Where's the Beef?

Years ago (heck, decades ago), Wendy's had a series of Where's the Beef commercials. Each one was a little different, and very popular.

Well, besides the fast food places, here's another place to find the beef. Today's offerings include Bulgogi Sloppy Joes With Scallion Salsa and Meatloaf with a Twist. Enjoy!

ORANGE BEEF

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, also featured in Asian Pantry Essentials. For this recipe, Sam wrote, “This recipe for takeout-style orange beef is a variation on one the Brooklyn chef Dale Talde included in his new cookbook, "Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes From the Philippines to Brooklyn," with a slightly more intensely flavored orange-flavored sauce. Mr. Talde's key insight is protected, however: Use very good steak, and cook it fast, so that below the lovely crust of its egg-white-and-cornstarch batter, the meat remains rare and luscious. Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice. And make it a few times. What appears difficult the first time through — the coating of the beef, the making of the sauce, the stir-frying of the aromatics, the stir-frying of the beef — is in fact fast and easy work, and much, much better than takeout.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons orange zest, plus the juice of one orange

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar (do not use seasoned rice vinegar)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the Beef:

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 pinch kosher salt

1 boneless rib-eye steak, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 pounds, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup neutral oil

6 scallions, white and green parts cut into inchlong pieces and separated

2 to 4 dried red chiles, or to taste

Preparation

Make the sauce: Heat oil in a small sauce pan set over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add ginger, jalapeño and orange zest and stir to combine. Sauté mixture until ingredients soften, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, then add garlic and continue cooking until it softens, approximately 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Add orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce to pan and stir to combine. Allow mixture to come to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and reduces by half, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the meat: Combine egg white, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Add steak, tossing to coat the meat with the batter.

In a large skillet or wok set over high heat, heat oil until it shimmers and is about to smoke. Add beef to the pan or wok in a single layer and cook without stirring until the bottoms of the pieces are crisp and golden, approximately 60 to 90 seconds. Add white pieces of scallion and chiles to the pan, then turn the beef pieces over and cook the other sides, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter.

Pour orange sauce into the hot pan or wok, let it boil and stir it as it thickens. Add meat and white scallions and stir to coat with the sauce. Return meat and sauce to the platter and scatter green scallions over the top. Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice.

BULGOGI SLOPPY JOES WITH SCALLION SALSA

This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Sam wrote, “The dish is the Korean barbecue standard known as bulgogi — ‘fire meat,’ is the literal translation — transformed into a sandwich filling, a sloppy Joe for a more perfect union. (File under ‘Blessings of Liberty.’) Fed to children with a tall glass of milk, the sandwiches may inspire smiles and licked plates, rapt attention and the request that the meal be served at least monthly — they are not at all too spicy for younger palates. Given to adults accompanied by cold lager, cucumber kimchi and a pot of the fermented Korean hot-pepper paste known as gochujang, they can rise to higher planes.

“Bulgogi sandwiches are a taste of the sort of home cooking that can lead to more home cooking. They serve as fragrant hamburger crushers, elegant vanquishers of pizza. They are an enemy of takeout.

“To cook them, you can follow the instructions slavishly, as if working for Hooni Kim, the chef and owner of Danji, on the edge of the theater district in Manhattan. Bulgogi ‘sliders’ are a hallmark of his menu and by far the restaurant’s most popular dish. This recipe is his.”

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration.

This recipe was featured in “The Bulgogi Slider Is a Delicious Curveball”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014203-bulgogi-sloppy-joes-with-scallion-salsa.

Ingredients

For the Bulgogi

1 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon peeled and grated garlic

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons mirin

1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and puréed in a food processor

1 small carrot peeled and sliced into julienne

1 medium white onion peeled and sliced into julienne

1 cup apple juice

2 pounds beef brisket, chilled slightly and sliced thin

For the Spicy Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons hot chili sauce, ideally Sriracha

For the Scallion Salsa

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes)

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 bunches scallions, cleaned, dried and sliced on the bias

Unsalted butter

6 soft hamburger buns

Preparation

For the Bulgogi

In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, sake, mirin, pear, carrot, onion and apple juice. Add the sliced brisket, stir to combine, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least six hours.

