812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 16, 2003
od Food, Good Times In Louisville
Angus Beef Cook-Off Is Success
Go
LOUISVILLE, Ky. Creative
costumes and first-rate food were
found at the 20th annual All-
American Certified Angus Beef
(CAB) Cook-off sponsored by the
American Angus Auxiliary. The
event was conducted July IS at
the 2003 National Junior Angus
Show, in Louisville, Ky. More
than 40 teams competed in this
year’s event.
Here are some of the winning
recipes.
Steak Sandwiches
With Chive Butter
For the Steaks:
4 beef tenderloin steaks, about
6 ounces each, salt and
freshly ground peper to
taste
1-1 Vi cups watercress sprigs,
tough stems removed
4 slices of white bread, firm
textured
For the chive butter:
'A cup unsalted butter, at room
temperature
2 tablespoons fresh chives,
chopped or 2 teaspoons
dried chives
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Vi teaspoon salt
'A teaspoon freshly ground
pepper
To prepare the chive butter, in
a small bowl, combine the butter,
chives, lemon juice, salt, and pep
per. Using a fork, beat vigorously
until blended. Transfer to a sheet
of plastic wrap and shape into a
log about 2-inches long and
1-inch in diameter. Wrap in the
plastic wrap and chill until firm.
Prepare fire in grilL
To prepare the steaks, sprinkle
them lightly with salt and pep
per, and place them on the grill
rack. Grill, turning every 2 min
utes, for about 8 minutes total for
rare, 10 minutes for medium, or
until done to your liking. About 4
minutes before the steaks are
done, arrange the bread slices on
the rack and grill, turning once,
until lightly browned.
Transfer the bread to individu
al plates. Place a small handful of
watercress on each bread slice,
and place a steak on the water
cress. Cut the chive butter into 4
equal slices and place a slice on
each steak. Serve at once.
Out-Of-This World
Stuffed Tenderloin
4 pounds of beef tenderloin,
trimmed
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Vi pound fresh spinach, chop
ped
Vi teaspoon salt
'/’ teaspoon freshly ground
pepper
'A cup Parmesan cheese,
shredded
3 tablespoons dried tomatoes
in oil, drained and chopped
Saute onion in hot oil in a large
skillet over medium heat until
tender. Add spinach, salt, and
pepper. Saute until spinach wilts,
about 1 minute. Remove from
heat and stir in cheese and dried
tomatoes.
Cut tenderlion lengthwise
down the center, cutting to, but
no through the bottom. Lay flat
and spoon spinach mixture down
the center of tenderlion. Fold ten
derlion over mixture and tie with
string at 1-inch intervals. The
tenderlion won’t completely
close. Chill for 2 hours. Place cut
side up on the grill and cover ex
posed filling with a strip of foil.
Grill on medium to high heat
until the meat thermometer in
serted in the thickest portion of
the tenderlion reaches 145 de
grees. If the roast is taking longer
than expected, cut it into thick fi
lets and finish off on the grill. Let
the tenderlion set for 10 minutes
before slicing.
This can be served with a blue
cheesy cream sauce that can be
poured over the meat, new pota
toes, and sauteed summer
squash.
Yields 10 servings, prep time is
25 minutes, and grill time to tem
perature.
Fearfully Delicious Short Ribs
4 pounds short ribs
BBQ spice rub (see recipe
below)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons onion, finely
chopped
1 fresh jalapeno chili pepper,
finely chopped
1 cup honey
2 A cup chicken broth
'A cup vinegar
2 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Vi teaspoon black or brown
mustard seeds
Vi teaspoon ground black pep
per
'A teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Salt
BBQ spice rub: In a small bowl
combine 4 teaspoons paprika, 2
teaspoons chili powder, VA tea
spoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground co
riander, 1 teaspoon garlic pow
der, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon
curry powder, 1 teaspoon dry
mustard, 'A teaspoon ground
black pepper, Vi teaspoon
crushed dried basil, 'A teaspoon
crushed dried thyme, 'A teaspoon
ground cumin,,and 'A teaspoon
cayenne pepper.
Preparation: Trim any fat from
ribs: cut ribs into 1,2, or 3 rib
portions. Place ribs in a Dutch
oven. Add enough water to cover
ribs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
Simmer, covered about VA hours
or until tender. Drain ribs; let
stand until cool enough to handle
(about 20 minutes). Pat dry with
paper towels. Sprinkle BBQ spice
rub evenly over both sides of ribs;
rub in with your fingers.
