Karbanátky ( Czech Meat Patties)

It's a little late in the year to be talking to you about a meal that I had nine months ago, isn't it? Yet these simple fried meat patties made such an impression on me that they have now been added to my regular meal rotation.  Way back in January my friend's dad made us these Karbanátky which he served with a potato salad ,home-made pickles and a dollop of sour cream. It's not a flashy meal, nor is it the least bit gourmet but that is exactly why it appeals. It is uncomplicated and easy enough to throw together. Vlad shared his recipe with me in the manner that is typical of experienced home cooks.....a little of this, a lot of that, and a pinch and a dash of some other stuff. I did not write down the recipe but I did remember that it was a basic hamburger patty which was rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. 

Most online sources for this recipe list marjoram as one of the ingredients. Unfortunately this herb is not readily available in Trinidad, so I substituted with our local green seasoning. A Czech acquaintance has assured me that each home does them a little bit differently so substituting with the green seasoning is just fine. I don't measure the ingredients when I am making this but I am aware that less experienced cooks might want a more specific guide so I have attempted to provide you with amounts.  

Karbanátky
Servings: 6-8

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork

or you can use just one kind of meat if you prefer

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 tsp each salt free onion and garlic powder can be substituted for the minced garlic and onion.

1 tsp majoram (or green seasoning)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs or cassava farine
extra bread crumbs to coat the karbanátky before frying
oil for frying

In a bowl combine the meat, worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, marjoram (or green seasoning) salt, mustard, pepper. Cover and set aside overnight or 1/2 hour in the fridge.

When ready to fry the patties remove the meat from the fridge. Mix in the bread crumbs and egg.  Form into hamburger patties, pressing a slight depression into the center of each to ensure even cooking. Roll each patty in bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a non stick medium skillet. Use medium high heat. Fry the patties about 4 minutes on each side until brown and cooked all the way through.

The Regular Show - Mac and Minced Beef

Today I thought that I should bring you a dish that makes a regular appearance in my home, usually at the end of every month and just before payday. Its takes no time at all to prepare and uses inexpensive ingredients.

People seem to think that because I have a food blog I cook gourmet meals at every turn.

Seriously no, eh!

My husband is sworn to secrecy about just how often we call for takeout around here.

No folks, I am not running home after work to whip up burgundy lamb shanks, with grilled polenta and a hearts of palm salad, because really you'd have to be crazy to try to get a cranky toddler to eat THAT at the end of a long day after a late swim lesson.

My kids are troupers and will eat all manners of things that other children their age would not touch. Still they do have their limits and pizza rules over okonomiyaki any day. I enjoy leading them to discover as wide a variety of foods that I possible can but my budget and time doesn't allow for fancy dishes all the time. On weekends I might experiment with something new but during the week it's the regular show. starring a rotating line up of budget-minded, unfussy meals.

Actually I am happiest when preparing meals that don't require a whole lot of thought and are sympathetic to dwindling pantry supplies. This dish fits that bill and is versatile. You don't have canned diced tomatoes? Then use tomato paste and ketchup or tomato soup and omit the tomatoes.   Hello left over spaghetti sauce languishing in in the fridge, you would be perfect for this! My  favorite substitution is a bottle of salsa which gives the meal a pleasant zing. Feel free to include any other add-ins like corn, celery, and sweet peppers if you have them.

Mac and Minced Beef

Ingredients
1 package of elbow macaroni ( 4 servings size)
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic
1 large onion
1 lb ground beef
1 large carrot
* I like the slight crunchy texture of the fresh carrot in this
1 8oz can peas and carrots
1/2 cup ketchup

1 14.5 oz can Hunts Rosemary and Oregano diced tomatoes
1/3 cup water

1 teaspoons salt
black pepper to taste

METHOD
In a large pot cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. drain and set aside.

Sauté onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Add beef and cook until beef is no longer pink. Add a little water if meat starts to stick to the pot.

When the meat is no longer pink add the carrots, peas and carrots, ketchup, diced tomatoes, and 1/3 cup water. Cook the mixture for about 10 mins on medium high heat. Mixture should look like a soupy stew. Add more water if needed. Enough to coat the pasta but not too watery to make it soggy. Remove from the heat and mix the pasta into the beef.

