Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls
While there is a growing number of vegetarians and vegans in North America, the majority of us still love our meats, and beef is by far the most popular. Beef is also the most expensive meat, and doctors warn that a diet that is heavy on beef is not very healthy for you.
But hey – once in a while treat yourself to an exquisite meat-eating experience. American beef comes in many different grades, and you want the good stuff: Omaha beef, Rocky Mountain, Organic, Grass-Fed, Aged Angus, yum! A well marbled aged steak will practically melt in your mouth and burst with flavor. Cooked properly, fine quality steaks, roasts and prime ribs can be cut with a butter knife.
This recipe makes economic use of a pricey cut of beef, sliced thin and rolled around tasty veggies. Have fun, and enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 thin slices of flank steak (length and width according to personal preference)
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground sea salt
Fresh rosemary, chopped (you can substitute dried rosemary if you can’t get fresh)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced into thin stripsy
1 medium yellow onion, halved and then thinly sliced
A few white button or cremini mushrooms, cut into thin strips
For the Rosemary Balsamic Glaze:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dark, aged balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dry red wine (suggest good quality from the Napa Valley of California)
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 cup Progresso beef broth
Directions:
- Rub each side of the steak slices with a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, and some chopped fresh rosemary. Dried rosemary is okay to use, but get fresh if you can.
- Heat one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the vegetables until crisp-tender, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Place a few of the vegetable strips vertically on one end of each steak cutlet so that once rolled up the end of the vegetables are sticking out of each end of the steak roll. Roll it up, and secure it with a toothpick. Repeat for each steak roll.
- For the rosemary balsamic glaze: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, until fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar, red wine, brown sugar and the rosemary sprigs and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the broth, return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 15 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprigs.
- Prepare the grill and grill on each side for about 2 minutes or according to desired doneness. Do the same if cooking them in a skillet, frying over medium-high heat until done. Serve immediately drizzled with the rosemary balsamic glaze. Baked potatoes make a great accompaniment.
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Beef Steak Grilled to Perfection
Grilled steak is so popular in the States, in the northern regions we are even known to grill outside in the winter cold, just so we can enjoy the unmistakeable and wonderful flavor that can only be achieved on the charcoal or propane grill. This method is the best way to achieve perfection in a grilled steak dinner entree.
Ingredients (serves 4)
4) 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inch-thick boneless rib-eye or New York strip steaks (about 12 ounces each) or porterhouse (12 to 14 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
4 tbsp. salted butter, room temperature
Directions:
About 20 minutes before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room temperature.
Heat your grill to high. Brush the steaks on both sides with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn the steaks over and spoon one tablespoon of butter on each steak, spreading it evenly over the surface. Continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).
Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Mom’s Sunday-After-Church Beef Pot Roast and Vegetables Dinner
I was a preacher’s kid and, as a boy, almost every Sunday Mom would make this fabulous meal. She would time it so the roast went into the oven just before church – our home/parsonage was right next to the sanctuary – and after the service was over she’d go back to the house and finish preparing the meal. I will never forget the incredible, enticing aroma I was met with when coming through our front door after church, smelling the rich roast cooking, and being in anticipation of a wonderful repast with my parents and siblings. Try this one out, I am sure you will be as delighted as I was, and still am whenever I revisit my youth with this, one of Mom’s original and totally marvelous dishes.
Ingredients: (serves up to 8)
For the Main Dish-
6 – 8 small white potatoes, peeled
4 – 5 very large carrots, peeled, chopped into 3-4” lengths
4 – 6 large stalks celery, chopped into 3 – 4” lengths
1 large yellow onion, dry skins removed and sliced
4 small to medium yellow onions, dry skins removed and left whole
8 large cloves peeled garlic, 4 minced, and 4 cut into quarters, lengthwise
Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt
For the Gravy-
2-3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Directions:
For the Main Dish-
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat a large frying pan to high, add some extra virgin olive oil into the pan. Season the roast with plenty of salt and pepper, then place it in the pan and fry until browned well on both sides. Remove the roast from the pan (reserve the juices in the pan) and, with a small paring knife, make some incisions in the meat, spaced equally over the surface of the roast, and then insert the quartered slices of garlic into the cuts.
