Beef - February 2010

February has come and gone—sorry about that. Our recipe club theme was Beef for the month just past (did I mention how sorry I am?).

I thought about taking this a lot of different directions, especially since hamburger is one of our national foods. But lately I have rediscovered the old-fashioned joy of a hunk of meat. If you read old cook books (and why wouldn’t you?) then you know, according to my very scientific accounting methods, that they were about 75% dessert recipes and 25% everything else. I guess there were only so many ways to cook and season meats and veggies. Now with the welcome addition of a variety of ethnic flavors, seasonings and cooking methods, our possibilities are seemingly endless.

As much as I love the versatility of ground beef, I have really appreciated lately having a roast in the freezer for ease and some tasty dishes. Using the Crock-pot (maybe the greatest addition to the kitchen ever!) makes dealing with a roast, even frozen solid, very convenient and quick to put together. And, considering how much food it puts out, surprisingly economical.

None of the following recipes are new or innovative, but they’re good and sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of ways we used to cook and dishes we used to make that we have left behind for no real reason. Am I the only one that does that? No, I know I’m not. I’ve had women tell me “I used to make that. I wonder why I don’t anymore?”

My preferred cut of roast is “chuck” (often shoulder), but because of the crock-pot you can serve tender and delicious beef from many a cheap cut.


Crock-Pot Roast
Sunday Roast
Mexi-Roast
BBQ Beef Sandwich - in the quick recipe section of the September 2009 theme post