All the goodness of a French dip sandwich and a bowl of French onion soup are combined in these easy-to-make roast beef sliders.  Caramelized onions and gooey provolone make these little gems irresistible.  Dipped in a cup of warm au jus these little sandwiches will please any crowd.  Perfect for game day snacks or as an easy dinner for the family.  Make the rolls ahead of time and simply bake them off when your ready to serve.  So easy and delicious!

Last weekend we had our first real cold weather and about three inches of snow.  I love winter, but somehow we have not had fall yet.  The leaves are only about half turned and we have been enjoying beautiful mid 70 degree weather.  But suddenly there it was, so Sunday became a “stay in your jammies and cook something in the crock pot” kind of day.  I had located a beef roast in the freezer the day before and had the foresight to thaw it.  I used my fool proof method of cooking the perfect roast in the crock pot and added onions, carrots and fingerling potatoes.  With a quick gravy from the drippings we enjoyed a classic winter evening dinner.

Of course there was plenty of the roast left over, and at first I envisioned a simple repeat of the same dinner in the near future.  Then my mind wandered in a different direction.  I recalled what was probably the best French dip sandwich I had ever had, made with prime rib covered with horseradish on a crusty roll.  I realized that my roast would not reproduce this fantasy, so I determined it would need some cheese.  Looking at the beautiful liquid I had reserved from the roast, the random thought of French onion soup with that layer of melted gooey provolone came to mind, and I decided if I added caramelized onions that would just about cover all the bases.  So I ran to the market and picked up a package King’s Hawaiian, my go to slider rolls and I was set.  The sliders came together quite easily and they were more than delicious, definitely a hit, and I am most certain we will make these again.

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King's Hawaiian French Dip Sliders

Thinly slice roast beef, provolone cheese, and caramelized onions give these easy-to-make sliders all the great flavor of a french dip combined with french onion soup.  These make ahead sandwiches are perfect for a game day treat or an easy dinner.

Course Appetizer, Sandwiches

Cuisine American, French

Keyword French Dip Sliders, Game Day Treats

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 1 package Kings Hawaiian Savory Butter Rolls
• 2 medium sized onions sliced 1/4"
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 4 tablespoons butter divided
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1 pound roast beef thinly sliced
• 1 pound provolone cheese thinly sliced
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

• Peel onions and slice 1/4" thick.  Heat large pan over medium high heat.  Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, when butter has melted add onions and toss to mix.  Season with salt and Italian herbs.  Cover for 5 minutes, then reduce head to medium low and continue to cook stirring often until onions become soft and translucent.  Remove lid and continue to cook until onions are caramelized.
• Transfer onions to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a small bowl or ramekin mix mayonnaise and horse radish.
• Pour the beef stock into a small pan.  Add about a tablespoon of the cooked onions and any small bits from the roast beef.
  
• Heat the beef stock to a low simmer and hold. 
• Slice King's Hawaiian rolls in half keeping them intact. 
• Lightly butter the bottom of a 9" X 13" pan.  Place the bottom half of the rolls in the center of the pan.
• Spread half of the mayonnaise on the rolls, followed by half of the cheese.
• Using tongs dip the roast beef a few slices at a time in the stock then evenly arrange them over the cheese. 
• Spread the caramelized onions over the top of the beef, followed by the rest of the cheese.  Spread the remaining mayonnaise on the inside of the top and place on the sandwich.
• Heat oven to 350 F.  Cover the rolls loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
• While rolls are in the oven, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and a 1/2 teaspoon of Italian herbs.
• Pull the sliders from the oven and remove the foil.  Brush the tops with the butter and herb mixture and replace in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the tops are browned and the cheese is melted.
• Serve sliders with the warmed au jus for dipping! Simply delicious! 

Notes

I thinly sliced a left over portion of pot roast for these sandwiches, but you can certainly use deli meat.

 

Sliders can easily be made ahead of time and held in the fridge.  Allow to come to room temperature before baking.

Before you go……. if you love sliders like we do, be sure to give these a try!