Place the browned roast into a large lidded roasting pan, and add some water—about a half a cup—into the bottom of the pan. Put the bay leaves on top of the roast and put the sliced onion in, about half on top of the roast, and the rest in the bottom of the pan. Cover, and place in the oven. Allow it to cook for 1-1/2 hours.
While the roast is cooking, peel the potatoes and carrots, chop the carrots, skin the onions and chop the celery stalks. If you do this right away (or even ahead of time), keep the peeled and chopped vegetable ingredients in a bowl of cold water, to prevent them from tarnishing in color and staling.
After an hour and a half, take the roast out of the oven and reduce the heat to 325 F. Insert the vegetables into the pan all around the roast, and return the entire ensemble back to the oven. Cook for another 1-1/2 hours.
Remove pan from the oven, and carefully spoon/ladle the potatoes, carrots, and whole onions from the pan. Keep them warm in a covered bowl. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Remove the roast from the pan and place it on a platter covered with tin foil while you make the gravy.
To Make the Gravy-
Take the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan (the sliced onions and celery should be mush by now) and place them in a blender. Add in the flour and heavy cream (adjust amounts depending on how much juice you are working with), and blend well. Put the blended mixture in a medium heated sauce pan and cook until thickened.
To Serve: Cut the roast into thick slices and place them on a large serving platter; adorn the sides with the veggies, and have the gravy in a pouring dish on the table to pour over the (forked into a mash) potatoes. Some like to have gravy on their slices of roast, also.
Smothered Cowboy Salisbury Steaks
Ingredients: (serves 4 -6)
For the Salisbury Steaks:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (10% fat or less)
- ½ packet dry onion soup mix
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, divided
For the Sauce and Toppings:
- 2-3 Tbsp. scallion infused olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. salted butter
- ½ lb. fresh or canned Portabella (or Crimini) mushrooms, halved or quartered, if large. You can also use dried mushrooms, but will need to hydrate them before including them in this dish preparation.
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups beef broth (you can use 1½ tsp. bouillon and 1½ cups water)
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, soup mix, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add milk, bread crumbs, egg and 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and mix with your hands until combined (try not to over-mix, as this can make the patties tough). Divide into 6 equal portions and shape into patties.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the patties on both sides and place in a 9×13″ baking dish. Set aside and reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook 4-5 minutes or until browned and tender. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the patties.
- Return pan to medium heat and add onions. Add a little more olive oil if necessary to keep the onions from sticking. Cook onions until golden and tender, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the patties.
- Add remaining butter, olive oil, and the flour to the pan. Stir over medium heat 1-2 minutes. Pour in beef broth and remaining ½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and stir to dissolve flour mixture. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium heat or until thickened to desired consistency. Pour gravy over patties, mushrooms, and onions.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
The name of this dish is misleading, because the meat used is actually tenderized beef round steaks, not chicken. It got this name because the meat is prepared much the same as Southern Fried Chicken (You can find that recipe on the Southern North American page on this site), and let me tell you … it is flat out heavenly!
Too high in carbohydrates and calories to make it a regular menu item for the health-conscious, but when you feel like indulging yourself a little, this one’s a sure bet to be worth it.
