Looking for the ultimate snack to fuel your next adventure? Look no further than homemade teriyaki beef jerky! Not only is this savoury treat low in fat and high in protein, but it’s also free of preservatives and nitrates, making it a healthier choice than store-bought jerky. And the best part? It’s easy to make! Follow the step-by-step recipe for a mouthwatering, protein-packed snack that will satisfy your cravings and keep you going strong. This is my go-to recipe for homemade teriyaki beef jerky, and I’m sure it will be yours too.
How To Make Teriyaki Beef Jerky Marinade
The first step in this Teriyaki Beef Jerky recipe is to make the Teriyaki marinade. Start with soy sauce or gluten-free tamari (that’s what I used), add some sugar, rice or white wine vinegar, and a bit of water. Bring all of that to a boil, and cook it for about two and a half minutes. Next, take the Teriyaki marinade off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. If you’d like, you can add one teaspoon each of puréed ginger and garlic to the marinade as it is cooking. The measurements are in the recipe at the bottom of the page.
Preparing Beef For Jerky
In total, you want about one pound or 454g of beef. You can use sirloin or inside round. You want a lean cut of meat for jerky because the fat won’t dehydrate and will potentially go rancid. Slice the beef into thin strips (1/4 to 1/2 mm) across the grain to shorten the muscle fibres making the meat less tough. Once the beef is all sliced, put it in a medium bowl.
Marinating the Beef for Jerky
Pour the cooled Teriyaki Marinade over the beef and add about half a teaspoon of black pepper. Mix the meat and pepper into the marinade to ensure all the meat is coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. The meat should marinate for a minimum of two hours, but it can go as long as twenty-four hours.
Dehydrating The Teriyaki Beef Jerky
Once the meat has had time to marinate, remove it from the marinade shaking off the excess. Place the marinated beef in a single layer onto the racks of a dehydrator. Turn the dehydrator to 150°f – 160°f. Assemble the dehydrator and dehydrate the beef for two to three hours or until the meat is dry and chewy but not brittle. Store the beef in the fridge in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to a month. I’m sure you can dehydrate the jerky in your oven though I’ve never done that. But, I would imagine that if you turn your oven to the lowest possible setting, lay the jerky on wire racks and cook it for an hour or two, it should be fine. You can also dehydrate the Teriyaki Beef Jerky in a smoker, as I demonstrate in this post.
Wrap-Up
After trying this homemade teriyaki beef jerky, you may find it hard to resist the sweet, salty, and savoury flavours that make it so addictive. In fact, you may find yourself finishing the entire batch in just a few days! But if you can resist temptation, this jerky will last in the fridge for about a month. Not only is this recipe a delicious snack, but the teriyaki marinade is also perfect for grilling up salmon, pork, or chicken. And if you’re looking to make your own jerky at home, be sure to check out the dehydrator that I use and recommend. It’s a reliable and easy-to-use appliance that will help you create the perfect homemade teriyaki beef jerky every time.
Teriyaki Beef Jerky
Are you going for a hike in the woods? A long car ride? What's better for a trip like that than some homemade Teriyaki Beef Jerky? This recipe is easy to follow, and gives you a delicious treat at the end.
Looking for a spicy, flavour-packed bowl recipe? Look no further! Our spicy beef bowl recipe with tangy chipotle lime sauce will become your new favourite. It’s loaded with marinated beef, lots of veggies, and a little bit of rice for a crave-worthy meal perfect for sharing. Don’t want to use beef? No problem – this recipe is versatile enough to work with your preferred protein. Keep reading for all the delicious details, and get ready to cook up a storm!
Spicy Beef Bowl: What’s Inside?
This spicy bowl recipe is loaded with bold, flavourful ingredients that are sure to satisfy your cravings. I’ve included chipotles in adobo, cajun seasoning, and pickled jalapenos in the marinade for the beef and the chipotle lime sauce. These spicy ingredients add a ton of flavour to the dish. If you’re looking for an extra kick, add half a habanero pepper to the marinade and sauce. From the marinated beef to the standalone jalapenos, every ingredient in this bowl is carefully chosen to deliver maximum flavour and spice. Keep reading to learn more about this recipe and how to make it at home.
Marinating The Beef
Making the spicy beef marinade
This spicy beef marinade is packed with bold, flavourful ingredients to boost your meat’s taste. One of the key players in this marinade is chipotles in adobo sauce – have you heard of it? It’s a Mexican condiment made from smoked and dried jalapeno peppers that have been rehydrated and canned in a sauce made of tomato, vinegar, and spices. In addition to the chipotles, you’ll also need cajun seasoning, pickled jalapenos, olive oil, and salt. Just toss all these ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If you don’t have either of these appliances, it’s no problem – finely chop the chipotles and jalapenos by hand and mix them with the other ingredients. This marinade works well with various proteins, including beef, chicken, pork, salmon, or tofu. Use your favourite, or mix it up and try something new! Keep reading to learn more about using this marinade in the spicy beef bowl recipe.
Preparing the beef
For this spicy beef bowl recipe, I recommend top sirloin, but sirloin tip, inside round, or top round would also work well. Sirloin is a lean cut of meat that comes from between the loin and the round or rump of the cow. It is often used for grilling but can be tough if not prepared correctly. To make it more tender, it is best to pound the meat thinly and then slice it across the grain into thin strips. This helps shorten the muscle fibres and makes the meat more enjoyable and easier to eat.
Marinating the spicy beef
Put the sliced top sirloin in a medium mixing bowl or zip-lock bag. Add the marinade to the beef and mix well to ensure all the beef is coated. Cover the beef and put it in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of twenty-four hours. Any less than two hours and the meat isn’t going to pick up much of the marinade’s flavour. Any longer than a day, the meat will start to cure, making it tough.
Tangy Chipotle Lime Dressing
While the beef is sitting in the marinade, take a minute to make the dressing. The chipotle lime dressing combines Greek yogurt or sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle in adobo, sugar, and salt. Put all the ingredients in a small blender and blitz until smooth. Again, if you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can chop the chipotles as fine as possible by hand and mix them with the other ingredients.
What to do with leftover chipotles?
If you find that you have leftover chipotles in adobo sauce, don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to put them to good use! One option is to chop or purée the remaining chipotles and freeze them in an ice cube tray. This way, you can easily pop out a few cubes as needed the next time you want to add a spicy kick to a recipe. Another option is to mix the leftover chipotles with mayonnaise or sour cream to create a spicy condiment for sandwiches or burgers. You can add them to scrambled eggs or omelets for a spicy breakfast or use them to marinate chicken, pork, or tofu before grilling or roasting. Finally, you can mix the leftover chipotles with melted butter or oil to create a spicy drizzle for roasted vegetables or seafood. These are just a few ideas, but the possibilities are endless with a bit of creativity and some leftover chipotles in adobo sauce! You could also try these delicious Chipotle Lime Turkey Tacos.
