Recipes: Meat

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1. Gwen's Beef Jerky (Strict)
2. Marvelous Meatballs (Liberal)
3. Steaks with Green Onion and Caper Sauce - (Strict )
4. Italian Sausage / Cabbage Bake (Liberal)
5. White Lasagne (Liberal)
6. Deb Brandt's Meat and Cheese Lasagne (Strict)
7. Triple Herb Broiled Flank Steak (Strict)
8. Gorgonzola Cheeseburgers with Pancetta (Liberal)
9. Beef Jerky (Strict and Liberal)
10. Sloppy Joes (Liberal)
11. Pork Cutlet and Parmesan Salad (Strict )
12. Hamburger Cabbage (liberal only)

1. Gwen's Beef Jerky (Strict l)
About five pounds of inexpensive beef, sliced very thin, and beaten with a mallet to tenderize.

1 8 oz. bottle of low-sodium soy sauce
8 oz. water
About 1 tablespoon of powdered ginger.
About 1 tablespoon of powdered garlic (not garlic salt)
About 1 heaping teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper (more if you like)
About 2 tablespoons Splenda

1) Mix everything except the beef and taste it for seasoning. Adjust at will.
2) Put the pounded beef strips in a large freezer bag, pour in the marinade and make sure all the beef is evenly covered, seal, and put in the refrigerator for about one day.
After marinading:
1) Line the bottom of your oven with foil so you won't have to clean it later.
2) Preheat your oven to 140 degrees. Make sure it will stay at 140 degrees with the oven door slightly open.
3) Place the drained beef strips on baking racks that fit in your oven. If you don't have enough room on one shelf, use two shelves separated by about five inches.
4) Leave the oven door open a bit and let the beef dry for at least eight hours. It will turn very dark and will be reduced in size by about half.
5) Remove from the oven, let cool, then cut into two inch pieces. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed bag. top

2. Marvelous Meatballs - Liberal
from "Extreme Low-Carb Cuisine" cookbook by Sharon Long)

1 lb pork sausage
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup pork rinds, ground
1/4 cup onion, minced (use green onion or onion powder for strict)
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp seasoning salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp lemon pepper (check for hidden dextrose!)
2 eggs
1/3 cup cream (or almond milk)

1. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix well and allow the meat mixture to rest at least 5 minutes.
2. Form the meat into 2" balls. Bake them in a 9x13x2" baking pan about 20 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Serve over spaghetti squash with sugar-free tomato sauce, or as appetizers with a sugar-free sweet & sour sauce. Freeze leftovers for a quick meal! Reheat at 375 for
about 25 minutes or until hot. top

3. Steaks with Green Onion and Caper Sauce - (Strict )
4 rib-eye steaks (about 8 ounces each), 3/4" thick
salt and pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup capers, drained
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat broiler. Adjust broiler pan 4" from heat source. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Broil 4 minutes per side for medium doneness.
2. While steaks are cooking, prepare sauce: In a small bowl, combine onions, capers, mustard and red wine vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Whisk in parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over steaks .top

4. Italian Sausage / Cabbage Bake (Liberal)
Fry 1lb bulk Italian Sausage with 1/2 chopped onion until sausage is cooked. Meanwhile cut a large head of cabbage into quarters. Reserve 3/4 for another use. Pull leaves off of core and place in microwave covered bowl with a small amount of water. Microwave for about 10 min. until soft. Drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in oven casserole dish. Layer in the leaves of cabbage. Then put on the layer of Italian sausage with onion. Next layer on one 14 1/2 oz can of diced sugar free tomatoes, drained. Sprinkle well with Italian Seasonings (or use basil and oregano.) Sprinkle on lots of Romano cheese. Last layer on 12-16 oz. of grated Mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 min. top

5. White Lasagna (Liberal)
1 lb ground beef
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped (I used less than this actually)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp basil
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup cream
3 oz. cream cheese, cubed
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz. cottage cheese (I use large curd)
1 egg, beaten
12 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb. eggplant, skinned and sliced

Brown ground beef with celery, onion & garlic. Drain fat. Stir in spices. Stir in cream and cream cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

Combine cottage cheese and egg. Set aside.

Layer 1/2 of the sliced eggplant in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Top with 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Repeat layers.

Bake at 375 (uncovered) for 30 - 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving (this is important-it allows it to firm up). top

6. Deb Brandt's Meat and Cheese Lasagne (Strict)
Serves 4

1/2 jar of sugar free spaghetti sauce
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup of whole milk cottage cheese
8 slices of mozzarella cheese
Enough shredded mozzarella cheese to top the casserole just before serving
Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, if desired

Brown ground beef, drain fat and add the 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce. Oil a 9x9 baking dish. Put one layer of the ground beef mix in a the dish, add a layer of mozzarella cheese slices, add a layer of cottage cheese and then repeat the above sequence one time. Top with any remaining ground beef mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until it looks bubbly. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese just before serving. top

7. Triple Herb Broiled Flank Steak (Strict)
(from Cooking Light magazine)

Use flank steak or London broil
Dried ground rosemary
Dried ground thyme
Either sweet basil or oregano
Ground pepper

Preheat broiler. Pierce steak thoroughly with a fork. Sprinkle herbs and pepper on each side. Let sit 30-60 minutes if desired (not necessary). Place steak on aluminum foil in broiler pan and broil about 7 minutes, turn, and cook to desired doneness (test by cutting in the center to take a peek) top

8. Gorgonzola Cheeseburgers with Pancetta (Liberal)
(Strict, if you omit the onions)

4 Servings

When making burgers, handle the meat as little as possible: a few pats with wet hands is all that's necessary to shape the patties.