Homemade Corned Beef

In some parts of the world corned beef is seen as a festive dish that is associated with St. Patrick's Day. Usually it's a cut of beef brisket that has been soaked in  brine with pickling spices, then cooked. However in Trinidad corned beef is something that comes out of a can. I can't say that I am overly fond of this salty, gelatinous, tinned meat but it is quite useful for preparing a quick family meal when time is short.

For the longest while I have been intrigued by the idea of making my own corned beef but I figured it must take special equipment and a degree in meat preservation. After a bit of research into the topic, I happily discovered that it is ridiculously easy to make at home. Once you've made this I promise you will find it difficult to go back to the tinned stuff. The flavour is off the chart awesome. It is less salty, deeply spiced and tastes closer to a Christmas ham than corned beef from a tin. Once the beef starts to cook, the aroma alone makes the entire experience worthwhile.

Essentially corned beef is beef that has been preserved using salt. In times past, grains of salt were larger (about the size of corn kernels) and they were called corns of salt not grains, hence the term corned beef. Essentially there are two methods of preserving or corning beef, a dry cure and a wet cure. In the dry cure method the salt is rubbed into the meat to prevent spoiling. The wet-cure involves soaking the beef in brine.

Nowadays it is common to use a brisket or a round roast for corned beef but any cut of beef can be made into corned beef.  The most daunting part of the whole process was accessing some of the ingredients which aren't readily available in the local supermarkets. Brisket is not a common cut that is sold here but the gentlemen of Bloom's Imports sorted me out. I see now that they also stock already brined briskets so if you aren't up for home curing your own you can always try one of those.

Homemade Corned Beef

The Pickling Spice Blend
2 tablespoons peppercorns mixed
2 tablespoons mustard seeds ( I used mustard powder)
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons allspice berries (pimento)
2 tablespoons whole clove
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 stick of cinnamon 

The Brine
1 gallon water (16 cups)
2 cups kosher salt
1 teaspoon pink curing salt#1
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons pickling spice (above recipe)
one 5lb beef brisket

Directions
Make pickling spice:
Lightly toast the peppercorns, mustard and coriander seeds in a small, dry frying pan. use a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a broad knife to crack the peppercorns. Combine the cracked peppercorns with the rest of the spices. Mix well and store in an airtight container.

Make the brine:
Combine water, salt, sugar, pink salt and 2 tablespoons of the pickling spices in a pot that is large enough to hold 16 cups of water comfortably. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until it is completely chilled.

Get a container that is large enough for the brisket and the brine. I used my crockpot but a large Rubbermaid container works well. Place the brisket in it. Add the brine and weigh brisket down with a plate so that it remains submerged. Refrigerate for 2 weeks.

Cook the beef: 

Crockpot
Remove brisket from the brine and rinse it thoroughly under cool running water. If you plan on cooking vegetables with your corned beef you can reserve about 1/2 cup of the brine. Discard the rest. Place brisket in a crockpot. Add enough water to just cover the meat. Add the rest of the cooking spices and set to slow cook for 4 hours. Taste the meat at this point. If it is not too salty, set the timer and slow cook an additional 4 hours. However it it is too salty change the water. Add fresh water just to cover the meat and slow cook for 4 hours.

Stovetop
If you do not have a crockbot you can do this on your stovetop. In a pot that is large enough to hold the brine and the brisket add the remaining pickling spice and bring to a boil. reduce the heat, cover and  simmer for about 3 hours. At this point taste meat to check for salt content. If it is too your liking continue to simmer for an additional 3 hours or until meat is fork tender. If it is too salty pour off the water and add fresh water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for an additional 3 hours.

Remove brisket and serve warm with vegetables or use in sandwhiches.  Store corned beef in the fridge for up to a week.

About pink curing salt:
Pink curing salt is also called Prague Powder #1. I purchased mine online. It goes by various brand names such as DQ curing salt, Tinted Cure, Morton's Tender Quick and Instacure. The nitrate in curing salts preserves the pink colour of the meat. You can omit it from the recipe since by itself the salt will safely preserve the meat but be aware that the curing salt is what makes the meat retain a pink colour. Without it the meat will be just as edible but it will look grey.

IMPORTANT:  Do not use more than the suggested amount of pink salt because too much can be toxic. Store safely out of the reach of children who might mistake the pink candy like colour for sugar. Click here for more in depth information on curing salts.

