Category Archives: Meat

Enchilada Pie

I have made versions of this pie throughout the years, but always before I have painstakingly cut the tortillas and layered them in a rectangular pan. Then I found someone who used a pie plate to easily create the layers, and I had to try it. It works great.

The great thing about this recipe is the many ways you can quickly adapt it. You can use ground chicken or turkey, and chicken broth for a lighter version. You can use whole wheat tortillas (which is what I used this time around). And you can add whatever you want to the mixture – I added black beans and corn.

For this recipe you will need:

  • 1 lb. ground sirloin
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 Tbsp. Victoria Taylor’s Texas Red Seasoning – divided
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup lower-sodium beef broth
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 4 (8 inch) flour tortillas
  • 1/3 cup shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
  • Salt to taste

Optional: black beans, corn, chopped green chilies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, and 1 Tbsp., Texas Red to pan. Cook until browned, about 6 minutes, stirring to crumble. Salt to taste.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth, the remaining Texas Red, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt to taste. Add 1 ½ cups of the tomato mixture to the beef mixture, reserving ½ cup of tomato mixture.

Place 1 tortilla in a 9 inch pie plate.

Top with 1 cup of the beef mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with a tortilla.

Spread the reserved tomato mixture over the tortilla and then cover with cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Cool slightly, and slice in 4 wedges.

Best,

Victoria

Sesame Teriyaki Ribs

This is a great rib recipe for the crock pot. You can use beef or pork ribs – for this recipe I used baby backs. For the ingredients I have listed low sodium soy sauce, but you can use regular if you want. Since the juices at the end of the cooking process are turned into a sauce, using the low sodium soy sauce cuts down on the amount of sodium in the finished dish.

For this recipe you will need:

  • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 Tbsp. Victoria Taylor’s Sesame Teriyaki Seasoning (divided)
  • ½ tsp. Victoria Taylor’s Red Pepper Flakes
  • 5 pounds beef or pork ribs

For the sauce:

  • 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 3 Tbsp. water
  • 1 Tbsp. Victoria Taylor’s Sesame Teriyaki Seasoning
  • 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
  • Scallions for topping

For easier prep, check out this video the shows you how to peel ginger using only a spoon.

Lightly coat the ribs with 1-2 Tbsp. of Sesame Teriyaki Seasoning and brown them on a grill or in a pan on the stove (5-7 minutes each side).

Blend the remaining Sesame Teriyaki Seasoning, soy sauce, sugar, oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and Red Pepper Flake in a bowl.

Place the browned ribs in a 5 Qt slow cooker and pour the sauce over the ribs. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 9 hours, until the meat is tender.

Transfer the ribs to a platter. Skim and discard any excess fat from the remaining liquid, and place it in a pan on the stove. Combine cornstarch and water and blend it with the liquid in the pan.

Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Add carrots. Top ribs with sauce, and scallions if desired. Serve over rice.

Best,

Victoria

Moroccan Lamb Stew

This is a hearty stew with great flavor. It can easily be doubled or tripled for larger groups. Once made, it can be refrigerated or frozen. Just re-heat it to serve. I serve this with hot crusty French or Italian bread for dipping.

For this recipe you will need:

  • 1 pound well trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tbs. light olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons Victoria Taylor’s Moroccan Seasoning
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup red wine (red Zinfandel or Cabernet)
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 large carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
  • 2 small zucchini, cut in half, then quartered into strips
  • 3 small roma or plum tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

Use a large oven proof sauce pan or casserole dish with a cover or a dutch oven for this dish. Heat the oil in the pan and brown the lamb on all sides.

Add the onion, salt and  Moroccan Seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots and pepper. Pour the wine over the mixture and stir. Push the lamb underneath the veggies. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hour stirring occasionally. Then add the tomatoes and zucchini and cook for another 15 minutes and serve.

Best,

Victoria

 

Kansas City BBQ Pork Ribs

After turning to quicker solutions for summer grilling these past couple months I was dying to make some tasty BBQ pork ribs.  These ribs are smothered in Kansas City Seasoning and slow cooked over smoking charcoal until the meat is ready to fall off the bone.

For this recipe you will need:

  • Full slab(s) Pork Ribs, St. Louis cut preferred
  • 3-4 Tbsp. Victoria Taylor’s Kansas City Seasoning per slab

Coat the ribs with the Kansas City Seasoning and let them sit while you prepare the fire. Use of a charcoal grill or smoker is preferred. Stack a medium to large mound of coals on one side of the grill and start the fire. You will be cooking on the other side, away from the coals. BBQ, in contrast to grilling, requires indirect heat for slow cooking. Put about 4 cups of wood chips (Hickory or Mesquite are fine) in a bucket with water. If possible, soak your wood chips several hours ahead. This makes for better smoke.  Place the ribs as far away from the hot coals as possible.

You may need to cut the slabs in half or stack the ribs. This is fine as you can rotate them during cooking. Every half hour or so, check to see if more coals are needed and  throw some wet wood chips on top. Keep the grill covered at all times with the vents open.

BBQ the ribs for 4 to 5 hours, moving them periodically as needed.  You will know your ribs are just right if the meat is close to falling off the bone and there is a thin, pink layer on the outside of the rib meat. This is from the smoking process.

I only use BBQ sauce as a condiment on the table. Most of them are tomato based and will burn as soon as they are exposed to direct heat on a grill. My favorite BBQ sauce is KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Original or Hickory.  For accompaniments serve coleslaw and corn bread or baked beans.

Best,

Victoria