L&M Ranch

Grass-fed beef recipes we love...
(Download a recipe sheet below)

WINE-DARK BEEF STEW
WITH HORSERADISH POTATO PUREE

A recipe by Dame Rozanne Gold
(from Cooking with Les Dames D’Escoffier, 2008, published by  Sasquatch Books)

The stew and the potato puree can be made a day ahead of serving and reheated. In springtime, serve the stew and potatoes with broiled asparagus, otherwise carrots are recommended.

6 servings
3 lbs. Beef chuck or 3 1/2 lbs. Shank meat (bones add weight; cook them with the    stew for added flavor)
15 grinds black pepper, additional if needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 heaping cups finely chopped onions
1/2 cup store bought hoisin sauce
2 cups Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon, divided
One 14.5 oz. Can diced tomatoes with herbs with their juice
5 bay leaves
1 lb. Slender carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
Salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot
Horseradish potato puree (recipe follows)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

• Cut the meat into 2 1/2 inch pieces. Season both sides with pepper and set aside.• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook until onions are soft and brown, stirring often. Add the meat. Cook over high heat, turning the pieces; as they brown lightly on all sides, remove them to a plate. (The onions will continue to cook with the meat.) When the browning is complete, return all the meat to the Dutch oven and reduce heat to low.• In a medium bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, 1 cup of the wine, and tomatoes with their juice. Pour over the meat. Add the bay leaves. Cover the Dutch oven and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Add the carrots and cook until the meat and carrots are fork tender, about 2 hours.• Transfer the meat and carrotsto a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Add the remaining wine to the Dutch oven and cook over high heat until the sauce is reduced to 2 _ cups. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dissolve the arrowroot starch in 1 tablespoon starch and add to the sauce. Continue to cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick. Pour over the meat and carrots and stir briefly. Remove the bay leaves and reheat before serving over the Horseradish Potato Puree. Garnish with the parsley.

Horseradish Potato Puree

6 servings
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled (if large, cut in half)
 teaspoons salt plus additional as needed
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 large clove garlic
1/4 cup prepared white horseradish
2 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground white pepper

• Put the potatoes in a medium pot with cover. Add the salt and water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and partially cover. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 40 minutes.

• Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Push the garlic through a garlic press and add to the milk. Bring just to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Drain the potatoes, reserving a few tablespoons of cooking water. Put the potatoes in a large bowl and, using a potato masher (or a ricer), mash thoroughly. Add the hot milk and horseradish, mashing until the potatoes are creamy. Cut the butter into pieces and stir into the potatoes. Add some of the cooking water if necessary. Add salt and white pepper to taste as desired. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Suggested beverage:
Use the same wine called for in the cooking – a Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon.
We recommend Fall Creek, Spicewood, and Becker Vineyards.

GOLD STANDARD MEATLOAF

A recipe by Mary Jayne Bender Perez

For this recipe grass-raised, grass-finished beef is perfect. It is extremely lean and flavorful.  Meatloaf is one of those comfort foods often associated with childhood, especially if one has or had the good fortune of having a mother or father who liked to cook. My mother’s meatloaf has become the gold standard against which I judge all others, usually disappointingly.  It has a small dedicated following who always hope there will be leftovers so that meatloaf sandwiches can be made the next day. I hope you will try it and enjoy it.

6  servings
2 1/2 - 3 lbs. ground chuck or ground sirloin meat
1/2 green bell pepper – de-seeded and chopped
1 medium size onion ---chopped
1 _  slices white bread, crumbled (or one medium grated potato)
1 large egg
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup tomato ketchup

Mix all ingredients above with hands and shape into loaf. Put loaf on a rack in a roasting pan.  Spread tomato ketchup, about 1 cup, over top of loaf . Cover the pan and bake at 325  F in oven for 1 _  to 2  hours. Let rest  for 15 minutes and serve.My sister sometimes substitutes grated potato for the bread. This is simple, easy, and very good.  Enjoy.

ASIAN STEAK NORA WITH SHAVED FENNEL SALAD

A recipe by Dame Nora Pouillon
(from Cooking with Les Dames D’Escoffier, 2008, published by  Sasquatch Books)

For this recipe grass-raised, grass-finished beef is perfect. It is extremely lean and flavorful. Although a bit tougher, it is this very quality that makes it the ideal candidate for marinating. The ginger in the marinade helps with digestion as well as assisting to break down the fibers of the meat.

4  servings
2 tablespoons tamari or regular soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass, lime leaves, or cilantro
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
3-inch piece of gingerroot, peeled and minced
2 lbs. New York strip steaks (about 4 @ 8 oz. Each) or 2 pounds of round or chuck steak
Shaved Fennel Salad

• Make the marinade by combining the tamari, garlic, oil, lemongrass, onion, mustard, and gingerroot in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend. Place the steaks in a non-reactive dish and pour the marinade over them. Marinate for at least 3 hours and no loger than 12 hours, as the meat will become dry and salty.• Preheat the grill or broiler. Grill or broil the steaks on each side until medium rare, about 4 minutes, or until desired doneness. To serve, cut the steaks across the grain into thin slices and place on serving plates with the Shaved Fennel Salad.

Shaved Fennel Salad

4 to 6 Servings
1 lemon, zested (remove zest in long strips with zester or use vegetable peeler, then julienne) and squeezed for 1 teaspoon juice
Heaping 1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/8  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium (about 2 lbs.) fennel bulbs
1/4 cup diced and seeded tomatoes or red bell pepper (optional)

• In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice, parsley, chives, water, oil, salt, and pepper. Remove any brown outer leaves of the fennel, as well as the cores and fronds. Slice the fennel very thinly across the grain and add to the lemon mixture as it is sliced. Toss well to coat the fennel. Leave to marinate for approximately 15 minutes, allowing the fennel to soften slightly and absorb the flavors. Add the tomatoes and serve at room temperature.