Beef
869 recipes found
Sopa de Albóndigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)
Ask 10 people for a recipe for a particular dish, and you’ll probably get 10 different recipes. Mexican sopa de albóndigas is no exception. Most variations are likely to involve vegetables, rice, a tomato-based broth and, inevitably, meatballs. Wesley Avila, the chef of Guerrilla Tacos in Los Angeles, learned this recipe from his mother, who learned it from her grandmother. His meatballs are hefty in size but light in density, and follow his family’s tradition of adding uncooked white rice to the pork-beef mixture before shaping it into balls and cooking: “My mom always told me that when the rice is done, the soup is ready,” Mr. Avila said. “She used it almost as a timer.” The toppings — piled on as you would atop chili — skew cheffy, but they are entirely optional.
Pad See Ew
Built around the satisfying umami of soy sauce, this is an easy Thai recipe to shop for and cook at home. The classic version is made with wide, fresh rice noodles, but Pailin Chongchitnant, a popular Canadian YouTube chef, said that restaurants in Bangkok proudly advertise using spaghetti; in southern Thailand, her family used egg noodles. (In other words, there’s flexibility.) The street-kitchen version of this popular dish — a close relative of Cantonese beef chow fun — will always have more of the seared edges that make the dish extra delicious, but cooking it in a wide, heavy pan that holds onto heat gives great results. If gai lan is not available, Ms. Chongchitnant says that broccolini, a hybrid of gai lan and broccoli, or steamed broccoli are good alternatives. (The crunch of the stems is what you’re after here.).
Bolognese Sauce
After the death in 2013 of Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed the way Americans cook Italian food, The Times asked readers which of her recipes had become staples in their kitchens. Many people answered with one word: “Bolognese.” Ms. Hazan had a few recipes for the classic sauce, and they are all outstanding. This one appeared in her book “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,” and one reader called it “the gold standard.” Try it and see for yourself.
Cincinnati Chili Con Carne
This recipe for Cincy’s classic chili is an adaptation of one found in the International Chili Society’s “Official Chili Cookbook” by Martina and William Neely. In this version, unsweetened chocolate adds depth, and a splash of vinegar lends a pleasant tang that cuts through the richness. Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey brought it to The Times in 1981, and we’ve updated it here to include the traditional “five-way” serving suggestion: over cooked spaghetti sprinkled with grated Cheddar, kidney beans and diced white onion.
Smoky White Bean and Beef Sloppy Joes
This update on the kid-friendly classic uses half the meat as a traditional sloppy Joe recipe, but retains the qualities that everyone loves: a tart-sweet savoriness and a quick cooking time. You can substitute ground pork, turkey, lamb or plant-based ground meat for the beef; the key is to use a protein that’s not too lean. A little fat helps carry the flavor of the meat through the entire dish. (If you use plant-based meat or you only have lean meat on hand, add another tablespoon of olive oil or your preferred fat.) The addition of adobo sauce from a can of chipotles imparts smoke, with just a hint of heat. (If you’d like a spicier version, by all means, chop up one or two of the chipotles and add them.) The leftover chipotles keep for at least two weeks in the fridge or indefinitely in the freezer, and they are a welcome addition to many dishes, like chicken tacos or chili.
Firehouse Chili Gumbo
This recipe is adapted from the one that a Louisiana firefighter named Jeremy Chauvin entered into a national cook-off run by Hormel Foods in 2017, and that took home the prize for America’s Best Firehouse Chili. It is not really a chili in the Texas sense of the word. There is a roux at its base — it’s more like a chili gumbo, a bayou take on the original red. Serve with grated cheese and corn chips. Chauvin told me he was moved to enter the chili contest as a way to honor his brother Spencer, also a firefighter, who was killed in the line of duty in 2016. “I just want people to remember his sacrifice,” he said.
Braised Goat Leg in Obe Ata
Obe ata is my versatile, back-pocket Nigerian recipe. A bright purée of red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and habaneros, this stew is the base of several dishes, such as jollof rice and stewed amaranth greens, and accompanies starchy mains as a sauce. This tangy recipe, enhanced by the lingering heat of habanero chiles, uses goat, but you can substitute lamb, beef or pork cuts of a similar size. Any large bone-in cut of meat will do, and will be coaxed into tenderness after a slow braise. The best way to serve this is right in the pot or on a large platter for guests to share, garnished with a mess of fresh herbs and citrus zest and served alongside steamed rice, jollof rice, fried plantains or crispy yam fries.