Cooking The Spicy Beef
Before you start cooking the spicy beef, you should get your ingredients prepped and ready to go. This includes cooking the rice and sweet potato (or using leftovers from the night before), defrosting frozen corn or opening a can of corn niblets, and of course, making the Tangy Chipotle Lime Sauce.
Once everything is ready, it’s time to cook the beef. You have a few options here – you can skewer the beef and cook it on the grill for a delicious, smoky flavour, or cook it in a pan on the stove. If you opt for the latter, heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon or two of cooking oil. Cook the beef in two batches, wiping the pan out between each and making sure it heats back up before adding the second batch. Once the beef goes in the pan, let it sit for a minute or two, flip it, and cook for another minute. You don’t want to overcook the beef, so aim for a medium-rare to medium doneness. Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside while you cook the second batch.
With everything prepped and the spicy beef cooked to perfection, it’s time to assemble your spicy bowl and dig in! Enjoy!
Assembling The Spicy Beef Bowl
Assembling your spicy beef bowl is easy and fun! Start by adding half a cup of cooked rice to the bottom of two bowls. You can use any kind of rice you like – white, brown, jasmine, basmati. The list goes on. Next, top the rice with shredded lettuce, diced bell peppers, corn, spicy beef you cooked earlier, sweet potato, pickled jalapeno, and Tangy Chipotle Lime Sauce. You can add as much or as little of each ingredient as you like, depending on your personal preferences. Finally, top the spicy bowl with thinly sliced green onions and a sprinkle of cilantro for a fresh, aromatic finish.
With everything assembled and ready to go, it’s time to dig in and enjoy your delicious spicy bowl! You can eat it as is, or add your favourite hot sauce or salsa to give it an extra spicy kick. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy your spicy bowl as much as I do!
Wrap Up
Whether you’re looking for a hearty lunch or a light dinner, this spicy beef bowl recipe is sure to satisfy you. One of the great things about it is that it’s highly customizable – you can try it with different proteins like pork, chicken, salmon, or tofu, or add in other ingredients like black beans, red onion, or cheese. The chipotle lime sauce is also excellent on sandwiches, especially with grilled chicken, or even on these Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa. The point is, the components of this spicy bowl recipe are versatile, so you don’t have to worry about the leftovers going to waste.
Thank you for coming to my blog and reading this post. I appreciate your support and I hope you continue to enjoy my content. Until next time!
Spicy Beef Bowl
Spicy marinated beef, rice, and vegetables with chipotle lime sauce make this spicy beef bowl one to remember.
Put the olive oil, chipotle, jalapeno, and cajun seasoning in a blender and blitz.
Thinly slice the beef and combine it with the marinade. Cover it and put it in the fridge for 1 to 2 hour.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil and the beef. Brown on both sides then remove the meat from the pan and set it aside.
Spicy Chipotle Sauce
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth or, mince chop the chipotles and mix with the yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, and lime juice.
Taste the sauce, and season with salt to taste.
Use the sauce right away or cover and store in the fridge for up to four days.
Spicy Bowl
Divide the rice among two bowls.
Add the lettuce, corn, bell peppers, green onion, jalapeno, and beef in the bowl. Top the bowl with the sauce, and cilantro then serve.
Notes
Substitute the beef with chicken, pork, or tofu and keep the recipe as is.
I have to admit, back in the day when I didn’t know I had celiac disease, I was very fond of the occasional Big Mac. I know that people love to hate McDonald’s but come on, as far as fast food burgers go, the Big Mac is one of the best. So, a few weeks ago, I was cruising the internet, and I found a few recipes for a Big Mac salad. Well, I knew right away that I had to make my version. This is my version and I’m very happy with it. This Big Mac Salad is the closest I’ve had to the real thing in years. I am so excited to share this recipe with you. So, let’s get to it.
“Burger” Meat
Most of us know the song that goes along with the iconic burger. If you don’t, it starts with, “Two all-beef patties…”. So it makes sense that’s where we will begin to too. However, since we’re making a salad and not a burger, I don’t see the point in making patties. So instead, I seasoned some ground beef with onion powder, garlic powder, and salt then browned it in a hot pan. Once cooked, I drained the oil off the meat. Like that, the “patties” are ready to go.
How To Make Big Mac Sauce
After “two all-beef patties” comes the “special sauce.” Big Mac sauce is essentially a version of Thousand Island Dressing, which itself is a version of Russian Dressing. In all honesty, the difference between the two dressings isn’t obvious. The main difference that I can see is that Russian Dressing has a bit of horseradish in it, making it a bit more pungent than Thousand Island. For my money, I think Russian Dressing makes a better Big Mac sauce than Thousand Island.
To make Russian Dressing combine mayonnaise, minced onion, relish, ketchup, vinegar, horseradish, paprika, salt, and hot sauce. You can find all the measurements in the recipe above. You can use the sauce immediately after mixing all the ingredients, but I think it’s better to let it rest in the fridge for at least thirty minutes. This resting time gives the dressing a more full flavour. After that, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.
Croutons
After “special sauce” comes “…lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions…” We’ll worry about all that next. For now, our focus is on the “…sesame seed bun.”. You can’t have a Big Mac Salad without some bread element. So, I decided to make some croutons. Take two pieces of bread, drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, then bake at 400°f for about eight to ten minutes. Let the toasted bread cool, then cut it into small bite-sized cubes. I made the croutons this way rather than cutting the bread first because I wanted the croutons to be a bit soft in the middle.
Making The Big Mac Salad
Okay, we’ve got the beef, special sauce, and bun. It’s time for the “…lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions…”. Take a head of iceberg lettuce remove and discard the outer leaves. Cut the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, then wash and dry well. Put the lettuce in four bowls. Top with the Dressing, then the beef. Next, add a tablespoon or two of minced white onions and grated cheddar cheese. I used a good quality cheddar, but if you want to through some processed American cheese on here, I’m not going to judge you. Next up, pickles. I find that Vlasic garlic dill pickles taste the most like the pickles on a Big Mac. Whatever dill pickles you want to use will be fine. Cut the pickles thin and spread them around the salad. Add the croutons to the salad and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. It’s a Big Mac in a bowl!
The Wrap-Up
I GIGGLED when I took my first bite of this Big Mac Salad because it tasted so much like the original burger. I am so happy with how this turned out. Whether you can’t eat a Big Mac like me or love a Big Mac but are trying to stay on the healthy side of things, this Big Mac Salad is for you. Honestly, though, if you just wanted a delicious salad, this Big Mac Salad is for you too. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post. Remember to leave a comment below, a rating on the recipe, and share. Sharing is caring. Have a great day! I’ll see you back here next Thursday.
