No more frozen dinner salisbury steak! I assure you, if you like salisbury steak, you will love this homemade version. Serve it over mashed potatoes with a side of peas and you will have the perfect comfort dish.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS ketchup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Olive oil
Gravy ingredients:
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
2 cups beef broth
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS ketchup
1 tsp mustard
Onion powder, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Add meat ingredients together in a bowl and mix with clean hands. Form into 4 rectangular patties.
Heat olive oil in pan and cook patties to a rare to medium rare temperature. You will finish the cook in the gravy.
Make gravy by placing all ingredients in the same skillet you used to make the meat patties so that you have all the yummy bits and pieces left behind to add flavor to your gravy.
Once the gravy is combined and simmering, add the patties back in and simmer for a bit until the meat is cooked all the way through.
For this recipe I have taken Julia Child’s pot roast recipe and tweaked it for short ribs. I like to serve these with mashed potatoes or cheesy polenta.
Picture above is my mom and I on the night of my high school graduation.
She died on August 7, 2025, and I am devastated.
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs beef short ribs
1-2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme
5-6 tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ cup red wine (add enough wine and water to cover meat and keep meat covered by liquid at all times)
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Salt and pepper short ribs. Heat oil on the stovetop in a stock pot that is oven proof. Brown meat on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.
Add white onion and carrot, sauté for 5-10 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine for 5 minutes. Add the thyme, tomatoes, water, browned short ribs and salt. Bring to boil. Cover and place in oven for 2 hours.
Reduce the oven to 325F and continue to cook for another 30-45 minutes. Test the tenderness of the ribs, they should be falling off the bone. If not, continue to cook at the low heat and check every 30 minutes.
Anthony Bourdain in ‘Parts Unknown’. Photo: CNN FILMS
This meatloaf, found in Anthony Bourdain’s last cookbook, Appetites, is a game changer. It is super tasty. I am a huge Bourdain fan and love watching all of his shows over and over again. For that reason, it is about time to start trying his recipes. If you are a Bourdain fan, I recommend you buy this book, because he does a lot of writing in between all of the amazing recipes.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 TBS canola oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
1 large yellow or white onion, peeled and very finely chopped
3 ribs celery, very finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves only, very finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 1/3 pounds ground veal
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used homemade regular bread crumbs)
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 TBS unsalted butter (I used salted)
1 pound cremini mushrooms, diced
2 large or 3 to 4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 TBS all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups veal stock (I used beef stock)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottom sauté pan, heat 2 TBS of oil over medium heat and add the onion, celery, marjoram, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Once the vegetable mixture is cool, add the beef, veal, eggs, bread crumbs, 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix well with your hands, so make sure they are clean. Use the remaining 1/2 TBS oil to grease a loaf pan and transfer the mixture to the pan, packing it down gently. Cover the loaf with foil and place the loaf pan on a sheet pan. Cook in the over for one hour.
Remove the foil and spread the top of the meat loaf with the tomato paste. Continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes until the meat thermometer reads 150 F while placed in the center of the loaf.
While it rests, make the gravy.
In a large, heavy-bottom sauté pan, heat the butter until it foams and subsides. Add the mushrooms and stir occasionally, until their released juices evaporate. Add the shallots and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the mushrooms get browned and the shallots are translucent or slightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir well to evenly coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, to cook off the raw flour taste. Add the stock and whisk to pull up the stuck flour from the surface of the pan. If the mixture seems too thick, add more stock or a little water. Reduce the heat and add the cream, season with salt and pepper.
We had this delicious beef stroganoff last night. My BF forgot to buy noodles so he just whipped up homemade pappardelle pasta. If I haven’t brought it up in previous posts, he is a very talented cook. The entire dish was kicked up to a whole new level with the homemade pasta. This recipe is from Pasquale Sciarrappa’s recipe blog at http://www.orsararecipes.net. Picture above is my BF and his daughter.
Ingredients:
1 lb sirloin (rib eye, NY strip, flank), sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 TBS flour
1 cup sour-cream
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup white wine
4 TBS butter
2 TBS Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Noodles of your choice, pappardelle is what we used
Directions:
Heat 2 TBS olive oil and 4 TBS butter with medium-high heat. Add sliced beef and cook until brown. Do not cook all the way through, it should be pink in the middle. Set aside.
In the same pan sauté garlic and onion with a bit more olive oil. Continue to cook on medium heat until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes. Add wine, cook another 5 minutes. Add beef stock and cook another 5 minutes. Add TBS flour while whisking to avoid lumps. Re-introduce the meat.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Stir until desired thickness, you can add more flour if needed.
I just recently found out that my best friend, Georgette, asked my dad for his Hungarian Goulash recipe and he wrote it out for her. The picture above is that very special recipe of which I am grateful she kept and shared with me. His recipe calls for a crock pot, however, I made it stove top and just kept an eye on the water level.
