sweet 'n' savory TWO

Korean-style Marinade for Grilled Beef Short Ribs (kalbi kui)

• Soy Sauce, 1/2 cup
• Mirin, 1/4 cup
• Dark Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup
• Rice vinegar, 2 TBS
• Sesame oil, 2 TBS
• Minced garlic, 2 TBS
• Large green onion (or two small ones), julienned
• Ginger, minced, 1 TBS
• Dried chili pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp 
• Beef short ribs, 3 lbs

1. Whisk all ingredients but ribs until well incorporated.
2. Marinade beef short ribs overnight.  Grill until cooked.  Serve warm.

Simple Pan Sauce for Steak

Instructions: after removing cooked steak from the pan, the following ingredients can be added to the pan to make good use of the savory brown bits left in the pan.

1. Add some butter to the pan and heat over medium heat.
2. Add some minced shallots to the pan, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until shallots are browned and fragrant.
3. If desire, a bit of alcohol such as red or white wine or cognac can added to the pan at this point.  Boil the liquid until it is reduced to a glaze. 
4. Add some cream and meat juices accumulated on the plate to the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir constantly until sauce reduces and thickens.
5. Season sauce with salt & pepper.  Serve immediately with steak.

"Butter" Up That Steak!

Here are some easy ways to butter up your steak so that your steak will please you even more in return!!

Instructions - before cover cooked steak loosely with foil, top it with a pat of the plain good real butter or any of the following.  The butter will melt and flavor the steak while steak rests.  In no time, you will have restaurant quality steak to be enjoyed right in your home!

• Plain good old butter, of course!
• Garlic butter
• Truffle butter
• Fresh Herb butter
• Spice butter
• Cheese butter
• Anchovy butter

Cast Iron Steak

Cast Iron steak is one of the easiest ways to enjoy steak at home - rain or shine! 

Instructions:

1. Remove steak from refrigerator about 30 mins prior to cooking.  Salt & pepper two sides of the steak generously.  Set it aside in room temperature for 30 mins.  (Do NOT leave the steak in room temperature for more than 30 mins to ensure food safety!)
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F degree. 
3. Heat cast iron pan over high heat and add just enough oil to cover the surface of the pan.
4. As soon as the pan is hot enough and the oil just begins to smoke, lay steak in the pan.  Keep the burner on high and leave the steak in the pan for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side (resist the temptation to turn the steak before it is nicely browned!) in order to give the steak a nicely charred crust.
5. Once both sides of the steak are nicely browned, turn off the heat and remove the cast iron pan from stove and put in your oven.
6. Depending on the thickness of steak and how you like your steak done, the oven time can vary.  For a 1&1/2 inch thick steak, three minutes in the 350F oven should be enough to reach medium rare state. (An instant-read thermometer can be your best friend at this point and is the most scientific way to determine the doneness of your steak. The thermometer should read 120F for rare, 130F for medium rare, and 140F for medium.)
7. When steak is done to your liking, remove steak from the oven and place on the warmed serving plate.  Cover loosly with foil (now is the time to flavor your steak with butter or make a pan sauce to go with steak if desired) and let sit for 5 mins before cutting - this final step is key to allow the juices inside the meat to redistribute evenly and settle in order to ensure maximum juiciness. 
8. (5 mins later) now DIG IN!!

Pepperoncini Beef

In addition to serving this dish with buns, Bob also likes to wrap the meat, some onion and peppers cooked in the same broth, some queso cojita in charred corn tortilla = simple food at its best!

Ingredients:

• 3 LB Beef chuck roast, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 jar (16oz) Pepperoncini peppers (w/juice)
• 1 can (14oz) Beef broth
• 6 Garlic cloves
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Chili pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender.

Ingredients:

• 3 LB Beef chuck roast, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 jar (16oz) Pepperoncini peppers (w/juice)
• 1 can (14oz) Beef broth
• 6 Garlic cloves
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Chili pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender.

Stir-fried Beef with Oyster Sauce and Onion and Bell Pepper

Jia's "Stir-fried Beef with Oyster Sauce and Onion and Bell Pepper" Recipe

Ingredients:

<Marinate>

• Beef, thinly sliced (cut cross grain), 1 LB
• Baking soda, 1 tsp
• White sugar, 2 tsp
• Soy sauce, 1 TBS
• Corn Starch, 2 tsp
• Cooking rice wine, 1 TBS
• Water, 2 TBS

<Oyster Sauce>

• Oyster Sauce, 2 TBS
• Water, 2 TBS
• Sesame oil, 1 tsp
• Soy sauce, 2 tsp
• Corn Starch, 1 tsp

• Vegetable oil, 2 TBS
• Green onion, 5, cut into 2-inch strips, divide into white parts and green parts
• Ginger, 6 thin slices
• Onion (medium), 1, thinly sliced
• Red bell pepper (medium), thinly sliced

• Salt & Pepper, to taste (optional)
• Vegetable oil, 2 TBS & 1 TBS

Instructions:

1. Mix the first 7 ingredients well and store, covered, in the refrigerator for an hour to marinate the beef.
2. Mix the following five ingredients to make oyster sauce.
3. When beef is ready to be cooked, add first 2 TBS of vegetable oil to beef and mix well.
4. Add  2 TBS of vegetable oil to a frying pan or wok and heat pan over high heat until oil is hot enough (begin to smoke).
5. Add beef to hot pan and quickly stir-fry over high heat until almost cooked (slightly pink). Quickly remove beef from pan into a plate for later use.
6. Add remaining 1 TBS of vegetable oil to hot pan and then the white parts of green onion and ginger and cook over high heat.
7. When green onion and ginger begin to brown, add onion and bell pepper to pan and quickly stir fry over high heat for 2 minutes.
8. Return beef to pan, then add sauce to pan, stir-fry all ingredients to mix well for about 3 minutes.  Add salt & black pepper to taste if desired.
9. Serve immediately with steamed rice.