Better than Outback Sirloin Steak

Better than Outback
Sirloin Steaks
I have always liked the Outback Restaurant. One of their most famous menu items is the marinated steak. These steaks are rich with an earthy hops flavor. As you might have guessed, that hops flavor comes from beer. Now, I doubt that there is anything Australian about this recipe but if you like, you can use Foster's or another Australian beer in the marinade.
Enjoy.


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Brazilian Garlic Sirloin

Brazilian Garlic Sirloin



Brazil is known for the Brazilian BBQ or Churrasco.  A churrasco is an all you can eat meat festival of a buffet.  Brazilian servers dressed as gaúchos or cowboys bring large skewers of flame roasted meats to the table and the you can eat until you pop.  One of the hallmark meats at a churrasco is the garlic sirloin.  It is a delicacy that everyone should have at least once in their lives and it is surprisingly easy to make at home if you have a smoker or outdoor rotisserie (you may prepare this in your oven but you will miss out on the smokey goodness associated with this dish).  So bring a little bit of Brazil home to your dinner table with this Brazilian culinary classic.

Enjoy.
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Border Steaks

Border Steaks



Tonight I was in the mood for a little Tex-Mex flavor.  I was also in the mood for a nice steak.  Thus the Border Steak was born.  Made with fresh ground spices, tomato, and molasses, this dish brings a distinct southern flavor without being too spicy or over powering.  The best thing about this steak is that after a 30 minute soak in the marinade, the marinade is then cooked to make a great BBQ sauce for your dipping pleasure.  This is delicious with Spanish Rice and Peas.

Enjoy.
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Beef Stroganoff


Beef Stroganoff is a classic Russian dish of diced beef served in a cream sauce.  It is enjoyed in nearly every region of the world and has many regional variations.  I developed this recipe after a careful review of both classic and modern versions of the dish.  Unfortunately, in America, hamburger and cream of mushroom soup have been combined into an unholy union and have been called beef stroganoff.  That is really unfortunate.  



Beef Stroganoff is neither a mild or overpowering dish.  It is a dish filled with subtlety in both flavor and texture.  The overtones of the wine and the cognac give a fruity aftertaste and the texture of the medium rare tenderloin or filet mignon is almost like melting butter in your mouth.  

This dish has evolved over the centuries and perhaps one of the greatest evolutionary steps forward came in 1912 when both tomatoes and onions were added to the dish.  These two ingredients added a new depth and dimension to an already classic epicurean delight.  

I lived in Portugal and while there I gained a great love of olive oil.  Olive oil adds a distinctive Mediterranean flavor to this dish.  If you would prefer a more French version of the dish you could substitute any light flavorless vegetable oil for the olive oil and substitute minced shallots for the yellow onion.  

In Russia, stroganoff is served with potato straws (seasoned match stick french fries) but in America the egg noodle has become a constant companion to stroganoff.  I encourage you to make your egg noodles from scratch and please use real butter (European style butter is best) never substitute margarine for butter in a recipe.  Margarine has a different melting temperature and water content than butter and as such performs poorly when substituted for butter.

So if you have never had authentic beef stroganoff before I envy you the opportunity to taste this classic staple of the European table.  If you like the hamburger and mushroom soup concoction that people call beef stroganoff, I encourage you to make this dish and then rename what you have been making; because, after tasting this you will never want to call the other “beef stroganoff” again.

Enjoy.
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