Braised skirt steak is a hearty dish you can prepare when you want to prepare something special. Slice the steak thinly to reduce the cooking time if desired. If you are not a fan of polenta, you may replace it with mashed potatoes instead.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large onions, peeled, thinly sliced

1/2 cup plain flour

1kg skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces

500ml beef consommé

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steamed carrots for serving

Creamy polenta for serving

Preheat the oven at 180C and lightly grease a medium sized casserole dish. Next, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Stir-fry the onions for 4-5 minutes or until browned. Transfer it to the greased casserole dish.

Place the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Mix well and reserve one tablespoon. Dredge the steak in the seasoned flour.

Heat the remaining oil in the non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Fry the steak in batches for two to three minutes per side or until browned. Transfer the cooked steak to the casserole dish with onions.

Prepare the sauce by putting the reserved flour in the same pan. Stir it for a minute before gradually pouring in the beef consommé. Stir constantly until smooth. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season it with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the steak and onions. Cover the casserole dish and bake it for two hours or until tender. Serve with creamy polenta and steamed carrots.

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Roast beef with horseradish cream canapés is a wonderful starter to a delicious meal. You can serve it for parties or cocktails too. The rare roast beef is well complimented by the horseradish cream, giving it more flavor and a hint of creaminess too.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

30cm long baguette thinly sliced to make 20 slices

Olive oil spray

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons horseradish cream

Salt and ground pepper

130g sliced rare roast beef, cut into thick strips

20 basil leaves for serving

Cracked black pepper for serving

Preheat the oven at 180C and spray it with olive oil. Place the baguette slices on the tray and then spray them with oil. Bake them in the oven for five minutes or until they are golden brown.

While waiting for the baguette, combine the sour cream and horseradish cream in a small bowl. Mix well. Season it with salt and pepper.

Next, assemble the canapés by spreading some sour cream mixture on a slice of baguette. Top it with a strip of roast beef and then garnish it with a basil leaf. Repeat this for the remaining ingredients. Arrange the canapés on a serving platter and season them with cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Photo Courtesy Of:  jasonlam

Asian short ribs is a tasty meat dish that is great for sharing. You may add some sesame seeds or sesame oil to add more flavor. It is best eaten with rice.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 kg beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 lemongrass stalk, halved and crushed

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2/3 cups brown sugar

6 cups water

1/2 cup sliced spring onions

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Place the ribs in a heavy based saucepan over high heat. Add the soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, garlic, lemon grass, brown sugar, water, spring onions and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Bring it to a boil. After, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for an hour and a half. Stir in the orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest and hoisin sauce. Season it with salt and pepper to adjust the taste. Stir. Allow it to simmer until the meat is tender. Add more water if needed. Transfer the meat to a plate. Let the sauce simmer until the liquid is reduced in half. Return the meat to the pan and set the heat to high. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and place the ribs and sauce in a serving bowl.  Serve immediately.

Photo Courtesy Of: naotakem

Sliced beef in soy gravy is a delicious recipe which goes well with plain rice. Here we used the ginger as a garnish, but feel free to add it to the other ingredients while cooking so that it can make the meat tastier.

It is important to slice the beef thinly so that it cooks at the same time as the potatoes and carrots. You may also fry the vegetables ahead of time until they are browned before adding them, so that they are crisp on the outside but soft on the inside.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1lb. sirloin steak

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced

1 medium white onion, peeled

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups basic dashi stock

3 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 inch piece ginger, shredded

Freeze the steak for 2 30 minutes and then cut across the grain to make very thin slices.

Soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water after slicing.

Next, quarter the onion. Set aside.

Place 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and the potatoes. Stir-fry them for 2 minutes or until they are coated in oil.

Pour in the dashi stock, sake and sugar into the saucepan. Set the heat to high. Bring it to a boil.

After, put the beef in the pan. Add the soy sauce. Cook it for 15 minutes or until the beef and potatoes are tender.

Transfer it to a bowl a serving plate or individual bowls. Garnish with shredded ginger before serving.

Photo Courtesy Of: stlbites.com

Beef and pimiento loaf is a great main course or party dish. The saltiness from the cheeses gives it more taste. Add more layers or fillings if desired. You may also use other types of minced meat. Make sure to add vegetables for the filling if you are using turkey meat, so that the loaf will not dry up.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1kg minced beef

2 cups fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup chopped pimiento

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped black olives

250g ricotta cheese

125g feta cheese

Salt and ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180C and line a loaf pan with aluminum foil.

Place the ground beef, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, mustard, mixed herbs, garlic and egg in a large mixing bowl. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Divide the mixture into three parts.

Next place the olives, pimiento, basil and olives in a small bowl. Mix well.

Put one portion of the beef mince mixture in the loaf pan. Top it with half of the pimiento mixture. Repeat the layering until all the ingredients are used up. Bake it in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until it is browned. Drain the liquid and let the loaf stand for 5 minutes. Remove it from the pan and slice it into half inch pieces.

Combine the ricotta and feta cheese and serve it with the sliced loaf.

Photo Courtesy Of:   NourishingCook