Same same but different. This beef salad is similar to Roast Beef Steak Salad Bowl just using different cut of meat. Same same but different. With the same chuck roast, let's change up the vegetables, so still worthy to be a Budget-Friendly Beef Salad.
There are two interpretations of London Broil. One describes it as the cut of meat (top round, lean cut) while the other is the method of cooking (with the word "broil" in it, using high heat over a short period of time). Which is the correct one?
An attempt on London Broil was made, adapted from this roast beef recipe.
To make a much easier equally delicious beef salad bowl, here's a short-cut is to use ready-cooked beef e.g. this Sous Vide Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin from Cuisine Solution, sold at Costco. Simpler, hassle-free, and delicious.
Make a batch of roast beef, have different meal variations and enjoy steak salad for days.
Besides ready-cooked duck and ready-cooked beef sirloin, one can also choose store-bought pre-marinated meat while preparing protein bowls.
Almost like a half-way point, though not as quick as ready-cooked, buying it pre-marinated raw meat then roasting/cooking it at home can still save time in meal preparation.
Besides ready-cooked duck, another ready-cooked item tried and tested in our family kitchen recently is this Sous Vide Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin from Cuisine Solution, sold at Costco.
If you remember our wallet-friendly Budget Steak Chuck Roast Beef Salad that demanded more prep-and-cook time, ready-cooked items like Sous Vide Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin takes about 10 minutes to reheat. SO. MUCH. EASIER. The time required, essentially, is the time to prep.(rinse & slice) and cook the vegetables. This Sous Vide Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin works seamlessly with protein-veggie bowls, making possible this 20-minute Sous Vide Beef Salad Bowl.
Beef chuck - cut of meat from shoulder area of the cow might be budget cut of meat compared to cuts such as sirloin or even flank, but that does not mean inferior in taste. Since the shoulder cut has more muscles, connective tissue and less fat, the meat might be tough to chew if cooked improperly. The key to succulent and tender oven-roasted beef chuck is to go low (oven-roast temperature) and slow (roasting time).
Though beef chuck roast is prepared and enjoyed as a braise or stew most of the times, this alternative way to pair slices of beef chuck roast with garlic-steamed vegetables, is equally enjoyable and delicious, just like a healthy warm steak salad.
I tried Beef Brisket and Daikon Soup 牛腩萝卜汤 in a Chinese/Dim Sum restaurant months ago (again, the beef is not a want for me but a need to heal my injured elbow including bone, tendons, cartilage, muscles etc.) and inspired me on how I should cook the remaining oxtail at home. A clear broth of Oxtail and Daikon Soup 牛尾白萝卜汤 it will be.
It is super easy to make this soup and can be a nourishing soup for winter - replenishing iron in the body and improving blood/fluid circulation. For Oxtail and Daikon Soup 牛尾白萝卜汤 you need: 1 medium-size daikon, cut to wedges/rounds; 6-7 pieces of oxtail, blanched and set aside; ginger, onions and garlic. (Note: optional - pinch of whole fennel seeds and black peppercorns as well, for flavor profile).
It has been more than eight weeks since my right elbow was fractured. It usually takes more than a month (sometimes up to 3-4 months, depending on severity) to completely heal the fractured bones, including injured (broken) tendons, cartilage, soft tissues, biceps, triceps, muscles.
To help myself heal faster and speed up recovery, I have been cooking bone broth at least once a week during the initial stages of recovery and to-date, I have cooked bone broth with pork bones once, beef bones twice, and chicken bones many times.
You can say I am desperate to heal!
This is my first time cooking oxtail and for similar reasons, the purpose is to drink up the "collagen" and minerals (calcium, iron, etc.) that hopefully helps me heal faster. Why did I choose oxtail? It can be beef shanks, other bone parts too.
Oxtail is bony and gelatinous too, and usually takes a long time to cook till fork-tender. If it means requiring a relatively longer duration to cook, it also means they contain more connective tissues, muscle fibers and collagen. These days, I am super sensitive to such words related to the bone. :D
Since it is a first time for me, I reckon the most idiot-proof way is to stove-cook the oxtail with gentle heat over a long duration (at least 3 hours); and with the most basic and common root vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery to flavor up this Oxtail Soup. Surely, it won't fail me?
The idea was from a cooking show in the Chinese channel. I thought it was darn easy to make these beef patties. Idea I "stole" but not the recipe except for the two ingredients I followed exact - tomatoes and ground beef. I had my own seasoning to the beef patty.
