Simple Beef Chili

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When the weather is cool, it is not hard for me to decide to make a nice big pot of beef chili. What is hard is trying to decide which recipe to use; there are just so many to choose from. This chili has been on our list for over twenty years, and it will stay this way for many more.

What really gives this chili a depth of flavor is adding the spices to the sautéed vegetables before browning the meat. This allows the spices to bloom, which is the key to unlocking their full flavor. 

This simple chili calls for a simple topping of freshly grated cheddar cheese, but you can certainly add topping that suits your tastes, like sour cream or chopped scallions. Sweet Cornbread on the side is a must to clean up every bit of goodness in the bowl. 

Looking for another beef chili recipe? Try this Mexican Beef Cocoa Chili. 

It is simple but with a twist. Happy cooking!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

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I am pretty sure that if you are a red meat fan, then you have probably had flank steak on the grill during the summer season.  If you have not, well now is the time!

Flank steak, a cut from the lower abdomen of a cow, is a less expensive, leaner, thiner cut of meat than can serve a small group of people.  While it can be simply salt and peppered before grilling, I find that it holds up really well with a good marinade that keeps the meat moist and tender. One of the main ingredients to this marinade is soy sauce, so no extra salt is needed.  Having said that, I do also use low-sodium soy sauce so that it does not over power the meat flavor.  

This cut of meat grills up rather quickly, so you'll want to keep a close eye on it.  Within 10-14 minutes, you should have a perfect medium-rare cooked steak.  I like to double check that the internal temperature of the thickest part of the steak reaches 125°-130°F.  I let my meat rest on a cutting board with the juice groove to collect all of that tasty juice.  I slice the meat against the grain and then mix together the juice with scallion and parsley for a nice jus on the side.

Not that you'll have any, leftovers are wonderful is a sandwich or on top a bead of greens and veggies.  

Looking for another great way to enjoy flank steak on the grill? Take a lookout my Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri. Happy Grilling!

Choucroute Garnie

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Choucroute Garnie is an Alsatian dish that literally means dressed or garnished sauerkraut in French.  You might be thinking, But isn't sauerkraut German? You are correct, but when the region of Alsace became part of French in the 1600s (I will spare you the detailed history lesson), the dish became adopted by many of French chefs. Notice that I refer to this as a dish and not a recipe?  Well, that is because there is not just ONE recipe. So, this might be the ultimate "Make it for you, make it your own" Galley Gourmet recipe.  

Basically, Choucroute Garnie is a dish made of cooked sauerkraut and a variety of cooked meats; mostly pork and/or beef meats like, sausages, pork belly, bacon, pork ribs and sometimes even ham.  As you can see, this is a very pork-centric dish, but you can choose a mixture of whatever meats your tastebuds and little arteries desire.  

For my Choucroute Garnie, I use my Braised Sauerkraut as the base (there is already bacon in that recipe). It also has carrots in it which is not a typical ingredient in Choucroute Garnie, but this is the way I like it. The carrots add a little sweetness and color to a rather neutral hued meal. As for the "garnish" of meats, I generally use a mix of knockwurst, cooked bratwurst, and beef frankfurters. I tend to stay away from uncooked meats because, to me, they often leave the dish too greasy. 

Another ingredient that many "recipes" add is potatoes. Since the dish is in the oven for several hours, that gives me time to make some Parslied Potatoes as a side (the parsley adds more color to the table), but if I am in a time crunch, I sometimes peel and par-boil about a pound or so of Yukon gold potatoes and then add them to the sauerkraut and sausages at the end to warm through. I also like to serve a good crusty Rye Bread  in the bread basket, but I think the absolute must for this dish is a variety of mustards, like a grainy Dijon, a hot/forte Dijon, or even a quality beer mustard to drag your fork of sliced sausages through.

So as you can see, this is not a recipe. It is an any-way-you-like-it dish.  Bon Appetit!

P.S. I have also been known to use duck fat in lieu of the butter in the sauerkraut. Ok, I'll stop with the almost endless possibilities of adaptions!

Quick Beef and Barley Soup

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My son and I were huddled up in my big comfy chair the other night watching Netflix when I  turned to him and asked the daily question..."Any dinner druthers for tomorrow night?"  Usually I get a smart response like--"Food" from him 🙄.  But this time he quickly responded, "Beef and Barley Soup would be nice."  Me--🤔

Normally, I would serve this soup in late October when the skies are grey and the air temperature is cool and crisp.  Well, guess what...the skies have been grey and the air temperature has been cool and crisp lately; not to mention the rain.  So it was the perfect time to pull out this recipe.  It's easy and I know everyone LOVES it!

