Restaurant redo: Steak ranchero with homemade refried beans

I love recreating restaurant meals at home. Especially, quite frankly, when I think there’s 1 or 6 small changes that could make the dish even better in our eyes. This is one of those meals.

Recently, I had a dish called steak ranchero at a Mexican restaurant. It had all the potential in the world, but needed, in my opinion, 1 change: a thicker, higher-quality cut of beef. So, I took matter into my own hands.

Ingredients for steak ranchero

2 strip steaks, about 1 ½ inches thick (I used Certified Angus Beef brand from the butcher's case.)

1 cup hot green salsa (I got mine from a local restaurant, but you can also make your own or use store-bought.)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

Directions for steak ranchero

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Heat an oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Melt butter.

Season steaks with salt and pepper.

Add steaks to skillet and cook 5 minutes per side, or until just seared.

Pour salsa over steaks and transfer to oven.

Cook another 10 minutes or until they reach desired doneness. Pour extra salsa from the skillet over the steaks or serve on the side. Serve with refried beans (recipe follows for homemade, or use store-bought) and flour tortillas.

Ingredients for refried beans

1 pound dried pinto beans

4 ounces salt pork, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

Salt to taste

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

Directions for refried beans

The night before you want to cook your red beans, soak them in water. The next morning, drain and rinse.

Add beans, salt pork, garlic and chili powder to large pot. Cover with water.

Boil about 2 hours over medium heat or until tender.

Beans should always be completely covered with water so if you need to add a little while they cook, do so — but be sure you add hot water.

Add jalapeno, cilantro and salt, and then reduce heat to low and simmer another 30 minutes or even all day.

When you’re ready to refry them, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. 

Melt the butter.

Drain beans, removing broth, salt pork and jalapeno slices.

Add beans to hot skillet and mash with a potato masher until desired consistency. Cook about 3- to 5- minutes. If desired, you can sprinkle them with a little shredded cheese and allow it to melt.

*Red bean recipe courtesy Tom Perini and from “Cooking the Cowboy Way” by Grady Spears. Refrying goodness courtesy of Katrina and Google.

Beef on the road

The Mr. had a conference to attend in San Antonio this week (where he won an award — sweet!) and I decided to take advantage of this whole being-your-own-boss thing and tag along. After all, it’s nice to get a little change of scenery even if you are working all day from the hotel room. I mean, who else wishes someone would make your bed and clean your tub every time you go to lunch?

We did some pretty good eating en route and once we got there. After all, we have to take advantage when we’re some place with more than one restaurant to choose from!

Here are a few of the highlights…

On the (long) way down there, we stopped along the way at a restaurant I’ve been hearing about since high school. Seriously. And you know what? The Beehive Saloon in Albany, Texas, was worth the wait. We got chicken fried steaks on the lunch, which came with some of the best seasoned fries ever, some good dark bread and a trip to the salad bar. I forgot to take a picture, but you can check it out here.  

That night, we went to Hooters. I know, I know. It sounds weird. But Hooters became a tradition for the Mr. and I when we were dating, and we’ve since started a goal to eat at one in every state. We’re at 8 states right now — not bad considering we’ve only known each other 3 years and been married 2. Oh, and fellow beef advocates, you’ll be interested to know I’ve never had chicken there. Who needs to, with such an awesome burger and curly fries?

Wednesday at lunch, I headed to Texas Land and Cattle for one of my favorite dishes I rarely get to have since I don’t live anywhere near one anymore. It’s their smoked sirloin and it’s super peppery and very delicious.

That night, we drove to the south side of town to meet one of the Mr.’s good friends who lives about an hour and a half south of the city for dinner at a LongHorn Steakhouse. I was happy to see flat iron on the menu. Even though it was a little overcooked, it was still quite good.

And even better? The dessert. This Chocolate Stampede was one of the best desserts I have had in a while. And it was so big that 3 of us ate less than half of it!

It was great to eat some good beef on the road, but it’s also great to be home. You know, aside from the lack of housekeeping service…

The Mr.’s favorite fried egg cheeseburger

The “add a fried egg” option seems to be popping up on burger menus all over these days, and it’s something the Mr. almost always takes advantage of when available. So, tonight, I decided to make him a fried egg burger here at home and share it with you.

Here’s what you’ll need to make his favorite version, which features bacon, lots of cheese and an egg over medium:

½ pound 85/15 ground beef, seasoned generously with salt and pepper and formed into a patty

1 Sara Lee Hearty and Delicious sesame seed bun

1 slice American cheese

1 slice Swiss cheese

1 slice Cheddar cheese

2 slices thick-sliced bacon

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter

Miracle whip

Directions:

Preheat griddle to 350 degrees.

Add patty. Cook until seared on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip.

Add cheese slices.

Cook bacon.

Cook hamburger to 160 degrees for medium doneness, which will take about 8- to 10- more minutes after the flip for a thick, half-pound patty.

Let rest for 3- to 5- minutes.

Butter the bun with 1 tablespoon of butter and toast on griddle.

Heat a small skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Swirl the butter around so the pan is completely coated.

Crack egg and open over the pan. Increase heat to medium.

