For many of our customers, cube steak is one of the 'new' cuts they try when they first receive a share of Boxwood Beef. While cube steak is best known in its southern glory as "Country-Fried Steak", available in any recipe book, it can be lightened up and cooked in other means as well.
Ingredients:
~1 pound cube steak
1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 c. beef broth
1/2 c. red wine OR additional 1/2 c. beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the cube steak into bite-size pieces. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet until hot. One at a time, and leaving space between each piece, drop the cube steak pieces into the olive oil, remaining on high heat.
Turn once browned and brown on both sides. Then, turn heat to low and cook ~5 minutes more, until cooked through. (It doesn't take long for these to cook through - don't overcook). Remove from the pan, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, then set aside.
What's left in the pan are the crispy bits and drippings. Add the beef broth, garlic, and (if desired) red wine, and bring to a boil, stirring the skillet to loosen all of the residue from the cube steak so that it becomes part of the sauce. Boil until reduced by half.
Serve cube steak with sauce on top.
A skirt steak is a long steak taken from the 'plate' - between the brisket and the flank. It is most similar to a flank steak, although admittedly less tender. Skirt steak is used most often in stir-fry meat and in fajitas as thin, flat strips.
Flank steak can be flash-fried in a pan, as well as braised, or cut into strips.
Skirt steak makes a delicious, tender cut of beef for a quick dinner or a favorite meal.
These steaks, available currently through our half and whole shares with custom processing, are a thick, leaner steak, coming in at about 8 ounces each, suited well to broiling, but also to braising. We've broiled these with coffee spice rub in the oven for a quick and delicious dinner.
Coffee Spice Rub (straight from the Joy of Cooking)
(we always make this and then divide it into three parts and save the rest for another day- it's enough to season ~8 steaks total)
1/4 cup chile powder
1/4 cup finely ground coffee
2 Tbs paprika
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs dry mustard
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs. black pepper
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 Tbs. ground coriander
2 tsps. ground ginger
Ingredients:
8 lamb chops
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs. dried rosemary
1 slice bacon, cut into 8 equal pieces
~ 4 ounces feta cheese
Prepare a broiler pan and turn the oven onto broil. Be sure to place the oven rack within 6 inches of the heat source.
Pat 8 lamb chops dry. Mix together the oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Rub both sides of all chops with the mixture. Place one piece of bacon on each chop. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes. Remove broiler rack, remove bacon, flip chops. Place the bacon on the top of each chop, then place one spoonful of feta cheese on the top of each lamb chop, over the bacon. Return to the broiler for an additional five minutes. Cheese should be browned on the top; chops will be medium-rare. Serve immediately.
Without a doubt, our two most-used cookbooks are (1) The Joy of Cooking and (2) Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon comes from Mastering the Art of French Booking, Julia Child's best-known book. This recipe is adapted from the original, and takes about an hour and a half prep + cooking time, but can be made in large quantities (as large as your stew pot will allow) and is rich, flavorful stew that will have everyone raving. Great for a cold winter evening!
* This recipe serves 6 people
*This stew can be made a day or two ahead and reheated and it is just as delicious.
* You will need either a large cast-iron skillet and a large casserole dish, or a large dutch oven-type dish for this meal.
Ingredients -
The Stew
4 slices thick bacon
olive or cooking oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes (we used a chuck roast, below)
1 sliced carrot and 1 sliced onion
salt, pepper
2 Tbs flour
The Sauce
3 cups red wine (cheaper the better!)
3 cups beef stock or beef bullion
1 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves or Tbs mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
crumbled bay leaf
The Stew - Part II
1 jar small white onions
1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms
First:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the bacon in a small pot of water and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and dry the bacon. Saute the bacon in oil in a LARGE cast-iron skillet 2-3 minutes until browned lightly, remove and set aside.
Dry the beef cubes with paper dowels. Place it in the hot oil/bacon fat and saute a few pieces at a time until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside with bacon.
In the same fat, brown the carrot and onion.
Second:
Return the beef and bacon to the cast iron skillet - sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spring with 2 Tbs flour and toss to coat. Place the skillet in the preheated oven for 4 minutes; toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 more minutes. Remove and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Third:
In mixing bowl, add the wine, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and bacon rind. Add the beef stock. Pour over the beef in the casserole dish you intend to place in the oven. Place the casserole, covered, in the oven for 2.5-3 hours. The beef will be very, very tender at the end of this time.
While the Beef is Cooking:
Sautee the fresh mushrooms in butter and set aside.
Sautee the onions in butter until soft and lightly browned. Then add 1/2 cup of beef bouillon/stock, and 1 tsp. parsley and thyme, and 1/2 bay leaf. Simmer on the lowest heat possible until the liquid is a glaze (20-30 minutes).
