Medium or Well-Done For You?

Are you clueless when you cook your fave beef steak or tenderloin? Not sure if it is cooked to your liking - medium or well-done? You will be able to tell how cooked the beef is just by touching it..

Over a hot grill, steaks cook quickly, going from very soft (very rare) to somewhat soft with a bit of spring (medium) to quite firm (well done). Just need a little practice and close observation, I'm sure you will be able to estimate the cooking time for your steak.

Beef Casserole

My hubby loves home-cooked meals. Due to my hectic schedule, cooking beef casserole will be an ideal option for a weekday dinner. I can easily prepare this and leave it to simmer while I get ready for work. Simply re-heat the casserole when I return from work. Fuss-free....

Ingredients (Serve 6)
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
30g unsalted butter
1kg beef steak, chopped into 2cm chunks
2 white onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 baby carrots, cut into cubes
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
250ml cooking red wine
500ml beef / vegetable stock
400g canned chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp plain flour

Method
Heat a wide-based casserole. Add half portion of oil and butter.

Cook the beef in 2 batches when the pan is hot. Brown the beef chunks evenly and transfer them and sauce into a bowl.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in the same pan. Over low heat, stir fry onion, garlic for 1 minute.

Add in carrots and celery. Keep stirring and cook until the onion is soft.

Add the tomato paste and flour to cook for another minute.

Increase to high heat and add the cooked beef and red wine. Stir the mixture and cook until the wine has reduced to half.

Reduce heat to medium, then add the tomatoes and stock.

Simmer with the pan uncovered for approx. 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours. Stir occassionally until the sauce is thick and beef is tender.

Serve warm with steamed rice or mashed potatoes.

Kimchi Spaghetti

I simply love kimchi, therefore decided to inject some Asian influence to my pasta. It is a refreshing change from the usual aglio olio, cream or tomato based. This receipt will appeal to folks of all ages. If you are serving this to kids, you can reduce the portion of chili padi. accordingly.

Ingredients (Serve 2)
Spaghetti
150g lean ground beef, marinated with pinch of salt and black pepper
200g kimchi
1 small carrot, julienne
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 medium white onion, sliced
4 pieces chili padi, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp Japanese soya sauce
1 tbsp Chinese Hua Diao wine
Bonito flakes

Method
Add salt and olive oil to a pot of boiling water. Cook the spaghetti for 8 mins and stir occasionally.

Drain the spaghetti and drizzle some olive oil and toss. Set aside.

Add some olive oil into a pan. Stir fry the garlic and onions for 30 seconds. Add in the chili padi, followed by the carrots.

When the carrots are slightly soft, stir in the ground beef and kimchi. Stir in the cooked spaghetti.

Drizzle some olive oil if the pan is dry. Pour in the Japanese soya sauce and Hua Diao Wine. Make sure the spaghetti is evenly coated with the ingredients.

Place the spaghetti on a serving plate and top with some bonito flakes.

Serve warm.

Miso Pork Chops

This dish has never failed me whenever I have this on a dinner party menu. It is an easy to prepare recipe too.. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Serve 2)
2 pcs pork chops

Marinade
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup mirin or sake
2 1/2 tbsp red miso paste
Pinch of pepper

Method
Gently pound the pork chops with a meat mallet or tenderizer. Rub marinade on the pork chops and set aside for a few hours or preferably overnight.

Heat some olive oil in a grill pan. Brown both sides of the pork chops and make sure they are well cooked.

Place pork chops on serving plates. Heat the remaining marinade and drizzle it on the chops.

Serve immediately. Great to have some grilled zucchini or corn on the side!

Spicy Honey Glazed Prime Ribs

Ingredients (Serve 6)
1 kg prime ribs

Marinade
1/4 cup of oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp honey
3 tsp paprika
4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried coriander
3 tbsp cooking red wine
8 tbsp tomato ketchup
8 tbsp sugar
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium red onion, sliced

Sauce
3 tbsp butter, lightly salted
2 tbsp cooking red wine
3 tbsp fresh cream

Method
Blend the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Marinate the prime ribs in a zip-lock bag overnight.

Grill the ribs on a grill pan till they are well-cooked.

Add butter to a pan, followed by the remaining marinade, red wine and cream. Simmer till the sauce thickens. Drizzle sauce over the ribs before serving.