Steaks and Chops: President Ford's Braised Eye Round Steak

Mar 26, 2008 I was looking for a recipe for some cheap steaks I picked up, and found this one. I admit, the name caught my eye because I'm from Grand Rapids, same place President Ford grew up and was laid to rest. So I figured I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did! First of all, I love the prep - it's very simple. I could sprinkle the seasonings on the meat on the cutting board, and saved myself the hassle of having to dirty more dishes. I'm a huge fan of cooked onions, and found two onions to be perfectly appropriate. I did let them cook a bit longer than 5 minutes. I used Merlot in place of Burgundy, and 2 cubes beef boullion dissolved in 1 cup water in place of the consomme (because that's what I had on hand). Still close enough to the original. I also left them to simmer a bit longer than it stated, just because I knew my meat was pretty tough in the first place. I took the first bite and almost melted. The beef WAS fork-tender! Delicious flavor all the way through. I removed the meat and onions, and added some cornstarch that I'd whisked into cold water, brought the liquids back to a simmer, and ended up with DIVINE gravy. All in all, an excellent meal that brought back fond memories of my childhood.

—Zanne Tastic 

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Soul-Soothing Supper: Hoisin Braised Short Ribs

Up until a couple years back, I was a staunch red meat avoider. Not because I was a vegetarian or had moral qualms over its consumption, but rather as a matter of taste. Steak, burgers, meatballs, and the whole lot of much-beloved American classics held no sway over my palate, until one simple but revelatory bite changed it all. No, it wasn't a dry-aged steak or juicy Shake Shack burger that changed my mind - though I'm now irretrievably enamored with both - but rather, a bite of tender, succulent, braised short ribs.

Little by little I came to crave these tender, boldly flavored bites, soon embracing carpaccio, tartare, roasted bone marrow, and even grilled beef tongue. But it's still tender, falling-off-the-bone short ribs that get me every time. So when I came across this beer and hoisin braised stunner of a recipe, I knew I'd have to simmer up a batch posthaste, as it would inevitably enter my meal rotation. Thankfully, I was right on this account and then some. Slightly sweet, tangy, and full of deeply meaty flavor, they're so lovely that I'd wager they'd have made a red meat convert of me far earlier had I only tried them years back.

Keep reading for the succulent and supereasy recipe.

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