Beef stew from the South of France: Daube Provençal

White wine, orange zest, cloves and olives make Daube Provençal a brighter South-of-France take on Boeuf Bourgignon. Recipe below.

SAY TRADITIONAL FRENCH BEEF STEW and what usually springs to mind is Boeuf Bourgignon, the classic hearty, meaty stew of the Burgundy region, made with mushrooms, bacon, pearl onions, carrots and a big-bodied red wine, usually Burgundy. But the South of France has its own traditional stew, Daube Provençal, with a distinctively brighter flavor. Continue reading “Beef stew from the South of France: Daube Provençal” →

Beef Pot Roast with Beer and Juniper Berries

Flavorful beef chuck roast, braised with beer, juniper berries, onion, garlic, potatoes and carrots, is perfect comfort food on a chilly fall or winter evening.

CHUCK ROASTS ARE ONE OF OUR FAVORITE CUTS OF BEEF. Besides appealing to our thrifty side, inexpensive cuts like this are also some of the more flavorful ones, and their initial toughness disappears with long, slow oven braising/roasting. Most often when we roast a chuck roast, we use red wine. In this recipe, a lighter flavored beer makes the roast feel less heavy. And juniper berries, a key ingredient in gin, add a bracing light freshness that contrasts nicely with the inherent heaviness of the beef and root vegetables, giving it a wintry brightness. You’ll find the recipe—and links to some of our other favorite chuck roast recipes—here.

Nice and easy, like summer: Skillet Barbecue Pork Chops

Store-bought barbecue sauce and stovetop cooking make the summery taste of barbecue pork chops weeknight quick and easy. Recipe below.

SUMMER AND BARBECUED PORK CHOPS JUST GO TOGETHER. Unless, like us, you still haven’t gotten your grill out (patio redo delays), or you don’t/can’t grill where you live. These skillet barbecue pork chops give you delicious summery saucy flavor with the bonus of being truly weeknight quick. And the bonus bonus of leaving you with just a skillet to clean, not your grill. Continue reading “Nice and easy, like summer: Skillet Barbecue Pork Chops” →

An Umami-rich Classic Beef Hamburger

Adding fish sauce dials up the savory goodness in this simple classic hamburger recipe. Recipe below.

WE LOVE BURGERS. BIG, JUICY, BEEFY, CLASSIC HAMBURGERS. But somehow, we’ve never made them for the blog. I discovered that last weekend when we wanted to make burgers and could only find turkey and lamb burger recipes here. As I looked for recipes elsewhere, Marion mentioned reading something about dialing up the burger umami with an unexpected ingredient. Continue reading “An Umami-rich Classic Beef Hamburger” →

The dependable comforts of home: Pot Roast with Mustard

White wine and two French mustards give this meaty roast a surprisingly light finish. Recipe below.

OUR FRIEND RONNIE ANN SAYS POT ROASTS ARE “LIKE A WARM HUG FROM HOME.” We agree. So when we found chuck roast on sale recently, we snatched one right up. And looking for something new to do with a pot roast, we thought of one of the oldest culinary tricks up our sleeve: add mustard. Two mustards, actually. Continue reading “The dependable comforts of home: Pot Roast with Mustard” →

Seven pot roast recipes make the most of cold weather and our favorite cheap cut of beef

Belgian Pot Roast with Onions and Mushrooms

THE ARRIVAL OF COLD WEATHER HAS US THINKING POT ROAST. Hearty, flavorful, soul-satisfying slabs of meat, usually accompanied by root vegetables that have cooked with it, everything swapping flavors and becoming better for it. And usually, an excuse to have the oven on for hours, warming the kitchen and filling the house with divine meaty smells. If you’re thinking this sounds good, here are seven recipes to try. Continue reading “Seven pot roast recipes make the most of cold weather and our favorite cheap cut of beef” →

A busy weekend made easier: Grilled Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Lemon

A simple marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, garlic and Dijon mustard tenderizes and subtly flavors these chops. Recipe below.

AT THE END OF A BUSY LABOR DAY WEEKEND—Saturday in Milwaukee visiting our daughter and her boyfriend, a Sunday ramen dinner out with Marion’s sister—the actual holiday Monday found us at home, just the two of us. We wanted something meaty, preferably grilled, and not too laborious, given the day. These lamb chops absolutely delivered. Continue reading “A busy weekend made easier: Grilled Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Lemon” →

A tangy touch for meaty richness: Lamb Chops with Artichoke Hearts

Canned or frozen artichoke hearts and lemon juice add a tangy brightness to pan-seared lamb chops. Recipe below.

THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS TO EAT ARTICHOKE HEARTS. Let’s start with ways they’re really good for you. Artichoke hearts are packed with nutrients, including vitamins A, C and K, loads of protein (yes, actually) and dietary fiber. Oh, and more antioxidants than any other vegetable. But for us, the best reason to eat them is they’re delicious. Continue reading “A tangy touch for meaty richness: Lamb Chops with Artichoke Hearts” →

Boneless Leg of Lamb makes this classic spring roast even easier

Rosemary, thyme and loads of garlic flavor this traditional (and boneless) roast leg of lamb. Recipe below.

LAMB IS A YEAR-ROUND FAVORITE WITH US, in all its forms. But in the spring, what we really want is leg of lamb. There is just something celebratory and spring-welcoming about roasting this big joint of meat, its aroma filling the house, then carving and sharing it with others. Even though it’s just the two of us now, we couldn’t resist making leg of lamb this year. Continue reading “Boneless Leg of Lamb makes this classic spring roast even easier” →

Pork Chops with Fennel, a one-pot cozy winter meal

Fennel bulbs help flavor these chops—and serve as a side in this one-pot, weeknight-quick meal. Recipe below.

NEVER TRUST IDEAS HAD AT 1:45 IN THE MORNING. I was lying awake last Saturday at said hour, realizing we didn’t have a recipe to post this coming Wednesday and knowing we would be out of town on Sunday. Suddenly, I thought of cooking pork chops with fennel bulbs. It sounded like a great idea, one-pot simple and a cozy winter antidote—I sent myself a note and went to sleep. It was a great idea. We’d done it in 2015. Continue reading “Pork Chops with Fennel, a one-pot cozy winter meal” →