Stove-top Sirloin Sandwiches
Sliders
Cheeseburgers beyond Words
Poppi’s Meatballs with Sauce or Meat Loaf
Grilled T-bone Steak
Classic Roast Beef
Hearty Beef Stew
Beef Noodle Bowl
Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta
Gyros
Fajitas with Marinated Grilled Flank Steak, Guacamole, Salsa, and Warm Tortillas
Marinated Flank Steak
Grilled Lamb Chops with White Navy Bean Puree
Rack of Lamb
Lamb Burgers Open-faced on Olive Bread
Osso Buco
KICK-BUTT CHILI
8 TO 10 SERVINGS
This chili is hearty without feeling heavy, and all the flavors blend so well together! It’s a huge hit on Super Bowl Sunday, but I serve it all year round for lunch or dinner with a simple salad.
For the greatest results, purchase a chuck roast and tell your butcher you want the beef minced for chili.
Chili
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds chuck roast, minced for chili
3 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cups organic beef stock (boxed or canned)
1 cup dark beer
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
½ cup fresh roasted corn or canned corn
1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon masa
Kosher salt
Cracked pepper
Garnish
1 ¼ cups sour cream
½ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 ½ teaspoons hot red chili flakes
1 cup crushed tortilla chips (optional)
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped or sliced (optional)
Heat a cast-iron frying pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and half of the meat, and brown for about 8 minutes. Pour the meat into a strainer positioned over a bowl, and let the fat drain. Set the strained meat aside. Wipe down the frying pan using a paper towel, cleaning off the residual oil and bits of beef from the bottom. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in the frying pan and cook and drain the remaining beef using the same process. Discard the drained fat.
In a large sauce pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until hot. Add the onions and sauté just until translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it just begins to turn golden. Add the chili powder, jalapeño, coriander, and cumin, and mix well. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the beef stock, beer, tomatoes, corn, black and pinto beans, and cooked beef. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour, giving it a stir every 15 minutes. Add the masa to thicken the chili to the perfect consistency, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in heated bowls, and garnish each serving with 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 to 2 teaspoons scallions, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 2 to 3 tablespoons cheddar cheese, to ¼ teaspoon hot red chili flakes, and crushed tortilla chips (if using) or a thick slice of your favorite corn bread. The jalapeños are optional, but go ahead and do it! Wash everything down with an ice-cold beer.
AWARD-WINNING
HERBED FARFALLE
AND BEEF SALAD
4 SERVINGS
This recipe, from Cristina Ferrare’s Family Entertainment, originally won first prize in the Regis and Kathie Lee celebrity chef contest when I was cohosting with Regis! I wanted to share this dish with a brand-new audience because it is one of my favorite recipes and is always a big hit. I just love the idea that you can serve a family of four with one steak and make everyone happy.
5 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to season the steak
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper plus additional to season the steak
1 garlic clove, smashed
4 cups arugula
½ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup torn mint leaves 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
8 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
1 (12-ounce) New York strip steak
1 cup shaved Parmesan curls
To make the dressing, in a bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic. Set aside.
Place the arugula, cilantro, basil, mint, and parsley in a salad bowl. Set aside.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions (don’t forget to salt the water; otherwise, your pasta will taste flat). When the pasta is cooked, drain, rinse in cool water, and drain again, until you get as much water off the pasta as possible. Set aside in a large bowl.
Heat an indoor grill pan or small cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Season the steak to taste with kosher salt and pepper on both sides. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the grill pan, using a brush to spread it evenly. Lower heat to medium, and grill the steak, turning every 2 minutes for a total of 8 minutes. Grill for an additional minute per side for a total cook time of 10 minutes. Steak will be cooked medium (pink). Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice the steak evenly in ¼-inch slices.
Into the bowl with the arugula, add the pasta and mix. Remove and discard the garlic from the dressing, and pour the dressing over the salad. Mix well. Add the sliced steak on top, add the shaved Parmesan over the top, and serve.
COOK’S NOTE: Use a potato peeler to shave the Parmesan cheese into curls.
GRILLED BEEF SANDWICH
4 SERVINGS
This is a killer sandwich, satisfying and full of rich flavor. Start your meal with a warm, satisfying cup of soup and it’s a great Sunday night hanging-around-in-your-sweats kind of meal. Pull some homemade frozen chocolate chip cookie dough from the freezer and bake them up nice and fresh to enjoy later in the evening with a hot cup of tea.
Steak and marinade
1 pound flank steak
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
Juice from 1 fresh lime
Spicy mayo
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cooking and assembly
Vegetable oil
4 French rolls, split
1 Japanese cucumber, sliced thin
1 small red bell pepper, sliced thin
5 scallions, chopped
½ cup carrots, shredded
3 cups arugula
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced in rounds (optional)
Place the flank steak in a large plastic ziplock bag.
