Red Meat

Sauerbraten with Gingersnap Gravy in a Crockpot (Sheila)

Combine in a large bowl:
1-1/2 cups Burgundy or other dry red wine
1-1/2 cups red wine vinegar
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
12 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Add a 3 to 4-pound beef rump roast, turning to coat. Cover. Refrigerate about 36 hours, turning at least two times a day.

Remove meat after 36 hours, and wipe it dry. Strain and reserve the marinade. Brown in a lightly oiled skillet, then place in a crockpot. Pour reserved marinade over meat. Cover and cook at low setting for 8 to 10 hours. When meat is tender, remove from crockpot. Measure 1-1/4 cups of cooking liquid into a saucepan, then add 3/4 cup water and 2/3 cup crushed gingersnap cookies. Cook and stir until gravy is thickened. Serve sauerbraten and gingersnap gravy with spaetzle. 

You have to plan a couple days ahead to make sauerbraten.

Cranberry Pot Roast in a Crockpot (Sheila)

One 3 to 4 pound boneless pork roast or lean beef chuck or bottom round roast
Salt and pepper
Half of 12-ounce package fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper, and place in a crockpot (cutting into large pieces if necessary). Combine all remaining ingredients, and pour over roast. Cover, and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. 

Swedish Meatballs (Sheila)

1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon each pepper, celery salt, garlic salt or nutmeg, if desired
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs, or up to 3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 soup can of water
Gravy coloring, if desired

Mix meat, seasonings, crumbs or oatmeal, water and onion. Form into about 24 small balls. Roll in flour (no need to do this if using microwave.) Brown in hot fat, or, if using microwave, cover glass dish with plastic wrap and cook on 70-80% power setting for 4 minutes. Rotate 1/4 turn and cook on

4 more minutes. Drain grease. Mix soup, water and optional gravy coloring and pour over meat balls. If cooking on top of the stove, cover and simmer 30 minutes. If using microwave oven, cover and cook on 70-80% power 4 minutes; rotate 1/4 turn and continue cooking on 70-80% power 4 more minutes. Serve over cooked white rice or noodles.

Beef Burgundy in a Crockpot (Sheila)

2 pounds lean stew meat, round steak, chuck steak, chuck roast or pot roast, cubed into 1-inch pieces
1/2 medium to large onion, finely chopped

Place in crock pot, and stir in 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoon flour. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon thyme or marjoram. Cover the meat with 1-1/2 cups dry red wine and 1/2 cup water. Add 1 can drained mushrooms. Cover, and cook at low setting for 10 to 12 hours. Thicken only if necessary. Serve over rice or cooked noodles.

Easy Onion Pot Roast (Sheila)

2-4 pound chuck roast or round steak, cut 1-2 inches thick
Heavy-duty foil
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 4-ounce can mushrooms, drained

Place meat on foil and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Top with mushrooms. Wrap in foil, sealing edges tight with double fold. Place in shallow baking pan and roast for 1-2 hours or until fork tender at 375 degrees. Makes about 4 servings.

Bill-Won't-Be-Home-for-Dinner-Tonight Casserole (Sheila)

Brown 1 pound ground beef and some chopped onion and drain. Place in deep casserole dish and put one can drained green beans or one can drained whole corn on top. Stir together one can cream of mushroom soup and one can cream of chicken soup. Or, just combine two cans cream of mushroom soup. Pour over top of meat and vegetable. On top of those, add tater tots to cover. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Beef Stew (Bill Jr.)

3 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 pounds beef stew meat or round steak or chuck steak or chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 cups vegetable juice cocktail
1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon or 1 beef bouillon cube
Few dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 cups sliced celery
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots

In a plastic bag, combine flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Add meat cubes, a few at a time, shaking to coat. Brown meat in a Dutch oven in hot oil. Add onion, garlic and thyme. Stir in vegetable juice, bouillon, hot pepper sauce, and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 1-1/4 hours or till meat is nearly tender. Stir in potatoes, celery and carrots. Cover and simmer 30 minutes more. Skim off fat. Serves 6.

Italian Meatballs (Sheila)

Soak 4 bread slices (any kind) in 1/2 cup water for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 eggs and mix well. Mix with 1 pound ground beef, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons snipped parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed oregano and a dash of pepper. With wet hands, form meat mixture into small balls (about 24). Brown slowly on stove top or in microwave oven. (If using microwave oven, cover cooking dish and cook at 70-80% power setting for 4 minutes. Uncover, stir, turn meatballs over and give a quarter turn. Continue cooking for another 4 minutes.) Add browned meatballs to spaghetti sauce and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

Chili (Sheila)

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
1 1-pound can tomatoes, broken up
1 1-pound can dark red kidney beans, drained
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 bay leaf

Cook meat, onion and green pepper in skillet until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for one hour. Remove bay leaf.

Tamale Pie (Sheila)

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
Dash pepper
6 ounces Cheddar-type cheese, shredded (1-1/2 cups)

Cook meat, onion and green pepper in a large skillet until meat is lightly browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato sauce, corn, olives, garlic, sugar, salt, chili powder and pepper. Simmer 20-25 minutes until thick. Add cheese and stir till melted. Pour into greased 9 x 9 x 2 baking dish.

