Category Archives: Meat

Meat

Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

March 24, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

This quick and easy recipe for sweet and sour pork chops is adapted from one I found in Bon Appetit. If you’d like it more ‘sour’ double the amount of vinegar.

Ingredients:

2 thick pork chops
Salt
1 ½ sugar divided
2 tbs. olive oil divided
1 large, chopped shallot
4 thinly sliced garlic cloves
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 sprigs rosemary
1 tbs. capers
2 tbs. butter

Season both sides of the chops with salt and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of sugar on one side of each. Allow them to come to room temperature. Hold them with tongs and sear the fat cap in a dry, very hot frying pan until browned.

Add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook one side for 3 – 4 minutes until browned. Turn and cook the 2^nd,sugared side for 1 – 2 minutes on a lower heat so the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove the chops to a plate.

Put the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan, add the shallots, and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and remaining teaspoon of sugar to the pan and stir until some of the vinegar burns away.

Add the rosemary, capers, and one cup of water and bring to a simmer. Add the butter and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Return the chops, spoon some sauce over them and simmer for 5 minutes, turning once, until done.

Transfer the chops to plates, pour the sauce over them, and serve.

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Meat

Ropa Vieja

March 4, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja translates to ‘old clothes’ in English. There’s probably a good story that goes along with that, but I don’t know it. I do know that ropa vieja is a hardy meat stew. The recipes for it vary a bit but basically, its shredded meat, peppers, tomatoes, and onions. It can be made with beef or pork.

Ingredients:

1 ½ – 2 lbs. flank steak cut along grain into 3-to-4-inch pieces
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp. olive oil divided
3 bell sliced peppers – vary colors
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 – 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
½ cup olives, cut in half
½ cup raisins
¼ cup drained capers
2 cups chicken stock

Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper and let it come to room temperature. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat. Do it in batches and don’t crowd the pan.

Remove the meat and add the remaining oil to the pot. Add the peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, and bay leaves. Cook for about 30 minutes until soft.

Now add the olives, raisins, capers, tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, mix, and deglaze the pot.

Lower heat and simmer for 2 ½ hours. Shred the meat with 2 forks, stir everything together and simmer for another 30 minutes and serve with rice.

Like most stewed meats, ropa vieja is better left over the next day.

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Meat

Reverse Seared Steak

October 14, 2021 robiulo Leave a comment

Reverse Seared Steak

I’ve heard about this method of cooking a steak and decided to give it a try. The standard for a thick steak is, sear the steak and finish cooking it in the oven. As the name implies, this reverses that. Don’t try this unless you steak is at least 1 ½ inches thick. I’m using a 2-inch rib eye.

Ingredients:

1 steak (at least 1 ½ in. thick and your choice of cut)
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1 crushed clove garlic – optional
1 sprig of rosemary – optional

Season the steak with salt and pepper, the edges too. Place it on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Place it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to dry out. This step is optional but do it if you have time.

Preheat the oven to anywhere between 200 and 275°F (93 and 135°C). The lower you go, the more evenly the meat will cook.

Put the baking sheet, rack, and room temperature steak in the oven, and roast until it reaches an internal temperature about 10 to 15°F below the final temperature at which you’d like to serve the meat. Time in the oven is about 20 minutes for rare.

Reverse Seared Steak — After 20 minutes in a 250 degree F. oven.

When you take the steak out of the oven, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan on a very high heat. When the pan is hot begin searing the steak. Holding it with tongs, start with the the edges. Lay the steak down and add the butter (and garlic/rosemary, if using). Tilt the pan and spoon the melted butter over the steak. Flip the steak and do the other side. This should take only about 35-40 seconds per side for a good sear.

Slice and serve the steak. It’s not necessary to rest the steak before cutting if you’re using the reverse sear method.

Steak Internal Cooking Temperatures

Some other steak cooking methods here.

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Meat

Mississippi Pot Roast

October 8, 2021 robiulo Leave a comment

Mississippi Pot Roast

I saw this on a YouTube video by Emmy Cho and it looked interesting. It’s a different and maybe a little strange combination of ingredients but the result is great and it’s very easy easy to put together.

Ingredients:

1 2-3 lb. chuck roast
1 pack au jus gravy mix
1 pack ranch dressing
½ 12 oz. jar of pepperoncini and brine
1 stick of butter
Salt and black pepper

Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the packets of au jus and ranch on top of it. Pour half the brine and half the jar of peppers into the cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Put in a stick of butter and cook on low for 8 hours.

