For many meat lovers, nothing beats a quality piece of beef. Not only is beef absolutely delicious, but there are also so many different cuts that it is one of the most versatile meats available to both the home cook and professional chefs. With a little love, there are some incredible beef dishes that even amateur cooks can easily whip up and which will impress even the most hardened food critic.
To help you blow away your dinner guests, here are 4 easy beef recipes that make you look like a pro.
1. Garlic Butter Beef Steak
This is the perfect comfort food to warm the belly on a cold winter’s evening, and the best thing about it is that it takes no cooking skills at all. In this recipe from CorrieCooks.com, after you buy organic butter powder and once you have all the ingredients prepared, all you need to do is pop them all in the instant pot and go and relax. Here is how to make a rich, comforting garlic butter beef steak.
Ingredients:
- Sirloin or fillet steak (250g per person)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 knob of salted butter
- Rosemary
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to Season
Preparation:
- Prepare your steak by seasoning with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Chop the garlic and mix with the butter
- Add rosemary to taste.
Cooking:
- Sear the steak in an instant pot on the saute setting
- Rub on the garlic and rosemary butter
- Cook to your preferred temperature on the instant pot’s slow setting.
Pro Tip: For the perfect side dish, fry some hand-cut french fries until they are golden brown!
2. Spicy Steak Fajitas
There‘s nothing like a bit of spice to liven up your dinner time, and this recipe is perfect for a Saturday night with a few friends (and maybe a little tequila!) Any kind of steak will work for this one but the better the cut, the more tender your fajitas will be. Always source the freshest vegetables so that they still retain their crunch even after sauteeing.
Ingredients:
- Sirloin or minute steak (150g per person)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 hot red chili
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 large red onion
- Wheat flour tortillas wraps
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Sour Cream
Preparation:
- Chop the steak into 3cm strips and season with salt and pepper
- Roughly chop the vegetables and chilies
- Finely dice the garlic
Cooking:
- Saute the steak in olive oil until it has a nice brown color
- Add the vegetables and garlic and cook for two minutes (don’t let the vegetables go soft!)
- Place the mixture onto fajita wraps and add sour cream to taste.
- Roll up
Pro Tip: Don’t add the vegetables to the steak until it has a nice color. Adding the vegetables too early will add water to the pan so that the steak will boil rather than sear.
3. One Pot Winter Beef Stew
The great thing about this recipe is that it is so adaptable, and you can really add any root vegetables that you like to enhance the flavor. This is another great recipe for a winter’s evening and tastes just as good as leftovers the next day!
Ingredients:
- Braising Steak (150g per person)
- 2 clove of garlic
- 2 large sticks of celery
- 1 white onion
- 2 large white potatoes
- 1 swede
- 1 large carrot
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- Beef Stock (2 liters)
- 100 ml Red Wine
- Thyme, Oregano, Bay Leaves
- Olive Oil
Preparation:
- Roughly chop the beef and vegetables and season with salt and pepper
- Chop the thyme and oregano but leave the bay leaves whole
Cooking:
- Color the steak at the bottom of a large saucepan in the olive oil
- Add the chopped vegetables except for the potatoes and saute until soft
- Add the beef stock, red wine, herbs, and potatoes
- Put the lid on and cook for 45 minutes
Pro Tip: If you want to add some more body to your winter stew then you can also add 1 cup of pre-soaked lentils. It is really important to reduce the amount of vegetables you use if you add the lentils or the whole thing can become far too thick
Beef really is the perfect meat for anyone who loves cooking (and eating!). The most important thing with beef is that you cook each cut in the way it is supposed to be cooked. Sauteing braising steak or slow cooking a ribeye is not going to do justice to the meat. Take your time, and treat beef with respect, and you will create a mouth-watering dish to impress your dinner guests.