The original recipe called for chicken broth--???, this is a beef soup, so I like to use a mixture of mainly beef broth and a little chicken broth.  I also add garlic because everything is better with garlic.  I use a slurry of a bit more chicken broth and cornstarch at the end of cooking to give the soup a little body.  Then I finish the soup with Worcestershire sauce for a deeper flavor, and red wine vinegar and fresh parsley to give it a bright and fresh taste.

  

Serve it with some warm baked Brown Soda Bread, and this is a soup you will enjoy all year long.

Sunday Dinner

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Asparagus and Goat Cheese Bites

Beef Daube with Mustard, Herbs, and White Wine

Parslied Potatoes

French Baguette

Chocolate Espresso Caramel Truffle Tart

I like to think of this dish as the Spring cousin to Beef Bourguignon.  It calls for white wine instead of red wine to braise the meat, making it a little lighter, but still full of rich flavor. Plenty of onions (never enough of those in my book), garlic and tomatoes help flavor the sauce along with a good Dijon mustard (by the way, I use Maille or Amora) and a few herbs.  I take it one step further by finishing the sauce with a little beurre manié which is a "kneaded" mixture of flour and butter.  It really makes the sauce velvety, smooth, and perfect for dragging through a crusty piece of bread.

One nice thing about this stew is that it is not as labor intensive as the Beef Bourguignon.  It's kind of a one pot meal which is perfect for me when there is a Sunday afternoon soccer game to attend. That's a score for me (and one for my little soccer player☺)!

Yikes! I need to clean my copper pot.

Sunday dinner one year ago

Sunday dinner two year ago

Sunday dinner three years ago

Grilled Steak Fajitas

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El Cinco de Mayo has undeniably become a part of the American cycle of holiday celebrations.  What is probably the second most important patriotic holiday in Mexico (Sept. 16 claims top billing I'm told) has claimed a spot at the table.  This is thanks in no small part to Corona beer ads, but there are other reasons.  May 5th falls right around Kentucky Derby day every year.  It is also around the start of full-blown grilling season for many and happens to be my niece Catherine's birthday☺.

Grilled steak fajitas are perhaps the perfect choice for your weekend gathering.  The smells emanating from the steak and the veggies will perk up the olfactory senses of everyone in the neighborhood. The colors of the poblanos, red peppers, and onions capture the colors of the Mexican flag perfectly for your eyes before they compliment the steak perfectly for your palate. Pile the veggies and steak on a platter with all the accompaniments and let your guests dig in.  A bag of quality tortilla chips are optional, but they do help with the clean up of guacamole and salsa. A few cold cervezas will also help wash it all down☺.

Beef Bourguignon

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What could be better on a cold winter day than a bowl of this?  Beef Bourguignon, a standout of the stew family has all you could want in a dish.  Savory beef and vegetables tackle hunger in any size while providing the comfort of familiar flavors.  Being that this is not your average stew, it is a bit time intensive, but the results are well worth it.  Much of the preparation can be done in advance.  And while it is being done, the house will smell like heaven.  Serve it with a thick slice of  country bread for a hearty meal that you and whoever else is lucky enough to eat it will savor.

Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket

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Have you ever wanted to start a grill in the morning?  Do you ever think or say "Yeah, I find the idea of devoting most of a day to tending to hickory logs and smelling like smoke appealing"?  Smoking your own beef brisket is not a choice.  It is a lifestyle, at least for a day.  Oh, but is it ever rewarding.  Having a man in your life who likes to tend fire and have a few beers in the sun helps, too☺.  The resulting meat is why God created fire, meat, and our taste buds.  Seriously, look at that smoke ring!

If you are still reading, chances are that you might want to attempt this sort of undertaking.  Even if you are not sure that you are ready or willing to take on the task, you can read on for the rub and/or sauce recipes.  The sauce is great on a burger or chicken, so get on with your bad self and make your own sauce.  I'm telling you-- making your own sauce has its own magic.   