Pull it apart with two forks and serve with potatoes, noodles or rice.

Here’s the New York Times article on the origin of Mississippi Pot Roast.

. . . and here’s Emmy Cho’s video.

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Meat

Pork Chops with Pan Sauce

April 30, 2021 robiulo Leave a comment

Pork Chops with Pan Sauce

Here’s a simple method for making an elegant sauce. It’s perfect for pork chops but you should also try it with other types of meat.

Ingredients:

Salt and black pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 pork chops
1/3 cup meat stock or broth
2 tbsp. Dijon or any brown mustard
1/3 cup half & half
2 pats of butter

Bring the chops to room temperature and season with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the pork chops until done to your liking.

Remove them to a warm dish, add the stock to the pan and deglaze. Add the mustard, half & half, and butter, and whisk for a few minutes. until the sauce is creamy. Pour it over the pork chops and serve.

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Meat

Teresa’s Sicilian Steak

March 25, 2021 robiulo Leave a comment

Teresa’s Sicilian Steak

Teresa Giudice is one of the Housewives of New Jersey and she can really cook. She’s published a few cook books and this steak recipe is adapted from Skinny Italian. The light coating adds a lot of flavor and yet doesn’t take away from the taste of the steak.

Ingredients:

1 steak about 1 inch thick
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
3 tbsp. breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. grated Parmigiano cheese
½ tsp. dried oregano
Salt and black pepper

Place the oil and garlic in a shallow bowl. Place the steak in the bowl and let it stay at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning it after 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Remove the steak from the oil and dip it into the crumb mixture coating it evenly.

Let it stand on the baking rake for 10 minutes for the crumbs to set. Place a rack between 6 and 8 inches below the broiler preheat the oven.

Broil the steak for 3 – 4 minutes – until the crust is browned. Turn it over and do the same to the other side for medium-rare. Ovens may vary so move the rack closer or further away from the heat source so it browns and doesn’t burn. When it’s done let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain into one inch strips.

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Meat, Poultry

Sausage and Chicken with Vinegar Peppers

March 19, 2021 robiulo 2 Comments

Sausage and Chicken with Vinegar Peppers

I wish this dish had an interesting name. If I said, “Ma, what’s for dinner.” She’d say, “Sausage and chicken with vinegar peppers,” so that’s what I call it.

Ingredients:

Olive oil for frying
½ lb. Italian sausage (about 3) cut into pieces
½ lb. skinless/boneless chicken thighs (about 3) cut into pieces
2 Idaho potatoes cut into half inch half moons
1 onion cut into wedges
1 cup of sliced vinegar peppers (sweet or hot)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup liquid from the pepper jar
½ teaspoon thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste.

Bring chicken and sausage to room temperature and season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Fry the meat in olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until browned. Don’t crowd the pan or the meat with steam instead of brown. Remove and set aside. Fry the potatoes using more oil if necessary. Season, remove from the pan when almost done and set aside.

Fry meat and potatoes in batches so they brown and don’t steam.

Fry the onions and when they start to brown, add the peppers. Add a half cup of water and deglaze the pan. Return the potatoes and then the sausage and chicken on top. Pour in the vinegar and pepper liquid, sprinkle on the thyme and cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

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Meat

Cajun Meatloaf

January 13, 2021 robiulo Leave a comment

Cajun Meatloaf

Meatloaf isn’t one of my favorite things. I generally prefer my ground beef in the form of a medium-rare, charred on the outside, hamburger. But this Cajun meatloaf is different. It has interesting spices (no ketchup), and because there’s so little filler it looks and taste meatier.

Ingredients:

For the meatloaf-

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup of tomato puree
3 tsp. of Cajun spice mix
1 minced garlic clove
1 cup Cajun Trinity
2 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds of ground beef

For the topping-

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of tomato puree
3 tbsp. tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If you have a meatloaf pan, great. If not, you’ll have to improvise. Cover a rack with foil and punch holes in it with a skewer. This will prevent the fat from accumulating at the bottom of the pan and making the meatloaf greasy.

Add the breadcrumbs, tomato puree, Cajun seasoning, minced garlic, and Cajun trinity, and Worcestershire to a bowl and mix it. Add the chopped meat and mix it. The best way to do that is with your hands. Get it thoroughly mixed and form a loaf.

Grease the foil with olive oil spray. Put the meat mixture in the pan or on the rack (whichever you’re using) and form a loaf. Roast for 50 minutes.

To make the topping, mix the Worcestershire, tomato puree, and paste in a small bowl. After 50 minutes remove the meatloaf and coat it with the sauce. Put it back in the oven and roast for another 20 minutes.