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin or chuck
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 thin slices pancetta (Italian bacon)
Four 3/4-inch-thick slices Gorgonzola cheese (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Romaine lettuce leaves, tomato slices and paper-thin sweet onion slices

Light a grill. Shape the meat into 4 patties and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Wrap each hamburger with 2 slices of pancetta. Grill the burgers over a medium-hot fire for about 4 minutes, or until nicely browned on the bottom. Flip the burgers and top them with the Gorgonzola. Grill for about 4 minutes longer, or until nicely browned and cooked through. Top with the lettuce, tomato and onion. Serve at once.

Adapted from a recipe from Steven Raichlen. top

9. Beef Jerky (Strict)
This a great thing to take on the road with you. Make it in large batches because it's a lot of work, and the marinade just gets thrown away when you're done. Get the beef at Sam's or some other "bulk club."

10 pounds bottom round roast
1 quart (unsweetened) Teriyaki sauce - or use soy sauce and make your own Teriyaki by adding ginger and spices (use about 1-2 tablespoons each of the following):
--Ground ginger
--Thyme
--Tarragon
--Crushed red pepper
--Crushed black pepper
--Basil
--etc. there are no limits. The more herbs/spices you use, the more complex the flavor.

Trim all fat from beef. Slice beef across the grain 1/4 inch thick (consistency of thickness is more important than the actual thickness.) Put all ingredients in a large container (I use an 8 quart FoodSaver vacuum canister to allow me to marinade longer without spoilage.) Add water to marinade to cover beef. Marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 days if no vacuum canister. With vacuum canister, you can marinate for 1 week.

Take beef out of marinade and lay in single layer on oven rack (you may want to line bottom of oven with foil to catch (lots) drippings (do not line the rack, as you need to have air circulation.) Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Turn over and sprinkle other side with fresh cracked black pepper.

Put in oven at 150 degrees to dry. MAKE SURE THAT OVEN DOOR IS LEFT OPEN A CRACK TO ALLOW MOISTURE TO ESCAPE OR ELSE YOU WILL STEAM THE JERKY. THIS WILL MAKE IT PASTY AND TERRIBLE!

Dry for approximately 6-8 hours at 150. If your oven only goes down to 170 degrees (like mine), then dry it for about 5-7 hours. Do not over dry. You want the jerky to be dry but flexible when cooled. Even though the jerky will be flexible when it's in the oven, it will become brittle when it cools if you over dry it. top

10. Sloppy Joes (Liberal)
1 lb. Ground Beef or Turkey
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Small Green Pepper, diced
1 lg. celery stalk, diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar Twin
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
1/8 tsp. Ground Sage (Turkey only)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 Cup Water

In a large sauté pan, sauté green pepper, onion, and celery until clear, about 6 minutes. Add ground meat and crumble with a wooden spoon until broken quite small. Cook until meat is brown. Mix in the tomato paste brown sugar twin and vinegar. Stir to coat evenly. Add the garlic powder, sage, and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings and water to taste. Serves 4. top

11. Pork Cutlet and Parmesan Salad (Strict)
Serves 4

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 smashed garlic clove
1 teaspoon Splenda
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pound boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (You can use a vegetable peeler on a wedge)
12 ounces mixed baby salad greens (you can get one of those prepared fancy bags of salad greens at the market. If making from scratch you need about 16 cups, loosely packed, or enough to cover four dinner plates.)

Trim the visible fat from the pork chop. If they are very thick, slice in half horizontally (butterfly them.) Place between two sheets of wax paper and pound until they are 1/4 inch thick.Whisk together vinegar, shallot, garlic, Splenda, mustard, salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup olive oil in a steady stream, whisking as you go to blend it together. Put pork slices in a shallow pain and pour 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette over them, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature for at least ten minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from marinade and pat dry. (Discard the marinade because it has been on raw pork.) Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a skillet and heat until it starts to bubble and give off heat. Sauté the cutlets (you may need to do it in batches) until cooked through, turning once. This will take about 5 minutes per batch. When cooked, slice the cutlets into 1/2 inch wide strips, across the grain. Toss the greens with the remaining vinaigrette and any juices on the cutting board from the pork. Toss until well coated. Then divide greens on four plates and place strips of meat and cheese shavings on them. top

12. Hamburger Cabbage (liberal only)
1 lb hamburger
1 small head cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces, cooked until well done
1/2 stick butter
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger and onion, add butter. When butter is melted, add cabbage, cover and simmer until cabbage is done to the consistency you like it. top