Chef Chuck's Beef Ravioli

Casonsei of Brescia


A beef ravioli recipe from Brescia, an ancient town in the beautiful Lombardy region, which lies in the famous Po Valley, in northern Italy. These delicate ravioli are filled with a beef and breadcrumb mixture, then gently sauteed in a butter and sage sauce.


Beef Ravioli


Filling
7 ounces ground beef
2 ounces butter
2 tablespoons beef broth
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmigiano cheese, grated
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 garlic clove, minced
salt to taste


In a frying pan brown butter add chopped meat and beef broth, till cooked. Stir in breadcrumbs, parmigiano cheese and salt. Remove from heat add egg, parsley, garlic and garlic powder. Salt to taste.


Dough
1 2/3 cups flour
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt


Combine in a food processor till ball forms, or make a well with the flour add eggs in middle and mix till all combined and smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 1/2 hour.


Sauce
4 ounces butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped


Saute in a large frying pan for a minute or two.

Roll out dough and make ravioli or any shape, using 1 tablespoon of beef in each ravioli. Place on a baking sheet sprinkled with semolina and cover with a towel, till all the ravioli are prepared. Boil in salted water for 3 minutes, then transfer to the butter and sage pan and serve with grated parmigiano cheese on top. Makes about 3 dozen.

Chef Chuck's Beef and Vegetable Pasticcio

Pasticcio con Carne e Verdure


A hearty meal for winter time, I used organic beef and vegetables, and the finest cheeses I could obtain, for maximum taste. All these textures and flavors combined, danced in my mouth. Pasticcio meaning mess, so you can literally add any vegetables or cheeses you have in your refrigerator! To make this an vegetarian dish omit the beef and add mushrooms instead.

Beef and Vegetable Pasticcio


2 1/2 pounds potatoes
1 pound ground beef
1 slice pancetta, 1/4" thick, chopped
1/2 cup hot potato water
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2/3 cup peas
1 small can diced tomatoes
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of oregano
1 thick slice provolone cheese, diced
parmigiana cheese, grated
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper


Peel and cut potatoes in large pieces, boil in salted water for about 15 minutes or until fork comes out easy. Reserve 1/2 cup potato water. Meanwhile in a frying pan melt 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil, saute carrots, celery and onions, salt and pepper cook for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside, in the same pan heat 2 tablespoons butter and brown meat. Add 1/2 cup hot potato water to the beef this will make a gravy. Combine all the vegetables with the beef along with, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, peas, and oregano. Heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter, drain potatoes use a ricer or mash them and add warm milk. Add provolone cheese, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Butter your baking dish, add meat mixture top with mash potatoes, sprinkle parmigiana cheese on top. Place on a baking sheet, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, broil for 3 or 4 minutes till potatoes edges are brown.
Ricette by Chef Chuck's Cucina

Chef Chuck's Beef Osso Buco

Osso Buco


A heart warming dinner for two, beef osso buco, is awakening all our senses. Served over creamy mash potatoes the beef, vegetables and gravy are so rich with a beefy flavor. Traditionally made with veal and white wine, I prefer preparing this dish with beef and red wine. A wonderful Milanese dish, that I love to prepare on these chilly evenings.


Beef Osso Buco


2 beef shanks, 1 pound
1/4 cup flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine, Chianti
2 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper


Bring beef shanks to room temperature, wash and pat dry. Dredge in flour, shake off excess. In a large pot heat olive oil and brown shanks on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add vegetables and saute on medium for about 5 minutes, add garlic. Cook tomato paste for 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in wine and simmer a minute or two to deglaze and reduce, then add beef shanks, broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer on low with lid on for 2 hours. Serves two.

Chef Chuck's Beef Short Ribs

Costole di Manzo


A perfect meal for this Memorial Day weekend, slow cooked beef short ribs with sweet cherry peppers. Served with mash potatoes, drizzled with a thick rich beefy onion gravy.


Beef Short Ribs
5 beef short ribs
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
garlic cloves, lightly crushed
1/2 onion, diced
jar of sweet cherry peppers, cut in half
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 1/2 organic beef broth


Wash and pat dry ribs, salt and pepper both sides. In a frying pan heat olive oil add tomato paste cook on low heat for 4 minutes. Add garlic and onions cook an additional 3 minutes, discard garlic. Brown meat, about 2 minutes on each side, add cherry peppers, oregano and beef broth. Simmer with lid on for 1 1/2 hours, turning ribs once. Skim fat off of gravy and discard. Serve with creamy mash potatoes, and sweet corn on the cob.

Chef Chuck's Chianti Chili Con Carne

A hot and spicy ground beef dish with Chianti, fresh vegetables, red sauce, beans and hot peppers. I used chili peppers from the island of Stromboli, in this extraordinary dish. The hotter the pepper the better and this dish is sure to warm you up this evening.

Chianti Chili Con Carne

1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Chianti

1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can cannellini beans

2 hot chili peppers, chopped

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

salt to taste

In a large pot heat olive oil add onions, carrots, celery and chili peppers cook on medium heat 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add beef and chili powder, brown beef then add red wine. Pour in tomato sauce, water, oregano and salt, simmer for 30 minutes, add beans and cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve over toasted bread or rice.

