If you have leftovers, reheat them for breakfast, with or without eggs and toast and maybe a few sliced tomatoes. It also makes a great omelet filling. Add some Skillet Potatoes with Fried Onions (Chapter 7: Sides) if you’re feeling ambitious and have the time.
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stir-fried broccoli beef
Makes 4 servings
Real Chinese restaurant food can be yours at home—from your own pan on your own stove, made by you. The trick, as with all stir-fries worth their salt, is to have all the ingredients ready and lined up near the stove, so you can work ultra-fast (and that means having the rice cooked, too—see Chapter 7: Sides). Notice how short the cooking time is in this recipe: 30 seconds here, 1 minute there. Take that timing literally, as a few seconds can make the difference between bright green, crisp, radiant broccoli with mouthwateringly tender, pink-in-the-middle beef…and depressing, faded broccoli mush with beef jerky (and not in a good way). So be organized, swift, and attentive, and reap the benefits. Make sure you use seasoned, not plain, rice vinegar.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons (packed) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1½ pounds flank, sirloin, rib-eye, skirt, or strip steak, about ¾-inch thick
3 tablespoons canola, soy, or peanut oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 good-sized cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 large head of broccoli (1½ pounds), tough stem ends discarded, cut on the diagonal into 2-inch spears
1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside.
2. Slice the steak into ¼-inch-thick strips, cutting crosswise, against the grain.
3. Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet (or a medium-large wok) over medium heat. After about a minute, add about half of the oil (approximately 1½ tablespoons) and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and wait another 30 seconds for the oil to get very hot, then add the steak strips in a single layer. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and 1 tablespoon each of the garlic and ginger.
4. Wait for 1 minute. Then, as quickly and deftly as possible, use tongs to turn over each strip of steak and cook for 1 minute on the second side. (This will yield medium-rare strips. If you prefer your meat to be more thoroughly cooked, give them up to 2 minutes on the second side.)
5. Scoop up the cooked steak with tongs or a spoon, and transfer it to a bowl. Include all the cooking juices.
6. Keeping the pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil. Wait for 30 seconds, and then swirl to coat the pan. Toss in the broccoli, and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Turn the heat to high, and stir-fry the broccoli for 1 minute.
7. Sprinkle in the remaining garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for another minute.
8. Pour in the reserved soy sauce mixture, and keep the heat high as you stir-fry for 30 seconds. Toss in the cooked meat plus all its juices, and toss briefly to combine. Remove from the heat, and serve right away.
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GET CREATIVE
Add big pinches of red pepper flakes when you salt both the steak and the broccoli.
Top with toasted peanuts, cashews, or almonds.
Pass shaker bottles of chile oil and toasted sesame oil at the table, for people to drizzle on top.
This can also be made with asparagus, or with a combination of broccoli and asparagus.
Add some diagonally cut carrots and/or strips of red bell pepper along with the broccoli for a touch of color.
For a bit of extra-intense flavor, add up to a tablespoon of oyster sauce to the soy sauce mixture.
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old-fashioned beef stew
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Pure tradition here: an honest bowlful of fork-tender beef, potatoes, onions, and carrots that have created their own rich-tasting sauce. This stew takes up to 3 hours to make, but for most of that time it cooks on its own in the oven, while you’re free to do other things. So plan to make this on a day when you’re going to be home anyway. Because it keeps and reheats so well, consider making it on a weekend for eating throughout the week. You can save a step by buying pre-cut cubes of stew meat, but I recommend going with larger pieces of chuck (so you know what you’re getting) and cutting them up yourself. Look for very small red potatoes, 1½ inches in diameter (sometimes called “creamers”), which need only to be cut in half.
Beef stew keeps well in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to a week. Or you can freeze it in individual portions in resealable bags for up to 2 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator or at the “defrost” power in a microwave oven before gently reheating—either over low heat in a saucepan (stirring occasionally) or in a microwave, in individual bowls or a serving bowl.
