Marinating tenderizes lean grass-fed beef. Bulgogi means “fire meat” in Korean and is the name of a beef dish in which paper-thin sliced meat is soaked in a flavorful combo of soy sauce, black pepper, ginger, rice wine, and pureed fruit. In this version, readily available pureed kiwifruit stands in for traditional Asian pear to help tenderize the meat. To make the beef easier to slice super-thin, pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes. If you don’t feel like firing up the grill, you can stir-fry the meat. Serve in lettuce cups with short-grain brown rice. We also love it on warm tortillas with a dollop of Fiery-Sweet Peach Salsa.

1 pound top sirloin, trimmed
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon grated peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
1 kiwifruit, peeled and pureed
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion, plus additional sliced onion for garnish

Freeze beef 30 minutes or until firm. but not frozen.

While beef is in freezer, whisk together soy sauce, oil, sugar, mirin, pepper, ginger, garlic, and kiwifruit in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup green onion.

Remove beef from freezer. With a very sharp knife, cut beef across the grain into 1/16th-inch slices. Add beef to soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Preheat grill. Remove beef from marinade and discard marinade. Place beef in a grill basket or thread it on skewers. Grill 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Serves 4

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2. Beyond Beef Basics: Grass Fed, Grain Finished and More
3. Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus

Soaking the hardwood is crucial for successful barbecue. As you may have learned while camping, wet wood produces lots of smoke–bad for camp-outs but just what you want for barbecue. For brisket and other relatively lean cuts, basting is necessary to keep the meat moist; any kind of high-quality beer will work well in this recipe. Hardwood chunks are ideal, since they burn slowly and produce gentle, consistent smoke.

Rub:

1 whole (8-pound) beef brisket, cleaned and trimmed
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup stone-ground mustard
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly black pepper
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 tablespoons ground cumin

Baste:

1/2 cup good beer
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

24 to 36 hours ahead:

To prepare the rub, slather beef with mustard. Combine sugar and next 7 ingredients (through cumin); press evenly onto meat. Cover, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 36 hours.

24 hours ahead:

Soak 10 pounds of hardwood chunks in water. (If you use hardwood chips, they only need to soak for 2 hours.)

To prepare the baste, combine beer, vinegar, and Worcestershire in a clean spray bottle; refrigerate.

12 hours ahead:

If you have a smoker with a side firebox, you probably already know how to stoke it. If you’re using a charcoal or gas grill, build the fire on one side of the grill. Add some of the soaked hardwood to the hot coals (or place it in a smoker box or foil pouch if using a gas grill).

When the temperature has reached about 200 F, place brisket in smoker or on the unheated side of the grill and cover.  Mind the fire to maintain this temperature throughout the cooking process. Baste the meat with beer mixture and add new wet wood every hour or so, for a total cooking time of 10-12 hours.

The beef is ready when the internal temperature registers about 170 F on a meat thermometer.  It will be completely charred black on the outside (don’t worry, that’s a good thing).  Let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing it across the grain. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce and plenty of cold beer.

Serves 24

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2. Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus
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You’ll want a tender “fryer” or “young” rabbit for this recipe; fryers typically weigh less than three pounds. Ask the butcher to cut the rabbit into six serving pieces, which makes this a simple dish you can prepare on a weeknight. If you purchase a whole rabbit, Saveur has helpful instructions for cutting it up. Serve with Oven-Baked Polenta with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and sauteed spinach.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) fryer rabbit, cut into 6 serving pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cold butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle rabbit with salt and pepper. Add half of rabbit to pan and cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer seared rabbit pieces to a plate and repeat with remaining half of rabbit.

Add onion to pan and sauté 2 minutes. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until wine evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth and seared rabbit. Cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of the thigh registers 155. Transfer rabbit to a serving dish and keep warm.

Place sauté pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until pan juices reduce by half. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Pour sauce over rabbit. Garnish with basil and pine nuts.