Chef Chuck's Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms

Filetti di Manzo al Funghi


Beef tenderloin is a hearty and satisfying meal, accompanied with rice or potatoes and a salad makes a complete meal. I sear the steak in a heavy pan only turning once, this insures a tender and moist steak.


Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms
2 beef tenderloins, 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
3 large portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup beef broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Wash and pat dry steaks, bring to room temperature. Using a large heavy pan on high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper both sides of steaks place in pan and do not move. For a medium rare steak, sear each side for 6 minutes, remove and cover with tin foil allowing to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. In same pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil add mushrooms and broth, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Then add garlic, parsley, salt and pepper cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Slice steak and pour gravy over top and serve with mushrooms.

Chefs Chuck's Italian Roast Beef

Roastbeef all'Italiana

Roast beef is the ultimate dinner, so elegant and delicious. A great meal reserved for the weekends when you have time to cook this slow tender roast. Before cooking always allow roast to warm up to room temperature. After cooking let rest 15 minutes before carving. I use the round tip roast you could use a rump roast, or sirloin tip. Served with mashed potatoes, gravy and those sweet balsamic carrots with pine nuts. Tomorrow we will have great roast beef sandwiches on our picnic!

Italian Roast Beef
3 pound round tip roast

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

4 sprigs fresh oregano
3/4 cup red wine
1 cup water

1 cup beef broth

Bring roast to room temperature about 1 hour. Wash and pat dry rub with olive oil and generously add salt and pepper. In a large pan add olive oil and brown on all sides. Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan. De glaze pan with 1/2 cup wine then add 1 cup water, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Pour juice and herbs on top of roast and cook at 200 degrees. Cook 3 1/2 hours or till internal temperature is 130 degrees, which is rare. Let rest for 15 minutes, covered before slicing. De glaze pan with beef broth and 1/4 cup wine, add salt and pepper to taste reduce 1/3.

Chef Chuck's Bolognese

Sugo alla Bolognese

Bolognese is a meat sauce with many complex flavors. It originated in Bologna, Italy also known as the (fat city). Bologna is known for having some of the best meats around the world. This meat sauce is very rich and hearty, a perfect winter night dinner with the family. The aroma in the whole house was so inviting, I love bolognese. This particular sauce should be served with ribbon pasta like tagliatelle or fettuccine, we used tripoline. It also should be served with a good Chianti and of course bread. Freezes well.

Bolognese
10 ounces ground beef
1 thick slice pancetta, chopped
1 carrot, small cubes
1 celery , small cubes
1/2 onion, small cubes
6 tablespoons tomato sauce

6 ounces red dry wine

1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black cracked pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound ribbon pasta

In a heavy saucepan, heat olive oil and saute' carrots, celery and onions for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally then set aside. Add beef and pancetta and brown for 3 minutes add wine and simmer 1 minute then slowly add milk. Then stir in tomato sauce, vegetables, salt and pepper simmer very gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir often keep lid almost shut. Serve over a ribbon pasta. Serves 4

Beef Cous Cous

Beef Cous Cous is a very small granule pasta made from semolina. Originally from North Africa couscous dates back to the 10th century. Back in 2007 in San Vito, Sicily, a lazy fishing village, on the cape, we celebrated the cous cous fest. I was influenced by the many cultures of food there. Cous cous can be made many different ways depending on what part of the Island you are at! The annual cous cous fest is a food competition with some of the Mediterranean country's, finest chefs participating. It is a culinary feast with great foods, wines, music, and beautiful warm people from all around the world coming together. Beef, seafood, or lamb and a variety of vegetables can be used even fruit. Be sure to take time to make the cous cous by coating first with olive oil then splashing water on to the cous cous slowly and mixing well. This is a traditional process that makes softer and lighter couscous and more absorbent to the flavors you used. Being part of this culinary joy was a wonderful experience, I will return! While I am cooking this exotic dish, the aroma of cinnamon fills the air! Yumm.


Beef Cous Cous 
1/2 to 1 pound tenderloin or sirloin tips or top sirloin cut in 1 inch chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 celery stalks cut into 1" pieces
2 carrots cut into 1" pieces
2 potatoes cut into chunks
4 roma tomatoes chopped or
1 small can diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups warm water


Heat oil over medium heat add beef simmer for about 8 minutes. Add onion, carrots and celery cook 5 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin and cinnamon cook 5 minutes. Add water, broth and chickpeas cover and bring to a boil then simmer 20 minutes with cous cous in steamer above stew. I like to use a couscousiere, which is a pot with a steamer on top, it works best for this dish.


Couscous
2 cups cous cous
2 cups water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt


In a large bowl using a wooden spoon add couscous, olive oil and salt mix. Slowly add water by splashing onto the couscous alittle at a time and mix throughly, then steam couscous over stew. Fluff up rice with a fork. Serves 6.