Braised Spare Ribs

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces peanut oil
• 3 pounds spare ribs, cut into bones
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 ounces tomato puree
• 2 ounces red wine vinegar
• 3 cups beef stock

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Season flour with salt and pepper and dust ribs with it. Knock off any remaining flour and heat up oil. Brown ribs in oil and set aside.

Saute, over low heat, the onions and garlic until translucent. Add spices and stir. Add the puree, red wine vinegar, and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Place ribs in braising pan and cover with the seasoned beef stock stock. Cover with foil. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until ribs are tender.

Meatball Pizza with Sauteed Onions

Ingredients:
Store-bought pizza dough
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, 1/2 sliced, 1/2 chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pizza dough in half. Roll out each half into 1/4-1/2" thick circles. Drizzle olive oil over crust and sprinkle with rosemary. Poke holes all over with a fork and bake for 10 minutes so its cooked partially but not brown.

Meanwhile, drizzle pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat a couple minutes, then add chopped onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then work in tomato sauce and oregano. Remove the meat mixture into a bowl and wipe down the pan. Drizzle pan with olive oil again and saute sliced onions till slightly caramelized. Spread thin layer of tomato sauce over crust, top with meat mixture and then sauteed onions. Bake for 10-12 minutes till crust is completely cooked.

Filet Mignon with Shallot Balsamic Sauce

So easy and delicious, you'll never want to pay $50 at the steakhouse again!
Ingredients:
2 Filet Mignon steaks
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 shallot, sliced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey

Preheat pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle pan with olive oil and heat through. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Sear steaks in pan for 3-4 minutes per side till cooked medium-rare. (Leave on for a minute or two longer for medium or medium-well). Remove from pan.

Wipe pan clean. Drizzle with more oil and add shallots. Saute till soft and translucent. Add balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cook till vinegar reduces and thickens slightly. Add honey and whisk in. Drizzle sauce of steaks. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Skirt Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (1 3/4 to 2-pound) skirt steak
Flour tortillas
Spring mix lettuce
Avocado, thinly sliced

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic and shallots. Pulse until well blended but do not puree. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the crushed red pepper and pulse to combine. Remove 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce from the processor and transfer to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and reserve at room temperature for up to 6 hours.

Season both sides of the steak with the remaining salt and pepper. Transfer to large, resealable plastic food storage bag. Add the remaining chimichurri sauce from the processor. Seal bag and refrigerate the steak for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. Once the steak has finished marinating, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Wipe the excess sauce from the steak and set the steak over the hot grill. Cook for 6 minutes on the first side. Rotate the steak 90 degrees, and cook another 6 minutes. Turn the steak over and continue to cook until the steak is done, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Once cooked, lay the steak on a clean cutting board, and allow it to rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing across the grain into strips.

Assemble tortillas: Take one flour tortilla. Fill with a bed of lettuce, avocado, slices of steak and top with chimichurri sauce.

Lamb Patties Braised with Eggplant, Peppers & Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 1/4 lb ground lamb
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1" cubes
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
coarse kosher salt
1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2" wide strips
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/3 cup dry white wine
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained

Combine breadcrumbs, lamb, egg, mint, salt and pepper. Shape into 12 oval patties about3/4" thick. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggplant and 4 Tbsp oil in bowl to coat. Spread eggplant on baking sheet, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and bake 12 minutes. Turn eggplant over and bake until soft, about 12 minutes longer.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb patties and saute until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and add peppers to skillet. Saute until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Transfer peppers to plate with lamb.

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 Tbsp olive oil and chopped onion. Cover and cook until onion is soft, stirring occassionally about 5 minutes. Add wine and garlic. Cook until wine is reduced to glaze, about 7 minutes. Return lamb and pepper to skillet. Add eggplant and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until lamb is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice or couscous.