Serves 6

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2 tablespoon butter, divided
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 4-ounce veal cutlets, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
1/4 cup shallot, minced
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Preheat oven to 200. Place an ovenproof platter on the middle rack.

Mix together lemon zest and parsley in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a large, non nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the oil.

While pan is heating, mix together flour, salt and pepper on a wide plate and dredge veal cutlets. Swirl the oil around the pan, shake off excess flour from cutlets and sear for about 2 minutes per side. When nicely browned on both sides, transfer to the platter in the oven.

Add shallots to the pan and saute for 3 minutes, until softened and brown. Pour in white wine and cook for 1 minute, while scraping up the browned bits in the pan (the fond) with the flat edge of a stiff spatula.

Remove pan from heat and swirl in remaining tablespoon of butter, lemon juice and capers. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Serve cutlets drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with lemon zest and parsley.

Serves 4

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Skirt steak is a great choice for a weeknight meat craving: it cooks up super-fast and takes great to rubs. A few slices served with a plateful of veggies and whole grains brings something traditionally thought of as a nutritional no-no (steak) into a more nourishing category.

2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 pounds skirt steak

Mix coriander through pepper together in a small bowl. Rub all over steak.

Heat grill to medium high and grill for 3-5 minutes per side, until medium rare.

Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.

Serves 4 to 6

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Talk about fast food.  This quickie meal uses high quality store-bought ingredients, pantry spices, and fresh veggies to deliver an improved version of a fast-food staple.  Nothing fancy here, but when your schedule is frenzied and you’re considering the drive-thru, consider this 20-minute DIY meal instead.  Decrease the chipotle slightly if you’re serving less adventurous palates.

For spice mix:

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper, or less, to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt

For burritos:

1/2 pound organic grass-fed ground beef (85% lean, or leaner)
One 16-ounce can low-fat vegetarian refried beans (“salsa-style,” if available)
1 tablespoon water
Four 8-1/2-inch to 9-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1/4 cup light sour cream
2 limes, quartered
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, from one 8-ounce heart of romaine
1 avocado

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare spice mix by combining all spices in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

Add ground beef to skillet and brown, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the refried beans, water, and spice mix, lower heat slightly, and cook until flavors meld, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat, and cover skillet.

Heat each tortilla directly over the burner of a medium gas flame, turning two or three times with tongs, until puffed, speckled and pliable, about 45 seconds. (Alternatively, heat in a dry pan on an electric stove.) Repeat with remaining tortillas. Lay tortillas on a cutting board.

Place 1/2 cup beef and bean mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and a generous squeeze of lime down the center of each tortilla. Fold in the edges and roll up, burrito-style. Place seam side down on a plate. Repeat with remaining burritos.

Serve burritos with plates of shredded lettuce and mashed avocado, both spritzed with lime.

Serves 4

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2. Carnitas de Lia
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HOT SAUCE

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

2 ounces blue cheese
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons buttermilk, or lowfat milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

CELERY SLAW

1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

BURGERS

1 pound ground buffalo, formed into 4, 3/4-inch thick patties
4 whole grain hamburger buns, split and toasted

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

In a small bowl, mix the butter, cayenne, Tabasco and a pinch of salt and pepper together. Generously brush both sides of burgers with mixture and set aside.

In another small bowl, mix together blue cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar and a generous grind of black pepper and whisk until smooth.

In another bowl, toss celery with onion, parsley, oil, mustard, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Season burgers with salt and pepper and place over direct heat on the grill. Brush with Tabasco mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes, basting once, and flip. Cook another 2 minutes, until medium rare.

Place burgers on buns, top with celery slaw and drizzle with blue cheese mixture.

Serves 4

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This dish is supremely delish with Roasted Winter Veggies. Choosing heritage pork will mean even more flavor. I love leftovers in a sandwich slathered with mustard and dotted with bread and butter pickles.