Tender leaves of cabbage wrapped around a filling of seasoned ground beef, sausage, and rice simmered in a rich tomato and beef broth create this old-world favorite. Hearty and delicious, cabbage rolls to me are simply some of home cooking at its best. This dish is a favorite of many, with roots reaching across many countries. Found in Eastern, Northern, and Central Europe, the Balkans, and Asia, there are as many versions of this roll as there are nationalities that hold this delicacy near and dear.

I have always loved cabbage rolls but find I seldom make them. Not really sure why that is, perhaps I always felt it was too much effort or I would have to make too many. One thing I do know is that I have always struggled with the cabbage. Trying to get the leaves separated with out damage to have enough to use has been a challenge for me. I will admit that more than once I had intended to make cabbage rolls, got frustrated, and ended up with a cole slaw. Recently I discovered a method that has drastically changed my attitude towards preparing this treat. I mean I love everything about all the ingredients, so why would I not make these.

I found the simplest way to separate the leaves is to first carve out the core from the head with a paring knife. Then I fill a stock pot with water (leaving room for the cabbage) to a boil. Once boiling I place the entire head of cabbage into the water, after only a couple minutes the outer leaves begin to soften. I use tongs and a large slotted spoon to coax the leaves from the head. Since the core has been removed, as the leaves become pliable they separate from the head quite easily. Once the leaves are free and are somewhat soft I place them in cold water to stop the cooking, then transfer in to a colander to drain. I just keep repeating the process until the leaves seem too small to use, allowing some time for each layer to become soft enough to roll. Then I spread the leaves out on a tea towel to dry before rolling them up. I am amazed how well this method works, barrier to cabbage removed!

Throwing together the filling is quite simple, like making a meatloaf. I used a mixture of half ground beef and half pork sausage along with minced onions, garlic, rice, and a few spices. You really could do what every you want. Asian versions use tofu, vegetables, seafood, and fish so I mean there certainly is no right or wrong. I think for a lot of us food is a memory, and we tend to like what is familiar. My grandfather on my mothers side was Eastern European and this is how my grandmother would prepare them, so I flavored in that direction. However now that I have conquered the cabbage I am certainly interested in branching out.

I find the only good way to mix the ingredients is with my hands. I know some people find that horrifying, but I promise I do wash my hands first. I suppose I could try using a spoon, but really in my estimation there is only one way. You’ve just got to get in there and squish it all together, plus I find it kinda fun.

Once everything is all mixed up it is time to assemble. I use a scoop that holds about a quarter cup. I like making things uniform, it might be my OCD but I do find things cook better if they are similar sized, and they also look great on the plate. Again whatever size you want, the Lebanese version is rolled about the size of a cigar.

Blanched and dry leaf

I lay the leaf out and remove the thickest part of the stem from the leaf which doesn’t roll well anyway. I close the “V” by bringing the sides together and slightly overlap them. The leaves are pliable so don’t be too afraid to work them around so they lay out the way that works best for you to roll. Then I add the filling and shape it a bit. Rolling away from me, I turn the leaf to just cover the filling, fold the sides in, and roll the rest of the way. You will find as you play with the leaves you will figure what works best for you, the big thing is not to be afraid of them.

Cabbage rolls can be made in the oven or in a steamer, but I like to use the slow cooker method. It allows the rolls to simmer all day to a tender perfection filling the house with a fantastic aroma. It also keeps my oven free in case I decide to “bust a move” and make some bread or rolls to go with. I place the rolls “seam side” down in the crock pot. Some recipes I have seen call for using a toothpick to hold the rolls together for cooking, but I don’t find any need for that. By placing them tightly side by side they keep each other rolled just fine. You can add a second layer if you need, just keep them all nested tightly.