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Big Mac Salad
Everything you love about a Big Mac in a salad. You won't believe how much this tastes like the original.
Keyword: Big Mac Sauce, creamy salad dressing, Salad, salad dressing
Servings: 4
Author: Chef Ben Kelly
Cost: 10
Ingredients
"Burger" Meat
1lbground beef
1tspgarlic powder
1tsp onion powder
3/4tspsalt
Big Mac Dressing
1/2cupmayonnaise
2tbsp minced onion
2tbspketchup
2tbsp relish
1tspwhite vinegar
1tsphorseradish
4dropshot sacue
1/4tsppaprika
1/4tspkosher salt
Croutons
2piecesWhite BreadI used Promise Gluten-Free Bread
1tbspOlive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Big Mac Salad
1headiceberg lettuce
1batch"burger" meat"
1batchBig Mac Dressing
2slicedgarlic dill pickles
1/4cupminced onions
1/2cupgrated cheddar cheese
1batchcroutons
4tspsesame seeds
Instructions
"Burger" Meat
In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, onion and garlic powder, and salt. Mix well.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned using a wooden spoon to break the meat into small pieces.
Drain the fat off the meat and serve.
Big Mac Dressing
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put the dressing in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
Croutons
Drizzle the bread with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Toast the bread in a 400°f oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Let the bread cool on a rack then cut into small cubes and serve.
Big Mac Salad
Cut the lettuce into bit-sized pieces. Wash and dry it.
Divide the lettuce between four salad bowls.
Divide the "Burger" meat among the four bowls putting it on top of the lettuce.
Top the "Burger" meat with the Big Mac Dressing.
Finish dressing the salad with the pickles, onion, cheese, and croutons. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.
Steak and blue cheese is a classic combination like peanut butter and jelly. The funk of the blue cheese compliments the flavour of the steak like nothing else. Today’s recipe takes that classic combination and makes it a salad creating a wonderfully quick and filling lunch. This steak salad with blue cheese salad is everything you want it to be and more. And, it is a lot less complicated than you probably think it is. So, let’s get to it. You can always find the recipe directly below but keep reading for more details and information.
The Steak
Let’s face it, meat, steak, in particular, is expensive. Especially now. So, if you are going to eat steak, you need to stretch it as far as you can. You can get two to three meals out of one steak with this steak salad. So, if steak happens to go on sale, or you want to splurge, you can get more bang for your buck.
For this steak salad, I used a New York Strip Loin. It was about 6 to 8 ounces or 170 to 226 grams. Season the steak generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Let the steak come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you cook it if you have the time. If you don’t have time, don’t worry about it. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Put the steak in the pan and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. As long as your pan is hot, you don’t need any oil. But, if you want, you can put a teaspoon or two of cooking oil in. Once the steak is cooked, take it out of the pan and set it aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.
Blue Cheese Dressing
We have a delicious blue cheese dressing to go with the steak salad. If you don’t want blue cheese dressing, you can use ranch or caesar dressing. I’ll include my simple caesar dressing recipe at the end of the post. But, if, like me, you enjoy blue cheese with steak, then make this quick dressing. To make the blue cheese dressing get a small bowl and combine one tablespoon each of mayonnaise and sour cream. Add two tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese. Finish the dressing with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the blue cheese dressing well, then taste it. Adjust the seasoning as needed with a bit more salt and lemon. Use the dressing right away or cover it and store it in the fridge for up to five days.
If you’d like to boost the flavour of the dressing a little, you can add a few other ingredients. A teaspoon of fresh herbs like thyme, dill or parsley will add depth and freshness to the flavour. A tablespoon of minced onion, shallot, or chive will add sharpness. One clove of minced garlic will add a…well, it will add a garlic flavour, won’t it? The point is that you can take this base dressing, add other ingredients and make it your own. Play around and make something even more delicious than I did.
Cutting The Vegetables
It’s not much of a salad without vegetables. I know the price of fresh vegetables is through the roof right now too, but we all still have to eat. So, for this salad, I used about a quarter of a cucumber, half a green bell pepper, six grape tomatoes, a small piece of red onion and some iceberg lettuce. The appearance of any salad is made less boring when the vegetables are all cut differently. So, I sliced my cucumber into thin medallions. The green pepper I cut into odd evenly-sized pieces. I cut the tomatoes in half and thinly sliced the red onion. You don’t have to do all this. If you want, just cut all the vegetables the same. It’s going to taste the same either way.
Putting The Steak Salad Together
To put the salad together, start by tearing the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Top the lettuce with a few spoons fulls of the dressing. I’m going to stop here for a second. If I weren’t taking pictures of this salad, I would have put all the vegetables in a large bowl and mixed them with the dressing. Doing that will give you even coverage of the dressing on the vegetables and a better overall flavour. Again, I’ll leave that up to you.
Slicing The Steak
Finally, the steak has rested, the salad is plated. The last step is to thinly slice the steak and place it on the salad. I cut the steak in half to ensure even portions. Then, I thinly sliced the steak with my knife at a 45° angle. This is purely for presentation, but you’re cutting the steak anyway. Why not make it pretty? Place the steak on top of the salad and get to eating.
Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
I like to finish most of my salads with salt and pepper. It adds just a little more flavour that wasn’t there before. Then, eat away. If you want to bulk this salad up a little, some croutons would be nice, as would some red bell pepper or even leftover boiled or roasted potatoes.
The Wrap-Up
Whether you want a hearty lunch or light dinner, this steak salad is the choice for you. It’s also a great way to use up leftover steak from last night’s dinner. I think that about does it for today. I hope you enjoyed this post, and even more, I hope you make this recipe. That’s what it’s all about, after all.
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Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
This simple salad pairs the wonderful combination of steak and blue cheese with crisp fresh vegetables to make a light lunch while still delivering a protein punch.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil to the pan.
Put the seasoned steak in the pan. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. Take the steak out of the pan and set it aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a bit more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
Assemble the salad by dividing the lettuce and vegetables among two bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Thinly slice the steak and divide it among the two salads. Serve as is, or crumble a little more blue cheese over the top for a stronger flavour.
When you’re craving steak but also want something a little different, look no further than this Grilled Teriyaki Steak. The homemade teriyaki marinade, which doubles as a glaze, perfectly pairs with the flavour of the steak to give you something you’ll be happy to throw on the grill again and again. As always, you can find the recipe directly below, but you can keep reading after that for a more detailed explanation.
