Beef, It's What's For Dinner.

French Dip with Italian Attitude (thank you Rachael Ray)

2 wide baguettes
4 TBL olive oil
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 large onion
4 lg garlic cloves, minced
2 TBL tomato paste
4 cups beef broth or stock
2 springs of fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
½ lb roast beef, thinly sliced (I get this at the deli)
12 slices provolone cheese

1. Slice each baguette open (lengthwise just shy of completely splitting it open—you want it to open like a book and stay together). Then cut each baguette in half so that you have a total of 4 separate sandwich books). Transfer bread to cookie sheet and toast in oven until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Once bread is toasted, rub 2 of the 4 minced garlic cloves over the 4 bread books. Then drizzle each book with olive oil and cover with Parmesan cheese.
2. While bread is toasting, heat a medium skillet over med/high heat with 2 TBL olive oil. Add onion, the other 2 minced garlic cloves, tomato paste, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is tender (about 2-3 minutes). Add beef broth and bring to a simmer, then cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
3. Swish a few slices of roast beef at a time through the beef broth mixture. Then place the slices on the banquettes. Top each half of sandwich with provolone cheese.
4. Broil in oven until cheese is melted. Serve with a dish of beef broth mixture for dipping.

Best-Ever Roast Beef

1 TBL olive oil
1 TBL Dijon-style mustard
3 lb beef rump roast
2 TBL chopped fresh parsley
1 TBL chopped fresh chives
1 TBL dried Tarragon
1TBL black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and mustard, then spread mixture over the outside of beef.
2. Combine the parsley, chives, tarragon, and peppercorns on a plate. Roll the beef roast in the herb mixture until evenly coated. Transfer roast to a large roasting pan (or baking dish).
3. Roast the beef until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the center of the roast register 170 degrees, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cover beef with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve roast into thick slices to serve.

Zesty Pepper Steak with a Blue Cheese Sauce

Green or mixed peppercorns
4 beef tenderloin steaks (6-8 oz each)
2 TBL butter
1 TBL vegetable oil
1/8 tsp salt or sea salt
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup heavy cream
2 oz crumbled blue cheese
2 TBL Dijon-style mustard

1. Place the peppercorns on a cutting board and crush roughly with a wooden rolling pin to release flavor. Measure 2 TBL crushed peppercorns and transfer to a plate.
2. Place the steaks on the plate with the crushed peppercorns and, with your fingers, press them will into the surface of the steaks.
3. Heat butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet until butter is just foaming. Add the steaks and cook 3 minutes per side for medium doneness. Season the steaks with the salt. Remove the steaks and place on a warm plate. Cover with some foil and set aside.
4. Whisk the sour cream, heavy cream and mustard in a small bowl, then add to the skillet with the meat drippings. Add the blue cheese to the pan. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce has reduced and is piping hot. Stir in any juices from the resting steaks. Divide the steaks among 4 warmed plates. Spoon the sauce on top and serve.

Beef and Broccoli (this recipe is actually on back of Lipton’s Onion Mushroom soup mix box—but it is sooooo good!)

1 TBL Olive Oil
1 lb sirloin steak, cut in to 1 inch strips
10 oz fresh broccoli florets
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion and Mushroom Soup Mix
1 ¼ cups water
1 TBL firmly packed brown sugar
1 TBL soy sauce
2 cups hot cooked rice

1. In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and brown steak, stirring occasionally, in two batches. Remove.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, 2 minutes.
3. Return steak to skillet; cook 1 minute or until steak is done. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Crusty Steak Pie

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper, divided
1 lb beef round cubes
3 TBL olive oil
2 cups beef broth
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 TBL chopped fresh parsley
1 sheet (7 ½ oz) ready-made puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Fresh thyme (optional)

1. Place the flour and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Add the beef and shake to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the bee, in batches if necessary, until browned. Add the broth, celery, carrots, garlic and the remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay the puff pastry on a floured surface and place a 2 quart deep-dish pie plate upside down on top of the pastry dough. Trim the dough using a sharp knife. Set aside. Ladle the beef mixture into the pie plate.
4. Dampen the edges of the pie plate with water. Make strip from the puff pastry trimmings and place around the edge. Brush with the egg. Place the pastry lid on top; push down the edge to seal. Cut a ½ inch vent in the center of the lid. Glaze with the egg and sprinkle with fresh thyme, if desired. Bake until the crush is puffed an golden, about 25 minutes. Serve.

