Thursday, April 28, 2011

The many things you can do with your $3.99/lb ground meat on Pesach

If you bought a 5lb family pack of ground meat and are not planning on using it right away, do not stick it in the freezer.  Break the pack into 2 or 5 pieces, put them into plastic bags and make them as flat as possible and only then freeze them.
All of the following recipes are for a slow cooker/crock pot, for people like me who are too lazy to kasher their oven and are using it for storage of their non-Pesach pots and pans.

Shepherd's Pie
If you're Ashkenaz, Pesach time your house is full of potatoes, carrots and onions.
Layer chopped onions, ground meat and chopped potatoes.  If you want, add carrots, spices or even dump a couple turkey pieces on top of everything.
For liquid, use chicken broth and remember that this is not cholent with beans or rice or barley and the water will not get absorbed.
Splashing in some brandy adds to the taste and smell.

Meatloaf
You can make meatloaf in a crock pot as long as you add liquid like water or chicken broth so that it doesn't become dry or burn.
Mix seasoned matza crumbs, chopped garlic, spices and eggs and leave it on low for a couple hours.

Pesach Cholent
Last time I checked, if you use quinoa, you to check it for foreign matter and I'm just too lazy for that.
Garlic on the bottom, then some lamb breast and roasted chestnuts, spices, ground meat and/or chicken gizzards, cut yams and/or potatoes.
On top, you can add raisins, honey, eggs and turkey pieces.
Since beer is chometz, can splash some brandy or slivovits.
Again, remember that you're not using anything that will absorb most of the water so don't add too much.

Ground meat with crushed tomatoes, garlic and brussel sprouts
Invented this this year and that's exactly what it's made from.
Layer ground beef and a lot of minced garlic.  Pour a large, at least 28oz, can of crushed tomatoes on top.
Add brussel sprouts in the last 1~2 hours so that they don't turn into mush.

Not ground meat related, but another favorite Passover recipe of mine is to dump 9oz of chicken sauce into a small wok and boil chicken pieces in it, turning them until done.

2 comments:

  1. to late for pesach for me, so maybe I'll try anyway :)!

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  2. I actually did the last one this Friday using a large loaf pan, you need something narrow and deep, and it came out good. Baked it at 325.
    Crockpot is more even but then I need another one for day.
    Was considering getting a vacuum cooker...

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