Ropa Vieja Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2lb flank steak
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, thinly sliced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cups low or no-sodium beef or veal stock
1/2 cup white wine (such as Chardonnay)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3 large bay leaves
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup sliced spanish green olives with pimentos
1/4 cup capers
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, finely minced
Prepared rice, for serving
Directions
Place a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil and sauté the onions and peppers until soft.
Cut the flank steak in half, then season on all sides with the salt and pepper.
Add to the pot along with the tomatoes, beef stock, wine, sugar, cumin, oregano, paprika, bay leaves, and garlic. Stir to combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and let simmer for about 3 hours, or until meat is tender.
Use two forks to shred the meat, then add the olives and capers. Stir then let simmer 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Stir the cilantro in at the end.
Serve with rice.
Stuffed Shepherd's Pie Potatoes
Makes 12, multiply as necessary
Ingredients
For the filling:
2 tablespoons butter
2 large yellow onions, diced
3 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground lamb (substitute all or part ground beef if you'd like)
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
For the mashed potatoes:
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
black pepper
To complete the dish:
12 Idaho potatoes
1/2 grated cheddar cheese
Olive oil
Directions
Prepare the filling:
In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sautee for 5 minutes, until the onions are transluscent. Add the garlic and lamb and cook until all the meat is browned. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, then sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat. Pour int the beef stock, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and add the fresh rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and let cook for about 15 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove the rosemary sprigs and stir in the frozen peas and fresh parsley. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Then remove from heat and let cool completely (can be chilled in fridge overnight).
Prepare the mashed potatoes: Cut potatoes into large chunks and combine in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and let cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender. Turn off heat, drain immediately, then return potatoes to the pot to rest for 10 minutes (this will help them dry out a bit). Use a potato ricer or masher to mash the potatoes right in the pot. Add the milk, cream, and butter, and continue to stir and mash until completely smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then let cool completely (can be chilled in fridge overnight).
The day you are serving:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the Idaho potatoes and then use a knife to slice off about 1/4 of the potato lengthwise--almost like removing a lid. Coat lightly with vegetable or olive oil and arrange in a baking dish, cut side up. Bake about 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then use a spoon to scoop out potato centers to make a hollow potato with thick sides. (Reserve leftover potato for other dishes.)
Fill each potato to the top with the lamb filling. Top with a generous layer of the mashed potatoes on top. Arrange in baking dish again. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes, until filling is hot and potatoes are heated through and golden on top (you can also turn on the broiler for the last few minutes to create the golden crust.)
Serve immediately.
Cranberry Ropa Vieja Recipe
Ingredients
2lb flank steak, cut in half
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
Cumin
Oil for frying
3 cups fresh cranberries (frozen is OK)
3 cups unsweetened cranberry juice (not cocktail)
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
2 large yellow onions, quartered
12 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 whole cinnamon sticks (use canela, if available)
1 tablespoon oregano
4 bay leaves
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Prepared white rice or couscous, for serving.
Directions
Pat flank steak dry and season liberally with kosher salt, black pepper, and cumin. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) and sear the steaks halves on each side until they develop a crust (about 10 minutes total--you may need to do one at a time). Return the steaks to the pot and add the cranberries, cranberry juice, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cinnamon sticks, oregano, bay leaf, brown sugar, and red wine. The liquid should just cover the meat--if necessary, add the cup of water to bring the level up (you can also use beef broth). Bring to a boil then lower to a very gentle simmer and cover. Let braise on the lowest setting possible for about 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Remove the meat from the pot and use a fork to shred. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the braising liquid and use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the sauce until it is smooth, then let simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and slightly reduced. Return the shredded meat to the pot and stir in the cranberries. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.
Serve over white rice or couscous.
Ancho Pomegranate Brisket Tacos
Ingredients
For the spice rub:
2 tablespoons ground ancho chile
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoon ground coffee
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground oregano
3 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons kosher salt
For the meat:
5-7lb beef brisket, trimmed
Oil for frying
3 cups pomegranate juice (such as POM)
3 bay leaves
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
For serving: tortillas, pickled red onions, Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro, queso fresco, hot sauce
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the ancho, cocoa, coffee, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, sugar, and salt.
Cut the brisket into 4 to 6 large pieces, and rub completely with the spice mixture. Reserve any unused spice mixture for future recipes (this is also great on pork shoulder!)
In a large heavy-bottom pot or dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of oil, and sear the pieces of brisket in batches, turning to sear on all sides. Return all the brisket pieces to the pot, pour in the pomegranate juice. Add the bay leaves, onion halves, and garlic cloves.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover, and let simmer at least 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender. (Can also be cooked in a slow cooker.)
Remove the meat from the pot and use a fork to shred. Serve along with tortillas and other toppings to make tacos.
Pepperoni Meatballs
Makes about 20 small meatballs
Ingredients
1/2 pound pepperoni (whole or diced is fine)
1 pound ground beef
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (optional if you want low-carb meatballs, but will make them more tender)
1/3 cup whole milk
Marinara sauce (homemade or jarred), for serving
Directions
Use a food processor or meat grinder to finely grind the salami. If you don't have a food processor, use a knife to finely mince the salami by hand (this works best done in small batches at a time).
Combine the ground peperoni and the ground beef in a bowl. Crack in the two eggs and pour in the milk, then use your hands to combine the mixture and work in the eggs, breadcrumbs, and milk. Use a delicate hand, but make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, and use damp hands to shape meatballs about 2" in diameter, placing them on the sheet about 1" apart.
To cook:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake meatballs about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. At this point, you can freeze the meatballs for use in future recipes OR transfer to a pot of your favorite homemade or jarred marinara sauce and let simmer on the stove about 20 minutes before serving over pasta, vegetables, or on their own as a side.
Korean Bulgogi Soft Tacos
Makes 5-6 soft tacos
Ingredients:
For bulgogi:
2.5 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of sake or rice wine
1 pound of thinly sliced beef (tenderloin)
1/2 cup of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, cut into ½” strips
2 stalks of scallion, cut into 1” strips
For Bokchoy & Napa salad
4 cups of chopped napa cabbage
5-6 pieces of whole bokchoy
1/4 cup of vinegar
For Gochujang sauce:
2 tablespoons of rice wine
3 teaspoons of gochujang (red pepper paste)
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Other ingredients:
6 soft taco shells or tortillas
1 cup of finely chopped kimchi
First prepare the beef:
Remove beef from package. Separate slices and place into a large bowl. (I used a plastic bowl with a lid so I don’t have to use two bowls and put this one in the fridge when I’m done marinating.)
Add sugar to the beef and mix together. Set aside. After 10 minutes, add soy sauce and minced garlic to the beef and mix well. Add sesame oil. Add onions and scallion.
Refrigerate overnight, if possible. If not, then at least for 3 hours.
At this point, prepare the sauce and the salad:
Prepare the salad:
Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare the sauce:
Mix the sauce ingredients together. Transfer contents to a squeeze bottle, if possible. Drizzle over meat.
When the beef has marinated, grill the beef slices over a cast iron skillet (or a grill) until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes on each side, until the beef has shrunk and there are no more juices in the pan.
Assemble the taco:
On a soft taco shell add about 5-6 pieces of beef on each taco, followed by a hint of gochujang sauce, then salad, and kimchi on top.
