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The Perfect Gift for Dad

June 13, 2013

Father’s Day was founded over 100 years ago in Spokane, Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd. Her father, a Civil War veteran, was a single parent of six children and Dodd wanted to create a holiday similar to Mother’s Day, but to honor dads. She held the first celebration at a YMCA and gave traditional gifts (for that time), such as ties and tobacco pipes. Since then, retailers across the globe have adopted the holiday and sold presents designed just for dad. But with all of the gift options, it can be difficult to pick the perfect one.

T-Bone Raw
The Meat House wants to make choosing the right Father’s Day gift as easy as 1-2-T! We offer a great selection of meat, but this year we suggest treating dad to something extra special with our T-bone steak. The T-bone, also known as the bone-in sirloin, is a top choice for grilling because the bone keeps the steak juicy and flavorful.  And how can you make your gift this year even better? Cook it for him! If you really want to impress dad, we suggest keeping it simple and delicious with our Perfect T-bone Recipe.

The Perfect T-bone

Ingredients:

  • The Meat House T-bone steak
  • Original CAMP MIX, sold at all Meat House locations
    *Note for this Father’s Day weekend (June 15 & 16) you can receive a FREE bottle of CAMP MIX for every $30 or more spent on bone-in meat at participating Meat House locations.
  • Ariston olive oil

Prep Time: 30-40 minutes (inactive)

Directions:

  1. Remove steak from fridge and allow 30 to 40 minutes to come to room temperature. (This step is very important for an evenly cooked steak, don’t skip it!)
  2. Pre-heat your grill to 500° or medium/high temperature. Clean surface of grill and lightly oil with Ariston olive oil.
  3. Season both sides of the steak with the Original CAMP MIX.
  4. Place steak on medium/high grill for 3 minutes, with the ends pointing to 2 and 8 o’clock. After 3 minutes, turn ends to 5 and 10 o’clock and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  5. Flip your steak over and cook for 3 minutes, again pointing to 2 and 8 o’clock. After 3 minutes, turn ends to 5 and 10 o’clock and cook for an additional 3 minutes. This turning process is key to get the signature perfect grill marks on your steak.
  6. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. Follow the chart below to achieve your desired degree of doneness.
  7. Lastly and most importantly, move steak to non-heated part of grill (or plate if necessary) and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Although this will be VERY difficult, it’s crucial in keeping the steak moist and sealing in the juices.

    Temp Chart

T-Bone Cooked
It’s as simple as that. And if you really want to spoil dad, try wrapping some fresh vegetables in tinfoil (we suggest some of our seasonal veggies, like summer squash or zucchini), with just a drizzle of Ariston olive oil and throwing them on the grill for about 10-12 minutes. Easy and delicious – dads you can thank us later.

Recipe from: http://www.themeathouse.com/Libraries/Recipes60Min/The_Perfect_Steak_5.sflb.ashx

Posted in Beef, Cooking Tips, Grilling, Meat, Recipes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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Barbecue Bacon Grilled Shrimp

June 6, 2013

June is National Seafood Month. While The Meat House is famous for its marinated meats, great steak, and more, some folks aren’t as familiar with our fresh seafood selection. Most Meat House stores carry their own variety of local seafood to please even the pickiest “afishionado” out there.

However we do know our customers pretty well – and if there’s one thing they love more than meat, it’s MORE meat. That’s why this week’s recipe combines succulent shrimp with one of our favorite foods ever – BACON.

Grilled Shrimp-Bacon Kabob

With ingredients this good, we think it’s best to keep it simple. You’ll just need four ingredients, tooth picks, and a grill.  Fire it up!

Barbecue Bacon Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients

1 lb of Meat House shrimp (32 to 36 per lb.) peeled, deveined, and rinsed

16 to 18 slices of Meat House bacon cut in half crosswise

Cooking oil spray

Big Moe’s BBQ sauce (Sold at The Meat House)

Instructions

To prepare grill:

If using charcoal briquettes mound and ignite enough briquettes to cover the fire grate in a single, solid layer (you’ll need about 75). When the briquettes are dotted with gray ash, after 15 to 20 minutes, spread them over the fire grate in a single layer. Let them burn down to the desired heat. Set grill in place.

