Families cook up winning beef recipes

A new cooking contest held at the Kentucky State Fair this year was “Beef Up The Kitchen,” sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Council to encourage family participation in the kitchen. The two categories for entries were Family Favorite beef recipe and Kids in the Kitchen.

Here are the winners and recipes:

Family Favorite beef recipe: Karen Turner, first place for Tex-Mex lasagna; Mary Heiniger, second place, honey-ginger beef shish-ka-bobs, and Lynn Rupley, third place, slow-cooked brisket, all of Louisville.

Kids in the Kitchen: Carter and Kristi Cox, first place for Philly cheese steak supper pancakes; Kelsi and Dale White, second place, fall-off-the-bone Mexican beef ribs; and Claire and Ken Cox, third place, southwestern stuffed flank steak, all of Louisville.

Tex-Mex lasagna
2 pounds ground chuck
2 packages taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 jar (16 ounces) medium salsa
3 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
6 burrito-size flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Sour cream, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground chuck in a nonstick skillet. Drain beef in a colander and pour two cups warm water over beef to remove excess fat. Do not place under running water. Pat beef with paper towel.

Place beef back into skillet and add taco seasoning and water. Cook on medium temperature until most liquid is gone. Spray a 9- by 15-inch baking dish with cooking spray and line bottom of dish with 2 tortillas.

Layer the following ingredients in the baking dish: Spread 1/2 can refried beans over tortilla. Spread 1/2 can of corn, 1/2 cup taco meat, 1 1/4 cups cheese, 3/4 cup salsa. Repeat next layer beginning with tortillas, then refried beans, taco meat, cheese, and salsa. Top with remaining 2 tortillas, salsa and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream.

Honey-ginger beef shish-ka-bobs
1 1/2 pounds ribeye steak, trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
1 zucchini, washed and cut in large thick slices (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup onion, cut into large chunks
1 red pepper, washed, cleaned from seeds and cut in 1 inch cubes
Marinade:
3/4 cup honey
3 teaspoons ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup canola oil
Wooden skewers for kabobs
2 cups cooked rice

Place steak in a two-quart bowl. Place zucchini, onion and pepper in a larger four-quart bowl. Mix honey, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and canola oil in a third bowl.

Pour half of the marinade over the meat and the remainder over the vegetables. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator. Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling kabobs.

Preheat grill to medium-high temperature. Place beef and vegetables on wooden skewers by alternating vegetables and beef. Grill for 15 minutes on medium high. Serve over cooked rice. Makes 3 servings.

Slow-cooked brisket
2 ounces liquid smoke
2 ounces Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 pounds beef brisket
1 large onion, sliced

Combine first seven ingredients stirring until it becomes a paste. Rub over all sides of brisket covering thoroughly. Place brisket and any remaining paste in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.

Next day remove beef from bag and cover with onion slices. Wrap in foil. 6. Bake at 300 degrees for six hours. Serve with garnish as desired. Makes 8 servings.

Philly cheese steak supper pancakes
4 1/2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/4 pounds top round steak, sliced thin
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
3 cups buttermilk
2 extra large eggs
9 ounces Provolone cheese, coarsely grated

In a skillet, cook onion in 4 tablespoons butter until caramelized and set aside. In same skillet, stir-fry steak until no longer pink. Remove and drain on paper towels. Allow beef to cool and then coarsely chop. Set aside.

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl whisking until blended. In blender, puree 11/2 cups caramelized onions with buttermilk and eggs. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until blended. Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter and gently mix into batter.

Heat griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread thin coating of butter over griddle. In a large custard cup, place 1 ounce-cooked beef and 2 tablespoons grated cheese. Pour 1/3 cup batter into custard cup and stir to blend. Pour from custard cup onto griddle. Cook until edge of pancake is dry, about 2 to 5 minutes or until well brown. Turn once cooking other side an additional 2 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Transfer to a heatproof plate and keep warm covered in oven.

To serve: place three pancakes on plate, top with a dollop of caramelized onions and sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Fall-off-the-bone Mexican beef ribs
28 ounces diced tomatoes
3 cans (13 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cans (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/4 cup sweet peppers in vinegar
1/4 cup vinegar from sweet pepper jar
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
2 pounds beef ribs, cut in half
Oil for searing meat

Mix tomatoes, sauce, sweet peppers, vinegar and spices together and bring to a simmer in a very large pot. Cut ribs to individual pieces with only one bone in each piece. Heat oil in skillet and sear each piece of meat. Drop ribs in sauce and cook for 11/2 to 2 hours over low heat stirring occasionally.

Southwestern stuffed flank steak
1 beef flank steak, 11/2 to 2 pounds
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, about 3 limes
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced and caramelized
2 roasted red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 4.5-ounce can chopped mild green chiles
3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Butterfly flank steak, pound thin and place in one-gallon plastic bag. In a bowl, combine lime juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and oil. Pour over flank steak. Marinate in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Remove steak and discard marinade. Sprinkle seasoning over steak and rub in. Spread remaining ingredients over steak in layers leaving at least 1/2 inch border.

Roll steak and tie with kitchen string or secure with toothpicks. Bake in 9- by 13-inch casserole dish at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Allow to stand five minutes, then cut into 3/4-inch thick slices and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.