Beef Stew

My family loves stew.

 With the cooler weather here in Southern California, it was time to get a pot of beef stew going.

I think this will easily serve 8 to 10 people.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pounds of lean stew meat or chuck roast

3 cloves garlic

1 (14 oz.) canned tomatoes

4 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 celery ribs

1-1/2 cups chopped leeks

4 potatoes, chopped

2 sweet onions, chopped

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup frozen peas

optional spices: 2 bay leaves and a pinch of thyme, rosemary, oregano, or sage

salt & pepper

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

I used two packages of stew meat, but for our tastes, it was a bit too much meat--you can adjust the quantities for your tastes.

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

I don't put any oil in the pan--I heat up the pan and put the meat into it to sear--then turn the meat over & stir when it's seared on one side.

Add the garlic.

Add 1/2 cup red wine.

And a can of stewed tomatoes and 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce.

Simmer on low heat for 90 minutes.

The meat cooks well in the crock pot, too.

Chop your vegetables.

If you want the leeks to dissolve into the stew, add them when the meat first starts simmering--or add them with the rest of the vegetables.

Add the vegetables and simmer for 25 minutes or until the meat is soft and vegetables are done.

Bring the pot back to a boil and add the cornstarch and water, a little at a time, stirring until the mixture thickens.

Then add 1 cup frozen peas, simmer for 5 minutes more.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Itadakimasu!

***

I've been doing a lot of craft shows lately.

Last weekend we went to San Leandro for Eden's Holiday Craft Show by Asian Accents.

My friends Daniel and Cynthia of Clayvision were there with their cute charms, bracelets, ornaments and food journals.

Saimin.

Bento.

Sushi.

Breakfast.

At one of the other craft shows, their son Cameron played in the car with Dixie.

He likes it when he talks to Dixie and she wags her tail.

This is Cameron just last year in San Leandro.

He's grown so much in a year!

Just last year, Daniel & Cynthia's little one was playing with my little one.

They played again together this year, but this time I didn't get any photos--big mistake.

Time goes by fast.

Take a lot of photos.

***

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pounds of lean stew meat or chuck roast

3 cloves garlic

1 (14 oz.) canned tomatoes

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

4 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 celery ribs

2 cups chopped leeks

4 potatoes, chopped

2 sweet onions, chopped

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup frozen peas

optional spices: 2 bay leaves and a pinch of thyme, rosemary, oregano, or sage

salt & pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and sear in a hot pan. 

Add 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup red wine, 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce  and canned tomatoes and simmer for 90 minutes on low heat. Add optional spices if desired.

Add vegetables, except peas, and simmer on low for 25 minutes until the meat is soft and vegetables are done.

When vegetables are done, bring the pot back up to a boil and add the cornstarch and water, a little at a time, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.

Add the peas and simmer for 5 minutes more or until peas are done.

Season with salt and pepper.

Spicy Teriyaki Beef Jerky

My nephew Tyler and I make beef jerky together.

Remember Tyler?

The nephew that I watch the Tour de France with?

That's the one!

He's home from college at the University of Oregon and came over the other day to make beef jerky!

Ty's a lot of fun.

He's chatty.

I love that he's chatty.

He's funny, too.

We laughed all afternoon as he told stories about his life.

Here he is laying out the marinated beef on the dehydrator trays.

Here's the kind of beef we used:

This is the beef I usually buy for jerky, top round roast from Costco.

This time I also bought a beef brisket because a friend told me they always make it with brisket and they thought it was the best, so I thought I'd try it.

I cut the brisket in half, then took the fat off the one side.

Well, I took it off both sides, but it's on one side of the meat.

We like it cut across the grain.

This is the top round roasts cut into pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap for chilling in the freezer.

That makes it easier to slice thin.

Chill the meat in the freezer for at least a half-hour before slicing.

If you like the meat really thin, freeze it until it's almost solid, it'll make slicing it thin easy.

Marinade:

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)
1 scant tablespoon chile flakes
1 scant tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 chopped jalapeño pepper

Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until the sugar is dissolved.

Note: Double the amount of marinade and it will be enough for about 5 pounds of meat as shown in the photos above.



Slice the meat however you like it--we like it sliced on the thin side, across the grain--when you buy jerky at the store, they slice it with the grain so it's chewier.

Slice the meat--whichever way you prefer--and put it in a zippered plastic bag with the marinade using about 3 cups of marinade per 2.5 pounds of sliced meat.

Squeeze all the air out of the plastic bag, zip it, lay it flat and refrigerate overnight or at least a few hours before dehydrating.

Here's Ty showing you how to lay out the meat on the dehydrator trays.

Lay out the slices close together, but not touching.

I dehydrate the meat in an Excalibur dehydrator with the blower turned up to the highest setting.

5 lbs. of meat will fill up the whole dehydrator, maybe more--depending on how thick you slice the meat.

After 2 hours, I turn the slices of meat over, it's not really necessary but it keeps the meat from sticking too much to the plastic mesh on the trays.

Then check it every hour or so and turn off to cool once the meat has reached the desired dryness.

It's done!

When cooled, put into an airtight container.

I refrigerate it after a few days since I like the jerky a little softer, that means there's more moisture in it.

