Beefing Up

Welcome to Carson’s College Eats, your go-to spot for all things cooking while in college. My goal is to be your right-hand man in getting you off the ground at the beginning of your cooking journey.

Today’s blog will take a peek into our second meal type - beef. You might notice a trend here, which is splitting up meal categories by the type of meat, whether that is chicken, beef, seafood, etc. While I do not often branch out into protein-free or non-meat protein sources very often, that is just my style in the kitchen. If you’re looking for the best tofu stir-fry or quinoa salad, I’m not your guy.

Like in our chicken blog, we’ll cover the basics about all things beef, including what to buy, how to prepare and my top five favourite recipes incorporating beef.

What To Buy:

Almost all of my chicken dishes can incorporate boneless, skinless breasts, even if the recipe calls for thighs, so that is generally what I purchase. Beef is different. Recipes vary considerably when it comes to the main event. Whether it's a $5 pound of lean ground beef like we used for our Gameday Tacos or a $200 Wagyu Steak, you must know what to get. Here is a valuable guide from Masterclass for your reference.

I’ll also take you through some of the basic types I purchase on a week-to-week basis and commonly utilize in my top recipes.

Ground Beef: I won’t spend too much time on ground beef since we already covered what to buy in our last blog. While tacos are the classic exemplar of ground beef, I’ve incorporated it in several other recipes with tremendous success. It is a cheap, quick and easy protein source that helps spice up a variety of recipes.

Burger Patties: As the name suggests, this item is not exceptionally versatile. When making burgers, however, pre-made patties are a great time saver, which is always of utmost importance to myself and my fellow students. A pack of two will generally cost about $7-$9. I can picture my Dad glaring at me as I write this, as he is a big proponent of mixing ground beef and several ingredients in a bowl before forming the patties of his famous stuffed burgers. If only I had more time in the kitchen, Dad.

Fajita Steak: Several of my steak recipes will use what I call “fajita steak” - cheap and thin cuts of sirloin that both defrost and cook quickly. At Wegmans, I look for “Perfect Portion Sirloin,” which goes anywhere from $5 to $8. It is easy to slice and, as the name suggests, the perfect portion size for many dishes, including stir-fries, pasta and steak sandwiches.

Steak Steak: College luxury. Due to financial conservation, I generally only make a real steak on special occasions (birthday eve, end of exam season, etc.). If I ate less boneless, skinless chicken, I might be able to have steak more, but so be it. I typically go for a New York Strip, Tenderloin, or really anything that looks good for under $20. Feel free to explore your local grocery’s meat section and pick whatever looks good on your plate and in your bank account.

How to Prepare

Like with chicken, different beef recipes call for different methods of preparation. While you can substitute one method for another on certain occasions, I’d generally suggest following the recipe unless you don’t have access to the recommended appliance or are attempting to save time.

Stove:

Ground beef will almost exclusively be cooked on the stove. Like with our tacos, you generally plop your portion of beef into a greased/oiled pan before breaking it into chunks and applying your spices while you wait for it to brown.

Any steak recipe can also be made on the stove. While I generally make “steak steak” on a grill, if you don’t have one, you can also make it on the stove. Pan-frying is typically the preparation method I use for my “fajita steak” recipes. I generally slice the meat into strips before frying them on the stove. I apply spices and flip several times until cooked evenly. Thin cuts of striploin are often referred to as “fast fry,” so be sure not to overdo it.

Grill:

I am a massive proponent of the grill. I make my steak steak and burgers on the grill, and the Canadian in me insists on doing so no matter the weather. For steak, my benchmark is four flips, 3 minutes each/6 minutes per side. I prefer my steak at medium (140-150ºF), so if you prefer it rarer or more well-done, adjust accordingly. As with chicken, I apply the meat thermometer when moving on to the fourth flip to assess whether an adjustment is needed.

I typically do the same with Burgers, except opt for 3.5 minutes per flip or 6 minutes per side. The perfect burger, in my eyes, has only traces of pink when you bite in, generally coinciding with an internal temp of 150-160ºF. My burgers are always cheeseburgers, so unless you’re weird and don’t like cheese, add your slice of cheese only after you’ve measured the internal temp, and it is approaching the proper point.

Oven: The oven is typically used on rare occasions when beef is concerned. The only time I can recall using the oven for the actual cooking process is for meatloaf. More commonly, you’ll see recipes (often skillets, pastas or casseroles) that insist you brown your beef on the stove prior to baking. In these cases, the oven is typically used to melt cheese or warm veggies.

Top 5 Beef Recipes

5. Classic Meatloaf. For some reason, meatloaf is a controversial dish. You either love it or hate it. I have long tried to perfect it. Sometimes, it turns out great, and sometimes it falls apart when you serve it. Patience is key. Regardless, it always tastes good. Just be sure to apply lots of sauce and not overcook it, as there is nothing worse than dry meatloaf.

4. Cheeseburger Casserole. This is an easy dish that really does a lot. Simply brown your beef as you do for tacos and arrange the ingredients in a baking dish according to the instructions. Throwing the casserole in the oven really promotes the layering of this dish and melts the cheese to a desirable level.

3. Philly Cheesesteaks. While only third on this list, I call cheesesteaks one of my signature dishes. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, you can use either “fajita steak” or a thinner cut of “steak steak” for this gem. I’ve actually made this best on a griddle, but the stove works just fine, too.

2. Cheeseburgers. Cheeseburgers have long been my favourite comfort food, and this recipe is undoubtedly my most made. I strongly recommend the grill, but the stove works, too. I typically don't need to follow a burger recipe, but this one has a great sauce you can use.

1. Strip Steak with Sauteed Mushroom & Onions. What a treat this is. My spice combination is The Keg steak spice, garlic powder and sea salt, and I follow that religiously. It helps to have a partner sautee the mushrooms and onions while you’re outside grilling, but you can also do so before or after grilling. If frying your steak on a stove, you can use another burner for your veggies simultaneously. Shoot for 130º-140º for medium rare, 140-150º for medium or 150-160º for medium-well.