Beef has a number of advantages over other types of meat, although it is not considered the most affordable in terms of price. Red meat has a positive effect on the circulatory system, gastrointestinal tract, increases the level of hemoglobin and removes excess cholesterol.
How to choose beef
When buying beef, it is very important to be able to choose it correctly, so that later you do not rely on your inability to cook deliciously. First of all, it is better to buy cow meat in a quality butcher shop, where the goods do not sit for weeks. It is not recommended to use frozen beef, since many useful substances and microelements often die in such meat, and it is also easy to hide all product defects by freezing. First of all, the piece you like should smell like milk, especially if the seller claims that this is a young calf, the color should be deep red, without darkening, and the veins should be light milky or white. When pressed, the meat should spring slightly and there should be no plaque or slippery substances on the surface. So, fresh meat is purchased. You can start preparing your favorite dishes.
Homemade borscht with beef on the bone
Probably the most favorite and popular dish in Russia is red borscht with beef. And in fact, it seems to be a real heroic food - tasty, healthy, including almost all variety of vegetables, and most importantly satisfying.
To prepare a real man's dish, you will need the following products:
- beef on the bone - 1 - 1.5 kg;
- potatoes - 7 - 8 root crops;
- carrots - 1 large piece;
- beets - 2 medium pieces;
- onion - 1 head;
- Peking cabbage - small forks or half a medium;
- tomatoes - 3 pieces or tomato paste - 150 grams;
- bell pepper - 1 piece;
- garlic - 3 - 4 cloves;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- salt, pepper, bay leaves, herbs.
Step by step recipe:
- Rinse the beef under running water and cook until almost cooked in salted water so that the meat can be easily separated from the bone. For borscht, it is beef on the bone that is recommended to get a rich broth with a rich taste.
- During this time, while the meat is being cooked, you can peel the potatoes and put them in a saucepan with cold water so that they do not have time to darken and wind up.
- Peel the beets, carrots and rub on a coarse grater, put in a frying pan greased with sunflower oil and put on fire.
- Free the onions from the husk, chop, put in a frying pan with beets and carrots, simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add either tomato paste diluted with a small amount of boiled water or broth, or chopped tomatoes, and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Cut the bell pepper, taking out the core with seeds and cutting into small squares. It can also be added to frying, but for a more pronounced smell, you can also throw it at the last stage along with cabbage.
- Returning to the broth, you need to get the beef, rinse off all the excess with warm water and divide into portions. Strain the broth through cheesecloth, folded in 2 - 3 layers, and put the cut beef back. Put on fire.
- Cut the peeled potatoes into strips and throw into the broth.
- Chop cabbage - the thinner, the tastier.
- When the potatoes are almost ready, add the frying and cabbage.
- Pass the peeled cloves of garlic through a press or crush with a knife, chop the herbs. Throw everything into borscht.
- Add salt if necessary. Add pepper and a few bay leaves.
In the classic version, when serving borscht, add a spoonful of homemade sour cream and a sprig of parsley to the table, and put a piece of bread with bacon next to it. Bon Appetit!
Calf ribs with spinach sauce
For this dish, calf ribs will be a better choice - they will be softer and more tender, but if only beef is at hand, then it will turn out to be unusually tasty.
Required Ingredients:
- beef broth - 350 ml;
- fresh ribs - 1 - 1.5 kg;
- onions - 1 large head;
- dry red wine - 500 ml;
- sunflower oil - 30 ml;
- salt, black pepper, red pepper.
For the sauce:
- spinach - 150 grams;
- cream - 70 ml;
- butter - 20 grams;
- spices for salad.
Step-by-step cooking:
- Cut the ribs into portions, wash well and pour over with red wine. Leave to marinate for 6 - 7 hours. It is in such a long-lasting marinade that the whole trick of the unusual taste of ribs lies.
- After the specified time, salt, pepper and fry the veal in a non-stick frying pan well heated with oil. This creates a crust on the meat that will keep it juicy.
- Pour the wine into the pan and simmer until half of the liquid has evaporated.
- Then add onions, peeled and cut into 4 - 6 slices.
- Pour the beef broth into the meat and bring to a boil.
- Transfer the ribs with the wine and beef broth and onions to an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and send to the oven. Leave to cook for 3 hours at 160 degrees. Due to the effect of not very high temperature, the meat will turn out to be soft and will not lose much moisture.
- To prepare the sauce, wash the spinach leaves, dry, chop finely and place in an aluminum pan. Add melted butter and heat slightly. Pour in cream, add spices and beat with a blender.
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After the specified time, remove the meat from the oven, discard the onion pieces (few people like such boiled onions), lay out the ribs beautifully on a large dish, cover the bottom of which with several leaves of spinach or ordinary salad. Pour the sauce into a glass dish. You can enjoy a royal dinner.
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Beef entrecotes with homemade potatoes
To prepare an appetizing and hearty dish (based on 4 servings), you will need the following products:
- beef entrecotes - 4 pieces;
- potatoes - 1 kg;
- onions - 2 heads;
- carrots - 2 small pieces;
- homemade tomatoes - 2 medium pieces;
- tomato juice - 250 ml;
- parsley dill;
- salt, pepper, bay leaf;
- sunflower oil - 50 ml.
Step by step recipe:
- It is better to choose small beef entrecotes, rinse the meat under running water, dry it with a paper towel, salt, pepper and send it to a non-stick frying pan well heated with sunflower oil. Fry over high heat until golden brown on both sides. Then pour in a little boiled water, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 30 - 40 minutes under a lid. Check periodically so that the meat does not burn.
- Peel the onions and carrots, cut the onions into half rings and divide into thin strands, the carrots can be grated on a coarse grater, but the dish will look more spectacular if you cut it with a curly knife or at least in circles.
- After the specified time has elapsed, put the meat from the pan into a cauldron or a wide saucepan with a thick bottom, and send vegetables to the pan to fry. When the vegetables are slightly browned, place them on the meat.
- Pour over the tomatoes with boiling water and remove the thin skin, cut them into thin slices or strips. Add to meat with vegetables, pour in a little sunflower oil and put the pan on fire. Fry everything for 5 minutes.
- Pour tomato juice into a saucepan, mix everything well, cover and leave to simmer over low heat for 30 - 40 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Peel the potatoes, cut into small pieces, salt and send to a preheated frying pan to obtain a golden color and golden brown crust. When the potatoes are fried and the meat is stewed for the specified time, add the potatoes to the meat, pour in a little warm water, if necessary, add salt and pepper, throw in a couple of bay leaves. Cover and leave to rise over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the dish is ready, arrange it on plates, decorating with finely chopped herbs - dill or parsley, who loves what more.
