In honor of National Hispanic Month, I decided to make Barbacoa.   When I googled some Barbacoa recipes, I noticed that almost of them used butt roast but that isn’t how we make it.   We use Cacheta de Res, aka, Beef Cheeks and this is the only way I’ve known how to make it.  And in actuality, we make Barbacoa de Cabeza (a cow head) and make barbacoa out of that but for this, we are just using the beef cheeks.

Before I get to the very easy barbacoa recipe, I thought I’d share with you a tidbit about us.  My real dad’s side of the family is Mexican, which makes me half.   My husband and his family is Spanish.  They all speak Spanish, sing Spanish, and often talk in Spanish when together.  My kids who very much look white, call themselves Hispanic because that’s what they are and how we live.   I’ve always considered myself Mexican because 1) you’re supposed to go by your Dad and 2) I just feel it.

We cook Mexican food all the time with homemade tortillas being a staple around here.  We haven’t had homemade barbacoa in a long time so I thought the timing was perfect for it.  One of the things I love about our Walmart is that I can find those unique cuts that I need, in this case, cacheta de res (beef cheeks).  They also carry other parts of the beef head like tongue which we would have also put in this but they were sold out.

Barbacoa is probably one of the easiest foods to make.  While many might dress it up, we prefer an original, plain version.

So if you want to be truly Authentic with this, buy a cow head and cook it in the ground, shred all the cheeks, tongue, eyes, etc and you’ll have barbacoa.  We think is easier and for me, slightly more appealing than the other…….

Have you ever tried Barbacoa? 

Disclosure: I am an official Walmart Mom. Follow me and my fellow Walmart Moms as we share our experiences and ideas! Walmart has provided me with compensation in return for my time & efforts to create this post. My participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.

Did you even know there’s a different between Chicken Fried Steak and Pan Fried Steak?  Well, there is.  Chicken Fried Steak uses an egg and milk batter, along with flour.  Pan fried only uses flour.  Which one do you prefer?

I did Chicken Fried Steak a long time ago but when I started cooking for the cowboys (up to 50), I learned to be a little more resourceful to save grocery money and did without the eggs and milk.  We simply use flour, salt, and pepper.  I find that the taste is just as good.  I just make sure that the steak is “saturated” in the flour and I season well.  I pat the flour in with my fingers and coat it a couple of times right before I’m ready to stick in the pan.

So how do you prefer yours? Pan fried or chicken fried? And if you have a great chicken fry batter, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section!

Nor is it healthy when topped with all that cheese but it’s very good to eat and GREAT to make when feeding a large crew.  I’ve always seen this cooked in this way but would love to hear your variations if you make something similar.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ small onion chopped
• 6 to 8 saltine crackers, crushed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup, divided
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Combine the ground beef, onion, egg and about ¾ of the soup in a bowl. Add the crackers to the beef and mix till combined.  Put in a baking dish and form it like a meat loaf. Spread the remaining soup on top.
(It is better to have a casserole with higher sides so that when you top with mashed potatoes there will be room)

Bake @ 350 degrees for approx. 1 hour  While it is baking prepare the mashed potatoes.  When the beef is done top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle the cheese on top.  Place back in oven till cheese has melted.

The lovely dish is Temp-Tations from QVC.  They offer many beautiful styles, including the one below.  The meal itself isn’t a pretty one but it always helps to serve it up in something pretty!

What a week huh!  I shared three beef recipes with you; Beef Spring Rolls with Carrots and Cilantro, Steaks with Mushrooms, Blue Cheese & Frizzled Shallots, and Asian Beef & Broccoli With Noodles.  All three were fantastic and even though I hit a couple of bumps with ingredients (cause of my very small town), it all turned out good and they really were delicious.  Each one came from the Beef, it’s what’s for dinner website where you can browse, rate, review and educate yourself on healthy cuts of beef.

One of the things I learned this week, was my appreciation for fresh produce.  I live far from town so it’s hard for me to always fresh ingredients on hand but I learned that it’s worth the drive to get them.  It really made a difference and was healthy and my goal for 2009 is live better.

