Beef with Carrots

Directions for: Beef with Carrots

Ingredients

4 lb(s) beef, cut into chunks (bones left on if there are bones)

salt and pepper to season

thick bacon, cut into paper clip-sized pieces

2 Tbsp oil, more if needed

2 medium onions, sliced

2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

2 Tbsp Jerez vinegar or red wine vinegar

3 cup beef stock

3 cup dry red or white wine

1 bay leaf

1 celery stalk, cut into two

1 bouquet parsley (small bunch tied together with string to be removed later)

1 bouquet thyme (small bunch tied together with string to be removed later)

4 black peppercorns

2 Tbsp cornstarch

3 lb(s) large carrots, thickly sliced

Directions

1. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. in a large casserole, fry the bacon until cooked, 7 minutes. Remove, and set aside. Add half the oil and fry the onions until soft, adding the garlic towards the end, 10 minutes total. Remove with the bacon. Add the remaining oil to the pot and brown the meat well in batches on both sides, 3 minutes per side. Remove.

2. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, scraping up the good bits from the bottom. when the vinegar has almost disappeared, add the wine. Now, put the meat, bacon, onions, and garlic back in the pot. Pour over the stock, adding more water if needed to cover. Wrap the bay leaf, celery, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns together in a bundle, and tie with a string. Add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for two hours.

3. at this point, dissolve the cornstarch in some of the cooking liquid, and stir it into the pot. Cook, uncovered, for half an hour. Add the carrots and continue cooking for half an hour, until they are tender. Discard the string-tied bundle of flavourings. Cool the contents completely, cover, and refrigerate overnight. (You can actually eat it straight away, but it's one of those things which is always better the next day.) to serve, bring to a simmer for half an hour, until the sauce has reduced to gravy consistency.

See more: Beef, Vegetables, Dinner, Fry, Herbs, French, Dairy-Free

Louie's Cape Breton Surf N Turf Burger

Courtesy of Steven Allen of Little Louie's Burger Joint and Soupery.
Directions for: Louie's Cape Breton Surf N Turf Burger

Ingredients

Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp white vinegar

Tartar Sauce

3 gherkins, finely chopped

4 Tbsp kalamata olives, chopped

2 Tbsp capers, chopped

2 Tbsp red onion, chopped

Coleslaw

1 cup white cabbage, finely chopped

cup red cabbage, finely chopped

cup carrot, finely chopped

cup red onion, finely chopped

Burgers

2 lb(s) medium ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp horseradish

3 Tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

1 egg

4 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs

Lobster

cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 egg

salt and pepper, to taste

1 bottle pale ale

oil, for frying

Assembly

6 buns

Directions

Mayonnaise

1. Place egg yolks, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and sea salt in a food processor and mix well; with the machine running, drizzle vegetable oil into mixture in a slow and steady stream.

2. when mixture starts to thicken, alternate additions of lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, and remaining oil.

Tartar Sauce

1. Add chopped gherkins, olives, capers, and red onion to half of the mayonnaise and mix well. Refrigerate until assembly.

Coleslaw

1. Combine cabbage, carrot, and red onion in a large bowl; add mayonnaise until you reach preferred consistency for coleslaw.

2. Set aside until assembly.

Burgers

1. Preheat oven to 395F. Preheat grill.

2. in a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, garlic, Dijon mustard, hoisin, horseradish, soya sauce, hot sauce, egg, and bread crumbs; mix well until combined.

3. Form mixture into 6 equal patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place tray of burgers in the oven for 6 minutes.

Lobster

1. Preheat 3 inches of oil to 350F in a heavy-bottomed pot.

2. to make a batter for the lobster, stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder, egg, salt, and pepper. Whisk beer into the flour slowly until batter reaches a thick pancake batter consistency.

3. Remove lobster from the fridge and pat dry. Toss in remaining flour and shake off excess.

4. Dredge lobster in batter and fry lobster in hot oil for 1 minute; flip lobster and continue frying for 1 additional minute.

5. Place fried lobster on a paper towel to drain.

Assembly

1. Preheat grill.

2. Remove burgers from oven and grill for 1 minute per side; remove burgers from grill and let rest for 2 minutes.

3. Toast buns on grill.

4. to serve, spoon 1 tablespoon of tartar sauce on each side of the bun. Place burger on bottom bun and top each patty with a mound of coleslaw, a lobster tail, and the top bun.