Many of you have your own concoction when seasoning beef patties (esp for burgers) and they should all work fine. However, I do like the idea of tomato being the base for the patty. Why? If you can imagine...while pan-frying the patty (beef side down), the tomato on top trickles moisture down to the beef patty, ensuring the patty does not dry out. Moist and juicy. Even when you bite on them, it is juicy and moist due to the presence of tomatoes.
These days, it is not the type of sauce that determines the pasta type or choice. Instead, it is how busy your schedule is, that decides the choice of pasta types. Busy people who are always in a hurry are in for bowtie pasta, shell pasta, fusili - pasta that settles with a spoon or fork without splatter worries. Those with a little more time can afford to slurp and enjoy the longer strands - spaghetti, linguine, angel hair - wiping your saucy lips once every 5 feeds.
Ha. I have made a strong sweeping statement. You still typically decide pasta type based on the type of sauce. It is just me, who go with my favorite pasta type and pasta sauce. And sometimes, I just whip up something simple like this.
Scrolling to the bottom of my front page, I found that it has been "meatless" for the past five to six posts!! Certainly, I have not turned vegetarian and probably never will, as the other one with me needs meat. Here comes...a meat post. ^o^
Weirdly enough, I only have my Mcdonald's fix outside the United States - a case where the non-USA franchisees taste better. Ditto Burger King and Carls Junior. Wendy's just made a comeback to Singapore recently and I don't think I will get a chance to try it. The Singapore media glamored it (overhype, maybe?) - I have not stepped into any Wendys in the US as far as I can remember.
And because there are really better burgers (St. Johns Bar and Grill right smacked at where I stay in Sunnyvale and In-N-Out Burgers throughout California) in the United States, I don't really crave for Mcdonalds, Burger King and Carls Junior in the States.
To call itself a Prosperity Burger can only be something happening in Asia. The Prosperity Burger is a special menu item currently in Singapore's Mcdonalds, due to the festive season ever since New Year in Jan, and awaiting Chinese New Year in Feb.
It tastes quite ok, something different for once, a change once in a while. The packaging says it all - a burger of beefy goodness and spiced up with black pepper sauce and onions.
Remember? I wrote about Mcdonalds in Taiwan offering Multigrain Burger; and KFC in Taiwan offering Portugese Egg Tarts. I remember Mcdonalds Nasi Lemak and Chicken Congee in Singapore too. You can always check out my "chomp chomp" in Taiwan and Singapore.
What is the most memorable or festive goodie offered by your local Mcdonalds, KFC, Burger King or any popular fast-food chain ?
Tag: burger, mcdonalds
Presto Pasta Nights starts year three and what is better than whipping up my favorite tomato-based pasta dish. I don't claim I cook the best pasta dish but in my own repertoire of pasta dishes, this pasta is one of those I do best.
Ever since I got used to using canned tomatoes (main ingredients: tomatoes, sea salt) for making my own pasta sauce, I have long forgotten Prego-alike sauces which is generally too high in sodium.
Pasta Marinara with Beef and Shitake Mushrooms
Ingredients: chopped garlic, fresh shitake mushrooms sliced thinly, ground beef, sliced onions, some butter, olive oil, 1 can of diced tomatoes, salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano and basil, some stock/water if sauce is too dry
Directions:
1. Cook pasta accordingly to instructions. (Note: I like my pasta al-dente and do not like to overcook my pasta. I prefer to leave the remaining of the al-dente pasta cooked in a pan when I toss them with the sauce later)
2. In a lightly oil pan of olive oil, add in onions. Then add in some butter. Saute till onions are slightly soft, then add in garlic. Saute further.
3. Add in mushrooms and tomatoes, mix well. Let it simmer.
4. Add in ground beef and mix well with the ingredients (Note: I do not like to add in the ground beef too early. This is to prevent overcooking of beef and leading to rubbery texture). Add some stock/water if too dry.
5. At this time, the onions, garlic and other ingredients are cooked and soft. Add in seasoning and herbs and mix well.
6. When ready to serve, add in the pasta and toss well with the sauce in the pan. This will ensure the slightly uncooked pasta absorbs the sauce and complete the cooking in the pan. Then the texture of the pasta is just right.
Bon-Appetito! ^0^
This pasta goes to Ben of What's Cooking.
Tag: pasta, one dish,shitake mushrooms, bolognese
What do you think an old and chipped-off-the-edge clay pot will do ?
The BEST beef rice EVER!
The same eatery where we had the corned beef sandwich, Wing Hop Shing Restaurant - 永和成茶餐厅 is famous for its Claypot Rice with Beef and Egg as well. Looks like this place is good for its beefy stuff.
They serve the beef rice in clay pot with the raw egg cracked on top. With the heat of the beef, rice and claypot, you mix-in the egg with the beef and rice (as shown). Mix well, and voila!
