MAW MAWS ROAST BEEF

Maw Maw’s Roast Beef

1 (3-4lb) chuck roast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder seasoning salt pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
10-12 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
2 cups beef stock
2 cups red wine
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cup grated smoked gouda
1 loaf French bread

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels and season with onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt and pepper; let sit while you chop the vegetables. Dust roast with flour; save whatever doesn’t stick. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides, then remove from Dutch oven. Sauté onion, bell pepper and celery until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add leftover flour to veggies. Add enough beef stock to deglaze the bottom of the Dutch oven, scraping up all the chunky bits. Return roast (with juices) to Dutch oven. Add wine and enough beef stock to cover top of roast. Add Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.

Cover and bake in the oven for 90 minutes. Flip the roast and bake for another 60 minutes. If you want to make pot roast you add peeled and cut potatoes and carrots for the last 30 minutes. If you want to make po-boys, keep reading.

After the 60 minutes, flip the roast again, trying not to break it apart. Return to oven for 45 minutes. It’s done when it begins to break easily. Carefully remove roast from pot and put in a covered dish. Blend the gravy with a hand blender until all veggies and meat scraps disappear. Bring to a simmer and reduce until the gravy thickens.

Remove excess fat from roast as you break the meat up by hand. Mix meat and gravy; heat through. Serve on toasted French bread with a little mayonnaise and grated smoked gouda on top. Banging!

BEEF. CARBONNADE

Beef Carbonnade

3 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into approximately 2-inch pieces
All purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large onions, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups canned beef broth or 2 cups water and 1 1/2 tablespoons concentrated beef bouillon liquid
12 ounces dark beer
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
Buttered Egg Noodles
Chopped fresh parsley

Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of beef to skillet and cook until beef is brown on all sides, turning beef occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer to heavy large Dutch oven. Repeat process in 2 more batches, adding 1 tablespoon oil to skillet per batch.


Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over low heat. Stir in onions and garlic. Cook until onions are golden brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to Dutch over. Add broth, beer and thyme to beef mixture. Cover and simmer until beef is very tender when pierced with fork, approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.


Remove cover. Boil stew as necessary until liquids are reduced to sauce consistency. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead; refrigerate. Return stew to simmer before continuing.) Serve stew with egg noodles and garnish with parsley.

HOT SAUSAGE

Hot Sausage
Patton's is all beef.  

• 1 pound ground beef or pork
• 3 tbsp Paprika
• 1 1/2 tbsp Tony Chachere's seasoning
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp crushed peppers
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/3 cup cooking oil

For more "heat" add more crushed peppers and cayenne pepper.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand until everything is well mixed together.

Form into "hamburger" patties and fry as you would a hamburger in a pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked. 

This may be served on hamburger buns, white bread, but its best served on French bread dressed with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard and ketchup. Patties may be frozen, as well.

Candlelight Style:

Fry up your patties.  Put them in buns.  Wrap in foil (pronounced "furl" here in New Orleans thank you very much).  They will stay warm for a couple of sets.  Have your accompaniments ready and let everybody dress their own.

RED WINE REDUCTION SAUCE

Red Wine Reduction Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cups dry red wine
1 tablespoon cream
Salt and pepper
    
In a cast iron skillet, heat the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until they are translucent. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and allow to reduce by half (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.)   Once the sauce has reduced, add the cream and butter, and season with salt and pepper. Heat the sauce to finish it.

LEAH CHASE'S BRISKET AND SPICY RICE SALAD

Spicy Rice Salad and Brisket

Rice Salad

3 cups long-grain rice

1 Bay leaf

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup green bell pepper diced

1/2 cup minced red bell pepper

2 jalapeno peppers "" seeds removed, chopped finely

3 green onions - bottoms and tops chopped

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup yellow mustard

Salt and pepper

Cook rice until tender in boiling water; strain water off rice. Let rice cool and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. In large bowl mix chilled rice and all other ingredients. Toss and serve on lettuce leaf.