3 pounds boneless beef chuck
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (possibly a little more)
2 medium red or yellow onions, chopped
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 to 4 cups beef broth (boxed, canned, or reconstituted from bouillon)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 good-sized cloves)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound (about 15) red creamer potatoes, halved
1 pound baby carrots, left whole
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and put it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim off and discard any visible outer fat, then cut the meat into a couple of large pieces where it naturally seems to be separating. Cut these larger chunks into 1½-inch cubes (no smaller—if you make them too small, they will cook too quickly and toughen). Sprinkle the meat with the salt and a liberal amount of pepper.
3. Place an ovenproof soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. After about a minute, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Carefully add half of the beef cubes, and cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes. (If you crowd the pan with all of the meat, it will steam in its own juices instead of browning.) You will know it is browned properly when it no longer seems to stick to the pan when you nudge a cube with tongs.
4. Use tongs to carefully turn the cubes to another side and continue browning for about 8 minutes, turning the pieces as they cook until they’re deep golden brown on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to a medium-large bowl and set aside. If the pan looks dry and the bits left on the surface seem to be burning, add a little more olive oil to the pan. You want a thin film over the entire surface. Add the remaining meat and brown as described. Transfer to the bowl and set aside.
5. Without cleaning the pan, pour in a little more olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom). Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften.
6. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then slowly whisk in 3 cups of the broth. (It will make a thick sauce for a moment before thinning out.)
7. Whisk in the tomato paste, garlic, and thyme, and add the bay leaves. Return the browned beef to the pot and check to see that the liquid reaches the top of the meat. If not, add a bit more broth or bouillon. Bring to a boil over high heat.
8. As soon as the liquid reaches the boiling point, turn off the heat. Cover the pot tightly with foil and cover that with a lid, too, if you have one that fits tightly. (You want to capture all the steam as the meat cooks.) Transfer the pot to the oven and cook, undisturbed, for 1 hour.
9. Carefully open the pot (to avoid getting burned by the steam that will escape), and stir in the potatoes and carrots. Cover again with the foil and lid, and return the pot to the oven for another 1 hour of cookin
g.
10. Remove the pot from the oven and let the stew sit, still covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Remove the bay leaves. Serve hot or warm.
* * *
GET CREATIVE
You can substitute red wine for some or all of the beef broth. Added bonus of doing so: You get to call it “Boeuf Bourguignon.”
Like all stews and braises, this tastes even better the day after you cook it, so if you have time, make it ahead of time, let it cool, cover the pot, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Before reheating, skim off and discard any solidified fat that has formed on the surface.
Chopped parsley makes a perfect garnish.
This is a complete meal on its own, but you can round it out by serving it over or with some cooked egg noodles, lightly buttered, with a green salad alongside.
If you want to make a couple of meals out of your stew, serve some meat, potatoes, and carrots with a smaller proportion of the liquid for dinner one night; then cut the leftover meat and vegetables into smaller pieces and add some cooked barley for a wonderful second-day soup (with or without additional broth or reconstituted bouillon, as needed).
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grandma betty’s brisket
Makes 4 to 6 servings
My esteemed mother, Betty, has the right idea: succulent roasted brisket smothered with onions, which melt and mellow during the slow cooking process, flavoring and glazing the meat. Use a heavy pot with a tight-fitting ovenproof lid for this—ideally, one that’s not too much larger in diameter than the meat so that the onions remain moist and don’t burn. The labor for this is minimal but the oven time is long, so plan to make brisket at a time when you’ll be home. It’s great the second day, so if you’re going to have people over, you can make it well in advance.
The recipe makes enough for a few nights’ dinners. Whatever you don’t eat, leave unsliced and refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag. You’ll find it’s even easier to slice when it’s cold. You can use the slices for sandwiches or reheat them in the microwave, in a skillet with a few drops of water to moisten them, or in a 325°F oven.
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
4 large red or yellow onions, sliced (not too thin)
One 3-pound beef brisket
2 tablespoons water
1. Adjust the rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well, and set aside.
3. Scatter half of the sliced onions in a Dutch oven. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the salt mixture evenly over both sides of the meat. Place the brisket, fat side up, on top of the onions and cover with the rest of the onions. Spoon in the water.
