Speedy Beef Barbecue USA, or, Steak & Rice with Tomato Sauce

You might, upon reading the title of this recipe, think to yourself, ‘Oh, a patriotic summer recipe that would have been perfect for celebrating American Independence Day yesterday. I wonder why she didn’t post it then?’ but the answer to that question is simple: this is neither barbecue (by any definition I know of), nor is it particularly USA. In fact, if I had to choose a country where this seems like it should have come from, it would be the UK, where meat-in-sauce is inexplicably paired with rice. (See: British chili)

I didn’t read this recipe before I decided to make it and had Judson pick up the ingredients, but I was excited for proper barbecue-type meal since summer in Scotland can otherwise be a bit of a letdown. But then I started making it and quickly realised it’s not barbecue and not ‘American’ by any definition I’ve ever read. So I saved it for the day after 4th of July (the LEAST patriotic day of the year).

Considering the title of this recipe sounds like something two cartoon bears would try to sell you after climbing onto each other’s shoulders and zipping themselves into one long coat to pretend to be a businessman, my hopes weren’t high. And while this is absolutely not American summer food, it was way delicious and a good way to warm up on a day when the hottest recorded temperature in history in my city is only 22 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s not pretty, but it is ‘speedy’ and it was definitely delicious. Might I recommend this next time you find yourself soaked to the bone in a sudden summer rainstorm and in need of a non-salad meal?

The verdict:

4 spoons out of five. Judson and I literally fought over the leftovers, they were so delicious. I’m only knocking off a spoon because the steak was so expensive that, while this was definitely a ‘speedy’ meal, a budget meal it was not.

two years ago: Seven Layer Salad

The recipe:

Speedy Beef Barbecue USA

The directions:

Cut steak against the grain into strips 1 ½ inches thick.
Brown steak in goose fat until just browned on the stovetop in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Blitz tomatoes in a food processor until smooth, then add lime juice, soy sauce, onion, brown sugar and ginger.
Pour sauce over meat.
Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes until thickened and reduced.
Cook rice according to package directions, then add butter, salt and green pepper in last 3 minutes of cook time.
Fluff rice with a fork, then spoon around the edge of your serving platter.
Spoon Speedy Beef Barbecue USA in the centre.

Yields 4-6 servings.

The ingredients:

1 kilo (2 lbs) round steak
2 tbsp goose fat (or drippings)
16 oz canned tomatoes
2 tsp lime juice
¼ c soy sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp ginger
1 tsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 small green pepper, cut into strips
1 c instant rice

Ribs in Tomato Barbecue Sauce

Summer in Scotland is practically here and while that does mean that I am still wearing my heavy coat to work, haven’t yet given up my boots for the season and still have to dress Holtzmann in her tiny coat/cape at least once a week before we go out, it ALSO means that the days are longer (it’s still light at 9:30pm and we still have 6 more weeks of lengthening days ahead of us!), the sun is brighter and everything is finally green.

This is also the first summer that we’ve had access to the garden behind our flat (not for any good reason except that no one in our building uses it and we didn’t want to be the ones to dislodge Spidertown, the Edinburgh suburb that had built up in front of the doorway), and let me tell you- it’s an awesome garden. I take it for granted because I spend a lot (read: all) of my mornings out there trying to coax an alternately sleepy or rambunctious Holtzmann into doing her- ahem- business, but I stopped to think about it this week and that garden is the stuff dreams are made of. Or, at least, the stuffmy dreams were made of when I was a kid living in the sticky Florida heat and spending all my time reading about faraway European gardens. I mean, seriously, this garden has got it all: a wrought-iron fence, ivy and roses climbing up the crumbling stone wall, daffodils and tulips tangled with brambles and hydrangeas and a single tree, nearly three stories tall, planted in the perfect spot to block the view into the Italian restaurant’s kitchen that also shares a window into the garden with us.

So of course, with new and exciting access to the garden, we’re planning all kinds of cookouts down there in the coming months. It’s the perfect spot to bring a glass of wine and an excited puppy at the end of a long day, and soon we hope to host our first garden dinner party… though we might have to provide blankets for our guests, as Scottish nights still leave a little to be desired.

