Tag: beef
Rigatoni in Arrabiata Sauce with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Rigatoni in Arrabiatta Sauce with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Arrabiata sauce is one of my favorite sauces to eat pasta with. The word arrabiata means “angry sauce”, hence the crushed red pepper sautéed in olive oil at the beginning of preparation instead of adding it in at the end. This spicy sauce originated in Rome, using the basic ingredients of garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, as well as the olive oil and either crushed or fresh red pepper. Other additions to the sauce can include finely diced onions and torn fresh basil. You can serve it with just about any type of pasta. I prefer to use pasta that holds the sauce like rigatoni, penne, or ziti.Want to kick up your meatballs? Stuff them with cubes of mozzarella cheese. The meatball base is made out of ground beef, but you can use 50/50 beef and pork, or all pork. Your call. Since they are larger meatballs, they will cook best in the oven. They will take about 30 minutes at 350°.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni prepared according to package instructions
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- 24 oz 80% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small yellow onion grated
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz brick mozzarella
Arrabiata Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup salted pasta water]
Instructions
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Add all the meatball ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix until they are incorporated.
- Roll into 16 meatballs.
- Cut the brick mozzarella into 16 cubes.
- Stick a cube of mozzarella into each of the meatballs.
- Roll back into balls. Place on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes.
- Let rest.
Arrabiata Sauce
- Heat up olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the crushed red pepper for 1 minute.
- Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes and pasta water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the prepared rigatoni.
- Add in the meatballs. Cook for 5 more minutes.
Liver and Onions
Liver and Onions
Liver and onions is a classic southern dish that seems to get less and less popular with time. Deemed “old people food”, this is one of my favorites that doesn’t deserve to be forgotten. This dish is eaten across the world in various forms, typically using beef or veal liver. The liver and onions are sautéed with either butter or bacon grease, then quickly simmered in it’s gravy created by flour and beef stock. While you can most likely still find this on diner menus, it costs a fraction of the price to make at home; about $5 in total for 2 large servings.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 3 strips bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 lb beef liver cut into strips
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup beef stock + 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Cook the diced bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan, saving the bacon grease.
- Add in the sliced onions. Cook for 5 minutes until translucent.
- Toss in the beef liver. Season with garlic powder and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the liver and onions. Add in 2 tbsp of beef stock until a paste forms. Cook for 1 minute.
- Turn the heat to low. Pour in the beef stock. Cook for 3 minutes until the stock thickens into a gravy.
- Turn the heat off. Add the crumbled bacon to the liver and onions.
You can make liver and onions using chicken liver as well; replacing the beef stock with chicken stock.
Steak Frites with Maitre D Butter
Steak Frites with Maitre d Butter
Steak frites is a classic French dish that is simply steak and fries. Popular cuts of beef to use are strip loin, hangar, skirt, and top sirloin. Traditionally, the steak is pan fried, but grilling or broiling are acceptable. The steak is topped with some fancy Maitre d butter, making the steak unbelievably flavorful; allowing the fries to sop up the buttery steak juices.
Ingredients
- 16 oz NY Strip steak
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- French fries of your choice
Maitre D Butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 tsp parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch smoked paprika
Instructions
- Let the steak rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Start your charcoal in a chimney starter. Pour the gray charcoal in the grill and put on the grate. Place the steak over the charcoal.
- Grill for 5-6 minutes a side for medium rare. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Maitre D Butter
- Mix all of the butter ingredients in a small bowl. Place in the freezer until firm.
Put a tbsp of the maitre d butter on the steak and serve with your favorite fries.
Whole Smoked Bone-In Beef Short Rib Plate
Serve with your favorite sides. Turn the leftovers into short rib tacos.