Beef

The Best! Awesome Smoked Brisket

December 28, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Is there anything more gorgeous than a Texas Smoked Brisket? So simple, yet loaded with amazing flavor. I had the point of a very large brisket in my freezer and decided to thaw it out and cook on Christmas Day. I had used the flat end to make Texas Brisket Chile. It ended up taking 12 hours, so we actually had something else I had prepared. This brisket is one of the most flavorful I have made and it was the just right amount of tenderness. It melts in your mouth!

My favorite part of the brisket is the point. Yes, there is more fat, but there is so much more flavor, it is less dry, and it really does melt in your mouth. We love it on a buttery toasted bun with a mayonnaise based slaw with an on the sweet side BBQ sauce.

How can you resist this sandwich? It’s just one of those sandwiches that you would really like to have another, but you know you can’t!

The Best! Awesome Smoked Brisket

I’ve been cooking briskets for years but you never stop learning how to make a better brisket. Never! One of my favorite books is written by Aaron Franklin of the famous Franklin BBQ. I’ve used this book over and over and I’ve learned a lot! Here’s a link for the book that you have to try: https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat.

One of the reasons I wanted to cook this brisket was because I wanted to use it in making tamales! Another use I have for brisket is my Texas Brisket Chile which is crazy good. Here’s the link and it is a must make recipe: https://the2spoons.com/essential-texas-brisket-chili/.

Here’s the recipe for the smoked brisket!

Smoked Brisket

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Prep Time 15

Total Time 27

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 12-14 LB Brisket I buy untrimmed and trim my own. You want some of the fat to make a melt in your mouth brisket
1/2 cup Brisket and Beef Rub

Brisket and Beef Rib Rub

1/2 Cup equal parts of salt, black pepper and garlic powder with some added cayenne pepper (optional) to your taste
Yellow Mustard if you want to slather

Method

I like to trim and season my brisket the day before because it does take some time.
The first thing you want to do is trim your brisket Here is a link that explains how to trim your brisket. I do not buy a trimmed brisket because I want some of the fat, especially on the Flat or the lean portion of the brisket. Here is a link from Arron Franklin of Franklin BBQ In Austin on how to trim a brisket. It's easier for you to see a video, rather than me trying to explain. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=aaron+franklin+how+to+trim+a+brisket&docid=607987932646936196&mid=D327C71E9E76AD3EAB65D327C71E9E76AD3EAB65&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT
After you have trimmed your brisket you are ready to slather and add the rub. I don't always slather because I forget. It does help to hold your rub.
Apply a total of 1/2 cup of rub to both sides of the trimmed brisket.
Store the brisket overnight in the refrigerator and remove at least an hour before cooking to come to room temperature.
I have cooked brisket using these 3 methods: Big Green Egg, Using a smoker that you use only wood and have a firebox to feed your wood. I am not an expert, these are how I do it after years of muddling through learning how to do it.
Big Green Egg:
When using my Big Green Egg I load it up with the charcoal lumps recommended for the Big Green Egg. I then add wood pieces that I have soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. I use Oak or being in Texas and have a ranch full of mesquite wood I will use mesquite chunks that I have soaked also. Start your fire with an electric fire starter or your preferred method of starting your fire and bring the temperature to 225 degrees. I place the Big Green Egg ConvEGGtor with the legs up and my grill resting on the legs. Between the grill and the Conveggator, I place a 9×11 pan covered in foil. Then I place the brisket on the grill. I close the cover, put the lid on that has the vents, adjust the heat again to 225 – 250. Honestly, it seems I usually end up smoking at about 250 degrees.
Keep a watch for the temperature, making sure you maintain a consistent 225 degrees to 250 degrees. After about 6 hours, check to see if the brisket has turned a deep brown and begins to puddle in the middle. I then wrap in pink butcher paper. I get mine online from Amazon. I place the brisket back on the grill, get it back up to temperature and continue cooking another 6 hours at least or until the internal temperature reaches 200 – 205 degrees.
When the Brisket reaches about 165 internal temperature, it may get in a stall. I crank the heat up, get the cooking going again. After a few minutes, I’ll let the temperature come back to about 225 to 250 degrees. The time for slow smoking a brisket is between 12-14 hours at this temperature.
Smoker with Firebox
When I use a smoker with a firebox, I use all wood. I save my fat drenched pink butcher paper from the previous smoke session and freeze it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and I use that to start my fire. Start your fire, get some coals going, and add wood as needed to the firebox to maintain your heat as above 225 to 250 degrees. Everything else is the same as above….wrapping and cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200-205 degrees.
Searing on a Charcoal grill and finishing in the oven
For those of you that do not have a smoker and still want delicious brisket, I did this for years. I would season the same as I would on any smoking session of brisket, place on the charcoal grill and char as much as I could on all sides. You’re going to leave it on a while because you want to get a good char. I then would wrap the brisket in foil and place it on a sheet pan and finish in the oven at 225 degrees until the internal temperature reached 200 to 205degrees. Everyone loved the brisket, so it must have been a success. I did that for years.
I use no barbecue sauce while I am cooking the brisket. I serve the brisket with my favorite sauce at the time. I love all of Franklin Barbecue Sauces that you can buy in your local store, and I also love the Salt Lick Barbecue Sauce from the famous Salt Lick in Texas.