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
2-1/2 pound pork loin roast

Pound garlic to a paste in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt and grind of pepper. Add thyme and fennel and continue to pound to a paste. Mix in remaining spices and 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub all over pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 400. Rub pork with an additional pinch of salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear pork on all sides, about 3-5 minutes total, and transfer pan to oven. Roast for 25-35 minutes, until a thermometer poked into the thickest part reads 150.

Remove from oven to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6

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Years back, my mother took a Chinese cooking course and learned this recipe. Our family, including my husband now, has loved it for years. Napa cabbage is terrific this time of year. A vegetarian version is simple to make by subbing the pork with black mushrooms and slivered carrots. And remember, practice makes perfect and imperfect still tastes wonderful, so have fun.

1/2 pound Napa cabbage, finely chopped
sea salt
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup scallion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sake
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 package round (about 2-1/2 inches in diameter) gyoza wrappers
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup hot water

Place the cabbage in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes, so it releases its liquid, then rinse and drain well in the colander. Roll in a clean towel to dry.

Mix the cabbage with the pork, scallion, ginger, garlic, sake, soy sauce, sesame oil and a pinch of salt.

Mound a rounded teaspoon of the mixture in the middle of a gyoza wrapper. Dab cornstarch and water slurry lightly around the right edge. Fold the left side over to the meet the right (like a half moon). Then, using the thumb of one hand and index finger and thumb of the other feed a pleat toward your thumb and pinch gently. Pleat about five or seven times to create a pleated crescent.

Heat the oil in a large, wide nonstick pan over medium-high heat (let the oil get nice and hot). Arrange 6-8 dumplings seam-side up in the pan in the shape of a pinwheel and fry for 3 minutes, until blistered and crispy on the bottom (but not burnt). Add the water, cover, and steam for 8-10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

Serve with dipping sauce. (Find our recipe for All-Purpose Asian Dipping Sauce here)

Makes 50

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Nothing is more impressive on a holiday table than a roast prime rib of beef. Ask your butcher to prepare a 12-pound prime rib roast, with the fat cap left on and bones left in.

12-pound bone-in prime rib roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 cups beef stock

Preheat your oven to 325.

Rub the ends of the roast with the olive oil, then firmly massage the garlic, salt and pepper into the top (the fat cap) of the roast. Nestle it in a large roasting pan, at least 2 inches deep, and place in the center of the oven. Roast for 2-3 hours, basting with the accumulated fat every half hour. At one hour in, add the chopped vegetables to the pan with the thyme and stir to combine with the drippings.

At about 2 hours, check the internal temperature by sticking an instant read thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the roast (Once a roast reaches 100 the temperature will wise at an accelerated rate, so check every 10 minutes or so. Try to use the same hole each time, as poking it in many places allows more juices to escape).

When the internal temperature has reached 120, remove from the oven. Move the roast to a carving block and cover with foil or an inverted pot and allow to rest for about 30 minutes. This allows the meat to relax, the juices to redistribute, and makes for an even medium rare as the residual heat raises the internal temperature to 125-130.

Strain off and reserve about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan (for the Yorkshire Pudding) and increase oven temperature to 425. Meanwhile, place the roasting pan with the vegetables over medium heat on the stove and add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes the strain, reserving the jus. Taste for salt, adjust and serve.

Yorkshire Pudding

2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons roast beef fat or lard
3 tablespoons cold water

An hour in advance: Whisk eggs with the salt until frothy. Mix in the flour, whisking constantly. Add the milk in a thin stream and beat until the mixture is smooth. Chill for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 425.

In a 12×9 casserole, heat the beef fat or lard on the stovetop until it sizzles. Beat the batter once more, adding the cold water. Pour into the sizzling fat and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes. Rotate the dish, lower the heat to 400, and cook an additional 15 minutes. It should be well risen, crisp, and brown. Serve very hot with Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus.

Serves 12-16

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2. Grass-Fed Beef Bulgogi
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