Filet Mignon w/ Horseradish Cream Sauce

This dinner is super easy. Hardest part will probably be cleaning and prepping the meat. If you don't feel all that adventurous you can buy pre-prepped filet's.  But the whole beef tenderloin was on sale for $6.99/lb- that is a great deal. I was able to get 5 thick small medallion sized steaks, plus left overs that I froze and will deal with another time (fajitas maybe?).

And mashed potatoes and a roasted veggie of your choice makes this a super easy (and pretty quick cooking) meal.  I would have loved asparagus, but they didn't look good at the store and I didn't want buy a sub par veggie with such a high cut of meat.

Here is a great video for how to Trim Beef Tenderloin. But obviously instead of tying and roasting, we will cut little steaks of equal size and tie to help keep their shape when cooking.

Then I put back into the fridge for a couple hours (you don't have to put in for that long, maybe just an hour or so).  Then before cooking you want to pull the meat out of the fridge and let come to room temp before cooking.  

When the meat is ready I heated my cast iron skillet with a little canola oil.  All I seasoned the meat with was salt and pepper. I cooked these (because they are so small) about 5 minutes on each side (not even that long) for medium.  

ALWAYS let the meat rest.  When the meat is resting it will continue to cook because of the carry-over cooking time, so don't be afraid to pull them out of the pan early. You can always heat them up a little more in the oven if too rare for you-but once they are over cooked, they are ruined.

Let rest five minutes. Meanwhile make your sauce.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

For every 1/2 cup of fat free plain yogurt I used about 2-3 tbsp of horseradish.  We like it spicy. Then just a pinch of salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper. I also added a couple scallion bits.  Done!

Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli

Mashed potatoes: I used about 10-15 small russet potatoes. Peel, (I also like to cut mine into small chucks for quicker cooking time) put in a pot, and cover in cold water.  I added 5 smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper to the water.  Bring to a boil and boil until the potatoes are soft and a fork goes in and out of them cleanly.  

Drain, return to the pot and then you can pick out the garlic cloves if you desire.  Add 2 huge tablespoons of butter and about 1-2 cups of milk, then mash away! It will depend on on how you like your potatoes.  (Not exactly healthy, but it tastes good and it is a special occasion).

Taste them before you add more salt and pepper, if it needs- add more.  I cover mine and let sit until everything else is ready.  I topped with scallions for garnish (you could use chives too)



Broccoli: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.  Fill a baking sheet with broccoli florets, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper.  Toss broccoli and roast for about 20 mins.  Just keep an eye out, when they start looking burnt on the edges- that's when you can remove from the oven. Don't worry they will taste amazing.

Then just pour some wine (we had our fav Cabernet Sauvignon) and enjoy with your hunny! 

Braciole!

Before I get to all the facts about this recipe, I just want to say that my heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to everyone here in NY (and all over) that were effected by Sandy.  Hopefully this recipe finds you well and lucky enough to have a home to cook it in.  Maybe if you know someone that has had a loss, this would be great to make and invite them over, it's great for a lot of people, not a lot of work, and definitely warms your soul (and your tummy).  No matter who or what you believe in, I think this would be a good time to take a minute before eating this meal to really be thankful for what you have, because at this moment some people have nothing.  If anyone in the NYC/LI area needs a helping hand cooking or anything like that email me- I am free on the weekends. xoxo

On a lighter note, braciole is one of those dinners you cook all Sunday and is especially good for a chilly day- which we just started experiencing here in NY.

Braciole is an Italian dish, mainly thin pieces of beef rolled up and pan fried, then braised (cooked low and slow) in liquid.  Serve alongside some pasta (Rigatoni is my personal fav) and a salad with some bread for all the extra sauce.

Not exactly the healthiest meal, but it is easy and can feed a lot of hungry people.  This recipe takes about three hours to complete, so make sure you prep for that.

Also, since there are so few ingredients, I would definitely make the effort to use fresh herbs here.  I used a roast, then sliced it myself because it was the cut of meat that was on sale this week.  Try to get a cheap cut of meat, because we cook it so long that it is going to be super tender regardless.


Ingredients

• A tough cut of beef- traditionally its flank steak, but I used bottom round roast and cut into thin slices, then pounded out thin.  The roast was a little over 3 lbs and made about 18 rolls.
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 handful of fresh parsley
• small handful of fresh basil
• 1/2 cup of pecorino cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp of pine nuts, toasted
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced (2 for the filling, 3 for the sauce)
• salt, pepper, olive oil
• 1 cup of red wine
• 1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
• 14 oz of water (just fill the 28 oz tomato can half way with water-good way to get all the sauce out of the cans too)
• 1 (8 0z) can of tomato sauce
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 small carrots, chopped
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, basil, cheese, pine nuts, and 2 garlic cloves into a bowl. Mix to combine.
3. In this case, slice your beef and then pound thin (you don't have to go to crazy here, just try and cut as thin as possible and then I just pounded a bit with my hands to flatten).  The last bit of beef was too small to make into slices so I just cut into small bite sizes which we'll just throw in along with the sauce. (No wasting here!)
4. On each slice, top with some of our bread crumb filling and then tightly roll up and tie with some string (or toothpicks).  Definitely use the string, I think it makes handling them and frying them so much easier.
5. In a large deep skillet or dutch oven, put heat on high and get some olive oil hot.  Season the meat with salt and pepper then fry each roll until brown on all sides (I had to do this in two batches to ensure correct browning).  Don't forget to brown the little bite sized left over pieces too!
6. Remove all beef and reserve.  Then if pan is dry, add a bit more oil and saute the onion, carrot and 3 garlic cloves for a couple minutes until soft.
7. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.  Let that cook out for a minute or two.  (If you don't have wine, or don't want to use it, use beef broth- but if you have the wine- SO use it- it tastes amazing)
8. Then add your tomatoes- crushed and sauce.  Then add the water, bay leaves and red pepper flakes.  I added some salt and pepper.  Stir to combine. 
9. Add your beef rolls back into the sauce.  Bring to a simmer, cover and then put into the oven. 
10. Cook for one hour, then check on it- stir it.  Then put back in for another hour.  Check it again- if it's tender- eat it! If not, cook for another half an hour.  Before serving make sure you taste the sauce to make sure it is seasoned properly.
11. Just boil some pasta and serve!

Healthy Corned Beef Skewers & Potato Kale Cups

So even though it is the day after you can make this dinner any day for a healthier spin on traditional corned beef and cabbage.

My grandma and my parents have made the traditional corned beef and cabbage on the stove and in the slow cooker.  It is definitely a comfort food meal, especially when paired with some delicious potatoes! I wanted to make my recipe a bit on the healthier side though.  Put a fresh (even fancy) spin on the traditional dish.  This is also awesome for parties because it is essentially finger foods! 

Some say that Colcannon is the national dish of Ireland, some say it's the stew, I don't know, but Colcannon is just mashed potatoes with kale and scallions.  That is what inspired my potato cups.

Let's start out with the corned beef.  Traditionally corned beef is made with brisket, a fatty cut of beef, but instead I used a leaner cut of beef (the eye round roast).  (Here is some other lean cuts you could use) I also saved myself the trouble of making my own pickling spice by just buying a premixed one.

Grilled Corned Beef

Ingredients:

• 1 round roast (mine was about 3 pounds)
• 1 quart of water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tablespoons of pickling spice
• 2 garlic cloves smashed

Directions:

1. Combine all these in a sealable container or bag and put in the fridge. I brined mine for 24 hours, but you can do it for about 4-6 days.

Originally I wanted to skewer them in large pieces, but it didn't work as well on the stove top grill pan as I thought.  So if you are going to skewer them for a party then I suggest cutting them into cubes and then skewer.  Or if you are just having dinner cut into steaks and grill them up.

When you are ready to cook, take out of the brine and pat dry.  Cut or skewer and then grill them.

This cut of beef was gorgeous

Guinness Mustard Sauce

Equal parts of a spicy whole grain mustard and Guinness.  (I did 3 tbsp each) A couple grinds of fresh black pepper.  Combine these in a small pan and cook down until the beer and mustard become a sauce consistency.  Before serving stir in a tbsp of chopped chives.  Drizzle or dip!

Sweet Potato and Kale "Colcannon" Cups

So this is the first time I ever cooked kale.  Let me tell you, it is awesome.  I could of just eaten it sauteed.  It gets like crispy leaves, almost like chips.  Super good for you, I will definitely be adding this to my regular cooking list.  Completely raw it tastes almost like broccoli, but cooked it is like a mild crispy broccoli/spinach. Delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4 regular potatoes
• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1 bunch of kale
• 4 garlic gloves
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup low fat milk
• chives
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Start by making the potato cups.  I suggest using a mandoline for this- slice the regular potatoes and put in water.  Soaking starchy potatoes before you cook them, whether it be frying or baking it helps them cook up crisp.  Then pat dry.  Spray a muffin tin with non stick spray and line with the potato slices, try and push and form them into the cup shape as best you can.                                 
3. Bake them for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Depending on how thin you sliced them it might take longer or shorter time, just keep an eye on them.
4. Meanwhile cut the sweet potatoes into chunks and smash 3 of the garlic cloves.  Put those into a pot with a tbsp of salt and cover them with cold water.  Put them on the stove and boil until fork tender.
5. In another skillet, add a tbsp of oil and the last smashed garlic clove.  Wash and strip the kale from the stalk (see pics) then cut the kale into small pieces.  Add that to the hot skillet and cook until tender and a little crispy on the edges.
6. When the sweet potatoes are done, drain and then put back into the pot (garlic cloves and all).  Add the milk and mash.  When all mashed add the kale, a pinch more salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine.
7. Take out the cups and fill with about 2 tbsp of sweet potato filling and top with chopped chives.

 

Beef Stew (in the Slow Cooker)

 I love the slow cooker aka crock pot.  I purchased the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go one with the sealable lid and probe thermometer.  Honestly never used the thermometer but this cooker is amazing.  Has a great easy to use display and came with a spoon that snaps onto the lid.  Anyway, after I bought it I used it a lot, then I kind of dropped off a bit, but now its back!  I already made pulled pork with beans and this incredible beef stew.  It always reminds me of my grandma- she used to make this (on the stove top) and the smells always take me back.  Even my mom cooked this in the slow cooker and threw it over some buttery egg noodles- no one can resist.  My fiance says he likes it better when I don't use the slow cooker- but his tone turned around when I broke out this recipe. 

Slow cooker recipes are great because you prep the night before and then just turn on in the morning before work and you have dinner already made.  Just boil some water for the egg noodles and you are set!

Ingredients

• 1 bag of wide egg noodles
• handful of parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)
• about 2 pounds of stew beef chunks- they are called different things in the store- most likely it has the word stew on it.
• 3 carrots, chopped into big pieces
• 3 ribs of celery, sliced into big pieces (use the leafy tops too!)
• 1 large onion, sliced or chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed or chopped
• 2-3 bay leaves
• pinch of dried or fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp dried sage (or 1-2 fresh leaves, chopped)
• 3 beef bouillon cubes (Instead of this & water you could just use 3 cups of stock)
• 3 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of dry red wine
• 1-2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• lots of freshly cracked pepper

1. Put everything except the noodles and parsley into the slow cooker. (As I said you can pile everything into the pot the night before and just pop into the fridge.  Pull it out in the morning and just turn on the crockpot.)
2. Cook on low for 8 hours (You could probably do as little as 6 hours, but I work for 8 hours so it works out perfect)
3. When you are ready to serve, boil the egg noodles and drain. (You could toss with butter if you want)
4. Top the noodles with the stew and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Some people cringe at cabbage, but it is so good for you and if you cook it the right way it really is delicious.  I know there are skeptics right now having flash backs to grandma boiling the crap out of cabbage and stinking up the whole house or your mom forcing you to eat it along side your corned beef for St. Paddy's Day.  Anyway, this recipe is nothing like that at all.  I love my cabbage usually crisp and tossed as a salad but this is probably, besides certain style soups and stir fry, the only way I eat cooked cabbage.  You can always change what is stuffed inside too.  First time I ever made this was with ground chicken for a healthier option.  The cauliflower makes a great addition with no carbs.  Honestly, you don't even really taste it as cauliflower but it helps create a nice texture for the stuffing, as well as also being good for you.

I also prepared this the night before and just refrigerated it overnight.  Then next day I just had my fiance pop in the oven and it was ready to eat when I got home from work.

Cabbage is a low calorie food that is packed with nutrition. Did I mention it's also super cheap! One cup of cabbage has only about 15 calories! It might be low cal, but it's high in Vitamins A, B, C and E, along with fiber and iron. This helps with digestion, skin, eyes, metabolism, and your immune system.

Ingredients

• One large head of cabbage.  I used Savoy this time, but I have also used just regular plain green cabbage.
• about 2-3 pounds of your choice of ground meat- I used beef
• 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped small
• about one loose cup of Parmesan cheese (or two big handfuls)
• 1 (28oz) can of tomatoes (I used crushed, but use whatever you use for tomato sauce)
• 1-2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1-2 tsp of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper for the "stuffing" and the sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Combine the meat, cauliflower, cheese and fresh black pepper in a bowl, set aside.

3. Get a large pot of water hot- it doesn't have to boil, we are just using it to soften the leaves of the cabbage so they come off easily and we don't rip them.

4. When the water is hot, cut the core out of the cabbage and put the whole head of cabbage in the pot.  As the leaves soften, either carefully using your hands or gently with tongs, peel the leaves off and set aside to drain and cool before we stuff and roll.
5. In a casserole dish or large pan (I had to use two pans to hold all my rolls) pour in and combine the tomatoes, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Salt and pepper to taste.  I also mix it up with a splash of water if it looks too thick.  The sauce is just to help it cook without drying it out.  I reserve a bit to put up on top before I cook.
6. When the leaves are cool enough to handle we just stuff and roll the filling like a burrito.  I usually like to cut the large vein part out of the leaf so it is easier to roll but that is optional.

7. Just roll and stuff (as you get down to the center of the cabbage obviously the leaves become smaller so you will use a smaller amount of stuffing.


8. To roll: Place the meat on the rounded uncut end of the leaf, firmly but gently roll once, tuck in sides and roll again.  Place seam side down in the pan.  Just like a wrap or burrito.




9. When all your rolls are rolled, top with a bit of reserved tomato sauce and cover with tinfoil.

10. Bake covered for about 1- 1 1/2 hours.
11. I served along side some jasmine rice mixed with bulgar wheat.  You could also have stuffed the rice inside- just precook a cup to a cup and a half of rice and swap it with the cauliflower in the stuffing.

Beefy Southwestern Casserole

So this is basically a hamburger helper but way more delicious.  When I tasted this it was amazing.  Also super easy to make.  Originally I was making tacos but I got lazy and made a casserole instead.

Potential other names for this dish:
Beefy Burrito Casserole
Taco Pasta Casserole
Beefy Taco Casserole
and the list goes on...

If you wanted to add things like fresh peppers and onions that would be great in here too.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta- your choice.  I used half whole wheat rotini and half regular elbows
• 1 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1 cup of salsa
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese, plus a little more for sprinkling on top
• 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed- I obviously used black beans
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (usually I make my own but we all cut corners sometimes)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
2. Boil water for the pasta, cook until al dente, drain and reserve
3. (If you are adding fresh ingredients like peppers or onion cook them in the skillet before the meat.  Cook only a couple minutes then incorporate them into the meat while browning.)
4. In a skillet brown the meat and crumble.  I followed the directions on the taco seasoning packet- when the meat is brown, drain and then add the seasoning and about 1 cup of water.  Heat until thick.
5. In a big bowl or right in a large 9 x 13 casserole dish mix the pasta, meat, cheese (leave some for the top!), salsa, beans and corn.
6. Sprinkle the top with some cheese, cover and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. 
7. If you wanted a brown cheesy top- turn on your broiler, remove the foil and let it sit under the broiler a couple minutes until brown and bubbly.
8. Top with jalapenos, sour cream, more salsa etc- whatever you like on your tacos!

Eggcellent Meatloaf

Oh meatloaf, you are so misunderstood.  Long gone are the days of you being overcooked, boring and masked in so much ketchup you aren't even recognizable.  Meatloaf is so easy to make and provides a base for so much variety and creativity.  This recipe is somewhat original but the idea of hard boiled egg stuffed meatloaf is not.  Every recipe I saw similar to this- the meatloaf was wrapped in bacon as well.  That sounds delicious but I felt it was a bit much so I just threw some bacon bits in the mix instead.

I used half pork and half beef, but you can certainly use the meatloaf mix (beef, pork, veal) or use turkey or any combo of meats you like.  Just make sure you at least 2 lbs of meat.  Another note being that this takes about an hour to cook, so if you have hungry tummies try a quicker recipe.

Another easy classic that people can be wary about- hard boiled eggs.  If you follow this recipe you will have perfect eggs every time- with no gross grey yokes.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs: in a small pot cover the eggs completely in cold water.  Set on the stove and bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil shut off the heat, cover and let sit for ten minutes.  After ten minutes you can gently crack and peel.  If you have a hard time removing the shells- try cracking them, then soaking in cold water for 5 minutes and the water will get in between the shell and egg and make it easier for shell removal without tearing the actual egg.

(Again I must apologize for the horrible pictures- Cyber Monday is just around the corner and that means new camera!)

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef (80%)
• 1 lb of ground pork
• 1/3 cup of blue cheese dressing (or ranch would be good too)
• 4 hard boiled eggs (see directions above)
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• couple splashes of milk (about 1/4 cup)
• handful of bacon bits (homemade or from the jar)
• 3 scallions (or any small onion), sliced thin
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons of adobo seasoning
• oil

Directions

1. Combine everything in bowl, except for the hard boiled eggs.  Mix just until everything comes together.
2. Split the meat into two sections.  Form the bottom layer on a greased baking sheet (with sides because there will be a lot of grease and oil after it's done).  Lay the eggs gently down the middle of the meat.  Then gently form the rest of the meat around the eggs and form to make it look like a meatloaf. 
3. Cover the whole thing in a little oil and bake at 375 degrees for about an hour.  (At the very end I put the oven to 400 to speed up the process a bit-we were hungry!) Cook until the internal temp is at 155 degrees. 
4. Slice and serve.

Stuffed Peppers- w/ Beef, Orzo and Feta Cheese

I usually don't make stuffed peppers, but I saw these peppers at the store on sale and I just couldn't resist! Look how pretty they are! Anyway, I've been on bit of a Greek streak lately so enjoy this Greek inspired stuffed pepper.  It can be a side dish, but I served it as a whole meal. These are really easy too.  Some people cook the peppers before you stuff them, but I don't like mushy peppers I like them with a bit of a bite still left, so I didn't pre-cook them.  If you usually do that- by all means go for it.

Stuffed Peppers W Beef, Orzo and Feta

·  4 pepper

·  1 lb beef

·  ¾ cup orzo

·  1 onion

·  2 garlic cloves

·  1 cup (or a handful of grape tomatoes)

·  ½ cup- 1 cup of black olives

·  2 tsp fennel

·  2 tablespoons of oregano

·  2 tsp red pepper flakes

·  1 tablespoon or coriander

·  1 tablespoon dill

·  Salt/pepper

·  3 tablespoons of tomato paste

·  ½ cup of feta cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Sauté beef in some olive oil until brown.  Then add in onion and garlic. Then half of all the spices. When all cooked through turn off the heat and put in a large mixing bowl.
3. Bring some water to a bowl for the orzo, salt it and cook orzo to al dente. Drain then add to the mixing bowl.
4. Chop tomatoes and olives and add to the meat and orzo. 
5. Then add the feta, the rest of the spices and tomato paste. Mix together well.
6. Prep the peppers by cutting off the tops and scooping out ribs and seeds.  If your peppers won’t stand up straight you can always cut a little bit off the bottom so they have a stable foundation.
7. Stuff peppers and cover them up again- if the tops wont stay on I used a tooth pick to hold in place.
8. Set in a baking dish and fill the baking dish with a about a ½ inch of water so the peppers wont dry out. 
9. Bake about 30-40 mins.

Feta Cheese- yummmmmmmm. Salty, tangy cheese that crumbles easily.  A staple in Greek cuisine.  Feta is a sheep's milk cheese (or a combo of sheep and goat) that is made (curdled in a brine) then squeezed together to shape and then packed usually in its brine and/or water.  Can be used is cooking, salads, or just drizzled with oil.  Actually, the Greek word "feta" comes from the Italian word fetta ("slice) (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feta).  The good: This food is a good source of Protein, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, Calcium and Phosphorus.  The bad: This food is high in Cholesterol and Sodium, and very high in Saturated Fat. (http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/18/2)



BBQ, Burgers, and Beer

This is how I plan on spending my Memorial Day Weekend!  I love Memorial Day Weekend, its like the official beginning of summer! BBQ's are blazing and what a better time than to share a couple of my (and a bunch of my friends) BBQ favs.

Forget those nasty frozen burgers- I don't eat those unless I'm at someone else's BBQ- they are frozen beef pucks, flavorless and full of fillers.  Making your own burgers is super easy- Once you know the procedure you can easily make meatloaf and meatballs too.  The best part about burgers is that there is endless possibilities.  Right now I am actually trying to come up with some ideas to submit into the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Contest. So lets get the basics down:

This burger I made the other day and it was just so simple and delicious I will share the recipe with you, I call it "The Original"

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb of ground chuck*
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves
• palm full of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning (this is an essential spice blend in my kitchen, I put that sh*! in everything ;) but if you don't have this just add salt, pepper, and some heat-like cayenne or red pepper flakes, but seriously invest in this seasoning it seriously is awesome for so many things)
• 1 egg
• about a handful of breadcrumbs
• Olive oil

Directions

• Mix all ingredients together (except oil) in a bowl just until it comes together- try and not over-mix it.  The heat from your hands will start to melt the fat and we don't want the fat to melt before cooking.  Also over mixing makes the meat tough. yuck.
• Form into patties, this recipe will prob make about 6 to 8.  Shape into regular hamburger rounds and then smoosh your thumb in the middle of each burger to make a little dent or well- this will help the burger cook evenly, and not bubble up in the middle (the dreaded burger bump), so all the stuff you pile on top wont be sliding off.
• Coat in oil and throw them on a hot grill.  Do not touch them, don't poke them, don't mess with them.  Cook your burgers medium- slightly pink in the middle- this makes the burger so much better than a tough well done one.  For medium, depending on the size of your burgers, I would do about 4 to 5 mins on each side.
• I just added a toasted bun and ketchup, but if you want cheese-throw the cheese on about 30 sec- 1 min before it's done.

Some grilling tips:

• Make the burgers a little bit bigger than the bun, because they will shrink up a bit when cooked
• For the love of all that's good eats- do not squish your burger down with the spatula- that only makes the good juices run out and you will end up with a dry burger and most likely flair ups from the grill.

Overwhelmed at the meat department?

• *Ground chuck:  I have used a lot of different ground meats to make burgers, but this has got to be my favorite ground beef to work with, it is so delicious.  Ground chuck is ground from a single cut of beef (the shoulder), just "ground beef" can have meat from all over the animal.
• Ground Beef: Regular ground beef is usually a combo of two or more cuts of beef.  When you see the ground beef labeled as 80/20, 93/7 etc, this is the lean meat to fat ratio.  Even though it's not the healthiest choice-80/20 or 85/15 (which ground chuck is) are better because the fat adds flavor and moisture to the end result.
• Ground sirloin: this is a piece of ground sirloin lol (middle of the cow) its a leaner ground choice around the 90/10 area.
• Sometimes you will see ground hamburger: now this is like the mystery ground beef lol, it basically is all the trimmings (inside and out) ground up all together- ugh I would stay away from this
• Ground round: its a ground beef from the round of the cow (like london broil, or round roast- the back of the cow, like the top leg) its about 85/15
• Meatloaf mix: this is a mix of beef, veal, and pork- mainly used for meatloafs and meatballs.

I have found that the leaner the meat the more expensive it is- when you go to pick out your meat- you will notice this right away

Not into beef? Try ground turkey.  This is my chili turkey burger with green peppers. yum!