Sauce: In a medium saucepan
heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic, onion, and jalape
no peppers; cook for 2-3 minutes
or until tender. Stir in honey,
broth, vinegar, apple juice, yellow
mustard, dry mustard, mustard
seeds, black pepper, and cayenne
pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce
heat to low. Simmer, covered, for
10 mintues. Stir together corn
starch and cold water; add to
mustard mixture in saucepan.
Cook and stir until slightly thick
ened and bubbly. Cook and stir
for 2 minutes more. Season to
taste with salt. Remove from
heat.
Place ribs, bone side down, on
a lightly greased rack of the grill
directly over medium coals.
Brush some of the sauce over
ribs; grill for 15-20 minutes or
until ribs are heated through and
glazed with sauce.
To serve, reheat remaining
sauce until bubbly; serve with
ribs. Makes 4-6 servings.
American Idol Fajitadillas
4 8-ounce Quick-N-Easy IM Top
Sirloin steaks
4 ounces shredded Monterey
Jack (or favorite cheese)
2 10-12-inch flour tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted
butter
Salsa
Sour cream
Guacamole
Fajita seasoning
Over medium heat on a grill
heat top sirloin steak until warm
ed through, approximately 4-5
minutes on each side. Remove
from heat and slice in thin strips
across the grain. Season with faji
ta seasoning. Brush oil (or butter)
lightly on one side of flour tortilla
shell. Place the oil side down
while filling the tortilla.
Scatter cheese on tortilla shell.
Top with strips of meat (4-8
ounces). Leave a half-inch border
from the edge of the shell. Top
with more shredded cheese. Top
with a tortilla. Brush top of tortil
la lightly with oil (or butter).
Place on grill on medium heat.
Leave on 4 minutes or until edges
of tortilla .begin to char and grill
marks appear on the bottom of
tortilla. Turn the tortilla over and
grill the same way. Cut into 6-8
wedges. Serve with sour cream
and guacamole. Makes 1 fajita
dilla.
Steak And Salad Roll-Ups
Quick-N-Easy' M Prime Rib slic
es, thinly sliced
1 bottle Greek salad dressing
Romaine lettuce
black olives, sliced
Feta cheese
Red onion, thinly sliced
Tomatoes, chopped
Flour tortillas
Heat prime rib according to
package directions. Remove from
package and thinly slice prime
rib. Drizzle 'A cup (or to taste)
Greek salad dressing over prime
rib set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix togeth
er 4 medium-sized handfuls of
romaine lettuce, sliced black
olives, feta cheese, thinly sliced
red onion and chopped tomatoes.
Pour bottle Greek salad dressing
over salad (to taste). Toss.
To assemble: Divide salad
equally among 4 flour tortillas.
Divide prime rib slices into four
equal portions and lay on top of
salad.
Fold right and left sides of tor
tillas over filling; fold bottom
edge over and continue to roll up
tightly. Cut rolls in half diagonal
ly; secure with wood toothpicks if
necessary. Cut diagonally in the
center of the roll.
Talgate’n Steak
4 (12-ounce) Quick-N-Easy' M
Top Sirlionn steaks
1 medium sized red bell pepper
Peach salsa:
Vi cup peach preserves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon peel, freshly
grated
1 large garlic clove, crushed
'A teaspoon fresh ginger, grat
ed
'A teaspoon salt
Warm or just sear steaks for
medium doneness warm to the
touch. Top with red bell pepper
ring and garnish with peach
salsa.
Clampett’s Stew
Quick-N-Easy 1 ' 1 Pot Roast
1 package frozen stew vege
tables
1 can beefy mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
Pepper to taste
Cook pot roast per package di
rections. Steam vegetables
according to package directions.
Cut pot roast into 1 to 1 '/z-inch
pieces. Combine soups together.
Drain vegetables and add to soup
mixture. Pepper to taste. Heat
through and serve.
Beef ‘N* Cheese Wraps
4 flour tortillas
1 carton (8-ounce) onion and
chive cream cheese spread
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup (4-ounce) Monterey Jack
cheese, shredded
1 pound roast beef, thinly slic
ed
Leaf lettuce, shredded
Spread cream cheese on a side
of each tortilla; top with carrots
and Monterey Jack cheese. Layer
with beef and lettuce. Roll up
tightly and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Cut in half or into 1-inch slices.
Makes 4 servings.
Deli Beef Strata
2 pounds deli roast beef, thinly
sliced
1 pound baby Swiss cheese,
thinly sliced
2 packages refrigerated cres
cent rolls
I/3 cup mayonnaise (not salad
dressing)
V* cup ground horseradish
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
thin
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
thin (Vidalia or red works
well)
2 tablespoons butter
Melt butter in small skillet.