Grilled Teriyaki Steak
Homemade Teriyaki sauce is much different than what you get at the grocery store. It is less sweet, often doesn't have any ginger or garlic. This version does have some ginger and garlic, which really compliments the flavour of the beef.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, ground ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and scallions. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Put the steaks in a large ziptop bag and pour in the marinade.
Seal the bag and shake it to coat the steaks.
Open the bag a little and squeeze out all the excess air. Then reseal the bag.
Put the steak in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
Remove the steak from the marinade and pour the marinade into a small pot. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat and boil for 1 minute.
Heat your grill on high for 10 minutes. Grill the steak for 2 minutes then flip it and brush on half the boiled marinade.
Cook the steak for 1 minute 30 seconds, then rotate by 90°. Cook the steak for another 1 minute 30 seconds, then flip and pour over the remaining marinade. Cook for another two minutes, then remove the steak from the grill, let it rest for 4 minutes then serve.
To start, we will make the marinade for the Teriyaki Steak. To make the marinade combine brown sugar, ground ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, minced garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and green onions. You can find all the measurements in the recipe above. Mix all the ingredients until the sugar dissolves. At this point, you could boil the sauce for a minute or two and make a delicious teriyaki glaze for chicken, fish, or anything else, but we will use it as-is for a marinade.
Marinating The Teriyaki Sauce
Take two New York Striploin about 200g each or a comparable steak, and put them in a ziptop bag with the marinade. Seal it and give the bag a shake to ensure the steaks are completely coated in the marinade. Open the bag a little bit and squeeze out all the excess air. Reseal the bag and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. You can marinate the steak in the Teriyaki marinade for up to 12 hours.
Boil the Marinade
Once the steaks have been in the marinade for at least an hour, take them out and set them aside. Pour the marinade into a small pot and bring it to a boil. Boil for at least 1 minute. The marinade is now safe to use as a glaze.
Grilling The Teriyaki Steak
Heat your grill on high for at least 10 minutes. You want to make sure the grate has enough time to absorb the heat so that you get the nice grill marks on your steak and so your steak doesn’t stick. Put the steak on the grill at an angle, shut the lid and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Flip the steak and brush with half the marinade. Shut the lid, cook the steak for 1 1/2 minutes, rotate it by 90°, shut the lid, and cook it for another 1 1/2 minutes. Finally, flip the steak, brush it with the remaining marinade and cook, lid down, for another minute. Remove the steak from the grill and allow it to rest for 4 to 5 minutes before serving.
Serving the Grilled Teriyaki Steak
You can serve your steak with whatever you’d like, but I went for brown rice with nori and soy glazed bok choy and carrots. Of course, mashed potatoes and other vegetables will be just as good and go just as well with the steak.
The Wrap Up
It is a rare occasion that I marinate a steak. I’m generally more of a purist and prefer the flavour of the meat with a little salt and pepper. Having said that, I will be using this marinade again to marinate steaks. Also, I think it would work just as well on chicken, salmon or pork chops. I’ll have to try those next.
Thank you, everyone, for reading, and have a great week!
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In the early part of my career, I worked in a few pubs. For whatever reason, all of these pubs served a version of steak fajitas. The steak was tossed with bell peppers, red onion, and cajun seasoning then cooked in a pan or on a flat-top. To accompany the fajita mix would be tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and guacamole (for an extra charge). More often than not, the meat and vegetables would be brought to the table in a hot skillet, so it was sizzling when it came out of the kitchen. We always splashed water on the skillet to make the sizzle more impressive for the customer. The steak fajita recipe I will share with you today doesn’t stray far from the version I made so many times in those early years. However, I did my best to elevate it. To make it something even more than it already was. I hope you enjoy it.
Want to see how to make them? Find the recipe directly below, but keep reading for more detailed instructions.
Grilled Steak Fajitas
Steak fajitas are good, grilled steak fajitas are even better. Fire up the barbecue, take an afternoon and make this truly delicious family recipe. It's the perfect thing for family get togethers to parties.
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a medium glass or plastic bowl.
Add the meat, cover tightly with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Remove the steak from the marinade and grill on high heat for about 3 minutes per side.
Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice it against the grain and serve.
Tortillas
Pour the water into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt.
Slowly mix in the masa and knead until the mixture forms a firm dough.
Divide the dough into tablespoon-sized pieces and roll into balls.
Press the dough balls between two sheets of waxed paper on a tortilla press or use a heavy pot.
Grill the tortillas on high heat for about 90 seconds per side.
Keep the cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer, or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel until you are ready to serve them. If the tortillas cool down too much, reheat them for 20 seconds in the microwave.
Vegetables
Cut the red onion in half through the root and stem.
Grill the onion, cut-side down for about 20 minutes on moderate heat. Flip the onion and cook on high heat for another 10 minutes.
Remove the onion from the grill and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Cut the ends off the onion and remove the peel.
Thinly slice the onion and put it in a medium mixing bowl to be tossed with the other grilled vegetables.
Cut the sides off of the red and green bell peppers discarding the seed pods.
Cut the ends off the zucchini and discard. Slice the zucchini into long thin slices.
Put the peppers and zucchini in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, then season with the cajun seasoning.
Grill the peppers and zucchini on medium-high heat for about 6 minutes per side.
Remove the vegetbles from the grill and allow them to cool just long enough that you can handle them. Thinly slice the vegetables, mix with the sliced onions and serve.
Serving
Serve the steak, vegetables, and tortillas with grated cheddar cheese, thinly sliced lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa and sour cream. Avocados or guacamole and fresh lime are also great additions.
At their core, fajitas are like a DIY Taco, though they are about as Mexican as I am. They originate in Texas (I know, it used to be part of Mexico, but that was long before Fajitas existed). Rather than being Mexican, Fajitas are part of a strange but delicious sub-sect of food known as Tex-Mex. AKA Americanized Mexican food. Of course, none of this really matters because Steak Fajitas are delicious and make a perfect family meal.
Steak Fajita Marinade
The first step to making my version of Steak Fajitas is to marinate the steak. To do that, we need to make a marinade. You can find all the measurements above, so I won’t list them here. But, the ingredients for the marinade are oregano, paprika, cayenne, ancho chili powder (optional), cumin, garlic, onion, pickled jalapeno, kosher salt, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix it up.
The Steak
The steak I used was fast fry sirloin tip. These are just very thin sirloin tip steaks. You can use any thin cut of steak. You could also take a thicker steak and pound it out with a meat mallet if you’d like. That’s just more work, though. I’ll leave it up to you. Either way, put the meat in the marinade, mix it up to ensure all the meat is coated, then cover the meat with plastic wrap, making sure to push the wrap down to the surface of the meat rather than just covering the bowl. This will help prevent the meat from discolouring. Put the bowl in the fridge for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of twenty-four hours.
