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Last month I did a few chicken recipes and they seemed to go down very well, so this month I thought I would try meat dishes. One of the many things I like about Spanish butchers is that I can choose my meat and get them to mince it in front of me with no fat content added. Below are a few classics including making your own beef burgers. These are very easy to make and ensures they are healthy and contain no hidden excess salt and additives. Why not try adding in some chilli powder or curry powder to add a little kick to your burgers? Mine are a big hit with adults and children alike and I even bought a plastic burger shaper which helps them keep their shape and look like ones from the shop, but thicker.
Buen Apetito
Home Made Beef Burgers
500g minced beef
1 large onion
100g bread crumbs
1 egg
Mixed herbs
Worcester sauce (to taste)
Tomato sauce (to taste)
Beef stock cube
Mustard powder
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Chop onions and frying until golden. In a large bowl mix together bread crumbs, mince and cooked onions. Add salt and pepper, mixed herbs and tomato sauce, Worcester sauce and mustard powder. Add the stock cube by sprinkling and mix in well. Finally add the egg to blend and then make the mixture into burger shapes. Fry in Olive oil for about five minutes each side on a medium heat.
Spaghetti Bolognese
450g ripe tomatoes (or tinned)
25g olive oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 stick of celery
1 large carrot
225g minced beef
150ml dry red wine
150ml beef stock
450g spaghetti
1 tbsp tomato purée
Salt & pepper
Plunge tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water for 1 minute, then straight into a bowl of cold water. Remove skins and chop roughly. Chop and fry the onions until golden brown then add mince and fry until brown. Crush garlic and chop celery and carrot and add to frying pan. Add wine, stock, seasoning, tomato purée and tomatoes and simmer for one hour. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes then drain and serve.
Beef Stew in Red Wine
1.4kg rump or chuck steak
150ml red wine
1 onion – chopped
2 parsnips -chopped
2 carrots – chopped
3 garlic gloves
3 parsley stalks
8 black peppercorns
Thyme
30ml olive oil
150ml beef stock
Cut the beef into chunks and place in a bowl, pour in the wine and add the chopped onion and crushed garlic, thyme, peppercorns and parsley stalks. Leave in the fridge to marinate for 5-6 hours or overnight. Strain and retain the marinate liquid separately. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the beef and onion mixture. Add the chopped carrots and parsnips to the pan and cook for a further ten minutes. Pour in the beef stock and add the wine marinade and bring to the boil. Pour into a casserole dish and cook in an oven at 150º for 2-3 hours checking the liquid does not need topping up with water or stock.
Mince Filled Cabbage Rolls
8 large firm cabbage leaves
Salt and pepper
½ pint of chicken stock
50g white bread
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
500g minced beef
1 egg
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 tbsp tomato purée
Blanch cabbage leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes. Dice bread and soak in half the chicken stock. Peel and chop onion and crush garlic. Mash the bread and mix with all the ingredients. Spread each cabbage leave out flat and place a ball of mixture in each one. Tuck ends in to form a parcel shape and hold together with cocktail sticks. Place in large oven proof dish and cover with remaining stock. Bake on 180º for 45 minutes.
Mince Cobbler
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 carrots
450g minced beef
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp flour
300ml beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Worcester sauce
Scones
225g SR flour
1 tsp dried herbs
50g butter
150ml milk
1 egg
Salt & pepper
Chop and fry onions, carrots and garlic in olive oil. Add mince and fry until brown. Stir in flour, stock, bay leaf and tomato purée. Add seasoning and Worcester sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes and then remove bay leaf.
For the scones, mix flour with the herbs and seasoning. Rub in butter and add milk to make soft dough. Roll out on a flour surface and cut into rounds 1cm thick. Put mince into a shallow oven-proof dish. Arrange scones around the top and glaze scones with egg to help brown. Bake for 15 -20 minutes.
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