Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce aka More Meat

Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce

2 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
1 ½ pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3” pieces
½ onion, diced small
3 carrots, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oregano
½ cup red wine
¼ cup water
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Set the Instant Pot to “saute.” Add the bacon and cook until just starting to crisp. Add the short ribs in a single layer and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning until all sides are browned. Remove the ribs from the pot. Add the onion, carrots and garlic to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Return the short ribs to the pot. Stir together the tomato paste, salt, oregano, wine, water and tomatoes; pour over the short ribs. Cover and set to the “meat/stew” function for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, shred the meat with two forks and stir into the sauce. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.

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Brisket Tacos

Miss F loves tacos and watching Pioneer Woman. When she saw the episode that included brisket tacos, she knew she wanted to have them for dinner as soon as possible.  She was obsessed with these tacos.  We used the leftover meat for quesadillas and tacquitos, I think she had the leftovers lunch and dinner the following day.  This recipe couldn't be any easier and would be great to feed a crowd at a party, just leave the shredded brisket in the crockpot with it set to warm and set out all the fixings, it's taco party time!

Brisket Tacos

2 cloves garlic
1 onion sliced
2 pound brisket, trimmed of most of the fat
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 15 ounce can red enchilada sauce
12 tortillas
Guacamole


Place the garlic and onions on the bottom of the crockpot and place the brisket on top. Sprinkle the chile powder and salt over the brisket, pour in the enchilada sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the brisket from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Return the meat to the crockpot and toss with the sauce. Serve on warm tortillas with guacamole.

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Instant Pot Steak Chimichangas

I love a good chimichanga, whether smothered in queso or dipped into guacamole, salsa and sour cream, it's all delicious.  I have never attempted making actual fried chimichangas at home.  I can get amazing chimichangas at one of the many amazing TexMex restaurants near our house, but I am totally happy baking up chicmichangas for dinner.  The Instant Pot makes shredded steak a breeze.  Miss F is a huge fan of anything that allows her to have guacamole, these chimichangas were a huge hit in our house.

Instant Pot Steak Chimichangas

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound flank steak, cut into cubes
¾ cup salsa

4 burrito (large) size tortillas
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Place the oil in the Instant Pot and turn to “sauté.” Brown the steak pieces on all sides, then stir in the salsa. Cover and lock the lid, selecting the “meat/stew” setting for 30 mintues. When the beef is finished cooking, allow to rest for 10 minutes before manually releasing the steam calce. Shred the beef with two forks.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet. Combine the shredded steak with the cheese. Lay out the tortillas and top each with ¼ of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortillas burrito style, placing them seam side down on the cookie sheet. Spray the top of the Chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, tomato and guacamole.

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Instant Pot Barbecue Brisket

I love making barbecue brisket in the crockpot, but I really wanted to try it in the Instant Pot for a quicker weeknight summer meal.  The brisket cooks beautifully in the Instant Pot and comes out very tender.  Miss F despises barbecue sauce, so she topped hers with mustard instead.  She will put mustard on nearly any type of meat (and vegetables!)  The brisket was also great leftover on a sandwich made with Texas toast.  With plenty of pickles, of course.  This recipe makes a good amount of brisket, so be sure to count on leftovers from it.

Instant Pot Barbecue Brisket

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 fresh beef brisket (2-1/2 to 3 pounds), trimmed
2 cups beef broth
Barbecue sauce

Combine the salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the brisket. Pour the broth into the Instant Pot, then add the seasoned brisket to the pot. Set to “Meat” for 60 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, remove the brisket. Slice against the grain and top with your favorite barbecue sauce.

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Steak and Broccoli

I have been obsessed with flat iron steak as of late. It has so much flavor, is super easy to cook and fairly inexpensive (when it's on sale!) I love beef with broccoli, but I really wanted to try it with flat iron steak. I knew it would cook up beautifully and stand up to the rich, brown sauce. And I was right!  C insisted there was too much sauce, but I disagree completely.  I love having extra sauce to mix with steamed rice, it is vital to have extra sauce so I don't end up dousing my rice with soy sauce and Sriracha.

Steak and Broccoli

1 pound flat iron steak, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/3 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 pound broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

In a bowl, toss the beef with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the sherry. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature. In a 2-cup measure, whiske together the remaining soy sauce, sherry and corn starch. Stir in the oyster sauce, beef broth, brown sugar and sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, sauté for 30 seconds more. Add the broccoli and sauté for 2 minutes more. Pour the reserved sauce into the pan, stirring constantly for a minute more until the sauce begins to thicken. Serve over rice.

