Category: Meat

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat

Kreatopita (Greek phyllo meat pie)

BelindaLeave a comment

Kreatopita is one of Greece’s most beloved savory pies. Tender, juicy meat simmered with onions, herbs and warm spices, wrapped in layers of golden, crispy phyllo dough.
Perfect for family gatherings, parties or mezze tables and can be doubled or trebled easily. You can also make this the day before, then bring to room temperature before baking. If you treble the recipe for 12+ (as I did) you will need 2 boxes of phyllo dough and a 17″ x 13″ sheet pan.

For the Meat Filling
1lb (500g) lean ground beef or lamb (or a mix)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely grated (optional for sweetness)
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ cup crushed tomatoes (optional but recommended)
¼ cup white wine (optional but authentic)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground allspice (optional but very Greek)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp breadcrumbs (to absorb juices)
For the Phyllo Layers
10–12 sheets phyllo
120g melted butter or olive oil (traditional: mix both)

Make the Meat Filling
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add onions and cook until soft and golden.
Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook until browned, breaking it apart.
Stir in tomato paste, shredded carrot, crushed tomatoes, and wine; simmer 5 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, oregano, allspice, and parsley.
Cook until thick and not watery.
Stir in the breadcrumbs, mix well, and let cool completely.

Tip: The filling should be juicy but not runny — this keeps the phyllo crispy.

Assemble the Kreatopita
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Brush a baking dish with the melted butter/oil mixture.
Layer 6 phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter.
Spread the cooled meat filling evenly.
Cover with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each layer.
Tuck in the edges neatly.
Score the top lightly with a knife.
Bake
Bake 45–55 minutes, until deep golden, crisp, and flaky.
Let rest 10 minutes before cutting — this helps the slices

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Meat

Lamb Stew With Rosemary and Olives

Belinda

Recipe from David Tanis

This warming lamb stew is good any time of year, but especially great in winter. Best of all, it can be prepared well in advance, even a day before serving, and reheats beautifully. You can ask a butcher to cut the lamb shoulder into cubes; there will be less waste, but avoid precut lamb stew meat, which is made from leg and often too lean.

Serves 4-6

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, more if needed
1 large onion, diced
3lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus a sprig for the pot
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Large pinch of crushed red pepper
Pinch of cayenne powder
½ cup dry red or white wine
5 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
6 medium carrots, peeled, in 3-inch chunks
¾ cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, halved lengthwise
½ cup roughly chopped parsley

Put olive oil in a Dutch oven or wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, season lamb chunks generously with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with crushed fennel. Add more oil to the pot and lightly brown lamb over medium-high heat, working in batches, about 10 minutes total. Don’t crowd the pot or the meat will steam, not sear. Return all meat to the pot, sprinkle flour over and stir well to coat.

Add browned onion, tomato paste, all the rosemary, garlic, red pepper and cayenne, and stir to combine well. Add wine and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a brisk simmer, cover pot with lid ajar and cook for 30 minutes. Add carrots and olives, and cook for 30 minutes more, or until lamb is fork-tender. Turn off heat. Skim fat from surface, then let stew rest for an hour at room temperature or refrigerate overnight.

To serve, reheat stew. Taste broth and adjust seasoning. Stir in parsley, then spoon into wide shallow bowls or rimmed dinner plates.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat

Apple cider braised pork

Belinda

4-5 lb pork shoulder roast or boston butt roast*
2 tbsp neutral oil
2 cups fresh apple cider* (not apple cider vinegar)
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 large onion, chopped small
1 head of garlic, top sliced off opposite of the root end
3 rosemary sprigs
4 thyme sprigs
1 red onion, cut into thick slices
2 firm and slightly tart apples*, peeled and cut into wedges
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat an oven to 325 F.
Start by trimming the pork of excess fat, if there are large fat caps. Cut the pork into 4 large pieces, or leave it whole if it’s bone-in.
Pat the pork pieces dry with a paper towel and season liberally all over with kosher salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, arrange the pork in a single layer. Sear for 4-5 minutes per side until the pork is deeply browned. Repeat on all sides. Depending on the size of your dutch oven, you may need to do this in batches.

While the pork is searing, whisk together the cider, stock or broth, dijon and chopped onion together and set aside. Use kitchen twine to tie the rosemary and thyme together in a small bundle.
Once the pork is browned all over, pour in the braising liquid. Arrange the herbs and garlic head in the pot with the pork, cover and place in the oven.

Braise for 3 hours or so (start checking at 2 and a half hours for boneless), flipping the pork halfway through. Once the pork is just shy of fork tender, remove the pork from the oven and arrange the red onion slices and apples around the pork. Cover and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes. The pork should be very tender at this point.

Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest in the braising liquid for 30 minutes before serving. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the husk into the broth or onto the pork. Season braising liquid to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the juices spooned over the pork, apples, and onions.

Notes
*If you notice that your pork is especially fatty, consider trimming some excess fat before searing.
* the best apples are firm, slightly-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, etc. I do not recommend using granny smith, red or golden delicious apples as they tend to fall apart.
Please know that apple cider is NOT the same as apple cider vinegar–do not use vinegar in place of apple cider for this recipe. Apple cider is unfiltered, unpasteurized pressed apple juice that is typically available in the fall and winter months.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat · Rice

Ginger lime pork

Belinda

This recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and is bursting with savory, sweet, fresh flavors. Serve with brown or white rice.

1 tbsp olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sriracha, or more/less to taste
fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
toppings: chopped peanuts, extra lime wedges, chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil)

While the rice is cooking, heat the oil over high heat in a large sauté pan.
Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, ginger and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the pork and use a wooden spoon to stir and break it up as it cooks.

Add the sauce. Once the pork is no longer pink, add in the brown sugar, lime juice, sriracha and stir until evenly combined. Let the pork continue to cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes or until it caramelizes on the bottom. Stir, then let the pork cook undisturbed for 1-2 more minutes or until it caramelizes on the bottom.

Taste and season with salt and pepper and/or extra sriracha as needed.
Serve warm over rice, garnished with your desired toppings. Enjoy!

Meat · Pasta

Italian Sausage Zucchini Orzo

Belinda

This Italian Sausage Zucchini Orzo recipe is easy to make in one pot with a zesty tomato-basil sauce.

1lb Italian sausage (spicy, mild or sweet)
1 medium onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce
1 ½ cups beef or chicken stock
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
4oz (about 2 large handfuls) fresh baby spinach
Fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Cook the sausage and veggies.
Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the sausagemeat and cook until browned, using a wooden spoon to break up and stir the sausage occasionally as it cooks.
Stir in the onion, zucchini, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and continue cooking for 5 to 6 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened.
Simmer.
Add the orzo, tomato sauce, beef (or chicken) stock and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer, stirring the pasta frequently so that it does not stick and burn on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low or whatever temperature is needed to maintain a low simmer. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the orzo is al dente.
The sauce will become fairly thick, but if you believe it needs more liquid, just add in more stock as needed to finish cooking the pasta.
Add the final ingredients. Stir in the heavy cream, basil, Parmesan and baby spinach until the spinach begins to wilt.
Season. Taste and season with salt, pepper and/or additional basil if needed.
Serve warm, garnished with lots of freshly-grated Parmesan, and enjoy!

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Meat

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with fig and pistachio salsa

Belinda

This is a sensational recipe from The OTK, Extra Good things  (Ottolenghi Test Kitchen) series.
It is great for a special occasion and most of the work is at the beginning then you just leave it to slow-roast for 4.5 hours.
Marinate the lamb overnight and make the salsa an hour or so before serving.
Also, serve it with this wonderful Armenian yoghurt cucumber and dill salad. It’s the perfect accompaniment!

Jajukh (Armenian cucumber yoghurt salad)

Cook time – 6 hours
Serves 6 – 8

4 big onions, peeled, 1 roughly chopped and the other 3 each cut into 6 wedges
8 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1oz fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
3/4 cup dill, roughly chopped
3/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4.5-5lb lamb shoulder, bone in
5 cinnamon sticks
15 cardamom pods, roughly bashed open with a pestle and mortar
6oz soft dried figs, quartered
3 1/4 cups chicken or lamb stock
salt and black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges to serve

FIG AND PISTACHIO SALSA
4oz soft dried figs, chopped into 1/2″ dice
2/3 cup pistachios, very lightly toasted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dill, leaves picked
1/2 cup parsley, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Put the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, spices and herbs into a food processor and blitz until finely minced. Add the oil, vinegar, 1¾ teaspoons of salt and a generous grind of pepper and blitz into a coarse paste.

Pat dry the lamb and pierce the flesh all over using a small, sharp knife (about 10–12 times). Coat the lamb well with all the paste. Leave it to marinate, refrigerated overnight.

