beef Archives -

I attribute all that I know about Chinese cooking to my mother and her hard work in the kitchen, always wanting to nourish our family. I don’t recall any formal cooking lessons or even ever helping out all that much while she cooked, but somehow along the way I learned from her. She knows how to throw together elaborate meals without using recipes or instructions. For a while Chinese cooking was the only type of cuisine that I’d be brave enough to attempt without a recipe. It’s how I started learning to trust my own intuition and instincts at the stove, making adjustments as I went along.

Chinese stir-fries are frequent dinners for us and I’ve decided to share this sirloin and napa stir-fry because it’s simple and makes a great base recipe for creating other stir-fries. It’s also one of the few ways my kids will eat cabbage and I always feel victorious when my kids willingly branch out from the usual broccoli, spinach, and peas. An entire head of cabbage may seem like a lot at first, but it shrinks down considerably as it cooks. When stir-frying beef, always be sure to place the meat in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing in order to make slicing the meat easier. Also, slicing thin and across the grain leads to more tenderness by relaxing the muscle fibers of the meat. Once all of the ingredients are prepped, stir-frying is generally pretty quick. I kept this one fairly minimalist by using only sirloin, onions, and napa, but you could also add carrots, broccoli, peppers, or whatever other vegetables you may have on hand.

As we gear up to celebrate Mother’s Day, I am especially thankful for my own mom and for the multitude of things I have learned from her. This post is dedicated to you, Mom!

Sirloin and Napa Stir-Fry

Ingredients

Marinade

¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1½ tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, thinly sliced, about ½ cup
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Stir-Fry

1½ pounds sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 head napa cabbage, about 2- 21/2 pounds
2 tablespoons neutral oil with a high smoke point, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup water mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot
additional scallions and sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Add sliced sirloin, mix together, and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Pull and discard any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut the bottom off the cabbage and slice in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise again so that you have 4 quarters. Slice each quarter crosswise into shreds, about ½-inch thick.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat for a few seconds. Stir in minced garlic and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon, remove beef from the marinade and add to the skillet, reserving the marinade. Stir-fry beef just until it turns pink, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer beef to a bowl and briefly set aside.
Heat remaining tablespoon of oil. Add onions and stir-fry until onions begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir just until cabbage wilts, about 3-4 minutes. Return beef back to the skillet, along with the reserved marinade and water cornstarch mixture. Stir until sauce thickens and beef is cooked through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with rice and garnish with additional scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

*If you prefer a dryer stir-fry with less sauce, reduce the amount of water.

I often tease Ryan that if it weren’t for him, I would be a vegetarian. If I am truly honest with myself however, I am not a vegetarian because of dishes such as these. These tender, savory, melt-in-your-mouth braised beef short ribs are one of the coziest meals to warm up with on a cold winter day. Last week, we had a small gathering of friends over for New Year’s Eve and I made a double batch of these short ribs for our main coarse. This is a perfect recipe for entertaining small or large gatherings. Not only does this recipe double easily and effortlessly, but it’s also best prepared the day before serving so flavors can develop overnight. Then all that’s needed on the day company arrives is to simply heat and serve. The key to achieving that fall-off-the-bone-tender meat is first searing the meat and then letting it slowly cook in the oven for 4-5 hours. The house will smell wonderful and it will be hard to not to immediately enjoy after the meat finally comes out of the oven, but do wait because it makes a difference. Here it is served over a mound of mashed potatoes with parmesan and greens, but it also goes well with a simple accompaniment of brown rice. I’m including the recipe for the potatoes and greens even though it’s a simple one because it makes a wonderful side for so many dishes. Here’s to good friends, togetherness, and warm comforting meals on cold blustery evenings.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

6 pounds beef short ribs, in 4-5 pieces
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups cabernet sauvignon or other heavy red wine
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
7 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Sprinkle all sides of the beef with kosher salt and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325.
In a cast iron dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over high heat. Add the ribs to the skillet a few pieces at a time and sear until golden brown on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer short ribs to an empty dish and continue searing remaining pieces of beef.
Reduce heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until soft. Pour in the wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and mixture becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pot, along with the stock and herbs. (If doubling the recipe, combine everything in a heavy roasting pan.) Cover and roast for 4-5 hours, until bones easily slide off of the meat.
Allow short ribs cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.
About an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 325. Remove and discard the solid layer of fat from the top of the ribs. Bake ribs covered for 20 minutes and then bake uncovered for another 20 minutes, until heated through. Cut the meat into serving pieces and serve with parmesan potatoes and greens or brown rice.

Notes

slightly adapted from The Blackberry Farm Cookbook

Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan and Greens

Ingredients

3 pounds yukon gold potatoes
1 large bunch swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½-1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, cover potatoes in lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer potatoes for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are soft when a knife pierces through. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the swiss chard and stir until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Roughly mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pastry blender. (I leave the skins on for a more rustic feel, but peel potatoes if desired.) Gradually add ¾ cup milk, the remaining olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper and continue to mash until you reach desired consistency. Add the remaining ¼ cup milk if necessary. Stir in the sautéed greens and serve warm.

Notes

slightly adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook