It's what's for dinner, as the Beef Industry Council ads said when I was a kid. And while everyone loves burgers and steaks, there's a lot more diversity available to you, as shown by these recipes.
1. Yankee Pot Roast with Root Vegetables
Think of the Yankee Pot Roast as Braising 101, turning cheap cuts of meat into something great. Once you master this, the world of braising is your oyster.
Ingredients
Method
- Season the roast with the salt and pepper, heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat for 5 minutes per broad side.
- Transfer the roast, brown the onion wedges for 5 minutes and stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
- Return the roast, add the broth and thyme, cover and braise at 325°F for 2 1/2 hours.
- Add the carrots and potatoes, cover and continue braising for 45 to 60 minutes until the beef is at least 145°F and fork-tender and the vegetables hold their shape.
- Rest the roast for 15 minutes, whisk the cornstarch and water into the simmering pot liquid and cook for 2 minutes before serving.
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2. Tomato-Braised Brisket Pot Roast
Most of us aren't fortunate enough to have home barbecue pits to make our own barbecue brisket, but this braise gives us something not too far off. I think a little spice would also be very welcome here.
Ingredients
Method
- Season the brisket with salt and pepper. Brown it in the oil for 5 minutes per side and place it fat-side up in a large slow cooker.
- Cook the onions in the skillet for 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until a fork slides into the thickest part easily but the meat is not falling apart. Discard the bay leaves.
- Rest brisket 20 minutes; slice thinly across the grain. Skim sauce; spoon over slices.
3. Ground Beef Picadillo
Across Latin America, picadillo is a beloved homestyle dish, sweet and savory at the same time. It's as good with yellow rice as it is with tortillas.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef, onion and bell pepper in a skillet for 10 minutes until the beef reaches 160°F, then drain the fat.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin and oregano for 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a 6-quart crockpot and add the tomatoes, potatoes, olives, raisins and salt.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours until the potato cubes are tender and the sauce clings to the meat.
- Stir gently from the bottom and rest uncovered for 10 minutes before serving.
4. Hamburger Cottage Pie Casserole
One of England's most beloved dishes, cottage pie hides a flavorful ground beef stew under mashed potatoes. Nothing goes better with a pint of real English ale.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch dish. Boil the potatoes until tender, drain and mash with butter, milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- Brown the beef, onion and carrots in a skillet and drain. Add tomato paste and flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth, Worcestershire, remaining salt and pepper and simmer until thick. Fold in the peas and spread in the dish.
- Spread the warm mashed potatoes over the beef and rough the top with a fork.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and golden in spots. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
5. Swedish Meatballs in Sour Cream Gravy
You don't need to go to IKEA for your Swedish meatballs. They're easy to make at home. This recipe swaps out the heavy cream for sour cream.
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes, then mix with the beef, pork, egg, onion, salt, allspice and pepper and roll 32 meatballs.
- Brown the meatballs in the oil in 2 batches for 6 minutes and transfer them to a 6-quart crockpot.
- Whisk the broth and flour until smooth, pour it over the meatballs, and cook covered on low for 4 to 5 hours until they reach 160°F.
- Cook the egg noodles separately and divide them among 8 bowls.
- Switch off the crockpot, temper the sour cream with 1 cup hot gravy, stir it back in, and spoon the meatballs and gravy over the noodles.
6. Ground Beef & Cabbage Skillet (Unstuffed Cabbage Roll)
This ground beef and cabbage skillet dinner is a quick and flavorful one-pot meal that provides all the comfort of a classic family favorite without the extra prep work. My easy unstuffed cabbage roll recipe combines savory meat and tender vegetables in a rich tomato sauce for a satisfying weeknight dinner that is ready in about 45 minutes.
Angela Latimer / Bake It With Love
7. Beef Stew in Instant Pot
Incredibly tender and savory, this Instant Pot Beef Stew is a cozy one-pot meal. Using the instant pot makes this quick and easy without sacrificing texture or flavor.
Tonia Schemmel / Feasting at Home
8. Beef bourguignon
Beef bourguignon is one of those simple good things that cooks low and slow, perfuming your kitchen with beautiful warm smells. I usually use shank instead of chuck.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp; remove. Season beef with salt and pepper; brown in the bacon fat in batches.
- Remove beef. Cook onion and carrots 5 minutes; stir in garlic, tomato paste and flour for 1 minute.
- Add wine and broth, scraping the pot. Return beef and bacon; add thyme and bay leaf. Cover; bake 2 1/2–3 hours until beef is fork-tender.
- Brown mushrooms in butter in a skillet for 8 minutes. Stir into stew for the final 15 minutes; discard bay leaf.
9. Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
As a kid, I was always baffled by why the grownups got beef and broccoli for Chinese takeout — the orange chicken is RIGHT THERE, guys! However, now that my taste buds have grown up too, I get it, and it's somehow both refreshing and filling.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk soy sauce, broth, sugar, cornstarch and sesame oil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear beef in two batches, 2–3 minutes each; transfer to a plate.
- Add remaining oil, broccoli and water. Cover; cook 3 minutes. Uncover; add garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
- Return beef and juices; add sauce. Simmer 2–3 minutes until thick, broccoli is tender and beef reaches 145°F. Rest 3 minutes before serving.
10. Beef, barley and mushroom soup
This is about as wintry as it gets. This is also a great way to use up dried mushrooms (just use about a third of them by weight, and rehydrate them first, reserving the resultant mushroom stock to sub out for some of the beef broth).
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef in oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high, 8 minutes. Add onion and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes.
- Add broth; cover and simmer 1 hour.
- Stir in barley and carrots. Simmer 40–50 minutes until beef and barley are tender, adding water if needed.
11. Beef fajitas
Fajitas always turn dinner time into a fiesta. This recipe uses a premixed seasoning packet, but I think a quickly blended homemade spice blend works much better.
Ingredients
Method
- Toss steak with half the fajita seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
- Cook peppers and onion 6–8 minutes; transfer to a plate.
- Add remaining oil; cook steak in batches 3–5 minutes until 145°F. Rest 3 minutes.
- Return vegetables; add broth and remaining seasoning. Simmer 2 minutes; serve in tortillas.
12. Shredded Beef Tacos
Barbacoa, birria, lengua, cabeza, and all their relatives: I love me some shredded beef on a taco. This recipe provides a tasty, basic taco filling along those lines.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F. Season beef with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven; brown beef in batches. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook yellow onion 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano for 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes and beef.
- Cover; braise 2 1/2–3 hours until beef shreds easily. Shred into juices; simmer uncovered to reduce excess liquid if needed.
- Meanwhile, toss red onion with 3 tablespoons lime juice and fine salt; stand 20 minutes. Stir remaining lime juice into beef.
- Warm tortillas in a dry skillet. Fill with beef, avocado, drained onion and cilantro.
13. Beef stroganoff
Beef stroganoff is a classic favorite of mine. I would, however, opt for a fresher version than this, replacing the cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix with real beef stock and sautéed onions, with maybe a bit of herbs. Trust me, the results will be an order of magnitude better.
Ingredients
Method
- Combine beef, soup, onion soup mix and mushrooms in a 5-quart slow cooker.
- Cover; cook on low 6–7 hours or high 3–4 hours until beef is fork-tender.
- Turn off heat. Stir in sour cream; warm 5 minutes. Serve over cooked egg noodles.
14. Salisbury steak
As Chef said on the very first episode of South Park, "come on children, what can be wrong? It's Salisbury steak day!" And with a good Salisbury steak made using simple, fresh ingredients, his words ring true.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix beef, breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Shape 4 oval patties.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Brown patties 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
- Add butter, onion and mushrooms; cook 8 minutes. Stir in flour for 1 minute.
- Whisk in broth, remaining Worcestershire and salt. Return patties; simmer 10–12 minutes until gravy thickens and patties reach 160°F.
15. Beef tips with gravy
This is, in essence, a simple beef stew, pairing perfectly with mashed potatoes or a baguette. I would, however, thicken the gravy with a roux rather than cornstarch.
Ingredients
Method
- Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown in oil in batches in a Dutch oven over medium-high; transfer to a plate.
- Cook onion and mushrooms in the pot 6 minutes; add garlic for 30 seconds.
- Return beef; add broth, Worcestershire and thyme. Cover; simmer gently 1 1/2–2 hours until fork-tender, adding water if needed.
- Mix cornstarch and cold water. Stir into simmering liquid; cook 2 minutes until thickened.