Make cornmeal topper by stirring 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal and 1/2 teaspoon salt into 2 cups cold water. Cook in heavy saucepan and stir till thick. Add 1 tablespoon butter or margarine and mix well. Spoon over hot meat mixture. Bake casserole at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves 6.

Mexican Tortilla Casserole (Sheila)

Blend one package enchilada seasoning mix and one 6-ounce can tomato paste and 1-1/2 cups water. Bring to boil and simmer for five minutes. Grate 8-10 ounces (or more) Cheddar cheese. 

Brown one pound of ground beef and drain fat. Add sauce mix and one small can sliced black olives. In round 2-quart baking dish, layer three tortillas, then meat sauce and cheese. Repeat this layer. On top of tortillas, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Cover dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Porcupine Meatballs (Sheila)

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 regular can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine meat, rice, egg, parsley, onion, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup condensed tomato soup. Mix thoroughly and shape into about 20 small meatballs. Place into large skillet. Mix remaining soup, water, and Worcestershire sauce and pour over meatballs. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 minutes, stirring often. Serves 4-5.

Wiener Schnitzel (Sheila)

1-1/2 pounds veal round steak or cutlets, 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup flour
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Lemon wedges

Cut meat into 4 pieces and pound to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut small slits around edges to prevent curling. Coat meat with flour seasoned with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine egg and milk. Dip floured cutlets into egg mixture, then in bread crumbs. Cook meat in hot shortening 2-3 minutes on each side or till tender. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

For wiener schnitzel a la Holstein, top each cutlet with a fried egg.

Hungarian Goulash in a Crockpot (Sheila)

Combine 1/3 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt and dash pepper and set aside. Cut one 2-pound beef chuck roast or round steak into 1-inch cubes and brown in 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the meat as it is browning. After meat has browned, transfer to crock pot. Add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 tablespoons catsup, 2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon, 1 teaspoon paprika and 2 bay leaves. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours. Turn cooker to high setting. When mixture boils, remove bay leaves. Combine 1/2 cup sour cream (or sour half and half or nonfat plain yogurt) and 3 tablespoons flour. Slowly blend 1 cup of liquid from crock pot onto sour cream. Stir well and add back into crock pot. Cook and stir until mixture thickens. Serve over hot noodles.

Honey-Garlic Pork Chops (Sheila)

4 pork center loin chops, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches thick
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 cloves minced garlic

Combine last five ingredients as a marinade and pour over chops in heavy plastic bag and seal. Refrigerate 4 to 24 hours. Remove chops from marinade, reserving marinade. Broil 5 inches from heat source, turning once, for 12 to 15 minutes. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade. Be careful not to overcook.

This is one of my special company recipes. Everybody loves it.

Marinated Flank Steak (Judy Jean)

2 pounds flank steak (about 2 inches thick)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey
Ginger to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Dash wine

Cut parallel diagonal slices on meat on one side and parallel diagonal slices the opposite way on the other side. Combine remaining ingredients to make a marinade. Marinate meat 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in refrigerator. Broil 5 minutes on each side.

Swiss Steak (Delphine)

2 pounds round or flank steak
1 small can tomatoes
3 tablespoons drippings or shortening
1 medium onion, chopped
Small can mushrooms (optional)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup flour

Sprinkle a little water over the steak. Dredge meat with flour. Brown steak thoroughly in drippings or shortening on both sides. Transfer steak to greased casserole, small roasting pan or baking pan (with a lid). Pour water into pan the steak was browned in. Let water boil while scraping pan to loosen juices and flour. Pour water mixture over steak in baking dish. Add the onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for two hours, until meat is tender but not dry.

One time I added sliced a sweet red pepper that had seen its better days and added it to the tomato mixture on the top. Tom commented that it was the best Swiss steak he'd had!

San Francisco Pork Chops (Sheila)

4 pork chops (preferably 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, boneless)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Trim fat from pork chops. Brown in cooking oil. Remove and add a little more oil if needed. Sauté garlic for a minute or two, being careful not to burn it.

Combine together in a bowl:
2 teaspoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons dry sherry or broth
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Replace pork chops in skillet. Pour sauce over chops and cover tightly. Simmer over low heat, turning once, until chops are tender and cooked through (about 30 to 35 minutes). Add a little water (1 to 2 tablespoons) if necessary to prevent sauce from cooking down too much. Remove chops to platter. Stir 2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water into sauce and cook until thickened. Pour sauce over chops and serve. Serves 4.

Cincinnati Chili (Sheila)

In a large dutch oven, bring 1 quart water to a boil, then add 2 pounds lean ground beef (uncooked). Stir until separated and bring to a simmer.

Add:
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1-1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring to a boil, then simmer 2-1/2 hours. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.

For 2-way chili, add a layer of grated cheddar cheese. For 3-way chili, add a layer of chopped onions. For 4-way chili, add a layer of red kidney beans or black beans. We like ours with a layer of black beans and then grated cheese.