Texas is beef country. Although we weren’t cattle ranchers, we had cows—I think it must be one of the unwritten laws of Texas that if you have a ranch, you have cattle. By the time I was ten I knew every cut of meat and how to best cook each to bring out its natural goodness. I learned that flank and skirt are among the most flavorful (and cheapest!) cuts of meat, and that cooking bone-in roasts gives meatier flavor than boneless. I especially learned to pay attention to the goal when choosing a cut and how to cook it; to use fatty skirt or flank when the meat is destined for tacos or fajitas and meltingly tender filet mignon when I’m serving an elegant sauce.
Living on the ranch surrounded by live animals taught me something else: All our food deserves respect. To this end, I buy only grass-fed beef even though it is more expensive. Cows cannot properly digest grain; it is not their natural diet. I would rather eat beef that has been raised in a way that respects its natural state. If you don’t have a grocery store that carries grass-fed meat near you, check out eatwild.com, which will help you find local farms with pasture-fed meat.
chili-rubbed skirt steak tacos
flank steak with lime marinade
chicken fried steak with white gravy
filets mignons with sweet balsamic reduction
Brisket is a cornerstone of Texas cooking, as much a part of the culinary fabric as sweet iced tea and biscuits. This version is a great “prep it and forget it” dish. You can pull it together and toss it all in the roasting pan in just a few minutes, and then put it in the oven and do something else for 3 hours. The house smells amazing while it’s cooking and the result is meltingly tender brisket and a tangy-sweet sauce. Toward the end of cooking, toss a green salad and make some White Rice—or if you’re feeling more ambitious, place the Broccoli and Rice Casserole in the oven 30 minutes before the brisket is done—and dinner is served!
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
1 4- to 5-pound beef brisket
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 12-ounce bottle chili sauce (about 1 generous cup)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 12-ounce can beer (not dark)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large roasting pan (with a lid, if possible), place the brisket fat-side up. Spread the onion on top. In a medium mixing bowl, place the chili sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and beer. Stir until well blended. Pour the sauce on top of the meat. Tightly cover the pan with the lid or aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 3 hours. If you’d like to thicken the gravy, transfer the brisket to a platter and keep warm. Place the cornstarch in a small dish and add 2 tablespoons water. Stir until dissolved and stir into the cooking liquid. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. To serve, cut the brisket across the grain into ¼-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a platter and pour some of the sauce over the brisket. Transfer the remaining sauce to a gravy boat to pass at the table.
At Beso these tacos are served as an appetizer, but some people love them so much that they make a meal of them, ordering VeraCruz Corn on the side. Guests often look at the dish’s name and exclaim, “I don’t like spicy!” but I always assure them that the chili powder adds only beautiful color and nice flavor. I promise it does not pica, as my Aunt Elsa would say, meaning that it’s not spicy.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 pounds skirt steak
Kosher salt to taste
12 corn tortillas
Special equipment: 12 wooden toothpicks
1. Lightly oil the grill grate and prepare a medium-hot grill.
2. Rub the chili powder onto both sides of the steak and sprinkle generously with salt. Grill the steak, turning once, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer to taste. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Stack the tortillas on a cutting board and use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to trim them into 4-inch squares. Heat a comal or flat cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Place 1 to 2 tortilla squares on the comal, or as many as will fit without crowding, and heat until warm and soft. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm while you heat the remaining tortilla squares.
4. Place a warm tortilla on a work surface with its points going up and down, like a diamond. Holding the knife at a roughly 45-degree angle to the cutting surface, cut the steak diagonally across the grain into thin strips. Place 2 to 3 strips across the center of the diamond. Top with a generous spoonful of guacamole. Pull the tortilla together corner to corner (so it looks like a triangle) and secure it with a toothpick. Place the taco on a serving platter and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve.
As its name suggests, flank steak comes from the flank of the beef, between the ribs and the hips. I’ve been eating and loving flank and skirt steak, which comes from the same area, my whole life, since they are used abundantly in Latin cooking. For some reason, these cuts have yet to reach a wider audience. This is curious to me, for what flank steak lacks in tenderness it more than makes up in fabulous beefy flavor. Cut it across, not with, the grain so it’s less chewy. This tangy marinade is great for any cut of beef. As with any marinade, the longer you can let the steak sit in it, the better it’ll be.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
FOR THE MARINADE
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper, cored, seeded if desired, and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE STEAK
1½ pounds flank steak
1. In a shallow dish, place the oil, lime juice, garlic, serrano, chili powder, cumin, and salt and stir until well blended. Lay the flank steak in the dish and turn a few times until thoroughly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight (the longer, the better), turning occasionally.