If using a gas barbecue, turn all the burners to high and close the lid for 10 minutes. Adjust the burners to the desired heat.

  1. Preheat oven to 450°
  2. Count shrimp; for each, you’ll need 1/2 slice bacon and 1 soaked wood toothpick. (*Note, anytime you’re grilling with skewers or toothpicks, you should pre-soak in water for approximately 30 minutes to prevent burning.)
  3. Arrange bacon slices in single layers on 2 baking pans or sheets, each 10 by 15 inches.
  4. Bake in a 450° oven until bacon begins to brown on the bottom (lift to check), 4 to 8 minutes. As bacon is browned, transfer to towels to drain. Discard fat in pans.
  5. Wrap 1 bacon strip around each shrimp; secure with a toothpick. Spritz the inside of an 11- or 12-inch square hinged grill basket with cooking spray (or lightly brush with oil). Arrange wrapped shrimp in a single layer in basket; close basket. Cook in batches, if needed. (*Note, as an alternative you can cook multiple shrimp at once, using skewers and place directly on grill surface, without basket.)
  6. Prepare grill for direct heat (see above). When it is medium-hot (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds), lay basket on grill and turn as needed to brown bacon lightly, 2 to 3 minutes total. Remove basket from heat, open, and baste bacon-wrapped shrimp with about 1/4 of the Big Moe’s BBQ sauce (proportionately less if cooking in batches). Close basket, flip over, open basket, and baste shrimp with another 1/4 of the sauce (less if cooking in batches). Close basket, return to grill, and cook, turning once, until shrimp is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test) and bacon is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
  7. Transfer bacon-wrapped shrimp to a serving platter. Pour remaining BBQ sauce into a bowl. Dip shrimp into sauce to eat.

If you’d like to make a meal of it, consider pairing with a light summer salad or top it with fresh fruit salsa (we like pineapple or mango). It’s so mouth-watering; don’t be surprised if your guests get a “little shellfish” and don’t want to share!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/barbecued-bacon-shrimp-10000000600596/

*Seafood not available at all locations

Posted in Bacon, Cooking Tips, Grilling, Seafood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Meat the Butcher – Swordfish

May 30, 2013

Swordfish, or as we like to call it, “the steak of the sea”, was made for grilling. Even non-fish eaters will gladly eat a swordfish steak. While most fish are flaky and fall apart on the grill, the swordfish has a hearty texture that makes it grill-worthy.

For the more adventurous diners, you can try making swordfish-kabobs with your favorite marinade and seasonal veggies.

Raw Swordfish

Fun fact: The East Coast swordfish tends to be a little rosier than Pacific sword. Can you guess why? It’s their diet, which is mainly other fish plus a little squid.

CUT

The swordfish cut is simple and straightforward. The steaks are pulled from the upper part of the back meat. This will produce the largest cuts of steak and is the juiciest part of the fish. At The Meat House we source long line caught swordfish (and tuna) to assure the fish are as tender as possible. Nothing worse than a tough steak, right?

Swordfish Meat Map

COOKING

A grilled swordfish should be simple. A little olive oil, lemon, salt, and herbs are enough to dress up a good sword and be ready to throw on the grill.

  • Cook swordfish like you would a rare steak: Use high heat to sear the outside, and let it stay a little rare in the middle.
  • Make sure to leave the skin on when you grill, but take it off to serve –the skin is rubbery, but will keep the meat moist when cooking.
  • Cook approximately 5 minutes on one side. Flip, then cook 2-3 minutes (for an inch-thick steak) this uneven cook time is what allows for the center of the steak not overcook.
  • If grilling kabobs, precut swordfish into one inch cubes, assemble kabobs, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. At Meat House stores that carry swordfish, you can even ask the butcher to make a kabob for you!

While grilling is by far the most popular way to cook swordfish, it’s not the only way. Because of the texture, it’s excellent for chowders and stews because the fish won’t dissolve.

TASTE                  

The swordfish is a wonderful fish to eat and serve. It’s moist and flavorful, with a slightly sweet taste. The firm and meaty texture allows the fish to be particularly rich and juicy.