*Taken few months back while in Hong Kong
Wing Hop Shing Restaurant - 永和成茶餐厅
G/F, 113-115 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan
Tag: claypot rice, Hong Kong eating
The Beef Sandwich is highly recommended in this place in Hong Kong.
Specifically, it's the Corned Beef and Egg Sandwich.
Living up to its name...
Corned beef and onions scrambled with egg
The Yun Yong Milk Tea is aromatic and does not leave a bitter aftertaste
*Visited earlier this year, 2008
Wing Hop Shing Restaurant - 永和成茶餐厅
ADDRESS: G/F, 113-115 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan
More Hong Kong Eating here.
Tag: corned beef, sandwich, Hong Kong eating
A VIEW of my rice plate
Another VIEW of the same...
Red Cargo + Brown Rice served with Vegetables(Bok Choy), French Bean Omelet, Green Onion Ginger Beef.
Tag: long bean omelet, french bean, rice plate, long bean
Some of you were confused about my current location. I'm back in Singapore, for a while at least. This was taken some time back in my trip to Hong Kong. The highlight - Wagyu Beef Fried Rice
Wagyu Beef Fried Rice
One of the more expensive fried rice I've tasted but worth every cent paid. Can you see those luxury bits hiding amongst the rice grains?
Perfectly "wokked" up fried rice!
Another unusual way to enjoy a dim-sum popular - steamed chicken glutinous rice (Lo Mai Gai ), is to have it fried! The glutinous rice is coated with egg, then fried - thus giving it this lovely crisp golden coat.
The inside - mushrooms, dried shrimps, meat bits...
Thanks to Precious Pea for her recommendations. I enjoyed this meal at 鴻星海鮮酒家- Super Star Restaurant :)
Tag: wagyu beef fried rice, Hong Kong eating
Remember this picture? What was I planning to cook ?
I hope the bok choy did not mislead you. I was planning to cook pasta.
Yes.
This.
Beef and Oyster Mushrooms Fusili
Ingredients:
Carrots, onions, can of tomatoes, oyster mushroom, ground beef/pork, salt and pepper to taste, bok choy (blanched), pasta cooked according to instructions
Directions:
1. In a lightly oiled pan, sauce the onions and carrots, and when they are partially tender(soft), add in meat and mushrooms, followed by tomatoes (Remember?...some good oil is good for carrots and tomatoes)
2. Let this cook at medium heat and when start to simmer, turn to low heat and continue to let it simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Note: For a little variation, you can add in some curry powder so you get a light curried tomato-based sauce)
3. When the sauce and gravy partially reduced and all the ingredients are cooked, add in pasta and mix well
4. Before serving, turn off the heat, you can add in bok choy(already blanched) and mix into pasta or just serve the bok choy around the pasta.
Instead of using broccoli or spinach often seen in Western pasta dishes, I think alternating with bok choy is a great idea. At least, it works for me. Now, I can have tomato-based pasta with Chinese vegetables! Yay!
This week, Presto Pasta Night is back with Ruth. Check her out on Friday!
Tag: pasta, one dish
The many kinds of beef noodles I've came across. Which one do you like ?
In Taiwan: Beef noodle in light broth
In Hong Kong: the dry and soup version of braised beef brisket noodle
The Vietnamese variety...
Pho
Tag: taiwan eating, Hong Kong eating, beef noodles
Tomatoes + onions + ground beef - the most basic of my homemade pasta meat sauce. For extra perks, I usually add mushrooms -white or brown crimini mushrooms. Or when I'm crazy, oyster mushrooms and swordbelt mushrooms. My meatless pasta sauce version has gotta be this chunky vegetable pasta sauce. I can't get bored with pasta, can I ? I've been having them almost once a week, at least, recently.
"Fusili with Mushrooms and Beef in a Lightly Spiced Sauce " sounds like a traffic throng in the tongue, but the ingredients and cooking are SIMPLE, really. Finished by a unique touch of spice - Asian curry powder. Now...that's even crazier than adding oyster and Japanese mushrooms into a pasta dish.
Fusili with Mushrooms and Beef in a Lightly Spiced Sauce
Ingredients: Ground beef; half a onion- sliced and chopped finely; assorted mushrooms; can of diced tomatoes; 2tsp curry powder (or more depending on how strong a curry flavor you want but note: do not use too much or it will become curry beef - as in with too much gravy); fusili, cooked according to instructions
Directions:
1. In lightly oiled pan, add in onions to saute and when slightly soften (half way to "translucence"), add in tomatoes, then ground beef and mushrooms. Will take about 3-5mins for things to "soften" a little (to be cooked)
2. Add ~2 tsp curry powder and mix well
3. Add some water/stock, allow it to simmer on low heat
4. Before serving, add in boiled/cooked pasta in the pan of sauce and mix well
Crazy but simple, isn't it? :D Not too fiery...just mildly spicy. Due to my recent travel, I've missed Presto Pasta Night for almost a month! I'm back, Ruth!