Once the crock pot is all loaded I spread a couple cans of diced tomatoes over the top. I used two small cans because that is what I had, I am sure one large can would probably be just fine. Then I toss in a handful of diced onion, and a couple cloves of mined garlic. Then I add beef stock until the rolls are almost covered, you can use water but I find I like the flavor the stock adds. If you prefer you could use chicken or vegetable stock. I just like the deep flavor the tomato and beef stock give to the dish. One of the hardest parts of describing any recipe is giving exact amounts of how much liquid to add. This will depend on how big your crock pot is and how tight you have placed the rolls. So just eyeball it, that is what I do. I top off the pot with a sprinkle of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and a dusting of paprika. I tend to go light on the salt, you can always add, but it is impossible to remove.

I start the crock pot out on high until the liquid starts to bubble. How long you ask, well this is just like how much liquid do I add. About an hour did it for this round, but again depending on the size of your pot and how full it is going to vary. An hour will give you a good bench mark of time to check. Then down to low for about 5 hours. I know that seems long, but the meat needs time to cook and you want the cabbage completely tender. Some recipes call for browning the meat mixture in a skillet before rolling in the leaves. The cook time for these recipes is quite a bit less, but I like the deep flavor the the filling gets from slowly cooing in the tomato beef broth.

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Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Tender leaves of cabbage wrapped around a filling of seasoned ground beef, sausage, and rice simmered in a rich tomato and beef broth create this old-world favorite. Hearty and delicious, cabbage rolls to me are simply some of home cooking at its best.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Central European, Eastern European

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 hours hours

Total Time 5 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16 Rolls

Ingredients

Rolls

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound pork sausage
• 1 cup onion diced
• 1 cup white rice cooked
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 cabbage leaves blanched (1 to 2 heads depending on size)

Cooking Liquid

• 2 cans diced tomatoes 20 to 28 ounces
• Beef stock see cooks notes
• ¼ cup onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• Salt & Pepper

Suggested topping

• ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 green onions finely sliced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh dill chopped

Instructions

Rolls

• Place meats, egg and all spices in a large bowl and combine well.
• Separate and blanch cabbage leaves. Place on a towel to dry, pat dry if needed.
• Place about 1/4 cup of uncooked filling on each leaf and roll.
• Place seam side down in a crock pot. Repeat until you are out of filling.
• Pour the tomatoes and beef stock over the cabbage rolls. Add enough liquid to almost cover the rolls.
• Add onion, garlic and spices.
• Cover and cook on high for about 1 hour or until liquid is bubbling.
• Reduce to low and cook for 4 to 5 hours.
• Test rolls with a pair of tongs, rolls will be feel firm when done and the cabbage will be pale and somewhat translucent.
• Use tongs to carefully remove cabbage rolls from the cooker.

Topping

• In a small bowl combine yogurt, green onion, and dill.

Serve

• Place a couple of cabbage rolls in a shallow bowl and spoon some of the tomato beef broth over. Top with a dollop of the yogurt. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe makes around 16 cabbage rolls. If you want to make less decrease the amounts for the filling. Add enough stock so that the cabbage rolls are almost covered. Amount of stock needed and cooking times will vary depending on the size of your crock pot and the number of cabbage rolls.

Tender pieces of steak are complemented by the tantalizing flavor of mushrooms in this flaky-crusted savory pie. Fresh thyme and asparagus add to the rich earthy goodness of this dish. Simmered in ale and beef stock, the mushrooms take on an incredibly deep woodsy flavor that is simply mouthwatering. This Steak and Mushroom Ale Pie is the perfect dish to prepare on a cold wintry day, the enticing aroma of the simmer filling will have everyone counting down the minutes to dinner.

It was on recent trip to the market to pick up a few miscellaneous items that this dish came about. I don’t recall right now what I was even headed in to get, however mushrooms had not been on my list. As I walked through the front door I was immediately greeted by a large table piled high with bags of incredible looking cremini mushrooms and bundles of gorgeous asparagus. It probably was a bit of my attention disorder kicking in, but I suddenly found myself in line with a big bag of mushroom and some beautiful asparagus. As I was headed to the car giggling with glee over the amazing bounty from my hunt, I realized I had not purchased anything on the list in my pocket, and I really had no idea what I was even going to do with my big score. On the return trip back inside it came to me to put together a savory pie, so I gathered the balance of the items to create my recipe as well as the items I had originally come in for. The second time through the line, the cashier looked at me with a bit of a confusion. Rather that let her think she was loosing her mind, I told her my story which gave both of us a little chuckle.

