Hey there!

Abbey and Taylor again. We are officially in the month of June and less than a month out from Junior Nationals.  We’re so excited to be there and get to meet all of you. Entering entries to the computer and contacting members for exhibitor packet information makes us feel like we almost know you a bit. (Does that sound creepy? It might be.)

Today instead of giving you an update on our lives as interns (because really the only update is that we are working hard to have everything ready for Junior Nationals), we are going to share our favorite beef recipes. We were inspired to write this post after finding some AJSA aprons in a very cold storage room that Abbey dubbed as the ‘meat locker’.

Abbey’s recipe ­– There is this amazing little taco truck a couple towns over from where I went to high school in Colorado called Lucy’s Tacos. After trying many different items on their menu with at least 50 different options, I discovered their Carne Asada Fries.  When I moved 10 hours away to Oklahoma for college I had to find a way to keep these fries in my life, so I developed my own recipe.

Abbey’s Carne Asada Fries

Prep time- 45 min. to an hour. (Most of this is down time letting the fries soak)

Cook Time-45 min. to an hour.

Total time- 1.5 to 2 hours.

Serving size – 4 people

Ingredients – Fries

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 2-3 tablespoon olive oil, or preferred cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste (most days I like to add in a little garlic salt)

Ingredients – Toppings

• Half pound to a pound of steak – depends on how much meat you want. I prefer a nice marble tri-tip steak for some extra flavor, but you can also use skirt steak of steak you want.
• Weber Steak and Chop seasoning to taste
• Shredded cheese – I like a three cheese Mexican blend, but from here on out the ingredients are all personal preference
• Sour Cream
• Avocado or guacamole
• Salsa
• Shredded lettuce

Instructions

1. Cut the potatoes into sticks, about a quarter inch to half inch thick depending on how you like your fries. Then place the fries into a bowl of ice water and soak for 30 min. to an hour. This will help the fries to be nice and crunchy.
2. Preheat oven to 425F
3. After the fries have soaked, rinse and dry them thoroughly. Use 1 tablespoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet then toss the fries in the rest and season to taste. Spread the fries even over the baking sheet and cook at 425F for 45 min to an hour until nice and golden. Turn the fries about halfway through.
4. After the fries are in the oven cut the steak into half inch cubes and coat the cubes in the Weber’s seasoning and let sit at room temperature until ready to cook.
5. When the fries have about 15 min. left cook the meat in a skillet on medium0high heat. I like to use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or a griddle for a nice sear but any skillet will work. If needed add a little bit of olive oil to keep the meat from sticking and burning.
6. When the fries are nice and golden turn the oven off and remove them. I like to layer on some cheese and place the fries back in the still warm oven to melt the cheese.
7. Plate the fries and add toping as desired.
8. Enjoy!

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of my Carne Asada fries, but I have provided one I found from www.carlsbadcraving.com that is similar to what I based my recipe off.

Taylor’s Recipe:

As we all know, nothing beats Grandma’s cooking and I am pretty much certain my granny is the best cook of all! Growing up just a hop, skip, and a jump away from her house, I spent many days learning all the tricks to making the perfect dish. Moving 1,300 miles provided me with the chance to practice all that she taught me. Although, I will never be the cook she is, I think I have done a good job of perfecting a few recipes.  One of my all-time favorites to make is stuff bell peppers. Especially if they are fresh peppers straight out of Papa’s garden! With little preparation time, this is the perfect meal to toss in the oven on a busy night.

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 30-45 minutes

Total time:  45-65 minutes

Serving size: 6-8 peppers

Ingredients:

• 6-8 bell peppers
• 1 box New Orleans dirty rice
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz.)
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brown the ground beef in a large frying pan and add in the chopped onion, cooking until the vegetable is softened.
3. Next, add salt and pepper to taste, and then add the can of tomato sauce.
4. Stir in cooked rice and cook for another 5 minutes or until the rice is warm. (Meanwhile, cut the tops of the peppers off and spoon out the rubs and seeds. Rinse.)
5. Lightly, sprinkle the inside of the pepper with salt and fill the peppers with the hot meat and rice mixture.
6. In the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish, put a ¼ cup of water (so you can steam the peppers while they are cooking).
7. Place peppers in baking dish and top with shredded cheese.
8. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees until the peppers are tender and the cheese is brown.
9. Serve hot & enjoy!

Hope you have been practicing your beef cook-off recipes! It will be time to show those cooking skills off before you know it!

Shorthorn love,

Abbey & Taylor