Fajita Vegetables
The traditional fajita vegetables are bell peppers and red onion. When I pulled the peppers out of the fridge, I noticed this beautiful yellow zucchini and thought it would make a great addition to the vegetable mixture. I was right. You can leave it out if you’d prefer.
Prepare the vegetables
To prepare the peppers, stand them straight up on your cutting board and cut the lobes away from the core. Then, discard the seed pod. Cut the ends off the zucchini, then cut it into long thin slices. Toss the peppers and zucchini with olive oil and the mandatory fajita spice, Cajun seasoning. Cut the red onion in half down through the root and stem. That’s all you have to do to the onion right now. And yes, before you ask, leave the peel on.
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Okay, you can totally skip this step and just buy tortillas. You don’t have to make them yourself, but they are way better when you do. Having said that, it is a lot of work—your choice. If you do want to make them, here is how you do it. Go to the store and buy a bag of masa. I like PAN yellow or white masa. Masa is corn that has been treated with an alkaline solution, rinsed, cooked, ground, and dried. Treating the corn with an alkaline solution makes the corn’s nutrients more accessible to your body and makes the corn earlier to digest. It is a process that the ancient Mayans and Aztecs perfected over 2000 years ago.
Anyway, once you get your masa home, just follow the instructions on the bag. This particular brand suggests 2 cups of masa flour to 2 1/2 cups of water along with a teaspoon of salt. I halved the recipe. To make the dough mix the water and salt, then stir in the cornflour. Mix it and knead it until it forms a soft dough. Divide the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized piece and roll them into balls. Using a tortilla press and two sheets of waxed paper, press the dough balls to flatten them into tortillas. Leave them wrapped in plastic or waxed paper until you are ready to cook them.
Get Grilling!
Grilled Red Onion
All your prep is done. Now, it’s time to cook. Get your grill nice and hot, then put your red onion on the cut side down. On my grill, the front is the hottest part, and the back is cooler. So, I put the onion on the back and grilled it for about 20 minutes. Then, I flipped it, brought it to the front and cooked it for another 10 minutes.
Grilling the Tortillas
While the onion is grilling, cook up the tortillas. Grill them on the hottest part of your grill. They should take about 90 seconds per side. Once grilled, put the tortillas in a tortilla warmer, or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or foil.
Grilled Peppers and Zucchini
Once the tortillas come off the grill, you can put the peppers and zucchini on. Cook them for about 8 to 10 minutes per side over moderate heat. You want them still to have a small bit of crunch to them but not be raw.
Grilling The Steak
Finally, you can grill the steak. Take it out of the marinade and grill it on the hottest part of your grill for about 3 minutes per side.
Cut it up!
Now that all your ingredients are cooked, it’s time to cut them up! Let the vegetables cool for 5 to 10 minutes or just until you can handle them comfortably. Thinly slice the peppers and zucchini, then put them in a medium mixing bowl. Cut the ends off the onion and remove the skin. Cut the onion into slices the same width as the peppers and zucchini. Add the onion to the other vegetables and mix. Put in a serving dish and serve. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice it across the grain. Put the meat on a serving platter and serve.
Serving The Grilled Steak Fajitas
Serve the fajitas as a family-style meal, meaning everyone serves themselves along with the fajitas, put some salsa, sour cream, sliced lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado on the table. Enjoy!
The Wrap Up
There is something special about sitting down to a nice meal with your family and having everyone reaching around the table and food being passed back and forth. It takes attention. You can’t have a cell phone in your hand if you have to pass the peppers or the meat. This kind of meal gives a family time to talk and enjoy each other’s company. Couldn’t we all use a little more of that? Couldn’t we all use a few more steak fajitas in our life? I thought so. So, what are you waiting for. Fire up the grill and get cooking!
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One of my first food memories, actually just one of my first memories, is of a small pizza place under the MacDonald bridge in Dartmouth. It was only about two or three blocks from my family home, and I have a memory of trying my first bite of donair from there. We moved from Dartmouth when I was almost four, so that first donair experience would have been when I was about three. I have loved them ever since. Over the years, I have done my fair share of experimenting with donair flavours. I even once put a donair-spiced scallop dish on a menu. And so, I wanted to make a donair, without making a donair. I wanted the same flavours but in a different package. To do that, I went back to the origins of the donair but kept the flavours that I’ve loved for my whole life. And so, I present to you my Halifax-Style Donair Kabobs with tomato salad and yogurt sauce.
The Recipes
Halifax-Style Donair Kabob
Donair Kabobs seasoned in the Halifax Style. The perfect dish to add to your barbecue menu.
Place all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Knead the meat mixture for five minutes or until it develops a tacky texture and appearance.
Divide the meat in four and form each fourth of meat around a 12-inch skewer. If you are using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour before skewering the meat.
Wrap the meat around the skewer and gently squeeze it to spread it out in an even layer around the length of the skewer.
Heat your grill to 400°f.
Grill the skewers on the hottest part of your grill for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through. Flip them every 2 to 3 minutes.
Take the skewers off the grill and serve immediately.
Notes
These Donair Kabobs are great with tomato and onion salad and garlicky yogurt sauce, but they also work very well in the traditional pita, with donair sauce, tomato and onion, or in a salad bowl with garlic mayo.
If you aren’t from Nova Scotia, you may be wondering to yourself, “What is a Halifax Donair?”. Let me enlighten you. A Halifax Donair is made from spiced beef that is cooked on a verticle spit. Thinly shaved and wrapped in a soft Lebanese-style pita with fresh diced white onion and tomato, and finished with a sweet and tangy sauce made of sweet and condensed milk, vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder. It is the kind of thing you usually only eat after a long night of drinking, or on a Friday night in with friends. Every Pizza Place in the province, except for some of the big national chains, sells donairs. And just about every Nova Scotian, at least from a certain generation forward, has a deep-seated love for them. I happily include myself in this group.
Other places in the world have Donair, often spelled doner kebab, or gyros, which are similar. But none are quite like the Halifax Donair, which was introduced to the region by Greek immigrants in the 1970s. It was originally served as a lamb gyro with tzatziki sauce, but the recipe was changed to what it is now to suit local tastes. Since then, it has been a local favourite and has now begun to spread across the country. However, only one city can truly claim it as their own. It is, after all, the official food of Halifax.
Making The Donair Kabob Meat Mixture
Okay, let’s get cooking. Start with a pound of lean ground beef. Add some flour (I used gluten-free all-purpose flour), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, dried onion or onion powder, cayenne, oregano, salt, and pepper. See the recipe above for all the measurements.