There’s also a wonderful cookbook out called, “The Healthy Beef Cookbook“.  You’ll find everything from healthy stir frys, steaks, to salads but one of my favorite parts is in the back of the book.  It’s a section that educates you on the different cuts of beef and the nutrition values.

Some recipes included are:

• # Spicy Five-Pepper T-Bone Steaks
• # Southwest Burgers with Corn Relish
• # Thai Beef Noodle Salad
• # Tenderloin Sandwich with Balsamic Caramelized Onions
• # Barbecue Beef Stir-Fry with Couscous
• # Chipotle Pot Roast with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
• # Beef, Arugula, and Spinach Lasagna
• # Cowboy Beef and Black Bean Chili
• # Tomato-Basil Meatball Soup
• # Triple-Ginger Beef Dumplings
• # Garlic and Wine
• # Tenderloin with Cremini Mushroom Risotto

All brought to you by the American Dietetic Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

To encourage you to try some lean beef recipes, I’m giving away a $100 gift card (to hopefully buy some groceries to try one of these recipes) and 3 of these healthy beef cookbooks.  That means there will be 4 winners!

TO ENTER:

Browse around the Beef, it’s what’s for dinner website.  Come back here to this post and tell me something you learned, a recipe you think you’ll try or a feature you liked from the site.

Additional ways to enter….leave each one you do in a separate comment please.

• Subscribe to my blog via reader or email.
• Subscribe to my newsletter.
• Follow me at twitter and tweet this giveaway.
• Blog about it with a link back to this giveaway or this blog.

Giveaway ends on April 13th (10pmCST), which is a little longer than a week due to the Easter holiday.  For details on how my giveaways work, read the official rules.

As a cowboy’s wife, we tend to eat a lot of beef (it’s furnished with our job) so trying to create healthier meals out of beef is important to me.  This week, I’ll be bringing you three healthier beef recipes thanks to ‘Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner‘.

Today’s recipe was fun to make and very quick.  It was also quite a shock to see my oldest son praise it.  Why?  Simply because he rarely eats anything healthy, least of all vegetables.  He loved it!  I was so happy, not because he liked the recipe but because he ate and enjoyed the healthy things about it. My middle son didn’t care for the cilantro but loved the rest of it and my husband thought it was great!  In other words, it got two thumbs here in the Falcon household.

The recipe actually calls for rice paper wrappers as you’ll see below but I could not find them anywhere in my town so I used the alternative, which was lettuce leaves.  This was actually recommended on the recipe itself, along with other great info like nutritional value, reviews, and cook notes.

Maybe I’m partial, but I like my final photo better…heehee.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound beef top sirloin or top round steak, cut 3/4 to 1 inch thick or flank steak
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons stir-fry sauce and marinade, divided
• 8 rice paper wrappers (8 to 9 inch diameter)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
• Additional prepared stir-fry sauce and marinade (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Cut beef steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick strips. Combine 1/4 cup stir-fry sauce and beef in medium bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1/2 of beef; stir-fry 1 to 3 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining beef.

Fill large bowl with warm water. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into water for a few seconds or just until moistened. Rice paper will still be firm but will continue to soften during assembly. Place on work surface.

Spoon 1/4 cup beef, 2 tablespoons carrots and 2 tablespoons cilantro evenly in a row across center of wrapper, leaving 1-inch border on right and left sides; drizzle with about 1 teaspoon reserved stir-fry sauce. Fold right and left sides of wrapper over filling. Fold bottom edge up over filling and roll up tightly. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling ingredients. Cut each spring roll diagonally in half. Serve with additional stir-fry sauce, if desired.

Notes:

• Marinade time: 30 minutes to 2 hours
• Total recipe time: 25 to 30 minutes
• Makes 4 servings
• This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium and zinc, and a good source of iron.

