last recipe, i promise...for now

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preheat oven to 375 degrees. brown 1 pounds ground beef...the leanest you can find. when browned, throw in one medium onion, chopped, along with one deseeded jalapeno, chopped as well. cook til onions are translucent. put in two cloves of minced garlic. cook for about 3 minutes. add one 14 oz. can of drained and rinsed beans (i used black beans), and one can of 14oz diced tomatoes (i used italian flavored ones), and 1 cup of frozen corn. heat til liquid from tomatoes evaporates.

in a pot, boil 2.5 cups of water. when boiling, add 3/4 cups of corn meal. whisk in. add 2 T. of oil.

put your beef mixture in the bottom of a 3 quart pan (i used two 1.5 quart ones), take the corn meal mixture and place on top...spreading it and making sure you get the edges sealed.

put in oven for 30 minutes.

EAT IT

oh, the cornmeal part...it will be like polenta....not like cornbread, more like a tamale consistency.

beef satay from cooks illustrated

here is the recipe for the beef satay. i'd skip the peanut sauce...but that's just me. the marinade for the beef was plenty good on it's own. the peanut sauce...needed something..maybe coconut milk? i used flank steak the first time. i wouldn't do it again...because...well, it's flank steak. the second time, we used a trial run of beef round thin sliced and new york strip. they were both good

Gas-Grilled Beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

12-18 as an appetizer, 4-6 main course. Published February 1, 2007.
Meat that is partially frozen is easier to slice into thin strips. Asian chili sauce is available in most supermarkets under the name sriracha. About forty 6-inch wooden skewers or twenty 12-inch wooden or metal skewers are required for this recipe. (We prefer metal skewers; even when soaked, wooden skewers often burn.) If you would like to halve the recipe, buy a 1-pound flank steak and cut the remaining ingredients in half. The peanut sauce may be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Bring the sauce to room temperature before serving.


Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
1/2
cup smooth peanut butter
1/4
cup hot water
2
tablespoons lime juice from 1 to 2 limes
2
tablespoons Asian chili sauce
1
tablespoon fish sauce
1
tablespoon dark brown sugar
1
tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves
1
medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2
scallions , white and green parts, sliced thin
Satay
1
large whole flank steak (about 2 pounds)
1/4
cup fish sauce
1/4
cup vegetable oil
2
tablespoons Asian chili sauce , or more to taste
1/4
cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4
cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
2
medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4
scallions , white and green parts, sliced thin

Instructions
1. For peanut sauce: Whisk peanut butter and hot water together in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients; transfer to serving bowl and set aside.
2. For satay: Cut flank steak in half lengthwise and freeze for 30 minutes.
3. Slice each piece of steak across grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Combine fish sauce, oil, chili sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, garlic, and scallions in gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag or large bowl. Add steak strips and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour but no longer. Weave meat onto individual skewers—1 strip of meat if you’re using short skewers or 2 strips of meat for longer ones—and lay flat in shallow container.
4. To Grill: Turn all burners to high, close the lid, and heat the grill until very hot, about 15 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Turn all burners to medium high.
5. Spread half of skewers out over hot cooking grate and grill, covered, until meat has cooked through and is lightly charred around edges, about 7 minutes, flipping them over halfway through grilling time. Transfer to serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining skewers. Serve immediately with peanut sauce