But if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere warm, where the nights aren’t yet too hot to be outside and the days aren’t yet demanding you stay in the AC, then these are the perfect thing to make outside on a grill (and if, like me, you do live in the frigid north, you can make these just as tasty in your very own kitchen). Not too sweet, not too tangy, this sauce is the perfect middle-of-the-road barbecue sauce sure to please everyone you make it for, even if they’re from Scotland and don’t know the difference between Eastern & Western North Carolina style barbecue sauce. (Just make sure you really like the people you invite over to eat these ribs with you, because you’re all going to be a mess afterward).

Some notes, of course:

I can't get two of the five ingredients of this sauce recipe, so I improvised with what I can get my hands on, and that's what is listed in my notes below. If you're stateside, you can follow the ingredients as listed in the image of the recipe.

The verdict:

4 spoons out of five. Still the best barbecue sauce I’ve made from the recipe box, but I have strong barbecue standards, people.

Barbecue Sauces, Previously: Spicy-Sweet Barbecue Sauce and Simple Barbecue Sauce

One year ago: Smoked Haddock Fish Pie
Two years ago: Diva cake

the recipe:

Tomato Barbecue Sauce

the directions:

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Brush oil over foil large enough to completely enclose ribs.
Salt and pepper ribs generously on both sides, then seal foil packet around them and cook until almost done, approximately 15 minutes, depending on your oven.
While ribs are cooking, mix together remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until sauce is very sticky and onions are tender.
When ribs are almost done, open foil packets and brush ribs generously with sauce.
Allow to finish cooking, then brush with additional sauce before serving, preferably with corn on the cob and a fresh green salad.

the ingredients:

2 lbs ribs
Vegetable oil for brushing
1/3 c black treacle
1/3 c golden syrup
1/3 c scant brown sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 c tomato passata
¼ c onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt to taste

Barbecued Individual Meatloaves

At last, a recipe in the box for those of us trying to watch our figure after eating one cheesecake a month for the last seven months!* I'm not even kidding: these meatloaves have only 210 calories per serving, including the sauce! (And before you ask, I only know this because they are cut out from a newspaper article titled 'Giving Ho-Hum Hamburger Some Zest,' written by The Slim Gourmet and including the calorie count for both meat loaf and sauce.

As a kid, I fell squarely in the anti-meat-loaf camp. The threat of taking a bite of onion was just too real for me, and I refused any meat loaf that wasn't made by Eleanor's recipe. I'm not sure what happened to the recipe that my mom now makes based on Eleanor's method, but I'm fairly confident this is not the same one, though it is super delicious. I wasn't alone in my childhood hatred, though: Judson felt pretty close to the same. When visiting his aunt as a child, she served him meat loaf for dinner and he turned to her and said 'Aunt Louisa, you really don't know children well, do you?' I guess we both grew out of it, because today meat loaf is in Judson's top 5 favourite foods and as soon as he found out there was a recipe for it in the box, I thought I was gonna have to race him to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for it.

This is the third barbecue sauce I've made from the box, and I have to say I'm getting progressively better at it. This one was just right: super tangy, sweet, smoky, and spicy all at the same time, and although I did wish there was a little bit more than we ended up with, it was forgivable because the texture was so perfectly thick after being reduced for 15 minutes on the stove. And if your weather is going back and forth from frigid and wintry to sunny and warm, this is a perfect meal that hits all the right notes: it's filling and comforting, but won't make you feel like you completely abandoned your diet for the week.

*Just kidding. Judson doesn't like cheesecakes and I'm so tired of 'em that I can't deal with more than a slice, so those go to work with him.

The verdict:

I know it sounds like a lie, but the meat loaf has only 200 calories per serving, and the sauce has only 10. The servings are hearty enough to fill you up, though, and served with a salad and some roasted veggies, you've got a relatively healthy and super easy dinner that may not photograph super well but still tastes great... as long as you're not having any kids over for dinner.

The recipe:

Barbecued Individual Meat Loaves

the directions:
Meatloaf:

Preheat oven to 220C/425F.
Combine all ingredients.
Shape into 6 mini-loaves in ramekins or small loaf pans.
Bake for 20 minutes or until crusty and brown on the top.
Serve with barbecue sauce, or baste with sauce 5 minutes before finished cooking.

Makes 6 servings.

 

Sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
Heat to boiling, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Makes 1 cup of sauce.

the ingredients:
the meatloaf:

24 oz ground beef
16 oz can tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried basil or oregano, if your basil, like mine, turned into oregano when you weren't looking
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
Barbecue Sauce (recipe below)

the sauce:

Reserved liquid from tomato can
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry mustard