Shredded Beef Tostadas

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One of my favorite Mexican dishes is the tostada.  A crispy, crunchy tortilla topped with either chicken, beef or pork, followed by some shredded cabbage or lettuce and topped with melted cheese.   So yummy!!  If you prep the shredded beef the day before, you can have a quick and delicious meal for several days!  What beef you don't use, freeze for later.  

Your shopping should include 1) Your favorite tortillas.  I like corn.  2) A can of low fat refried black beans.  3) Shredded Mexican blend cheese.  4) Your favorite salsa 5) A few avocados 6) Sour cream.  7) A small head of Napa or Savoy cabbage to slice thinly, or a bag cole slaw mix, if you'd rather. 8) Fresh cilantro, optional.  

Have your toppings ready to roll (mise en place, as they say).  Spread some refried black beans on a tortilla.  Cover that with your shredded beef (recipe below)

Top with some shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix, and then top with a generous amount of shreeded cheese.  

In a non-stick frying pan, add a little oil.  I like to use avocado oil but any mild cooking oil will do.  Get the oil hot over medium heat and then place your tortilla in the pan.  Cover the pan with a lid to help the cheese melt, and check the bottom of the tortilla occasionally to make sure it is well browned.  

Remove to a plate with a large spatula and enjoy with all of your favorite toppings!  

Mexican Shredded Beef for Tostadas or Tacos

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

2-3 lb beef chuck roast.  Trim off as much fast as you can.  

1 large onion, sliced

1-1/2 cups beer (I used Stella Artois because it's what I had on hand)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup tomato salsa (your favorite brand)

Dash of Tabasco – to your taste

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder (or chipotle chili powder) 

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 bay leaves

For assembling, preparing and serving tostadas:

Napa or Savoy cabbage

Refried Black Beans

Shredded Mexican Blend cheese

Avocados, serve sliced or make into quacamole

Your favorite Salsa

Sour Cream

Fresh Cilantro or Parlsey, optional

Preheat ove to 300 F.

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for beef roast and onions. 

In a large dutch oven with cover, heat 2 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil over medium high heat.

Add chuck roast and brown on both sides until a nice crust forms.  

Pour sauce ingredients over meat and poke meat all over with a fork. Add sliced sliced onions. 

Cover dutch oven and place in oven to bake for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until fork tender.  Cooking time will depend on the size of your chuck roast.

Remove meat from dutch oven and place on a large bowl. Cover with aluminum foil.  

Put the sauce remaining in the dutch over through a strainer. Discard onion rounds and bay leaves.  

Put the sauce in a small saucepan and reduce to about 3/4 cup, skimming any fat from the top.  

Using 2 forks, or your fingers shred beef and add reduced sauce.  Can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or frozen for 3 months.  

Note: Before serving, I like to put some of the beef with sauce on a baking sheet and broil to crisp meat before using for tostadas or tacos.  

Grilled Prime Beef Tenderloin with Herb-Horseradish Vinaigrette

If you enjoy an occasional grilled beef tenderloin, here is the final recipe from our gourmet group dinner we hosted earlier this month that I wanted to share with you while outdoor grilling season is still with us.

We love beef tenderloin as it is lower in fat that most other cuts of beef, can feed a large group, and is so tender that you don't even need a steak knife.  Since we were hosting, (the hosts provide the main course and assign the rest of the recipes), we opted to buy a prime beef tenderloin from Costco to make our dinner even more special.  

We served the tenderloin with the room-temperature baby potato and green been salad from my last post.  For our dinner, I also made oven-roasted Baby Bok Choy, which I did not prepare for our 'test run' when I took these photos.

The steak knives belonged to my in-laws and were given to us but we also have Henckeks steak knives we use often.  

Shop for Henckels steak knives HERE.  (Affiliate Link)

Herbs are plentiful in my garden in the summer and, since I named our menu "Garden to Table Gourmet", I wanted to make use of them in almost every course.  Here, the meat is first tied for even grilling (there are lots of YouTube videos showing how to tie or 'truss' a beef tenderloin) and then it's marinated for a few hours with a rub of fresh garlic, freshly chopped parsley, thyme and basil.