2. Lightly oil the grill grate and prepare a medium-high grill. Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Grill for about 8 to 10 minutes total, turning once, for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Use a long, thin knife held at a slant to cut the steak across the grain into thin slices. Serve immediately.
FROM AUNT ELSA’S KITCHEN Be sure to thoroughly dry the steak by patting it with paper towels before you grill it. If the steak is too moist, it’ll steam rather than sear, and you won’t get a nice crust.
The trick here is to add a lot of seasoning to the dredging flour and then use the leftover seasoned flour to make the gravy. Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
3 pounds beef round roast or thin steaks or pretenderized “cube” steaks
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon kosher salt (see Note)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper (see Note)
½ cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed
4 cups whole milk
1. If using a roast, slice the meat with the grain into ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices. If using round steaks, halve them horizontally to create thinner steaks if necessary. Lay the steaks on a work surface and use a meat mallet to pound them to ¼-inch thickness. If using cubed steak, no slicing or tenderizing is required.
2. Heat a warming drawer or preheat the oven to 175°F.
3. In a wide, shallow bowl, beat the eggs. In a second wide shallow bowl, place the flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until well blended. Coat a steak on both sides with egg, and then dredge in the seasoned flour, coating both sides. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and repeat with the remaining steaks. Set the remaining flour aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmery and hot but not smoking. Place enough steaks in the hot oil that they fit without crowding; do not pack the skillet or they will take longer. Fry until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side (longer if steaks are thick or not well tenderized). Transfer to a serving platter and continue until all the steaks are cooked, adding more oil to the pan if necessary. Keep the transferred steaks warm in a warming drawer or the oven. Do not cover with foil or they will become soggy.
5. Drain the skillet of all but 2 tablespoons oil; leave any bits of coating in the pan. Return the pan to the heat and slowly stir in ¹⁄³ cup of the reserved seasoned flour, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the cooked-on bits. When the drippings and the flour are well mixed, stir in the milk. Simmer the gravy until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Drizzle some gravy over the steaks and serve; pass any remaining gravy at the table.
NOTE
Or use 1 tablespoon Season-All in place of the salt and pepper.
This classic Tex-Mex stew is rich and delicious without the hours of simmering that most stews require. I cannot imagine ever eating this without Aunt Edna’s Homemade Flour Tortillas to soak up every last drop of flavorful sauce.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium white onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ green bell pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Mexican Rice, for serving
Refried Beans, for serving
Aunt Edna’s Homemade Flour Tortillas, warm for serving
1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned in spots but still a little red in the middle, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and stir to combine. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with Mexican rice, refried beans, and warm tortillas.
FROM AUNT ELSA’S KITCHEN For a thicker gravy, after cooking use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving bowl. Combine 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour with ¼ cup water and stir until smooth. Whisk this slurry into the gravy and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Pour the gravy over the meat and serve.
The most important thing about preparing filets mignons is to use a light hand with the steaks themselves. To bring out their melting tenderness, absolutely all they need is a little salt and pepper and to be sautéed in some butter or olive oil. Here, they are drizzled with an elegant reduced balsamic sauce with deep, almost molasses flavor and a welcome bite at the finish. Try this dish with Brazilian Leeks. The filets are also wonderful with the heartier Shiitake-Wine Sauce.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
4 4- to 6-ounce filet mignon steaks
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1. Season both sides of the filets with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the steaks and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
2. Arrange the filets on 4 individual plates or on a serving platter. Drizzle the sauce over each filet and serve.
FROM AUNT ELSA’S KITCHEN Red meat tastes best when cooked to medium-rare, which means the interior of the meat is warm and very red and juicy.
These days I’m more likely to eat Chili con Carne with flavorful Corn Bread, but when I was a kid, “Frito pie” was one of our favorite after-school snacks: Place a generous handful of Fritos or other corn chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle over some hot Chili con Carne, and top with cheddar cheese. Every delicious bite is cheesy, crunchy, and meaty!