5. Pierce lobster claws with a bamboo skewers and stab through the entire burger.

See more: Beef, Comfort Food, Dinner, Eggs/Dairy, Main, Seafood

Cottage Pie

Warm, comforting and an instant classic.
Directions for: Cottage Pie

Ingredients

Filling

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

500 g ground beef

2 Tbsp butter

cup diced onion, about 1/2 medium

1 cup diced celery, about 1 stalk

2 cup diced carrot, about 2 medium

2 clove garlic, minced

1 heaping tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup red wine

2 1/2 cups beef stock

1 sprig rosemary

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes

7 medium cooking potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 clove garlic, smashed

cup butter, cut into cubes

cup 35% whipping cream

cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

For Assembly

1 9-inch square casserole dish

Extra grated parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp butter

cup bread crumbs (optional)

Salt and pepper

Irish Peas and Cabbage

2 cup frozen sweet peas

2 strips bacon, roughly diced

heads small Savoy cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced

small onion, sliced

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Filling

1. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil to large saucepot over medium high heat. Add ground beef.

2. Allow excess liquid to bubble away; stir and cook until meat is well browned and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat using a colander.

3. Deglaze pot with red wine, scraping up browned bits and let reduce slightly.

4. in another large pot, add remaining vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes.

5. Add garlic, stir briefly and add tomato paste. Brown paste slightly and sprinkle in flour. Cook out for a minute or two

6. Add in red wine from deglazing beef, scraping up crispy brown bits from bottom of pan.

7. Add beef stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Return browned meat to pot. Simmer, covered for 20-25 minutes.

8. Remove lid and continue cooking for another 10 minutes; liquid will reduce and thicken. Remove rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Season well with salt and pepper.

Potatoes

1. Add quartered potatoes and smashed garlic to medium pot. Fill pot with cold water just to cover potatoes; season cooking water well with salt (it should taste like the sea) and bring to a boil.

2. Boil on medium high heat until potatoes are tender but not overdone, about 15-20 minutes.

3. Strain potatoes; let dry out slightly in colander before returning to pot. Add cream, butter, pepper, Parmesan cheese and more salt if necessary.

4. Mash roughly with fork or potato masher.

For Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spoon filling into the bottom of a 10-inch round casserole dish. Top with potatoes.

2. Grate parmesan cheese on top and dot surface evenly with butter. Season with salt and pepper and, if using, sprinkle over bread crumbs

3. Bake on middle rack until top is golden and filling is warmed through, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Irish Peas and Cabbage

1. Heat vegetable oil in a medium pan over medium high heat. Saute bacon until light golden.

2. Add sliced onion and saut until onion is translucent and just starting to colour. Add cabbage and sweat, cooking down until cabbage softens, about 5 minutes.

3. Blanch peas in a pot of boiling salted water. Drain and add to cabbage mixture. Add butter and fold to coat lightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

See more: Beef, Potatoes, Vegetables, Winter, Dinner, Main, St Patrick's Day

Steamed BBQ Beef Buns

These fluffy steamed buns are just like the ones you have your eye on when you go for Dim Sum.
Directions for: Steamed BBQ Beef Buns

Ingredients

Beef Filling

1 cups (200 g) diced cooked beef (such as braised pot roast or roast beef)

cup (60 mL) ketchup

2 Tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar

2 Tbsp (30 mL) cider vinegar

1 Tbsp (15 mL) light soy sauce

1 Tbsp (15 mL) hoisin sauce

1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, finely grated

1 tsp (3 g) Chinese 5-spice powder

1 cups (185 g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (130 g) cake and pastry flour

cup (70 g) granulated sugar

1 Tbsp (9 g) baking powder

6 Tbsp (90 mL) 2% milk

3 Tbsp (45 mL) water

2 Tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

Directions

Beef Filling

1. for the filling, place the beef in a small saucepan and add the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and 5-spice and stir occasionally over medium heat until the sauce reduces a little, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

1. for the dough, sift the flours, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, water and oil and stir this with a wooden spoon until it becomes too difficult to do so. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead the dough by hand until it feels smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Set this back in the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest on the counter for an hour.