Garlicky Beef Tenderloin With Orange Horseradish Sauce
The allure of beef tenderloin pulls hard. When properly cooked until the surface is seared to a glistening mahogany and the center is tender and running with beefy juices, it is one of the most regal, festive and delectable things a cook can serve. As a finishing touch, serve the meat with a pungent, creamy horseradish sauce that is shockingly easy to prepare.
Beef Wellington
In this British classic, tender beef fillet is blanketed with browned mushrooms and shallots, then wrapped in layers of prosciutto and buttery puff pastry before being baked until golden and flaky on the outside, juicy and rare within. Worthy of the most elegant, blow-out meal, save this one for Christmas, New Year’s Eve or your next big birthday. One thing to note: You really do need a full pound of puff pastry here to cover all the meat, so if your package weighs less (some brands weigh 12 ounces), you’ll need to supplement with another package.
Warak Dawali (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Stuffed grape leaves are so prevalent across the Arab world and the Mediterranean that it can seem like there are as many variations as there are families. This recipe is for traditional Levantine versions existing in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, which generally have a warmly spiced beef and rice filling, are rich from being cooked with either meat at the bottom of the pot or chicken broth, and involve stuffed grape leaves that are rolled fairly thin and long. It’s a hallmark of any celebratory or holiday table, and perfect served with a side of plain yogurt. Though they are time-consuming, warak dawali are a very fun project to embark on with family or friends, and leftovers store wonderfully, up to 3 days in the fridge or a couple of months in the freezer.
Japanese Burgers With Wasabi Ketchup
This burger recipe comes from the chef Tadashi Ono's 2011 book, “The Japanese Grill: From Classic Yakitori to Steak, Seafood and Vegetables,” written with Harris Salat. The writer Alex Witchel raved about it in The Times that same year: “Half beef, half pork, it stayed uncannily moist despite being cooked through. Perfection.”
Pork Chops in Cherry-Pepper Sauce
You can use this sauce — spicy and fragrant and slightly syrupy, what the Italians call agrodolce — on pork chops as I call for here, or on veal chops, on steaks, on chicken. I bet it’d be good on grilled seitan or drizzled over tofu. The recipe is reminiscent of the cooking at red-sauce emporia like Bamonte’s in Brooklyn, Rao’s in Manhattan, Dominick’s in the Bronx and, I hope, Carbone in Greenwich Village, where I first learned how to put it together at the elbow of the chef Mario Carbone. Serve with spaghetti dressed in butter and Parmesan, with garlic bread, with a spoon so you can slurp what’s left on the plate. “It’s a flavor that’s purely Italian-American,” Carbone told me. “You won’t find it in Italy, no way.”
Steak Tacos With Pineapple Salsa
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. Get some fresh tortillas and a pound of skirt steak, then make salsa from mostly fresh or canned pineapple, pickled jalapeños and a healthy couple shakes of chile powder, along with plenty of chopped cilantro. Shower the steaks with salt and pepper, and broil them for 2 to 3 minutes a side until they’re perfect and rare. Warm the tortillas. Grate some Cheddar. Rest the steak, slice it, and serve with the tortillas, cheese and that awesome salsa. Anyone want to watch a movie after dinner? We have time. Sam Sifton features a no-recipe recipe every Wednesday in his What to Cook newsletter. Sign up to receive it. You can find more no-recipe recipes here.
Spicy and Tingly Beef
This recipe for a simple dish of mala beef comes from Jason Wang of Xi’an Famous Foods in New York, but as Wang puts it, “You can mala anything.” Spicy chiles and tingly Sichuan peppercorns define mala, one of the many flavors of Sichuan cuisine, and though it can season beef, the same technique for a vivid, brilliant sauce can be applied to a big pile of sautéed mushrooms, or simmered tofu and sautéed greens. However you choose to make it, serve the dish over hot rice or simmered noodles and finish it with a little drizzle of Sichuan chile oil, if you’ve got it.
Spiedies
Spiedies are a mainstay sandwich of Binghamton, N.Y., and its surrounding boroughs. They’re made of meat marinated for a long time in what amounts to Italian dressing, then threaded onto skewers, grilled, and slid into a cheap sub roll, sometimes with a drizzle of fresh marinade or hot sauce. The recipe that follows calls for beef, but pork or venison can be used almost interchangeably. Marinate for a long time: a full 24 to 36 hours is not uncommon, and results in chunks of meat that are so deeply flavored that they taste great even when slightly overcooked. (If you use chicken, however, reduce the length of time in the marinade, since the meat starts to break down after 12 hours or so.) Serve the spiedies with an additional drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil, on top of Italian bread or alongside rice.