Add green pepper and onion and
saute until tender, about 5 min
utes. Lightly season with salt and
pepper. Meanwhile spray a
9x 13-inch pan with cooking
spray. Unroll 1 package of cres
cent rolls, leaving in rectangles,
and press in bottom of pan to
form a crust. Mix mayonnaise
and horseradish and spread half
over crescent rolls in pan.
Layer half of the beef slices,
half of the cheese slices, all of the
onions and peppers, half the
cheese slices and half the beef
slices over the bottom crust.
Spread remaining mayonnaise
and horseradish mixture over top
layer of beef. Unroll the other
package of crescent rolls, leaving
in rectangles and press over top
layer of beef to form top crust.
Bake in oven at 400 degrees for
20 minutes, or until crust is gold
en brown. Let it cool for a few
minutes before cutting into
squares. Makes 12 servings. This
is good with a fresh vegetable or
green salad and fruit for a quick,
easy meal. The strata can be pre
pared ahead of time and refriger
ated; bake immediately before
serving.
Roast Beef, Veggie Wraps
2 cups coleslaw or broccoli
slaw mix, shredded
'A cup and 2 tablespoons ranch
dressing
4 large flour tortillas
1 container (8-ounce) whipped
cream cheese
16 slices thin deli roast beef
(12-16 ounce)
Im medium bowl toss slaw mix
with 'A cup ranch dressing to coat
evenly. In small bowl, stir cream
cheese with 2 tablespoons ranch
dressing to mix well. On one side
of each tortilla, spread about 'A
cup cream cheese mixture; top
with 4 slices roast beef, and then
about 'A cup slaw mixture. Roll
tightly and wrap with plastic
wrap. Refrigerate until serving.
To serve, cut in half diagonally or
into I'/z-inch slices. Makes 4 serv
ings. ■
Blues Brothers Dip
1 16-ounce can sauerkraut,
drained
1 pound Swiss cheese, cubed
3 8-ounce packages corned
beef, chopped
'A cup Thousand Island dress
ing
Combine all ingredients in
crockpot and heat on medium
setting 10-15 minutes until cheese
melts. Serve on squares of hearty
rye bread.
Grow Tomatoes
Not Mosquitoes
(NAPS) Areas in and
around a garden can be
ideal breeding grounds for
mosquitoes. Aside from
being a seasonal nuisance,
mosquitoes may carry and
transmit numerous dis
eases, such as West Nile
virus. With over 4,000 cases
of West Nile virus reported
by the Centers for Disease
Control in 2002, it’s becom
ing increasingly important
to protect against mosqui
toes and their bites.
Rebecca Kolls, Master
Gardener and host of the
television program “Rebec
ca’s Garden,” offers some
advice for reducing mosqui
toes around the garden and
preventing mosquito bites.
One way to help avoid
mosquito bites is to limit
outdoor activity at dusk
and dawn, when mosquito
activity is highest, said
Kolls. However, as most
gardeners know, these are
the best times to work in
the garden. Therefore,
when you’re outdoors, re
member to protect yourself:
• Use a DEET-based in
sect repellent such as Ultra
thon insect repellent from
3M. Originally developed to
protect U.S. troops, Ultra
thon insect repellent lotion
was rated the number one
insect repellent by a leading
consumer magazine.
• Wear long-sleeved
shirts, long pants, socks
and a hat to minimize the
areas of exposed skin.
• Consider replacing
your outdoor floodlights
with yellow bug lights.
The general rule of
thumb is that if it can hold
water, it can breed mosqui
toes, said Kolls. Since gar
dening and water go hand
in-hand, gardeners should
be on the lookout for the
following:
• Be sure to empty ex
cess water from the saucers
underneath outdoor plants
every couple of days.
• If left outside, garden
ing tools, watering cans,
buckets, and wheelbarrows
become ideal collectors of
rainwater. Therefore, bring
these materials indoors
after use, or turn them up
side-down outside when not
in use.
• Cover rain barrels with
a fine mesh, such as win
dow screening, to keep
mosquitoes out.
• Holes in the garden
hose and dripping outdoor
faucets should be mended
to prevent puddles of water
from forming.
• Empty and replace the
water in birdbaths every
two to four days.
• Water gardens and or
namental ponds are natural
places for mosquitoes to lay
eggs. If you don’t have fish
in these ponds, consider
adding them. If adding fish
is not an option, change the
water in the pond at least
once a week, particularly
when the weather is warm.
Finally, keep ground cover,
overhanging plants and
other surrounding vegeta
tion trimmed and away
from the water surface.