Mixing and Tasting The Donair Meat
Mix the meat well. I mean really well. You want to knead it for about five minutes or until it develops a tacky look and texture. This will give the meat the right texture when cooked. Break off a little piece of the meat and cook it in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Taste it, and adjust the seasoning as needed. This is a good habit to get into whenever making anything with ground meat like meatloaf or burger. Season the meat, cook off a little piece and taste it.
Making Donair Kabobs
The picture below shows six skewers, but the recipe above only makes four. I apologize for the confusion. I adjust the recipe because the salad and the sauce were only enough for four.
Divide the meat into four evenly sized balls. Wrap each ball around a metal or pre-soaked wooden or bamboo skewer. Gently squeeze the meat to spread it out the length of the skewer in an even layer.
Grilling The Donair Kabobs
Heat your grill to 400°f and let it sit for about 10 minutes to get the grates nice and hot. Cook the skewers for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating every 2 to 3 minutes until cooked. The meat should be firm to the touch with a little spring back when fully cooked. Take the Donair Kabobs off the grill and serve immediately.
Garlicky Yogurt Sauce
Traditional Donair Sauce is made with sweet and condensed milk, onion powder, and garlic powder. It is delicious but not great if you are trying to watch your waistline. So, I wanted to make a slightly healthier sauce. I made a version with non-fat Greek yogurt as the base. It is sweetened with honey, soured with lemon juice, has plenty of garlic, a bit of onion powder, and tastes delicious. Mix all the ingredients, cover the bowl and put it in the fridge for an hour to let the flavours develop. This sauce works with any spiced meat and goes great on salad bowls too.
Tomato and Onion Salad
I have to tell you, the surprise breakout star of this meal is by far this really simple tomato and onion salad. I loved the Donair Kabobs, the Garlicky Yogurt sauce was fantastic, but this salad was amazing! Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes with garlic, red onion, parsley, white wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper. That’s all there is to it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes one of your new favourite summer side dishes. It has become one of mine. Just like with the sauce, mix all the salad ingredients, cover the bowl, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour before serving for best results.
Putting It All Together
All the components of this meal are good on their own, but when you take a bite with a bit of the meat, some of the salad, and a touch of the sauce, that is when the magic happens. The flavours come alive, and you really get that Halifax Donair experience. Minus the hangover and sauce dripping all over your hands, arms, and clothes.
The Warp Up
I’ve wanted to make this for a long time, and I am so happy that I finally got the opportunity. It was well worth the wait. I think you’ll be happy if you make any of the components of this meal, but I think if you make them all and serve it all together, you will be over the moon. Try it for yourself. You’ll be happy you did.
Thanks for reading, and remember to check out my brand new cookbook, “The How-To Cookbook For Men” It comes out on August 10th and is available for preorder here.
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Welcome to the comprehensive guide on how to clean and prepare a whole beef tenderloin. As a personal chef, my experience has shown that a perfectly roasted beef tenderloin is a crowd-pleaser at any gathering. Today, I’ll share with you the essential steps to transform a whole tenderloin into a culinary masterpiece.
Cleaning the Tenderloin
Begin by removing your whole beef tenderloin from its vacuum-sealed packaging. Expect some blood within the package; this is normal. Carefully line a baking sheet with paper towels, place the tenderloin on top, and pat it dry. Ensure to cut the packaging carefully, avoiding any accidental nicks in the meat.
Removing Excess Fat and Sinew
The key to a tender and flavorful beef tenderloin lies in removing the excess fat, sinew, and connective tissue. Pay particular attention to the ‘chain’, a strip of meat and fat running along the side of the tenderloin. While not suitable for direct consumption, it’s excellent for broths or can be trimmed further for skewers.
Eliminating Silver Skin
Silver skin is a tough connective membrane that doesn’t soften upon cooking, making it necessary to remove. Using a boning or fillet knife, gently slide the blade under the silver skin and strip it away in thin layers. While this process may result in a slight loss of meat, it’s crucial for ensuring the tenderness of your dish.
Flip the tenderloin
Once the silver skin is cut away, flip the tenderloin over. On the underside of the tenderloin, there’s going to some flaps of meat and fat. This is where the tenderloin is connected to the skeletal structure of the animal. This needs to be cleaned up too. All you can really do is cut it all away. Keep your knife as flat as possible and make long, smooth slices until the flaps are removed. The flaps can be used to make skewers or broth, so they aren’t going to waste.
What to do with the extra pieces
At one end of the beef tenderloin, there are two extra pieces of meat. These can be left on, but in the interest of even cooking, it’s better to take them off, but of course, they aren’t going to go to waste. To cut the pieces away, use your knife and make long, smooth slices down the outside edge of the tenderloin. The separation between the tenderloin and the other meat pieces will be more obvious with the smaller piece than the bigger piece, but it shouldn’t be too difficult either way. What you should have once those pieces are cutaway is a fully cleaned beef tenderloin.
To Tie or Not To Tie
At this point, you can cut the tenderloin into steaks or tie it to be cooked whole. If you are cutting it into steaks, trim the tapered ends and add them to the scrap pile. This will help you get more equally sized steaks. If you are roasting the tenderloin whole, as I prefer to do, you are going to want to tie it. This isn’t strictly necessary, but it helps the tenderloin keep its shape when cooked and helps it cook more evenly. Use butcher’s twine to tie the tenderloin. Butcher’s twine is a 100% cotton string that you can buy in most grocery stores.
Tieing the Tenderloin
There are a few ways to tie the tenderloin. The first way is to cut 12 10-inch pieces of twine and tie each one evenly around the tenderloin. The second way and the one I prefer is to use butcher’s knots. Tie one end of the twine around one end of the tenderloin. Make a big loop with the twine and twist it twice. Thread the tenderloin through the loop and pull it tight. The loop will tighten around the tenderloin. Do the same thing again and space the second loop out from the first one by about an inch. Repeat until the whole tenderloin is tied, then cut the string and tie it off with any basic knot. This technique takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes the easiest way to tie any roast.
The Scraps
Waste not! The scraps from your tenderloin, including the chain and trimmed fat, are perfect for making stocks or other dishes like skewers, stir-fries, or stroganoff. Every part of the tenderloin can contribute to a delicious meal.
Cooking the Tenderloin
Though this post focuses on cleaning, a basic cooking method involves rubbing the tenderloin with a mix of herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven or on a barbecue, ensuring you achieve the perfect internal temperature for your desired doneness.
Storing Beef Tenderloin
If you plan to store the tenderloin, it can be frozen either cleaned or uncleaned without losing quality. For optimal results, consider using a vacuum sealer or the original packaging.