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I’ll never forget our wedding.  I didn’t know what they had planned for us back at the ranch so you might say I was extremely surprised to show up with a big ol’ lamb turning over a fire, which was our supper.  Since then, we have eaten goat, beef head, tripas, wild hog, and so much more.  Wait, did I say ‘we’?  Cause I really meant ‘they’.  The only thing I have eaten, is the the beef head and not because I wanted to but because I was deceived!  My MIL put them in the tamales and I didn’t know.

Anyways, my husband kills a lot of wild hogs and every now and then, brings one home to cook.  It was a beautiful Sunday and what better way to spend it than sitting outside with the family, grilling.

Normally my man would have wrapped this in foil to smoke it but, of course, I was out of foil.  So he “smoked” it on the grill for a few hours.  Still turned out good and with it being as big as it was, we had plenty to cube up and freeze.

No recipe here today.  Throw the hog on the grill or wrap in foil and then throw it on and smoke for a few hours.  Season how ya want.

Have you had wild hog?  What other wild game have you eaten?

The following is a guest post: Jerry is the epitome of cooking without a plan. As a matter of fact, he secretly wishes he could participate in an Iron Chef America episode, simply because it is one place where he wouldn’t feel at all out of place. Not knowing the ingredients beforehand doesn’t make him nervous at all. Of course, the reality is that he’d probably lose and look entirely foolish, but hey, it would still be fun! Follow all of his misadventures at Cooking by the Seat of my Pants.

When I found I had an opportunity to guest post here, I was elated. Of course, that elation quickly dissolved into a moderate form of panic as I tried to decide just what I wanted to make. Would it fit the rest of Lori’s recipes? Would it be up to par? Would I choke and not be able to get it done on time? I really didn’t know.

I dug through what I had on hand and found some country style pork ribs that I’d smoked a few days ago. That sounded like a good start, but I didn’t want to be the guy who did yet another pulled pork something-or-other, so I scoured my favorite websites and cookbooks looking for something, anything, that might work with my rather eclectic cooking style and still fit with Lori’s previous posts. I thought I was sunk, but Savory Korean Style pancakes, or Buchimgae, came to the rescue. I mean, really. Who doesn’t love pancakes?

Savory pancakes may sound odd to most Americans, but they’re a favorite street food in many parts of Asia. Unlike our flapjacks, these are delicate in flavor and a bit chewy and more like an omelet than what we think of as a pancake, with fillings ranging from fish and vegetables to fermented cabbage and rocket-hot peppers. They’re the perfect party food, designed to be folded and dipped in soy or any other sauce that compliments the filling.

The other reason I chose these is for their versatility. You can fill them with anything you happen to have around and the results will more than likely be exceptional, so if you don’t happen to have smoked pork, feel free to use ham, bacon, chicken, turkey, sausage or simply skip the protein and go veggie-based. It’s still going to taste fantastic.

If you really want to try these as written, but don’t happen to have a smoker or access to smoked pork, you can fake the smoker experience by simply marinating a few pieces of pork in a tiny bit of oil and a few drops of liquid smoke overnight, then cooking the pork wrapped in foil for about an hour in a 350 degree oven. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s close enough for Govt. work.

In any event, I hope you give this recipe a try. These really are amazing little blasts of flavor and well worth the few minutes it takes to make them. They’ve opened a whole new chapter in my cooking adventures recently and I’ve not had a single complaint yet.

Savory Korean Style Pancakes ( Buchimgae)

INGREDIENTS:

Batter:

• • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• • 1 cup cold water
• • 1 egg white, beaten
• • 3-4 drops roasted sesame oil (the dark brown stuff, not the light stuff)
• • 1 good pinch salt

Filling / Topping:

• • 1/2 cup smoked pork, cut in strips (Or any of the other options listed above)
• • 3 scallions, sliced thinly
• • 1/2 cup assorted bell peppers, sliced in thin strips
• • 2 cloves garlic, minced

METHOD:

Add all topping ingredients to a bowl and toss together.

Combine flour, water, sesame oil and egg white in a large bowl using a whisk or electric mixer.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil over medium to medium high flame. Add batter 1/4 cup at a time, immediately sprinkling topping over pancake. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until firm, flipping approximately 3/4 of the way through.

