Beef for All Seasons: A Year of Beef Recipes - Hardcover

Simon, Frederick J.; Harrisson, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060193824 ISBN 13: 9780060193829

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1999

Synopsis

A unique compilation of eighty delicious recipes, arranged by season, for preparing beef goes far beyond the usual steak dishes, offering techniques for preparing a wide variety of cuts, including short ribs, brisket, and pot roast.

About this title

About the Author:

Frederick J. Simon is an owner and vice president of Omaha Steaks International and lives in Omaha, Nebraska.

John Harrisson is a Hawaii-based food writer who has coauthored more than twenty cookbooks wiht some of America's foremost chefs, including Mark Miller, Stephan Pyles, Norman Van Aken, and Douglas Rodriguez.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

New Mexico Beef Stew with Green Chiles and Posole

Serves 4 to 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound top-sirloin or chuck steak, choice grade, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 cups Beef Stock
2 cups water
1 cup red wine
1 pound fresh posole, rinsed
1 onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
5 New Mexico green chiles, or green Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 russet potatoes, about 8 ounces each, chopped
2 carrots, sliced

This classic Southwestern dish is traditional fare during the fall, especially for family gatherings and holiday season celebrations. The long green chiles grown in the Rio Grande Valley in the southern part of New Mexico, especially around Hatch, are among the most flavorful in the world, and with a medium heat, they are popular in many regional recipes. Posole is the Spanish name for field corn that has been treated, with slaked lime to remove the tough outer layer of the kernels, similar to hominy, Posole is also the name given to a stew made with pork and posole corn, but beef, lamb, and goat work equally well. Serve this stew with warm flour tortillas, fresh crusty bread, or corn bread.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan or stockpot. Place the flour in a shallow bowl or on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour, add half to the saucepan, and sear over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan with a slotted spoon. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and repeat for the remaining beef. Add the first batch back to the pan when the second batch has cooked. Add the beef stock, water, and wine, and bring to a boil. Add the posole, onion, garlic, and green chiles, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, partially covered, for 1 1/2, hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and carrots, and continue to cook for 1 hour or until the potatoes and posole are tender and the kernels have opened up. Add a little more water if necessary to keep the consistency soupy, and adjust the seasonings as necessary.

Wine Suggestion: This stew demands a wine of strong character as well. The Rhone Valley of France provides just such wines: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, St. Joseph, and Hermitage are all good choices.

You can use dried posole in this recipe, but the stew will take up to 5 hours to cook. If using dried posole, add the potatoes 1 hour before the stew finishes cooking. If posole is unavailable, used canned (precooked) hominy. Rinse it well and add 15 minuets from the end of the cooking process.

Garlic-Stuffed Rib-Eye Steaks with Creamy Garlic Chard

Serves 4

For the Steaks:
4 rib-eye steaks, 8 ounces each and about 1 inch thick
8 garlic cloves, cut into thick slivers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

As the title suggests, you've got to like garlic to fully enjoy this dish. It'll keep vampires away, that's for sure! If you prefer the garlic flavor a bit more mellow, you can roast the garlic cloves first; cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or dry-saute in a heavy pan for about 5 minutes. For chile lovers, you might, want to add some pep to the steaks by also adding some serrano or jalapeno slivers.

Stab the steaks on both sides with a sharp knife to make incisions and place the garlic slivers in the slits. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat half of the oil in a heavy skillet or saute pan and saute 2 of the steaks over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare, about 4 minutes for medium, or to desired doneness. Keep warm. Repeat for the remaining steaks.

For the Creamy Garlic Chard:
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound red chard, stems removed and cut in half crosswise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely sliced onion
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To prepare the chard, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saute pan, add the chard, and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, tossing frequently until wilted. Meanwhile, in separate saute pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 5 minutes over medium-high heat until soft and translucent. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Add the chard and cook for 1 minute. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and serve with the steaks.

Wine Suggestion: A West Coast Pinot Noir or French Rhone wine will be powerful enough to match the assertive flavors of this dish.

For less creamy green vegetable dish, use the spinach recipe on page 40. If you wish, serve with roasted potatoes or one of the many potato recipes in this book.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0060193824
• ISBN 13: 9780060193829
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 227