Cooked Swordfish

So you see there are many ways to enjoy the “other” steak option. Plus, how cool does “I’m making sword steak tonight”, sound? We know what you’re grilling for dinner this weekend!

*Please note, not all Meat House locations carry swordfish. Please ask your butcher for availability.

Posted in Cooking Tips, Grilling, Seafood | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Grill Cleaning 101

May 24, 2013

Memorial Day weekend is here! You know what that means: gatherings with family, friends and sumptuous grilled Meat House food! If you have not given your grill a thorough deep cleaning in a while, now is the time to do it. Your guests don’t want to taste the cilantro lime shrimp from last fall and the ribs from last summer (though I bet they were tasty at the time!).

dirtygrill

In temperate and cool climates people grill year round. At what point do you take the time to scrub down the grill? Good question. We recommend maintaining your grill every Spring and Fall.  Add this chore (or bonding time with your faithful grill) to your Spring and Fall cleaning list; it only takes 15 minutes (for a gas grill, and even less time for a charcoal grill!).

What you need:

  • Work gloves (optional)
  • Dish soap
  • Foil
  • Paper towels or rags
  • Sturdy grill brush
  • Bucket
  • Cooking oil

Instructions:

  1. Fill a bucket two-thirds full with hot soapy water
  2. Turn off the gas (on the grill and at the tank connection)
  3. If you are able to, pull the temperature knobs off and drop them in the bucket of hot soapy water to soak
  4. Remove the grates and the metal plates under the grates. Put them in the bucket of hot soapy water
  5. Cover the heating elements for the grill with tin foil (so water and residue do not get in)
  6. Using a stiff wire brush, gently scrub the inside surfaces of the grill and grill cover
  7. Clean out ash and residue from around the burner, careful to make sure the burner is in place when finished cleaning
  8. Remove and dump the drip pan’s debris into the trash
  9. Put the drip pan into the bucket of hot soapy water
  10. Using soapy water or a gentle cleaner, clean all external surfaces of the grill. If needed, use a stronger kitchen cleaner for those tough to clean spots
  11. Remove the grill grates and drip pan from the soapy water and give them a good scrub down! Use some elbow grease on them, they likely need it!
  12. Rinse the grates and drip pan off with clean water
  13. Rub grates down lightly with cooking oil (using either a cloth or spray)
  14. Remove the tinfoil covering the heating elements and discard
  15. Assemble the grill
  16. Turn on the gas and fire it up!

football foods small

Now you are ready to grill up some Meat House goodies like wings, ribs, burgers and the ever-so-tasty steak tips. So what are you waiting for? Get grilling!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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National Hamburger Month

May 16, 2013

Hamburgers! If you need an excuse to eat one, we have it for you: May is National Hamburger Month! So come on into your local Meat House to get your classic ground beef to make your own or take it easy on yourself and grab plain hand pressed burger patties or fancy pressed burger patties like the Bacon Cheddar! We also carry a few different burger selections in our case, including turkey and chicken burger options for those who don’t partake in red meat.

bacon cheddar burger

The exact history of the burger is disputed.  Some say the hamburger was created by Fletcher Davis in 1880 in Athens, Texas.  Others claim it was by the Menches brothers in Ohio in 1885.  Still others believe it was Oscar Bilby’s brainchild in 1891.  Regardless of who came up with the ingenious idea to place juicy ground beef, cooked to perfection between bread, we are fans.

It is important to note that the key to a delicious burger is by starting with our 100% house ground beef.  We grind our meat by hand, every day, sometimes many times a day and never, ever use additives (so no pink slime!).

No Pink Slime

 According to a Beef Checkoff Grilling Survey from April 2011, the number one favorite topping to make a perfect burger is lettuce, with tomato, raw onion and bacon following.

burger toppings list

According to a quick poll on our Facebook page, our customers are quite particular and go for multiple toppings with onion being quite popular, as well as bacon (of course!).FB burger feedback 1

FB burger feedback 2

Is your mouthwatering yet?  Go to your local Meat House today and grill up your favorite burger tonight! Be sure to post pics on our Facebook page!

