Steakhouse | Rantings of an Amateur Chef

Stealing Ingredients for the In-Laws

May 18, 2013

The Ranting Chef Beef, Kosher, Recipes, Steakhouse beef, cooking, dinner, food, Gourmet, Kosher, postaday, recipe, recipes 4 Comments

Every once in a while we will invite someone over for dinner. Often it is before we make the menu for the week so we can accommodate the extra mouths at the table. The other day we decided to invite over my in-laws for dinner. We made the invitation a scant number of minutes after I had already gone grocery shopping for the week. We had Beef Tips over Rice planned for that evening. Many recipes could be stretched, but one that is mostly meat is really hard to do that. Looking at the menu for the week, I knew I could sacrifice a later meal to steal ingredients.

Nice tender beef with gravy.

Luckily I had the ingredients to make more.

Flouring the beef.

Giving everything an initial brown.

The liquids.

All together.

BEEF TIPS OVER RICE

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. sirloin tip roast, cut into 2-inch strips
4 tbsp. oil
2 lg. onions, sliced
2 beef flavored bouillon cubes
1 1/2 c. boiling water

Directions:

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag; shake to mix. Add meat and shake well to coat. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot; brown meat in the oil. Add onions and cook until onions are tender.Dissolve the bouillon cubes in the boiling water. Pour over beef mixture. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. This will serve 6-8 people and is delicious!

Source: http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1642,153189-234207,00.html

About these ads

Sauerbraten

April 3, 2013

The Ranting Chef Beef, German, Kosher, Low Carb, Recipes, Steakhouse beef, cooking, dinner, food, German, Gourmet, Kosher, low carb, postaday, recipe, recipes 9 Comments

A number of years ago my wife and I spent twelve days in Europe. We flew into Frankfurt, Germany and immediately drove down to the little historic town of Heidelburg. We walked around the old town and when it started to rain we ducked into a local tavern right on the main market square.

After perusing the menu, I chose the Sauerbraten. I knew that I had eaten it before, but honestly could not have described it at the time. This plate of savory slices of beef in a rich tangy gravy arrived and I dug right in. For the rest of my time in Germany, I fought off the desire from ordering it every time as it was so good.

Back home I found out that it was one of my father-in-law’s favorite dishes and months later made it for his birthday. This time he once again was at the table.

Succulent and robust.

This is one dish that requires much forethought. You need to start 2-3 days in advance.

Making the marinade.

In the bag for the long haul.

After the marinating. It has a vinegary smell and a purplish color.

Straining out the solids.

Browning up the meat.

Cooking up the aromatics.

With the liquid back in.

Done cooking.

Thickening the gravy.

Perfection!

Sauerbraten

Cook Time: 2 hr 45 min | Makes: 6 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 large onions, cut into large chunks
5 cloves garlic; 3 crushed, 2 chopped
10 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon juniper berries (available in the spice aisle)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 3-to-4-pound boneless beef top chuck roast
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons crushed gingersnap cookies
Freshly ground pepper
Spaetzle, for serving (see page 152)
Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Combine 2 cups broth, the wine, vinegar, 1 chopped onion, the crushed garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns and cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Place the beef in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning daily.

Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry; season with salt. Strain the marinade, discarding the solids. Heat a large ovenproof pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add the carrots, celery and the remaining onion to the pot and cook until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and chopped thyme and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the strained marinade and the remaining 1 cup broth and bring to a simmer. Return the meat to the pot, cover and cook in the oven until tender, 2 hours 30 minutes.

Remove the meat and transfer to a plate. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and simmer until thickened; season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the meat; serve with spaetzle, the vegetables and sauce and sour cream, if desired. Top with parsley.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sauerbraten-recipe/index.html

Maggie Monday: Derby (Chantilly) Ham

April 1, 2013

The Ranting Chef Pork, Steakhouse cooking, dinner, food, Gourmet, pork, postaday, recipe, recipes 5 Comments

I like to play around with recipes as much as anyone but this is too much! Maggie makes a great looking ham below but in switching out the Kentucky bourbon for brandy you take the Derby out of the ham. Maybe this is Chantilly Ham if the brandy was French. I’m just having fun with you Maggie… ;-)

If you like ham, please for the love of all that is pure and good in the world, try this one. I make it about twice each year- we always have one on Christmas day. It is my absolute favorite. The berries, orange juice, and bourbon are perfect for the salty ham. It is very easy, and impossible to mess up. The ham is gorgeous, and great for a crowd. It looks and tastes impressive, so this is one to consider if you are cooking for guests.

I got the recipe from Victoria Magazine back in the early 90’s. I’ve tweaked it a bit over time. I’ve substituted Brandy for Bourbon- used fresh cranberries- you can mix this up lots of ways. The sauce gets nice and thick, and you can use it from the pan as gravy. Recently I popped the roasting pan on the stovetop and added about ½ cup of red wine and 2 tablespoons of butter, and made a reduction that was delicious.

