Grilled Espresso Tri-Tip

Grilled Espresso Tri-Tip

I had never heard about a tri-tip roast befor moving to California. And even though I have seen the cut in the stores, I didn't know how to cook it. My dear neighbors changed that, when they invited us for a BBQ, and served tri-tip. Now tri-tip is on my cuts to buy. It is so good and flavorful. Now I have to get my neighbor's secret rub, to get the perfect tri-tip for summer.

The tri-tip is a cut from the bottom of the sirloin, and is a close cousin of the culotte roast. 

Since the tri-tip is a lean cut, you have to be careful not to over cook it, particularly when preparing the full roast. You don't want to cook it to more than medium. 

This time the tri-tip became a little more done, than I would have liked, but I still turned out great. The deep flavor of the coffee worked perfect with the spice from the pepper and the beef. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tri-tip roast
• 3 tablespoons finely ground espresso coffee beans
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Combine espresso beans, brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, and chili powder. Rub mixture onto the roast and place in a large dish. Let the roast marinade covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour. 

Preheat grill to medium heat (400℉/200℃).  

Remove roast from fridge and place on grill/BBQ, use indirect heat. Cook for 15-18 minutes turning occasionally. When done, remove from heat allow to sit for a few minutes before carving into  thin slices. 

Enjoy!

Stir-fried Beef in Oyster Sauce

Stir-fried Beef in Oyster Sauce

Some nights I just want to get cooking dinner over with in a hurry, but I still want to eat healthy. Well, this dish is for those kind of nights. If you have time to cook some rice, you will have time to make this stir-fry. A perfect dish for a weeknight.

The dish is inspired by one of my favorite take-out dishes from a Thai restaurant in Denmark, But I added more vegetables and dropped the cashews, for a more filling and healthier meal. I love the sweet but slightly spicy taste, it's a Thai comfort food. 

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches scallions

• 450 g mushroom, sliced

• oil for frying

• 6 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1½ pound (700 g) beef, I used stir-fry or fajitas meat, but any steak sliced would work

• 1 broccoli crown

• 1 red bell pepper

• ½ cup (1 dl) oyster sauce

• 2-3 teaspoons sugar

• 2 splashes Sriracha, Hot Chili Sauce

• 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce (to taste)

Directions:

Clean the mushrooms and slice them, I buy the mushrooms already cleaned and sliced.

Heat a wok over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add just enough oil to coat it. Add the mushrooms to the hot pan and cook, keeping heat high, stirring frequently to help any liquid the mushrooms give off  to evaporate as quickly as possible. Keep cooking until the mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5 minutes. Put the fried mushrooms in a bowl, and set aside.

While frying the mushrooms clean and cut up the scallions, bel pepper and broccoli.

Heat oil in wok, and brown the meat in small batches over high heat, so the beef get fried and not boiled. Set beef aside.

Start frying the broccoli, and add bel pepper, when the broccoli has got a bright green color. Add beef, crushed garlic, mushrooms, oyster sauce, sugar, chili- and fish sauce. Season with additional sugar, pepper or fish sauce if needed. Add the scallions, save some for garnish. Serve immediately with  jasmine rice or cauliflower rice.

Beef Soup - Oksekødssuppe

Beef Soup - Oksekødssuppe

Having homemade beef soup reminds my of my childhood. My mom made the best beef or chicken soup. Making the soup takes time. It is a whole day project. 

There's a story in my family from before I was born, and my brother was about 3 years old.  My parents and my brother met my aunt when they went for a walk, and invited her to join them for the second day of having soup. My mom had to put more water in the soup, to make sure that there would be enough for the four of them.  Almost by the end of the meal, there's no more soup, and my brother declares: "if aunt hadn't come, there would have been enough food."  My poor mom laughed, but was embarrassed at the same time.

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

• 6 pounds beef soup bones 
• 2 pounds beef brisket 
• 3 large carrots 
• 2 leeks 
• 1 celery root + the top of
• water to cover
• salt

Directions:

Put bones and brisket in a large pot with cold water and heat it to a boil. Skim off the foam.  Add 1 teaspoon salt and the green top from the celery root.

Clean the leeks, carrots and celery root, and cut into chunks, add them to the soup. Let the soup simmer for about 2-3 hours. Discard the soup bones and the celery top. Take out the brisket, and let it cool. You will serve this on the side with a good mustard later.

Clean and peel more celery root, carrots and leeks, and cut them into bite size bites and boil them in the soup for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

You can skim of the fat and clarify the soup if you want to. I only skim of the fat, if there is a thick layer, but I hadn't done this here.

Serve the soup with Danish soup dumplings/melboller, boiled meatballs/kødboller, supperis and the brisket with mustard.

The sides