the best tamale pie.

November 30, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I love tamale pie. There’s just something about a spicy meat mixture with cheese that’s topped with a cornmeal cooked topping that just says comfort food. The cornmeal topping is my favorite part of this dish. I like it to be a little loose that just melts into the meat mixture.

Not only is this dish perfect right out of the oven but it is even better the next day leftover. And, it freezes well! I don’t always add cheese to the top because it’s included in the meat mixture like in the photo below, but the last time I made it I added a little Monterrey Jack cheese after I took the casserole out of the oven.

The Best Tamale Pie

I like to serve it with Pinto beans or Black Beans and tortilla chips! Here’s the link for my pinto beans that are delicious! https://the2spoons.com/pinto-beans-for-refried-beans/.

I also use this pinto bean recipe for re-fried beans because they are very simple, no added spices, but absolutely delicious!

I used Julios All Purpose Seasoning in this Tamale Pie. i just discovered this seasoning recently and It makes a huge difference. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/groceries/seasonings.

You’ll love this recipe! Enjoy!

The Best Tamale Pie

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Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Texmex

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Ground beef
1 onion diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced or grated
4 Green onions, thinly sliced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and sliced or chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 Tsp Ground cumin
1/2 Tsp smoked paprika
1/2 -1 Tsp Julios all purpose seasoning
1 Tbsp Chili powder, I use New Mexico red chile powder
15 oz Can tomato sauce
1 Cup Frozen or canned (drained) whole kernel corn
1 Small can Sliced black olives, optional
1 Cup Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Cheddar cheese or Monterrey jack for topping
fresh cilantro chopped

For the Cornmeal Topping

1 Cup Yellow cornmeal
2 1/2 Cups Water, salted (about 1 tsp)
2 Tbsp Butter

Method

Preheat the oven to to 375 degrees F. Butter a medium large casserole dish.
Heat a large skillet and add the ground beef. I used 80/20 so I didn’t add extra oil, but if you’re using a lean ground beef you probably need to add a little oil to your skillet.
When your meat has started to brown, add your onions, bell peppers, green onions, garlic and jalapeños. Cook until your onions are translucent and your meat is completely cooked.
Add your seasonings and the tomato sauce. Cook until heated through and your spices are well mixed. Add the corn and olives if using. Now add the 1 cup cheddar cheese and combine.
Add the beef mixture to the buttered casserole dish.
Bring salted water to a boil and whisk in the cornmeal whisking constantly. If the mixture is too thick, add hot water a little at a time and continue to whisk until a smooth, spreadable, kind of pourable, mixture results. Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons butter and whisk until melted. I like my topping a little soft, not dry.
Spread the cornmeal mixture over the meat mixture, completely covering. Place in the oven and cook until bubbly on the sides and the topping has set. Remove from the oven and add additional cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese. Sprinkle with a little chile powder if you like and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Love this! Sirloin Steak Udon Noodle Stir Fry

