Category Archives: Meats
Braised Short Ribs with Citrus Gremolata
I would highly recommend this dish for the holidays. I served it with polenta and it was an amazing dinner. Oh, and don’t forget a copious amount of red wine…
- 4 pounds short ribs, excess fat removed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Place the short ribs in a large glass dish and sprinkle the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Refrigerate overnight. Take out an hour before cooking.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups red wine
- Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil until smoking. Brown the ribs on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes each in two to three batches. Keep aside. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for minute. Add the flour and sauté for another minute. Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Add the chicken broth and red wine and bring to a boil. Add the ribs back into the liquid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or till the meat is falling off the bone.
Take out of oven and take the ribs out onto a platter. Strain the braising liquid and squeeze all the moisture out of the solids. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the saucepan. Reduce to desired consistency- there should be about a cup and a half to two cups of liquid remaining. Check for seasonings and return the ribs back into the liquid. Top with gremolata and serve.
Citrus Gremolata
- 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Zest of one lemon
- Zest of two clementines or half a navel orange
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, cover and keep aside.
Mexican Style Pork Stew with Pomegranate Salsa
Delicious stew for the holidays- one of my favorites!
- 3 to 4 pounds pork shoulder (bone-in, cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces)
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 5 tomatillos, peeled and cut in half
- 1 medium onion, cut in half
- 2 poblano peppers, cut in half, seeds taken out
- 1 cubanelle pepper, cut in half, seeds taken out
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup queso fresco
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Transfer the tomatillos, onion and peppers to a lined cookie sheet. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Add the cilantro and green onions. Blend till a smooth sauce is formed.
Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Dredge the pork pieces and brown on all sides. Keep aside. Add the green sauce and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the pork pieces and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and place lid. Cook for 2 to 3 hours or till the meat is falling off the bone. Skim the excess fat off the top.
Pomegranate Salsa
- 2 pomegranates, seeds taken out
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix the pomegranate seeds, green onions, cilantro and salt in a medium bowl. Keep aside for an hour. Serve stew topped with salsa and queso fresco.
Chimichurri Sauce with Grilled Meat and Vegetables
- 2 -3 pounds pork tenderloin, cleaned and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1 pound fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 20 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, cleaned
- 2 – 3 zucchinis, washed and cut into 2 inch rounds
- Olive oil
- Salt
Cut and skewer all the meat, shrimp and vegetables. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Keep aside.
Chimichurri Sauce
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine
- ¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of one lemon
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- Salt
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt at a time and adjust to personal taste. Keep room temperature for at least an hour before serving. Serve the grilled meat, shrimp and vegetables with a drizzle of chimichurri.
Filet Mignon with Cilantro Lime Sauce
- 4 filets
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
Drizzle the olive oil on the steaks and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
Sauce
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
Transfer all the ingredients to a blender. Blend well, taste for seasonings and transfer to a bowl. Keep aside.
Cook the steak as desired and serve the sauce on top.
Serve with oven fries and mango salsa.
Yaki Soba with Beef and Chinese Broccoli
Can’t get enough of noodles!!! Yum, yum… we all love them and I love going to our local Asian grocery store to buy fresh noodles…
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 pound skirt steak, sliced against the grain into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil plus more
- 1 orange or red pepper, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 bunch Chinese broccoli, chopped
- 1 pound yaki soba fresh noodles, cooked according to package directions
Mix the tamari, mirin, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
Transfer the beef slices to a mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the sauce, corn starch and sesame oil to the beef. Mix well and marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
Heat a wok like pan with the peanut oil. Add the marinated beef strips and sauté on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Take out of pan and add more oil if needed. Reheat the pan and add the pepper and onion. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes and add the Chinese broccoli and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the noodles and the rest of the marinade. Mix well and check for seasonings and serve.
Italian Style Cheeseburgers
Another delicious one…
- 1 pound ground grass fed beef
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Transfer the meat into a medium bow. Add the basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and keep aside in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Form four patties and keep aside.
Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- 3 to 4 sundried tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt
- Pepper
Process the olives, sundried tomatoes and garlic in a small processor. Mix into the mayonnaise and yogurt in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasonings. Keep aside.
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 4 burger buns, sliced
- 4 mozzarella slices
Cook the burgers according to desired doneness. Add the cheese on top. Spread the mayo onto the buns and add tomatoes. Serve the burgers with grilled potatoes and veggies.
Turkish Style Kebabs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons harissa
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground sumac
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 small yellow onion, grated
- 2 inch piece of ginger, grated
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
Transfer all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, mix well and let sit for 2 to 3 hours. Form about 12 sausage shaped kebabs and then insert a skewer through each and grill till done. Serve in warm pita with some greens like arugula topped with the harissa sauce.
Harissa Sauce
- 1 cup full fat yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 2 tablespoons harissa
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix everything in a small bowl, taste for seasonings and serve over the kebabs.