Orecchiette with Pancetta and Asparagus
Oh, pasta how I love thee. When I followed a vegetarian diet for a few years, I really learned how to have fun with pasta and man, I ate a lot of it. These days, I’m back to eating meat but my love for the …
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Miso Soup with Shitake Mushrooms and Grilled Tofu
Some days I just need to hit the restart button. Typically this means looking inward for some peace and eating something that fills my stomach and soul with goodness. This past weekend, it was some much needed quiet time and miso soup. Miso soup is …
Drunken Round Steak
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m on a real comfort food kick lately and this weekend was no exception. We’re getting bombarded with snow right now, so what better way to spend time inside than cooking up a warm and comforting dish of round steak and noodles?
It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything with round steak but since it was part of the side of beef we recently purchased, I have a few of them on hand that I need to get creative with. Braising is perfect for it, but I wanted to change it up and make something I could serve with noodles or rice. I trimmed the beef and sliced it, and then tossed it in some flour before browning it. Then I threw in some garlic, onion, mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers and then some beer (hence the “drunken” part of this recipe) to make a gravy. After about an hour-long simmer, the results were delicious. This is an amped-up recipe version of beef tips with noodles and it’s packed with heartiness and flavor.
It may not make for the prettiest of photos, but sometimes flavor trumps food porn.
Round Steak with Peppers, Mushrooms, and Onions over Noodles Recipe
- 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. round steak, trimmed of bone and fat and cut into 1-2 inch strips (save those extra parts for beef broth!)
- salt and pepper for seasoning steak, plus extra if needed
- 1 1/2 cups flour (I used unbleached whole wheat)
- 1/4 cup oil (I used a non-GMO sunflower oil but most types of oil will work here)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped (don’t mince it – you want it chunky so it doesn’t burn)
- 1 medium onion, cut in half at the root end and sliced
- 1-2 bell peppers, preferably red, orange or yellow, sliced
- 8 large mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bottle of beer or 1 /1/2 cups stock
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 lb. cooked pasta or egg noodles (I used Buitoni fresh linguine)
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
Season beef strips with about a teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss in flour to coat.
Cook pasta and drain. Return to pan and add butter. Toss well and cover until ready to use.
Heat oil n a large, deep-sided skillet. Add beef strips in 2 portions and brown well. Set beef aside and add the garlic, onion, peppers, and mushrooms to the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add half of the beer or stock and stir well, scraping up all of the crispy bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the beef to the pan, add the red pepper flakes (if adding) and the remaining beer or stock. Stir well. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour or until the beef is incredibly tender, stirring a couple of times during cooking time. Taste and season with more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Pour beef mixture over buttered noodles and serve immediately.
Notes: As mentioned, you do not have to use beer here – stock will work just as well. You could use chicken stock for a lighter flavor or beef stock for a beefier flavor; even vegetable stock would work. Also, the butter adds a beautiful richness to this but can certainly be omitted. When I make comfort food, I go all in, but you can modify as needed.
I will warn you that after initially cooking the beef, it will look like one big hot mess in your pan, but don’t despair…once you add the beer or stock and scrape and stir it all together, your gravy will form. If you prefer more gravy, you can add more beer or stock accordingly.
Noodles or rice? Totally your preference. I happen to prefer noodles but it’s your call. Either way this is a delicious round steak recipe!
Also, don’t be afraid to try other veggies in this – broccoli, leeks, and greens would all be great substitutions or additions, depending on your taste.
Happy snow days everyone!
Classic Creme Brulee
I’ve loved creme brulee from the moment I first tried it many moons ago. It’s still a classic dessert, even though it’s been around for ages. I just made a batch last weekend and it gave us a treat to enjoy throughout the week. Always …
Braised Arm or Blade Roast with Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
If you’ve followed my site for a while then you know how much I love braising and oven roasting things, especially in the winter. Seriously, who doesn’t love a great pot roast recipe? This year, we joined my parents in going in on a side …
Stuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls
Most “stuffed” recipes can, admittedly, be a bit time-consuming. From dumplings to ravioli to…well…cabbage rolls, stuffing things takes a bit of extra time and effort. This recipe is no exception. BUT, like it and so many other stuffed recipes, it is well, well, worth it. Behold….classic sweet and sour stuffed cabbage rolls.