October 19, 2019 by Becky Spoon

I really do love this Sirloin Steak Udon Noodle Stir Fry! The other night I had a piece of sirloin leftover from another recipe and decided I’d marinate it overnight and have stir fry the next day. Allen doesn’t like stir fry so I save it for when he’s gone for my indulgence!

I love Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cantonese…you name it, I love all Asian food that I’ve tried. It just seems so fresh, like the ingredients in a stir fry. The vegetables stay crispy and the meat isn’t overcooked because of the quick stir fry.

Sirloin Steak Udon Noodle Stir Fry

You could easily leave the Udon noodles out and make the steak and vegetables stir fry and serve over rice, but I really love Udon noodles. You can actually buy Udon Noodles that have already been cooked in the Asian section of your store. They come in a bag and you just toss them into your soup or your stir fry. This time I bought the dried version and cooked the noodles like spaghetti. I bought Hakubaku organic Udon noodles. Here’s a link for the noodles: https://www.amazon.com/Hakubaku-Organic-Authentic-Japanese-Noodles/dp/B000LKX6RS.

https://the2spoons.com/so-easy-beef-broccoli-noodle-stir-fry/ is another stir fry recipe I have on the blog!

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Sirloin Steak Udon Noodle Stir Fry

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Servings: 2 servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

For the Steak and the Marinade

8 oz sirloin steak or other similar steak, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp asian fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp baking soda (helps tenderize the meat)
1 garlic clove finely minced or grated
1 tsp fresh ginger

For the Beef and Udon Noodle Stir Fry

the marinated sirloin steak brought to room temperature and patted dry
9.5 oz Udon noodles cooked then rinsed in cold water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 cup bell peppers of different colors, julienned
1/4 cup carrots, julienned
1/2 cup snow peas
olive oil for cooking
soy sauce for finishing

Method

For the Steak and the Marinade

Combine the ingredients in a plastic bag and mix well. Add the steak slices and seal your bag. Marinate overnight if you can up to 48 hours. The longer the more tender your steak will be and the more flavorful.

For the Beef and Udon Noodle Stir Fry

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the carrots and blanch for about 2 minutes. Remove them from the water and place in a bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.
Heat a wok to almost smoking. Add a little oil and immediately add your beef. Stir fry for 2 or 3 minutes until your desired doneness. Immediately remove and set aside. I usually remove the meat from the pan with a little pink still showing because you will add it back in and it will continue to cook after you remove it from the pan.
Add the ginger, garlic and blanched carrots and stir fry for a minute or so. Add the peppers and snow peas and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring and tossing to keep everything from burning. Add your beef and cooked noodles and cook for an additional minute or two making sure everything is combined and flavorful from the soy sauce. Serve in bowls with chop sticks. Add Sriracha, Sambal Oelek, or other Asian hot sauces if desired.

CRAZY GOOD! Carne Asada Tacos

October 16, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I made these Carne Asada tacos for Taco Tuesday last night! They really are CRAZY GOOD! I wasn’t going to post another Mexican Food recipe for a while, but I just had to post this recipe!

I used a thin and really marbled piece of ribeye steak for this recipe. Honestly, all I did was sprinkle the ribeye all over with Julio’s All Purpose Seasoning. Here’s a link for the seasoning: Julio’s All Purpose Seasoning. Then I rubbed the steak with extra virgin olive oil and placed it in a zip lock bag and marinated for a couple of hours. When I was ready to cook, I removed the steak from the refrigerator, let the steak come to room temperature before I placed them on a hot grill!

I have lot’s of taco recipes on the blog. Here’s a couple of others we love!