Put the onion wedges, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and figs into a large, ovenproof cast-iron saucepan (28cm in diameter) for which you have a lid. Alternatively, use a large, high-sided roasting tin and some foil to cover.
Top with the lamb, fatty side up, then pour the chicken/lamb stock into the pan (but not over the lamb) and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Lower the heat to 325F, baste the lamb with the juices, then cover with the lid or foil and roast for 4½ hours, basting 3–4 times throughout.
The lamb should be quite tender at this point. Turn the heat back up to 400F.
Remove the lid (or foil) and cook for 30 minutes more, or until the lamb is well browned and the sauce has reduced slightly. Check it at the 20-minute mark.
Gently remove the lamb, leaving it to rest on a baking tray. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a large, shallow platter or dish that has a slight lip and top with the lamb.

Make the fig and pistachio salsa.
Combine the chopped figs with the pistachios, lemon juice and the herbs. Spoon this all over the lamb and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.

Dairy-free · Holiday Food · Meat

Garlic-Braised Pork Shoulder

Belinda

Adapted from a recipe by Ali Slagle

Cooking time 3 ¾ hours

This beginner-friendly, hands-off braise is for anyone seeking fall-apart pork and lots of savory sauce. After browning whole heads of garlic and the pork, the two braise with water or pork stock until the pork is shreddable, the garlic is buttery and the surrounding liquid is as flavorful as can be. Some braises are loaded with many aromatics, but this one zeroes in on caramelized garlic, a heavy hitter that can singlehandedly season a dish. Slice or shred the meat and serve with the pureed braising liquid ( minus the herbs), mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower and leek (I love this)tortillas, or bread for dunking.

Serves 4-6

3½ – 4lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than ¼-inch fat
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
4 cups pork stock made with 4 cups boiling water and 1 pork stock cube, crumbled and dissolved into the boiling water.
3-4 heads garlic, tops removed leaving 2/3 of the garlic
Good-sized bundles fresh rosemary, sage, oregano or thyme tied with butchers string. (I used thyme and rosemary)

Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Season the pork all over with salt and pepper (about 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons fine sea salt). You can season the pork up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate until using.

Step 2
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, cut-sides down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic, turn up to medium-high heat then add the pork shoulder and cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3
Add 4 cups of broth, the garlic and the herbs.
Bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven, turning the pork every 30 minutes or so until the pork falls apart when prodded with a fork, 2½ to 3 hours.

Step 4
Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and rest for about 15 minutes (the pork, that is!).
Use tongs to squeeze the garlic halves until the cloves pop out into the braising liquid. Discard the garlic peels and herb sprigs. As the braising liquid sits, a fat cap will appear: Use a spoon to skim off most of it. Season the liquid to taste with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce so it becomes smooth and very creamy.

Step 5
Slice the pork against the grain into ½-inch-thick slices, or shred the pork with two forks.
Serve with the sauce in a little bowl beside the pork, or dribble some over the sliced meat to keep moist

Do-ahead · Meat

Mexican Tortilla Pie

Belinda

This is one of my favorite family recipes and my kids always adored it.
It’s really easy to make, looks very impressive with all the layers, tastes divine and serves like a cake!
To be honest there is no limit to how many layers you can have and everything sticks well together with the cheese so it’s worth playing around with this recipe.

Screen Shot 2020-07-23 at 12.43.21 PM

Serves 4

2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 1/2lb lean ground beef
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 oz package taco seasoning mix (El Paso or Lawry’s)
1 1/2 – 2 cans (14oz) refried beans
8 flour tortillas
3 heaped cups grated sharp cheddar
1 good bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
16 oz jar salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 avocados diced

Preheat the oven to 350F
Grease a deep 9″round loose-bottom cake tin
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the ground beef and cook for 5 mins or until brown, breaking up the lumps with the back of a spoon.
Drain off the excess oil.
Add the seasoning packet and crushed garlic and cook for a further 5 mins until heated through.

Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the cake tin then spread 1/3 cup of refried beans on the bottom, then 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on top. Top with some chopped cilantro then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese and 1 tbsp salsa.
Continue layering with the remaining tortillas, refried beans, ground beef, cilantro, cheese and salsa, ending with a tortilla sprinkled with cheese- it should end up looking like a dome shape.

Bake for 20 – 30 mins or until the cheese is melted and browned.
Cool slightly in the tin, then turn out onto a plate and cut into wedges. Top with a dollop of sour cream and the diced avocado.

** To be honest, after making this so many times, I use far more of each ingredient than the recipe asks for and really go to town, adding crushed garlic to the ground beef and black beans or corn.
The cheese is the glue and who doesn’t love lots of cheese so go for it!

