Where's the Beef?

Anyone who grerw up during the 1980s and '90s might remember the old question, "Where's the beef?"

Today's post deals with beef, and includes Smothered Skillet Beef Burritos and Hearty Beef Stew With Red Onions and Ale. Enjoy!

SIMPLE, PERFECT CHILI

This yummy chili recipe is from Ree Drummond on The Food Network. Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/simple-perfect-chili-recipe-2107099.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

2 cloves garlic, chopped

One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup masa harina

One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Shredded Cheddar, for serving

Chopped onions, for serving

Tortilla chips, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Place the ground beef in a large pot and throw in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add 1/2 cup water at a time as needed.

After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and/or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency, or to add more corn flavor. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, chopped onions, tortilla chips and lime wedges.

SHEET PAN CARNE ASADA

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Get delicious, flame-kissed carne asada on the table in less than an hour with this sheet pan carne asada oven recipe made entirely in the broiler. There is no need to marinate the steak the night before, just brush on our classic Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix and ground spicy red pepper. Toss your fresh vegetables with cumin and coriander and then arrange it all on your sheet pan to let the broiler do the rest of the work. You may not go back to grilling carne asada after tasting the delicious and tender steak and vegetables from this easy-to-make broiler recipe!"

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/sheet-pan-carne-asada.

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 ears fresh sweet corn, cut in thirds, or 6 pieces frozen corn on the cob, thawed (from 12-ct package)

1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut in thin strips

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 1/3 lb beef flank steak

Tortillas and Toppings, as desired : Old El Paso™ flour tortillas, crumbled queso fresco, sliced radishes, diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream

Directions

Position oven rack 4 inches from broiler element. Spray 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, the cumin, coriander and salt. Add corn, bell peppers and onion to bowl, and toss to coat; transfer to pan. In same large bowl, mix remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the taco seasoning mix and ground red pepper. Add steak; rub mixture in to steak. Transfer to pan with vegetables.

Broil 8 to 10 minutes, turning steak and stirring vegetables once, until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of steak reads 135°F (for medium). Transfer steak to cutting board; cover with foil, and let steak rest 5 minutes.

Stir vegetables in pan; return to oven, and broil 4 to 6 minutes longer or until vegetables are blackened in spots. Thinly slice steak on the bias, against the grain. Serve with vegetables in tortillas with toppings.

Expert Tips

While traditional carne asada is all about the marinade, when you don’t have time to marinate your meat for several hours this recipe is the perfect solution. To make sure your steak is properly spiced before broiling, season one piece of sliced steak at a time. Sprinkle the seasoning over the steak first on both sides and then use your hands to rub it further into the steak. Make sure the steak is completely covered with the spice mix, rubbing in the spices to the front, back and the sides.

We love eating this flavor-packed corn straight from the cob. But feel free to cut the corn off the cob after taking it out of the broiler to make serving easier.

If your oven’s broiler only covers the center of your oven, arrange your pan with the steak in the center of the pan when you are first broiling. When you remove the steak rest, thoroughly stir the vegetables and position them in the center to ensure all elements get plenty of time directly under the flames.

Give your carne asada-packed tortillas a flavor boost with homemade guacamole! We can’t get enough of our recipe for Guacamole with Queso Fresco. This guacamole is perfect for adding to tacos and burritos or great when you are just snacking with a bag of corn chips!

OLD-FASHIONED SKILLET GOULASH

This is from Linda Larsen on The Spruce Eats. Linda wrote, "This simple and old-fashioned recipe for Old-Fashioned Skillet Goulash is delicious and quick to make. It uses the shortcut ingredients condensed tomato soup and diced tomatoes with garlic. If you can't find diced tomatoes with garlic, add 2 cloves of minced garlic to the recipe. Cook the garlic with the ground beef and onions.

"Skillet meals are good because there is little cleanup, and they can be made quickly. And this recipe contains pasta that is cooked right with the other ingredients, making it a one-dish meal. Since the pasta is cooked in the sauce, it has a better texture and absorbs more flavors than pasta cooked in a huge pot of boiling water.<​br />
"You can use other types of pasta if you'd like. Ziti or mostaccioli would be good in this dish. Those types of pasta will most likely take longer to cook than the rotini, so be sure to taste the pasta as it cooks. Always cook pasta to al dente, which means the pasta is tender, but still has some texture and a bit of resistance in the center. You can also sprinkle this recipe with some grated or shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese before serving, even though that ingredient is not traditional in goulash."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/old-fashioned-skillet-goulash-480733.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

2 onions (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic (undrained)

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 to 3 teaspoons paprika (to taste)

1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup water

2 and 1/2 cups rotini or gemelli pasta

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (if desired)

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender, stirring to break up the meat. Drain well.

Add the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes with their liquid, vinegar, sugar, paprika, marjoram, salt, pepper, and water to the skillet with the ground beef and onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture starts to boil, stirring frequently.

Add the pasta to the skillet and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Simmer the food, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender, about 11 to 16 minutes. Sprinkle everything with fresh parsley, if using, and serve immediately.