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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Many of you may be firing up the grill this weekend to cook Dad a nice meal.  I've got a recipe right here that will put a different spin on his beloved steak.  You know--something a little different than the standard ol' T-Bone.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Chimichurri, it is a sauce originally from Argentina.  It can be green or red and there are countless variations of both.  The green sauce is composed of oil, lemon or vinegar (or in this case both), garlic, and herbs (and this is where the variations come in to play).  Parsley, cilantro, mint, and oregano are all suitable herbs when making a green chimichurri, but I prefer the combination of flavors from the parsley and cilantro.  To add more flavor to the meat, I rub in a sweet and savory spice mixture that compliments the sauce well.  

Ultimate Steakhouse Burger

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For most of the life of The Galley Gourmet blog, I have tended to end each week on a sweet note, but with the long holiday weekend and it being grilling season, I simply had to share this recipe with you.

I am all for a nice piece of red meat that is seasoned with just salt and pepper, but when it comes to burgers, that combo is usually lacking.  In comes this recipe-- one that will give you all the flavors of that restaurant style burger you can really sink your teeth into.  Can you guess the secret ingredient to the ultimate chargrilled burger??  Ta da!  You win, and the prize is bacon fat!  Yep, the moo and the oink join forces in this creation☺.

I am old school and keep a jar of bacon fat in my fridge at all times, but I have included in the recipe the frying of the bacon and reserving of the grease.  You can also take your burger creation a step further by topping it with the cooked bacon, but I like to keep it all about the burger.  

Toast up some homemade hamburger buns on the grill and apply your favorite condiments and extras for the ultimate steakhouse burger.

But before I go, I will leave you with a few festive links to some sweet red and blue treats to make and bake for the holiday weekend.

Strawberry Dream Cake

Three-Layer Berry Brown Sugar Pavlova

Angel Food Cake with Raspberry Swirl

Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches with Blueberry Swirl

Strawberry Sorbet

Printable Recipe

Ultimate Steakhouse Burger
serves 4

8 strips of bacon
1 to 2 slices of white sandwich bread, crust removed and torn into 1/2-inch pieces  (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef 85-90% lean
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, grated on a microplane

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is browned and crisp, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain; set aside.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat into a bowl; set aside to cool.

Place the bread in a small bowl, add milk, and let the mixture sit until saturated, about 5 minutes.  Using a fork, mash the mixture until it forms a smooth paste.  Break the beef up into small pieces in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper, than add the garlic, bread paste, and reserved bacon fat. Using a fork or hands, lightly knead the mixture until it is well incorporated and forms a cohesive mass.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into 3/4-inch thick patty.  Using a finger, make several dimples onto one side of each patty.  This prevents the patty from doming once cooked.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill with a hot fire.  Grill the burgers (without pressing down!) until they are well seared on each side, about 7-10 minutes total.  Serve topped with remaining bacon, if desired.  Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Cook's Country June/July 2005

Guinness and Cheddar Meatloaf

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Lamb, Guinness, and a good Irish Cheddar, all wrapped in bacon and glazed with more Guinness, um....yum! Could there be a more perfect meal than that for St. Patrick's Day?  Possibly, but for know, I am going with this wonderful meatloaf recipe packed full of flavor.  

The original recipe called for a mixture of ground beef and lamb, but since this has an Irish twist with the addition of a stout beer and cheddar, I figured the lamb would be a good pairing.  I omitted the celery and carrots because I do not care for a meatloaf packed with veggies.  I like to keep it simple with lots of onions and a bit of garlic in order for the flavor of the meat to shine through.  After all, this is a meatloaf, not a veggieloaf (save the vegetables for a side dish).  I also like a tightly textured meatloaf when I slice into it.  I drives me bonkers when I see a beautiful meatloaf that falls apart when cut, so I use the food processor to process the meat a bit further.  Fewer binders are needed and the end result is much more juicy and tender.  Wrapping it in bacon adds flavor to an already tasty mixture. Also, I had a half bottle of Guiness Extra Stout left over from the reduction and I knew I could put it to a good use.  Down the hatch was my first thought, but I resisted and decided to take a pointer from the Triple Chocolate Guinness Cookies and made a reduced syrup to glaze the top.  Boy, oh boy! Is this ever good.  There is sweetness from the glaze, smokiness from the bacon, and a deep, rich flavor from the meats and cheese.  My middle child doesn't particularly care for lamb.  After she asked for seconds, I let her in on the main ingredient.  She was surprised.  I believe her words were, "If all lamb tasted like this, I would eat it all the time."