Mexican chorizo is a fresh (not dried) pork sausage seasoned with chiles; it makes all the difference between this Chili con Carne and more basic versions.
This chili is better if it’s made a day ahead.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes with juice
Kosher salt
12 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 pounds ground beef or turkey
3 15-ounce cans low-sodium whole pinto beans or 4 cups drained Borracho Beans
Corn Bread, for serving
Grated cheddar cheese, for serving
1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the chiles and boil gently until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds, if desired, from the chiles. (Note: Leaving the seeds will make your chili con carne spicier!) Rinse them well and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes and their juice and stir until combined.
2. Working in batches, transfer the tomato-chipotle mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt to taste and set aside.
3. In a large stew pot over medium heat, cook the chorizo and onion, stirring occasionally and breaking up the chorizo with a spoon, until the chorizo is lightly browned and the onions softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the ground beef or turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned. Stir in the tomato-chipotle puree and the beans. Heat until hot and add salt to taste. Serve with corn bread and cheese.
I ran track in high school, and one day my coach told me to eat more pasta to increase my energy. So I went straight home and told my mom that I needed her to pick up a bunch of spaghetti sauce at the store. My mother pointed out that the jars were too expensive—about $2 a jar back then, generally a lot more nowadays—for the amount I was likely to eat (I could eat pasta morning, noon, and night). She wisely suggested I pick up a case of tomato sauce (6 cans for $1!) and get to work. Believe me, a lot of trial and error happened between my first pot and the recipe you see here. It took years to get the right mix of spices. But to this day, I would always rather start a pot with a can of tomato sauce than open any jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce. This bolognese stores beautifully for several months in the freezer, so sometimes I just mix up a batch to store and pull out in a pinch!
MAKES ABOUT 10 CUPS; 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
1½ cups chopped yellow onions
8 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1½ cups Beef Broth or store-bought low-sodium beef broth, plus more if needed
½ cup dry red wine
½ cup dry white wine
4 cups tomato sauce, plus more if needed
¼ cup ketchup
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots until finely chopped.
2. In a Dutch oven or other large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion mixture with a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth and the red and white wines and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Check occasionally during cooking and add more broth or tomato sauce if a saucier consistency is desired.
5. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Serve the beef bolognese over any pasta.
Ropa vieja translates literally to “old clothes,” which is what the shredded meat, visually, may bring to mind. The smell and taste of this dish, however, are nothing short of heavenly. Please don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. There is only a little bit of chopping required; the whole point is to put a bunch of things together and forget about it for hours (although you’re welcome to taste along the way if you prefer—or can’t resist!). The shredded meat should stand for at least 15 minutes before serving, but if you have more time, let it stand longer, as it just gets better and better.
This dish’s origins are Caribbean, so serve it with other foods from the same region, especially white rice, black beans, and plantains.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
2½ pounds beef flank steak
6 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons olive oil or as needed
2 cups Beef Broth (recipe follows) or store-bought low-sodium beef broth
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
8 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into ½-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into ½-inch strips
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
White Rice, for serving
Black Beans, for serving
Fried Plantains, for serving
1. Rub the steak on both sides with 3 tablespoons of the cumin. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmery and hot but not smoking. Add the flank steak and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large Crock-Pot.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, salt, the remaining 3 tablespoons of cumin, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir until well blended. Add the onion, bell peppers, and cilantro. Stir until well blended. Pour the tomato mixture over the meat in the Crock-Pot.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for up to 10 hours. The meat is ready when it falls apart when pierced with a fork. Remove the meat from the sauce and use two forks to pull apart the meat, shredding it into strings. Return the shredded meat to the sauce and let stand for 15 minutes. Serve the shredded meat with the flavorful juices spooned over and with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains on the side.
Making broth at home is so easy, and there’s not all that sodium and other who-knows-what-else in broth you make yourself.
