2016 with No Comments

How to Make Corned Beef

My family loves corned beef, and not just for St. Patrick’s Day. We could probably eat corned beef and cabbage on a monthly basis, but it’s not always possible to find a good corned beef when we get a craving for it. And when you do find it in abundance, especially around March, the price can sometimes be cost prohibitive.

We like to buy meat in bulk and repackage it into meal-sized portions. We do this with pork loin, ground beef, sirloin when it’s on sale and brisket. We stumbled across a large beef brisket that was on sale, so we picked one up and portioned it into several different meals. With what was left, Kevin decided he wanted to try making corned beef. I have no idea where he found his brine recipe, or I’d link a credit to the site, but the smell of it when he was finished made my mouth water, so I think he found a good one. The brine he used is plenty for an 8-pound brisket.

Homemade Corned Beef

8-pound beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat

2 quarts water

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup white vinegar

4 tablespoons sugar

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

Pinch ground cloves

4 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped or smashed

Trim beef brisket of as much fat as you desire. Fat does add flavor, so you may want to leave some on the brisket.

corned beef 2

Combine all ingredients except for the garlic cloves in a large saucepot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cool to room temperature (or cool quickly in the refrigerator).

Put the beef brisket in a large, sealable plastic bag (or use a large plastic container like we did). Pour in the brine, and add the peeled and chopped garlic cloves. If using a plastic bag, squeeze out excess air and seal.

corned beef in brine

Place the sealed bag in the refrigerator for 6 to 7 days, turning the bag every other day. Remove the brisket from the bag, and discard the brine. Cook brisket as desired, or package meat for freezing for a later date.
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Canning and Cooking - Iowa Style

Midwestern canning and cooking recipes

Pot Roast in Jars

Pressure Cooker Beef and Noodles

Perfectly Cooked Prime Rib Roast

Pressure Cooker Cubed Swiss Steak

Paleo Meatloaf

Bone Broth

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Baked Mexican Goulash

Provencal Beef Stew

How to Make Corned Beef

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