4. Cover the pan tightly with foil, then cover it with the lid. (You want to capture all the steam as the meat cooks.) Place the pan in the center of the oven and let the brisket roast, undisturbed, for 3 hours.
5. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover it (being careful not to get burned by the steam), and pierce the meat with a fork. If the fork goes in easily and the meat is tender, it’s done. If it still seems a bit tough, cover the pan again with the foil and the lid, put it back in the oven, and check it again every 15 to 20 minutes. Depending on the cut of meat, the total cooking can take as long as 4 hours or more, so be patient. (Grandma Betty reminds us that it is fine for brisket to be a little overdone. Ideally, one should need neither knife nor teeth.)
6. When you take the finished brisket out of the oven, uncover it and let it sit in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing it.
7. To serve, transfer the brisket to a cutting board and slice it thin across the grain. Spoon some of the very well cooked (and insanely delicious) onions and pan juices on top of each serving.
BETTY’S BRISKET WISDOM
Don’t remove the layer of fat covering one side of the brisket. It adds flavor and keeps the meat basted during cooking. It mostly dissolves during cooking, and whatever is left can always be cut away after cooking, if you prefer. Cut brisket across the grain in thin slices. If you cut with the grain, you’ll end up shredding the meat, which will still taste good but looks less attractive on the plate. You can also “pull” cooked brisket, by shredding it into chunks with two forks. This is great for filling tacos and sandwiches. You can freeze leftover cooked brisket—either whole, for another dinner or two, or sliced, as a stash of sandwich meat.
* * *
GET CREATIVE
Serve with lightly buttered noodles or Mashed Potatoes (Chapter 7: Sides) and a green salad. Alternatively, either Baked Potatoes (Chapter 7: Sides) or Deeply Roasted Cauliflower (Chapter 7: Sides) is a nice match for brisket, and both share the oven with the brisket while (or after) it cooks. (Any accompanying dish that requires a higher temperature can get oven time while the brisket is resting.)
Leftover brisket makes great sandwiches. Be sure to pile on some of the onions, along with whatever condiments (mustard, mayo, hot sauce) you like.
Shred the meat, mix it with the onions, and serve it as a filling for soft tacos or burritos, along with salsa, guacamole (store-bought or homemade—see Chapter 8: Party Snacks), and some rice.
Pile some slices of warm brisket and onions on salad greens to make a hearty dinner salad.
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steak fajitas
Makes 4 servings
It’s always exciting to experience the sensory drama when a hot platter of sizzling fajitas is brought to your table in a Mexican restaurant. Here’s a recipe for making the same thing at home. It might be less of a performance piece, but it will taste just as great. Traditionally this is made with skirt steak, but flank and sirloin work equally well. The trick is to cook these fast, hot, and no more than medium-rare—which is nice, because it means minimal stove time for you. A cast-iron skillet is perfect for this.
1½ pounds flank, sirloin, rib-eye, skirt, or strip steak, about ¾-inch thick
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, thickly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 good-sized clove)
1. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, and season both sides with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and all the pepper.
2. Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Wait another 30 seconds, and then add the steak. Cook, undisturbed, for 1½ to 2 minutes, or until nicely browned. (This will give you a medium-rare result. If you prefer it more well done, you can cook it as long as 2½ minutes.)
3. Use a metal spatula to loosen, lift, and flip the steak, and cook it on the other side for 1½ to 2 minutes for medium-rare (or up to 2½ minutes for medium), adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry. Don’t overcook the steak or it will become tough.
4. Transfer the cooked steak to a cutting board or plate, cover it loosely with a tent of foil, and let it rest while you cook the onions and peppers.
5. Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium heat. After about a minute, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high, toss in the onion and bell peppers, and cook, shaking the pan and stirring, for only 3 to 5 minutes, or until everything becomes even more brightly colored and barely tender. Toss in the garlic and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt during the last minute of cooking.
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