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Southwestern Shredded Beef

One of my favourite cooking mantras is cook once, eat twice. So you can be sure the minute I saw Southwestern beef wraps over on Our Best Bites, I was all over this recipe. The plan was to cook a lot (once) so that there would be leftovers to make tacos ( thus eating twice).

My plan was a colossal failure. There were no leftovers because certain individuals seemed to think that eating twice meant that they should go back for second helpings. I have no real evidence but I do I have my suspicions that some may have even stretched it to eating thrice. Consider yourselves warned.


Originally this was a slow-cooker meal from Mc Cormick. I have adapted it for the pressure cooker.

Southwestern Shredded Beef

INGREDIENTS

2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch wedges

3 cloves garlic

2 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast,

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon  cumin, ground

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or 2 teaspoons culantro)

3/4 teaspoon salt

5 Trinidad pimento peppers or substitute with 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

6 diced tomatoes

*For extra heat, use spicy salsa and/or add 1 chopped jalapeno pepper to slow cooker when adding green pepper


DIRECTIONS

1. Put onions and whole garlic cloves at the bottom of the pressure cooker.


2. Mix chili powder, cumin, cilanto and salt in small bowl. Rub seasoning mixture all over meat. Place meat on onions and garlic in the pressure cooker. Top with green pepper and diced tomatoes. Cover.


Consult your pressure cooker manual on how long to cook the beef as the following instructions may not work for your brand of cooker.

3. Cook on high until desired pressure is acheived (about 5 mins). Turn  heat down to med - low and cook for 20 minutes.

4.When the 20 minutes are up, release the pressure from the pot according to the manufacturer's instructions. This takes about 5 mins.

5. Shred beef with 2 forks. At this point you will find that there is still a lot of liquid in the pot. You can drain the liquid of or f cook further in the uncovered pressure cooker to thicken gravy.


Serving Tip: Serve with rice,  fried plantains and bean salad

Cuban Roast Beef - Boliche Relleno

Holiday meals in my family are much anticipated occasions to try something new in the kitchen. This year was no exception. My sister decided on this lovely roast which we served with sides of stewed red beans, yuca con mojo,  tostones (twice fried plantains) and of course my orange salad. Delicioso. Unfortunately the roast was all I got a chance to photograph.

Boliche
5-6 lbs beef eye round ( I used top sirloin )
10 garlic cloves, mashed
2-3 teaspoons ground oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup sour orange juice ( or 3/4 parts orange juice with 1 part lime juice)
3 teaspoons salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
3 tablespoons capers, chopped
3 tablespoons pimento stuffed olives, chopped
1 tablespoon Goya adobo seasoning
1/2 tablespoon annatto (optional)
2 tsps shadon beni (culantro) or substitute with cilantro
1/2 lb ham, cubes or thick slab bacon
1 carrot, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell peppers, cut in medium size pieces
1/2 red bell peppers, cut in medium size pieces
2 chorizo sausages, casings removed, chopped
*couldn't find chorizo so I substituted with a spicy Italian sausage
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chunky tomato sauce
butcher's twine



Directions


Clean the meat by trimming excess fat. With a knife make a deep cut along the center of the beef, leaving one end uncut. Lay open the steak like a book.Prepare the marinade by mixing garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, sour orange juice,  1 tablespoon Goya Adobo seasoning, 1 tsp of the culantro, salt,  and black pepper, . Spread 3 tablespoons of the marinade over meat and close like a 'book'. Cover the meat and put in the fridge for two hours or overnight.

In food processor chop ham or bacon, carrot, onions, bell peppers and chorizo, 1 tablespoon Goya Adobo seasoning, olives, and capers to a fine grind.Mix the contents with the half of the remaining marinade in a bowl.With the grain of the meat running horizontally, spread the marinade mixture to within an inch of the outer edges of the meat.Roll the meat so that all the ingredients stay inside the roll. Tie the roll every couple of inches with lengths of butchers twine.Rub the outside of the meat with the rest of the marinade. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. When the oil is good and hot add the roast and brown on all sides, turning  several times.Transfer to a dutch oven. Cover and place in oven. This recipe says to roast for for approximately 3 hours but we found ours was done after about 1 1/2 hours.

Discard bay leaves.Remove meat to a separate dish and allow to cool, at least 15 minutes, before slicing into 1/4" slices using a very sharp knife.Combine the chunky tomato sauce and shadon beni (culantro) or cilantro  usied just a bit of beef stock instead). Pour over sliced meat.