Conclusion
Understanding how to properly clean and prepare a beef tenderloin can transform your culinary experience. Not only does it make for a more enjoyable meal, but it’s also cost-effective, allowing you to feed more people with a single purchase. Share this guide with fellow cooking enthusiasts, and don’t forget to subscribe for more tips and tricks. Happy cooking!
A steak burrito bowl is everything you love about a burrito but in a bowl rather than a tortilla. I think that makes it a salad, which makes it healthy for some reason. The truth is, this burrito bowl has everything you need to keep you going, and it tastes great. What else does it need to do or be? You can do most of the prep for this burrito bowl a day ahead, so it can come together really quickly when you are ready to eat. Speaking of which, I’m starving. What about you? Let’s get to it.
Steak Burrito Bowl Ingredients
The Steak Burrito Bowl’s main ingredients are steak, black beans, corn, sweet potato, sour cream, green onion, jalapeno Jack cheese, lettuce, and rice. Other ingredients include lime juice, cumin, salsa, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. I used an 8-ounce or 226g inside round steak to make two burrito bowls. If you don’t want to use inside round, you can use striploin, sirloin, tenderloin, or ribeye instead. You could also use pulled pork or roasted chicken breast if you want to go a completely different direction. You can also substitute the jalapeno Jack cheese for a nice cheddar, mozzarella, or whatever other cheese you’d like. If you wanted to get really crazy, you could switch the sour cream for yogurt.
Getting Started
Sweet Potato
The first thing you need to do is peel, slice, and roast enough sweet potato for two people. My sweet potatoes were tiny, so I used two. If you have a big sweet potato, use one. Don’t worry if you end up with extra roasted sweet potato. It makes a great snack, side dish, or addition to a lot of dishes. Once the sweet potato is peeled, slice it into one centimetre thick rounds. Put the sliced sweet potato on a parchment-lined sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Flip the sweet potatoes and do the same thing on the other side, then put in a 400°f over for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Flip halfway through cooking.
Rice
Once the sweet potatoes are in the oven, get your rice cooking. I used Jasmine rice and aimed to have a half cup per burrito bowl. You can use any rice you’d like. Burrito bowls are a great way to use leftover rice. So, if you have any rice in the fridge cooked from last night’s dinner, put it in a bowl, heat it in the microwave for a minute, and you are set. Otherwise, cook your rice as per the instruction on its package.
Sour Cream
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the sauce cream-based sauce. To do that, get a small bowl and in it combine a 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon honey. Mix it well, and put it in the fridge, covered until you are ready to use it. If you have a squeeze bottle, it could even be a cleaned out mustard bottle, put the sauce in there. It will make it easier to add to the burrito bowl later, and the thin line of sauce from the squeeze bottle will look nice.
Corn and Beans Pt. 1
The next step is to start preparing the corn and beans. I used 3/4 cup of frozen corn becasue that’s what I had. I boiled it for about 2 minutes, then drained it. You can skip this step by using canned corn. I also used a 398 ml can of black beans, which I drained and rinsed. The last step in this bit of prep is to thinly slice 2 green onions. Set the corn, beans, and green onion aside for a few minutes.
Cooking The Steak
Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon or two of oil, then season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until the steak has reached your desired doneness. Remove the cooked steak from the pan and set it aside to rest.
Beans and Corn pt. 2
Put the steak pan back on the heat and add in the corn, black beans and sliced green onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, season with a 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and the juice of half a lime then cook for 1 more minute. Finish the corn and beans by pouring any steak juice into the pan.
The other ingredients
The last few things to do are grate the cheese. You want a quarter cup in total. Slice the lettuce as thinly as you can. You want about a quarter cup per person. Thinly slice the rested steak. Finally, cut 12 grape tomatoes in half.
Putting The Steak Burrito Bowls Together
Let’s make the burrito bowls! First things first, get out two nice bowls. Put a half cup of cooked rice in the bottom of each bowl. Divide the corn and beans among the two bowls and plate off-center. Divide the sweet potato slices among the two dishes fanning them out across the top of the bowls. Put the sliced steak beside the sweet potato—the grape tomatoes beside the steak, and finally the lettuce. Put the grated cheese in the middle of the bowls topped with a spoonful of your favourite salsa. Finish with the sour cream sauce and some fresh cilantro or sliced green onion for garnish.
Steak Burrito Bowl
Steak, sweet potato, corn and black beans, rice and tomato make this Steak Burrito something that you will remember. I think it is delicious but don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself.
1largeSweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1 cm thick rounds
1tablespoonolive oil
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1/8teaspoonblack pepper
Sour Cream Sauce
1/4cupsour cream
1/4teaspooncumin
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoon honey
Steak
8ounceinside round steak
1/2 teaspoonkosher salt
1/4teaspoonblack pepper
2teaspoon canola oil
Corn and Beans
398ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4cupfrozen corn, boiled for 2 minutes then drained
2green onions, thinly sliced
1/2lime
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
beef drippings
Bowl
1 cupcooked rice
1/4cupgrated jalapeno Jack cheese
2tablespoonssalsa
12grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2cupshredded iceberg lettuce
1tablespoonchopped cilantro
Instructions
Sweet Potato
Heat your oven to 400°f
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the sliced sweet potato on it in a single layer. Drizzle half the olive oil over the sweet potato and season with half the salt and pepper. Flip the sweet potato, and cover with the remaining olive oil and seasoning.
Roast the sweet potato for about 20 minutes, or until tender, flipping halfway through.
Steak
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the oil and the steak to the pan. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes per side or until the steak has reached the desired doneness. Take the steak out of the pan and set it on a plate to rest.
Once the steak has rested for 5 minutes, cut it into thin slices.
Corn and Beans
Put the steak pan back on the heat and add in the corn, beans, green onion, and salt. Cook for two minutes. Squeeze the lime juice into the pan. Finish the beans and corn by adding in any juices that have accumulated under the steak.
The Steak Burrito Bowl
Get two large bowls and place the rice in the bottom of them.
Put the corn and beans on the rice slightly off-center.
Fan the sweet potato around the top of the bowl.
Put the sliced steak beside the sweet potato, followed by the grape tomatoes and the lettuce.
Put the salsa on top of the other ingredient in the centre of the bowl. Top with the cheese and the sour cream sauce. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve.
I’ll be the first to admit that there is a fair amount of prep that goes into making this Steak Burrito Bowl. Really though, the rice and sweet potato can be leftovers or cooked a day ahead. The sauce and the corn and beans can be made a day too. Even if you make everything from scratch the day of, it shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes to an hour to make. It is absolutely worth the effort, but don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. If you do try it come back and give the recipe a rating.
