You can find a wide variety of beef in stores these days, so it would be nice to learn some of the cooking techniques you can use for it. There are several of them, and on their basis you can make a variety of dishes. How to cook meat (beef) to make it tasty?
Grill use
Grilling is a cooking technology in which you can use high, medium or even low temperature. This means that anything can be done on it: from steaks to hamburgers and even high-grade roast. Cooking on a charcoal grill is more difficult than cooking on a gas grill, but using charcoal is easier to provide a quick rise in temperature in a short time.
Cooking roast takes longer, because to maintain the fire for a certain period, it is necessary to add coals periodically and adjust the ventilation openings to maintain the temperature where you want it. On a gas grill, this is somewhat easier.
This is a great option how to cook meat deliciously. Grilled beef is very tender and juicy. Of course, the most ideal dish would be a steak. The best grill options are ribeye, porthouse and T-bon.
Grilled steak
How to cook soft meat on the grill? Beef practically does not need preliminary preparation for this. To make the perfect steak, you will need the following.
For onion marinade:
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped;
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled;
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. l olive oil;
- 1 tbsp. l water.
For steak:
- 1 kg of steak (2 pieces);
- 1 tsp salts;
- 1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper;
- smoked sea salt for decoration.
How to cook it?
When the question arises, what to cook from meat (beef) quickly, there will be few answers. Of course, it’s best to make a steak. Combine onion, garlic, 1/4 cup oil and water in a blender until smooth. Place the steaks in a large, resealable plastic bag or baking dish and pour the onion mixture on them, covering both sides of the meat. Cover or wrap the meat well so that the onion flavor does not penetrate your refrigerator. Cool for at least 4 hours (up to a day).
Then heat the grill over medium heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Put the meat on the grill and cook until one side is well fried, 3 minutes. Turn over and cook another 2 minutes. At this point, remove the steaks from the grill and leave for 2 minutes so that the juices are redistributed in the meat.
Finally, return the steaks to the grill and cook for another minute on each side (this ensures that the meat is served hot). Leave them for another 1-2 minutes after re-roasting, before slicing and serving.
Cut the meat into pieces at an angle of 45 degrees. Put them on a heated plate. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of oil and smoked sea salt.
Quenching
Extinguishing is a moist cooking technique that uses lower temperatures and takes longer. This helps soften tougher pieces of meat such as brisket, short ribs and fillets. Based on this, what is the best way to cook juicy meat? Beef, especially stiff, is recommended to make a stew.
Stewing usually begins by adding seasoning to the meat. Then it is fried in a hot pan, then transferred to a pan with a small amount of liquid (for example, broth) and aromatic ingredients such as onions and carrots are added. An acidic component, such as tomatoes or wine, is also usually included in stews.
There are many recipes for how to cook meat (including beef) by stewing. This can be done both in the pot and in the slow cooker. Common stew options include various goulash and meat stews.
A crock-pot is an electric appliance that is primarily designed for extinguishing. Just add the pieces of meat to the bowl along with the other ingredients, cover, turn on and wait for the result. Slow cookers require a very small amount of added liquid, since when cooking under the lid, beef juices are usually released.
Beef goulash with vegetables
Goulash is a Hungarian soup, but it is also cooked as a thick stew. It consists of stewed beef, sweet peppers, mushrooms, carrots, onions and paprika as basic ingredients. In total, you will need:
- 1 kg of beef;
- onion - to your taste;
- carrots - a glass of chopped;
- red pepper - a glass of chopped;
- mushrooms - a glass of hats cut into slices across;
- garlic - 3 prongs;
- tomato paste;
- salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, thyme to taste.
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp. l butter;
- 2 tbsp. l flour;
- 2 tbsp. l Paprika
- water or milk (1 cup).
Many people wonder how to cook meat goulash. For some reason, beef is considered a problem product, which is completely untrue. In fact, goulash is simply prepared from it and at the same time it turns out to be tender.
