Category — Beef Recipes

Happy Mother’s Day!  In honor of Mother’s Day I’ll be blogging a recipe my Mom inspired!  I’ve mentioned before that I grew up with a (wonderful) Mom who really didn’t do a lot of cooking.  Honestly, I could count on one hand the number of special dishes that my Mom made while I was a kid.  We did eat out a lot, and she was great at opening cans and boxes and the like, but we didn’t have a lot of “home-cooking,” per se.  Not to worry, though, my Mom was really great at other stuff that didn’t include cooking.  Still there are a couple of things I do remember my Mom making.  Today’s recipe is inspired by the hamburgers my Mom made when I was growing up.

When my Mom made these she called them “Surprise Burgers” and she stuffed mushrooms and cheese in the center.  Dad and I both would scarf them down. Obviously, I loved mushrooms even when I was kid. I’ve also seen them referred to as “inside out burgers” in a similar recipe.  Personally, I just call them burgers and put whatever suits me on that day in the middle.

It’s not rocket science, really.  Hamburgers are pretty basic, but what makes them miraculous is when you add the goodies on top.  Now, with this version of a burger, you just put a small amount of whatever you want on top of the burger inside the burger before you cook it.  Cool!

When my Mom made burgers they often swelled up in the middle when she cooked them, and I’ve found that the method you use to put these together actually does matter.  Shaping these properly will help prevent “golf-ball” shaped burgers.  And, Mom?  I’m sorry Dad and I teased you about your hamburgers being golf-ball burgers.  I was such a little shit.  Don’t worry, I’m getting all that sass back in triplicate now.

Also key to this recipe, remember that you can’t put too much stuff in the middle.  Now, I know, you’re thinking “The more the better!  I love bleu cheese, I want to have it oozing out and I don’t really mind a giant sized burger, it will be so goooood when I bite into all that heavenly flavor.”  But.  A little goes a long way for flavor, and you can always pile more of the goodies on top if you feel like there just isn’t quite enough.  The problem with putting too much in the middle is two-fold.  First, it becomes difficult to cook the burgers evenly because they are too fat in the center, or just not a uniform size and shape.  Secondly, they tend to pop open and everything will fall out.  Popping open sort of defeats the entire purpose of an inside-out burger, wouldn’t you agree?  So.  Right.  Just put a little bit of the yummy stuff inside.

And, a random thought . . . here where I live now, in Michigan, people often call either ground beef or hamburgers (the sandwich) “hamburg”. Isn’t that funny? I mean, I thought it was funny. I don’t know why I thought I’d mention that. I guess it’s just one of those things that makes me go “hmm” . . . well, anyhow.

So, here are some of the ideas for the centers of your surprise burgers:

Bleu cheese, or another type of crumbled or shredded cheese
Pickle Relish
Chopped Mushrooms
Crumbled Bacon
Sauteed Onions
Chopped or Roasted Garlic
Bell Peppers
Diced Tomatoes

O.k., I could go on with this endlessly. As you can see, the possibilities are limitless.

Here’s how these work:

Surprise Stuffed Inside Out Burgers

1 1/2 pound ground beef, turkey, or venison (or a blend)
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled bacon (if desired)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of assorted “insides”, (such as cheese and veggies) chopped, crumbled, or diced fine
Small butter or cottage cheese tub lid
Parchment or Wax Paper
6 Hamburger Buns and Hamburger toppings

I start out by placing my crumbled bacon directly in the ground meat. I like bacon in or on my burger, and mixing it in with the ground meat allows me to put more stuff in the middle.  Bonus!

Mix ground meat and crumbled bacon (to taste) until the bacon is evenly distributed.

Using clean hands, make twelve 2 ounce balls of hamburger.  I use scales to make my hamburger balls exactly even, but you can eyeball it by dividing into twelve equal portions, if you don’t have scales.  But, if you’re a bit of a control freak like me, feel free to use the scales.

Place one hamburger ball on a piece of parchment (or wax) paper and flatten it slightly with your palm.  Place another piece of parchment paper over the meat and place the plastic lid over the top of the paper.  Push down on the lid with the palm of your hand.  Squish the meat out to the edges of the lid and try not to let it seep out the sides.

Carefully peel the paper off the hamburger.

Place 1 1/2 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the burger.

Place another hamburger ball over the top of the filling, replace the lid, and push down again.

Use your hand to gently “meld” the sides of the two patties together.

Cook these in a pan or on the grill.  I like to make these on my electric grill, because it does not require turning the burgers.  If you do not use an electric grill, cook these until half done, flip them over and let them finish.  Do not repeatedly flip, flip, flip because they will fall apart.

Serve on buns with your favorite condiments.

These burgers go wonderfully with Maple Chipolte Grilled Corn on the Cob or Roadhouse Home Fries.

Hi.

It’s me again.

I’m Bob, Angie’s better half.

Don’t tell her I said that, though.

At any rate, Angie Pangie is busy making food for Easter.  We’ve got a dozen or so guests coming, and she’s running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.  Which is especially funny, since right now she’s carrying a turkey with it’s head cut off.