Brisket

5 lbs. brisket, well trimmed

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

4 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup red wine

3 cups water

Mix oil, thyme leaves, salt, pepper and paprika. 

Rub mixture over the brisket. Heat skillet, place well-seasoned brisket in hot skillet; lightly brown on each side. Remove brisket from skillet and place in roasting pan.

In skillet, add onions, bell pepper and garlic. 

Stir well and cook for about five minutes; add water and wine to skillet. Bring to a boil.

Pour mixture over brisket, cover with foil and cook for 1 ½ hours.

JAILHOUSE CHILI

Jailhouse Chili
Makes 8 servings

1-1/2 pounds coarsely ground beef 
1/2 pound coarsely ground pork
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped 
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans (puree one can in the food processor for a creamier chili) 
2 cups canned diced tomatoes with their liquid 
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 to 3 tablespoons ground chili powder 
Salt and cayenne pepper 
Water or beef broth as needed
Shredded Cheddar cheese for serving 
Crushed corn chips for serving 
Tabasco brand pepper sauce for serving 

Combine the ground meats in a medium bowl and mix well. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meat mixture in the pot until all the pink has disappeared. Add the onion and jalapenos, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the onion is softened.

Add the kidney beans, the tomatoes and tomato paste. Add 2 tablespoons chili powder for a mild-tasting dish or 3 tablespoons for a more assertive one and season with salt and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, adding water or beef broth if the mixture appears too dry. Adjust the seasoning with salt and cayenne.

Serve the chili hot in bowls, sprinkled with cheese and crushed corn ships. Pass the Tabasco at the table.

GRILLADES and GRITS

Grillades
Makes about 10 servings

4 pounds boneless beef or veal round steak, about ¼-inch thick
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup vegetable oil
3 medium-size yellow onions, chopped
2 medium-size green bell peppers, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 cups whole canned tomatoes, crushed with their juice
2 cups beef broth
½ cup dry red wine
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
½ cup finely chopped green onions
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Remove any fat from the beef or veal. Cut into 2-inch squares. Combine the salt, cayenne, black pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Have the flour at hand.
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Lay several pieces of the meat on a cutting board and sprinkle with the seasoning mix and a little of the flour. With a meat mallet, pound each piece of meat until slightly flattened. Flip the pieces over and repeat the process. Do this with the rest of the meat. In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat, several pieces at a time and brown evenly on both sides. As the meat cooks, transfer it to a platter. When all the meat is browned, return it to the pot. Add the onions, bell peppers and celery and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and golden, eight to 10 minutes. 
Add the tomatoes and their liquid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the broth, wine, bay leaves, tarragon and basil. Stir to mix and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 1 ½ hours. If the mixture becomes dry, add a little water or more broth. When ready to serve, add the green onions and parsley. Serve with baked grits. 
Baked cheese grits
Makes 10 to 12 servings
2 cups yellow grits, cooked according to package directions
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
½ pound grated cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 stick butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

After the grits are cooked, add the eggs, cheese, milk and butter and stir until all is blended and the cheese and butter are completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a two-quart baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

BOULETTES

Boulettes 
Makes 6 large meatballs

1 slice of day-old white or French bread
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 pound ground chuck
1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons (more or less to taste) hot sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
1 egg, beaten
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and roasted until soft
1/2 cup all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and cayenne
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water or beef broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Tear the bread into small chunks and put them in a small mixing bowl. Add the milk, just enough to dampen the bread. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the chuck and pork. Add the salt, cayenne, black pepper, hot sauce, onions, and the egg. Work in the dampened bread and mix well. 

Form the mixture into six large balls. Insert the garlic into the center of the balls and pinch closed. Dredge the meatballs in the flour and shake off any excess.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs, turning them several times, and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain off any excess oil. Add the water or broth, cover the skillet with a lid and transfer to the oven to cook for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
*
Nannan and I usually ate our boulettes with rice, but I sometimes serve them with buttered noodles. Your choice.