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Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

This recipe was a massive hit in our family. Miss F, C and I all really enjoyed this meal. I didn't partake in the beans, but I was just as happy to have the beef over rice alone.  Make sure you add a generous squeeze of lime juice before you eat it, it makes a huge difference.  We used the leftovers in quesadillas the next night, but the qould be equally good in tacos, burritos or taquitos. The meat is amazingly tender, thanks to being cooked low and slow all day.  Next time I will try and prepare it in the Instant Pot, for a dinner when I don't have time to mess with the crockpot in the morning.  Thanks to Little Spice Jar for the amazing recipe.

Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

2 to 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast
6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon oil
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup chopped cilantro
white rice
black beans
1 lime, cut into wedges

Using a paring knife, score three small “X” marks into the meat, press one garlic clove into each “X”. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the roast and sear on each side for 5 minutes.

Chop the remaining cloves are garlic. Add the chopped garlic, tomato sauce, bell pepper, onions, chilies, tomato paste, oregano, salt, cumin, vinegar, red pepper flakes and cilantro to the crockpot. Add the seared roast, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the beef with two forks and stir into the sauce. Serve with white rice, black beans and lime wedges.

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Flat Iron Steak Peperonata

When I saw this dish on Elly Says Opa, I knew I had to make it right away.  And I knew it would pair perfectly with polenta.  Bell peppers are an easy sell in my house, no matter what the color, so this was a huge success for dinner.  The steak was deliciously tender and the peppers were sweet with a nice tang from the caper brine.  I may have a made a bit of a smoke disaster during cooking, I hate using the exhaust fan because of the noise, but the smoke alarm going off is worse noise, right?

Flat Iron Steak Peperonata

1 (1-pound) flat iron steak
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
½ onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon capers
pinch of dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil

Cover the steak with the oregano and 1 teaspoon salt, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, capers, red pepper flakes and basil. Transfer the Peperonata to a bowl, cover to keep warm.

Pat the steak dry with a paper towel. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, cook the steak 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Allow the steaks to rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Serve the sliced steak with the Peperonata.

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Meatball Pasta Bake

Miss F loves two cooking show: Master Chef Junior and Pioneer Woman. I have tried to get her to watch Barefoot Contessa with me, but she gets bored with it, but I guess I can see that with an eight year old attention's span. As soon as she saw the Pioneer Woman that included this Meatball Pasta Bake, she wanted to make it. I adapted the original recipe quite heavily to better suit it to my cooking style and taste.  This recipe was a huge hit with the family.  I served it with a big salad, it was a great and filling meal.

Meatball Pasta Bake

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt

1 pound ground beef
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg

1 pound rigatoni, prepared per package instructions and drained.
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
¼ cup grated parmesan

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Add the tomato paste, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, basil, parsley, oregano and salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir together the beef, parmesan, breadcrumbs and egg. Grease two 24 cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Scoop the meatball mixture using a heaping teaspoon, roll into a ball and place into the muffin tin. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Toss the prepared pasta with the tomato sauce. Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the pasta into the dish. Add half of the mozzarella and half of the meatballs to the dish. Top with the remaining pasta. Nestle the remaining mozzarella and meatballs into the pasta. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Instant Pot Chipotle Shredded Beef

I am still learning on perfecting my skills with the Instant Pot, but I do very much love the results when I cook with it. The only thing I wish is that I had a better grasp of how long it will take to come to pressure and for how long it will take to release the pressure naturally.  When I have other things cooking for dinner, like the cheesy refried bean casserole, it would be very helpful to know exactly how many minutes before the Instant Pot is done.  If you do things well in advance, there is no worry since the Instant Pot switches to an easy "keep warm" mode.  This beef was amazing.  We had tacos the first night and then into quesadillas with the leftovers.  This recipe was adapted from Taste and Tell.

Instant Pot Chipotle Shredded Beef

1 pound beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped
1 teaspoon dried cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ onion, peeled and quartered
½ green bell pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
½ cup water

Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the olive oil. Brown the roast in the heated oil, about 3 minutes per side. Spread the chipotle over the roast, then sprinkle with cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and chili powder. Add the onion and bell pepper, pour the water around the edges of the roast. Close the Instant Pot and set for high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow the natural pressure to release when complete. Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks and return to the Instant Pot, stirring into the liquid. Serve in warmed tortillas.

