5/30/16

0 Cooking A Grass Fed Steak!

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I received an opportunity to try grass fed beef from Jones Creek. My first attempt created a very well done cut of beef and I learned the hard way that there are at least 5 Rules for Cooking with Grass Fed Beef. 

Grass fed beef is a very lean cut of meat and needs a different approach to cooking. First, never thaw your beef in the microwave. Always in the fridge. 

Next, I choose a method that my oldest son likes to use when cooking thick cuts of steak.  Set your oven for 225°F. Instead of using my oven, I thought I would try the outdoor gas grill. Let me tell you, you will get better results using your oven!

You don't need any fancy ingredients or marinades. Rosemary, thyme butter and oil is all you need.


You can use a meat tenderizer, if you want. Not necessary, but it does help to cut the lean fibers of meat into shorter strands for a less "chewy" meat. Plus, if you do use a marinade, it allows the marinade to enter the meat more easily.

See how fresh and red this meat is?  That's a good sign.



I had a difficult time keeping the grill temperature at 250°F. The wind kept blowing the flames out and I had to watch it constantly to keep the temperature going. Ugh. Don't do that. 

Bake your steak. Yes, you heard me. Bake it till it reaches the internal temp is 10° before your desired final temperature. Baking a 1-1.5" steak will take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Check at the 40 minute mark with a thermometer. 

My son likes his steaks rare. Umm.. me? I would say medium  to well, which is closer to 140°F. Use a good instant read thermometer to determine the correct temperature of your meat. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the cut.

Sear your cooked steaks in a HOT pan with a mix of butter + oil. Oil keeps the butter from burning. Throw in your herbs and spoon the mixture over your seared steaks.  This is called, "Reverse Searing." This produces a charred crust that is desirable in a great steak.


My husband and oldest both LOVE a rare steak and this was perfect for them. They enjoyed the flavor, texture and the buttery crust. Stay tuned for the Potato Salad recipe that you see next to the steak...


Me? I like just a wee touch of pink.  The next steak experiment will be just for me!

If you want to give grass fed beef a try, it is worth it. You can find Jones Creek Beef in your Walmart store or contact them for the nearest location to you.

I was provided some samples of beef to try for this post. All opinions are mine.


5/28/16

0 5 Easy Grilling Favorites!

Grilling season is around the corner and I'd like to share some of my family favorites, recipes that we make over and over again!



Hamburger Patties. These are not your ordinary pucks of plain old ground beef that you slap on the grill and dump seasoning on them. No siree. These are filled with onion, mustard, garlic, bread crumbs, salt and pepper with a little egg to hold it all together. 

I picked up the idea from Costco to individually freeze my patties and this makes it even easier to grill. Just plunk the frozen patty directly onto the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes, resisting the URGE to flip....gotta get that one side all cooked before you flip it, or it will crumble. You will love the char on the outside, the flavor that's packed on the inside.
Make your burgers sing with a Classic Burger Sauce or make this Teriyaki burger with teriyaki sauce and grilled pineapple slices.


Grilled corn. There's nothing like it. I love keeping the husks on to steam the corn and even better, it makes peeling the husks of smooth and easy! No stray strands of silk hiding in the kernels. You can even put it back on the grill after husking for a sweet charred taste....




Like Grilled Chicken? Did you know you can marinate your chicken breast in any of your favorite salad dressings? I like the Asian flavor of a Sesame Ginger and even came up with this recipe. So good! Boneless chicken can dry out easily on the grill, but if it is marinated, it turns out juicy and full of flavor. 


Another chicken recipe our family enjoys is Teriyaki Chicken, that is usually baked. I marinated the chicken strips, threaded them on water soaked wooden skewers, and grilled them. Oh my. It was even better with the sauce caramelizing on the grill. You need to give it a try.


How about a Mexican twist on Grilled Chicken? The rub is SO simple to make with spices that you already have in your cabinet. I make extra and keep a bottle on hand to use any time. We slice up the chicken and make tacos with them. Can you taste it??