Drain on paper towels, cut in quarters and serve immediately with light soy sauce or your favorite condiment. (bbq sauce cut with a bit of chicken stock would be nice here as well.)

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

The original recipe states to cook until golden… I think I tried everything, but golden never happens,. These will go from cooking to burnt in seconds, so just a little color is fine.

By the way, THIS is what guest post should be like!  Exceeded my expectations!  Thank you Jerry, and you know I love those cowboy boots;)

You can’t make a pork tenderloin much easier than this folks!  If y’all thought I was some gourmet cook, you have now learned the truth!  lol

So obviously this is just bacon, a pork tenderloin, and a little time! In the oven at 325 for a few hours!

Enjoy y’all and don’t forget to visit my gal Amy, who got to test drive a Mercedes for 2 weeks, and maybe one of you will win $50! She really does have some delicious ‘simplified’ recipes.

P.S. I tend to overcook mine because I like WELL DONE and since this was cooked just for me, I was able to cook it any way I wanted. NO, I didn’t eat all by myself but I easily could have….*sigh*

INGREDIENTS

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups semolina flour (can use all-purpose flour – will taste slightly different)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed

STEPS

• * In a small skillet, cook garlic in oil over low heat, stirring constantly for one minute.
• * If using an electric mixer, put remaining ingredients into the mixer bowl, add the garlic and mix using the flat paddle for about a minute or two until the ingredients are combined. It should form a dry dough when you squeeze it together with your hands. If it doesn’t, add some water a teaspoon at a time, mixing and checking for the right consistency.
• * If making by hand, pile the flour up on a counter or table and make a well in the top. Put the eggs, salt, garlic and basil into the well and stir to combine. When it comes together, begin kneading, again adding water only if needed to hold the dough together. The dough should be very dry.
• * Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
• * Use pasta roller or pasta roller attachment to roll the pasta to the desired thickness and cut into whatever type of noodles you like. For this recipe, use the fettuccine cutter. I use a pie cutter and cut the noodles into 3-inch wide pieces for lasagna. You can make this into spaghetti or angel hair pasta if you like, or if you have a pasta extruder, you can make macaroni.
• * Leftovers can be dried using a pasta rack or put into the freezer.
• * To cook fresh noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles in the water for 2 minutes. If frozen, add 1 minute to cooking time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meaty Pasta Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1 chipotle pepper, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 bottle pasta sauce
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce

STEPS

• * Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic and chipotle peppers.
• * Add meat and basil and cook until meat is browned.
• * Add pasta sauce and adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Guest Poster: Andrea loves to cook, eat and share the fruits of her kitchen with anyone who appreciates them. In her spare time, she posts recipes and cat stories at the Furry Kitchen and is creating a cookbook to help the cooking-challenged.

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Another post from SIL who by the way, makes the BEST jerky!!! I noticed that she used World Harbors Jerk Sauce for one of the ones she makes.  If you’ll remember, they also make FANTASTIC Barbecue sauce!!!

From her……..

I challenged My father in law to a jerk off.  I had to come up with the best tasting Jerky.  The only thing the winner gets is braggin’ right’s.  It’s ON!

I used Deer for the meat, cut to desired thickness.  We like both thick and thin slices.  The two pictures with the seasonings is what I used for that jerky ( went by the directions on the package/bottle but adjusted to my own needs). I used them to try and see what other flavors that I could come up with.

(World Harbors) Jerk Sauce: Sweet with a spicy aftertaste- My Fave
Mesquite (Grill Mates): Awesome–
Arizona Jerk- This is one that I have always used, and is a hit with most! The recipe for this one is below

Equal amount’s :

• hot water
• soy sauce
• Worcestershire
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Uncle Chris’s to taste

Add salt to hot water until dissolved, mix everything in a bowl. (for all three I let marinate covered in the ice box over night. Arrange on dehydrator. Check every few hours until desired tenderness. Enjoy

I made several different flavors to see which we might like better, just to change things up a bit. The Winner’s in our home were these three that I’ve shared with you, and that are in the final picture.