Ingredients:
Chicken Fried Steak-
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Lawry’s seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra tenderized)
Kosher salt
1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
Gravy-
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mashed potatoes, for serving (find mashed potatoes recipe on “Rice, Potato & Pasta Dishes” page)
Directions:
For the steak-
Begin with setting up an assembly line of dishes. Mix the milk with the eggs in one; the flour mixed with the seasoned salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, paprika and cayenne in another; and the meat in a third. Then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
Work with one piece of meat at a time. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, then place it in the flour mixture. Turn to coat. Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Finally, place it back in the flour and turn to coat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture). Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it’s sufficiently hot. When the butter sizzles immediately, you know it’s ready. (It should not brown right away, if it does, the fire is too hot.) Cook the meat, 3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and keep them warm by covering lightly with another plate or a sheet of foil. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
After all the meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the skillet, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of the grease back to the skillet and allow it to heat up.
For the gravy-
When the grease is hot, sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Add more flour if it looks overly greasy; add a little more grease if it becomes too pasty/clumpy. Keep cooking until the roux reaches a deep golden brown color.
Pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the seasoned salt and black pepper to taste and cook, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned.
Serve the meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes, and pour gravy over the whole shebang!
Grandma’s Meatloaf
The idea to combine a bunch of tasty ingredients with ground meat and then bake it like a loaf of bread is definitely unique to, and originally from, North America. It first showed up in the early 20th century, and by now nearly every Mom and Grandmother has her own special way of making it.
This is my favorite, the way my Grandma Wilson used to. But there are no set rules when it comes to making North American meatloaf. Try this version, and then use your imagination … what would you add or subtract from the ingredients to customize it to your tastes?
Some people combine meats – mixing ground beef, pork, lamb, venison, etc., some like it hot peppered spicy, some like gravy over it, and even vegetarians make versions of this dish substituting lentils and/or garbanzo beans and/or soybeans for the meat. Get the picture? Anything goes!
Ingredients:
1-½ lb. lean ground beef
1/3 cup rolled oats, uncooked (not quick-cook oats, regular rolled oats)
1/4 onion, minced
½ cup ketchup, divided
2 tbsp. fresh ground horseradish, divided
2 tbsp. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. French’s yellow mustard
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1½ Tbsp. dark brown sugar
Directions:
In a bowl combine ground beef with oats, onion, half the ketchup, ½ tbsp. horseradish, milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Shape into loaf. Place on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan; bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Combine remaining ketchup and horseradish with brown sugar and mustard. Spoon mixture over meatloaf; bake another 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 160 degrees. Remove from oven; let rest a few minutes before slicing.
Traditionally, meatloaf is served with mashed potatoes and gravy (get recipe on this page, click here) and steamed green beans.
Old Fashioned Holiday Glazed Virginia Smithfield Country Ham
Originally, American style “country ham” was dry cured for preservation. It was hard and salty, but it would keep in cold cellars for long periods of time, and it make a wonderful winter meal after being re-hydrated in water to remove the salt and reconstitute prior to cooking. A favorite dish of one of the USA’s founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, this marvelous and authentically American, Virginia country ham, is now a favorite meal to serve on holidays, Sunday dinners, and other very special occasions.
Ingredients:
1) spiral-sliced Virginia Smithfield Country ham
1) 20 -ounce can pineapple slices, juice reserved
15 to 20 whole cloves
1) small jar maraschino cherries
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Directions:
Preheat the oven as directed on the ham package and follow the instructions for baking the ham. Remove the ham from the oven about 30 minutes before the end of the warming time.
Decoratively arrange the pineapple slices on top of the ham, securing them with whole cloves. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and secure with a clove or toothpick.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and just enough of the reserved pineapple juice to make a thick glaze. Spoon the glaze over the ham and bake for the remaining 30 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, allow to cool a bit, and then carve.
Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillet
Unlike Atlantic salmon, 99.8% of which is farmed, Alaska salmon is wild, which means the fish live free and feed on clean substances. It tastes better, and is a whole lot better for you. Here’s just one of the ways we North Americans love to eat this tasty, fleshy, and fragrant on the grill wild fish.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons celery seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 fillets of Alaskan salmon, each 2-3 pounds
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Combine all spices. Generously rub the spice mixture on the flesh side of the salmon and drizzle with a light coat of oil. Place the salmon on the grill, flesh side first. Let cook for about 7 to 10 minutes each side.