The important ingredient in this one is the seasoning pack, which you can get at Cost Plus World Markets, if they are in your area.
My mom and dad use to make this meal throughout my childhood. When she made it my dad would talk about how he grew up eating this dish and how his family had a Hungarian lineage. In fact, he would speak of memories of his mom making Hungarian Goulash for him when he was young. Unfortunately, his mom died when he was nine-years-old so I never had the chance to meet her.
I have updated this recipe below to reflect a few different ingredients than what my dad wrote down and how to make it without the spice pack. The recipe I have below doesn’t give measurements because it depends on how much meat you are putting in. You must taste the flavors along the way.
The picture below from the left, my dad, his mom, and his brother in 1936. Other picture below is my dad and me in San Diego 1998.
Ingredients:
Lean stew meat (chuck preferred)
Olive oil
Beef broth
Red wine
Yellow onion, diced
Tomato, diced
Red bell pepper, diced
Garlic, minced
Paprika
Marjoram
Caraway seeds, ground up a bit with a pestle (you can substitute fennel seeds)
Chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Carrots, sliced
Russet potatoes (peeled and diced)
Papardelle or a similar type of pasta or crusty bread
Directions:
Get a pan out that you will use to place the entire goulash in so it should be large enough to hold it all. Place some olive oil in that pan and add the diced onions until softened. Add tomato, bell pepper, spices, and garlic, continue to cook until softened.
Cut stew meat into 1 inch pieces, salt and pepper and brown in olive oil in a separate pan (sauté pan or cast iron). Once the meat is slightly browned, remove and deglaze the pan with red wine while leaving all the fat from the meat in the pan.
Add the meat, reduced wine, and broth into the vegetables and simmer on the stove top covered for several hours. Check periodically to make sure the broth is covering everything. If not, add more broth.
After two hours of cooking, slice the carrots and add to the simmering pan.
During the last hour of simmer, add potatoes and continue to simmer until potatoes are cooked through.
Taste the broth, adjust the spices to your liking, and enjoy!
This is another recipe from the First Responder cookbook my friend Ruby created called Code 7 Recipes for the Soul (details below if you want to purchase). It is created by one of the firefighters in the fire department I work for, Anthony R. After making it for my family and everyone loving it, I asked Anthony if I could share it on my little recipe blog in internet land. It is unique because of the sweet potato fries. It is a Peruvian dish and he received the recipe from his grandma and adapted it further after talking to relatives in Peru and twisting it to his liking. Super delicious!
Ingredients:
2 cups white rice
1 bag frozen sweet potato fries
2 pounds beef tri-tip sliced into 1/4 inch bite size pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
3 TBS oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, cubed
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Marinade the tri-tip with 2 cloves of minced garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Mix and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, the longer the better.
Once the meat is marinated, preheat oven and cook the sweet potato fries.
In a medium sized pot, add olive oil and remaining garlic, sauté until fragrant, add rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and salt to taste. Cover rice and cook until done. (You need to make this rice in a pot, not a rice cooker, unless you plan to sauce garlic and add to rice cooker).
Slice the onion, mince the jalapeño, cube the tomatoes, and chop the cilantro.
Heat 2 separate pans on high with olive oil. Drain marinade and cook meat in one pan. In other pan, add onion and jalapeño, sauté until onion is translucent, add tomatoes, sauté until tomatoes are just soft.
Once everything is done, add onion and tomatoes to meat mixture, combine with sweet potato fries and serve over rice. Top with fresh cilantro.
I first posted this recipe in 2012. I am making it again tonight and thought I would re-post. Also, I have deleted the other beef stew recipes off this site because none of them hold a candle to Julia’s recipe.
Pro-tip: buy a good bottle of wine to cook with and have a glass for yourself while cooking if you like wine. The bottle of wine pictured above is what I used, it is delicious.
Ingredients:
6 oz chunk of bacon
1 Tbs olive oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-3 inch pieces (brisket, chuck, or round-get good quality)
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs flour
3 cups of a full-bodied, young red wine such as Chianti
2-3 cups brown beef stock
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18-24 small white onions, brown braised in stock (recipe follows)
1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter (recipe follows)
Directions:
Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 in long) Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Saute the bacon in the oil for 2-3 minutes, remove to side dish. Saute the beef in bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides, set it aside with bacon.
Saute the carrots and onion in the same fat then pour out the sauteing fat. Add the beef and bacon to the vegetables and toss with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour and toss to coat. Set in oven uncovered, middle rack, for 4 minutes. Toss again and return to oven for 4 more minutes. Remove and turn down oven to 350 degrees.
On the stove top, stir in the wine, stock, tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer then cover and set in lower third of oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Assure the meat is covered with liquid at all times.
While the beef is cooking prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set aside as needed.
Brown Braised Onions
Ingredients:
18-24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter
1 Tbs butter
1 1/2 Tbs oil
1/2 cup beef stock, wine, or water. (red or white wine is fine)
salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme.