GRADOUX

Smothered Round Steak
Makes 8 servings

2-1/2 pounds round steak, thinly sliced
Salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste
Favorite Cajun/Creole seasoning mix
1/4 cup flour, plus more if needed
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
Cooked grits, biscuits or rice for serving
Chopped parsley and tops of green onions (optional)

Season meat with salt, peppers and seasoning mix and dredge lightly with flour. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add meat and brown; debris should stick to the bottom of the pot.
Remove meat. Add onions and bell pepper. Saute until slightly wilted. Add minimal amounts of water at a time, stirring and removing the gradoux off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula; this is the gravy that will start to form. Add enough water to make the amount of gravy needed.
Sprinkle small amounts of flour in to thicken if desired. Add and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook until meat is tender, 45 to 60 minutes. If gravy is too thick, add more water. When finished, gravy should be a medium-brown. Some cooks add parsley and onion tops in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Serve over cooked grits, biscuits or rice.

CREOLE TOMATO CASSEROLE

Creole Tomato Casserole
Makes 6 servings

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound ground beef (or 1 pound sweet Italian sausage remove from the casing and crumbled)
6 Creole tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until soft and golden. Add the ground beef (or Italian sausage) and cook, stirring often, until brown. Add the tomatoes, salt, cayenne, oregano and basil. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low fire, stirring occasionally, for one hour. Skim off any oil that rises to the surface.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the mixture into a baking dish.  Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs, then drizzle with the butter. Sprinkle the top with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts.

BONELESS BRISKET

BONELESS BRISKET

Basic Marinade:

2 teaspoons salt
3 bottles Soy sauce
2 small cans pineapple juice
1 boneless brisket

1 small bottle Italian dressing
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 bottle Worcestersire
Lemon pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic powder

Marinate at least 24 hours. Wipe dry. Place brisket on broiler pan. Season with lemon pepper and garlic powder. Cook at 275°-300° until 2/3 done. take out brisket and place on barbeque pit over low burning coals. Be sure to soak some hickory chips in water for approximately 3 hours and add to coals just before putting brisket on. You will have to watch this closely for 10-15 minutes because fat on the brisket will cause coals to flame. Once the brisket is browned on both sides wrap in foil and cook on pit for remainder of time. (Figure 30 minutes/ pound.). Be sure to save juice which collects in the foil to pour over the sliced brisket. Marinade can be stored in refrigerator and used several times for any kind of beef-also a tool Barinas for venison. (Serves 12-15)

ROAST BEEF PO'BOY with DEBRIS GRAVY

I’ve found that I like a mixture of Beef Stock, Chicken Stock, and water for my braising liquid. The reason I don’t use straight Beef Stock is that I make an extremely rich one, and I reduce my gravy instead of using a thickening agent. When all is said and done, the gravy was just too much of a good thing, too intense. This way comes out just right. Extremely Beefy and delicious!
Here is the recipe:

Roast Beef Po’ Boy with Debris Gravy 

For the Roast:
1 Beef Chuck Roast (this one was 2 ½ pounds)
2 Garlic Cloves thinly sliced
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
Cayenne
3 Tbsp Lard or Vegetable Oil
1 Small Onion, Diced
1 Small Carrot, Diced
1 Cup Beef Stock
1 Cup Chicken Stock
Water if necessary
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Hot Sauce
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Fresh Bay Leaf
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Cut small slits into the roast, about every 3 inches, try not to pierce all the way to the bottom. Stuff the sliced garlic into the slits.
Season the Roast very liberally on all sides with the Salt & Black Pepper, season with Cayenne to your taste, I don’t use much.

Heat the fat in a heavy bottomed Dutch Oven over high heat, when the oil starts to smoke, wait a few more seconds, then carefully add the Roast cut side down. Brown very well on all sides, without burning it. Remove to a plate.

Drain off all but 1 Tbsp of the fat in the pan, add the onions and carrots, cook until the onions just start to brown, place the roast back in the pan, then add the stocks. Finish, if necessary, with enough water to bring the cooking liquid 3/4 of the way up the roast. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then back down to a simmer. Simmer covered for 3-4 hours or until the meat falls apart by staring at it.