Cedar Planked Wild Alaska Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce
Perhaps the most unique and popular way to grill Alaskan Wild Salmon in North America is to do so with the fillet placed atop an aromatic plank of red cedar wood. Folks, it just doesn’t get any better than than this!
Ingredients:
1. 1-1/2 pound slab of wild Alaskan salmon fillet
2. 1 tablespoon California extra virgin olive oil
3. Freshly ground course sea salt and black peppercorns
For the Glaze-
1. 1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise
2. 1/3 cup grainy French mustard
3. 2 tablespoons fresh dill weed, chopped
4. Sugar
5. 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
You will also need a red cedar plank (about 5-6″ by 12-14″), covered and soaked in water for at least 2 hours and drained.
Directions:
1. Brush the skin side of the fish liberally with olive oil. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the cedar plank.
2. Make the glaze, in a bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the mustard, dill, sugar and lemon zest. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
3. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high.
4. Spread the glaze evenly over the salmon. Place the plank on the grill away from the heat. Cover the grill and indirect grill the salmon until cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. To test for doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted through the side of the fillet: the temperature should be about 135°. Or insert a metal skewer in the side of the fish—it should come out piping hot to the touch. The glaze will be a deep golden brown. Transfer to a platter and serve the salmon right off the plank.
Barbecue Pork Spare Ribs
This is a huge favorite dish in North America, and there are hundreds of annual “cook-off” competitions across the USA where people come with their own “secret” recipe to compete and be judged as to whose is the best.
Usually there is a panel of chef judges, and often the large crowds who come for the taste treat feast vote for a “Peoples Choice” award, too. You can prepare BBQ Ribs on the grill or in the oven.
This version can be done in the oven, with an option of finishing the ribs off over the grill.
Ingredients:
• 4 lbs. pork spare ribs
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon hickory smoke salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 2 cups of Sweet Baby Ray barbecue sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees f.
2. Peel off tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs.
3. Mix together the sugar and spices to make the rub.
4. Apply rub to ribs on all sides.
5. Lay ribs on two layers of foil, shiny side out and meaty side down.
6. Lay two layers of foil on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal.
7. Place on baking sheet and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.
8. Remove from oven.
9. Heat broiler.
10. Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2 or 3 ribs.
11. Arrange on broiler pan, bony side up.
12. Brush on sauce.
13. Broil for 1 or 2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.
14. Turn ribs over.
15. Repeat on other side.
16. Alternately, you can, starting with Step 11, switch to your grill – heated to high – to cook on the sauce.
Marinated Grilled Pork Chops
Americans love to grill.
Some prefer the charcoal grill, and use coals from the mesquite tree, or the oak or maple trees, each with its own unique flavor added to the meat.
Others prefer the propane fueled grill, and often will use wood chips placed in a smoker inside the grille’s cavity to achieve a similar effect. With or without the added zing of wood coals or chips, the marinated and grilled Pork Loin Chop is a coast to coast favorite in North America.
Ingredients:
Meat-
• 4 thick cut (1-1/4” to 1-1/2”) chops sliced from pork loin cut, trimmed of excess fat
Marinade-
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dark, aged balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dry, good quality white wine (we suggest Californian, Chardonnay)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 small bay leaf, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon white cane sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground course sea salt
Directions:
• Whisk marinade ingredients together and pour over chops in a bowl sized to contain chops and cover with marinade.
• Marinate at least 1 hour, turning occasionally.
• Pre-heat and oil grill. (Note: if you do not have a grill, you can achieve similar results with a metal rack placed in an oven on 450 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Sear chops over medium-hot direct heat, rotating 1/4 turn after a couple minutes to score.
• Turn to seal other side.
• Move to indirect heat (or reduce heat on oven to 325 degrees), and turn occasionally.
• Cook until just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let rest a couple of minutes before serving.
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