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Instant Pot Bolognese

Miss F first had Bolognese sauce on Valentine's Day at Casa Tua in Aspen. She loved it! It is such a complex tasting sauce and takes a day to make.  Enter the Instant Pot.  I found this recipe and decided to adapt it a bit to better suit my family.  I am still learning how to use the Instant Pot, but this recipe really cuts down on the time it normally takes to make Bolognese sauce.  C is quite entertained by the Instant Pot and my ineptness with it.  The first thing I made in it, I left the steam valve open...oops.  That dinner took a bit longer than it should have.  He even DVRed a pressure cooking television show for me, so I could properly learn the correct (and quick) way to cook.

Instant Pot Bolognese

4 ounces pancetta, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 pound ground beef
¾ cup red wine
1 six ounce can tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1½ cups water, hot
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni, prepared per package instructions and drained

In the cold pressure cooker with no oil or butter, with the top off, sprinkle the pancetta in a flat layer and turn on to the lowest heat possible to render the fat. After the pancetta begins to sizzle (in about 5 minutes) add the onion, carrot and celery and raise the heat to medium-low and cook until well softened (about 10 minutes). If things begin to stick you can add a little pat of butter or swirl of olive oil. Raise the heat to medium and add the ground beef and brown well stirring occasionally (about 30 minutes or until all of the liquid from the meat is evaporated and the fat begins to sizzle). Add the wine and scrape the juicy bits stuck to the bottom and sides of the pan and evaporate it completely (about 7 minutes). In the meantime, mix the tomato paste with the beef stock and add salt, pepper. Pour the stock mixture into the cooker and stir well. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure through the valve. Add hot water, stir the contents well and scrape any juicy bits from the bottom to incorporate. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure through the valve. Stir in the cream and rigatoni. Serve.

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Shredded Beef Torta

One of the first things I ever ordered at my favorite late night college hangout (aka La Tapatia) was a torta. Pechuga de Pollo torta with NO beans. Emphasis on the "NO." I am no fan of beans and even after 20 years of living in Texas, I still cannot stomach them.  I also learned that if I omitted the Pechuga part of the order, I would get a not as delicious shredded chicken instead of a chicken breast.  I love making bolillos and having tortas at home.  I usually have chicken or pulled pork, but I was in the mood for a shredded beef torta.  And Kroger had roasts on sale for under $2 a pound.  And the shredded beef torta was born.  And it is delicious.  Messy, but delicious.

Shredded Beef Tortas
Makes 6 tortas

1 recipe southwest shredded beef
6 Bolillos from this recipe or purchased
12 leaves of green lettuce
2 avocados, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 recipe best ever queso or queso of your choosing

Prepare the southwest shredded beef in the crockpot. Slice the bolillos lengthwise and then cross wise. Lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom of each bottom half of the bolillo. Top each with avocado and tomato slices, then add a generous helping of the shredded beef. Top the beef with a spoonful of queso. Serve.

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Easy Muffin Tin Meatballs

Meatballs are a huge hit in our family. Well, I am not a huge fan, but I like the fact that they are easily picked out of spaghetti so that I can just have plain tomato sauce instead of meat sauce.  I do get frustrated with my go to meatball recipes, especially when Miss F helps make the meatballs.  Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs is easy, but I don't always have time in the morning to make it.  Enter baked meatballs...so incredibly easy, no more crumbling meatballs in the pan.  This recipe is heavily adapted (basically dumbed down) from Alton Brown.

Easy Muffin Tin Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, use your hands to combine the beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and egg until completely mixed. Using a tablespoon disher, roll into individual meatballs by heaping teaspoonful and place in a mini muffin pan until all 24 cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Use as desired.

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Short Rib Pappardelle

I wanted to make a favorite dish for Valentine's Day. One of the most favorite foods I make is what Miss F calls "More Meat."  I have made it with pasta before and it is also a hit.  I decided to ramp it up a bit for Valentine's and make homemade pappardelle pasta, which might just be the perfect vehicle for the braised short rib deliciousness.  Miss F is usually my faithful assistant when rolling out fresh pasta, but this pasta may have been a bit much for the two of us to work on together.  I sent her off to play and completed the pasta on my own.  This meal was entirely worth the effort!