For the Debris Gravy:
Carve the meat into very thin slices, it will be hard to do and will fall apart, that is good. All of the bits and pieces, that fall off are your Debris (pronounced DAY-bree.) Add all of the bits and chunks to you cooking liquid after skimming off the fat from the surface, keep the carved meat with a little liquid on a warm plate, covered tightly with plastic wrap. Bring the gravy to a full boil and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Po’ Boy:
New Orleans Style French Bread (Po’ Boys are generally about 9-10 inches long per sandwich. As you can see I made mine a bit smaller, shame on me.) Cut the bread 3/4 of the way through leaving a hinge (as seen in the background of the pic.) I find the hinge makes for slightly, easier eating.
Shredded Lettuce (or Cabbage a la Mothers)
Mayonnaise
Roast Beef (see above)
Debris Gravy

Slather the bread with a very generous portion of Mayonnaise on the inside of the upper and lower halves. Place about a cup of Shredded Lettuce on the bottom half. Cover the lettuce with a generous portion of the “sliced” Beef. Drown the beef with Debris Gravy.

STEAK TARTARE

Steak Tartare

2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 tsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup salad oil
1 oz. Cognac
1 small onion, freshly and finely chopped
1 oz. Capers, rinsed
2 oz. Cornichons, finely chopped
4 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 1/4 lbs. Fresh sirloin, finely chopped

Serves 6
Place the yolks in a large bowl and add the mustard and anchovies. Mix well, then add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and pepper and mix well again. Slowly whisk in the oil, then add the Cognac and mix again. Fold in the onion, capers, cornichons and parsley.
Add the chopped meat to the bowl and mix well using a spoon or your hands. Divide the meat evenly among the six chilled dinner plates and, using a ring mold or spatula, form it into discs on the plates. Serve immediately with French fries and toasted bread points.

HAMBURGER STEAK

Hamburger Steak n’ Onion Gravy 
Maw Joad's version from the Grapes of Wrath would have been Hamburger patties, dusted with flour, fried till brown; add water and make a gravy.  This one is a little more substantial.

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt1/2 teaspoon onion powder1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 8 balls, and flatten into patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties and onion in the oil until patties are nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef patties to a plate, and keep warm.

Sprinkle flour over the onions and drippings in the skillet. Stir in flour with a fork, scraping bits of beef off of the bottom as you stir. Gradually mix in the beef broth and sherry. Season with seasoned salt. Simmer and stir over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Turn heat to low, return patties to the gravy, cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

FRENCH ONION SALISBURY STEAKS

French Onion Salisbury Steaks on Cheese Toasts
Cheese toasts? That's toast with cheese melted on it.
4 Serves

1 1/4 lbs ground chuck
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons scallions, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups onions, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cheese toasts
4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley ( garnish)
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

Combine chuck, parsley, scallion, salt, and pepper. Divide evenly into 4 portions and shape into 3/4 to 1-inch thick oval patties.

Place 2 tablespoons of flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. Reserve 1 teaspoon flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sautè pan.
Add onions and sugar to pan; sautè.

Sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth and wine, and then add the salt and thyme.

Return meat to pan and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion soup ladled over.

Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

CARBONNADES a la FLAMMANDE, Belgian Beef in Beer and Onions

Carbonnades a la Flammande
(Flemish Beef in Beer)
Serves 6.

3 lbs. Lean chuck or rump roast
3 Tbsp oil
6 cups sliced onions
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef stock
2 to 3 cups beer
2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
1 bay leaf, crumbled
½ tsp. Thyme
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp wine vinegar

Slice the beef into serving pieces ½ inch thick. Dry on paper towels. In a large heavy skillet or, brown beef slices quickly in oil. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Brown onions lightly in the dripping for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; stir in garlic.

Arrange half the beef in Dutch Oven and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with a layer of onion. Repeat.

