Shredded Beef Pot Roast with Orange and Thyme

Hints of thyme and orange zest flavour this long-simmered beef roast.  The meat is then shredded and served with pan juices over warm, creamy, garlic mashed potatoes.

As said above, I served shredded and beef over garlic mashed potatoes but this subtly flavoured beef could be served a multitude of ways - on a crusty bun with cheese and onion, over rice or even stuffed into tacos!  Don't let the long cooking time dissuade you, once the ingredients are in the pot there is nothing to do for hours until the meat is cooked.

I used inside round roast for this recipe but any beef roast (barring a very lean cut like tenderloin) would work for this recipe - if the cut you use has bones, remove while shredding meat.  Also, to save on cooking time you can cut your roast in large chunks before searing.

This recipe is easily adapted to the slow cooker as well, simply follow recipe instructions until all ingredients are placed back into the dutch oven at step 3, and cook on high for six hours, low for ten then resume recipe steps at step 5!

Slow Cooker Beef Phở

Phở is a delicious, long simmering Vietnamese beef soup with a rich, flavourful broth and light rice noodles.  Often garnished with fresh herbs, onions, and crisp bean sprouts, the complex but light broth is flavoured with cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom

The slow cooker makes the process of simmering this soup much easier.  Simply add all ingredients to the slow cooker and allow it to do all the work for you!  

Top your bowl with thin sliced beef, meatballs, fresh herbs and onions before serving and enjoy a warm bowl of traditional Vietnamese comfort food!

Jen's Ball Game Meat Balls

This is my friend Jen's recipe for Ball Game meatballs! A sweet and sour meatball with a twist! Don't let the sauerkraut scare you, it adds a subtle sourness to the recipe that's balanced by the cranberry and chili!
I've used frozen meatballs here but you can make your own of course - Jen's hint for fast and easy meatballs - Ground Beef and Stovetop Stuffing!

Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with Spiced Tomato Rice, Fresh Guacamole and Home made Flour Tortillas

This meal has made the top ten best things we've eaten at home...(don't ask me what else is on that list cause I can't tell you...ha ha) but this was just divine We have never cooked a flank steak before and wasn't sure where to begin...the only thing I knew was to 'cut it across the grain' after cooking to ensure it would be tender (and tender it was!), juicy, flavourful. We could have eaten the whole thing...but restrained ourselves...just barely.

We wrapped out grilled steak in home made tortillas with spicy tomato rice and guacamole, but this steak would be great with a big heap of garlic mashed potatoes or in a sandwich too. I can just as easily see this piled on a crusty roll with provolone cheese and grilled onions!

Mom's Meatloaf and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

There is nothing like meatloaf, for some, it's the ultimate comfort food.  This is a simple, easy to put together recipe that never fails.  Serve with mashed potatoes or the Roasted Rosemary Potato recipe that accompanies.  Serve with a salad for a delicious, comforting meal.

Teriyaki Grilled Steak

This is a really great, flavorful marinade that can be used on any cut of beef. It would also be wonderful on pork tenderloin or whole chicken pieces - just adjust your cooking time and marinading time accordingly.

The Naked Burger

I came across an argument on Burger Lab that stated a perfectly wonderful burger could be made with nothing but good ol'beef and S&P. No egg, no crumbs, no fancy seasoning...nothing.

The article says a lot of other stuff too, great stuff, like grinding your own meat....um...not only do I not have a meat grinder...oh wait...yes I do...but still..who has the TIME? Oh.....me? Well...yes, but still......there is a certain lazy factor in place here...so I used plain old ground beef for these burgers. Please feel free to grind your own! or use supermarket fare...either way, this makes a great burger!

Start with ground beef -- no particular amount here because, well...there's no real recipe! (I think I used about a pound for three burgers).  Salt your patties liberally before grilling (and not before) for a delicious, no fuss, no muss, all around delicious burger.

One more note -- the Burger Lab also says to form your patties with a slight divot in the centre to prevent "meatball burger".  I've done this and it works every time!