Dale’s Spicy Beef Casserole

2 ½ pounds boneless rump roast

¼ cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon all-spice

1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper

1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce

½ cup burgundy wine

½ cup beef broth (Campbell’s)

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Cut the rump roast into 2-inch cubes. Combine flour, sugar, salt, pepper, and all-spice. Dredge or coat the meat with the flour mixture.

Place meat in a 2 quart casserole dish, or better yet, a crock pot.

Pour the remaining flour mixture, if any, over the meat.

Stir together the tomato sauce, wine, beef broth, vinegar, and Worcestershire Sauce. Pour this over the meat and stir it together. Cover and cook for 3 hours at 325 degrees – or all day on slow in the crock pot.

HINT:

If the meat is slightly frozen, it will be easier to cut into 2-inch cubes.

From Secrets of Better Cooking, published 1973 by The Reader's Digest

Cuts of Meat for Roasting

RUMP - a superb roast for flavor, this is a large even piece of meat, found just above the round. The whole rump weighs from 10 to 15 pounds. It is expensive as a whole roast unless many portions are required. It is generally cut into smaller roasts, and sold either with or without the bones. It is best when cooked by either of the following methods.

First method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.; this will take about 15 minutes. Make sure there is a natural coating of fat on top of the roast. Add a thin layer of chopped fat if the meat is lean. Roast for exactly 15 minutes to seal the outside pores of the meat and preserve the natural juices. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. for the balance of required time.

Second method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and roast the meat at this temperature for the entire time. This is the easiest method. The shrinkage is less than the first; the meat is always tender and the top is crusty brown.

Graphic by June's Art Freebies

Baked Pork Chops – A Reminder of Home

My Daddy and Step-Mother
Mildred Smith Hicks & Leon Fremont Richards
in their home in September 1964

Having grown up in a household where my father was a butcher for the local Safeway store and my mother worked in the same meat department, we had a variety of cuts of meat every day. Breakfast fare usually included thick slices of bacon, smoked, peppered, and honey cured. Occasionally a pork chop made its appearance on our breakfast plate beside the usual eggs and fried potatoes and onion. We didn't have that big of a breakfast every weekday because Mom spent long days at work and school was calling - we usually ran a little late with 4 teenagers and 2 elementary-aged kids to get ready. But the weekends found us all gathered in the country kitchen around the beautiful round oak table that my younger sister now has in her home.

Again on the weekends we enjoyed various cuts of meat that daddy patiently showed us how to prepare. Mom was usually in the garden or making biscuits.

Reminder of Home
I was reminded tonight of the thick pork chops that Daddy used to bring home and stuff with delicious dressing prepared just like you would for the Thanksgiving turkey. He would take a very sharp knife and cut a slit in the meat across from the bone and stuff it with cornbread dressing.

Request for Pork Chop
I had asked my hubby to please bring home some pork chops from the grocery (he usually does our shopping) because we hadn't eaten them for quite some time. He found some beautiful chops that were about 1-inch thick with the bone in. If you sometimes wonder how to cook pork chops that are that thick I find that baking them is probably the easiest thing to do.

Preparation of Meat
I rinsed the meat under running water and patted them dry. I had prepared a basil olive oil mixed with garlic salt and dry Italian seasonings that I placed in a shallow bowl. Then I rubbed this on all sides of each pork chop. I then wrapped them tightly in aluminum foil, placed them in a heavy cast iron skillet to bake in my 350º oven. I baked them for one hour.

They were delicious. And because I had wrapped them in foil I had no mess to clean up. Of course, they could just as easily be cooked in any ovenproof dish and if you chose to not use the foil, the chops would brown nicely. Mine were not as brown but tasted more like a pork roast.

You should try this method of cooking pork chops. I found I could not "fry" my pork chops all the time. Cooking them this way cuts down on the calories and fat.

Bon appétit.

Judy's Beef Enchiladas

Do you love Mexican food? Do you sometimes crave the hot, spicy taste of enchiladas? I have the perfect recipe for enchiladas that I use every time one of my family members has that craving.

My younger sister also makes delicious enchiladas and her son requests them every year for his birthday dinner. She makes a wonderful green chili and cheese enchilada. They are a little more complicated; I usually opt for the quick and easy!