I wrote the recipe for one large loaf, but I actually made two.  One for dinner and one for leftovers.  Not just warmed up leftovers, but sandwiches made with toasted white bread, a good schmear of mayonnaise, and pickled red onions.  I might make it again just for the sandwiches ☺! 

Italian Beef Sandwiches

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If you are from the Chicago area, you probably recognize the bad boy in the picture above.  The Italian Beef sandwich is a culinary institution in the Second City.  Each beef stand has its own method and thus, flavor and texture, so everybody seems to have a favorite.  I was introduced to the sandwich in my late teens and after a few years and samples of many variations, I got the familiar voice in my head--"I want to try this at home."  After much searching and tweaking of recipes, I struck gold with this process.  If you have been transplanted to some other city or country and can't get it or if you're still around and always wanted to try your hand at making the succulent, juicy beef yourself-- have I got a plan for you!  

In order to help you make your very own Italian Beef sandwices at home, I have included a few step-by-steps below.  

Prepare the ingredients for the rub, reserving 1 tablespoon of the mixture to season the juice.  Massage the rub on all sides of the meat.  Allow to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.  This ensures that the meat will cook evenly.

Roast the meat at 450° F for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350° F and cook until the internal temperature reaches 130°-135° F for medium rare.  Cooking the meat to medium rare is important for tenderness.  The meat will be further cooked when warmed in the juice before assembling the sandwich. Once rested, tightly wrap the roast in double layers of aluminum foil then plastic wrap and chill for several hours, preferably overnight.  Chilling makes it easier to slice. The meat needs to be sliced as thin as possible, preferably with an electric knife.  In fact, I would not even try slicing it by hand.  Thick cuts of meat make for a tough sandwich.

Remove the roast from the pan, lightly tent with foil, and set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes; reserve any meat drippings.  Meanwhile, deglaze the pan with boullion cubes, water, reserved seasoning from the rub mixture, and any reserved meat drippings.  

Once chilled, slice shave the meat as thin as possible (I cannot stress this enough), preferably with an electric knife, unless you can get your hands on a meat slicer.  

I am talking paper thin slices, my friends.  They don't have to be uniform, but ultra thin is key.  Electric knives are fairly inexpensive, so go get one.  I use mine all the time for meats and roasts.

Juice and meat can be made a day ahead and I recommend it highly.

The next day, heat the juice over a low heat and allow the meat to soak for no more than one minute.  Otherwise, it becomes tough and chewy.  Dress your sandwich with some juice, sautéed green peppers if you like (we like), hot giardinara (we like Pagliacci Hot Italian Pepper Spread in oil), and a good ladle of more juice (or dip the whole sandwich).  Push up your sleeves, elbows up, and dig in.  Don't forget the fries!

Thick-Cut Steaks Pan Seared or Grilled

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Every once in a while, I get a hankering for a good, juicy, deep flavored steak.  That is when I pull out this recipe.  The original recipe only employed the pan seared method, but my steaks come out just as nicely when cooked on the grill (as pictured above) using virtually the same method.  Most of the time I use it for strip steaks, but I get equally good results with a ribeye or fillet. What is important is that the steak is at least a uniform 1 1/2 inches thick.  Unlike the cooking of most of my meats where I bring the meat to room temperature first, this method starts by cooking the steaks in the oven at a low temperature.  This ensures that the steak temperature is even throughout.  That way you don't wind up with a charred, gray crust and a cold, raw inside.  We like our steaks medium rare, but you can certainly leave them in the oven a few minutes more for  medium doneness.  Immediately after removing the steaks from the skillet or grill, I take the flavor one step further and rub the entire surface with a clove of garlic, which really adds great flavor.  Let them rest for 10 minutes, then....

slice open that perfectly cooked, glorious piece of meat. Pavlov could have used this picture for an experiment on humans (o.k those of us that do indulge in meat).  It may cause a spike in drool bucket sales.  If you are looking for an even deeper beef flavor, I have included a dry aged technique in the recipe below.

Grillades and Grits

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Aside from roast chicken, I don't repeat many main dishes for Sunday dinner.  There are so many seasonal recipes to make and it's hard to resist trying out new ones, too.  I won't be making this dish for quite some time, so I thought I would share the recipe.

