Smothered Burritos

 

When you’re craving something special, is there a particular cuisine that appeals? For me it’s Mexican, or at least the American version of Mexican food that I have grown to love over the years. These smothered burritos never fail to satisfy that culinary lust. They are stupidly simple to put together, but the entire process takes a bit of time because the beef is best when slow cooked and refrigerated overnight, maximizing the flavor. After that is accomplished, assembly is simple, and these have been known to please a crowd.Smothered Burritos

 For the beef:

1 2-2.5 lb. chuck roast

1 1-oz. pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes*, undrained

 Place chuck roast into the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top, and pour over tomatoes to cover. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat, shred with two forks, removing pieces of fat. Return meat to the slow cooker for 15 minutes.

Place meat into a lidded container, and refrigerate overnight.

 To Assemble:

8 large (burrito-size) flour tortillas

1 16-oz can refried beans

2 10-oz cans enchilada sauce

1 lb. white American cheese, shredded, divided

Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with PAM. Pour 1 can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly. If any juices or sauce remains from the cooked beef, add it as well.

 Slightly warm refrigerated beef in a microwave or pan on the stove.

 Arrange tortillas on a clean work surface. Divide refried beans among the tortillas, spreading them in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top beans with a generous amount of beef, and then shredded cheese to cover. Wrap each “burrito style,” i.e. fold the sides over the filling, fold the bottom up to cover the filling, and roll.

 Place each filled burrito seam side down into the baking dish.

Slowly drizzle remaining can of enchilada sauce over burritos, being sure to cover every bit of the tortillas.

Top each burrito with remaining cheese.

 Cover loosely with foil, tenting if necessary to avoid sticking to the cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and sauce is bubbly.

 Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with burrito toppings of your choice, e.g. pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, black olives, diced red onion, guacamole, shredded lettuce, etc.

 *Diced tomatoes and green chilies

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Beef Tips with Onion & Mushroom Gravy

 

If your definition of stew consists of cubes of beef, carrots, and potatoes, then I am not a fan. I am, however, a fan of stew beef, a.k.a. chuck roast. It’s so flavorful, and cooks down to be wonderfully tender. I think the very best way to enjoy it is on its own, slow cooked to perfection in a wonderful onion and mushroom gravy, served atop a heaping mound of mashed potatoes (or ladled onto a bed of egg noodles). This will make you forget your troubles.Beef Tips with Onion & Mushroom Gravy

3 T. butter

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 2-3 lb. pound chuck, roast, trimmed and cubed

2 T. flour

1½ t. sugar

1 t. onion powder

1½ t. garlic powder

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. Montreal Steak Seasoning

8 oz. Crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 c. beef stock

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. water

Fresh parsley, to garnish 

Place butter in the bottom of a slow cooker and allow to melt. Once butter has melted, spread onion across the bottom. Place chuck roast cubes into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and Montreal steak seasoning. Sprinkle it over the top of the beef cubes and toss to coat. Place seasoned beef cubes on top of the onions. Top with sliced mushrooms, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour beef broth over all, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or low for 6 to 7 hours. 

Thirty minutes before the end of the cooking time, whisk together cornstarch, water, and 1/2 cup of the slow cooker liquid. Add the cornstarch mixture back to the slow cooker, stir in, and cook for 30 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

 Serve with egg noodles, or on top of a mound of mashed potatoes.

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Missouri Pot Roast

I’m sure that most, if not all of you, have heard of the slow cooker recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast. Here is my version, named for my state that we all found to be absolutely delicious. I went for low sodium -- not that you would notice -- lighter on the butter, as well as fewer peppers, to give it flavor, without heat, because not everyone (perhaps your grandmother) likes their Sunday roast spicy. Hearty, warming, and intensely flavorful, this is a keeper.

Missouri Pot Roast

1 3-4 lb. chuck roast, trimmed
1 packet (3 T.) Ranch Dressing Mix
1 T. Better Than Bouillon Reduced Sodium Beef Base

2 whole Melissa’s Pickled Jalapeños
6 T. unsalted butter

Place all ingredients, in the order given, into a crockpot. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8 hours. Serve on a mound of whipped potatoes.