Heat beef stock in the browning skillet and pour over meat. Add enough beer to barely cover meat. Stir in brown sugar. Place the crumbled bay leaf and thyme between some of the slicdes of meat and around and atop the contents of the Dutch oven. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 2 ½ hours. Remove from the oven.

Using a ladle, remove liquid from the casserole into a saucepan: skim off the fat. Blend together the cornstarch and vinegar, add to the liquid and simmer for 3 to four minutes. Taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce back over the meat. Serve. (This dish freezes well.)

Serve with parsley potatoes, green salad and, of course, some good Belgian Beer (i.e. Chimay).

CREOLE ITALIAN MEATBALLS in RED GRAVY

Creole Italian Meatballs in Red Gravy

General observations for good meatballs:
Handle the meat gently; don’t pack it. The object is to keep them tender, yet firm enough not to fall apart. Mix your meat and seasonings with your hands, gently but thoroughly. Use an ice cream scoop to dip out each meatball; put the meatballs on a foil or paper-covered cookie sheet (to minimize clean-up); then roll each into a round ball. No ice cream scoop? No problem, use a Tablespoon; just make those 10 meatballs about the same size. Keep nearby a bowl of water in which to dip your hands, preventing the meat from sticking to them.

Use the pan in which you fried your meatballs to fry your sauce ingredients-those crusty bits left behind from frying the meatballs harbor a good deal of flavor.
　
Serve with 1 pound pasta of choice.

1 pound lean ground beef, preferably chuck
1 medium onion, minced
3 or 4 toes garlic, minced
½ small green pepper (optional), minced
2 eggs
3-inch piece stale French bread, soaked in water, squeezed out well
Salt and pepper and chopped parsley
½ to 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Olive oil for pan-frying, you do not deep-fry these. You may need to add a little from time to time
　
Place all ingredients except bread crumbs in a large bowl and mix gently but thoroughly. Add bread crumbs to tighten the consistency of the meat and add Parmesan cheese if desired.
Make a small patty. Fry in olive oil, and taste for seasoning. Adjust salt, pepper or bread crumbs if necessary.

Shape mixture into 10 balls. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the meatballs. After browning, move meatballs to the pan in which the gravy is to be cooked. Stir the sauce carefully so as not to cut into the meatballs.

Tomato Gravy
about 1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
3 or 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 to ½ green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 or 2 Tbsp. sugar
Oregano and sweet basil to taste
1 (16 ounce) can canned plum tomatoes in puree with basil, slightly chopped
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh Italian Parsley

In the same skillet in which the meatballs were fried, heat olive oil and fry onions, garlic and green pepper until soft. Scrape up browned pieces of meat while frying vegetables. Do not let the garlic burn or it will taste bitter.

Add tomato paste, sugar, oregano, basil and parsley. Fry until slightly brown, being sure not to burn the paste. Add plum tomatoes to the skillet. Mix well and let simmer a couple of minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.

Transfer this mixture to a large saucepan. Fill each empty tomato and tomato paste can twice with water; add to sauce. You may add a splash of wine when adding the water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley. Cover saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until thick or the consistency you prefer.

At this point you can put hot meatballs and sauce into a Dutch Oven together and bake, covered for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Highly recommended.

Variation: Brown Italian sausages or chicken pieces (wings in particular) as you would the meatballs, then place them in the pan with sauce to be cooked. Proceed as for meatballs.

To add to your confusion. The plum tomatoes in puree with basil are entirely optional. You can use a can of tomato puree or a can of diced tomatoes and a can of puree. If you want to reduce the water called for in the recipe because you used extra tomatoes feel free, it really doesn’t matter much.