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Steak & Mushroom Ale Pie

Tender pieces of steak are complemented by the tantalizing flavor of mushrooms in this flaky-crusted savory pie. Fresh thyme and asparagus add to the rich earthy goodness of this dish. Simmered in ale and beef stock, the mushrooms take on an incredibly deep woodsy flavor that is simply mouthwatering.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Irish, Pub Fare

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 People

Ingredients

• 1 pound steak cubed into 1 ½” pieces
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ medium sized yellow onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
• 1½ pounds mushrooms quartered
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 Tablespoon flour
• 1 bottle Ale room temperature
• 2 cups beef stock
• bundle fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 cup asparagus tips
• 1 cup pearl onion
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pie crusts make your own crust or packaged
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 teaspoons water

Instructions

• In a large skillet with a well fitting lid or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. When shimmering hot, add steak and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook only long enough to brown all sides of the meat. Remove steak from pan and set aside.
• Add diced onions to the pan and cook until translucent stirring to prevent scorching (add more oil if necessary).
• Add garlic and stir. Cook for several minutes to bloom the garlic. Remove onions and garlic from pan and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add butter. When melted add mushrooms and stir to coat with butter. Cook mushrooms until tender and the liquor is released.
• Sprinkle flour over the top of the mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes to eliminate the “flour” taste.
• Add back the steak, onions, and garlic.
• Pour entire beer into pan and add stock. Stir to mix. Add pepper and bundle of thyme, working it down into the liquid.
• Increase heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, stirring as mixture heats.
• Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer covered for about 1½ hours. Stir occasionally. If mixture is becoming too dry add a little more stock. We want the mixture to be the consistency of a thick gravy.
• While mixture is simmering, boil water and blanch asparagus tips to bring out the color. Plunge in cool water to stop the cooking. If pearl onions are frozen, thaw while gravy is cooking.
• Uncover the pan and remove what is left of the thyme bundle with tongs. Add the pearl onions and the lemon juice.
• Position rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 350° F.
• Allow mixture to simmer uncovered while oven is heating to reduce liquid. Keep an eye on the gravy, it should be rather thick but not dry.
• Adjust accordingly by adding more stock if too thick.
• If too thin, kick up the heat slightly to reduce, or if needed make a slurry in a small ramekin by mixing several tablespoons of corn starch with a teaspoon of cold water (this will prevent lumps). Using a spoon or your finger mix until all the corn starch is dissolved. Add a couple tablespoons of the hot gravy back in to the slurry and mix well. Pour the slurry mixture in to the pan and bring the pan back up to a boil stirring to combine. Gravy will thicken.
• Taste gravy and add salt or pepper if needed.
• Add asparagus to mushroom mixture, stir to combine.
• Roll out a pie crust and transfer into a deep pie tin or cast iron skillet.
• Pour mushroom gravy into the prepared pie shell. Cover pie with top crust and crimp edges. Brush the top with an egg beaten with 2 teaspoons of water. Using a sharp knife make slits in the top for steam to escape.
• Place pie on top of a parchment or foil lined baking sheet (just in case) and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.
• Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before digging in, if you can hold the crowd back that long.

Serve

• For the perfect side dish, serve pie with a fresh spinach salad tossed in a light vinaigrette.

Notes

Remember mushrooms drastically reduce after cooking. I used about a pound and a half of brown mushrooms for this pie. Also carrots or peas would work well instead of asparagus if you prefer. I used a filet for my steak, however any cut would really work quite well. Use kitchen string to tie together a bundle of thyme. I find this much easier than picking all the leaves. As the dish cooks the leaves fall off leaving behind a tied bundle of sticks which is easily removed.