Don’t wait for a special occasion- just get the biggest ham you can find, bake it up, then you’ll have tons of leftovers for all the other ham recipes I’ll post for you!

Derby Ham

What you need:

1 massive ham- I get the biggest I can find- usually at least 8-10 lbs

Blend:

1 large can crushed cranberry sauce

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed

¼ cup bourbon or brandy

3Tbs Dijon mustard

Whole cloves

Reduction: (optional)

Pan drippings- all of them

½ cup red wine

2 Tbs butter

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Score fat side of ham in diamonds. Place a whole clove in the cross- corner of each diamond. Place ham on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour sauce over ham. Cover ham with heavy-duty aluminum foil- forming a tent over the ham but not touching it. Bake for 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes.

Remove ham from pan to carving board and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Place roasting pan over two burners on stove-top. Add red wine and butter . Over medium-high heat, bring sauce to a boil, and let cook until reduced to a consistency you desire. Slice ham, and serve with warm sauce.

Guest Post: Baked Pork Chops and Apples

March 15, 2013

The Ranting Chef Low Carb, Pork, Steakhouse cooking, dinner, food, Gourmet, low carb, pasta, postaday, recipe, recipes 14 Comments

Going out to restaurants are nice but there is nothing like a family recipe. It brings together the best tastes and memories into one. Today we have Beth from Homemade Things & Apron Strings bringing us one of her family favorites. Take a look at Homemade Things & Apron Strings and Beth’s great post below…

This is a recipe from my childhood. It was a family favorite and, fortunately, became a family favorite with my family. I think it was my mom’s sneaky way of getting us to eat the meat on our plates, but this was so good that it wasn’t a problem. Somehow, the flavors blend together wonderfully. And the best part of this recipe is that it’s easy and uses only a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand. So, it also makes a good “go to” dinner. Those are my favorite recipes – the ones that are easy, but spectacular in the end. And doesn’t it seem like the simple recipes with fewer ingredients are always the best?

I make it even easier on myself and serve it right from the baking dish, but you can put it on a serving plate if you have company. I like to have buttered noodles and dinner rolls with this dish. This is my comfort food meal.

The ingredients! Told you it was only a few – pork chops, apple, butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Well, there’s a little salt and pepper, too. I like to use meats with the bone in. I think it has more flavor, but you could certainly use boneless chops. This recipe gets very juicy and the apples will be very soft, so use firm apples.

Wash, core, and slice the apple into rings. Leave the skin on. I was moving too fast and cut the apple in half. But it was a mistake that worked in the end. I made a smaller portion, so the pieces fit better in the baking dish.

Lay the slices in the bottom of a baking dish. For the recipe pictured here, I used an 8×8-inch dish and 1 apple. Use the ends, too. This was for 4 pork chops, but when I make 6 chops, I use a 13×9-inch size and 2 apples.

Dot the slices with the butter.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. I love cinnamon sugar on my toast, so I keep a shaker of premixed in the cabinet and just use that. Anyway, sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the apple slices.

Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Lay the pork chops on top of the apple slices. They don’t have to be completely flat on the apples.

Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for an hour.

I told you it was juicy! The chops come out tender and the blending of the flavors is perfect.

Baked Pork Chops and Apples

4 -6 pork chops

1-2 firm apples

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon (you can adjust to taste)

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wash, core, and slice the apples into rings slightly larger than ¼-inch. Place the apples in baking dish. Use an 8×8-inch dish for 4 pork chops and 13×9-inch for 6 pork chops.

Dot the apple slices with the butter.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle the mixture over the apple slices.

Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the chops on top of the apple slices.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

Serves 4 to 6.

I am a homemaker from New Jersey. I have a husband, 2 grown children, 2 grandchildren, and 2 dogs. I love to cook and craft and share my projects on my blog, Homemade Things and Apron Strings (www.homemadethingsandapronsstrings.com). I have an apron collection that I speak about to local groups. As a family, we campaign a drag race car. It’s a Top Alcohol Funny Car that my husband drives and the rest of us serve as crew. I have to feed and look after a crew of 9 or more.

St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

March 15, 2013

The Ranting Chef Appetizer, Baking, Beef, Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, Dessert, Drinks, Fried, Irish, Kosher, Low Carb, Lunch, Recipes, Side Dish, Soup, Steakhouse, Vegetable, Vegetarian Appetizer, baking, beef, chocolate, cooking, dessert, dinner, food, frying, Gourmet, irish, Kosher, low carb, lunch, Patrick, postaday, recipe, recipes, side dish, soup, St. Patrick, vegetable, vegetarian 7 Comments

Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day! Here in Cleveland, this day is a BIG deal. There is a massive parade downtown and the sidewalks are filled with green colored revelers. In honor of the day (my first name is Patrick after all), and to give you some ideas for an Irish feast, here is a selection of Irish recipes from The Ranting Chef.