Once in a while I hanker for a juicy steak. I don’t eat beef that much anymore, but when the yen strikes, I go for something special. Like the recipe given today: Biftec Especial, an old Nuyorican favorite.  All it is boneless beef cooked in bouillon (it could be beef or chicken bouillon), with a little wine added, and flavored with typical Nuyorican spices. Back on the block in Spanish Harlem, when making this dish we would use boneless chuck steak, mainly because it was cheap. But if you want to use a finer cut like ribeye, or skirt steak, or sirloin, go right ahead. You’re the boss. Although one of the reasons of using chuck is that we doctor it up so that it tastes special thus, the moniker, Special Steak.

Over the years I’ve discovered that, all along, we were making a version of what the French call Boeuf á Mode. Only difference is that in the French version they add carrots and cloves, which we never did. Why? I don’t know. That’s just the way it was. Still, if you want to make a memorable dinner, this is it. With a side of mash potatoes or French fries, or a vegetable, it’s a dish made in heaven—and one that family and friends will relish.

BIFTEC ESPECIAL (Special Steak)

Ingredients:

4 pounds boneless beef chuck
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup beef or chicken bouillon
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup brandy
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 parsley sprigs
6 whole peppercorns
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Instructions:

1. Wash beef under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Rub pepper, salt and oregano thoroughly over the meat.
3. Heat oil over medium heat in a large heavy Dutch oven. kettle or pot.
4. Add beef and brown on all sides
5. Add beef or chicken bouillon, wine, brandy, thyme, parsley, peppercorns and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender, about an hour or more. Don’t forget to turn meat occasionally during cooking. Remove meat from pan and keep warm.
6. Mix ¾ cup cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Pour into pot, brin g to a boil, lower heat to medium and cook, stirring, until thicken to a rich gravy. You can add more or less water depending on how thick you want the gravy. If desired, you can add 1 tablespoon heavy or light cream for a richer sauce. Add beef, mix to combine and serve.
   Yield: 6-8 servings.

I  call this recipe a Meat Pie although it’s not a pie in the traditional sense. Basically it’s braised beef with a sour cream topping. I know, it’s a weird combination. Yet the result is delicious, and something out of the ordinary. Take a chance on it. You won’t be disappointed.

Let me add that, for the health conscious you can substitute ground chicken or turkey for the beef given in the recipe.  Impress everyone in your circle with this one.

MEAT PIE

Ingredients:

I pound ground beef
3 tablespoons olive  oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound ground beef
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
1 packet Sazón Goya or Sa-són Accent
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced in half

Instructions:

1.  Heat olive oil in a frypan or skillet over medium heat.
2.  Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
3.  Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until well browed.
4.  Stir in oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.
5.  In a bowl, mix sour cream with the sazón. Layer the sour cream mix over the beef. Place in a broiler and broil 4 minutes (do not burn).
6.  Garnish with hard-boil eggs sand serve .
   Yield: 4-6 servings.

n

This is as recipe that I prepared for Passover. Some of our Jewish friend had invited us over to partake in their ritual Passover feast. Only requirement was that we each bring a dish; and I was entrusted with the brisket. Let me state that this is my own brisket dinner recipe and it has a Nuyorican spin to it. I add such ingredients as oregano and sofrito, that aromatic mix of herbs and spices traditional in Puerto Rican cooking. If you don’t have sofrito, you can use a packet of either Goya Sazón or Sazón Accent. This is a slow cooked meal and, blessedly, it was a hit with everyone.

So, here it is one, my  Nuyorican version of Braised Brisket. Let me add that this dish is for that special occasion, and it does take time and patience; but the effort is more than worth it.

BRAISED BRISKET

Ingredients:

 4-6 pound brisket (preferably first cut)
¼  cup olive oil
1 tablespoons dried oregano or to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
3  whole onions, peeled and sliced thinly
10 whole cloves garlic, peeled and squashed with your palm, the side of a knife or a cleaver
3 bay leaves
1 cup water (beef or chicken broth can be substituted)
¼ cup red wine (preferably dry not sweet)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sofrito

Instructions:

1. If frozen, thaw brisket. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, season with oregano and thyme, and brown brisket in a skillet on both sides.
3. Place half of the chopped onions, 5 of the garlic cloves and the bay leaves in the bottom of a Dutch oven or large pot
4. Place brisket on top of the onions and garlic.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the water or broth, wine,  black pepper, paprika, turmeric, and sofrito. Pour the water and spice mixture into a skillet and heat over medium heat until  hot and bubbly, using the liquid to deglaze the pan and loosening brown bits gently from the bottom of the skillet with a spatula. Pour the contents of the skillet into the brisket pot.
6. Top brisket with the remaining sliced onions and garlic cloves. Cover and cook on medium-high heat until liquid steams. Lower heat to medium and cook until fork tender (about 2 hours). Tenderness will increase as it cooks, so take it out when it’s tender to your liking. Most people like it very tender but not so soft that it is falling apart. You want it firm enough to slice but tender enough that the edges shred with a fork.
7. Remove brisket from the pot and let it rest on the cutting board fat-side up for 20 minutes. Then cut the brisket into thin slices against the grain.
8. Meanwhile, mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and stir into the liquid in the pot (after removing bay leaves).
9. Once sauce is ready, return slices to the pot and mix with sauce. Heat the meat slices on medium heat until sauce is hot, bubbly and thickened around the meat (around 5-8 minutes). Serve sliced brisket hot with sauce.
   Yield: 8 or more servings.

This recipe is similar to a quick stir-fry, and is one of the entries in my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cosine in America (Running Press). Initially, this dish was prepared in our family using boneless sirloin or round steak, when times were good. During the lean intervals, it was chuck steak. Since the meat was cut very thin into strips, the cooking time was about the same. Then we discovered flank steak. Thinly sliced across the grain to help tenderize the meat, flank steak was great for this dish. In the cooking process, some folks omit the tomato and instead use tomato sauce. We prefer sautéing everything. I think my mother, of beloved memory, probably got the idea from watching some Chinese chef on TV.

BIFTEC A LA CRIOLLA
(Steak Creole Style)

Ingredients:

1½ pounds flank steak, cut along the grain into strips about 1½ inches wide; then cut each strip across the grain into¼-inch slices
9 whole black peppercorns
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into ¼-inch strips
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 4-ounce can mushrooms, drained
1 large tomato, cored and cut into half moon shapes

Instructions:

1. Wash meat and pat dry with paper towels.
2.  In a mortar, crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano and salt. Add vinegar and mix.
3.  Place meat in a bowl. Add seasonings and blend. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
4.  In a large skillet or frying pan, heat olive oil. Add meat strips and quickly  brown over medium-high heat.
5.  Add remaining ingredients and stir-fry 4-5 minutes.
6.  Serve over rice or vegetables.
   Yield: 4 servings.