The recent cool evening temperatures have inspired me to prepare one of my favorite rustic-style foods from the French countryside. Pieces of beef, slowly simmered in an aromatic mix of beef stock, burgundy wine, carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms create the legendary stew we know as Beef Bourguignon.

Beef bourguignon is one of many examples of peasant dishes that have been slowly refined into haute cuisine. The particular method of slowly simmering beef in wine originated as a means of tenderizing cuts of meat that would have been too tough to cook any other way. Over time, the dish has become a standard of French cuisine. Brought into the spotlight by Julia Child on her first episode of The French Chef, this delicious stew has graced the tables of many families. In Julia’s book Mastering the art of French Cooking, she describes the dish as “certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man”.

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Beef Bourguignon

Tender pieces of beef in a rich deep flavored sauce. One of Julia Childs favorites.

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• ½ pound of bacon rendered and reserved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ½ - 3 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 1 ½ - 2 inch cubes
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 large carrot sliced
• salt and pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 cups full-bodied red wine (plus some for the cook)
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf crumbled
• ½ cup pearl onions
• 1 cup mushrooms quartered

Instructions

• Begin by heating the oven to 450° F.
• In a large skillet, cook the strips of bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, crumble, and set aside.
• Transfer the bacon grease into a heavy oven-proof casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid (an enameled cast iron dutch oven works well).
• Cut the roast into 1½ to 2 inches pieces. (the larger the pieces the longer the cooking time will be. Pieces smaller that 1½ inches will most likely fall apart and disappear).
• Place the casserole dish containing the bacon grease on a burner over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the bacon fat and heat until almost smoking. Add the pieces of beef and brown all sides (work in batches so as not to crowd the meat).
• Remove the beef from the pan and lightly season with salt and pepper (go light on the salt, beef stock is high in sodium. remember salt is easy to add and hard to remove).
• Dredge the beef while still hot in flour. Dust off any excess flour and hold meat aside.
• Add the carrots and onion to the the hot oil and cook until onions begin to turn translucent.
• Add the meat back to the onion and carrot mixture and toss well.
• Place in the oven for about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, mix well, and place dish back in the oven for another 4 minutes (this allows the flour to brown and covers the meat with a fine crust).
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.
• Place the dish back on the stove over medium high heat.
• Add wine, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir well and bring to a slow boil.
• Skim off any excess fat with a spoon. Mix well, and cover the dish with the lid, and place in the oven for 3 hours (just leave it alone, it is important not to open the oven or remove the lid).
• At the end of three hours, add onions, mushrooms, and bacon. Cover and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
• At the end of the cooking time, the sauce will have reduced and the beef will be fork tender.

Serve

• Serve over noodles or sliced potatoes with a side of fresh peas for a traditional French country meal. Some French bread might also come in handy to mop up every last drop of the delicious sauce.

Notes

This recipe is based on Julia's dish, however it has been modified to require less time and keep all the flavors.

As Julia would say “Bon Appétit”

The other night I was in the mood for something a bit different for dinner. How about a burger? Now for many of you the sound of a burger probably sounds fairly routine, but at our house we don’t have them very often, so it is a treat when we do. As I was contemplating the evening meal, I started wondering what I could do to make tonight’s dinner even more delicious.

The first thing that came to mind was to shape the patties differently. How about a square burger? I could not recall ever personally making one before, then me being me, I started wondering if they would taste different being a different shape. Like how better a peanut butter and jelly sandwich tastes better when you fold it instead of cut it. I had the beginnings of my plan. But placing a square burger on a round bun, didn’t seem right. Then it hit me. Texas toast, when was the last time I had used that? The plan was coming together nicely. A quick search in the fridge yielded me some Queso Fresco cheese, perfect. Glancing at the large wooden bowl of onions on the counter I saw red, red onions that is. Now I had my plan.