Shop my recommendation for Butcher's Twine HERE. (Affiliated Link)

My husband grilled it to an internal temperature of about 120F for a nice medium-rare in the center to medium on the outside after allowing it to 'rest', tented with foil, for at least 10-15 minutes (this helps keep the meat to juicy after it's cut).

We served the meat with a little of the fresh herb/horseradish vinaigrette on top and then passed the rest of the vinaigrette at the table along with traditional horseradish sauce.  The vinaigrette made it around the table at least twice, everyone enjoyed it so much.

Herbs I always love to grow to use for cooking are basil (at least three varieties), thyme (plain and silver-leaf), rosemary, oregano, mint, and lots and lots of parsley (curly and Italian).  The thyme I will freeze in zipper bags, stems and all, and use in cooking throughout the winter.  Parsley, I chop and freeze on a cookie sheet and then put into zipper bags.

As you may know, having a blog means taking lots of lots of photos.  I've always enjoyed photography and last night I was thrilled that my oldest grandson has taken an interest.  He took some good shots! 

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herb-Horseradish Vinaigrette

Printable Recipe

Serves 10

For the Vinaigrette

1 c. parsley leaves
1 c. basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons champagne wine vinegar
2 teaspoons creamy horseradish sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Beef Tenderloin

1 beef tenderloin, 4 to 4.5 lbs.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Vinaigrette can be prepared in the morning.  In a blender, combine the herbs, red pepper flakes, garlic and horse Pulse until well chopped. Add vinegar and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add 2/3 cup oil until vinaigrette is almost pureed. Add the horserashish sauce and salt and pulse until just blended.  Adjust seasonings to taste. Transfer to a pitcher or gravy boat and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tie the beef tenderloin using kitchen twine, tucking end of tenderloin over toward the center to make as even a grilling surface as possible.  Rub with a little oil and then rub in the garlic and herbs.  Place in a large glass dish, cover and refrigerate.  Remove from refrigerator at least 30-45 minutes before grilling to allow the meat to come to room temperature.  Rub off excess herbs from meat before grilling.

Preheat gas grill to medium-high, or prepare a charcoal grill.  Grill meat, turning every 5 minutes or so, for about 20-25 minutes, or until desired temperature is reached...125F for medium rare. Allow meat to rest, tented with foil, for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature topped with herb vinaigrette.

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

My husband and I love the flavors of Chinese and Asian cuisine.  One of the first recipes I ever made in a wok years ago was Beef and Snow Peas. When I saw this recipe for Mongolian Beef on The Woks of Life (a wonderful site if you enjoy Chinese and Asian food), I knew the piece of beef tenderloin in my freezer had a purpose! Although flank steak is traditionally used to make Mongolian Beef, the beef tenderloin was tender and delicious. I added snow peas to the stir fry and cooked my favorite brown rice to round out the meal.

It was a delicious meal! The meat was all at once sticky, sweet and sour with just amount of sauce coating the perfectly seared and tender meat.  My husband's comment after dinner was "We can have this anytime."  I love to hear that!

Mongolian beef is actually a Chinese-American restaurant creation and has nothing to do with real Mongolian cuisine, I found.  It became very popular served in one of the more well-known changs...oops,l I meant chains :) You will find that it is very similar to Chinese Orange Beef, without the orange.  

Chinese New Year 2016 is officially celebrated from February 8 - 13.  While the United States prepares for the big Superbowl game on Sunday, China will be preparing for the Lunar New Year - The Year of the Fire Monkey.  Many Chinese people travel to their home towns during the annual celebration to visit their families. Recently, a rare snowstorm resulted in over 100,000 (yes, that number is right!) people stuck in the Guangzhou train station. Talk about a travel nightmare! Hopefully, they've all made it to their destinations and will soon be enjoying their favorite authentic Chinese meals with family.

