Neither I, Nor Beef, Will Ever Be The Same
Sunday, February 28, 2010 I love beef. Always have. So when I was invited by TheMotherhood.com to come up with some beef recipes as part of their "I Heart Beef" campaign, I was all too happy to oblige. After I said yes, however, I realized something. My best beef recipe consists of the following ingredients: salt, ribeye, heat.
Considering I was given a heap of beef as compensation for my participation, I felt kind of guilty tapping out a one liner, waving good-bye and taking my beef home. I am a man of integrity. I earn my meat the old fashioned way: by making absurd videos.
So I made one. This one's called "Beef. It's What's For Dinner... and a LOT of Other Things."
And if you came here thinking you'd get a recipe or two, you know me well. I'm all about spreading the food knowledge and love. I've got two finger-food recipes that will make you a hit at parties. Unless you're the one who was supposed to bring the alcohol. In which case you'll get yelled at for bringing this "fancy beef crap" instead of booze. Tread carefully.
But first, the giveaway. Because I know you only love me for my meat.
I will be giving away a $100 Omaha Steak gift card to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment telling me about your favorite memory making everyday occasions special with beef. Really, who hasn't had those?
For extra entries, you can do the following, worth one entry each:
- Follow the Beef people on Twitter.
- Become a fan of the Beef people on Facebook.
- Ask Chef Dave Zino, executive chef of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association a beef cooking question.
Just let me know which of the above you did and I will grant you that many more entries.
Contest deadline is Wednesday, March 3, 11:59pm.
Recipe 1: Beef Curry Puffs
When I graduated from college and became part of the adult world, it meant bringing Doritos and Rolling Rock to parties would no longer suffice. So I threw a bunch of my favorite things together and created these. I've since discovered that these actually exist, but screw it. I'll just consider myself awesome for inventing them.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped onion (I never get scientific with ingredients - just feel it)
- 2 Tbs curry powder
- 1 Tsp cumin (yes, I know curry powder has cumin in it. I just like extra cumin. Cumin rocks)
- Approx. 4 oz. Mango Chutney (or half a 9 oz. bottle)
- 1 package puff pastry sheets
- 1 egg
- Unwrap the puff pastry and set on the counter to defrost (40 min before you need to use it).
- Sauté the onions in butter or canola oil until translucent. About 2 min.
- Add the beef.
- Once the beef begins to brown, add the curry powder and cumin.
Look at that cascade of awesome goodness.- Once the spices have been integrated into the meat, add the Mango Chutney. I like my curries sweet (I LOVE Thai Curry dishes that use coconut milk), so I tend to add more Chutney than the average person would. So use the 4 oz. as a guide. Add some, taste, add some more, taste, etc. That's what makes cooking fun.
- Remove from heat. Let the mixture cool.
- Cut the puff pastry dough into approx. 2" x 2" squares.
- Scoop a small spoonful of meat into the center of a square and pinch the sides together in a triangle. Place onto a greased baking sheet (Pam spray is best).
- Beat the egg in a bowl and add a teensy bit of water. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the egg wash on top of the pastries.
- Place sheet into a preheated 400 degree oven.
- Find a corner to sit in for 15 minutes and spend some quality time with the dog.
- When the pastries are golden brown, they are ready. And crazy delicious.
Recipe 2: Surf 'n Turf Handrolls
I love sushi. But I realize that not everyone likes raw fish. This is my version of a more "made for TV" handroll featuring all cooked ingredients. And of course, beef, which is unusual for sushi. But then again, I'm unusual for a mom blogger, so there.
Ingredients:
- 10 Handroll-sized nori (seaweed) sheets (Most Asian markets have these. If you can't find any cut to handroll size, you can just do it yourself. They are roughly a 4" x 8" rectangle.)
- An 8 oz. ribeye, or similar steak, grilled and sliced into strips
- 1 avocado, peeled and cut into strips
- Fresh chives (not chopped)
- Sushi rice:
- 2 cups short grain rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tbs sugar
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- Spicy shrimp mixture:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (if you have an Asian market near you, get Kewpie Japanese mayo. If not, regular mayo works).
- 1 Tsp chili paste (Sriracha sauce preferred. most markets, even regular American supermarkets, sell it nowadays. Or use Tabasco.)
- 2 Tsp tobiko (flying fish roe -- those little red granules that coat the outside of your California Roll)
- 1/2 Tsp Mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine -- I have also found this in American supermarkets. If not, then use honey)
- 1/2 lb cooked shrimp, chopped
- 2 Tsp chopped fresh chives
- Sweet "Pickles"
- 1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 4" strips
- 4 Tbl rice vinegar
- 2 Tbl sugar
- 1/4 Tsp salt
To make the sushi rice:
- Cook the rice, set aside.
- Add the water, sugar, vinegar and salt to a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves.
- Let it cool.
