The Beefer - My Answer To A Long Ago Discontinued Product

 

Song:  Guantanamera

Group:  The Sandpipers

In the 1960s and 70s...

one of my favorite items from any fast food 

was The Bell Beefer from Taco Bell.

They were on hamburger buns and had ground beef and lots of cheese...

and I used their signature sauce on it.

I loved them so much...

I was sad when they discontinued them.

However, I never had the right sauce to make my own

until I first tasted the verde from the below brand.

It was a game changer.

Just brown ground beef...

season with only salt and pepper.

What I consider to be...

the king of all the mexican sauces (Verde - meaning Green)...

and THE BEST BRAND OF VERDE.

This verde is so very flavorful without being obnoxiously hot.

It is this that adds so much flavor to this meal.

I could only find this brand at SaveMart.

And so, after shopping at Safeway and not finding any...

I made a special trip to SaveMart...

and I bought all they had (six bottles left).

This pre shredded blend of cheeses goes so well with The Beefer...

as well as with all other Mexican food.

Just scoop as much browned ground beef on a hamburger bun as will stay on.

And then saturate the meat with the verde

(I had only put a little on my Mom's Beefer as pictured here).

Top it with as much cheese as possible...

and serve.

I put this together for my elder sister.

You will have ingredients fall out a bit...

but it is all good.

This was my first of three that I had on this night.

I just love The Beefer so much that I had it three times this week for supper.

This meal is just so quick and easy to make...

and with this particular brand of verde...

it is hauntingly delicious.

Yes, it feels so good eating this that for days afterwards...

you just have to have more.

Country Style Pork Ribs

 

Song: Into The Blue

Artist:  Aythis (Carline Van Roos)

My younger sister stopped over my mother's to pick her up for a few days...

however, she first made a delicious meal for us to enjoy before she left with my Mom.

My younger sister explained in an email to me about it...

as I had slept until the food was ready.

She explained that although the dish is called Country Style Pork Ribs...

these cuts of pork are not ribs.

She said that this certain cut of pork was invented by a butcher wanting to sell 

more of a certain cut of chuck loin...the chuck eye steak, which was cut into two 

to produce 5 oz pieces.  

This cut is generally boneless and well marbled with fatty tissue and so...

 resembles a rib in appearance.

She went on to say that it has since been adopted to beef as well...

and that it is also now made from bottom round steak, cross rib, and flatiron steaks

(repackaging...a mainstay tactic in resale).

Recipe:

2.2 lbs (1 kilo) country style ribs

Garlic Powder

Pepper

Season well with garlic powder and black pepper

Place in a ceramic baking dish.

Tent and bake at 400 degrees F for 40 - 80 minutes

depending on thickness of cuts.

The important part is to fully cook the meat.

As the meat cooks...

it is self basted in about 1.5 inches of fat and juices...

which keeps the meat very moist and tender.

The other ingredients are for quick cooked spinach...

and lightly fried potatoes and onions.

Potatoes and Onions

Recipe:

4-5 potatoes sliced

1/2 white onion

Seasoning salt

Black Pepper

3-4 Tbs olive oil

Heat oil on medium high.

Cook potatoes halfway through...

then add onions.

Continue to cook while stirring frequently...

season to taste.

A slightly charred outside and light and fluffy interior of the potatoes 

is the desired result.

Quick Wok Spinach

Recipe:

10 oz spinach

A drizzle of olive oil

Salt Pepper

Heat oil:  Medium

Put spinach in wok...cover.

Approximately one minute and then turn and repeat.

Remove from heat and season to taste.

Cheese and Garlic Bread

1 stick softened butter 

(Never consume any of the margarines...

they were one of the biggest health scams.

They are provedly very unhealthful.

They are made by hydrogenation of cheap vegetable oils.

The hydrogenation of the oils make them solid and store long...

but make them very high in hydrogenated trans fats.)

Harvard Medical School - Margarine

Actually...

there exists very healthful natural butters in tubs which are made highly spreadable 

by adding olive oil to them.

NEVER BUY ANY MARGARINES

Garlic Powder

1 cup shredded cheese of choice

8 - 10 slices of bread

Generously spread on butter and sprinkle garlic powder...

and then pile on the shredded cheese.

Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

THESE ARE SO DELICIOUS FRESH OUT OF THE OVEN

My first plate of two.

The pork is so juicy and tender that there is no other pork equal

to this other than Kalua Pig...

or correctly made Carnitas of Mexican cuisines.

The spinach still has a fresh texture while being very flavorful and tender.

Potatoes and onions naturally go together.

Once again, this pork is almost unrivaled in tenderness and juiciness.

If you have ever been disappointed in tuff or dry pork chops...

this is a must try dish.

And...

I recommend making many more cheese toasts.

The eight of them were only barely enough for my younger sister...

my Mom...

and me.

I could have eaten many more than the five slices I had.

One key point...

the full tenting of the pork is essential for the juices to baste the meat fully.

The point is to seal the juices in the cooking vessel.

My mom loved this meal...

as well as did I.

I pick up my mom tomorrow.

On that day or the next...

I am going to make her a quick and delicious meal.

If you were old enough in the 60s and 70s...

and you loved the Bell Beefer that Taco Bell used to sell then...

that is what I am going to make.

They were my favorite back then...

and still now.

They, to me...

are on par with the most delicious of cheese hamburgers...

which I absolutely love.

I will describe the simple process and ingredients in the next article.

Crisped Rice Marshmallow Treat

 

Song:  Wandering (Acoustic Version)

Artist:  Aythis (Carline Van Roos)

I made a batch of crisped rice marshmallow treats in about 20 minutes.

This will be just an infrequent treat for my mother.

While they are delicious...

in general...

sweets are just a sometime treat as they are very sugary.

My mother loves them when I pick up the prepackaged commercial brand

at the grocery store.

When I was a small child...

neighborhood mothers used to make this on occasion.

The recipe is very simple:

6 Tbs - butter

20 oz - marshmallows

12 oz - crisped rice

I used a 12 inch wok to first melt the butter on medium low heat.

Add the marshmallows and melt them on medium low heat.

Flip the mixture frequently to allow full melting.

Once the mixture is fully melted...

simply add the crisped rice until they are fully coated

(keep the heat on the whole time).

Pour the mixture into a coated baking pan (12" x 8" was just right).

Allow to air cool.

Cut into squares and enjoy.

Cleanup is easy...

just use fully hot tap water to dissolve the sugar mixture as you clean 

the cooking implements.

Just this much on a paper towel is enough to just lightly coat the surface of the pan.

It doesn't stick at all when this is done.

Allow to cool for several hours before serving to ensure solidity.

After a few hours...

I made somen and shrimp cocktail for supper.

My mom finished all of her food.

This was my meal.

I usually add chopped green onions to the soup...

however, we were out.

Just one square is enough for dessert.

My Mom kept saying...Oishi  :)

This is the best knife in the kitchen.

It is a thick spined cleaver.

It does everything all the other knives do...

and more.

With this knife...

all I had to do to cut from edge to edge was to rock it down as it cut 

the marshmallow treats into squares almost effortlessly.

It is extremely sharp and highly durable...

as well as being resistant to lateral pressure...

and to corrosion (440 SS).

With just plastic wrap sealing it...

it will keep for many days on the countertop...

although...

this is so delicious...

it will be finished up quickly.

This treat is easily and inexpensively made.

I've never met anyone who did not love this treat.