Friday Food: A Steak Discovery

Friday 

Short version: Chile, cornbread

Long version: I had about a pound of uncooked ground beef left from the day before's hamburgers and an opened can of black beans that needed to be used. Sounds like chile to me. 

This was not New Mexico chile. This was more basic, Americanized chile, but, if I may be so bold as to say it, I nailed it.

I made ground-beef-and-bean chile awhile ago after my kids had it and loved it at our friends' house. The problem with children is that the first version of anything they eat and like is the way it must be forever more. This is why it's so important to start them off with things like, say, natural peanut butter instead of the sugar+palm oil kind (I did not do this and still regret it) or homemade macaroni and cheese instead of boxed. For my children, their Platonic ideal of chile will always be the chile they had at their friends' house, and the one I made last time was not like that.

They admitted this most recent version was pretty close to that, though, and they all had two bowls. So now I must write it down so I can remember what was in it.

Ground beef, onions, bell pepper, green garlic, one can of black beans, one jar of pinto beans, the juice and half the tomatoes from a big can of whole tomatoes diced, a jar of beef stock, pureed calabaza, cumin, red chile pepper, paprika, salt.

The pureed calabaza is the secret ingredient here. Both because my kids didn't know it was in there (sneaky Mom), and also because it both slightly sweetened and thickened the chile. The ready-made spice mixture my friend uses has both brown sugar and molasses in it, as well as masa to thicken, so the calabaza replaced both those things.

I simmered it almost two hours so the flavors were completely melded, and also left the top off for the last 45 minutes or so of simmering to thicken it some more. This made a very mild chile. I put out minced raw onions and green chile paste for those who wanted to make it a bit--or a lot--spicier. As well as grated cheese, because everyone likes cheese on chile.

The cornbread was this recipe for corn muffins I always use, except I spread it out in a 13"x9" Pyrex because I loathe cleaning my muffin tin. Also, I use yogurt+milk instead of buttermilk. It makes a very different sort of cornbread due to the fact that it uses corn flour rather than meal, and an equal amount of buttermilk (or yogurt). The resulting cornbread is more like a tangy cake. But not sweet.

Saturday

Short version: Carnitas-style pork, mashed potatoes, sauteed zucchini/tomatoes/onion, raw tomatoes

Long version: This I mostly made ahead of time, because we were at church until 5 p.m. So the pork was cooked and just needed to be fried; the potatoes were peeled and in chunks in water, waiting to be boiled and mashed; and the zucchini was cooked. Dinner was on the table half an hour after we got home.

Sunday

Short version: Steaks, rice, asparagus, raw cabbage, custard

Long version: I finally cleared the meat freezer out enough on top that I could reach down to the boxes on the bottom. And one of them was a box of steaks. Steak bonanza ahoy!

Two T-bones and one large ribeye. With the asparagus from the garden, it made for a very high-quality meal.

Who needs a steakhouse when my whole house is a steakhouse? Or something.

I way overcooked the custard, because I put it in the oven and then the whole family went for a ride around our ghost village. 

The older boys have been working a lot with Bill the Pony, and he is now safe for even Poppy to ride. I was pretty impressed at how far Bill has come from his first bucking bronco ride with Cubby. The boys have done a great job with him.

By the time we got back, the custard was definitely in the grainy overcooked stage, but it still all got eaten. Custard's good like that.

Monday

Short version: Leftover pork, rice, cucumbers

Long version: We ended up being at a sort of unexpected church service until 7 p.m., after being at school all day, so I just heated up the pork with barbecue sauce, heated up the leftover rice with butter, cut up a cucumber, and called it good.

Tuesday

Short version: Breakfast sausage links, cafeteria rolls, green peas, pureed calabaza, asparagus, random chicken patties

Long version: I had to work again, and sausage links cook quickly. The rolls and chicken patties were cafeteria lunch leftovers. The rolls are homemade and incredibly good. The chicken patties not so much, but the kids still like them, and they all got eaten.

Asparagus from the garden again. The nice thing about asparagus season is that since you can only harvest it for about six weeks in the spring before you have to let the spears grow into mature plants, you never get sick of it. At least, I don't.

Wednesday

Short version: Beef and bean tacos, leftovers, radishes

Long version: The lady who delivers commodities dropped off a giant box of mostly pantry things this day (I am absolutely overrun with spaghetti and boxed macaroni and cheese now), which randomly included a pound of ground beef. It's been awhile since I had cooked store ground beef, and I forgot how . . . wet it is. 

I browned that meat (and poured off the excess liquid--gross) and then added a can of rinsed black beans, a little already-cooked onion, half a can of tomatoes sitting in the refrigerator, salsa, cumin, garlic powder, and chile powder. 

The kids had that. A. and I finished the steak, mine in a salad.

Thursday

Short version: Top sirloin steaks, spaghetti with pesto, leftover calabaza and cabbage, raw cucumber

Long version: Yes, we will be eating a lot more steak now that I've found that box. Also, warmer weather is coming, and steak is relatively quick-cooking so it doesn't heat the kitchen up so much.

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?