If you have any left, that is.

Itadakimasu!

***

Ty is on the right.

Colin, his brother, is on the left.

Hayley, Ty's sister is next and then my son Rick.

We all went to Loyola Marymount University to help Colin move-in.

Colin's a college freshman!

Hayley's a little sad.

Both brothers are away at college.

Don't worry Hayley, they'll be home before you know it, then you'll be off to college!

Colin and mom Nancy.

Colin only wanted to take what he needed to college, and Nancy wanted him to be well equipped with all sorts of do-dads.

Moms are like that.

When his bed was all made and all his stuff put away, that's when they decided to reconfigure the room.

Then we all had lunch in the Lion's Den cafeteria.

Colin and his roommate Chris have known each other since they were 5 and played ball together.

They're finally going to the same school--and roommates!

This is Chris & his mom Jenny.

The moms are so cute!

They both shed a few tears to have their boys away at college.

Moms are like that, too.

We'll be seeing each other at baseball games, I'm sure!

Study hard, Colin!



***

Cuts of meat that work well for jerky include: top round roast, brisket and flank steak. Portion the meat into pieces that will be easy to cut whether you prefer cross grain cuts or pieces cut with the grain. Freeze or partially freezing the meat makes it easier to slice.

Marinade:

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup sugar

1 cup mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)

1 scant tablespoon chile flakes

1 scant tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon grated garlic

1 chopped jalapeño pepper

Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until the sugar is dissolved.

Note: Double the amount of marinade and it will be enough for about 5 pounds of meat, it's about 3 cups of marinade to 2.5 pounds of meat.

Marinate the sliced meat overnight or for several hours, drain, and lay the pieces out flat on dehydrator trays. I use an Excalibur dehydrator.

Dehydrate on high for several hours, turning them over after about 2 hours, then checking them every hour or so until they reach the desired dryness. Drying time varies with humidity, it took mine about four hours but has taken up to 6.

I like to make it a little on the moister side, not too brittle, so I put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator after a few days if there is any leftover.

Mexican Cocido

Every time our family would go to our favorite local Mexican restaurant, Karen and I always ordered the Cocido.

We love soup.

The bowl was filled with vegetables in a hot, rich beef broth, served with a side of Spanish rice, some chopped cilantro, onions, and a lime wedge.

That's how we have it at home, too.

It's easy to make.

Really!

Mexican Cocido

Ingredients:

3 lbs. beef short ribs or beef shank

4 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

4 carrots

2 onions

2 celery ribs

1 small head cabbage

6 red potatoes

2 zucchini

2 corn on the cob

Season the broth with 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

salt & pepper to taste

cilantro

jalapeño

limes

onion

Serve with corn tortillas and Spanish rice.

I bought 2 pieces of beef short ribs from the butcher at the local Mexican market, about 3 pounds.

He said that cocido is also made with beef shank.

Trim off some of the visible fat from the short ribs.

Put the meat into a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a boil for one minute, then drain.

Clean out the pot, rinse the meat, and again, cover with water and bring to a boil.

That makes it so your broth will be clear.

When the fat renders and comes to the surface, you skim that off, but otherwise, the broth is pretty clear.

Or, you can use a fine sieve or coffee filter to strain the broth.

Add the seasonings--4 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

Salt and pepper, also.

Simmer the meat for about 2 hours until tender.

While the meat is simmering, get the vegetables ready.

Cut them into chunky pieces.

Add all vegetables except the zucchini and cabbage, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Then add the zucchini.

Cut the cabbage with part of the core attached so it will stay together in a wedge, and place them on top of the other vegetables in the pot.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender.

My family says this tastes like a lighter version of cocido than the one at the restaurant, since I skim off the fat.

Use tongs to put a piece of each ingredient into a soup bowl, then ladle the broth over the top.

Squeeze a bit of lime, sprinkle a few finely chopped sweet onions and chopped cilantro on top of the cocido--that makes it extra delicious.

Serve with warm tortillas and Spanish rice.

¡Buen provencho!

***

Yesterday, I had lunch with the girls.

Gail.

And Susan.

 This is us being adventurous and lunching outside our neighborhood.

I've known Gail for a long time.

She went to kindergarten with my husband.

She married her high school sweetheart and he and my husband have been friends since junior high.

Susan is lots of fun.

I haven't known her as long as Gail, but it feels like I've known her forever.

We come from diverse American backgrounds--Chinese, Mexican and Japanese.

 That makes for interesting conversations.

But mostly we talk about our families and home.

Gail just remodeled her bedroom and went on a cleaning spree.

In an already spic and span house.

Gail is so clean that I once saw her sweep dirt.

The ground.

We were camping--but still!

Gail is Mrs. Clean.

Susan loves to eat.

With her high-energy, she burns calories fast, so she needs to eat a lot.

She does, too.

She always orders what I wish I could eat if I didn't have a super-slow metabolism.

Susan loves jigsaw puzzles.

Susan! Have you already finished all the puzzles you got for Christmas?

When you're done, my mother-in-law needs help with her 2000 piecer!

Susan's always great company, I especially appreciate her company in cyberspace.

I enjoy our time together immensely.

Thank you, Gail and Susan, for your time and love.

No printable recipe for cocido yet.