Grillades and Grits is good creole comfort food.  It is beef or veal (I prefer the veal) that is pounded very thin, browned on both sides, and simmered in a broth/wine/vegetable mixture. The meat becomes fork tender while the gravy deepens in color and flavor. It is then served over a generous helping of stone ground grits. Garnish with a few chopped green onions for more color and flavor, then give it a few dashes of Tabasco for a kick. Take a fork (no knife needed, but you should use one to be polite at the dinner table:) and dive on in!

Oh, and if you have the time, make the grillades and gravy (not the grits) the day before. As good as it is the day you make it, it really has that "next day better goodness", making it a perfect dish for entertaining.

Sloppy Sophisto Joes

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We have had a wet Spring here. Good for the grass, but not good for the grill or my craving for beef between a bun.  The first time I made these they were good, but they just needed something.  I made a big batch, so I put the rest in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal.  When it was time pull out that frozen batch, I warmed it on the stove and kept tasting it trying to figure out what was missing.  

It turns out that the meat mixture wasn't missing anything, but the sandwich was.  I like texture, not just flavor in my food so the meat sauce in a bun just wasn't doing it for me.  My husband and son suggested onions and mustard.  That helped it a bunch, but it still needed something.  My son suggested one more thing--bread and butter pickles.  I gave him a funny look.  Unfortunately, I lost my taste for bread and butter pickles after eating too many at "Happy Hour" as a kid, but I do keep them in the house for the rest of the family.  Seeing as how he was right about the onions and mustard (a little mayonnaise doesn't hurt either) I went with it.  End result-- "winner winner weeknight dinner" and I can now enjoy bread and butter pickles again!

This freezes beautifully, so make a double batch.  Also, make sure you use a sturdy bun to sandwich the "sloppy" meat sauce.  I use my White Bread recipe and shape it into 6 big buns.  I highly recommend you do the same.  

Whiskey Glazed Corned Beef

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I just couldn't write another post without first sharing this recipe.  As much as I enjoy the traditional New England boiled dinner, this recipe is a "pot o' gold".  The meat is simmered slowly on the stove top for several hours until it is fork tender (This step can be done the day before).  Then it is glazed with a sweet whiskey sauce and placed under the broiler until it is dark and sticky.  Sliced not too thick, but not too thin--it just melts in your mouth.  My son couldn't believe that he didn't need a knife to cut his meat and my youngest just kept asking for more "ham"--blame that one on the nitrates☺. 

The only downside to this dish is that when you serve it family style in the middle of the table like I do, it disappears way too fast.  It is nearly impossible to keep yourself from going back for more.  It's a good thing I made two, because the one pictured above is all gone and I need leftovers for corned beef hash.  Wait, I also need some for reuben sandwiches for dinner one night this week.  Oh corned beef, is there anything you CAN'T do?

Sauerbraten

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Regular readers probably know by now that we enjoy our Sunday Dinner.  This Sauerbraten made the past weekend's dinner no exception.  It was delicious!  I try not to disrupt our meals with too much photography, but I want to make sure I document all of this for me and my family and it might be another year before I make Sauerbraten again (I make enough for lunches and leftovers to freeze so we actually will enjoy it one more time, but in the form of sandwiches or some other weeknight yummy).


I tore this recipe out of Martha Stewart Living some years ago and have been making it ever since.  It is a beef roast that is braised in a mixture of red wine, vinegar, and onions.  We love our onions, so I add lots of onions.  Mmm--beef and onions--so good!  It is sour, yet sweet and unbelievably tender.  Slice and serve it with some creamy mashed potatoes and glazed carrots (I will get to those recipes soon).  Trust me, it will be hard to leave the table.

Mexican Beef Cocoa Chili

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After a windy and chilly (no pun intended) day at the soccer fields, I couldn't think of a better way to warm up than with this chili that has an unexpected ingredient, cocoa!  Put it on the stovetop in the morning and let it simmer away.  Or better yet, make it the day ahead to give it that "next day better" goodness.  

I like to make this in a big batch and freeze the rest of it to have on hand for those busy weeknights.  You can certainly eat it as, but we enjoy ours over rice with lightly salted avocado slices and garnished with chopped red onion and cilantro.  A little dollop of sour cream doesn't hurt either and the tortilla chips...well, they really make it.  In fact, it seems we eat the chili with tortilla chips instead of a spoon or fork.  That's o.k. with me!