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

Printable Recipe

Serves 2

8-10 ounces tenderloin of beef or flank steak, sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices (it's easier to cut if the meat is slightly frozen)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus 1/4 cup for coating meat

1-2 cups of snow peas, cleaned

1 tablespoon oil, for stir-frying the snow peas

1/3 cup vegetable oil, for frying the beef
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water or low sodium chicken stock
1 slightly rounded tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch long slices on the diagonal

Additional scallion for garnish, if desired

Rice or noodles for serving

Marinate the beef for 1 hour in 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of cornstarch and toss with your fingers until lightly coated.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice or noodles of your choice according to package directions.  Set aside while cooking the beef.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the snow peas and toss until still bright green and just slightly browned - about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and remove with a slotted spoon to a platter and set aside.

Add 1/3 cup of oil to the same pan and heat again. Just when the oil starts to smoke, spread the pieces of beef evenly in the pan, and sear for 30 seconds to 1 minute (depending upon the heat of your pan) until you see a crusty coating. Turn over and let the other side sear for another 30 seconds or so. The beef should be well-seared and browned. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper toweling. Prepare in two batches if increasing the recipe. 

Drain the oil from the wok, leaving 1 tablespoon behind, and turn the heat to medium. Add the ginger and red pepper flakes. After about 15 seconds, add the garlic. Stir for another 10 seconds and add the soy sauce and chicken stock (or water). Bring the sauce to a simmer, add the brown sugar, and stir until dissolved.

Let the sauce simmer for about 2 minutes and slowly stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and stir until thickened. Add the seared beef and scallions and toss everything for another 30 seconds or until there is almost no liquid left.  Add the beef mixture to the platter with the snow peas, garnish with the additional scallions, if desired, and serve. 

My Notes:  I added a splash of Cabernet wine when adding the liquids to the stir fry as I had an open bottle handy and it felt like a good idea!. 

Adapted from The Woks of Life

Espresso Steak Rub

Gone with a Handsomer Man is Michael Lee West's new novel. I received my copy last week and quickly finished it! What a fun read filled with humor, love, death and southern intrigue! I loved Michael Lee's writing and the character she created in Teeny Templeton. Teeny is quite the little lady! A strong-willed spitfire with a strong, peach throwing arm, but with so much vulnerability.

Like, Teeny, I think there is something cathartic about cooking and baking.  Just look at the beautiful colors of the ingredients for the rub!

Teeny's espresso rub reminds me her, sweet and spicy.

The steak and rub recipe from the book were delicious! I served the espresso-rubbed, grilled steak with some browned potatoes, onions and parsley and a side of sauteed asparagus and sesame seeds. My husband grilled the steak to medium-rare perfection.

I'm joining Michael Lee West and her foodie friends at Designs by Gollum by sharing some of Teeny Templeton's favorite recipes from the novel Gone with a Handsomer Man. 

Espresso Steak Rub

Adapted from Gone with a Handsomer Man

3 tablespoons espresso beans, freshly ground
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

Mix together all ingredients. Brush steaks with extra virgin olive oil and dredge in rub. Grill to your favorite temperature.

Yield: Coats two steaks

Tournedos of Beef with Red Wine and Mushroom Sauce

This is a delicious recipe by Bobby Flay...beef filets on toasted ciabatta bread croutons with a to-die-for red wine and mushroom sauce. I had made this recipe a while ago but it is one that is definitely worth making again and again.  This is also a great recipe if you don't have a grill.  The recipe calls for making the filets in a cast iron skillet but could easily be made on a grill ourdoors also.  Don't skip the sauce - it's amazing!


On the side, I served broccoli spears sauteed in white wine and garlic with lemon zest inspired by a Mario Batali recipe.It was such a delicious meal, and most definitely company-worthy. 