OK, maybe I’m the only one that thought that was funny.  Sorry.  Please don’t leave.  Angie told me I could blog here from time to time since so many of you enjoyed my Tuscany Glazed Turduken in Hollandaise post.  So, this seemed like a great time since she’s so busy.

I think it is expected for me to post a silly-looking picture of Angie.  Let me get this one out of the way:

No, that’s an American Indian.  Chippewa, if you’re curious.

Here’s the embarrassing picture of Angie:

Hey!  That’s not a goofy picture of Angie, that’s a goofy picture of me! 

Hooray!  I’m a nice guy!

Anyways, guest posting also gives me a chance to plug my own endeavors for a minute.  I know that many of Angie’s readers are bloggers, as well, so hopefully this will be useful to you.  I’ve started a blog called The Writing Journey, and it’s been a blast.  That blog is devoted to helping Internet writers (bloggers, content writers, freelancers, article writers, etc) to improve their lives by improving their writing.  If you want a good feel for the blog without having to page through everything, I’d suggest you read The 8 Most Common Internet Writing Mistakes and Bang Your Gong: A Call For Action From The Internet Writing Community.

OOH, and since Angie hasn’t mentioned it here, let me show you the Awesemo-9000 cake she made for Game Master’s Day.  I’m not sure how she did it, but I think it involved a bowl.  And maybe eggs, I dunno.  If you want the recipe, though, I bet she’ll put it up if you ask for it.

Also, before I get to my little cooking experiment, let me plug Angie’s free Chinese New Year cookbook.  Now, I know that Chinese New Year is done for 2008.  But, my understanding is that there will be one again in 2009.  On top of that, I also understand that some folks like to eat Chinese food even when it’s not Chinese New Year.  So, go sign up for free Email updates to Angie’s Pangies and go get the darn thing here.

OK, anyways…

A couple of weeks back, Angie asked me if I’d like to try making a recipe from her Simply Delicious magazine.  It was called Thai Beef Stir Fry, and it sounded simple.  And delicious.  Hence, Simply Delicious.

At any rate, I was a bit intimidated by the idea of stir fry.  After all, I’ve barely mastered “pan fry.”  But I figured that the worst to come out of it would be a last-minute Taco Bell run, so either way it’d be all right.

I’m happy to tell you that this dish was both simple and delicious.  We changed the recipe a bit, so if you’re checking my work you’ll see that there have been some changes. 

(Also, if you’re checking my work, you need to get a life.  I mean, who the hell goes around from one cooking blog to the next checking to see if people change recipes from what is printed in a magazine?  Geez, I thought I was a dork.  You’ve got some serious issues, lady.)

Anyways, the dish turned out all right.  I think it did, anyways.  I’ve had a cold for a couple of weeks now, and my taste buds have been off.  I think I’d have liked it a bit more spicy, but I think it was probably right for the family.

At any rate, here’s the modified recipe:

Thai Beef Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons peanut butter
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, thinkly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons peanut (or vegetable) oil, divided
1 (8 oz) can bamboo shoots, drained
1/2 cup julienned carrot
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, if you like it spicy)
Hot cooked rice

Oh, I’ve got a couple of notes before I give the directions.  Those of you who cook often prolly know this, but you want to get all of your stuff together before you start frying your beef.  It’s called mise en place, I’m told.  Here’s my mise en place:

Also, be aware that when you hit the step where you spoon the peanut butter mixture thing into the stir fry pan thingy, it will be gloppy and kinda gross looking.  That freaked me out.  But it resolved itself after it started cooking.  You can see all that from the pictures, but I figured I’d warn you ahead anyways. 

Here are my thinly sliced steak strips:

I actually used half steak and half venison. Mmmmm… venison.

I didn’t know what “Julienned” meant, so Angie ’splained it to me.  I guess it just means you cut the peppers into strips. 

To do that, though, you have to remove the lid by cutting a circle around the top of the pepper:

And taking out the gunk:

Also, I used fresh-pressed garlic:

So, anyways, here are the actual directions:

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  Stir in peanut butter and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce; set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the beef, garlic, pepper, salt, and remaining soy sauce in 2 tablespoons oil until meat is no longer pink; remove and keep warm.

Add last tablespoon of oil to the wok and add peppers, bamboo shoots, carrot and pepper flakes; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until tender.

Stir cornstarch mixture; add to the pan.  Bring to a boil, cooking and stirring for 1 minute, or until thickened.

 
Return beef to vegetables, stir together, heat through and serve with rice.

I used minute rice, but you should probably make the good stuff.  Incidentally, the recipe can be found in the free eCookBook, Angie Pangie Celebrates:  Chinese New Year.  (See how I did that? )

OOH, I made these, too:

All by myself, even.  I took them right out of the package, put them on the pan, and put them in the oven.

See you all next time!

I’m baaaack . . .