BRISKET-Grill to Oven Method

Brisket

Marinade/Rub
3 Tbsp. salt
1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. Minced garlic
6 bay leaves
4 Tbsp olive oil

1 (4-pound) beef brisket (NOT corned)
Wood chips, soaked

Combine salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, bay leaves and olive oil. Place the brisket in a glass baking dish. Using your hands, rub the marinade all over the brisket until it’s evenly coated; cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

About 30 minutes before cooking the brisket, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Heat a smoker or grill to 300 degrees and place the brisket on the rack. Add a handful of soaked wood chips to the coals, periodically, to smoke the brisket (whenever the chips stop smoking, add more). The goal for the first hour is to get some color on the outside of the brisket while infusing the meat with a smoky flavor.

Resist the urge to check on the meat every five minutes. It’s best to keep the lid closed as much as possible to trap the smoke inside. But if the inside of the grIll gets too hot, open in periodically to lower the temperature or to make a smaller bed of coals. After approximately 1 hour, transfer the brisket to a foil-covered pan and finish in a 300 degree oven for an additional 5 hours, flipping the brisket over every hour until the meat is tender enough to cut with the side of a fork.

ROAST BEEF PO BOYS with Debris Gravy

Roast Beef Po-Boys with Debris Gravy
Makes 6 Po-Boys

1 tsp. Black pepper
1 tsp. Granulated onion
1 tsp. granulated garlic
½ tsp. ground thyme
1 (4-5 pound) bottom round roast, (almost any will do)
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
3 medium carrots, halved
3 celery ribs,halved
2 whole garlic heads, halved, with skins on
12 cups beef stock (or enough to cover three-quarters of the meat)
6 10-inch sections of New Orleans French bread (use what you must) cut in half horizontially, but leaving a "hinge" of bread in the back.
Your favorite sandwich condiments


Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine dry seasonings and rub outside of roast thoroughly-go ahead, massage it in.

If your roasting pan has a rack put it on the bottom and place the roast on top. Scatter the onions, carrots, celery and garlic on the bottom of your roasting pan. Pour beef stock into pan until it covers three-quarters of the roast. Place in the oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees or until the outside of the roast begins to fall apart; at least 2 to 3 hours-it may take longer. Remove from the oven and slice the roast as thinly as possible.


Strain the pan gravy and discard the solids (or eat’em). Put the sliced roast and the little bits of meat (the debris) back into the pan gravy. When ready to serve, put mayonnaise on both the bottom and top of the bread and assemble generous portions of the roast beef on the slices of French bread and dress with your favorite condiments. Mother’s debris Po-Boy features sliced roast beef, debris gravy, and pile on the frills. ("dressed" with mayonnaise, Creole, yellow or French mustard and dill pickles.) You can cut each individual sandwich in half vertically; on the bias is nice because it gives a wider bottom to hold onto. Some places also include sliced tomatoes, and shredded iceberg lettuce. It’s up to you.

You should not need to thicken the gravy. It is messy and fun.

YAKKA MEIN

YAKKA MEIN

1 (3 to 4 pound) stewing beef roast (chuck, chuck tender, round, rump)
4 to 5 quarts of beef stock
3 teaspoons Tony Chachere's seasoning
1 teaspoon of onion powder and garlic, powder
4 tablespoons of oil
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 pound of spaghetti noodles
8 hard boiled eggs, peeled (or count one half egg per soup bowl)
1 green onion, sliced
Soy sauce, hot sauce, to taste

Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, optional
If you want to get really asian add some cilantro.

Fill a stockpot halfway with the stock and seasonings. Place the meat in a stockpot - the stock should cover the meat plus about an inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and begins to fall apart. Remove the beef from the broth and using forks, pull it apart and return the shredded beef to the broth. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. Hold the soup over low until needed.

Meanwhile, boil the eggs, cool and peel them; set aside. Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions.

To assemble the soup, place a serving of spaghetti noodles in the bottom of a bowl. Use a slotted spoon to extract a serving of the shredded beef and add that on top of the noodles. Add a boiled egg, either whole, halved lengthwise or cut into chunks. Spoon about 1-1/2 cups of the beef broth on top and sprinkle with sliced green onion. Add a few dashes of soy sauce, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Some folks also like to also add a bit of ketchup to theirs.