Beef

the best tamale pie.

November 30, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican, Mexican, Texmex

Keywordbaked chicken meatballs, best tamale pie, casserole, cheesey, cornmeal topping, tamale pie

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

Instructions

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

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAsian

Keywordasian, asian food, Easy, noodle stir fry, sirloin, sirloin steak, stir fry, udon noodles

Servings servings

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

Instructions

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 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

Print Recipe

CourseAppetizer, Breakfast, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineMexican

Keywordcarne asada, carne asada tacos, Easy, mexican food, tacos

Servings servings

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

Instructions

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

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineMexican

Keywordmexican, mexican food, mexican picadillo, picadillo

Servings Servings

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

Instructions

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

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineMexican

Keywordhatch green chile, hatch green chile sauce, new mexico green chile sauce

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

Instructions

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!

Simple, Tender Grilled Chipotle Glazed Ribeye Steak

July 11, 2019 by Becky Spoon

This Chipotle Glazed Ribeye Steak is just what my cowboy wanted! He loves steak on the grill and he loves Mexican food so the chipotle glaze ties it together into one package! Add some grilled jalapeños and some cilantro/lime butter! Perfection!

I served the steak my Mexican Street Corn which in itself is delicious! Here’s the link for the corn: https://the2spoons.com/delicious-elote-aka-mexican-street-corn/ and a cilantro lime rice. Add some corn tortillas, lettuce and tomatoes, your choice of salsas and it’s a build your own tacos meal if you want!

Simple, Tender Grilled Chipotle Glazed Ribeye Steak

We prefer our steaks medium rare. Here’s a chart that will help you make the decision of the correct temperature for your steak. http://www.mychicagosteak.com/steak-university/201…. Just because I’ve cooked steak for so long I don’t use a thermometer but it is always a good idea to do that! Another tip is to let your steaks come to room temperature before grilling, and after grilling, let your steaks rest for a few minutes to let the juices remain in the steak, not on the cutting board if you slice too soon.

I topped with a final pat of cilantro lime compound butter. I just softened un-Salted butter just a little, not too soft because you want to be able to form it and wrap in plastic wrap. Then I added a little salt, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Then I formed into a cylinder shape, wrapped and placed in the refrigerator to firm back up!

Here’s the simple recipe!

Grilled Chipotle Glazed Ribeye Steak

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Main Course

CuisineAmerican, Mexican

Keywordchipotle glazed ribeye steak, grilled, ribeye steak

Servings Servings

Ingredients

2 1 inch ribeye steak
1 chipotle pepper and 2 or 3 tablespoons of the juices
salt and pepper
2 tbsps lime/cilantro compound butter

Instructions

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and place on a sheet pan or other dish.
Mince the chipotle peppers and combine with the juices. Rub on both sides of the steak. Rub each side with extra virgin olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to each side. Let see about 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, heat your preferred grill. When your fire is ready, and the steaks and cook about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare.
Remove to a platter, top with the butter and allow to rest for a few minutes.