Skillet Steaks with Onion Gravy

½ cup beef broth
4 TBL ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp pepper
4 beef steaks of your favorite cut (8 oz each)
2 medium onions
2 TBL butter or margarine

1. Measure broth in a large measuring cup. Whisk in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium/high heat. Add steaks; cook for about 4 minutes on each side for medium. Remove steaks from skillet; cover and keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet.
3. Thinly slice onions. Add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add onions; cook stirring continually, about 3 minutes. Cover; reduce heat to medium/low. Cook about 5 minutes longer.
4. Stir broth mixture into skillet; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour over steaks. Serve immediately.


Chimichangas (thank you Ann)

6 flour tortillas
3 cups MEXICAN MEAT MIX (recipe below)
1 cup GUACAMOLE (recipe below)
1 can (7oz) green chili salsa
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ pint sour cream
6 ripe olives for garnish
Oil for frying
Shredded lettuce

1. Warm tortillas in oven for about 5 minutes. Heat MEXIAN MEAT MIX in a small saucepan. Heat ½ inch deep oil to 400 degrees in a large skillet.
2. Spread about ½ cup MEXIAN MEAT MIX over the lower third of each tortilla. Fold the bottom edges of each tortilla up over filling. Fold both sides toward the center and roll into a cylinder. Secure rolled tortillas with a toothpick.
3. Fry 2 chimichangas at a time in hot oil for about 2 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot over a layer of shredded lettuce. Top with green chili salsa, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. Garnish with olives.

MEXICAN MEAT MIX
5 lb beef roast or combination of beef and pork roasts
3 TBL vegetable shortening
3 onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
2 (7 oz) cans green chili salsa
¼ tsp garlic powder
4 TBL flour
4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice from beef roasts

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place roast in large roasting pan or Dutch oven. Do not add salt or water. Cover with a tight lid and roast about 12 hours, until done. Or cook roasts with 1 cup water in pressure cooker for 35 to 40 minutes. Or cook roasts in a crock pot with 1 cup water on high for 3 to 4 hours. Cool meat, remove bones, shred and set aside.
2. Melt shortening in a large skillet. Add onions and green chilies. Sauté for 1 minute. Add green chili salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt and cumin. Cook 1 minutes over medium low heat. Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat.
3. Cook 5 minutes until thick. Cool. Use 3 cups for the chimichangas. Put the other 6 cups of meat mixture into 1 qt freezer containers (3 cups in each container), leaving ½ inch space at top. Seal and label containers. Freeze the other two for up to 6 months. Makes 9 cups of MEXICAN MEAT MIXTURE.

GUACAMOLE
2 ripe avocados, pared and mashed
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Few drops of Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Beef Fajita Wraps

1 cup prepared salsa
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained
¾ lb flank stead
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 TBL olive oil
8 soft flour tortillas
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
½ cup shredded lettuce
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
3 TBL sour cream

1. In a medium bowl, combine the salsa and kidney beans; set aside.
2. Trim and cut the stead into ¼ inch wide strips; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Stir-fry the steak over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Warm the tortillas according to the package directions.
4. Spread the salsa mixture over the center of each tortilla. Add the steak, avocado, lettuce and cilantro. Fold in one edge of the tortilla to create a base and roll up. Repeat for the remaining 7 wraps. Spoon the sour cream into a small bowl and serve with wraps.

Spectacular Prime Rib

1 (10 lb) prime rib roast
10 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBL olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
1. Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme together.
2. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast, and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than one hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and continue roasting for an additional 60 to 75 minutes. The internal temperature of the roast should be at 145 degrees for medium rare.
4. Allow the roast to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving so that meat can retain its juices. Serves 15

Quick Stew (thank you Tiffany Moody)

2 lbs. stewing beef; cubed (you can buy it already cubed; saves time)
15 baby carrots; halved
1/2 cup dried minced onion OR you can use 1 small onion
3 lg. potatoes; cubed
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) tomato soup
1 soup can water
1 tsp. salt
2 T. vinegar
pepper; to taste

Combine all ingredients in greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for 5 to 6 hours or on low heat for 10 to 12 hours. It will make 4 to 6 servings. served it with homemade bread