But how was I going to make this square burger patty? As I started trying to free form the shape, I was not pleased with my results. Then I remembered a shallow square storage container that I had in the drawer. I slipped the container into a lightweight plastic bread bag, and used it as a form (great trick, the bag keeps the hamburger from sticking to the container. The patty falls right out when you flip it over). I had my patties. I seasoned them by brushing a little Worcestershire sauce on both sides followed by my house grilling salt (equal parts of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder). With the burger situation under control it was smooth sailing from here.

I thinly sliced a large red onion, and discovered that I had a half a white one in the fridge as well, so I slice it and added it to the pile. Onion medley. I sautéed the onions is a little bit of olive oil and added a few dried herbs, some rosemary, tarragon, and basil. Wonderful aromas began to emerge, this was going to be good.

Time to grill. I cooked my burgers to a medium rare turning only once (I have witnessed lots of people flip burgers many times back and forth and smashing them against the grill with the spatula. The Horror!). I grilled my Texas toast as the burgers were cooking (better use of time than squeezing all of the flavor out of the meat). As the burgers were just finishing, I cut the heat to the grill, topped them with the cheese, and closed the lid for about 2 minutes (the residual heat from the grill will sufficiently melt the cheese without making it “run away”). Time to assemble.

I put down the first slice of Texas toast and smeared it with some mayonnaise, followed by a hand full of baby arugula. Then came my square burger with the melted (but still present) Queso Fresco, topped with a generous portion of the sautéed herbed onions, and capped off with the another slice of toast dressed with barbecue sauce. What an amazing  explosion of complementary flavors. This one will definitely be repeated.

Slices of beef tossed in a tangy sauce, topped with a napa cabbage slaw create this tantalizing collision of spicy and cool. A virtual explosion of flavors, this bun full of beefy goodness is a great way to offer something a bit different at your next backyard picnic. Preparing the roast the day before will give you a chance to attend your party instead of working it.

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Barbecue Beef Sandwich with Napa Slaw

Slices of beef tossed in a tangy sauce, topped with a napa cabbage slaw create this tantalizing collision of spicy and cool. A virtual explosion of flavors.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• roast beef sliced
• barbecue sauce
• Napa cabbage slaw
• dill pickles optional
• buns toasted

Instructions

• Place the slices of roast beef in a sauce pan with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat to simmer.
• When heated add enough barbecue sauce to coat the meat.
• Hold on low until ready to serve (You may need to add a little more water and sauce depending on how long the meat simmers).

Serve

• Toast some buns and let your guests build their sandwich however they like. Just pile on the beef, top it with a spoon full of slaw, and crown it with some dill pickles. Delicious!

Notes

This is the perfect sandwich to serve at a BBQ. For a large group, prepare a roast in the crock pot the day before.

This is also a creative way to use up some leftover beef or pork roast, as well as chicken.

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Napa Cabbage Slaw

Cool and creamy slaw, so easy to make. Perfect companion for any BBQ dish!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage chopped
• 1 carrot shredded
• ¼ cup white onion diced
• 3 scallions sliced
• 3 tablespoons ranch dressing
• 3 tablespoons green goddess dressing
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place cabbage, carrot, and onions in a large bowl.
• Mix dressings with celery seed.
• Pour dressing over and toss. (You may need more or less dressing depending on the size of your cabbage and your personal taste).

Toast some buns and let your guests build their sandwich however they like. Just pile on the beef and top with a spoon full of slaw and a dill pickle. How easy was that? Now go and enjoy your party.

To properly prepare a roast there are a few things that will help to understand. First is navigating your way through the confusion of the meat case. There are many different cuts of meat with significant differences in quality. There are actually eight USDA grades. Prime, commercial, choice, utility, select, cutter, standard, and canner. Stores tend to focus the majority of their selections around choice and select, mainly due to pricing. Higher-end retailers will offer prime cuts, most often found in a glass case and for about the same price as diamonds. Adding to the confusion are the marketing geniuses behind the major grocery chains that have branded their own grades for meat. (What the heck is Ranchers Reserve, and where does it fall in the USDA grading chart?)

