Category: Beef and Lamb

Coconut Curry Beef Meatballs

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Here’s your new favorite curry recipe. Adapted from Bon Appetit, these curried meatballs can be made well ahead of time and reheated and served with rice, yogurt, and pickles for a perfect meal. Don’t want to use beef? Substitute with lamb. Just don’t skimp on the alliums and spices.

Ingredients:
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
  • 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek, Indian, or Iranian yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
  • 1 13-ounce can coconut milk
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice and lime wedges, for serving
  1. Puree onion, garlic, ginger, chile, and yogurt in a blender until smooth. Transfer 1/4 cup onion puree to a large bowl. Add curry powder, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to remaining puree in blender and blend to combine; set aside. Add ground beef, panko, pepper, baking soda, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 water to 1/4 cup puree in bowl; mix vigorously with your hands until smooth and meat is beginning to stick to sides of bowl. Wet your hands and roll beef mixture into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs (you should have about 20).
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half of meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total (meatballs will still be raw in the center); transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs and oil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium; add reserved onion puree to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until puree thickens and beads of oil form on the surface, about 6 minutes. Add coconut milk and ½ cup water; stir to combine. Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until meatballs are cooked through about 10 minutes.
  4. Transfer curry to a serving bowl; top with green onions. Serve with rice and lime wedges.

Classic Ragu with Pasta

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Everyone needs a good ragu recipe in their back pocket, and this one is it. Cook a big batch slow and low, freeze it, and warm it up when the weather is chilly and you’re craving something super satisfying. Easy.

Ingredients:
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 28-ounce can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 pound spaghetti, fettuccine, or similar
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
  1. Prepare the meat: place the milk, 2 tablespoons olive oil, fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and a pinch of black pepper into a large bowl and stir. Add the beef and gently massage the marinade into the meat with your hands. Let the meat stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour while you prepare the sauce.
  2. Make the sauce: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
  3. Add the meat to the pot, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the meat is browned.
  4. Add the wine and cook for another 10 minutes, until the wine is reduced by half. Pour in the tomatoes and juice, breaking up the tomatoes with your hands before the go into the pot. Add a pinch of black pepper and let the sauce simmer, partially covered, over low heat, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the water to the sauce to finish cooking, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and gently toss. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Meatballs with Sour Cream Sauce

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I know “sour cream sauce” doesn’t exactly sound appetizing, but hear me out. These tender meatballs are simmered with herbs, cream of mushroom, and sour cream, resulting in a super savory sauce sauce. Serve this atop a pile of egg noodles for the ultimate cold-weather comfort meal.

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon grated onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 can (10 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 12 ounces egg noodles, like pappardelle, cooked
  1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Let soak for 5 minutes.
  2. In another bowl, combine chicken, beef, egg, onion, parsley, salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper. Add soaked bread crumbs and mix lightly but thoroughly.
  3. With wet hands, shape meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Brown meatballs in batches. Place meatballs on a greased baking pan. Bake until cooked through, 30-35 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon in boiling water. In a large saucepan, combine cream of mushroom soup, bouillon mixture, and soy sauce until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and serve with meatballs and cooked noodles.

Spicy Beef and Kimchi with Noodles

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We’re on what feels like the hundredth straight day of rain here in the Bay Area, but at least it’s noodle soup season. Anthony Bourdain infamously said “Anytime I’m eating spicy noodles in a bowl, I’m happy,” and I’m not sure I’ve ever disagreed with him.

This hearty soup is packed with kimchi and aromatics, and the end result is a brothy bowl of warming, chewy noodles. Try to seek out fresh noodles for this recipe, as it makes a big difference.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh noodles, preferably Korean-style wheat noodles
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil
  • 8 ounces ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups drained ripe kimchi, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  1. Heat avocado oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread meat out and cook, undisturbed, until a light crust forms underneath, about 2 minutes. Using a wooden spoon break up meat and continue to cook, stirring and breaking meat up, until brown all of the way through, about 2 minutes more. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in kimchi along with any juices, then add the gochujang. Pour in 6-7 cups cold water (depending on how brothy you want your noodles) and stir well. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot partially with a lid, and simmer, decreasing heat to low if needed, until kimchi is softened, 15–20 minutes. (If soup has reduced too much, add up to another 1 cup water and return to a simmer over medium-low heat.)
  2. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
  3. Unravel and gently add noodles into the simmering soup, and cook according to package instructions, stirring occasionally, until cooked through (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat; drizzle in sesame oil and stir in 3/4 of the green onions.
  4. Ladle soup into bowls and top with remaining green onions.

Bulgogi Japchae

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What’s better than bulgogi or japchae? Bulgogi and japchae at the same time, of course. I’ve published a similar japchae recipe here before, but this one is different in that the seasonings are more like bulgogi and there’s the addition of spinach. Try both versions out and see which one your prefer.

Ingredients:

For the japchae:

  • Scant 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 bunch spinach
  • 8 ounces Korean sweet potato noodles
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 carrot, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
  • 1/2 to 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 3 green onions (green parts only), chopped into 3-inch pieces
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 to 6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

For the bulgogi:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound ribeye or sirloin steak, very thinly sliced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  1. Make the bulgogi: in a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, honey, and garlic. Add the beef, onion, and sesame seeds and stir until all the beef is coated. Cover the bowl and marinate, refrigerated, 1 to 5 hours.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, then add half of the meat and onion mixture and cook, stirring occassionally, until the meat is cooked through and the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and meat and onion mixture. Set aside.
  3. Make the japchae: in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil to blend. Set aside.
  4. Fill a medium bowl with an ice bath. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the spinach to the boiling water, let cook for 15 seconds, then transfer the spinach to the ice water. (Keep the boiling water in the pot.) Let the spinach cool, then drain. Squeeze the excess water out of the spinach, roughly chop the spinach, and set aside.
  5. Add the sweet potato noodles to the boiling water and cook until soft, about 5 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  6. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil, then the carrot, bell pepper, green onion, yellow onion, mushrooms, and garlic, and stir to mix. Stir-fry until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and noodles and stir for about a minute, then add the soy sauce mixture and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients. Add the bulgogi and mix again until the meat is distributed. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Japchae can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated.)