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Tasty recipes to cook beef

Tasty Recipes to Cook Beef




1. Slow Cooked Beef and Veggie Soup
Serves 10-12
2 large yellow or white onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup of vermouth* or dry white wine (or substitute more water)
3 cups of filtered water
3-4 pound beef roast, preferably grassfed (such as chuck or rump roast)
1 Tb plus 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp plus 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 Tb celtic sea salt, divided in half
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided in half
one 18-ounce jar of diced tomatoes (I prefer Jovial brand diced tomatoes, which are in a glass jar)
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped (I leave the skin on the potatoes)
2 cups of green beans (I use organic frozen green beans for easy prep)
1&1/2 cups of frozen green peas

About 10 hours before dinner, put the onions, celery, garlic, and bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour in the vermouth and water. Place the beef roast on top of the veggies. Sprinkle with 1 Tb dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1&1/2 Tb salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Pour the jar of tomatoes over the top. Cook on LOW.**
About 5 hours before dinner, add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans to the pot. Nestle them down into the sauce. Sprinkle with another 1&1/2 Tb salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
About 30-60 minutes before dinner, pull the beef out onto a cutting board. Allow to cool a bit, and then carefully trim away and discard any gristle or chewy bits. Shred the meat with a fork, or chop it into small pieces.
Return the meat to the pot. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the green peas and remaining spices (1/2 tsp each of dried basil and oregano). Turn the heat to WARM and let it sit for ~30 minutes. (If your slow cooker doesn't have this setting, just turn it off and let it sit 30 minutes with the lid on.) Don't skip this step as it allows the meat to soak up the juices and become super moist.
Ladle into bowls and enjoy! Grain-free cheesy bread makes a fantastic accompaniment to this soup.

Beef fajitas are a favorite meal in our house.  This recipe cooks up all day; the results are tender and flavorful, and can be served in a variety of ways.  This recipe easily makes enough to feed a crowd, or you could freeze some for future easy meals.

2. Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas
Serves 10
4 to 4.5 pound beef roast and/or sirloin steak (it's okay if this is frozen when you start the meal)
2 medium white onions, chopped
Juice from 2 medium limes
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 Tb dried cumin
~ 5 sprigs fresh thyme
celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
7 cloves garlic, sliced
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 medium red, orange, or yellow bell peppers (but NOT green), chopped
Additional 1/2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp cumin
Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole* or avocado chunks, salsa
Place the chopped onions over the bottom of a large slow cooker. Put the meat on top of the onions.
Season with the lime juice, 3/4 tsp oregano, 1 Tb cumin, thyme, salt and pepper. My general rule of thumb is to start with 1 tsp salt for every pound of meat.
Sprinkle the sliced garlic over the top.  Then put a lid on the pot and cook for 4-6 hours on LOW if your meat was fully thawed, or on HIGH if your meat was frozen.
About 2-3 hours before mealtime, flip the meat.  Then add the sliced mushrooms and chopped bell peppers, and nestle them down into the pot. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, and continue to cook on HIGH.  (If you will be away from home all day, you could skip flipping the meat, and add in the mushrooms/bell peppers in the morning with everything else.  I would leave the veggies a bit larger if they will be cooking all day.)
About 30-60 minutes before mealtime, pull the meat out onto a cutting board.  Shred the meat with a fork, or slice it thinly across the grain.  Dig around in the pot to find the thyme stems and remove these from the pot (the thyme leaves should have all fallen off during cooking, so the stems should come out leafless.) Return the meat to the pot and nestle it down into the juices.
Taste the liquid in the pot and add more salt and pepper as needed.  Add the remaining 1/2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp cumin, and fold it all together. Then turn the heat down to WARM (or turn the pot off entirely) and let it hang out for 30-60 minutes. This will allow the meat to get very succulent and juicy.
The fajita meat can be served in a variety of ways: in grain-free tortillas, in corn tortillas, in a bowl, or over a bed of lettuce for a salad.  Whichever way you choose, make sure to garnish it with plenty of cheese, sour cream, guacamole/avocado chunks, and salsa.

3. Cajun-Spiced Beef Roast
Serves 8 generously
4-5 pound beef roast, such as rump roast, pike's peak roast, or arm roast
3 Tb cold butter, divided in half and chopped roughly (or more if your roast is lean)
1 medium onion, sliced
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tb packed minced fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 Tb packed fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tb ground paprika
3 bay leaves
dash of cayenne pepper (or more if you like spicy foods)
1 Tb plus 1 tsp chunky celtic sea salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Spread the onion over the bottom of a large slow cooker or oven-safe pot.  Strew the bay leaves over the onion.  Sprinkle about half the butter over the top.
If your beef roast is not quite thawed all the way, make a criss-cross on the top with a sharp knife.  You can also cut the roast in half, if you like, so more will be down in the yummy juices while cooking.
Combine the remaining spices, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the herbs over the beef roast.
Place the roast on top of the onion in the pot. Sprinkle the remaining butter over the top of the roast.
Turn the slow-cooker on LOW, or place the pot in a 225 degree F oven, for 8-10 hours.
About 30-60 minutes before meal time, pull the roast out onto a cutting board. Slice the meat thinly across the grain.
Return the meat to the pot and nestle it down into the juices. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed. Turn the heat to "WARM" (or return to the oven, and just turn it off) and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes.  This step allows the meat to soak up the juices and get super moist.
Serve with your choice of side dishes, such as a green salad, roasted potatoes, or simple buttered veggies.  Leftovers freeze well for an easy weeknight meal!

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