Hunk of Meat Monday: Beef Roast Times Two!

Tikki Masala Curry - easy and delicious

P.s. my food photog skills are improving a wee bit!

I'm all about easy recipes - I do not have the time nor the willingness to spend 3+ hours over a stove making a completely homemade, handcrafted meal. I often will try to fancy up a main dish or try a new entrée recipe and then resort to frozen veggies and rice as our sides. One out of three ain't too bad, if you ask me.

Which is why I love being able to whip up something new from something old. It's like a makeover. That's what I did with a beef roast last week - the leftover turned into a brand new dish that we've never tried and it was DELICIOUS [all caps intentional]. My timid journey into foods from different cultures continued with this beef curry roast. Both the Ninja and my eyes went wide when we had our first bite of this stuff - and it takes A LOT to get that kind of reaction from him!

Without further ado...

Beef Tikki Masala Curry
1 lb shredded beef
1 jar Tikki Masala curry (we used Patak's)
Naan bread (or appropriate substitute)

That's it - three ingredients.

First, I made a beef roast last Monday night. Nothing too fancy or special - you can use this recipe if you're looking for one. I cooked it to 145 F - please for the sake of all that is good and amazing in the world, do not overcook the meat! We ate half of the beef roast and the other half I shredded using two forks and put in the fridge.

A few nights later, I heated up about 4-5 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a skillet and put the leftover roast in the pan. This is to heat it up and get some of that crisp on the end (you can't get that great crisp in the microwave, people!).


Getting its crisp on. Like my spatula? It came from South Africa!

When I could see the edges were starting to get crispy (not burnt - let me stress this NOT BURNT) I poured in about half of the jar of tikki masala curry sauce. I stirred it around and made sure all the meat was coated thoroughly then I let the whole meal heat up until it was piping hot.


Let the saucy goodness overtake the beef

Serve with naan bread, veggies and rice. Or, if you're like me and couldn't find naan bread at the Dillon's, you can use Kroger sandwich thins which are just as tasty and fit the function well.


So much delicious on the Ninja's plate

That's it - the whole meal took less than 30 minutes. Boiling the rice was the longest activity by a long shot!

I got this recipe tip from the culinary experts at NCBA. Every time I visit our headquarters they are whipping up something tasty and fun - this was no different! Can't wait to see what they develop next!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

HSUS Contributions Declining

 

Rooster and Cricket have a good home and are spoiled rotten - but lots of other pets aren't as fortunate.
If you want to help puppies and kittens, please donate to your local shelter!

Yep, you read that right.

The genius' over at HumaneWatch were combing through tax records and financial statements for our favorite animal rights organization, the Humane Society of the United States (H$U$). What they found is a little bittersweet. So let's do the sweet part first:

- In 2013, contributions to H$U$ totaled $104.5 million - that's not the sweet part. The sweet part is that in 2012, that number was a lot higher. In fact, contributions were $16.6 million less in 2013 in 2012. Win!!!

- The bitter part is that bequests, or people leaving the organization money in their will, increased by $8.6 million. So that sort of knocks the whole overall number down a bit but still:

 

H$U$ experienced a decline in income by $8 million in one year!

I hope this means that folks are seeing the light, doing their research and realizing that they can help puppies and kittens more by donating to their local shelter, rather than sending money to a lobbyist organization.

"I hear those H$U$ folks don't donate very many bones to local shelters.
Donate to your local shelter today!"

Unfortunately, to no one's surprise, H$U$ is still only donating 1% of it's budget to local groups to help dogs and cats that needs homes. But again, no surprise there. If you or your family want to help save pets, please donate your time or dollars to your local shelter. Share this message on your social media outlets - please continue to spread the word that H$U$ is a lobbyist organization, not a rescue organization.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

p.s. - Two posts in one week - look at me go! Wahoo!

 

The thoughts and opinions of this blog post strictly represent that of Brandi Buzzard Frobose and are NOT representative of any other entity or organization.



Hunk of Meat Monday: Marinated Pork Roast with Pan Sauce

A hot meal for a cold day

It's cold and rainy here in Kansas, which has me dreaming of spring and grilling. Alas, our grill doesn't get used as much during the colder months so I'm forced to cook whole meals instead of putting the Ninja in charge of the meat.

Which is why this Hunk of Meat Monday recipe is so fabulous - it was easy, delicious and can be replicated with beef or lamb just as easily so it doesn't get old and boring. Throw the roast in the marinade in the morning and that evening, in less than an hour, you've got a scrumptious, moist pork roast to enjoy while the wind blows and snow flies.