The fog has began to lift and I’m realizing, “Oh my goodness, back there . . .  just a little bit ago this virus was hugging my brain and I didn’t even realize it”.  So, yes, I am feeling better and I’m starting to feel clear.  But, I’m not ready to cook.  I need for the aches and pains to go away before I’ll be ready to jump (carefully) into my kitchen.

Hubby was kind enough to put up my weekly fish recipe for me while I laid in bed pretending to comprehend the book I held in my hands.  And, by the way, I say “kind” with the loosest translation.   If you were lucky enough to see the picture of my azz that he posted for “the end” before I found it and quickly put the ix-nay on that picture, well, I’m sorry you all had to see that.  But, I do appreciate him not leaving you guys hanging, so for that I do thank him.

I haven’t made anything beyond some warmed-up chicken noodle soup and a couple of stale saltine crackers with peanut butter spread over them the last few days, but I before I got ill I finally got around to using some of the ground lamb I purchased to make Gyros.  If you haven’t made your own Gyros before I want to encourage you do so, they aren’t difficult (it’s a lot like making meatloaf), and you will feel like such a kitchen diva when you accomplish making these at home.  They do take a couple of hours (with 75 minutes of baking time and 15 minutes of resting time), so don’t try to start this recipe 30 minutes before dinner time or you’ll have a really ticked off dinner party.

If you have a rotisserie option on your grill (or one of those fancy small appliances) you can use it this to make your Gyros.  If not, all you’ll need is a brick.  Yes, I did say “a brick”.  The brick compresses the meat to make it more like the compressed meat they use for Gyros.  It’s a nifty trick (thanks Alton!) that works like a charm. 

Tzatziki (that’s the lovely cucumber sauce that they put over the top of your Gyros) is not an option here.  You could smear it all over just about anything (like those stale saltines I was talking about earlier) and I’d be one happy girl.  It’s the salsa of the Greek world and I personally want to eat it every day (Although I don’t think it originated in Greece, but in Turkey.  I could be wrong here - I’m sure you’ll let me know.)  So, you must make Tzatziki if you’re making Gyros, and you must make it well (don’t worry it’s not hard).  You’re going to need some pretty exotic kitchen tools though; namely, a coffee filter and a spoon or melon baller.  Also, I can honestly tell you that good dill makes all the difference between “What the heck is this crap?” and “OMG, does anyone have a big straw I could use to suck this stuff up and-no-you-aren’t-getting-any-so-back-the-flip-off.”  So throw out your old bottle of dill, and buy a new one.  You’re really going to be able to tell the difference here.  I typically add the 1/2 teaspoon of dill the recipe calls for, and then sprinkle some more over the top when I serve it.  

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Sauce)

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups plain yogurt (drained overnight in a coffee filter)
2 medium cucumbers, sliced in half, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 white onion, diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon oregano
1 garlic clove, minced

So, let’s get started.  Now, Greek yogurt is a thicker, denser product, than American yogurt.  If you can buy Greek yogurt in your area, go for it (you all know that I’m not going to find that here in Mid-Michigan, though).  If you are ingredient-challenged, as I am, then the first thing you should do is drain your yogurt.  Buy the plain white stuff and spoon it into a coffee filter.  Put the coffee filter in a strainer, suspending the strainer (or sieve) over a bowl.  Then, cover it with another coffee filter, or a paper towel, put something heavy (like a can) over it to apply pressure and put the whole contraption in the fridge for several hours (or overnight).  Once you’ve done this, your yogurt will be ready to use for Tzatziki.  When you take the yogurt out of the coffee filter it will be dry and a bit thick, and there should be a small puddle of water in the bowl that has drained off.

Next, chop your veggies and add them to the yogurt.

To prepare the cucumbers, slice them in half and peel them (if you desire, I don’t).  Use a spoon or a melon-baller to remove all of the seeds.  Then, flip them over on your cutting board and dice them in a fine small dice.

Gently mix the remaining ingredients together and cover in an airtight container.  It will keep for about 3 days like this.  Be sure and give it a good stir before serving.  Making your Tzatziki ahead of time and letting it chill in the fridge will give it a well developed flavor.

For the Gyros

2 pounds ground lamb, beef, or turkey (or a combination)
3 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon marjoram
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together and place into a loaf pan.  Press the mixture into the sides of the loaf pan.

No, I really do not want to hear your smart alec comments about the gloves.  There’s germs in there.

Place the loaf pan inside a 9X13 pan (or another larger pan) and add water to to the larger pan to make a water bath.
Bake the loaf with the water bath for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165 to 170 degrees.
Remove from the oven and drain the fat.
Use a brick wrapped in foil and place it directly on top of the meat.  Allow the meat to sit for 15 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pan and slice into thin slices.

Serve the Gyro meat in pita bread and top with Tzatziki sauce, onions, tomatoes, and cheese, if desired.

Note:  If you have a rotisserie, skip the directions for the loaf pan.  Make the loaf, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, to make it firm.  Then, just stick the chilled and firm meatloaf on the spit and cook it on medium-high for 35-45 minutes.