Tournedos of Beef with Red Wine and Mushroom Sauce

Recipe Adapted from Bobby Flay
Printable Recipe

4 servings

For the croutons, you will need:
4 slices, country-style bread*
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a round crouton from the center of each piece of bread big enough to fit the beef fillets. Brush both sides of the croutons with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the croutons on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

For the beef fillets and wine sauce, you will need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 beef fillet steaks (I bought a small beef tenderloin and cut my own)
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 pound Shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and quartered*
4 green onions with some of the light green part, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup red wine (I used an Italian Valpolicella)
1 cup beef broth (homemade is best if you have it)*
1/2 cup mushroom-soaking, liquid, optional*
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over high heat. I like to use my large, seasoned cast iron skillet for this. Season the beef fillets with salt and press some coarsely-ground black pepper onto 1 side of each fillet. Place the fillets pepper-side down into the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets. Turn the fillets over and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes for medium-rare. Again, let the thickness of the fillet be your guide. Remove the steaks to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat in the pan and return the pan to the heat. Add the mushrooms. If using rehydrated mushrooms just cook until heated. If using fresh mushrooms, cook until golden brown and their liquid has evaporated. Add the green onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the broth and cook until reduced by half. Whisk in the mustard and butter and cook for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place each fillet on top of a crouton and spoon some of the sauce over.

* My Notes:

I used rehydrated Shitake mushrooms and saved 1/2 cup of the strained soaking liquid for the sauce.

I partially reduced the red wine, beef stock and mushroom-soaking liquid before I started the steaks in order cut down on time at the end.

The original recipe called for shallots, which I did not have, so I substituted green onion and garlic. The taste was wonderful!


Broccoli Sauteed in White Wine and Garlic
Recipe adapted from Molto Italiano, Mario Batali
Printable Recipe

Serves 4

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into spears
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay because that's what was open)
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

In a sauté pan large enough to fit the broccoli spears, heat the olive oil with the garlic over medium-high heat until just sizzling. Add the broccoli and cook, tossing to coat with olive oil and garlic. Turn frequently and gradually add the wine to keep the garlic and broccoli from browning and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and zest, and tossing well. Serve immediately.

Crosshatch Hot Dogs from Food and Wine

In our family, and among our friends, there's a lot of grilling going on in the summer months.


Given the German heritage of Milwaukee, the sausage is is very much a part of our city's culture. Have you ever watched a Brewers game to see the sausages (people dressed in various sausage costumes) race around the bases? We have several wonderful sausage companies in or near Milwaukee Usingers, Klements and Johnsonville (best known for their brats). Here is a little hot dog history if you are interested.

When I saw this recipe for Crosshatch Hot dogs on Food and Wine, I almost couldn't believe my eyes! A hot dog recipe with complex flavors and topped with a tangy, spicy slaw and served on a toasted croissant with Dijon butter? Oh my! This is not your father's hot dog!

The original recipe calls for cabbage with red chili peppers tossed with in a tangy vinaigrette to be served with the hot dogs.


My personal twist on the recipe was to grill the cabbage and peppers and add some grilled vidalia onions.


After grilling, I thinly sliced the cabbage and peppers mixed them with the vinaigrette.


The croissants are spread with a butter and Dijon mustard mixture and then also grilled:


The sausages (in my case, Usingers All Beef Franks) were then thread onto skewers, with a knife crosshatch marks made around each hot dog, and then they are brushed with a mixture of soy, ketchup and minced garlic. 


...and grilled.  The grilled franks and slaw are then placed on the croissant for one of the best hot dogs you will ever taste - I promise!  My husband declared this recipe "Fantastic"! You may want to treat your father to this flavorful recipe on Father's Day.

Grilled Crosshatch Hot Dogs

Adapted from Food and Wine with my variation on the slaw
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
6 cups finely grilled and sliced green cabbage (I used Savoy)
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, sliced into thick rounds
3 fresh red chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 croissants, split
4 large hot dogs
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced

Rinse cabbage and cut in half. Peel and cut onion into thick slices. Cut red chilies in half and remove the seeds. Brush the cabbage, onion and chili peppers with canola oil and grill over high heat until slightly charred on both sides - about 6 minutes on each side. Allow to cool slightly and then slice cabbage and chili peppers and dice onions.