So simple, these tacos are really delicious. I threw the flour tortillas on the grill to heat them a little, slathered some avocado on the bottom, added the steak, then I topped the steak with finely chopped onions that I cooked in a skillet for just a minute or so, just to take the rawness away, then I finished the tacos with cotija cheese and chopped cilantro! I used Cacique Brand Cotija Cheese: http://cheese.com/cotija/.

Crazy Good! Carne Asada Tacos

Here’s a quick recipe for the Carne Asada Tacos! Easy and Delicious. I have many taco recipes on the blog; here’s a few favorites: https://the2spoons.com/yes-baja-fish-tacos/ and https://the2spoons.com/easy-texas-tex-mex-soft-corn-tortilla-beef-tacos/.

Carne Asada Tacos

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Servings: 2 servings

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 lb thin ribeye steak with good marbeling
Julio's All Purpose Seasoning or other mexican seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder)
extra virgin olive oil for coating the steak
1-2 avocados
4-6 flour tortillas
cotija cheese, crumbled
chopped cilantro
1/2 chopped onion, cook a little if you don't like the raw onion

Method

Generously coat the steak on both sides with the Julio's All purpose seasoning or other Mexican seasonings. Coat both sides with extra virgin olive oil and place in a plastic bag. Marinate for a couple of hours or even overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Start a gas gril, charcoal grill or heat a heavy iron skillet. When your grill or skillet is ready place the steak and sear on both sides until your desired doneness. We like a medium reare to medium for carne asada. When the steak is done, remove to a plate and let it rest.
Meanwhile, heat your flour tortillas in a heavy skillet or on your grill. Slather with the avodaco. When the steak has rested, slice very thin and you can also cut the slices into small pieces.
Pile the steak on top of the avocado then top with the chopped onions, cotija cheese and the cilantro. Serve with lime and your favorite salsa if you like! Enjoy!

Delicious! Easy Mexican Picadillo

October 6, 2019 by Becky Spoon

I love this Mexican Picadillo. It is versatile! It is easy! It is delicious. Mexican Picadillo can include so many ingredients, or you can just add a few. You can add olives, raisins, and carrots and If I were to add olives to this dish, I’d add a Spanish Olive like these you can get at your local grocery store. If not, on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Mezzetta-Super-Colossal-Spanish-O.

The first time I had Mexican Picadillo was over 30 years ago when a friend of mine from Mexico cooked it for me. I loved it then and still do. It’s not a taco filling you can make in 10 minutes by browning some meat and adding a package of Taco Bell seasoning; it takes just a little time to soften the potatoes, but well worth it.

Easy Mexican Picadillo

The first night I made this Mexican Picadillo I served it with my Mexican Rice and flour tortillas for scooping. The next day I used the leftovers for tacos and wow, were they delicious! Here’s the link for my Essential Mexican Rice: https://the2spoons.com/essential-mexican-rice/.

Honestly, these tacos with the Mexican Picadillo are beautiful. You don’t have to load them up with a bunch of “stuff”, I just added a little lettuce, some grated cheese, a little finely chopped fresh jalapeno and a few dices of tomatoes. I finished them off with a sprinkling of New Mexico red chile powder, a favorite in our house.

Delicious! Easy Mexican Picadillo

Hope you make this recipe soon! I think you’ll love it!

Mexican Picadillo

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Servings: 6 Servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 Small onion, diced
2 Baking potatoes, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Large tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Ground cumin
1 tbsp Chile powder
1/2 tsp Dried Mexican oregano
1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced
1-2 cups beef Broth

Method

Add the oil to a skillet and heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a little. Add the salt and pepper along with the cumin, Chile powder and oregano. Combine and cook a few minutes.
Add the potatoes, tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are soft and most of the liquid has absorbed. Check for seasoning and adjust.
Serve with rice and tortillas or use as a filling for tacos, burritos, etc.