- Slowly add the liquid to the rice. And fold it in. Don't add all of it. Add it until it rice is damp but not wet. You don't want soupy rice. You're actually going to discard most of that liquid. It's just hard to measure those ingredients in small quantities to cook.
To make the Spicy Shrimp:
First, here's a pic of the harder-to-find ingredients (Kewpie, Tobiko, Sriracha). Since I live in CA, where there is significant demand for Asian foods in the mainstream, your average supermarket might carry this stuff. And if not, there are Asian markets everywhere. I realize the rest of the country isn't so lucky with the ethnic foods being a stone's throw away from any point in the city.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. That's it!
To make the Sweet "Pickles":
- Sprinkle the cucumbers generously with salt (around 2 tsp will do) and set aside for 15 min. The salt will draw the moisture out.
- Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly to get the salt off.
- Add all the ingredients in a bowl and add the cucumbers. Let it sit for a few hours ideally, but these taste good even after 15 min.
Assembly:
- Lay down one nori sheet lengthwise in front of you. Lay some rice down on the left side. Kind of spread/smoosh it. The left side of the rectangle should have rice and the right side should be empty.
- Diagonally lay a strip of steak, an avocado, a pickle and a chive onto the rice, oriented in an 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock position.
- Spoon some shrimp mixture on top.
- Grab a grain of rice and smoosh it into the opposite corners. See circled areas in diagram below. These will serve to glue the ends together after you roll it.
- Bring the lower left corner up to the middle-top (see arrow below). It will form a cone. Then just keep rolling that cone and secure the edges (the smooshed rice).
- That's it! After writing all this, I realized that this is highly complicated. I guess that's why sushi is so expensive. Oh well. If you're ever in town, I'll make it for you for a bag of Doritos and a 6-pack of Rolling Rock.
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Reader Comments (59)
I nominate you for an oscar in best supporting actor, best actor and directing! My best beef memories making meatballs for my friend and her hubby before I left after a month long visit with them in Germany!
Holy goodness! This was an enjoyable watch. And I am going to be making that hand roll soon - it looks fabulous. I make a similar pickle for this Vietnamese Chicken Wrap thingie we love; never thought to include it in sushi.
I peed my pants. Not kidding.
i puked a little but because it's amusing and Fury is too cute, and because I'm the awesomest vegetarian ever, I'll post it on FB!
DUDE! These look fantastic. Especially love the handrolls (not surprisingly).
My dad would have loved this. He was a proud member of Beef Nation.
ROFL! This was really funny! Love that you involved your son. You look like a great dad and he was having lots of fun too! I commented on the giveaway and would LOVE to win some money for Omaha Steaks! Thanks for the giveaway!
Rib Eye steaks always have a positive effect on my personality/moods. Just ask my husband! If I'm "down", he always bbq's a steak for me. It gives me courage -- like your cute son! Love the recipes. I'll try some and send in a review.
Your video was fabulous and made me crave steak...lots and lots of steak on a fork; to heck with a knife!
My favorite memory is making stuffed cabbage with my grandmother. Even though I grew up helping her make it, I still can't duplicate it. I swear my Nana put something in it when my back was turned to make it turn out so yummy.
I'm living for summer...it's too cold to grill out here in Ohio in winter. I love making shish-ke-bob with lots of onions and pineapple on the skewers.
I follow Beef for Dinner on Twitter-auntiethesis
I'm a Beef for Dinner Facebook Fan-Michelle Hudak
wow.... that was some video... and if I'm ever allowed to eat seafood again- I'm SOOOO doing steak sushi rolls
as for the steak in your video- I must say it made me glad I live in Canada- our beef is bigger here!! :P mooooooooooooooo!!!
So, do we get double entries for commenting on this post and the last one? I don't have a second beef story... but I had a wicked good chocolate cake for dinner tonight (my brother's girlfriend's birthday) and that made this pregnant mama happy! ;)
OMG NEKKID BUSY DAD!
And now, strangely, I want meat.
My favorite memories with meat are this video.
Well played, Busy Dad.
I can't believe you put meat in your ears.
AWESOME.
You are fliiin' nuts (and funny).
Enter me, cause I loves me some beef.
Cumin does, in fact, rock. In fact, when I mix my curry powder, I double the cumin. Our kids have no choice but to love cumin: South Asian mom, half-Mexican dad.
About Twitter? I like to adopt new technologies about 7 years after they're cool, thank you very much. I can't hang with the cool kids.
WOW your hair grows fast! Haha jk.
So freakin' funny!! Love your videos. Nice burn on Fireflies too--my goodness I can't stand that song.
OMG - heeeelarious!
My favorite memory of beef is having chicken-fried steak in some greasy-spoon diner somewhere in Kentucky. The whole scene was crazy and I just remember laughing but enjoying every bite!
Chicken fried anything now seems like a good idea.
Hilarious & delicious!
Well done!
Hysterical! Oh, and Sriracha with beef - wow... that's gotta be killer.
You totally crack me up. Love this!
Well, crappers! I just got busted by my boss for laughing so hard...totally worth it!