In a large bowl, stir the honey with the sherry vinegar until the honey is dissolved. Add the grilled, shredded cabbage, red chilies and onions, season with salt and toss. This can be prepared in advance.

In a small bowl, blend the butter and the mustard and then spread thinly on the cut sides of the croissants.

Thread each hot dog lengthwise onto a skewer. Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts at 1/2 inch intervals down the length of each hot dog, three times around. The cuts will look like crescents. Run the knife down the center of the cuts to 'crosshatch' the crescents.

Mix the ketchup with the soy sauce, oil and garlic. Brush each hot dog with he mixture. Any remaining ketchup mixture can be brushed on during grilling.

Grill the cut side of the croissants over high heat until toasted, approximately 30 seconds. Then turn and grill the other side for about 10 seconds.

Grill the hot dogs until charred and the cuts open, for approximately 2-4 minutes, turning frequently. Place the cabbage salad on one half of each croissant, top with a hot dog and serve.

Advance preparation: The cabbage salad and hot dogs (brushed with soy sauce mixture) can be kept, covered overnight, in the refrigerator.

Three Recipes from My Mother

My mother wasn't a gourmet cook by any means. She never had a mother to teach her and almost all of the family recipes came from aunts or other relatives. What she knew was how to be a wonderful and gracious hostess to anyone who would visit and visitors were many. She always had something ready to offer guests. She was cheerful, adventurous, outdoorsy and had hobbies and collections that fascinated everyone.

I tried to choose a few recipes that brought back the most vivid memories of my mother while growing up with my older sister. The first is her simple cucumber salad. This was often made with fresh cucumbers from her garden.

Since my family was Danish, frikadellers were something that was a recurring item our family table. There are many recipes for frikadellers, some of which include ground beef, veal and pork and some that are pork only. Some are bound with flour and egg, some with bread and egg. My mother usually used ground beef and sometimes pork as they were the easiest to find at the grocery store. They were often served with potatoes and pan gravy from the frikadellars. They were an inexpensive and filling way to feed her family.  My family grew up enjoying them as well. 

My mother loved making refrigerator cookies. They were always baked with either black walnuts or hickory nuts that she had gathered and dried herself. My father would crack them with a vice and then she would  pick out the nut meat. Now that black walnuts are readily available at the grocery store, I used them in my cookies. These are the cookies that were almost always on the table when friends and family stopped in to visit.

I was a little worried that I would be overcome with emotion the first time I made them after she passed away but, as I tasted the cookies, I remembered all the good times and conversations we had while eating them :)

Lastly, another treat that was always on the table when company dropped in was Danish Kringle. Growing up in a predominantly Danish city with Danish culture and bakeries, you never had to make Kringle at home.  You could buy wonderfully flaky pastry Kringle in several well-known, authentic Danish bakeries in town. My favorite was and still is pecan Kringle but it's made with all sorts of delicious fruit and nut filling varieties. Raspberry is another favorite.

I hope you enjoyed this tribute to my mother and Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers!

Mother’s Pickled Cucumber Salad
Printable Recipe

1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon salt

3 cups peeled and sliced cucumbers
1 cup peeled and thinly sliced red onion

Mix first three ingredients and stir until dissolved.

Place cucumbers and onion slices in a large enough bowl to fit them plus the liquids. Add liquid mixture, celery seed and salt and stir to combine.

Keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.

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Frikadellers - My Mother's Way
Printable Recipe

• 1 pound lean ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and ground pork
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 slice hearty white bread, cut into small cubes - about 1 cup total (day old is great)
• 1/3 cup milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Soak bread cubes in milk for 5 minutes. Add soaked bread cubes with milk, egg, onion, salt and pepper to meat and mix just until blended (don't overmix).

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to make handling easier. Form into small patties with your hands - using about 1/8 cup or more of mixture - you decide. Flatten slightly.

In large, heavy skillet (seasoned cast iron is preferred), over medium heat (with a tiny bit of oil or butter, if needed) brown patties well on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Continue to cook until no longer pink in the middle - about 20 minutes.