I can finally announce that I have written a cookbook. It’s called the 5-Ingredient Cookbook for men (of course, it is for everyone). It officially goes on sale on March 16th, but you can preorder it now from Amazon in Canada here, and Amazon in the US here.
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When my wife tells me that something is “My favourite thing you’ve ever made.” I know it must be good. First of all, my wife is my second harshest critic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Second of all, I trust her opinion over anyone else’s. So, I say with absolute confidence that these pulled beef enchiladas are good, like really, really good. Imagine beef, rubbed with spices and slow-roasted, then shredded like pulled pork. Now imagine that beef is wrapped in a corn tortilla with homemade refried beans and some salsa, covered in a jalapeno cheese sauce and baked to perfection. Doesn’t that sound good? Want to learn how to make it? Good. Let’s get to it.
Prepping and Cooking The Beef
The first thing to do is cook the beef. I used a blade roast, which was a pound and a half. Season the roast with cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and oregano. And rub the meat down with a few tablespoons of chipotle in adobo. (You can find all the measurements in the recipe below.) Put the beef in a small roasting pan with half a cup of water, cover with parchment paper, then wrap tightly in foil. Cook the beef at 300°f for three hours. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for twenty minutes.
Homemade Refried Beans
While the beef is cooking, make a batch of homemade refried beans. Start the beans by sautéing half a cup of diced onion in some olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the onions soften, add two cloves of minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook the spices for about a minute, then add half a cup of water and a can of drained and rinsed pinto beans. Let the mixture cook for about five minutes, stirring, then mash the beans using a potato masher. Season them to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to cook the beans until they form a thick paste.
Jalapeno Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce
For the cheese sauce, I used a jalapeno Monterey Jack cheese. If you can find this, great. If not, use cheddar instead and sauté half a diced jalapeno in the butter before adding the flour. To make the sauce melt two tablespoons of butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add two tablespoons of flour (I used all-purpose gluten-free flour). Cook the mixture, whisking, for two minutes, then add in two cups of whole milk. Cook the sauce, whisking gently, for about ten minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and no longer tastes of raw flour. Whisk in one cup of the grated jalapeno Monterey Jack cheese, then taste the sauce and season with salt and white pepper as needed (you can use black pepper if you’d prefer.).
Pulling The Beef
Now that the beef is cooked and rested take two forks and shred it like pulled pork. Make sure to discard any large pieces of fat or gristle. Once the meat is shredded, add three-quarters of the liquid from the bottom of the roasting pan back into it, mix, and season with salt as needed.
Assembling The Pulled Beef Enchiladas
Everything is ready. The beef is cooked and pulled, the refried beans are smooth and tasty, and the sauce is creamy and gooey—time to put it all together. Put a ladle full of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 oven-safe dish. Set a tortilla on your work surface. For the tortillas, I bought a pack of ten blue corn tortillas. You can use small flour tortillas or corn tortillas, store-bought or homemade. If you’ve never made tortillas, check out this post I did all about making them. Spread a serving spoon full of refried beans on the tortilla, top with some of the beef and a bit of your favourite salsa. Roll the tortilla and place it in the dish. Repeat until all of the tortillas, and meat and beans have been used. Cover the rolled tortillas with the remaining sauce and half a cup more of grated Monterey Jack cheese.
Cooking The Enchiladas
Cover the enchilada dish with parchment and foil and bake on 350°f for twenty minutes. Take the pan out of the oven, turn on your broiler, and remove the foil and parchment from the pan. Put the enchiladas under the broiler only long enough to brown the cheese. Make sure to watch closely, as browning will happen quickly, and you really don’t want to burn these. Once the cheese is browned, take the enchiladas out of the oven and let them rest for five minutes before serving them.
Serving The Pulled Beef Enchiladas
To round out the meal, I served my enchiladas with whole boiled sweet potatoes and rice. You can do the same or serve them with whatever you’d like. Alternatively, you can boil and mash the sweet potato and put it right in the enchilada along with the beans, meat and salsa. And as with everything Mexican, serve with a bit of lime.
Pulled Beef Enchiladas
Braised and shredded beef, wrapped in corn tortillas with homemade refried beans and salsa, then covered in a jalapeno jack cheese sauce and baked to perfection.
1canpinto beans (ramano beans), drained and rinsed398 ml can
1/2cupwater
Juice from half a lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1tbspolive oil
Jalapeno Cheese Sauce
2tbspbutter
2tbspflour all-purpose gluten-free flour will work
2cupswhole milk
1cupgrated jalapeno monterey jack cheese
Other Ingredients
10corn tortillas
1/2cupgrated jalapeno Monterey Jack cheese
1lime cut into quarters for garnish
1 1/4cup of your favourite salsa
Instructions
Pulled Beef
Season the beef on both sides with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and oregano then rub with the chipotle.
Put the beef in a small roasting pan along with the water, cover tightly with parchment and foil, and bake at 300°f for three hours.
Remove the beef from the oven and let it rest for twenty minutes, then pull it apart using two forks, just as you would for pulled pork. Make sure to remove any large pieces of fat or gristle. Add 3/4 of the liquid from the bottom of the roasting pan back into the pulled beef. Taste and season with salt as needed.
Refried Beans
Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and onion. Cook until the onion starts to soften, about three to four minutes.
Add in the garlic and cook for one more minute then add in the chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring for another minute.
Add the water and beans to the pan, stir to lift the spices off the bottom of the pan, then cook for five minutes, stirring.
Mash the beans using a potato masher, then keep cooking them, stirring for another three to four minutes or until the beans form a thick paste. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper as needed. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Jalapeno Cheese Sauce
Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add in the flour, and cook, stirring for two minutes.
Add in the milk, turn the heat down to medium, and cook, for ten minutes stirring the whole time.
Whisk in the cheese, taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Making the Enchiladas
Put a ladle full of the jalapeno sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Place one tortilla down on your work surface and spread it with 2-3 tablespoons of the refried beans. Add a 1/4 cup of the pulled beef and 1-2 tablespoons of the salsa. Roll the tortilla and put it in the casserole dish. Repeat until all of the tortillas have been rolled.
Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Cover the dish with parchment and foil and bake for twenty minutes on 350°f.
Remove the dish from the oven and turn on your broiler. Take the foil and parchment off the enchiladas and return them to the oven only long enough to brown the cheese. Watch closely as they will burn fast.
Remove the enchiladas from the oven and let the rest for five minutes before serving. Serve them with rice and boiled sweet potato.
There’s a lot of components to these pulled beef enchiladas. They are not something you’re just going to throw together on Tuesday evening after work. Of course, none of this is overly difficult. It just takes effort. But they are with it. Plan to make these. I cannot adequately express to you just how good they are. You’ll have to try them for yourself.
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