Mustard and Peppercorn Crusted Ribeye

I tried this the other night and really liked it. So, I though I would share it here. I am in a major grilling mood.  About 4 days ago it was in the 70's but two night ago it snowed and now we are back down to the 40's and 50s!!  Crazy weather:)

Ingredients

• 4 large rib-eye steaks (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick, at least 6 ounces each)
• 4 tablespoons brown mustard
• 4 tablespoons black peppercorns, crushed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons finely ground black pepper, optional
• Kosher Salt

Directions

Brush rib-eyes with mustard on both sides. In a shallow bowl, or on a plate with a deep center, combine crushed peppercorns, ground pepper, if using, and salt, to taste. Pat pepper mixture onto steaks and crust thoroughly on all sides.

Prepare your grill by lightly spraying the grate with non-stick cooking spray and then preheat the grill. When the grill is hot, place the rib-eyes on the grate and cook until desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for rare. Add 1 to 2 minutes for medium-rare and so on. The best way to test steaks for doneness is to poke it with your index finger; rare will be soft, medium-rare will be slightly less soft, and so forth. Never flip a steak more than once; let it cook for half the total cook time before flipping. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes in a warm place before serving.

Recipe and Picture Courtesy of Food Network

Corned Beef and Cabbage

In celebration of St Patrick's Day, I thought I would post a traditional Irish meal.  Enjoy!

Corned Beef:

• 3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 4 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onions, chopped
• 1 small head green cabbage, cored, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup water

Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced in 1/2
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For Corned Beef:

Put the carrots and onions on the bottom of slow cooker, and put the corned beef on top. Arrange the chopped cabbage around the beef. Add the apple juice and 1 cup of water along with the contents of the spice packet. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours until the beef is tender. Half way through cooking turn brisket over. Remove the beef and vegetables to a platter and keep warm.

For potatoes:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return them to the pot.

Add the butter, garlic, parsley, and salt, and pepper, to taste. Gently combine so that all the potatoes are evenly coated. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with corn beef and vegetables from the slow cooker.

Easy French Dip Sandwiches

This is a really easy way to do french dip sandwiches but it is still super scrumptious!  I hope you love them as much as we do around our parts!

MEAT:

I cook my meat in a crock pot for about 6 hours and it always is really tender and falls apart.  Use a chuck roast.  It has a little more fat on it but you will take all the fat off once it is cooked.  Place the roast into a crock pot set on its lowest setting.  Sprinkle it with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 onion powder and half a packet of Au Jus.  Depending on the size of your roast it may take shorter or longer.  You will know it is done when you put a fork in it and it can shred easily.

Once the meat is done remove it from the crock pot and shred the meat. Remove any large chunks of fat.  Cover with tinfoil to keep warm.  Drain the juice from the roast into a gravy separator and strainer.  Skim all the grease off the juice. A really easy way to do this is to stick it in the refrigerator for a few minutes and the fat will raise to the surface and get hard.  Pour the skimmed juice into a sauce pot and add the rest of you Au Jus packet and 2 cups of cold water.  Whisk and slowly heat until it comes to a boil.

Prepare your buns by laying them on a cookie sheet.  Butter one side of the bun and put a slice of provolone cheese on the other.  Put the buns under the broiler until cheese is melted and buns are golden brown.

Put the shredded beef on the toasted bun and serve with Au Jus for dipping sauce.