When it’s done, let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting it. It’s great for dinner and the leftovers make perfect sandwiches.

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Meat

Black Pepper and Beef Stir Fry

December 18, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Black Pepper and Beef Stir Fry

It’s the pepper that really makes a Black Pepper and Beef Stir Fry. If your pepper mill can’t grind it coarse enough, put the pepper corns on a dish towel and whack them a few times with the bottom of a frying pan.

Ingredients:

3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tbsp. black pepper (very coarsely ground)
1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into ¼ in crosswise slices
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. peanut or canola oil
½ head green cabbage thinly sliced
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1 cup sliced scallion (optional)

Black Pepper and Beef Stir Fry — Stir fry goes fast so lay out all of the measured ingredients in advance.

Combine the garlic, brown sugar, corn starch, and coarsely ground black pepper in a bowl. Add the sliced steak, mix, and let sit 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and cook the steak until it starts to brown (4 or 5 minutes). Add the soy sauce, toss with the steak, and remove it leaving the juices in the pan.

Add the cabbage to the pan and cook until it wills and begins to brown. Add the vinegar and return the steak to the pan. Add 3 tbsp. water, toss for a few minutes and remove to a serving dish and serve with rice.

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Meat

Chipped Beef on Toast

November 6, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Anyone who served in the military might wonder why I’d post a chipped beef on toast recipe. It’s a standard Army breakfast which was not particularly liked my most soldiers. The Army served hearty breakfasts – eggs, toast, potatoes, grits, sausage/ham/bacon, hot and cold cereal, etc. and also chipped beef on toast. I’d never seen it until I began basic training. No one told me that I wasn’t supposed to like S.O.S. (a nickname that any ex-military understands) so not knowing any better, I actually liked it.

Me in basic training at Fort Gordon, Georgia where I first had S.O.S.

It’s a pretty simple recipe (similar in style to biscuits and gravy) and you’ll either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. Chipped beef is beef that’s ground, formed and sliced something like salami or baloney but very salty. You can also eat it plain on a sandwich or fried with eggs.

Chipped Beef on Toast

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Black pepper
Paprika – optional
2 cups milk
7 – 8 oz. chipped (dried) beef
4 slices of toast

Melt the butter in a heavy pan over low heat. Add the flour and make a roux. Stir until slightly darkened. Add pepper and paprika, if using. Stir constantly until smooth. Add the milk, stirring to avoid lumps. Cook until the gravy is smooth.

Slice the meat into 1 ½ inch long strips. Rinse in running water to remove excess salt and drain. Mix it into the cream sauce and stir. Since the meat is so salty you probably won’t need to add any more. Serve it over toasted bread.

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Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

This quick and easy recipe for sweet and sour pork chops is adapted from one I found in Bon Appetit. If you’d like it more ‘sour’ double the amount of vinegar.

Ingredients:

Season both sides of the chops with salt and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of sugar on one side of each. Allow them to come to room temperature. Hold them with tongs and sear the fat cap in a dry, very hot frying pan until browned.

Add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook one side for 3 – 4 minutes until browned. Turn and cook the 2nd, sugared side for 1 – 2 minutes on a lower heat so the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove the chops to a plate.

Put the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan, add the shallots, and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and remaining teaspoon of sugar to the pan and stir until some of the vinegar burns away.

Add the rosemary, capers, and one cup of water and bring to a simmer. Add the butter and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Return the chops, spoon some sauce over them and simmer for 5 minutes, turning once, until done.

Transfer the chops to plates, pour the sauce over them, and serve.

Ropa Vieja

Ingredients:

Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper and let it come to room temperature. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat. Do it in batches and don’t crowd the pan.

Remove the meat and add the remaining oil to the pot. Add the peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, and bay leaves. Cook for about 30 minutes until soft.

Now add the olives, raisins, capers, tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, mix, and deglaze the pot.

Lower heat and simmer for 2 ½ hours. Shred the meat with 2 forks, stir everything together and simmer for another 30 minutes and serve with rice.

Reverse Seared Steak

Ingredients:

Season the steak with salt and pepper, the edges too. Place it on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Place it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to dry out. This step is optional but do it if you have time.

Preheat the oven to anywhere between 200 and 275°F (93 and 135°C). The lower you go, the more evenly the meat will cook.

Put the baking sheet, rack, and room temperature steak in the oven, and roast until it reaches an internal temperature about 10 to 15°F below the final temperature at which you’d like to serve the meat. Time in the oven is about 20 minutes for rare.