When the Beef is Ready:
Add the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat in the casserole.
Serve over rice or with potatoes.
As Julia Child would say, "Bon Appetite!"
A fantastic summertime dinner!
Ingredients:
1 Flank Steak (1-1.5 lbs)
Seasonings:
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
3-4 Tbs. olive oil
1 large head romaine lettuce
1/4 c. caesar dressing
1 Tbs. pepper
1/4 c. shredded parmesean cheese
Place flank steak on cutting board; combine seasonings and olive oil; run into steak.
Broil for 15 minutes; flip and broil for 5 more (broiling varies from oven to oven, so be sure to adjust & flip once top is brown and bubbling).
Remove the steak from the broiler and allow to set for 10 minutes.
While the steak is resting, wash and tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces; pat dry. Combine lettuce and dressing in a large bowl; turn to coat thoroughly. Then add cheese and pepper and turn to coat again.
Slice the steak legnthways and then in half to form bite-size pieces. Place the pieces over the salad and garnish with additional parmesean cheese.
This is enough salad to serve two people as a full meal. Enjoy!
1 leg of lamb, bone-in or boneless
3 Tbs pepper
2 tsp salt
2-3 Tbs rosemary
at least 2 Tbs olive oil
roasting rack or raised pan
Place the fully-thawed leg of lamb in the roasting pan on the roasting rack. Mix together in a small bowl the pepper, rosemary and olive oil into a paste.
Slice across the top of the leg of lamb every 2 inches, making a slice just under 1 inch deep and 3+ inches across. Coat the exterior of the lamb in the spice mixture, and rub the remaining mixture into the crevices created by slicing. Allow the lamb to sit, covered, for 45 minutes (longer is OK if placed back in the refrigerator).
Place the leg, in the roasting pan, into a hot oven on 'broil' for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees, and continue to roast until done, as follows:
Bone-in leg:
Rare - approx. 75 minutes
Medium/Well - approx. 90 minutes.
Boneless leg:
Rare - approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes
Medium/Well - approx. 2 hours +15 minutes.
Once cooked, allow the leg to sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing. A leg of lamb will serve 8-10 people with side dishes, and is a memorable special occasion meal.
4 lbs ribs (all the types in your quarter) (this works for all ribs)
Rub:
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. paprika (yeah, it's a lot!)
1/4 c. chili powder
1/4 c. pepper
2 Tbs. cumin
3 Tbs. salt
1-2 bottles beer (depending on the sauce you want)
Mix the rub ingredients together. Trim the excess fat from your ribs - it's best to do this when they are very, very cold - and rub them with the rub mixture until they are well coated. Let them sit at least 1 hour, but up to overnight, in the refrigerator, coated.
Place in a roasting pan and pour in the beer. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Then, uncover, and bake at 280-300 degrees for two hours, basting well every 30 minutes. The longer you can cook them at the lower temperature, the more "fall-off-the-bone" good they will be. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 c. dried parsley
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
3/4-1 c. onion chopped and sauteed in butter until soft and slightly translucent
1 c. bread crumbs (regular or italian flavor)
2 eggs, beaten (3 if using farm or medium size)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
Wash your hands (because you should use them). Add all the dry ingredients, including the onions, and mix together. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Roll into meatballs of your favorite size (we prefer smaller meatballs, just under 1 inch in diameter.
You can cook as many as you need for your meal, and you can freeze the additional meatballs uncooked. These freeze very well for several months. We wrap them in wax paper and place those in freezer bags; freeze the quantity of meatballs you need for a meal to make an easy pasta dinner later on!
This 'meatloaf' uses steak seasonings and sauces in place of the traditional ketchup, giving it a modern taste with a familiar meatloaf texture. If you've never made a meatloaf,, this is a great starter recipe guaranteed to please even the pickiest kids, and wonderful for these cold, windy nights.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 c. chopped onions
1 Tbs. butter
1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. steak sauce (A-1)
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs, beaten (if using farm eggs = 3 eggs)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 c. dried parsley
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
 Saute the chopped onion in the butter until translucent and slightly browned. Mix beef, onions, and oatmeal together in a large bowl. Mix together remaining ingredients; add liquid/spice mixture to beef mixture. Form into a loaf shape; bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
 Making meatloaf is an art, not a science. If your meatloaf isn't "loafy" enough, add extra oatmeal, bread crumbs, or bran to the mixture to get the consistency you want. Play around with your favorite ingredients - bacon, chili powder, etc - to get a unique taste that's all your own!
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