HEARY BEEF STEW WITH RED ONIONS AND ALE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, "In this cozy beef stew, tender chunks of meat in a silky, savory, ale-tinged sauce share the pot with wedges of red onion and sweet nuggets of carrot. A little coriander and allspice add fragrance and depth to the mix, while a spoonful of tomato paste deepens and rounds out the flavors. Like all stews, it tastes even better a day or two later, and can be frozen for up to two months. Serve it over something soft and buttery to soak up the sauce: a mound of mashed potatoes, noodles or polenta."

Time: 3 hours; Yield: 6 servings

This was featured in "Looking for Comfort? Turn to This Beef Stew", and can be found online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021592-hearty-beef-stew-with-red-onions-and-ale.

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks

Kosher salt and black pepper

3 medium red onions

1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 cups beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 cup ale or beer (nonalcoholic is fine)

1 rosemary sprig

3 carrots, sliced

1 tablespoon cider vinegar or sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

Chopped chives, for garnish

Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Preparation

Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Set aside while you prepare the onions.

Peel the onions. Cut 2 of them in half root to stem, then thinly slice them crosswise into half-moons. Cut the third onion, root to stem, into 1/2-inch wedges.

Dust the beef cubes lightly with flour. Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven or other pot over medium-high. Add beef, in batches taking care not to crowd the pan, and sear until it’s good and dark all over, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer beef cubes to a bowl as they brown. Add more oil and adjust heat if necessary to prevent burning.

Stir in sliced onions and raise heat to medium-high if you lowered it. Cook until pale golden brown and soft, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and lightly golden at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Make a well in the center of the onions, then stir in tomato paste, coriander and allspice; cook, stirring until paste is darkened, 1 minute. Stir in stock, ale, 1 cup water and rosemary sprig. Return beef and any juices to the pot and bring to a simmer. Partly cover the pot and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

Give the beef a stir, then add onion wedges. Simmer for 15 minutes, then stir in carrots and continue to simmer until the meat, onions and carrots are tender, 30 to 45 minutes longer.

If the sauce seems thin, use a slotted spoon to transfer meat and vegetables to a platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Discard the rosemary. Return pot with liquid to stove and simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Taste and add more salt and vinegar if you like. Spoon sauce over meat and garnish with chives, flaky sea salt and more black pepper.

CHEF JOHN'S AMERICAN GOULASH

This comes from Chef John at Allrecipes. He wrote, "One of my all-time favorite comfort food meals growing up was the beef goulash they served in my school cafeteria alongside a slice of buttered white bread and a carton of milk. Little did I know that it wasn't really goulash, but an Americanized version, invented to stretch a small amount of beef into enough food for a not-so-small family. This is one of those very simple dishes that does not taste simple--perfect for your weeknight dinner rotation."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Additional Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings: 12

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/275489/chef-johns-american-goulash/.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 pounds ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 bay leaves

1 quart chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce

1 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups elbow macaroni

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese (Optional)

Directions

Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir until liquid is evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves.

Cook and stir until flavors come together, about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and marinara sauce. Rinse out the jar with 1 cup water and pour into the pot. Add soy sauce, stir, and bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer to let flavors intensify, about 30 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a simmer. Add macaroni; simmer, stirring occasionally, until just barely tender, about 12 minutes. Check for doneness after 10 minutes.

Remove goulash from heat. Discard bay leaves; stir in parsley and Cheddar cheese. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Taste and season as desired.

Chef's Notes:

Make your own Italian herb mix with any desired blend of oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, and basil.

Feel free to swap water for chicken broth.

You can also add beans to turn this into an excellent pasta fazool.

SMOTHERED SKILLET BEEF BURRITOS

This is from Betty Crocker kitchens, and begins, "Love burritos and enchiladas? With these hearty burritos, smothered in enchilada sauce, you never have to choose a favorite! They come together in one skillet for a quick dinner that’s packed with Mexican flavor."

The recipe ends with, "If you need a way to combine your love for enchiladas and burritos, this is the recipe for you! Let’s face it — the best part of enchiladas is the melty cheese and enchilada sauce, so why wouldn’t a skillet of hearty beef burritos smothered in the same topping be just as delicious? Once you’ve made this recipe, if you still have a hankering for more, we’ve got plenty more burrito recipes for scoping out your next dinner idea. We’ve got breakfast burrito recipes, too, so you can eat burritos for all meals of the day! Looking for a lighter swap? We bet this recipe would be just as tasty made with ground turkey. "

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/smothered-skillet-beef-burritos/15381158-d997-40e2-b7ef-86685ee2c54d.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1/2 cup diced onion

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup water

1 package (11 oz) Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch)

1 cup Old El Paso™ refried beans (from 16-oz can)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, if desired

Lime wedges, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. In 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Drain, and return mixture to skillet. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes longer or until thickened. Transfer to medium bowl. Clean out skillet; spray with cooking spray.

Place tortillas on work surface. Divide refried beans, rice and beef mixture among centers of tortillas in 4-inch long strip. Evenly top with 1 cup of the cheese. Roll up into burritos, and place seam side down in skillet. Bake 25 minutes.

Drizzle with enchilada sauce; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and burritos are heated through (165°F). Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.

Expert Tips

To roll burritos, fold one edge of tortilla over length of filling, tucking filling in slightly. Then fold two short edges over. Roll filled tortilla over toward remaining unfolded edge.

For a fun twist, swap 1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained and rinsed, for the refried beans.