Meats
Human beings have supplemented their diets with meat since our hunter-gatherer days. Some of the oldest evidence of human activities is stone tools for bringing down prey. These days a variety of domesticated animals give us the major portion of our protein. Roasted, grilled, braised, barbequed or fried, meat takes kindly to a variety of cooking methods.
Meat Recipes
Arni me Patates sto Fourno
A whole spit-roasted lamb is the classic Easter feast for most Greeks. But this recipe for roast leg of lamb with potatoes is popular too. It is just as tasty, yet simpler to prepare and more suitable for smaller gatherings. The variation with artichokes makes the dish a full meal. Read more »
Baho
Baho, or vaho, is one of the cornerstones of Nicaraguan cuisine. Beef, plantains and yuca (cassava) are wrapped in banana leaves and steamed over water in a large pot. Baho is food for a Sunday afternoon. Start the recipe on Saturday by marinating the meat. Vaho means "mist" in Spanish and evokes the unique cooking method for this hearty meal. Read more »
Baked Country Ham
Country hams are an old tradition in the American South. Fresh pork legs are salt-cured, sometimes smoked, and then dry aged for several months. Because the meat can be very salty, country hams must be soaked in water for a time to remove excess salt. Baked country ham is the perfect centerpiece for any family celebration. Leftovers are great for breakfast with red-eye gravy or served as a sandwich in buttermilk biscuits. Read more »
Beef and Okra
This recipe makes a simple meat and vegetable stew with tons of flavor. It's a typically Caribbean concoction using that favorite vegetable import from Africa -- okra. Try using goat instead of beef if you can find it. Read more »
Bobotie
Bobotie is a very old South African dish with probable origins in Indonesia or Malaysia. The name derives from the Indonesian "bobotok," and the dish was likely adapted by Dutch traders and brought back to the region around Cape Town. Every South African cook has his or her own favorite version of this dish, some very simple, others quite elaborate. Bobotie is typically served with geelrys (yellow rice) and a side of mango chutney. Read more »
Boerewors
This spiral-shaped sausage is a popular braai (barbecue) meat in South Africa. Made with beef and pork and flavored with coriander and vinegar, boerewors has its roots in the Netherlands. And while it originated with white Afrikaner South Africans, this tasty sausage is now popular throughout southern Africa. Read more »
Boeuf à l'Haïtienne
This simple, flavorful dish is characteristic of the Haitian love of tasty meat and vegetable dishes. Boeuf à l'haïtienne tastes even better if served the next day. Read more »
Bográcsgulyás
Bográcsgulyás (boh-GRACH goo-YAHSH), or goulash, is one of the classics of Hungarian cuisine. Variations of this basic dish are popular throughout Central Europe. Bogrács is Hungarian for "kettle", and gulyás was originally the word for "cowboy." Today goulash refers to both the herdsmen and the stew they first cooked in their kettles. Read more »
Bosanski Burek
Savory fillings baked in a thin pastry dough are popular throughout southeastern Europe, a legacy of the Ottoman Empire. They go by a variety of names — börek, bourek, böreği, bouréki. The Bosnian version, burek, is filled with ground meat and rolled up into a snail-like pie. Read more »
Braciole alla Pizzaiola
Pizzaiola is an Italian word that means "pizza style." And it perfectly describes this dish of thinly pounded beef cutlets simmered briefly in a simple tomato sauce. Read more »
Brasato al Chianti
Brasato al Chianti is great Tuscan cold-weather food and goes well with polenta or potato gnocchi. Brasato, Italian for "braised," can also be made with Barolo or any other Italian red wine. Read more »
Bredie
Bredies are simple, traditional South African mutton stews in the Cape Malay tradition. The most popular are green bean bredie, tomato bredie and cabbage bredie. A basic bredie recipe is listed here, with the more common variations below. (Tip: A bredie will always taste better served the day after it is made.) Read more »
Bulgogi
Bulgogi is one of the best known of all Korean dishes. It was originally cooked over a wood fire, and bulgogi still tastes best with the smoky flavor of the grill. Use a fine grate over the charcoal so the meat doesn't fall through. When prepared in Korean homes or restaurants these days, the meat is often seared on a special curved broiler plate placed in the middle of the table. Each guest cooks his or her own to order. Read more »
