Give the gift of ground beef

James Bond has nothing on me.

There I was. It was the week before Christmas, and I was standing in the frigid parking lot of a chain restaurant in suburban somewhere. I was there to make an exchange that I had helped to arrange a few days before.

The wind was cold. Like the kind of cold you feel when someone walks across your grave. Good thing I’m used to it. In my line of work you’ve got to be.

I had the cash in hand. My contact pulled up in his car – a small, dusty sedan – and opened the trunk. I gave him the money. He gave me the good stuff, and then I gave him a loaf of homemade sugar bread for him to enjoy with his family over the holidays.

OK. So maybe that’s not so James Bond.

In reality, the “good stuff” in this case was ground beef. But it wasn’t just any ground beef. It was grass-finished ground beef. My “contact” was my friend Matt who, along with his husband, Pat, raises cattle – as well as some of the best tomatoes I’ve ever eaten – at Coyote Run Farm in rural Marion County. The parking lot exchange was the answer to a question that stumps me every year at this time: what should I get my family for Christmas?

In 2022, my answer was ground beef.

Ground beef is one of the most versatile of foods. It goes in everything from tacos to tamales. It’s a staple in casseroles and chili. It also tastes great on its own as a big, juicy burger served with onions and melted cheese atop a soft, steamed bun.

Finding good grass-finished ground beef is not hard in the Midwest. A simple Google search will turn up numerous farms that will sell directly to the consumer. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than going to your local supermarket, but it is more than worth the effort once you taste the difference between mass-produced beef and beef that is grown on a small family farm.

You also get the satisfaction of knowing your farmer. Before making the exchange, Matt and I had coffee, talking for about an hour about everything from the coming snowstorm to state and local politics. That’s not something you get when you buy from one of the big meat conglomerates.

So, this year make a resolution to buy local when it comes to the meat you consume. You’ll do yourself and your community some good. You might even make a friend.

Oklahoma Burgers

I’ve wanted to try this recipe since I first discovered it last summer. I didn’t try it then because we were in the middle of grilling season, and these burgers are prepared on your stove top.

What makes them different is the way they are prepared. In fact, there isn’t really much of a recipe. Instead, it’s more of a technique. The burgers are smashed rather than formed into neat patties. Then they are cooked in a pan full of onions. Some of those onions get into the meat itself. It’s really a pretty great way to cook a burger in your kitchen.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 cup thinly sliced onions (about 1 medium or 2 small onions)

Salt and pepper, to taste

? teaspoon vegetable oil

4 slices American cheese

4 hamburger buns

Divide your ground beef into four equal-sized balls (not patties).

Pour the oil into a cast-iron skillet. Turn the heat to high, and wait until you see just a wisp of smoke. Add two of the balls of meat. Use a spatula to smash them into patties. Salt and pepper generously. Smother each burger with about half of the sliced onions. Use your spatula to press some of the onions into the meat. Resist the temptation to smash the burgers any more about that.

Cook burgers for about 2 minutes. Use the spatula to flip them over, making sure to lift as many of the onions with the meat that you can. Once you’ve flipped the burgers, add a slice of cheese followed by the top of the burger bun. Place the bottom of the bun on top of the bun top (the recipe says this will infuse the entire bun with onion flavor). Cook for another 2 minutes until the onions are soft and turning translucent.

Remove the bun bottom to a plate. Use the spatula to carefully lift the burger and bun top (as well as some of the grilled onions) onto the bun bottom. Repeat with the remaining burgers, onions, cheese and buns.

Serve immediately.

Ground Beef Tacos

When I decided to write about ground beef, I decided that I needed recipes that really showed off the flavor. I also wanted recipes that were simple. After all, the holidays are over and most folks are either back at work or at school. Having a few easy, go-to recipes in your back pocket can be a big lifesaver.

Thus, for my second recipe I went with tacos because who doesn’t love a good taco. The other Michael usually handles the taco making in our house, so I asked him for his recipe for the seasoning. This one from ???? is very nice. It also is composed of things you probably have in your spice cabinet right now.

Best of all, I threw the entire thing together in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder

? teaspoon garlic powder

? teaspoon onion powder

? teaspoon dried oregano

? teaspoon paprika

1 ? teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 pound ground beef

Cheddar or American cheese, grated

Sour cream

Salsa

Taco sauce

Taco shells or tortillas

Combine the ingredients for the seasoning in a small bowl (chili powder through the pepper).

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the taco seasoning and continue cooking until meat is cooked through.

Remove from the stove, and assemble your tacos any way you like.

Potato Nugget Casserole

This school lunchroom staple is also a favorite in our house. The biggest reason is because it is so easy to make. Just look at that list of ingredients. Pretty simple, huh? And anything with Tater Tots has to be good.

There are thousands of variations of this casserole. This one comes from the book, “Hotdish Heaven” by Ann Burckhardt.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 onion, chopped

2 cups (about 8 ounces) of frozen vegetables such as peas and carrots or mixed vegetables

1 can (10 ounces) of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

? cup milk

16 ounces of frozen Tater Tots

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown the meat and onion lightly. Spread in a shallow 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the vegetables over the meat, making an even layer. Stir together the soup and milk until smooth. Drizzle soup mixture over vegetables. Arrange Tater Tots in a single layer over the soup.

Bake for 1 hour or until the Tater Tots are browned.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Give the gift of ground beef