 

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Crockpot Barbecue Beef

I'll tell you what, it takes nerves of steel to place a $20 chuck roast (When did these get to be so expensive?) into a crockpot in order to test a recipe that looks good on paper, but may very well not be, but I gathered up all of my strength and did just that. I have been feeding a variety of men of late (and, frankly, I'm sick of it, but that's another story), so was looking for something both “man pleasing,” and that I would enjoy. Boy, this recipe was it! Spotted on the Community Table web page, my mouth watered as I read it, and I was hoping to not be disappointed. I wasn't nor were any of the other people who tried it, many of whom groaned in ecstasy with their first bite, and then helped themselves to more. My dad declared it “outstanding,” and I have to agree.

 Having another winning crockpot recipe just delighted me. This is so easy, and so good. I used a three-pound chuck roast (the largest I could find when shopping, and as much as I wanted to spend anyway) instead of the called for four pounder, and Stubb's brand barbecue sauce in the Mesquite flavor. Also, fearing saltiness, I used low-sodium beef stock.

I served warm potato salad (recipe coming) as a side along with cole slaw from the deli that I put on top of my sandwich. Perfect!

Crockpot Barbecue Beef

1 (4-lb) boneless chuck roast

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 Tablespoons Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple seasoning

½ cup beef broth

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cups barbecue sauce

8-10 Kaiser rolls

Spray the inside of a 6-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together the beef broth and liquid smoke; pour into the bottom of the slow cooker.

Rinse the chuck roast and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with olive oil. Rub the chuck roast on all sides with the Grill Mates seasoning. Center the roast in the slow cooker. Drizzle the top of the roast with Worcestershire sauce.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours until fork tender. Check for doneness at 7 hours using a fork. Remove from the slow cooker and, using 2 forks, pull apart the meat, removing all visible fat.

Discard the cooking liquid reserving ½ cup. Whisk the reserved cooking liquid with 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce. Return the pulled beef to the slow cooker. Drizzle with the sauce.

Cook on high for 30 additional minutes until the sauce is bubbly. Serve on Kaiser rolls with a side of cole slaw.

This post is linked to:

Silver Pennies Sunday
Sunday Down Under
Bouquet of Talent Party   
Amaze Me Monday

Munching Mondays
Busy Mondays
Brag About It

The SCOOP

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Beautifully Creative Inspired

Black & Tan Beer-Braised Beef and Onions

The holidays are, thankfully, behind us, and it’s time to press on with the New Year.  Once January hits I start thinking about Super Bowl (even though it’s now been pushed into February – the 3^rd this year --thanks to additional playoff games, and added revenue.  It’s just WRONG! But I digress…)

I discovered this recipe on New Year’s Day about four years ago while rummaging through Gourmet magazines.  Since then, it has become a staple of the Super Bowl buffet.  It’s “make ahead” (two of my favorite words), always delicious, and men love it.

Black & Tan Beer-Braised Beef and Onions

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

3 pounds yellow onions

1 (5-pound) boneless beef chuck roast

3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

2 bay leaves

1 (12-ounce) bottle of Guinness

1 (12-ounce) bottle of Harp

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 sprig of fresh thyme

Halve onions lengthwise, then slice lengthwise 1/4 inch thick.

Pat beef dry and season all over with 2 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown beef on all sides, about 15 minutes, then transfer to a plate.

Cook onions with bay leaves and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt with the remaining tablespoon oil in pot, scraping up brown bits from bottom and stirring occasionally, until onions are well browned, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Cut a round of parchment paper the diameter of the inside of pot (near the top). Set parchment round aside. (I actually used a Dutch oven for this without the parchment – I’ve done it both ways – and found the results were the same.)

Add beers and vinegar to onions and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add beef, thyme sprig, and meat juices from plate and return to a boil.

Cover with parchment round (if using) and lid and braise in oven until meat is very tender when pierced in several places with a meat fork, about 3 1/2 hours.

Transfer beef to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered, 20 minutes. Slice meat. Skim off fat from sauce and discard thyme and bay leaves.  Reheat if necessary.

Serve braised beef with onions and sauce.*

*As the beef in this recipe improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead (up to 4 days) and chilled in sauce (covered once cool). I refrigerate it at this point.  When I’m ready to serve it, I discard the solidified fat, remove meat from the sauce, slice it, place it in a shallow baking dish, and drizzle it with about a cup of beef stock. I then cover it tightly with foil and heat in a 325°F oven for about 45 minutes. The gelled sauce that remains I reheat in a saucepan, adding just a splash of brandy, and serve it on the side.

This post is linked to: On the Menu Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Try a New Recipe Tuesday, Foodie Friday, and Seasonal Sundays