Meanwhile, in a small, nonreactive bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and hot chili sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors, then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When you are ready to make the sandwiches, set one very large sauté pan (or two large ones) over high heat. Using tongs, lift meat from marinade in batches, allow to drain well, then cook, turning occasionally until the excess liquid has evaporated and the edges of the beef have started to crisp.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the salsa except for the scallions, then stir to combine.

Toast and butter the hamburger buns. Spread spicy mayonnaise on the buns, and using tongs, cover one side of each set of buns with bulgogi. Add a large pinch of scallions on top of each burger and drizzle with the dressing. Serve with cucumber kimchi (see recipe).

MEATLOAF WITH A TWIST

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “This moist and flavorful meatloaf gets an extra kick from picante sauce...it takes just 10 minutes of your time before you bake it, so it's as easy as it is good to eat!”

Serves: 6 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 65 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Mushroom Gravy

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

Directions

Thoroughly mix 1/4 cup gravy, beef, bread crumbs, egg and 1/4 cup picante sauce in a large bowl. Shape the beef mixture firmly into an 8 x 4-inch loaf in a baking pan.

Bake at 350°F. for 1 hour or until the meatloaf is cooked through.

Heat 2 tablespoons drippings, the remaining gravy and the remaining picante sauce in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat until it's hot and bubbling. Serve the gravy mixture with the meatloaf.

Serving Suggestion: Serve the meatloaf with hot mashed potatoes.

SLOPPY JOES

This is from Marian Burros in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Marian wrote, “This simple version of sloppy Joes, the classic sandwich served in school cafeterias and at kitchen counters across the country, comes together in about 20 minutes and can be made with ground beef, chicken or turkey. As the name suggests, they are messy, so serve with a fork and plenty of napkins.”

Time: 22 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

This was featured in “Eating Well”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4203-sloppy-joes.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon molasses

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon orange zest

Pinch of ground cloves

Hot sauce to taste

For the Meat

1 pound ground beef

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

6 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Preparation

In a saucepan over low heat combine the sauce ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, and simmer while preparing the meat.

Heat a heavy nonstick or cast-iron skillet, at least 10 inches in diameter, over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin, and saute, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. Turn the meat into a strainer or colander lined with paper towels, allowing the fat to drain off.

Add the onion to the pan, and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Return the meat to the pan, and add the sauce. Heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt, pepper or more hot sauce, if desired. Spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture over each bun. Serve immediately.

Tip

This dish freezes well.

SLOW-COOKER BOLOGNESE

This comes from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Level: Easy; Total: 6 hr 45 min; Active: 45 min; Yield: 16 servings

This can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, chopped

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

4 pounds ground beef

2 cups whole milk

Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 Parmesan rind, optional, plus grated Parmesan, for serving

Cooked spaghetti, for serving

Chopped fresh basil, for serving

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Pour in the red wine and cook until it is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Pour this mixture into a slow cooker.

Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into the skillet, add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up any lumps, until it is nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the milk and cook until it is mostly absorbed by the meat, about 5 minutes. Add this to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and Parmesan rind if using. Add some salt. Give it a good stir, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Skim off any fat on top and check the consistency. If it is too thick, add a bit of water. If it is too thin, cook for another 30 minutes with the cover off.

Remove the rind and serve over spaghetti with lots of grated Parmesan and topped with fresh basil and parsley. Extra sauce can be frozen for later use.

SUPER SLOPPY JOES

This comes from Rachael Ray on the Food Network. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 4 super sloppy sandwiches.

This yummy recipe can be found at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/super-sloppy-joes-recipe4-1949927.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Garnish: sliced ripe tomatoes, pickles, Deviled Potato Salad, recipe follows

Deviled Potato Salad:

5 all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced

Coarse salt

1/4 onion

3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise, eyeball the amount

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon hot cayenne pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops. Serve with your favorite sides or sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, dill pickles and Deviled Potato Salad. Have plenty of napkins on hand!

Deviled Potato Salad:

Boil potatoes in water seasoned with coarse salt until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain cooked potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out. Let the potatoes stand 2 minutes, then spread potatoes out on to a cookie sheet to quick-cool them.

In the bottom of a medium mixing bowl, grate 1/4 onion using a hand grater. Add mustard and mayonnaise, paprika and cayenne pepper sauce to the grated onion and stir to combine. Add potatoes to the bowl and stir to evenly distribute dressing. Season potato salad with salt and pepper and taste to adjust your seasonings. Top servings of salad with chopped scallions.