MAKES ABOUT 3 QUARTS
3 pounds beef bones or a combination of bones, oxtails, and short ribs
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium leeks (white and light green parts only), coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib with leaves, coarsely chopped
1½ teaspoons tomato paste
4 sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Spread the bones in a flameproof roasting pan. Bake until the bones are brown, 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Transfer the bones to a stockpot. Pour the fat out of the pan. Place the roasting pan over high heat. Pour 2 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour this liquid into the stockpot. Add the onion, leeks, carrots, and celery.
4. Add cold water to cover the bones by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Use a large spoon to skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Add the tomato paste, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the broth is full flavored, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Strain the broth through a mesh strainer and discard the solids. Let cool. If desired, refrigerate the stock and remove and discard the solidified fat from the surface.
5. Store in tightly covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze up to 6 months.
I grew up fully immersed in the rich culinary culture and history of Mexico and Texas. It took many years for me to realize that there was literally a whole world of food and culture beyond what I knew so well. When it began to dawn on me, I set out to discover what a meal without tortillas, cheese, and Mexican rice would look like. I longed to begin my new education with the most “American” thing I could think of. And, I ask you, what is more American than meat loaf? This is the first recipe that opened my eyes to cooking meat in a completely different way. It’s the same meat loaf I make to this day.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1½ pounds lean ground beef
¾ cup uncooked oatmeal
¾ cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup chopped yellow or white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, place the ground beef, oatmeal, milk, egg, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix until well blended.
2. Pack the mixture into a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
3. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, place the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Stir until completely blended.
4. Pour the sauce over the meat loaf. Bake until cooked and bubbling slightly around the edges, about 1 hour. Let stand 5 minutes.
5. If desired, use a spatula to remove the meat loaf from the pan. Cut crosswise and serve.
Sweet bell peppers are stuffed with a very tasty beef filling and topped with queso fresco and pico de gallo, forming the green, white, red pattern that I love so much! This is a tasty and quick-to-make weeknight meal, which is also pretty enough to serve to company.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Cooking spray for the baking dish
4 large green bell peppers
½ pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ to 1 cup grated or crumbled queso fresco (about 2 to 4 ounces), for serving
Pico de Gallo, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each green pepper. Pull out the core, remove the seeds, and rinse the peppers inside and out. Add the peppers to the boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the beef and onion. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until mostly browned with some pink left, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.
4. Stuff the peppers lightly with the meat mixture and put the tops on. Stand them upright in the baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer.
5. To serve, sprinkle each stuffed pepper with queso fresco and top with a spoonful of pico de gallo.
This is a really fun dish to make and serve. It’s great for parties or to bring to potlucks and it’s convenient. You can assemble it completely and then freeze it (let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour before baking as directed below).
I like to make it in two round cake pans because it looks really pretty when you slice it. Use any saucy salsa that you like; don’t use pico de gallo, which is too chunky.
Shredded Mexican cheese is a packaged combination of three to four cheeses, usually Cheddar, Monterey Jack, queso quesadilla, and asadero. It adds more complex flavor than a single cheese and melts really well. Of course, you can grate your own selection of cheeses, but I like the convenience of the preshredded and packaged version.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
Cooking spray for the cake pans and foil
2 pounds ground beef or turkey
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ cup Chicken Broth or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
10 flour tortillas
1 16-ounce jar Pace Picante Sauce or other store-bought or homemade saucy salsa
1 16-ounce package shredded Mexican cheese
1 8-ounce container sour cream
2 4.5-ounce cans chopped green chiles
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, stirring and breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Pour the chicken broth in a large shallow dish and add the tortillas. Soak about 5 minutes; you want them soft but not mushy. Set aside ½ cup salsa and 1 cup cheese.
4. Place 1 tortilla on the bottom of each cake pan. In each pan, layer as follows: spread about 2 tablespoons of sour cream on top of the tortilla. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons chiles over the sour cream, followed by about ½ cup of the browned meat, 2 tablespoons salsa, and ¹⁄³ cup shredded cheese. Top with a tortilla. Repeat to make 3 more layers of filling. Finish with a tortilla on top. (You’ll have a stack of 5 tortillas and 4 layers of filling.) Divide the reserved salsa and cheese between the two pans, spreading the salsa to cover the tortilla and sprinkling the cheese to cover the salsa.
5. Spray one side of 2 sheets of aluminum foil with cooking spray and place them oiled-side down over the pans. Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling around the edges. Serve hot.
