07/18/14 recipe -Taste USA

Chili con Carne

How to make Chili con Carne Recipe - Chili con carne is said to have been invented by Mexican residents of Texas.

Ingredients:
2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 quart skinned fresh tomatoes or home-canned tomatoes, or 2 (16-ounce) cans tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups beef broth
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
Dash of hot-pepper sauce
2 cups pinto beans, cooked*, or 2 (16-ounce) cans pinto or red kidney beans, drained

Method:
In a heavy Dutch oven, slowly brown beef with onion and garlic until meat is cooked through.

Add tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano and hot-pepper sauce. Simmer beef mixture, covered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Add cooked or canned beans and simmer 30 minutes longer. Makes 8 servings.

*To cook pinto beans:
Follow package directions. Or, wash and pick over beans; place in a large saucepan. Cover with water and soak overnight. Drain. Cover with water again. Simmer, covered, 2 to 3 hours or until beans are tender.

For the "quick-soak" method:
Wash and pick over beans; place in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Return to a simmer and cook, covered, 3 to 4 hours or until beans are tender.

Serbian Sarmas or Cabbage Rolls

How to make Serbian Sarmas or Cabbage Rolls Recipe - My friend, a lady of Czech background, recalls that her farm home always had the smell of sauerkraut which was served all winter long with many kinds of stewed meats, pork roasts, meatballs, meat loaves and cabbage rolls.

Ingredients:
1 large head cabbage
1/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup long-grain rice, cooked 10 minutes, rinsed, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, mashed (optional)
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3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (2-pound) package refrigerated sauerkraut or 1 (32-ounce) can
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup beef broth

Method:
Carefully remove large outer leaves from cabbage; you will need 12 leaves.

Wash leaves. Drop into a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes or until leaves are just flexible.

Remove and drain. Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

In a large bowl, combine ground pork, ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, if desired, egg, salt and pepper. Divide meat mixture evenly to make 12 balls.

Place 1 ball of meat on each cabbage leaf; wrap leaves tightly to enclose meat. Rinse and drain sauerkraut. Spread in the bottom of a large shallow baking pan.

Place filled cabbage leaves on top of sauerkraut. In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, brown sugar and beef broth.

Stir and bring to a boil. Pour over rolls. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour. Add more liquid if necessary during cooking. Makes 12 cabbage rolls.

Variation:
German-Style Cabbage Rolls: Omit sauerkraut and beef broth. Add 1/4 cup cider vinegar and 1 (12-ounce) bottle or can of beer to tomato-sauce mixture. Bake as above.
Serve with buttered cooked noodles.

Old Time Meat Loaf with Salt Pork

How to make Old Time Meat Loaf with Salt Pork Recipe - The original term "meat packer" meant somebody who packed meat in barrels with salt. Salt pork was the standard meat of Americans heading Westward.

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 pound salt pork, ground
3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup hot milk
!egg
1 teaspoon crumbled, dried, sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Relish

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

In a large bowl, blend beef with salt pork; push to side of bowl. On the other side of bowl, mix 1/2 cup bread crumbs with hot milk.

Blend meat, crumb mixture, egg, sage, celery salt and pepper.

Press into a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Top with remaining bread crumbs.

Bake 1 hour. Serve hot with relish of choice. Makes 8 servings.

Country Style Meat Loaf

How to make Country Style Meat Loaf Recipe - Meat loaves that are dry are so because they have been overcooked, or because they have too much oatmeal, rice, corn flakes or cereals for binders. This one is very juicy. Delicious served hot, it is also excellent served cold or used as a filling for sandwiches.

Ingredients:
2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
1 medium-sized onion, sliced crosswise into rings
2 eggs, unbeaten
1-1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 pint home-canned tomatoes or 1 (16-ounce) can whole, diced,
sliced or wedged tomatoes
2 bread slices, broken into pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bacon slices

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, combine beef, onion, eggs, mustard powder, chili powder, tomatoes with juice, bread, salt and pepper.

Mix until ingredients are evenly blended. Or, mix thoroughly with your hands in a large bowl. Pack mixture into a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

Place bacon slices on top of meat mixture.

Bake 1-1/2 hours. Makes 8 to 10 servings.