Caldereta
Caldereta is a comforting beef stew popular in the Philippines. Every family has its own version. Experiment with the ingredients and try different vegetables. Read more »
Carne Asada
Carne asada, or grilled meat, is great backyard grill food. It is enjoyed throughout Central America, but is particularly popular in Mexico. Many recipes get very elaborate with the marinade ingredients, but the original recipe relies on a simple combination of onions and citrus juice to highlight the flavor of the beef. Read more »
Carnitas de Puerco
Slow-simmered pork, with a step at the end to add crispiness, carnitas are an amazing option for stuffing tacos, burritos and tamales. Carnitas are easy to make, but it does take some time. Traditional carnitas are always simmered in lard; it adds flavor and tenderness. See the variations for healthier options if all that fat scares you away. Read more »
Cerdo con Frijoles
Wild boar, or cerdo, was traditionally used in this typically Mayan dish from southern Mexico. Epazote is an herb that is almost always used to flavor black beans in the Yucatán. You can substitute bay leaf. Read more »
Char Siu
Originally from southeastern China, char siu barbecue is now a favorite all over Asia. The name translates as "fork-roasted," and describes the method of hanging strips of marinated meat on forked skewers and roasting them in an oven or over an open fire. Char siu is either the marinade itself or the roast barbecue pork that is the most common char siu dish. As a sauce, char siu is versatile and has endless variations. Also spelled cha siew or chashao. Read more »
Chicken-Fried Steak
Chicken-fried steak, or country-fried steak, is an old farm recipe designed for cheaper, tougher cuts of beef, primarily round, Swiss or cube steak. It is particularly popular in Texas, where it originates. But it is found north into the upper Midwest and east into the old South. A popular truckstop menu item, it is most often served with mashed potatoes and a simple vegetable, often green beans. Read more »
Cochinita Pibil
For an ethereal taste of Yucatecan cuisine, you must try cochinita pibil. This Mayan dish is traditionally made with sucking pig (cochinita) roasted in a pit (pibil). In this simplified recipe, chunks of pork are seasoned with a full-flavored citrus marinade, encased in bananas leaves and slow-roasted in the oven or on the grill. Often called puerco pibil. Read more »
Corn Dogs
Corn dogs are American carnival, fair, and amusement park food. They are one of many "foods-on-a-stick" found at such celebrations and venues. A favorite of children, corn dogs are best served with a good amount of ketchup. The beginnings of the corn dog are hotly disputed, and possible places of origin include New York, Minnesota, Texas and Muscle Beach in California. They seem to have appeared sometime in the 1930s or 40s. Known as pogos in Canada. Read more »
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patricks Day dish for Irish Americans, but not for the Irish themselves. The meal became popular with immigrants from Ireland in the 19th century. The word "corned" comes from the Old English for "grain" or "pellets," and pellets of salt were originally used to cure the beef for this dish. These days corned beef is usually sold brined in vacuum-packed bags with a spice packet for flavoring. A variation of the dish with root vegetables makes up a New England boiled dinner. A Canadian version is served with pease pudding. Read more »
Curry Goat
Goat is a favorite meat in much of the Caribbean, and in Jamaica, curry goat is the favorite way to cook it. Full of flavor, this aromatic stew was originally a must-have dish at large gatherings, parties, dances and other celebrations. These days, Jamaicans cook it at home more and more often. Substitute lamb meat if you can't find goat. Read more »
Daube de Boeuf Provençale
Popular in southern France, daubes (pronounced "dōb") are slow-simmered stews traditionally cooked in a special pot called a daubière. Beef or lamb are marinated in wine and herbs for a day or two, then simmered in a slow oven until meltingly tender. As with much French food, everyone agrees that a daube should be made just so, yet each region has its own variation. The version here is popular in Provence. Read more »
Dublin Coddle
Dublin coddle, as its name implies, is a warming dish particularly popular in the Irish capital city of Dublin. Often simply known as coddle, this simple and filling mix of potatoes, sausages and bacon often serves as a hearty dinner. Read more »