Cut the meat into 2-3 cm cubes. In a small bowl, mix 3 prongs of chopped garlic, one tablespoon of salt, pepper and oregano with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour this mixture onto the meat and mix well. It is best to pickle beef the day before cooking the goulash, but if you do not have time, it is possible to do it on the same day.
Fry the beef in an ordinary pan until golden brown, then transfer to a pan or slow cooker and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
At this time, fry the onions in a pan, add sweet pepper, mushrooms and carrots to it. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes until the mixture is juicy. Add the vegetables to the beef and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft (especially check the carrots).
Melt the butter in a pan, add flour, stir until smooth. Put paprika in the mixture and cook over low heat until bubbles form. Add the sauce to vegetables and meat and simmer another 1-2 minutes.
This is a simple recipe. He tells you how to cook meat tasty and fast. Beef just melts in your mouth! Enjoy it!
Cooking
Like stewing, cooking involves slow and gradual heating. But instead of cutting a large piece of meat into small pieces and cooking it in its own juice, it is suggested to simply add more water and start cooking.
How to cook beef if you have time left? Of course, boil it. This is due to the fact that often this meat is too hard and cooking can take several hours. What dishes can be prepared in this way? You can make beef noodle soup by boiling meat with aromatic vegetables and herbs, and then add the noodles at the last minute. You can also cook a chowder with cereals or vegetables.
Stew with barley in a slow cooker
How to cook beef? The meat will be soft if you make a stew with pearl barley in a slow cooker with vegetables. In total you will need:
- 700 grams of beef, cut from excess fat and chopped into pieces 2-3 cm in size;
- 500-600 grams of potatoes, peeled and diced 1-2 cm in size;
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into thin half rings;
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, peeled and diced;
- 2 celery stalks, cut in half lengthwise and chopped;
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced;
- 2 tbsp. l tomato paste;
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce;
- 1/2 tsp salts;
- 1/4 tsp black pepper;
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 6 glasses of water;
- 2/3 cup pearl barley.
If desired, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over low heat. Put the pieces of beef and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side.
Put the meat and all remaining ingredients in a slow cooker and mix. Cover and cook on soup or stew mode for one and a half hours. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems and serve. This dish goes well with crispy bread.
Pot-o-fe
What to cook from boiled meat? Beef is usually softened after a long cooking, so the choice of options is somewhat limited. But still you can find the right recipe. Pot-o-fe ("pot on fire") is one of the most famous home-made dishes in France. It includes assorted from different parts of beef carcasses and vegetables, boiled in a fragrant broth to a soft consistency and delicate color. When preparing it, certain rules should be observed:
- The right choice of beef ensures that the meat is soft and tender, not hard and dry.
- Adding vegetables at the end ensures that they are cooked until soft, but retain their flavor.
- Pieces of meat that have reached perfect softness should be removed from the broth in a timely manner to prevent their digestion and drying.
The ingredients for this are as follows:
- 1.25 kg of boneless neck of beef;
- 1 kg of beef tenderloin;
- 0.8 kg of beef short ribs;
- 340 grams of oxtail;
- 10 sprigs of fresh thyme;
- 1 whole yellow onion, cut in half;
- 4 grains of clove;
- 1 small head of garlic, peeled and incised crosswise;
- 1 stalk of celery;
- 15 black peppercorns;
- 1 bay leaf;
- sea salt;
- 5 small golden potatoes (680 grams total) pierced over the entire surface with a fork;
- 2 medium leeks (450 grams), very well washed;
- 5 medium carrots (280 grams), peeled;
- 1/4 head of green or savoy cabbage;
- 1 medium (115 grams) turnip, peeled and cut into quarters;
- 1 parsnip (140 grams), peeled and divided into four parts along the length;
- 450 grams of beef bones for the broth (about 3), optional.
- mustard, grated horseradish and gherkins for dressing.
This is a good answer to the question of what to cook from meat for dinner. From beef you will get a hearty and interesting dish called Pot-au-feu.