To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, chili garlic sauce, chopped mint, and lime juice in a bowl and mix well. Pour over the steak, seal tightly, and lay flat in the freezer for 20 minutes. This step will help you to slice the beef easily into thin slices.
In the meantime, make the spicy mayo. Combine the mayonnaise, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper, and mix well. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
After 20 minutes, remove the beef from the freezer and place on a cutting board. Slice against the grain on a diagonal into thin strips. Place the beef back in the marinade and let sit for 20 more minutes. When ready to grill, drain the marinade into the sink and discard the plastic.
Heat an indoor grill pan or heavy skillet on medium-high heat until very hot. Brush with vegetable oil. Sear
the meat in batches, 30 seconds per side. Place the beef strips on the pan at least 2 inches apart; do not overcrowd. Cooking the strips too close together will steam the meat, not sear it.
Toast the bread lightly, and divide the spicy mayonnaise evenly among the 4 sandwiches, spreading on the top and bottom slices. Distribute the beef along with the cucumber, red bell pepper, scallions, carrots, arugula, and sesame seeds among the four sandwiches. Add the jalapeños for extra heat. Slice each sandwich in half before serving.
STOVE-TOP SIRLOIN
SANDWICHES
4 SERVINGS
A great sandwich any day of the week for lunch or dinner, this is quick and easy to prepare. The beef takes 5 to 6 minutes to make, and with a warm cup of soup to go with it, you have a satisfying and delicious meal everyone will love.
Salsa Verde (Salsa Verde)
Kosher salt
Cracked pepper
1 (4- to 5-ounce) ¼-inch-thick beef cutlet from a sirloin (ask your butcher for cutlets made from a sirloin)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 French baguette
Dijon mustard
6 slices Muenster cheese
12 thin slices of cucumber
2 medium red peppers, cut into ¼-inch strips
Prepare the Salsa Verde.
Salt and pepper each piece of sirloin. Heat an ovenproof skillet for about 3 minutes, until hot. Add the olive oil and swirl it around the pan. Sauté the cutlets for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer from the skillet to a plate to cool for 5 minutes.
Cut the bread into 4 (6-inch) pieces. Slice into sandwich halves, then toast. Spread 1 tablespoon of salsa verde over half of the slices of toasted baguette. These will be the bottoms of the sandwiches. On the other half of the baguette slices, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard. These will be the tops of the sandwiches.
Place an oven rack 2 inches from the broiler. Turn on the broiler.
Slice the meat on a diagonal into thin slices, and place back in the ovenproof skillet. Lay the cheese slices on top, and broil until the cheese begins to melt, 30 to 40 seconds. With a metal spatula, lift the beef and melted cheese and distribute among the bottom baguette halves. Layer on 4 slices of cucumber and 6 strips of red pepper per sandwich. Cover with the top baguette halves.
COOK’S NOTE: Try making the salsa verde with arugula instead of parsley—it’s so good.
SLIDERS
2 DOZEN SLIDERS
These miniburgers are insanely good. Whenever I make them, I can’t keep up with the demand—they’re a major hit! They’re my newest addition to Super Bowl Sunday, and I swear these burgers get as much attention as the game. They’re also a great last-minute meal that will satisfy your whole family. You will be surprised how far a little bit of beef goes. Before I bring the burgers out I serve a cup of hearty soup and then serve these tasty, juicy morsels with coleslaw and potato salad.
2 packages (about 12 per package) Hawaiian dinner rolls or whole wheat hamburger buns
2 pounds chuck roast (have your butcher grind it fresh)
Kosher salt
Cracked pepper
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese, cut into quarters, at room temperature
Ketchup, squeezed right from bottle
Bread-and-butter pickles
With a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut slider-size buns out of the dinner rolls. If the buns are too thick (they will be if you are using Hawaiian dinner rolls), just press down to flatten them before using the biscuit cutter. They will bounce back just a little, leaving you with the perfect buns.
Shape the sliders by rolling golf ball–size meatballs between your palms, then pressing them into 2-inch-wide patties ¾ inch thick. You should have enough beef to make 16 to 18 miniburgers, maybe more. Sprinkle both sides of the sliders with kosher salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet until searing hot. Brush a tablespoon of canola oil over the grill pan. Sprinkle the miniburgers with kosher salt. Place the miniburgers salt side down on the grill, and sprinkle the tops of the burgers with kosher salt. Grill for 1 ½ minutes on each side, then flip over once more and add a slice of cheese on top of each burger. Grill for 1 minute, until the cheese has melted (if you have a large enough lid, cover the burgers, as this will help the cheese melt quicker). Transfer the burgers to a warm platter.
Grill the buns on the same grill pan, lightly toasting the inside tops and bottoms only (about 15 to 20 seconds).