You can make a gravy with the pan drippings and serve with boiled potatoes.

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My Mother's Refrigerator Nut Cookies
Printable Recipe

1 cup sugar
1 cup margarine
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup finely chopped black walnuts or hickory nuts

Cream sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt, baking soda and nuts. Divide dough into three parts. Shape each part into a roll 1-1/2 inches in diameter and about 7 inches long. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 400F. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Immediately remove from baking sheet.

French Style Oven Braised Beef

This is a recipe that I have had for years and it is always a special treat when I make it. When I clipped the recipe from our newspaper years ago I was a young wife and hadn't savored too much time in the kitchen yet :) I thought I was really heading down the gourmet path since I was actually putting wine and brandy in a recipe...Oooo-la-la!

Sometimes I add peas and sauteed mushrooms and serve it on a bed of wide noodles - yum!


I regret that I can't share the source for this recipe. When I retyped it onto my computer years ago, I threw away the recipe and, sadly, the source - never thinking that one day I would be blogging! Even attempts to find it online didn't help. But here it is, anyway. The flavors are delicious

French Style Oven Braised Beef

Printable Recipe

4 to 5 lb lb boneless chuck
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 rib celery, cut into thin crescents
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin discs
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup dry red wine*
¼ cup brandy*
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 sprigs parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
Cornstarch

*Note – I like to increase these amounts to make sure I have lots of juices for making the sauce later.

Please heavy duty foil, enough to wrap up meat in shallow roasting pan. Arrange meat in center, fold up edges of foil leaving space to add onion, carrot and celery. Place pan under broiler and brown meat fairly well, turning several times from side to side. When meat is half browned, add onion, carrot and celery so they will brown slightly.

Remove pan from oven and reduce temperature to 300F. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Stir together wine, brandy and tomato paste. Add parsley, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and cloves. Pour over meat. Seal foil with a ‘drugstore’ fold and bring two longest ends of foil up over beef and vegetables so edges meet; fold these edges together twice. Seal ends of foil by turning up and folding over twice. Return sealed package in the roasting pan to the 300 degree oven.

Bake until tender as you like – approximately 3-1/2 to 4 hours. Open foil and remove beef to a warm platter; keep warm in low oven.

Please a fine mesh strainer over a quart measure and strain juices into measure. Do not force vegetables through. Skim off fat. For each 1-1/4 cups of liquid, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Pour liquid and cornstarch mixture into a saucepan. Over moderate heat, stirring constantly, cook until slightly thickened, clear and boiling. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Slow Roasted Beef Brisket - a Hearty Winter Meal!

Winter is a great time for trying slow roasted meats and stews...things you would never think of making in the middle of summer when the oven would be on for hours. Beef brisket is one of my winter favorites. There are tons of recipes for brisket out there and everyone has a favorite - this is mine. The recipe came to me by way of a good friend. You can serve it alone over mashed potatoes with a vegetable on the side but I like it best served on a crusty roll with the delicious juices and plenty of onions!

If you can roast the brisket the day before and refrigerate it overnight it slices beautifully and you can easily separate the fat from the juices.

 

Beef Brisket 

Original Source Unknown

• 5 pound trimmed beef brisket
• 2-3 onions, sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced thin or minced
• 1 16-oz Bottle Wishbone Italian Dressing
• Red wine (about 2 cups)

Preheat Broiler

In a heavy cake pan or other large oven-proof shallow dish, broil brisket until well-browned on both sides.

Drain fat and add sliced onions, garlic, dressing and wine.

Reduce oven to 300.  Cover pan with foil and roast for about 4 hours. This can also be prepared in a slow cooker, after the browning of the brisket.  Increase cooking time according to your slow cooker.  Perhaps 2-3 hours more than oven method. 

If possible, allow to cool overnight in the pan juices with onions, which will make it easy to remove the fat from the meat and juices.  Slice the meat, return to the defatted pan juices and reheat either on the stove or oven for about 20-30 minutes.

Slice and serve on crusty rolls with onions and pan juices.

Enjoy!