Moroccan Nachos
This Moroccan twist on the much-loved appetizer features kefta, a ground beef (or lamb) mixture seasoned with parsley, cilantro, mint, paprika and cumin, and a spicy-sweet harissa salsa. Both give these nachos an unusual kick that’s as festive as it is comforting. Creamy guacamole, bright with lemon zest and juice, balances everything out. To save time, cook the kefta mixture and prepare the salsa in advance. Using a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes creates a not-too-runny and not-too-chunky consistency that’s ideal for drizzling over a tray of nachos. That said, feel free to swap the fresh tomatoes for half a 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes or vice versa.
Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein
This takeout classic is beloved for a reason: It’s mild, satisfying and dependable. The chewy noodles and tender beef make for a weeknight dinner that won’t send you back to the fridge, snooping for a snack before bedtime. What makes this version better than the one from your neighborhood spot? A few things: It’s fresher, hotter and arguably faster. In this version, smaller florets ensure that the beef and broccoli cook quickly, and are easily scooped up with chopsticks. The florets' size also lowers your chances of overcooking them before they're crisp and tender. To finish, add sesame oil, if you have it, but don’t sweat it if you don’t.
Steak With Ginger Butter Sauce
An astonishingly good recipe for steak with butter, ginger and soy that Mark Bittman picked up from the New York chef Jean Georges Vongerichten and gave to The Times a few years later. It’s simple and takes no time to make after work.
Skirt Steak With Salsa Verde Salad
Salsa verde made with scallions, mint, parsley, capers and garlic becomes both the marinade for the steak and the dressing for the greens in this summery dinner salad. For extra smoky flavor, try grilling the romaine hearts (drizzle with olive oil and grill, cut side down, until lightly charred). Or, if you love bitter greens, substitute roughly chopped escarole leaves for the romaine.
Middle Eastern Meat Loaf
Carne Guisada (Stewed Beef)
Among the most recognizable dishes of my culture, carne guisada will cure what ails you. Beef is slowly braised with aromatic sofrito and tomatoes, producing a rich, delicious dish you’re likely to eat too much of. For those who have lived in Puerto Rican enclaves such as New York, Philadelphia, Chicago or Orlando, Fla., this is a daily staple at cafeteria-style lunch counters, as it is on the island. You can also use this recipe to make pollo guisado, equally popular and common, simply by using chicken and adjusting the cooking time accordingly.
Beef Stroganoff
Forget what you think you remember about this putatively Russian dish, which saw its zenith in American kitchens during the 1950s and its nadir in school cafeterias two decades later. Beef stroganoff makes for an outstanding dinner: a vat of tender sautéed meat in a silken gravy studded with caramelized mushrooms, alongside a huge tangle of buttered noodles. Be careful when adding the cream at the end: Sour cream easily curdles in the heat, while crème fraîche or heavy cream offer smoother results.
Steak Salad With Fish Sauce and Mint
This salad, with Southeast Asian flair, takes mere minutes to make, even with cooking the beef. Its base is mesclun and a handful of flavorful, mild herbs, like parsley or mint. Because steak doesn't need any seasoning, cooking it takes only 10 minutes. You could substitute chicken, pork or shrimp. The vinaigrette that accompanies this salad is light but assertive, based not on olive oil but on a neutral-flavored oil like canola. I use relatively little oil, as its job is only to help the remaining dressing ingredients coat the greens. To this I add rice vinegar or lime juice, both of which are high in flavor but low in acidity. The vinaigrette is rounded off with mustard, shallots, and nam pla (Thai fish sauce) or soy sauce.
Rhineland Sauerbraten
“Braising is a cooking method that is little understood and much neglected,” Mimi Sheraton wrote in The Times in 1983. “The long, slow, moist process fills the house with warm scents of simmering meats, vegetables and herbs and yields in robust main courses that include rich sauces and gravies to be aborbed by potatoes, rice or noodles. And because the moisture tenderizes the meat, even the least expensive cuts gradually take on savory overtones.” She accompanied her article with this luscious sauerbraten, which benefits greatly from larding the meat with bacon or salt pork, and is even better the day after it is prepared.