My best advice is to do what I do. Ask. I know many of the stores have staff that know less about the subject than you do, so if you get a “deer in the headlights” look from the polite person stocking the hot dogs, ask to speak to the butcher. The staff member usually is not insulted, rather relieved.

The next thing is to choose the right meat for the job. If you are not sure, tell the butcher what you are wanting to make and let them guide you. Remember that cuts of meat have different names regionally, so if you’re not finding the one a recipe calls for just ask, and the butcher can usually translate. Once you have picked out a roast, the hard part is behind you.

There are really only two methods I would suggest to prepare a beef roast, either traditional open roasting, or braising.

Roasting is a method of oven cooking food in an uncovered pan at a high temperature, for a relatively short period of time. This technique usually produces a well-browned exterior and an ideal moist interior. Roasting does however require a tender cut of meat to begin with, such as a tender loin, and should only be used in that instance. (Oven roasting a piece of meat such as a shoulder or chuck roast will result in a tough, dried out roast, with a grey colored interior).

Braising is the preferred method for most roasts. The meat is browned on all sides in fat or oil, then cooked, tightly covered, with a small amount of liquid at a low heat for a very long time. The long slow cooking develops flavor and tenderizes the meat by gently breaking down the tough fibers. Braising can be done on top of the stove, in the oven, or in a crock pot. (A tight-fitting lid is very important).

To prepare the perfect Chuck Roast in the Crock Pot:

Cooks Note: This is the method I use for most roasts, and find it works extremely well. I would never suggest this method for an expensive cut like a tenderloin. I tend to use only salt and pepper for seasoning which allows me the most versatility for left-overs. Cooking times will vary with the size of your cut.

Start by massaging all sides of the roast with olive oil, and dust with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place the roast in a hot pan or directly on the grill to brown all sides.

Rough chop 2 large onions and place them in the bottom of the crock pot.

Place the browned roast directly on top of the bed of onions, adding no liquid (the water in the onions will provide our liquid for the braising, and will hold the roast off of the bottom of the crock pot).

Place the glass lid on the crock pot, and turn to high for about 1½ – 2 hours (about the time you can start to smell the roast). Reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 4 – 5 hours depending on size of the roast. Do not take the lid off of the crock pot or attempt to turn the roast. Watch for the meat to pull away exposing the bone. You should be able to effortlessly lift the bone out of the roast with tongs, and can be certain the meat is “fall off the bone” tender. The roast should literally fall apart as you remove it from the crock pot.

Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes. When slicing, be sure to cut across the grain, this will ensure that your meat is the most tender piece served, and the compliments you receive will be about your roast, not the salad.

The filet, also marketed as filet de bœuf, medallions, tenderloin, fillet steak, eye fillet, and filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef, however is also the most expensive. Many butchers label all types of tenderloin steaks “filet mignon”. The French terms for these cuts are tournedos (the smaller central portion), châteaubriand (the larger central portion) and biftek (cut from the large end known as the tête de filet). The shape of the true filet mignon can be a hindrance when cooking, so most restaurants sell steaks from the wider end of the tenderloin as it is less expensive and much more presentable.

The filet has low levels of marbling, or intramuscular fat. Bacon is often wrapped around the cut to add flavor and to keep the meat from drying out during cooking. Traditional preparation calls for the filet to be seared on each side using intense heat for a short time and then transferred to a lower heat to finish. Filet is often served much rarer than other meats. Those preferring a more well-done steak can request a “butterflied” filet, meaning that meat is cut down the middle, and opened up to expose more of the meat to heat during the cooking process.

Porterhouse steaks and T-bone steaks are large cuts that include the fillet. The small medallion on one side of the bone is the fillet, and the long strip of meat on the other side of the bone is the strip steak.

Cooks Note: There are many different ways to season and cook steak. I prefer a minimalist approach allowing the true flavor of the beef to come through. The cooking time described is for rare. Plan 8 oz of filet per person.

To prepare Filet:

Start by tying kitchen twine around a filet that has been cut about 2″ thick. This holds the shape of the steak during the grilling process. Massage the filet on all sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow the meat to stand at room temperature for about a half an hour, giving the filet time to reabsorb the juices that are forced out by the salt.