In a large saucepan, combine beef neck, tenderloin, short ribs, oxtail, thyme, onion, garlic, celery, pepper and bay leaf. Pour enough cold water to cover all the ingredients and add a pinch of salt.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a very low boil. Cook by periodically removing foam until each piece of beef is soft. It will take at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours, depending on the quality of the meat.
If any piece of beef reaches softness before others, just transfer it to a large heat-resistant bowl, pour a little broth on top and cover with cling film. If necessary, add water to the pan so that all ingredients are covered.
When all the beef is ready, strain the broth, remove thyme, onion, celery, garlic and pepper, as well as bay leaf. Return all pieces of beef and broth to the pan.
Add potatoes, leeks, carrots, cabbage, turnips, parsnips and bouillon bones (if used), making sure they are all steeped in beef broth. Simmer until all vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the fat from the broth. Arrange the meat and vegetables in deep plates, lightly pouring the broth to maintain juiciness. Season the remaining broth with salt. Serve the broth separately in cups, and meat and vegetables - as the main dish, along with mustard, grated horseradish and gherkins.
Roasting
How else to cook meat tasty and fast? Beef can be quickly fried using a small amount of oil if cut into thin slices. The great thing about frying is that all the ingredients in the dish, including vegetables, such as onions and bell peppers, are cooked together in one pan.
Beef tenderloin is a great choice for frying. The tenderloin is not tender enough to fry it until soft. However, slicing into thin slices breaks the connective tissue, so it can also be made stiff if desired. Just make sure you slice against the fibers.
Chinese beef with rice
This dish only takes about 30 minutes to cook. For him you will need:
- one and a half glasses of raw brown instant rice;
- 1 tbsp. l corn starch;
- half a glass of cold water;
- 1/4 cup soy sauce;
- 1 tbsp. l brown sugar;
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger;
- 1/2 tsp chili powder;
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder;
- 1/4 tsp pepper;
- 2 tbsp. l sunflower or rapeseed oil;
- 500 grams of beef tenderloin, cut into slices 1 cm thick;
- 500 grams of a mixture of vegetables thawed.
Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine corn starch, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and seasonings until smooth.
In a large non-stick pan covered with a cooking spray, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat. Add the beef and fry until it turns pink. Put on a plate. Sauté the vegetables in the remaining oil until crisp.
Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Return the beef to the pan, warm it well. Serve with rice.
Baking in the oven
This is a great way to cook even thick pieces of meat. In addition, you can use a combined cooking technique. How to cook meat in the oven? Beef can be fried in a pan, and then put in the oven to bake until cooked. You can use the opposite technique, baking a piece of beef in foil, and then frying it until a brown crust is obtained.
How to cook meat (beef) in the oven to get something interesting? You need to mix it with other ingredients, then the taste will be original. It can be various casseroles and variations with sauces.
French meat
How to cook meat in french? Beef is drier and tougher meat than other varieties, so you need to prepare it well for baking and pre-beat. You will need the following:
- 500 grams of beef tenderloin;
- 400 grams of potatoes;
- 2 medium onions;
- 300-400 grams of any hard cheese that you like;
- mayonnaise;
- 50-100 grams of butter;
- salt;
- black pepper;
- Italian herbs (to your taste);
- vegetable oil (grease a baking sheet).
Cooking this dish is not difficult, but this process takes some time. First you have to chop the beef, potatoes and onions. Thick slices will cook longer and may remain hard. Therefore, cut everything as thin as possible. In addition, it is necessary to beat the meat to give it a delicate texture.
Then add salt, pepper, Italian herbs (to taste) in the proportion that you like. Rub meat with these seasonings very well, on both sides. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes to absorb the spices.
In the chopped potatoes, add a little salt and pepper, as well as one tablespoon of mayonnaise and mix well. Then chop the onion into thin half rings and grate the cheese.
Oil a baking sheet and lay out a layer of beef, then a layer of potatoes, grease with mayonnaise. Then put the chopped onions and grease the mayonnaise again. You can add 100 ml of water, but this is optional.
Put a few small pieces of butter on the surface of the dish. Then sprinkle with grated cheese. This dish will take about 1 hour to bake at 180 ° C. Everything is ready!