Best memory involving beef: Anytime I get a chance to eat it grilled...off the dock at Lake James in Angola, IN... just as the sun is setting...after skiing all day. Doesn't get any better than that!
Ok, that was too much. Like, oh my gosh. I'm sorta a sometimes vegetarian but this was so funny and I'd love to win the steaks. I want some beef!
Steph
OMG- so friggin awesome with a side of Heinz 57!
Okay, that was the funniest video EVER! I was crying at my desk from laughing so hard! I linked a friend! FANTASTIC JOB BUSY DAD & FURY!
OMG -- beef earplugs?!!
And now I'm going out for sushi because that handroll looks too good.
Holy crap that was awesome! LOL!
See, I would have drooled over a topless wet Busy Dad but I was too busy gagging and trying to purge the memory of you stuffing raw beef into your ears.
EW. And as a cattle farmer, it takes a lot for me to gag when it comes to raw meat.
That said, Nice JOB. And Fury? If you ever want new parents, come see me. I promise I'll pay you a whole lot more than your dad does for you to appear on camera.
Still, you can't claim hottest daddy blogger until you sing in your underwear, serenading the Redneck Mommy on her blog.
Keep trying dude. My blog is open for your audition ANY TIME.
The more things change, the more they stay the same! Very funny!
I have been hired more than once by presenting the hiring manager with a steak. Or was it because I hit him with a frozen steak and took over his job. Nah, that could never happen.
my little brother's birthday is the 4th of july and we always have a steak bbq. it's the most fun party all year long and the best steaks all year long.
You hade me at "puffs". I did all three, because you know...I'm starting to run out of meat.
Oh my goodness - so funny!!!
I make meatloaf for my man to let him know I love him. Yup, it's that simple because beef is love for my man.
I heart beef. *shakes head*
my best memory of beef is when i finally leaned how to hide it in my napkin so i could (not so) stealthily sneak off to the bathroom and flush it down the loo.
sadly? chloe is a beef/chicken/pork/fish eating maniac, so gimme some meat!
xoxo
Dude. Who ARE you??? Holy shit. The raw beef in the ears is still making me gag.
Okay. You are such a friggin' lunatic video storyteller. I love it. Now what to do with all of this raw talent of yours!!! It kills me!! And then the cooking on top of it all!!!???? You're a hero.
I happen to dig me some beef. But I like it medium. I know - sacrilege. But style me with those Omaha Steak and I'll try it medium rare. As long as you cook.
Nice work beef boy!!
:-)
If ever there were a better day to start following your blog, I'll be damned if it exists. Who doesn't love a beef laden vlog?! This chick sure does. Can't wait to see more adventures of BusyDad and Fury. :)
You are are never not authentic, creative, and hilarious. I've got mad respect for you, friend.
Also, I didn't see mention of it, but I *swear* I saw some beefCAKE in that shower.
*snort*
Hilarious! Although I'm SO GLAD you took a shower after that meat earplugs incident....
LOVED the video (and I'm drooling over the handrolls).
Yes - Medium Rare...anything else is an insult to the beef!
Omg, where do I vote?
And Sriracha? Seriously? Best. Thing. Ever. I even take it on trips. (You think I'm joking.)
One everyday meal that our family really enjoys is beef taco night. We put out all the fixins' and everyone makes their own favorite combination. Cooked ground beef takes the center stage surrounded by shredded cheese, salsa, hard and soft taco shells, chopped tomato, onion, guacamole, etc. Everyone is happy becase it is make-your own taco night!
I posed another question for Chef Dave on their web site:
What is your favorite cut of beef to serve while entertaining casually and how do you cook it?
P.S. Just an aside: I voted for you! Good luck!
Hm...Instead of making these recipes, I think I'll just invite you and that cute kid over for dinner.
Potluck.
So when you gonna get an awesome print function so I can print your recipes & give them a try? Or, you know, a cookbook? :)
You know how I feel about you. We don't have to sit through a comment full of accolades and adoration for everything BD.
That being said, enter me for the steaks (ALWAYS Medium Rare -- REPRESENTIN'), and know that I'm following the Beef People on Twitter and on Facebook for those extra entries. I also asked Chef Dave a question.
XO
You kill me! I linked to my response to this post on my web site. I also followed the folks on Twitter and Facebook. Keep on rockin'!
Phew, I think I made the deadline (thanks to Modernmami's tweet) well, she was right (Modernmami) you make awesome videos. That just made me smile and is totally worth an entry, right there...right?
We love beef, salt, pepper and grilled, real simple, at our house, too!
Thanks for the chance!
Followed you (how I wasn't, in the first place, beyond me) and followed Beef Folks on Twitter!
I know, only 1 entry, still, don't know how I wasn't following you on Twitter, damnit!
OMG... those handrolls look phenomenal. I'm all over that this weekend.
Most awesome ad for beef EVER. May even make a confirmed non-red-meat-eater convert.