Do-ahead · Meat · Pasta

Sheetpan layerless lasagna

Belinda

Recipe from Giada de Laurentis

Lovers of crispy lasagna edges, this one’s for you! This spin on the classic dish isn’t only easier (no tedious layering required) but it ensures more perfectly crisp bites all throughout. Broken up lasagna pieces, or taccole pasta, make it feel more layered than your average baked pasta.
Feel free to assemble this ahead of time and refrigerate until it’s time to serve – then pop it in the oven when it’s time to eat.

Serves 6
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
1lb taccole pasta or lasagne pasta broken into 2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (5- oz) container baby spinach
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 red onion, diced
4 cups jarred marinara sauce (Rao is the best one)
2 1/2 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella, divided
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Oil a straight sided 12 x 17-inch baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil along with the garlic and pepper flakes to the hot pan. Cook, stirring often until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and the salt and cook, stirring often, until the spinach is almost completely wilted, another minute. Remove the spinach mixture to a strainer and press firmly to remove any excess liquid. Place the spinach in a medium bowl. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, slice up the spinach into chopped pieces. Add the ricotta cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using a paper towel, wipe out the skillet and bring it back to medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan along with the sausage and cook, undisturbed until the sausage is beginning to brown on the first side, about 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break apart the sausage into bite sized pieces.
Continue to cook, stirring often and breaking apart as needed, until the sausage is lightly browned, another 5 minutes. Add the onion to the pan and cook until the onion is fragrant and beginning to soften, another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Be sure it is a large enough pan to allow the pasta to swim freely. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes stirring often to avoid clumping. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, add the marinara to the pan with the sausage and onion and mix well. Add the pasta water, pasta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the same pan and stir to combine.
Spread the entire mixture on the prepared 12 x 17-inch baking sheet.
Dollop the pasta with the ricotta-spinach mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup parmesan cheeses.
Bake until the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbly, and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Meat · Pasta · Vegan

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles With Pork and Scallions

Belinda

Recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine

With chewy noodles, well-browned ground pork, and crunchy cabbage, this take on yaki udon (stir-fried udon noodles) gets its flavor from an umami-rich punch of soy sauce and mirin, a sweet Japanese rice wine. (You might recognize the combination from teriyaki recipes.) It also has green onions for a fresh bite and a drizzle of sesame oil for nutty depth. You can easily make it vegetarian: Simply omit the pork and sub in 8 oz. shiitake or crimini mushrooms instead.

If you don’t have mirin in your pantry already, it’s easily found in many larger grocery stores, East Asian markets, and online. Some brands may be labeled “aji-mirin.” This common product is an imitation of true mirin (the name translates to “tastes like mirin”). Whatever you find will be delicious in this recipe, but if you spot hon-mirin (a.k.a. true mirin, which is quite a bit more expensive) it makes the dish even more special.

This is a weeknight-ready, quick-fire udon noodle recipe, so prepping your ingredients before you start cooking is a smart move. See the step-by-step instructions here.

Serves 4

2 tbsp avocado or vegetable oil, divided
4 cups very coarsely chopped green cabbage (from about ¼ medium head)
2 7-oz packages instant udon noodles, flavor packets discarded
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
8 oz ground pork
5 scallions, white and pale-green parts coarsely chopped, dark-green parts thinly sliced
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch knob)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
⅓ cup mirin
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

Step 1

Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add cabbage and cook, tossing often, until edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, tossing often, until thickest parts of cabbage leaves are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set skillet aside.

Step 2

Place udon in a large heatproof bowl (or pot if you don’t have one) and cover with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, stirring to break up noodles, then drain in a colander. Transfer noodles back to bowl and toss with sesame oil. Transfer cabbage to bowl with noodles. Wipe out skillet.

Step 3

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in same skillet over medium-high and add pork, breaking up and spreading across surface of pan with a spatula or tongs. Cook pork, undisturbed, until underside is brown, about 3 minutes. The pork will never brown if you’re fussing with it the whole time, so when we say “undisturbed,” that means keep your paws off it and let the heat of the pan and the pork do their thing. When pork is browned, break up meat into small bits. Cook, tossing, just until there’s no more pink, about 1 minute.
Add chopped scallions (the pale parts), ginger, and red pepper. Continue to cook, tossing often, until scallions are softened and bottom of skillet has started to brown, about 1 minute. Add udon mixture, mirin, and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are coated in sauce (be sure to scrape bottom of skillet to dissolve any browned bits), about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and fold in 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds and dark-green parts of scallions.
Top with more sesame seeds before serving.