My paternal grandma used to make stuffed cabbage rolls and it’s taken me quite a while to nail down the same amazing rolls. The secret to these is the tomato sauce, which is made with brown sugar and white vinegar, which gives them a sweet and sour appeal. I’ve seen them called German-style cabbage rolls, although there’s a whole other German-style cabbage roll made with brown gravy. Whatever their origin, I’m just glad that I finally figured these out. I like to make them in a big batch, which can easily be reheated for leftovers because honestly, aren’t these kinds of food always even better the second day?
Sweet and Sour German Style Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
This recipe makes about 2 dozen rolls
Cabbage
- 1 medium head of cabbage, whole but with the base core carefully removed. I use a sharp knife to cut carefully around the core at an angle (angling in) to remove it. You can always remove more of the interior core once it’s steamed and cooled.
I like to get the cabbage done first so it has plenty of time to cool and be easy to handle. Fill a large stockpot with about 2-3 inches of water. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Add cabbage, cored-side down, and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the whole cabbage to a colander to drain and cool.
Carefully peel off each cabbage leaf, keeping them as intact as possible. Some of them may tear just a bit, but that’s okay – they will all come together when you roll them. You may need to slice each leaf at the thick rib near the core to remove them. Remove at least 14-16 leaves and then chop up the rest of the cabbage, which you’ll add to the stuffing.
Rice
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup rice
In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add rice, stir well, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, while you prepare everything else.
Tomato Sauce
- 3 cups pureed tomatoes, with their juice (canned or fresh). If you only have whole peeled tomatoes, just smash them up really well with your hands before heating and be sure to use all the juice.
- 1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup – packed) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a good simmer, uncovered, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the stuffing.
Stuffing
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb.lean ground beef
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Remaining chopped cabbage
Over medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet or stockpot. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened. Increase heat to medium-high and add pork and beef. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring just a couple of times until just cooked through, and remove from heat. Add beaten eggs, remaining chopped cabbage. and rice and mix well. Set aside while you prepare the cabbage leaves.
In two 13 x 9 baking dishes, drop a tablespoon or so of tomato sauce in the bottom of each dish and swirl it around.
Preparing the cabbage rolls
Take a cabbage leaf and fill with a couple of healthy tablespoons of stuffing mix. Fold in edges and roll as tightly as possible without tearing the leaves. Place prepared roll, seam-side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves and stuffing.
Cover baking dishes with lids or foil and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for an hour. Remove covers and bake for 10 more minutes.
Voila! Yes, these are a bit of work but they’re seriously worth it.
I like to make mine with a combination of beef and pork for 2 reasons – one is that I like the mix of flavors and two that it makes this dish a little lighter and healthier. If you prefer beef over pork or vice versa, feel free to add what you prefer.
I’m not a fan of all the added sugar that pervades our food these days but it’s definitely key, along with the vinegar, in this recipe. The sweet and sour aspect of the sauce is what makes these flavorful and unique.
I hope if you catch any missed steps or not-clear points, you’ll let me know. These aren’t nearly as complicated as they sound, really just time-consuming.
Oh, and if you like stuffing things, here’s my steamed dumpling recipe, here’s my homemade classic ravioli recipe, and here’s my mushroom ravioli recipe.
Never, ever be afraid to play with your food! Enjoy!
Easy Apple Tarts Recipe
Have you recovered from your Thanksgiving food overload yet? I hope you all had a great day. I’m blessed to be able to be the host for our families each year and this year was one of my best turkeys ever. I’ve played around with …