Category: Holiday

Easy Beef Stew with Ditalini

A green handled Bowl of Beef Stew with Ditalini pasta and a spoon.

The Best Beef Stew

You won’t be able to deny this stew, it’s that good. It’s very similar to a recipe I posted a few years ago but this really packs that stick to your ribs punch. I’m talking about comfort food that makes you feel so warm and cozy inside that you melt with each bite. As you can see by the title, I’ve also added a small italian soup noodle called “Ditalini” to make this recipe a little more filling and you’re going to love it. I’m telling you, Beef Stew can’t get much better.

Cooking the Beef and Vegetables

The most important thing to understand, in this recipe, is that everything must be seared. Sear the chopped onion, potatoes, carrots and certainly the beef. Also, be sure to season everything as you go with Kosher Salt and Pepper. The Beef is braised so it gets a dusting of all purpose flour, as well.

The fresh herbs I use in the video are slightly different than the written recipe, however, but it’s not a big enough difference to make a stink about. It’s just going to be up to your personal preference and how you like your Beef Stew to taste. In the video, I use 4 different fresh herbs, Bay leaf, Oregano, Thyme & Rosemary. In the written recipe, I only use 2 dry ingredients, Parsley & Thyme.

My wife claims to like the written recipe better, though, if it’s any consolation. You might even want to look into trying my Pork Loin and Hominy Stew. It’s delicious.

Easy Beef Stew with Ditalini video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Easy Beef Stew with Ditalini Ingredients:

3 tbsp Olive oil
1 1/2 lb Beef Chuck, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1/4 cup flour (all purpose), for the beef
1 Onion, Chopped 1/2″ pieces
2 tbsp Butter
2 Large Russet Potatoes, cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 Large Carrots, cut into 1/4″ pieces
1 qt Beef Broth
1/2 cup Spaghetti Sauce/Ragu
1 tbsp Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
2 cup Water
1 cup Ditalini pasta

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Sautee the chopped Onion in butter for 5 minutes and season
with salt and Pepper. Add the Potato and Carrot, cook 10 minutes
and season again with salt and pepper, Parsley and Thyme.

Pre-season the cut beef with Kosher Salt and Pepper and mix
with the flour until fully coated. Remove the vegetables from the
pot, place in a bowl, add the Olive oil and meat to the pot and
sear the meat on all sides for 5 minutes over medium high heat.

Add the vegetables back to the pot and stir everything together.
Add the Beef Broth, Ragu and 1 cup of water. Stir and bring the
soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours,
stirring occasionally. After 2 hours add 1 more cup of water and the
Ditalini pasta. Simmer, covered, for one 1/2 hour, then serve.

Watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this delicious Roast Beef Stew with Ditalini recipe.

Smoked Boneless Prime Rib Roast

3/4″ Prime Rib Steak with Au Jus, Mashed Potatoes and Creamy Horseradish on a red plate.

The Best Prime Rib Roast

Prime Rib Steak, in my opinion, is by far the king of steaks. Sure there’s the glorious Tomahawk Steak and Tri Tip, both are amazing, but nothing beats how tender and juicy a prime rib roast gets from hours of slow and low cooking. Those enzymes break down and make every bite a celebration. Adding smoke to the equation makes it even better because you get that genuine barbecue flavor and texture for each steak as well.

I smoked this Prime Rib Roast on a gas grill, believe it or not, and I say that proudly because the results are incredible. So amazing, in fact, this is the first time I even tried it this way and I can honestly say that I’ve never had better. I’ve dialed in a fool proof method of smoking on a gas grill that will please any true fan of barbecue, once they’ve tried the finished product.

5.35 lbs Choice Beef Ribeye Roast, $12.99 per lbs.

Boneless Beef

As you know, this cut can be purchased with or without the rib bones intact. Personally, I prefer it without because the meat cooks more evenly, all around the roast; leaving each cut steak portion perfectly cooked. It also gets an even layer of seasoning all around each steak and, if you cut 3/4 to 1″ inch steaks, you can season and sear each steak, too.

Boneless Ribeye Roast Seasoned with dried Rosemary and Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.

Seasoning the Roast

There are many different ways to dry rub a Smoked Boneless Prime Rib Roast. I prefer the simplest method; Kosher Salt and Pepper. I mix these two ingredients, 50/50 and I add a third ingredient, dried Rosemary. This gives the steak an aromatic smell and flavor, perfect for the holidays.

Smoked Prime Rib Roast on a wire rack and cake pan inside a gas grill.

Smoking on a Gas Grill

There are 2 basic principles for smoking meat; “Slow and low”, constant indirect heat and smoke. That’s why smoking on a gas grill is possible. Most grills today provide at least 3 controls for heat. This means there are 3 burners in the grill. All I do is turn off the 2 closest to each other then regulate the internal temperature of the grill with the one that’s left.

Most grills also have a thermometer on the lid to make this possible. First, I barely crack the propane open and second, once the grill is lit, I turn the dial down to it’s lowest setting, with the lid down and weight until the temperature rises. I roast and smoke a Prime rib, like this one, at 225° F. and I just turn the burner dial until I maintain that steady temperature. In many ways, it’s even easier than trying to control a constant temp in an actual smoker. But, a Gas grill doesn’t have any smoke so I add it in with pellets stuffed into a cheap smoke tube I bought from amazon.

Fully smoked Boneless Beef Prime Rib Roast with the Heel sliced into a 3/4″ inch steak, on a cutting board.
Smoking Results

As you can see in the photo above, the results I got from smoking on my gas grill, are tremendous. It only took 4 hours to smoke and fully cook. The only thing I did that I haven’t yet mentioned is that I added a reverse sear and, I show you how to do that in the video tutorial.

How to smoke a Boneless Beef Rib Roast on a Gas Grill video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.
Smoked Boneless Prime Rib Roast Ingredients:

1 Boneless Ribeye Roast
Kosher Salt and Pepper, plus Rosemary, in equal amounts.

Just follow the instructions in the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to smoke a Boneless Prime Rib Roast.

Breakfast Muffin French Toast Pancake

Two 5.5 oz Lemon Breakfast Muffins.

The Best French Toast you’ll Ever Eat

I recently bought way to many Lemon and Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Muffins thinking that my kids would eat them for breakfast, like they usually do, and I could have a few of my favorite as well. As it turned out, they weren’t getting eaten and I was afraid we weren’t going to eat them all. So, I started brain storming about how to make them useful because I can’t stand to waste food. Then it hit me… Muffin French Toast.

One lemon Muffin, crumbled into a medium sized stainless steel bowl.

What kind of Muffin should I use?

In my opinion, any fruit muffin will do but you have to consider the results. In this recipe and video tutorial, I’m using a Lemon Muffin and I think that the lemon really sets this recipe off but Blueberry pancakes are tasty too so, I’d imagine that Blueberry Lemon Muffins would be even better.

Maybe Chocolate Chip or Banana Muffins would make good Muffin French Toast but I might think twice about using a poppy seed or Chocolate flavored Muffin. I haven’t tried either but it’s my opinion that they wouldn’t turn out as well.

One fully cooked Breakfast Muffin French Toast Pancake, on a red plate, drenched in Maple Syrup.

Breakfast Muffin French Toast Pancake Ingredients:

1 5.5 oz Large Muffin, premade and preferably Lemon
3 Large Eggs
1/4 cup Half and Half
1 tsp butter, salted

Maple Syrup for topping or try my Berry Syrup

Follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make Breakfast Muffin French Toast Pancakes.