Tag: low carb

Donnie’s Pulled Beef

Our nephew Donnie made over ten pounds of pulled beef for a family reunion dinner last week. We were in Wichita, Kansas, for the memorial service celebrating the life of Jerri’s twin brother, and the dinner was served on the campus of World Impact, an inner-city mission organization. Thus, it was appropriate that Donnie would make a big batch of meat in one of those large electric roasters one sees so often in church kitchens.

Served on buns with a choice of barbecue sauces, it was absolutely delicious. Donnie has made lots of great tasting foods for us over the the past twenty years or so, but I had never asked him for any of his recipes. The pulled beef finally made me do it.

It turns out that Donnie makes pulled beef regularly at home, so it was easy for him to give me his standard recipe, which uses about three pounds of beef roast that he cooks in a slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. inexpensive beef roast (chuck, rump, arm, round, etc.)
2 T liquid smoke
4 T soy sauce
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Water as needed

PROCEDURE:

Cut the meat into three inch pieces discarding any bones or large pieces of fat. Put the pieces in a large plastic bag. Whisk the liquid and dry ingredients together in a small bowl and pour the mixture on the meat. Seal the bag and make sure all the pieces are covered with marinade.

Marinate the meat overnight or up to a day. Turn the bag a few times to make sure all the meat is covered with the marinade.

Put the meat and marinade in a slow cooker. Add a tablespoon or two of water. Turn the slow cooker on high until the pot is hot, then turn it to low and let the meat simmer at least eight hours. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to move the bottom pieces of meat to the top a couple of times if you are home, or just do it when you get home from work and let it simmer a bit longer while you relax.

Use a fork to check for tenderness. The meat should pull apart easily when it is done. Turn off the cooker and remove the pieces to a platter to cool for a few minutes, then use a sharp knife and fork to pull it apart. Return the meat to the cooker and turn the heat to low to hold it for serving.

Serve with sandwich buns and your a choice of barbecue sauces accompanied by cole slaw, baked beans and macaroni and cheese if you want to treat your guests to a real southern feast.

NOTES: You could add some hot sauce to the marinade if you want spicier meat, but the flavor is so good the way it is, I suggest that you do as folks in Kentucky and Tennessee do. They sprinkle (or pour!) hot sauce on the meat before they dig in. And it can taste pretty darn good that way with fewer carbs and calories.

Any inexpensive cut of beef works well with this recipe. In fact, tougher cuts are better. Watch for sales. Don’t be fooled into thinking that an expensive roast will make better pulled beef. It won’t, nor will it be as flavorful. The inexpensive cuts have more connective tissue which adds flavor to the meat. The marinade and slow simmer turn a tough old chuck roast into a delicious treat that falls apart on your plate.

Pulled beef holds well in the fridge for two or three days, and of course you can freeze it. Save the liquid separately and use it to moisten the meat when you reheat it. When you chill the liquid you’ll find that there is a lot of gelatin in it which helps give the meat its wonderful flavor.

Chuck’s Marinara Sauce

We were at the cabin when I first made this sauce. It was winter, and I used a large can of tomatoes. The following summer I made it with fresh tomatoes from the garden, and it was even better. Some people say that real marinara sauce is made only with garlic, basil, salt and pepper and olive oil. That may be, but I like this recipe.

It has a full rich flavor that is wonderful on pasta or pizza. Give it a try.

INGREDIENTS:

6 medium tomatoes (3 to 3 1/2 inch diameter) or a large can (28 oz.) of diced tomatoes
4 T. olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
1 six-ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 tsp. dried crushed oregano (or two T. chopped fresh oregano)
1 tsp. dried crushed basil (or two T. chopped fresh basil)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, crushed in mortar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 T. anchovy paste or two finely chopped anchovy fillets
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine

PROCEDURE:

If using fresh tomatoes, bring a pot of water to boiling. Wash the tomatoes and scald them in the boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds until the skins begin to wrinkle. Remove the tomatoes from the hot water and put them in ice water to cool. Remove the skins and cores and chop the tomatoes medium fine. If you don’t like the seeds, cut the tomatoes into fourths and remove the seeds before chopping.

Peel and mince the garlic and finely dice the onion. Heat the olive oil over low heat in a medium size sauce pan (about 3 or 4 quarts). Add the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 15 or 20 seconds. Do not allow the onion or garlic to brown.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, salt, herbs, spices, anchovy paste and wine. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer the sauce for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours stirring occasionally. Be careful not to scorch the sauce, especially as it begins to thicken. Add a little more wine if the sauce gets thicker than you want.

Serve over your favorite pasta or use it to make a pizza. Offer grated Parmesan cheese at the table.

NOTES: You may be afraid to include the anchovy paste or chopped anchovies, but I guarantee that you will not taste any fish in this recipe. The anchovies add a depth to this sauce that is lacking in most of the commercial sauces you encounter which try to give more flavor by adding more salt and sugar.

You can make a good meat sauce by browning a pound of hamburger seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Drain the meat and stir it into the sauce before serving. Even better, brown a pound of bulk Italian sausage and add it to the sauce.