To assemble the burger, put a squirt of ketchup and a pickle on the bottom bun, add the burger, and cover with the top bun. Serve immediately and wait for the compliments!
STRETCHING
THE MAIN INGREDIENT
The next few recipes show you how to do what I love to do best, and that is make extraordinary, easy, and flavorful meals by stretching the main ingredient. The main ingredient here, of course, is beef—ground beef to be exact. From a 5- to 6-pound chuck roast I show you how to make 6 (4-ounce) melt-in-your-mouth cheeseburgers, 12 meatballs in a delicious tomato sauce, and a juicy meat loaf. This is a great way to save money and time.
I suggest you prepare and enjoy the cheeseburgers (Cheeseburgers Beyond Words) the same day you purchase the beef only because the flavor of the beef after it has been freshly ground is robust and full. The secret to tender, moist, juicy cheeseburgers, meatballs, and meat loaf is to pick a 5- to 6-pound chuck roast and ask your butcher to grind it for hamburger. You will totally taste the difference in texture and freshness; you are in for a treat! With the remainder of the beef, you can make moist and delicious meatballs and meat loaf (both on Poppi’s Meatballs With Sauce Or Meat Loaf).
CHEESEBURGERS
BEYOND WORDS
6 SERVINGS
When I lived in New York, there was a restaurant that I went to every Friday night for dinner that served the best cheeseburgers in the whole wide world—cheeseburgers so good that the line out the door would not deter me. The wait was so worth it. Even now, whenever I travel to New York, the first stop I make, right from the airport, is to get a cheeseburger fix, no matter what time it is.
I finally cracked the code as to why these juicy, beefy burgers were so good; all I had to do was ask. The answer was very simple. The cook told me they grind chuck roast fresh every day, fire up the grill really hot, and use kosher salt for flavoring. Sometimes the less you fuss with something, the better. Once you’ve tried these, you will never go back!
1 ½ pounds chuck roast (ask your butcher to grind it for hamburger)
Healthy pinch of kosher salt
Cracked pepper
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
6 hamburger buns, white or whole wheat
2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
Bread-and-butter pickles
1 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Shape 6 (4-ounce) hamburger patties, each ½ inch thick. Be careful not to pack the meat tightly. You will have dry burgers if the meat is packed too tightly. Sprinkle a healthy pinch of kosher salt over the top of the burger. Crack some pepper over the top as well.
Another secret to great burgers is to get the grill or skillet superhot. Heat the grill pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Place the seasoned side of the burgers on the grill pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the burgers. Grill for 2 minutes, then flip the burgers over. Grill for 2 minutes, flip the burgers over again, and grill for 1 minute. Flip the burgers again, and add the cheese on top. Grill for 1 minute more. The burgers will be medium rare. Grill longer if you want your burgers cooked more (medium to well done). Using an instant meat thermometer, test your burgers. Rare beef should be 140°F; well-done beef should be 170°F.
Remove the burgers to a warm plate by the stove (do not cover). Place the hamburger buns on the grill, and toast (on one side only). On a clean plate, assemble the burgers and buns. Use any condiment you like, but I can tell you, these are so tasty that you don’t need anything. I do add some bread-and-butter pickles and red onion for the added salt
and a crunch, though. You are now ready to bite into the tastiest, juiciest hamburger: so simple, no fuss, just the pure taste of the beef. Enjoy!
POPPI’S MEATBALLS WITH SAUCE OR MEAT LOAF
12 MEATBALLS OR 1 MEAT LOAF (4 TO 6 SERVINGS)
The secret to moist and juicy meatballs and meat loaf is to ask your butcher to grind a chuck roast fresh.
Silky Marinara Sauce (Corkscrew Pasta With Silky Marinara Sauce)
2 (3-ounce) sweet Italian sausages (optional)
2 pounds freshly ground chuck roast
½ white onion, cut into pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into pieces
1 small carrot, cut into pieces
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley
1 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup Romano cheese
2 pieces of white bread, crusts removed, torn into shreds
½ cup whole milk
1 garlic clove, crushed through a garlic press
½ teaspoon table salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup olive oil
For Poppi’s Meatballs
Prepare the Silky Marinara Sauce.
To make the meatballs or the meat loaf, remove the casing from the sausages, and place the sausages in a large bowl along with the ground chuck. In a food processor, pulse to chop the onion, celery, carrot, and parsley until finely chopped. Add the vegetable mixture to the meat. Add the bread crumbs, Parmesan and Romano cheese, white bread, milk, garlic, salt, egg, and ketchup.
Using your hands, mix gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Form twelve 4-ounce meatballs (to help you gauge the size, you can use a ¼-inch dry measuring cup). Roll them in your hands to make smooth, round balls. Do not pack them too tightly.
Cristina Ferrare's Big Bowl of Love Page 11