2. on a lightly flour work surface, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece to as close to -inch (6 mm) as possible, then using a 4-inch (10 cm) round cutter, cut out a circle. to fill each bun, hold a piece of dough in the palm of your hand and shape it with your fingers to make it more like a cup. Put a tablespoonful of the beef filling in the centre and then pinch the edges of the dough up and around to seal it in it does take a bit of practice to make precise folds, so have patience. Place each bun, with the pinched end up, on a 2-inch (5 cm) square piece of parchment paper.

3. Fill the bottom of a wok or other large pot that will hold a large bamboo steamer with water and bring this to a full boil over high heat. Arrange 4 buns into the steamer (if you have 2 baskets, you can stack them, with 4 buns in each). Cover and steam for 13-15 minutes the buns will open up as they steam this is expected. Remove the steamed buns with tongs and serve within 40 minutes of steaming.

Tips and Substitutions

The buns can be assembled up to 4 hours before steaming and kept refrigerated.

See more: Asian, Beef, Side, Snack

Spicy Sausage Dogs

A warming bowl of spicy chili sauce, onions and your choice of grilled beef or pork sausages.
Directions for: Spicy Sausage Dogs

Ingredients

1 (12-oz) can lager

1 cup chili sauce, such as Heinz

cup malt vinegar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

2 tsp hot sauce

8 spicy beef or pork sausages

2 white onions, thickly sliced

Olive oil, for grilling

1 pinch kosher salt

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Crusty rolls, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat.

2. in a large pot over medium heat, stir together the lager, chili sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, curry powder and hot sauce. Cook until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. while the sauce is reducing, grill the sausages on the grill pan until browned and cooked through, turning every so often, about 12 minutes. Set aside.

4. Brush the onions with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill on the same pan you grilled the sausages. Cook until brown and golden, about 10 minutes.

5. Put the grilled sausages in the pot with the sauce, then add the onions. Cook together for 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Serve the sausages on crusty rolls topped with the onions and lots of sauce.

See more: Beef, Grill, Hot and Spicy, Main, Pork

Beer Braised Short Ribs

Directions for: Beer Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces (1292 to 1816 grams)

Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, for roasting the short ribs

1 Tbsp vegetable oil, for roasting the short ribs (15 ml)

1 Tbsp butter (15 ml)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 to 2 red finger chile pepper, finely chopped, or to taste

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (15 ml)

2 tsp paprika (10 ml)

1 tsp ground cumin (5 ml)

tsp all spice (1 ml)

pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 bay leaf

cup packed brown sugar (60 ml)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (30 ml)

2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari (30 ml)

cup ketchup (60 ml)

cup apple cider vinegar (60 ml)

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (30 ml)

cup apple butter (60 ml)

Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, for sauce

1 bottle stout beer (about 1 cup) (preferably Guinness draft beer) (440 ml)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. F.

2. Add vegetable oil to a roasting pan. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, about 1 hour. Drain any excess fat from the pan.

3. Meanwhile while the ribs are roasting make the sauce. Add butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Saut onions for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add chile and garlic, continue to saut for another minute. Add the thyme, paprika, cumin, allspice, bay leaf and pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, and apple butter. Stir to combine. Stir in the beer. Remove from heat and pour onto the ribs in the roasting pan. Cover with foil paper. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Continue to cook ribs in the oven until the meat is tender and falling off the bones, about 2 to 2 hours.

See more: Beef, Main, Dinner, Braise, Slow Cook, North American, Party Favourites

Easy Pan Steaks

A simple, no-nonsense main you can whip up in just over half an hour; pan to plate in no time!
Directions for: Easy Pan Steaks

Ingredients

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (8-oz) filet mignon steaks

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450F. Heat the butter and olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the sprigs of rosemary as your pan is heating. Salt and pepper the meat to your liking (I recommend a generous pinch of each, which is a THREE-finger pinch.)

2. when the butter has melted and the oil is heated, add your steaks to the pan to get a nice golden-brown sear on them. this should take about 2 minutes on each side. then place your pan in the oven until the steaks are cooked to your preference, 7 to 9 minutes. (Eight minutes makes a perfect medium, my favorite!)

3. Allow the meat to rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving. these rosemary-infused steaks are nothing short of delicious.

See more: Beef, Herbs, Main