Fried Steak

Time is flying by me like a stealth bomber.  That's seems to be my theme here lately.  So much to do so little time.  And I always thought that when the kids were out of the house, I would have all the leisure time I wanted.  Nope, the time I spent with them is just replaced with other stuff.

 Good news though. 

We finally bought a gas range. 

HOORAY!!!

It's a thing of beauty and I love it so.

First meal on the new range was a recipe we saw on "Worst Cooks in America".  We DVR it so we can skip all of the commercials.  In fact, that's the only way we watch anything now except for sports.  Anyway, my mind is wondering again.  Fried Steak.....Anne Burrell, who is fabulous in my opinion.  Anybody who can recognize and state without abandon, 'Brown Food Tastes Good' is a goddess in my book.

If you haven't seen the show, they take people who have no cooking skills whatsoever and try to teach them basic skills and who to put together some pretty elaborate dishes.  And of course, someone gets eliminated each week.  On this show, Anne's dish was a fried steak.  Now, whenever I think of fried steak I think of a breaded chicken fried steak or maybe even a pan fried round steak.  Both are good but this was different.  A good sirloin steak rubbed with a mix of brown sugar, cayenne, salt and garlic powder.  Then you don't even seare it, you just drop it in a pan with hot oil.

How beautiful is that?

Perfectly medium rare with a crispy crunchy outside.

It was wonderful!

Unexpected Surprise - Oxtails

I'm not a big grocery shopper as I have said before.  Charlie usually gets this chore.  I also get distracted easily, buy things that aren't on the list and end up with a cart full of stuff.

The other day when I had no choice but to stop at the store, I noticed a couple looking at the oxtails in the meat department.  I've always heard that oxtails are delicious and seen them cooked on Food Network but never attempted cooking them because they are so expensive.  The per pound cost is $4.78 so that puts it out of our budget.

As I continued through the store, the oxtails stayed on my mind.  I kept wondering if they really are as good as people said.  We could try them once and if they are good, we can make them something that we did for special occassions.  Can you see how I am trying to justify spending the money?

I saw the couple in the deli section and asked the woman if she would tell me how to cook them.  Luckily she was nice and didn't mind having her shopping interrupted by someone who was typing  every word into a phone.  I told you, I'm easily distracted and didn't want to forget.  She talked and I typed.

This kind woman assured me that they are delicious and if I cooked them low and slow, I would love them.  She was right. 

The only thing I didn't get was her name.  I would love to thank her for sharing the recipe with me.

Oxtails

2 1/2 pounds of Oxtails
Water
Salt and Pepper
1 package onion soup mix
1 package frozen soup mix (carrots, okra, onions, etc)
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
Patience - remember - low and slow

Season the oxtails with salt and pepper.  Put them in a dutch oven and cover with water.  Bring the water to boiling then turn it down to a slow simmer.  Leave them alone for at least 2 hours.  You are looking for fork tender.  Don't be alarmed if they have to cook longer.  Just walk away.  They won't over cook.

When you are satisfied that they are fork tender, drain the water.  Add the onion soup mix and cover with fresh water.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Simmer for another 20 minutes.

At the end of this long wait you get the most scruptious, flavorful meat you have ever tasted.  It's a Sunday pot roast, only better.  I didn't expected it to be so much like soup so Charlie made mashed potatoes to go with it.  Even so, it was the perfect combination.

This is Charlie's plate.  He ate his like a roast.

This is my bowl.  I pulled the meat off the bone and at it like soup, sort of.  It was a very thick, wonderful soup.

As we ate, we kept coming up with different sides that would go with the oxtails.  But we never thought about changing the oxtail recipe.  It is just too good!

Thank you kind grocery store shopper.  I will always remember the nervous look on your face when I asked if I could bother you and how gracious you were to share your recipe with us.

Live, Laugh, Love  - and be kind to strangers in the grocery store
Karen

Logan's Roadhouse - Restaurant Review

This was my first time visiting a Logan's Roadhouse.  I expected the steak to be the high point but it wasn't.   The restaurant is nice and the staff was helpful.

I placed the to go order at the bar and watched Sports Center as I waited.  It's a relaxed place so I didn't feel strange sitting at a bar by myself at 2:00 in the afternoon even if I wasn't drinking.

Order #1 - Strip Steak - you get two sides.  I chose a baked potato and salad with ranch dressing.

Order #2 - Shrimp and Ribs - also two sides.  For this one I went with fries and mac and cheese.  (yeah, I know, lot's of starch but I couldn't decide and have been craving some good mac and cheese.

I requested the steak to be cooked on the rare side of medium rare and it was more to medium.  The baked potato came wrapped in foil with the toppings in separate containers.  By the way, cheese and bacon cost an extra buck.  There was no salad in the bag.  Charlie's comment...it's ok.
 

On the upside, the ribs were tender and tasty.  The shrimp and fries were the usual and nothing special.  The mac and cheese cured my craving for a while.  I like mine thrown under the broiler and given some crust on the top but this was creamy and good.

You also get bread with your order.  It was soft and flavorful.  And eaten before I could snap a picture.

Our Thoughts:
Would we go back?  Maybe if we were in the area and had time to eat in the restaurant. 
Would we make a special trip?  No
Was there anything that left me wanting more?  Not really
The upside - the ribs
The downside - no salad and overcooked steak

Steak Sandwiches

This is one of the best and easiest sandwich ideas.  I promise you will love it.

Here's what you need:
4 onions
9 tablespoons of butter (divided)
16 oz mushrooms
Strip steak
Soy sauce
Sub rolls
horseradish or horseradish sauce
Swiss cheese

Start with 4 onions and caramelize with 3 tablespoons of butter.

      Caramelizing is easy.  Melt the butter in a pan and add the onions.  Cover for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

In another skillet, saute one pound of butter in 6 tablespoons of butter.

Grill a two strip steak to medium rare.

Let them rest for about 15 minutes.  They've been working hard and need this extra time to themselves.

Then slice into thin pieces.

Add the steak and mushrooms to the onions along with 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce.  Mix them all together.

Next up, The Bread.  I use sub rolls, you could use crusty french bread or whatever you like.  Slice them enough to open up but not all the way through. Put them on a foil lined baking sheet and turn the broiler on.

Smear a little horseradish or horseradish sauce on each bun.  Remember a little goes a long way and it want it to compliment the steak not overtake it. 

Now load them up.  Fill each bun with the steak, onion and mushroom mixture and top with swiss cheese.

You want alot of meat in each one.  This is really a meal than a sandwich. Now that you are completely hungry and ready to eat.  Put them in the broiler for about 5 minutes.  This will melt that wonderful cheese and get the buns all toasty.  Yummy. 

You can cut them in half and have them as a meal or I have cut each one into 4 pieces to serve at parties.  And they are great as leftovers the next day.

Enjoy!