Slice and serve the steak. It’s not necessary to rest the steak before cutting if you’re using the reverse sear method.

Some other steak cooking methods here.

Mississippi Pot Roast

Ingredients:

Pork Chops with Pan Sauce

Here’s a simple method for making an elegant sauce. It’s perfect for pork chops but you should also try it with other types of meat.

Ingredients:

Bring the chops to room temperature and season with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the pork chops until done to your liking.

Remove them to a warm dish, add the stock to the pan and deglaze. Add the mustard, half & half, and butter, and whisk for a few minutes. until the sauce is creamy. Pour it over the pork chops and serve.

Teresa’s Sicilian Steak

Teresa Giudice is one of the Housewives of New Jersey and she can really cook. She’s published a few cook books and this steak recipe is adapted from Skinny Italian. The light coating adds a lot of flavor and yet doesn’t take away from the taste of the steak.

Ingredients:

Place the oil and garlic in a shallow bowl. Place the steak in the bowl and let it stay at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning it after 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Remove the steak from the oil and dip it into the crumb mixture coating it evenly.

Let it stand on the baking rake for 10 minutes for the crumbs to set. Place a rack between 6 and 8 inches below the broiler preheat the oven.

Sausage and Chicken with Vinegar Peppers

Ingredients:

Fry the onions and when they start to brown, add the peppers. Add a half cup of water and deglaze the pan. Return the potatoes and then the sausage and chicken on top. Pour in the vinegar and pepper liquid, sprinkle on the thyme and cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Cajun Meatloaf

Meatloaf isn’t one of my favorite things. I generally prefer my ground beef in the form of a medium-rare, charred on the outside, hamburger. But this Cajun meatloaf is different. It has interesting spices (no ketchup), and because there’s so little filler it looks and taste meatier.

Ingredients:

For the topping-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If you have a meatloaf pan, great. If not, you’ll have to improvise. Cover a rack with foil and punch holes in it with a skewer. This will prevent the fat from accumulating at the bottom of the pan and making the meatloaf greasy.

Add the breadcrumbs, tomato puree, Cajun seasoning, minced garlic, and Cajun trinity, and Worcestershire to a bowl and mix it. Add the chopped meat and mix it. The best way to do that is with your hands. Get it thoroughly mixed and form a loaf.

Grease the foil with olive oil spray. Put the meat mixture in the pan or on the rack (whichever you’re using) and form a loaf. Roast for 50 minutes.

To make the topping, mix the Worcestershire, tomato puree, and paste in a small bowl. After 50 minutes remove the meatloaf and coat it with the sauce. Put it back in the oven and roast for another 20 minutes.

When it’s done, let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting it. It’s great for dinner and the leftovers make perfect sandwiches.

Black Pepper and Beef Stir Fry

It’s the pepper that really makes a Black Pepper and Beef Stir Fry. If your pepper mill can’t grind it coarse enough, put the pepper corns on a dish towel and whack them a few times with the bottom of a frying pan.

Ingredients:

Combine the garlic, brown sugar, corn starch, and coarsely ground black pepper in a bowl. Add the sliced steak, mix, and let sit 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and cook the steak until it starts to brown (4 or 5 minutes). Add the soy sauce, toss with the steak, and remove it leaving the juices in the pan.

Add the cabbage to the pan and cook until it wills and begins to brown. Add the vinegar and return the steak to the pan. Add 3 tbsp. water, toss for a few minutes and remove to a serving dish and serve with rice.

Me in basic training at Fort Gordon, Georgia where I first had S.O.S.

It’s a pretty simple recipe (similar in style to biscuits and gravy) and you’ll either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. Chipped beef is beef that’s ground, formed and sliced something like salami or baloney but very salty. You can also eat it plain on a sandwich or fried with eggs.

Chipped Beef on Toast

Ingredients:

Melt the butter in a heavy pan over low heat. Add the flour and make a roux. Stir until slightly darkened. Add pepper and paprika, if using. Stir constantly until smooth. Add the milk, stirring to avoid lumps. Cook until the gravy is smooth.

Slice the meat into 1 ½ inch long strips. Rinse in running water to remove excess salt and drain. Mix it into the cream sauce and stir. Since the meat is so salty you probably won’t need to add any more. Serve it over toasted bread.

Reveries and Recipes

Add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook one side for 3 – 4 minutes until browned. Turn and cook the 2^nd,sugared side for 1 – 2 minutes on a lower heat so the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove the chops to a plate.