Allow the egg whites to cook until solid around the egg. Flip and cook another 60 seconds or so. Remove from heat.

Add Miracle Whip to inside of bun.

Add patty, then slide egg over the top. Place bacon slices on top and close with top half of bun.

The worst of Pinterest: Part 1

A couple of weeks ago, I brought you The best of Pinterest: Part 1. It was filled with Oreos and other goodness and hopefully gave you a few yummy or crafty ideas. But I can't forget the epic fails, so that's what this post is about. My only regret is that I never photographed the disasters. I guess you'll just have to take my word and not attempt these at home.

The pin:

The claim: Use spray paint and a stencil to make a monogram outdoor mat. 

The result: Terrible. I'm pretty handy with a can of spray paint, so maybe I bought the wrong kind of mat (though it looked just like this one to me). But, it ran and just generally looked weird. Also, for the price of a plain mat, stencil and spray paint, you can pretty much buy any "finished" mat you'd like.

The pin:

The claim: Refreshing, easy-to-make, 105-calorie watermelon margaritas.

The result: Technically, they didn't lie. They are easy to prepare and only contain 105 calories. What they don't tell you is the serving size is quite small (thank of it more as a large shot than a drink) and they taste terrible. I was really disappointed, too, because On The Border's watermelon margs are one of my favorite things on the planet.

The last pin I'll discuss today was so bad I immediately removed it from my board, in hopes none of my followers would make the same mistake I did. Now, I can't find it anywhere. (Maybe everyone else did the same thing after making it.) It was for Texas Roadhouse cinnamon honey butter. The pic featured a frame photo of a couple next to a jar of the stuff. Well, you might think you can't mess anything up that contains honey, cinnamon and butter, but with the random amounts given in this pin, you could. I'll go back to just making my own by winging it, or else buying the Land o Lakes stuff.

Beef and apples: Perfect together for fall

(Note: this post was almost titled “How about them apples?” but then I remembered it wasn’t 1997. I’m a little ahead of Uncle Si on my catchphrase expiration knowledge. Speaking of which, who else is super excited about the return of Duck Dynasty tonight? But, I digress…)

One of the perks of my jobs is getting cool emails in my inbox like the one I received this morning from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Amidst news on the South Korean market and producers profiles was a feature called Ingredient of the Month: Apples, which I knew immediately I needed to share with you all.

So, if you love apples and want to whip up some fallish beef dishes, why not try one of these?

Beef Brisket With Savory Sautéed Apples

Autumn Beef and Cider Stew

Pot Roast with Cider-Maple Gravy and Mashed Butternut Squash

                                

The best of Pinterest: Part 1

I’m not usually one to completely rip-off someone else’s idea, but when I complimented fellow blogger and social media friend Crystal Blin of Crystal Cattle on her recent Pinterest recipe review post, she told me I just had to do one of my own. So, it’s with complete permission that I present my own list. This post, focusing on the good times, is just part 1. Be sure to stay tuned for my Pinterest disasters coming up next…

Bake some vanilla extract for a yummy-smelling house.

The pin: Put two caps full of vanilla extract in a coffee cup, then place it in the oven at 300 degrees for one hour. Within 20 minutes the whole house smells like Heaven. It's actually a common Realtor trick.

Repinned from: My first friend. Like, ever. Her name is Lane and though we haven’t seen each other in probably 25 years (despite unknowingly attending the same college), we’re social media buddies and I’m forever grateful she found this gem. Because let me tell you — it works!

Result: The whole house (OK, so my house isn’t that big) smells completely delicious for hours. Also great at absorbing cooking odors.

Turn cheap frames into versatile displays that are easy to switch out.

The pin: http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/07/revamping-my-picture-wall.html

Repinned from: The website

Result: Awesome gifts on the cheap. Here’s what mine looked like:

Cookies ‘n Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies

The pin: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/cookies-n-cream-oreo-fudge-brownies.html

Repinned from: Deliciousness

Result: Um, perfection. Super easy, too. Probably my favorite Pinterest-inspired dessert yet, and I’ve tried a lot.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake

(Can you tell we like Oreos?)

The pin: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/06/22/cookies-and-cream-ice-cream-cake/

Repinned from: Someone random

Result: Amazing. I did make a couple of adjustments — I used store-bought ice cream, for one. (After all, this cake is already a 2-day process. Who has time to churn up some homemade ice cream?) Also, I used Oreo Ultimate Chocolate Creme icing instead of hot fudge to decorate it. It looked like this:

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

The pin: http://schnauzerandstrudel.blogspot.ca/2011/03/texas-sheet-cake-cupcakes.html

Repinned from: Someone random

Result: I actually just made these for the first time tonight, but I’m already a fan. I’m also sure why I never thought of this before. I mean, I love sheet cake and I love cupcakes…seems like a no-brainer. I will say don’t skim over that part where it warns you to not overfill them. These people know what they’re talking about and I might have gotten a little chocolate on my hands. And shirt. And face.

WebLove: What your favorite steak says about you

Ever wonder what your favorite cut says about you? The people at Omaha Steaks did, and they found out. While this is a pretty unscientific survey, I have to say I definitely see some accuracies in myself and some of those closest to me!

Courtesy of FoxNews.com


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