My mother's twin sister taught me how to make enchiladas at least 25 years ago. She said she always used El Paso brand tortillas, enchilada sauce and taco sauce. I prefer that brand, too, but if I can't find them in one of the local grocery stores I will use the brand available. My husband and I also prefer the mildest flavor of sauces; they can be found in Mild, Medium, and Hot. When I first started making these you could find the El Paso tortillas in a flat round can and that's what my aunt used. I haven't seen them in the grocery store lately. I substituted the bagged tortillas found in the bread section and they are great.

Ingredients

2 or 3 pounds ground hamburger (I prefer ground chuck)

2 small cans El Paso mild taco sauce

1 package of 24 corn tortillas

2 cans El Paso mild enchilada sauce

½ cup chopped onion

1 16-ounce bar sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Brown hamburger meat. Add 2 small cans taco sauce and cook slowly while preparing the tortillas.

Having tortillas and paper towels handy, I quickly dip tortillas one at a time in and out of hot oil in a heavy skillet. I use a pair of tongs to lift them out of oil. Then I place them on a paper towel to drain. I usually get 4 on a paper towel, and then place another paper towel on top, then another 4 tortillas, layering them until you have used all of the tortillas. It's important to dip them in and out of hot oil quickly to soften them. If you skip this step the tortillas will become too brittle while baking.

Let the tortillas cool slightly so you can handle them without burning your hands. Fill each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons hamburger mixture and roll tortilla up. Place them in an oblong baking pan, such as a 13" x 9" x 2" Pyrex dish. After filling the dish, sprinkle chopped onion and shredded sharp cheddar cheese over rolled tortillas. Then pour 1 can mild enchilada sauce over all. Bake in a 350º oven for approximately 20 minutes.

There will be too many enchiladas for 1 pan; place the overflow in a smaller baking dish and pour the second can of enchilada sauce over them.

This can be a little messy but it will help if you gather everything together before you start cooking. Also, don't get the oil too hot or it will begin to splatter and pop. Take your time!

I serve mine with a great salad and chips. Enjoy!

Cook a Delicious Italiano Meat Pie Tonight

Are you like me? Busy with life and little time for cooking a meal that everyone will enjoy and that will be nourishing, as well? I have a reputation in my family of 5 siblings and numerous cousins of being the ONE that doesn't cook. I do believe they all think I can't cook and I like to perpetuate that myth! After all, it saves me from all the headaches of trying to put together a meal when we all get together! I have begun to cook more desserts for our family gatherings and even now that's beginning to be questioned. Is it just me, or am I that bad a cook?

So time is not the primary reason for my looking for easy, quick recipes. It's more than likely my dislike for creating culinary masterpieces! Not that I could!

This recipe was given to me a very long time ago by my sister-in-law. She came from a long line of Italians and she shared several recipes with me and our mother-in-law, Marilee. I made a few minor adjustments to fit my life-style and cook it quite often. I use it as my "safe" dish when having company!

Ingredients:

1 or 2 pounds ground beef

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped green or black olives

1/4 cup water

6 ounces tomato paste

1 package spaghetti sauce mix

2 Pet Ritz deep-dish pie crusts

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350°. Brown the ground beef in a heavy skillet, drain, and add green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and olives. Cook 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the water, tomato paste and spaghetti sauce mix. Cover and simmer approximately 10 minutes. While meat mixture is simmering sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the bottom of two frozen pie shells. Spread half of the meat mixture over the Parmesan cheese in the pie shells. Sprinkle 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese over the meat. Layer remaining meat mixture and Parmesan cheese.

Place the prepared pies on a cookie sheet so it will not spill over onto bottom of oven. Bake in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts. One pie serves six. But I always make 2 pies so we'll have some left the next day!

This freezes well and my entire family loves it. I serve it with a green salad and hot garlic bread and they are happy and satisfied. I made 4 last Christmas and put them in the freezer before my family arrived so I wouldn't have to spend my precious time cooking instead of enjoying the kids.

I hope you'll give this a try, especially if your husband loves Italian food as much as mine does. It's so much better than spaghetti.

Also published by Judy Shubert at Associated Content.
Clipart supplied by "The Vintage Moth".