Short Rib Pappardelle

1 ½ pounds boneless short ribs
1 28 ounce can crushed tomato
1 can tomato paste
¼ cup red wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons (or more) water

Place the short ribs in a crockpot. Stir together the tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, sugar, oregano and salt together and pour over the short ribs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the meat and shred with two forks and return to the sauce.

Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds. Whisk together the eggs, yolks and water in a 2 cup measure. Pour the egg mixture through the feed tub with the processor running until a sticky dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into two balls and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes.

Set the pasta machine to the widest setting. Flatten one ball of dough into a 3-inch wide rectangle. Run through the machine 5 times, then reduce the setting of the machine. Run through the machine 5 times more and reduce the setting of the machine. Keep reducing until the dough is abut 26 inches long. Cut crosswise into 3 equal pieces, run each through the machine until it is 14 inches long. Repeat the process with the second dough ball. Let the strips stand 30 minutes. Fold each strip in half so that the short ends meet, and then in half again. Cut into 2/3 inch wide pappardelle.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes and toss immediately with the meat sauce.

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Crockpot Pot Roast

It seems like there is never enough time for dinner on nights when Miss F has dance class. By the time we get home from dance, it is nearly 6 pm and dinner still needs to be made. Enter the crockpot. I am a huge fan of the crockpot for soups, any sort of shredded meat and one dish meals like pot roast. The best part of this meal is that it lasts for a couple days worth of meals.  C had a last minute happy hour, so Miss F and I enjoyed the first serving of it and C had leftovers the next night when I went out.  This dish was inspired by Yummy Healthy Easy.

Crockpot Pot Roast

6 to 8 new potatoes, quartered
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, cut into chunks
3 pound chuck roast
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf

Spray the liner of the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the potatoes, carrots and onions to the bottom of the crockpot. Coat the roast with the flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the roast on both sides, about 5 minutes a side. Place the roast over top of the vegetables. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine and cook for 2 minutes, until reduced by half. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire and basil; bring to a boil. Pour over the roast, cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Serve.

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Hearty Beef Stew

I find Tide and Thyme to be my cooking kindred spirit. She lives in Maryland, which is where I am from originally, and even better, lives on the wonderful Eastern Shore.  I have several beef stew recipes, two years of Colorado living will do that, but as soon as she posted this recipe, I knew I needed to try it.  Even though "winter" now means a cold snap in the 60s (brrrr...) is rolling through town.  Miss F picked out all the potatoes, naturally, but C and I really enjoyed this aptly titled hearty beef stew.

Hearty Beef Stew

1 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt and ground pepper
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 cup frozen peas

Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the meat so that pieces are not touching and cook not moving until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs and rotate pieces until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer beef to medium bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and the remaining oil to now empty pan and swirl to coat bottom. Add onions and ¼ tsp salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored, about 1 minute more. Add wine, scraping the bottom and stirring until thick and flour is dissolved. Slowly add the beef broth, stirring constantly, scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan. Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer. Add beef, return to simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Add potatoes and carrots, leave uncovered, increase heat to medium and cook for additional hour. Add the peas, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 min. Discard bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

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Steak and Green Bean Stir Fry

This was inspired by a Cooking Light recipe, but in the end, was very little like its original. Miss F was obsessed with the steak. Even though she insisted that it wasn't steak, it was beef. We tried over and over again to explain to her that steak is beef, but she was insistent that it wasn't. She devoured her whole plate, green beans rice and all. She also covered it with Sriracha, she has always loved spicy foods, but she has gotten even more adventurous with spicy foods, especially Sriracha.

Steak and Green Bean Stir Fry

¼ cup unsalted chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
12 ounces boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 cup chopped green beans
½ onion, sliced

In a two cup measure, whisk together the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, Sriracha and corn starch. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok, swirl to coat. At the beef, green beans and onion, stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the broth mixture to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Serve over rice.

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Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

I had planned to make my usual Bolognese, but our life had other plans.  There was just no way to make the cook time work with our schedule.  We had a house showing and not enough time to get the sauce made, not to mention we had a huge TexMex lunch.  So Bolognese was pushed off until the next day, which necessitated finding a recipe for the crockpot...and one that also aligned well with the ingredients I had purchased for my usual recipe.  I used a Skinnytaste recipe as my inspiration, but I made quite a few changes.  It was a huge hit and I loved that it simmered in the crockpot all day instead of simmering on the stove for a couple hours...much easier for me.

Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

3 slices bacon, cut into lardons
½ white onion, minced
2 carrots, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound lean ground beef
¼ cup white wine
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh cracked pepper
¼ cup half & half

In a skillet, cook the bacon on low heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onions and carrots, cook on medium low until soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the tomato paste, sauté for one minute more. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and sauté until browned. Drain off the fat, then add the wine, cook for 3 minutes more. Add the meat mixture to the crockpot, along with the tomatoes and bay leaf. Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in the half and half, taste and add any additional salt and pepper needed, then serve over pasta.

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Crockpot Guinness Beef Stew

I am doing a fantastic job imagining it's fall around here. Even though the thermostat reads in the 90s. And I am pretty sure that after we close on our new house this week, we will go swimming in the pool this weekend.  Crockpot stew is an easy way to pretend it's fall.  I loved making it in Aspen, it was perfect to come home to after a day of skiing.  Though here in Houston, it is more like a day of swimming, in October.  I adapted this recipe from Blissfully Delicious.

Crockpot Guinness Beef Stew

1 pound stew beef
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
¾ cup Guinness Draught
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 mushrooms, quartered
2 cups frozen peas
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Toss the stew beef with the flour, turning well to coat. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef and crown on all sides. Transfer the beef to the crockpot. Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth, Guinness, tomato paste, sugar, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the skillet contents to the crockpot and add the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, stir in the peas for the last 20 minutes of cook time. Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve.

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Animal Style Burgers

My family loves In n Out burgers.  Every time we visit California, we make our traditional stop at In n Out on the way to the airport.  Usually this results in some sort of spill in the car, but it is totally worth it.  The sauce is what really makes the burgers.  That and the super fresh ingredients.  Texas finally has In n Out, but the closest one is a three hour drive, so I don't get to have them as much as I would like.  This is a recipe from Food Network and my only issue with it was that it made the patties a little too thick for doubling up.  I changed the recipe to halve the meat, which should produce a patty more comparable in size to what In n Out serves.

Animal Style Burgers

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 large onions, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
½ teaspoon white vinegar
1 pound ground beef chuck
4 hamburger buns, split
¼ cup sliced dill pickles
8 lettuce leaves
4 to 8 thin slices tomato
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup yellow mustard
8 slices American cheese

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and salt, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 30 minutes. (If the onions brown too quickly, reduce the heat to low.) Uncover, increase the heat to medium high and continue to cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 8 more minutes. Add ½ cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer, stirring, until the water evaporates, about 2 more minutes; transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar in a bowl; set aside. Shape the beef into 8 patties, about 4 inches wide and ½ inch thick.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat; lightly brush with vegetable oil. Toast the buns on the griddle, split-side down. Spread each toasted bun bottom with about 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture, then top with a few pickles, some lettuce, 1 or 2 slices tomato and another dollop of the mayonnaise mixture; set aside.

Season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, put the patties on the griddle and cook 3 minutes. Spread about 1 ½ teaspoons mustard on the uncooked side of each patty, then flip and top each with 1 slice cheese; continue cooking about 2 more minutes for medium doneness. Top 4 of the patties with caramelized onions, then cover with the remaining patties, cheese-side up. Sandwich the double patties on the buns.

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Mama Ninfa's Fajitas

We now go to El Tiempo to get Mama Ninfa's fajitas, but when I first moved to Houston, Ninfas was my go to restaurant for TexMex fajitas.   Miss F prefers cheese enchiladas to fajitas, but she will tolerate them as long as she loads up beans in her tortilla as well.  The citrus really adds great flavor to the meat and the marinade couldn't be any easier.  I made these on my grill pan indoors, which was quite smoky fun, but they would be fantastic grilled outdoors.  Thanks to Culinary Houston for the recipe.

Mama Ninfa’s Original Fajtas

½ orange, zested
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1 dried chiles de arbol crushed
1 skirt steak, no more than ¾ inch thick.

12 warm flour tortillas
Condiments such as Pico de Gallo, Cilantro, Sour Cream, Guacamole, etc.

Combine the orange and lemon zest, lemon juice, water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and chiles in a large baking dish. Use a sharp knife to remove any membrane from the meat and place it in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Cut crosswise into 1” strips and serve warm on tortillas with any desired condiments.

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