Heat the grill with the lid closed to its maximum temperature. Place the filet on the hottest part of the grill and cook for  3 to 4 minutes. Turn and grill again for the same time. To avoid sticking I do not move the meat once it is placed on the grill other that to turn it.

Allow the filet to rest for about 5 minutes after removing from the grill before serving.

Sometimes nothing satisfies the taste buds better than a burger. Quick and easy, this grilled wonder is a favorite of mine to prepare. Topped with a combination of whatever happens to be in the fridge, I can always create a version that is sure to please.

Jack is an American cheese made from cow’s milk and is credited to have first been made by Spanish Franciscan friars near Monterey, California during the 19th century. It was a businessman and developer by the name of David Jack who owned a dairy along the Salinas River, that took the idea from the Padres at the nearby Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. Jack began to produced a cheese originally known as Queso Blanco. As Jack’s dairy went into partnership with other regional dairies, the cheese was mass marketed and came to be known at first as “Jack’s Cheese”, and then eventually as “Monterey Jack”.

There are several variations of the this cheese that have also become quite popular. Colby-Jack or “Co-Jack” is produced by marbling the white cheese together with Colby cheddar, and Pepper Jack is a spicy variety made with the addition of jalapeño and habañero peppers. An aged version called Dry Jack is a hard cheese that can be grated much like Parmesan.

St Patrick’s Day, the one and only day of the year that everyone who isn’t Irish, pretends to be. But why? I don’t think that the Irish are a protected class and somehow have better lives than the rest of us, or that the “Luck of the Irish” is really extra lucky. So why is it we suddenly start to speak with a thick brogue, and feel compelled to eat corned beef and drink green beer? I guess maybe it’s simply because St.Patrick’s day is associated with fun, probably more fun than most any other special day, and maybe that turns all of us a bit “green”with envy.

Corned beef is actually not an Irish National dish, and it’s connection to St. Patrick’s day is specifically part of the Irish-American culture. Irish corned beef was considered primarily a trade item. During both the Irish Famine, and the Great Potato Famine, raising cattle for production of corned beef to sustain trade crowded out land that would have otherwise been used to raise crops to feed the local population.

The salted or corned brisket was widely used by British naval fleets and North American armies due to its non-perishable quality. Coastal cities in Ireland such as Dublin, Belfast, and Cork, created vast beef curing and packing industries to support the trade. The product was also desired by the French for use in Caribbean sugar plantations as sustenance for the colonist, the slave labor, and for the control of slave population.

There are many methods of cooking corned beef and cabbage. One way is to boil the meat in a pot with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, however I find the end result to be a tough piece of meat with little flavor.

I prefer to purchase the brisket over the point cut. Adding no liquid, I place the meat in the crock pot on top of a bed of roughly chopped onions and cook covered on low for six to eight hours, depending on the size of the brisket. The combination of the water in the onion and the drippings from the beef create enough moisture to produce a tender piece of meat. Corned beef is very high in sodium so resist the temptation to add more salt. The fibers of the brisket tend to be long. Cutting the meat across the grain is important for best results.

Roasted potatoes and carrots add a nice flavor and texture to this meal. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish and then turn the vegetables in the oil to evenly coat using your hands. Place the vegetables in a hot oven, 400º F for about an hour, stirring halfway through the cooking time to ensure even roasting. Sprinkle the potatoes and carrots with sea salt and pepper as they come out of the oven. Do not add salt before roasting, it will result in dry food! Salt forces the liquids out of meats and vegetables. Quarter and core the cabbage. Steam the cabbage in a colander placed over a pot of boiling water and covered with a lid.

I like to finish this dish with a parsley and white wine sauce. I make a thin béchamel sauce replacing half of the milk with white wine, and adding chopped parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. This sauce brings a light fresh contrast to the salty taste of the corned beef.

So get your green on and get out there, cause the pipes…… the pipes are calling.

Sláinte!