We Love New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Beef Enchiladas

August 20, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Beef Enchiladas are a favorite in our home and it is no secret that the 2 Spoons love Mexican food whether it be our beloved Tex-Mex or New Mexico style which is different when it comes to the sauces. New Mexico style uses a green enchilada sauce and a red enchilada sauce. Both sauces have additional uses and they both are made from the Hatch Chile.

Green chile sauce is made from roasting fresh Hatch green chiles. The Red sauce is from Hatch green chile that has been allowed to ripen, turn red and then dried. They are grown in Hatch New Mexico and you can’t duplicate these growing them anywhere else. Here’s a link for the village of Hatch which is considered the Chile Capital of the World! http://www.villageofhatch.org.

We love both. The green and red chile both come in mild, medium and hot. You kind of don’t know what the heat level you are getting because hot is sometimes really hot and sometimes it’s not hot at all. I usually get a medium and a mild and maybe a few bags of hot and mix until the right heat for a dish.

We Love New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Beef Enchiladas

The recipe for these beef enchiladas with Hatch green chile uses my green chile sauce from a previous post. Here’s the link for that post: https://the2spoons.com/a-favorite-new-mexico-hatch-green-chile-sauce/. Sometimes we make beef enchiladas with a red and green sauce which is called Christmas in restaurants in New Mexico. That’s usually what I order because I want a little taste of both! Yum! So delicious are they both! I’ll be posting a new recipe for the red chile soon so you too can make Christmas Enchiladas. Sometimes we like to do the green chile enchiladas with chicken, but beef is our favorite.

We love New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Beef Enchiladas

Cannot wait for you to try this recipe. I think you will love it. I make up large batches of the green and red sauces and freeze them so that when I want New Mexico food, I have it already prepared.

New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Beef Enchiladas

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Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 to 1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves minced or grated
1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups pureed green chile, mild, medium-hot from fresh roasted chile that the seeds have been removed, the stems and the outside char has been romoved.
2 cups water
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

For the filling and assembly

1 lb ground beef
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
12 corn tortillas
oil for frying the corn tortillas
1/2-1 lb cheddar cheese grated or a combination of cheddar and monterey jack (the amoun djust depends on how much cheese you want…some for stuffing and some for topping).
salt and pepper to season the ground beef
Prepared Green Chile Sauce

Method

For the Green Chile Sauce

Warm the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the flour and continue cooking for another 1 or 2 minutes.
Mix in the chile. Immediately begin pouring in the water or stock, stirring as you go, then add the salt. Add the cumin and oregano if adding.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened but still very pourable. Use warm or refrigerate for later use.
For an extra smooth sauce, I like to strain pushing the solids as much as you can through with the back of your spoon. You won't get all the solids, but you will definitely get the amazing flavors.

For the filling and assembly

Heat a large skillet with a little oil. When sizzling, place a corn tortilla in the oil for just a second to soften and remove to a paper towel. I place one side of the tortilla in oil, place the not oiled side up, repeat the process and put the oil side onto the unoiled previous tortilla. Sounds complicated, but not turning in the skillet and letting both sides into the oil helps with the tortillas holding together and to not fall apart…so basically your first tortilla is oil on the bottom, none on top but you'll top that with the oiled one, on and on. Set the tortillas aside.
Grate your cheese and chop your onions.
Cook your meat in a skillet with salt and pepper just until lightly browned.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Get a large baking dish or individual plates if you prefer. Line up all your ingredients so easy folding.
place a tortilla down on a flat surface. Add your desired amount of beef, onion and cheese. Roll the tortilla with the seam side down and place in the baking dish or in a plate. Continue until all the tortillas have been used. You want to kind of eye the filling to make sue you have enough to the last tortilla or that you have used all of it by the last tortilla.
Ladle some of the sauce over the enchiladas, insuring the ends have sauce and the entire enchilada is covered in a little sauce. Add cheese down the middle of your enchiladas. You can cover if you really like them cheesy, but remember ou have cheese in the filling.
Place the enchiladas in the hot oven and cook just until your cheese has melted.
I serve these with Mexican rice and pinto beans! Yum! Delicious!