5/2/16

0 Green Chicken Chili Verde - Pressure Cooker


When we go out to our favorite Mexican restaurant, my husband always orders Chili Verde. This recipe is a spin on his favorite, using chicken instead of pork. It is full of flavor from a selection of favorite peppers and is a lot easier to make than you would think.  I've adapted this recipe from Serious Eats, a great place for recipes!


I used a mix of poblano, Anaheim, and serrano peppers. If you want a spicier dish, choose peppers that pack more heat, like jalapeno or habanero peppers. The key is you want a mix of peppers for a lot of flavor.  You can roast your peppers in the oven, under the broiler, or on your bbq grill.  I like to roast them directly on my gas cooktop. You will hear snaps and crackles, but don't worry, this is completely normal. You want to get your peppers as black as possible, all the way around.


After charring your peppers, you will want to wrap them in a clean paper towel and stick them in a closed plastic bag. Let them steam for about 10 minutes. Take them out and use the paper towel to rub off the charred skin. Don't worry if there are little bits of black stuck to them. It adds to the flavor. Do not run the peppers under water...you will remove too much of the flavor.


After roasting my serrano peppers in the oven, (500 degrees for 20-30 min) I cut them in half and removed the seeds and membranes. You can keep the seeds and membranes in the pepper if you want more heat. 


You can make this recipe in a slow cooker, but to save TIME, I love using a pressure cooker.  Even better, I love using FROZEN boneless, skinless chicken breasts, saving more time. Chicken is put in first, then everything else is dumped on top: tomatillos, poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, Serrano peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, and a pinch of salt. I did not need to add any liquid. There is plenty from the chicken thawing and juices from the tomatillos. HOWEVER, depending on the type of pressure cooker you have, you may need to have 1/4 -1/2 cup liquid in your pot. Chicken stock is a good choice.


After pressure cooking on HIGH for 15 minutes with a quick release, remove the chicken and set aside. Use an immersion blender or transfer in batches into a blender to create the sauce. You can also use a stand mixer with the flat blade attachment to quickly shred the chicken.


Shred the chicken with two forks and put back into the blended sauce.  Season to taste.


We like to put the Green Chicken Chili on a warm flour tortilla and top with cheese and cilantro. 

Roll it up burrito style and top with additional sauce and cheese if desired. 



Hubby declared this recipe a winner and I will make it for Cinco de Mayo!




print recipe

Green Chicken Chili Verde - Pressure Cook
Roasted peppers add a lot of flavor to this dish. Save time by using frozen boneless chicken. No additional liquid is needed, as the vegetables cook and release enough liquid to bring your cooker to pressure.
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds frozen boneless chicken breasts
  • 4 tomatillos, husked, quarters
  • 3 Poblano peppers, seeded, chopped
  • 2 Anaheim or Cubanell peppers, seeded, chopped
  • 2 Serrano or jalapeno chilies, chopped
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 3-6 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
  • 1 Tablespoon Asian fish sauce, optional
  • Fresh tortillas
  • Lime wedges
  • Shredded Cheese
Instructions
1. Combine chicken, tomatillos, Poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, Serrano peppers, onion, garlic, cumin and slat in pressure cooker.2. Close the lid, lock and close the pressure valve.3. Select HIGH pressure and set the TIME for 15 minutes.4. At the end of cook time, open the pressure release valve. (QUICK RELEASE)5. Use tongs to remove chicken to a separate bowl and set aside.6. Add cilantro and fish sauce to pressure cooker, if desired.7. Use an immersion stick blender or hand blender to mix the contents inside the pressure cooker. Season to taste.8. Using two forks, hand blender or stand mixer with a flat blade, shred the chicken. Return chicken to the sauce.9. Enjoy as a soup or put chicken mixture in warmed tortilla with shredded cheese. Roll burrito style and top with additional sauce.Garnish with chopped cilantro, serve and enjoy!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 10-12


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