Posted in Bacon, Beef, Cheese, Chicken, Cooking Tips, Customer Stories, Grilling, Meat, Turkey | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Zesty Marinated Filet Mignon

May 9, 2013

Mother’s Day will be here soon and that means it’s time to pamper the Mom in your life! What better way to make her feel special, than with a gourmet meal fit for a Queen. The filet mignon is popular among women because it’s tender, lean and rather cute…just like mom!

juicy Beef fillet

Although small, the filet mignon packs a flavorful punch (hey Mom does too!) when cooked correctly. Because the filet mignon is lean, it can dry out quickly, so sometimes it needs a little help. Nothing wrong with that! A great way to bring out its natural juiciness is with a robust marinade and some savory steak sauce. The marinating process will help break down the tissue allowing moisture to be absorbed and the steak sauce will add moisture while it’s cooking.

Zesty Marinated Filet Mignon

Ingredients

1 (8 oz) bottle zesty Italian salad dressing

4 filet mignon, 1 ½ inches thick

4 tablespoons steak sauce

4 teaspoons water

Directions

Pour the salad dressing into a shallow pan, place the steaks in the pan and let them marinate for 3 to 4 hours. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or pre-heat grill to medium. Grill the steaks for about 8 minutes per side (5 minutes per side for rare). Baste with a mixture of steak sauce and water. For perfect steaks, turn them only once.

Serve with light sides like a garden salad, our marinated asparagus or burgundy wine mushrooms for a Mom-friendly (and delicious) Mother’s Day meal.

And remember, even renowned cuts like the filet mignon need a little help sometimes. So give Mom a hand with the dishes and you’ll probably make her day.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/perfect-char-grilled-filet-mignon-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Posted in Beef, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Sizzlin’ Chicken Fajitas

May 3, 2013

Fajitas date back to the 1930’s in Southwest Texas where ranchers would butcher their cattle and give the scraps to the help as part of their pay (sweet deal!). Skirt steak was one of the scraps given to these Mexican cowboys and they would use it to make fajitas. Since this cut of meat wasn’t available commercially, the fajita tradition remained obscure for many years, only familiar to the cowboys, the butchers and their families. Nowadays the dish features other meats like chicken or pork and is not just familiar, but a favorite at dinner tables across the country.

chicken fajitas small

Fajita means “little meat strips” in Tex-Mex, but our version of this dish is anything but little! Our fajitas are bursting with fresh ingredients and big flavor! This recipe features our savory marinated chicken, charred vegetables, spicy jalapenos and fresh guacamole all wrapped up in a soft flour tortilla.

Sizzlin’ Chicken Fajitas

Serves: 4

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 ¼ to 1 ½ lbs Meat House marinated chicken

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 large onion, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch strips

3 bell peppers of various colors, sliced into ¼ inch strips

½ jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chili powder

¼ cup chopped cilantro

8-12 flour tortillas

Shredded cheddar cheese

Salsa

Guacamole

Sour cream

Directions

Heat a large frying pan on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together salt, cumin and chili powder and set aside. Add a tablespoon of canola oil to the pan. As soon as the oil begins to smoke, lay the chicken breasts in the pan. Sprinkle chicken with half the spice mixture. Let the chicken cook for 2-3 minutes until you have a good sear. Turn the pieces over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until well seared on the second side. Remove to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 5 minutes. If you want to test for doneness, cut into one piece with the tip of a sharp knife. It should be just done, if not, you can put it back in the hot pan for a minute or two.

While the chicken is resting, cook the onions and peppers. Add another tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and heat on high. Add the onions, peppers, jalapenos and garlic to the pan. Sprinkle veggies with the rest of the spice mixture. Use a spatula to scrape up some of the browned bits from the chicken and stir to coat the veggies with the oil and brown bits. Let mixture cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slice the chicken against the grain into strips. Serve at once with the veggies, some warm tortillas, and sides of shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

We’re big fans of carrying on the traditions of our butcher ancestors so join us in making some fajitas this weekend for your fiesta. Your Cinco de Mayo celebration will be sizzlin’!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_fajitas/

Posted in Chicken, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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