Directions:
When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onion and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Pour in the liquid, season to taste, add the herbs. Cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes.
Sauteed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms
Directions:
Heat the butter and oil and as soon as it starts to foam add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes. As soon as they have browned lightly remove from heat.
Back to the Bourguignon:
When the meat is tender pour the contents into a sieve over a saucepan. Return the beef to pan and distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat. Skim fat off the sauce and simmer down until a consistency you like. Pour sauce over meat and simmer 2-3 minutes. Serve
My daughter loves the band BTS, I can really get behind that. They send a positive message and every time I mention the band she lights up. We were watching BTS together on Youtube; an episode of them cooking and preparing for a celebration. They made the Korean dish Japchae. It looked really tasty so I researched and found a recipe. My daughter and I made it the same night. It was great cooking with her and the dish was delicious. This recipe comes from the website mykoreankitchen.com. I have modified it to make it a bit simpler.
Ingredients:
250g/8.8 oz Korean sweet potato starch noodles
100g/3.5 oz rib eye fillet, cut into strips
1 carrot, rinsed, peeled and julienne
110g/3.9 oz baby spinach
1/4 red bell pepper, julienne
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
100/3.5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp minced garlic
4 TBS toasted sesame oil
5 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine (mirin)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBS honey
1 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS toasted sesame seeds
1 extra large egg (optional)
Directions:
Place the beef strips into a bowl and marinade with 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 tsp rice wine, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; set aside.
Julienne and slice all vegetables. Marinade the mushrooms with 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS honey, 1 TBS brown sugar, 1 TBS toasted sesame oil and 1/8 tsp black pepper; set aside.
Blanch the spinach for 5-10 seconds (place in a rolling boil). Drain the water and cool it down by running under the cold tap. Squeeze the spinach to remove excess water and place in bowl. Mix 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp minced garlic and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil with spinach and set aside.
Boil the noodles for about 6-7 minutes, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Add the remainder of the oil to a saute pan. Start with sauteing all the vegetables, including the marinading mushrooms. Once they have become tender (3-5 minutes), place the strips of steak in the pan and cook until medium rare (time will depend on how the strips of steak are cut). Now scramble the egg and cook that with the vegetables and meat. Lastly, add the noodles and cook until warmed and well coated with all the goodness in the pan. Finish the dish with a bit of sesame oil and seeds to garnish. Serve over rice if you please.
** Note: This dish wasn’t spicy so we garnished with the Thai chili sauce we had on hand. After more research I discovered there is a Korean chili paste called Gochuchang that I will add next time.
My favorite part of my recent trip to New Orleans was my cooking lesson at the New Orleans School of Cooking. This was the main dish we made. We used veal but the recipe calls for round steak and I have used chicken upon returning home. The recipe is served on cheese grits and topped with a poached egg; both recipes are found below. I don’t usually eat veal and probably will not use it for this recipe moving forward but it was delicious. Use the protein of your choice. Vegetarians could use tofu and vegetable stock. Over the years I have learned that any recipe can be manipulated to your own desire, it will change the flavors but it can still be amazing.
Grillades
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb round steak
1 TBS Joe’s Stuff seasoning (or your own seasoning, see note*)
1/2 cup flour + 2 TBS
2 TBS vegetable oil
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/2 celery, diced
1 TBS sliced garlic
2 cups beef stock
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 TBS sliced green onion
hot sauce to taste (optional)
additional Joe’s Stuff to taste
Directions:
Pound out round steak to about 1/4 inch thick. Julienne the beef into 1/2 inch thick strips. Combine flour with Joe’s Stuff and dust the pieces of meat in the flour, shake off excess flour. Heat the oil and brown the pieces of meat on each side; remove and set aside. Lower heat and add onion, bell peppers and celery until translucent. Stirring constantly, add the remaining 2 TBS flour and cook on medium heat until flour starts to brown. Add garlic, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, tomato and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add meat. Cook 30-45 minutes until beef is tender. Add hot sauce and seasoning to taste.
Serve over warm grits and garnish with a poached egg and green onions.
Poached Eggs
Ingredients:
Water
1 TBS white vinegar
4 large eggs
Directions:
Bring water and vinegar to a boil. Crack eggs gently into a large spoon or ladle and bring the boiling water to a swirl. Lower egg into simmering liquid. You may need to ladle the egg out to test that the whites are down and the yolks are not over cooked.
Tips:
Poach 2 eggs at a time to not overcrowd pot.
Use very fresh eggs at room temperature
Pour a small amount of whites out prior to lowering into pot.
Cheese Grits
Ingredients:
1/2 cup stone ground grits
1 cup water
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
1 TBS cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Bring water, milk and salt to a boil. Slowly whisk grits into the pot. Reduce to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Before serving, add Romano cheese and cream cheese. Stir until melted.
You can make your own with salt, dehydrated garlic, paprika and dehydrated onion. I am sure they put some type of secret ingredient in there that I can’t give you.