Tag: pasta, one dish
Read Part I. The secret affair continues...
Stay on stay on, you are on the right page, though I am talking beef, yet showing an onion
Under circumstances YOU GET TO SEE the GRAIN LINES (obvious lines) on that piece of meat...when you see them, then SLICE AGAINST THE GRAINS LINES! One (but not the only) tip to get tender piece of beef. I HEARD YOUR TIPS and TRICKS! :) Thanks.
SECOND TIP during preparation. I'm not so sure about this but many Chinese cooks and chefs believe SALT will make beef more chewy (less tender). Is that true ? Probably a more appropriate statement when seasoning uncooked beef before you cook it. Once the beef is cooked, you can seasoned with salt without worries and to taste, since a different science concept would have applied. So...so...when you want to season uncooked beef with salt, make sure it is minimally seasoned with salt. Minimal ? Okay. Let's say you are grilling a chunk of sirloin steak. Sprinkling a pinch or two of salt on it should be fine? Relativity measurements.
I'm beginning to understand why Chinese cooks and chefs say that. Most of the beef dishes whipped up in Chinese cuisine uses strips and thin fillets of beef. I am trying to vision - when they have to season many strips/fillets/pieces of beef (VERSUS one single slab of 9-oz, typically calls by in the Western cuisine), the amount of salt contacting the beef surface area is different. OH, SAVE ME SAVE ME...and save you from all my talk. Professional chefs out there, don't throw your eggs at me ok? I'm learning and starting to appreciate the science of cooking. Hmmph....did Alton Brown ever had an episode or snippet on that...to explain the molecular or atomic reactions? I miss Alton Brown (though he does not know me)!
WHY? WHY ? I hope I am not being technically incorrect. But I deduced --> when salt contacts blood, it will cause blood channels/vessels to constrict. If you bring this back to beef, the salt that contacts the "blood" in the beef (thus, called red meat) will cause the muscles/grains lines in the beef to constrict further - tensed muscles, constricted grain lines, contracted meat structure ---> hard-to-bite and less tender beef ? Tender beef = beef with a "relaxed" meat structure. Does it sound logical? Enough said. This post is getting longer.
Then, why on earth am I featuring an ONION ??? Am I getting a second throw of eggs here? Please don't....
I wanted to bring you to a point about slicing an onion, AND it has got to do with SLICING AGAINST the "lines". THIS.
Onion: I'm not beef but if you slice me like that, I will appreciate it and be milder to you :)
If you ever find raw onions too pungent or too sharp to be consumed as-is, TIPS are:
1. Cut or slice against the "grain" or lines (shown in the 2nd & 3rd photo, compare that with the first which is slicing along the "lines")...yes, and you thought that "theory" only applies to tenderizing beef ? When you slice them this way, you break up the channels that produce the evil tear-inducing chemicals, also the channels that cause onions to have pungent and sharp raw taste.
2. Soak sliced onions in cold ice water bath for 5-10 mins. The chemicals that result in pungency and sharp biting taste gradually "leaks" out to the water.
Well, depending on how brave you are when facing an onion. Some people do enjoy its pungent and sharp biting taste as distinct characteristics but some shun onions for the same reason. If you ignore step (1) --> slice it along the "lines"--> step (2) can also give you milder-tasting raw onions -OR - if you are cooking onions in a dish, and wants your onions to turn sweet (the longer you cook onions at low-medium heat, the softer and sweeter it becomes) in a shorter period of time, step (1) slicing/cutting will help release the onion "sweetness" faster.
Now by understanding an onion, you will love your onion more, raw and/or cooked. Specifically, you will enjoy raw onions in future - make your crisp clean salads or burger much more appealing and welcomed by all. No more will you say "I wanna order a burger, without onions...puh-leasse..." (maybe it's just me?)
Hey, why am I discussing and having this monologue here? It is natural, basic, inherent instinctive knowledge to all of you. It is ME, THE ONE who has NOT been PAYING TOO MUCH ATTENTION to an ONION for so many years. D0 all cooking schools teach this ? :Pat
I would love to share these onion tips with Astrid at Paulchen's FoodBlog for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging.
Tag: onion, beef, cooking tips
