Author: Sarah Hui

1.5 lb beef shank

3-4 lb blade roast

Marinade

·         3 dried guajillo peppers 

·         1 can chipotle peppers in adobo

·         1/4 cup vinegar

·         1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

·         5 cloves garlic

·         1 tsp dried oregano

·         1/2 tsp smoked paprika

·         1 tsp cumin

Stew

·         1 medium onion chopped

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         2 bay leaves

·         6 whole cloves

·         chicken stock to cover (approx. 1 L) 

Tacos

·         4″ corn or flour tortillas as needed, 12-16

·         1 medium red onion chopped

·         1 bunch cilantro chopped

   

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then remove from heat. Soak your dried guajillo peppers for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, debone and cube your blade roast, then season both the steak and the shank with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add marinade ingredients to the blender. When the peppers are done soaking, hold them by the tip over the sink and use scissors to cut the stem off and allow the seeds to fall out, then add to blender. Blend the marinade into a smooth paste. Marinate the meats for a minimum of two hours or up to overnight.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1-2 tbsp oil, then sauté the onions until golden and translucent (6-8 minutes).

Add the meats, marinade, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pot. Cover with chicken broth, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 4-6 hours.

When done, remove the meat. Shred, set aside, and discard the bones.

Dip the tortillas in the stew. Build your tacos with meat, onion and cilantro, fold in half then fry (using the fat from the stew) over medium heat on a nonstick skillet. Serve with a bowl of the stew sauce to dip your taco in. Enjoy immediately. Make enough for leftovers as this recipe is sooooo delicious you’ll want to eat some more the next day!

The flat iron steak is a nicely marbled cut harvested from the beef shoulder. When cooked properly, this cut is tender and juicy.

The best way to cook this cut is grilling or searing on a flaming hot grill or pan.

Season steak with salt and pepper. Sear one side on high heat for about 5 minutes and flip over. Grill until it reaches your desired doneness temperature (3-4 minutes). For rare, stop grilling at 115-120 F, medium rare 120-125 F, medium 135-140 F. Let rest for 10 minutes.

When paired with cowboy butter, this steak is out of this world.

Cowboy butter recipe :

Bon appetit!

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh Asian pear juice or puree (optional) or pear

2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 green onions, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Marinate for at least two hours in a ziploc bag or whatever you have available.

Prepare the grill. A gas grill will work but, according to Gregory, “Koreans prefer the char of charcoal.” Third choice is a broiler.

Drain excess marinade off ribs and reserve. Cook ribs, turning often with metal tongs. Depending on the thickness of the meat and the heat of the grill, this may take as little as 5 minutes, or as many as 15 minutes. Tend the grill carefully, watching for flare-ups which can be put out with a cupful of water.

Toward the end of the cooking process, pour remaining marinade over ribs, cook another minute to caramelize, then pull off to check for done-ness. Gregory’s tip is to cut a piece and taste it. The middle should look the way you like your steaks to look, which is probably not too bloody, and definitely not too dry.

Serve with rice, torn lettuce and a julienne of green onions, and a sesame oil and soy sauce dressing.

So easy that even Gert can make it, but you have to let it simmer for about 24h

4 lbs beef cubes

4 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

3 onions sliced

3 tbsp flour

1.5L beef broth

2 beers (350mL)

4 thyme twigs

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp dijon mustard spread on 1 slice of bread

1 tbsp brown sugar

Dry beef cubes with paper towel and salt and pepper them well. In a large pot (creuset), heat 2 tbsp butter on medium fire. Brown a layer of cubes (do not overcrowd as they will boil instead of brown) for 3 minutes each side without stirring.

Once brown, remove and repeat with the remaining cubes. Reserve cubes in a plate and heat 2 tbsp butter on low heat then add onions with ½ tsp salt, cook for 15 minutes.

Add flour and stir well, cooking for 2 minutes. Pour the broth in while deglazing the pot, then add the beer, thyme, bay leaves, beef cubes and their juice. Raise the temperature and wait until it boils.

Lower temperature and let simmer, adding the slice of bread mustard face down, covering the pot halfways. Simmer for 24 hours, stirring now and then to avoid pieces sticking on bottom. Once cubes are tender, add salt and pepper to taste, even a bit of brown sugar.

Remove thyme and bay leaves and serve with mashed potatoes or even better with fries and mayonnaise. To add some colour, you could add chunks of carrots when you mix in the beer.

One of our favorite asian inspired recipes, is Zabuton steak. Zabuton is a japanese cut of beef found in the shoulder. Its name, loosely translated to ‘little pillow’, comes from the shape and tenderness of the steak, ressembling and feeling like Japanese floor pillows.  

A little less sexy, we just call it Denver steak here.

Served with a Yakiniku sauce, rice and your choice of greens, this is the perfect recipe to satisfy your umami craving.

Recipe

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin or sake
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce or chili paste
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 Denver (Zabuton) steak
• Salt & pepper

• Preheat grill-oven to 225F
• Season the  steak on all sides with a blend of salt and pepper
• Put the steak in the preheated grill and cook for about 30 minutes at this lower temperature
• While the steak is cooking, make the sauce by combining the remaining ingredients except sesame seeds in a saucepan
• Reduce the sauce slightly while the steak continues cooking
• When the steak has reached the desired internal temperature of 125*, remove the steak and the saucepan from the grill and increase the temperature to 400*
• Sear the steak on all sides for about 60 seconds per side
• Allow the pan to get hot and the sauce to bubble, reducing slightly
• Pull the steak from the grill, tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes
• Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds
• Cut the steak against the grain and serve with yakiniku sauce for dipping