Marinated Pork Roast with Pan Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
~ 3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp. parsley
2 tsp dry mustard
black pepper, to taste
~ 4 tbsp. minced garlic

All of this was already in my pantry - win!

Combine all ingredients and save back about three tbsp. of the mixture. Place the pork roast (mine was about 2 lbs) and marinade in a plastic Ziploc bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours (longer is better but 3-4 gets the job done).

After marinating is complete, sear each side of the pork roast in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Place in 350 F degree oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 145-150 degrees (this took about 45 minutes in my oven but can vary). Let rest for five minutes before cutting.

Searing the pork roast really locked in the flavor on the surface

For the pan sauce:
Marinade that you saved back
2 tsp butter
Pan scrapings from the pork roast
1/2 cup beef broth

Place skillet back on stove over medium heat and add beef broth while scraping up the browned pieces of goodiness from the pan. Add the marinade and let the whole thing boil down for a few minutes. Add butter and remove from heat, stirring until butter is melted. Pour this over your pork roast and enjoy!


So delicious!

In other news, I have finally reached the stage of my life where I look at a recipe like this and am confident that I have all the needed ingredients - red wine vinegar, minced garlic, beef broth etc. I have an overwhelming feeling of pride that my kitchen feels fully stocked. Any others out there feel this way?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

10 Gifts for A Carnivore or Meatatarian

I've seen a lot posts about gifts for farmers and ranchers, which is fabulous except I don't have a huge herd of cattle or sheep. I merely have three horses and some scruffy, lovable canines. However, what I do have is a hankering for meat and penchant for incorporating it into many aspects of my life. First, if you need a refresher of what a meatatarian is, read this post and come back. If you are familiar with this delicious and healthy dietary pattern, read on to find some cool gift ideas to buy for the resident meat lover in your family or circle of friends. These are my top 10 gift ideas for meat-loving folks and they run the gamut of Christmas gift types.

For the decorating meatatarian:

1. Beef Vintage Art Print

I would love to have this in my kitchen!

2. Meat. Yes, It's Meat.

I have purchased this for a family member but no one has bought it for me yet- c'mon folks!

For the grill master in your household:

3. K-State steak branding iron


My stepdad has this but I need one too!

4. A giftbox of Kansas City strip steaks from the Kansas City Steak Company.

Perfect for a Christmas Eve meal!

Of course, you can't forget about the style-conscious meat lover in your home:

5. Steak t-shirt

Yum!

6. Meatatarian: A Personal Choice t-shirt

This is by far my favorite!

 And let us not forget the lovers of bacon. Isn't that everyone?!

7. "Bacon is Meat Candy" - Bacon of the Month Club

Bacon every month?! Yes, please!

8. Two words. Bacon Vodka. You can purchase it in most states (sorry, Ohio and Kansas!).

And these last two are great for any meat eater - I am actually hoping to get a really nice meat thermometer myself!

9. The Healthy Beef Cookbook

 

 10. A reliable meat thermometer and remember to use it! See here for recommended cooking temperatures per the USDA.

Don't fire up the grill without it!

Do you have other ideas? Please feel free to leave them in the comments below!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Giving Tuesday: Give Cows to Help Feed the Less Fortunate

Many people get caught up in the spirit of "BUY-BUY-BUY" at this time of the year, not necessarily for others but because there are such great deals in every single store at the mall. How can you avoid a good deal when Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday and Cyber Monday bombard us starting in mid-November? In my opinion, we really should be focusing on "Give. Give. Give some more" amd when is a better time than Giving Tuesday? Material possessions often cloud the real reasons behind Christmas and I believe we should always be striving to help those who are less fortunate.

I'm part of the Rockin' Rural Women group on Facebook and this year we are encouraging our fellow rural women and social media networks to buck this materialistic trend and help others by participating in a Heifer International drive to purchase cows for families suffering from hunger and poverty.

Our group has a collective fund, which you can access here, and our goal is $1000. With that we can purchase a cow which has the potential to have a massive impact since its offspring are passed on to even more members of the community. If you choose to donate, your gift will be multiplied and create a sustainable impact for future generations.

Please help us purchase a cow for a family who needs a helping hand. Even if you can only spare $5 that is so very much appreciated. If you have questions, please feel free to shoot me an email and I'll be happy to answer them.

I'll close with this quote which is taped up on the mirror in my bathroom - please keep this in mind on today, Giving Tuesday, and for the remainder of this holiday season and consider helping those in need.

Somewhere, someone else is THANKFUL for less than you have

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~