Ground beef and rice

qt'sMOM

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 6:17 pm

Need ideas of how to season ground beef and rice. No tomato sauce or jar/canned processed stuff, please. Also, seasoning shouldn't be spicy/hot or too exotic. Trying to find a new dinner for my kiddos.

If you have any methods for cooking ground beef and rice, so the beef stays soft, that would be helpful too. My kids don't care for chewy and dry ground beef.

qt'sMOM

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 6:29 pm

I don't think so. Any recipe that I need to brown the meat before simmering it with the rest of the ingredients is out, cause the browning leaves the ground beef chewy and dry. If I want to make meat sauce and spaghetti I need to mix the meat, spices, and sauce till it is all evenly distributed and then cook it on an extremely low temp, crockpot like but on the stove, below boiling and as soon as it is not raw shut the burner so it won't overcook. It gives the meat a strange but soft texture. This is the only way they will eat it unless I make my meatballs which are super soft.

SixOfWands

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 6:29 pm

qt'sMOM wrote:

I sautée onions and garlic in olive oil. Add ground beef, to brown. I use a can of tomatoes with mild chili pepper, but you can use fresh if you prefer, kidney beans, and taco seasoning. Use a jalapeño if your family likes them. Mix in prepared rice and cook a bit to mix flavors.

penguin

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 6:48 pm

I've done with onions & other veg (celery, mushrooms, peppers, all depending what your kids will or will not pick out : ) and soy sauce. You could probably do some milk substitute to make a creamy sauce, though I've never tried that. But you might google for kosher (or non-dairy) Stroganoff & see what you get.

qt'sMOM

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 6:56 pm

I just read that if I mix ground beef with baking soda and let it sit a while before browning it will keep it soft. Anyone tried that?

If I first simmer whatever recipe mixture I choose to make, without the beef, and let the flavors develop. Then, turn off/down the temp to below boiling and just mix in the beef till not raw. Would that come out tasting ok? I think that would keep the meat soft.

rim

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 6:59 pm

I put into my ground meat mixture grated onion, carrot and squash. This gives it a soft texture. Then I make patties to grill or meatballs out of it. Adding T. Sugar, Fresh garlic/powder, paprika, 1 egg, Black pepper if you’d like mayo for more softness to the ground beef mixture.

ra_mom

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 7:03 pm

qt'sMOM wrote:

Baking soda that you can't rinse off doesn't taste good.

Maybe your ground beef mixture doesn't have enough fat content. Is the package too lean?

Thisisnotmyreal

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 7:15 pm

Just plain. Onion and garlic sauteed add meat and mix with rice. Salt and pepper to taste. Maybe add onion powder and garlic powder. It's heaven!!!

Tzippy323

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 7:37 pm

This is for 2 pounds of beef. Grind up 1 large carrot, 1 large onion, and 1 potato in the food processor. Mix in with your rice and ground beef. Add 1 well beaten egg. Form into a meatloaf and put in a loaf pan. Get a package of pastrami. Overlay the slices of pastrami on the meatloaf, tucking them under at the sides. Shmear the top with some sweet and sour duck sauce. ( not a lot). Cover tightly with foil and bake. If you have any leftovers, send them my way.

qt'sMOM

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 7:37 pm

ra_mom wrote:

Baking soda that you can't rinse off doesn't taste good.

Maybe your ground beef mixture doesn't have enough fat content. Is the package too lean?

I use regular beef, not lean. I can try soaking it and then rinsing it off before cooking, but would that take out the flavors?

How do you prevent ground beef from getting chewy when browning and simmering? I want a soft meatball or meatloaf texture where it just melts in your mouth without much chewing.

qt'sMOM

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 7:45 pm

Tzippy323 wrote:

You mix the meat, veggies and rice and make one big loaf out of all 3? Or, is the rice baked in the pan at the side? How much raw rice?

I have made meatloaf before but while they like the texture there is a grey goo that comes out on the top (Maybe the egg protein or something. It's similar to the white salmon protein). I remember also liking meatloaf as a kid but hated the gray goo.

thunderstorm

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 7:52 pm

Sometimes I sauté onion, red, orange and yellow pepper , julienned carrot and sliced celery . In a separate pan I sauté the meet (no oil since the meat is fatty enough) keep breaking the meat down with a large spoon until crumbly. I add Mikees tiryaki sauce to the meat and cook for a bit. Then I transfer the sautéed veggies into the meat mixture. Add more tiryaki sauce , cover and simmer on a low flame for 30 minutes. Stir to keep from burning.
I spoon this mixture over rice or pasta.

ra_mom

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 8:47 pm

qt'sMOM wrote:

Don't use baking soda for ground beef. It's used on strips of steak and then rinsed off. Doesn't work for ground beef.

Amelia Bedelia

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 8:56 pm

Iirc, I think Raizy's Cookin' posted a recipe for marsala meatballs that sounded scrumptious. Never tried it, though. Don't have access to Instagram but maybe someone else can post. It may also be in her new cookbook.

womanwithaplan

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 9:07 pm

qt'sMOM wrote:

Just want to mention, you need to be really careful with cooking meat at a high enough temperature and for long enough, otherwise there is a real risk of food poisoning (not fun!)

penguin

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 9:20 pm

I once had a recipe from a magazine. You basically just took ground meat w a little soy sauce, possibly there were some eggs & onion powder. Haven't made this in years but maybe s/o else does.

Then you bake it as meatballs, spread across cookie sheets. Cool, freeze on cookie sheets, then pop into freezer bags.

Now you can take out just as much as you need for a meal (because they froze when separated) & heat in sauce of your choice.

(I seem to recall 4 lbs ground beef making 2 cookie sheets worth, but, as I said, it was a while ago.)

They came out nice & soft, & not much of that meatloaf goo, if there was, it was on the pan & you just threw it out.

qt'sMOM

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 9:40 pm

ra_mom wrote:

Don't use baking soda for ground beef. It's used on strips of steak and then rinsed off. Doesn't work for ground beef.

I got the idea from here. It specifically also mentioned using it for ground beef

https://www.cooksillustrated.c.....ution

funkyfrummom

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 10:03 pm

When I do ground beef with rice I cook in pan. Season with salt and pepper and either:

kosher sriracha (kids love even though it's hot... "rooster sauce")
or
cumin and paprika
or
spinach and curry powder (can also toss in cooked carrots)

Serve over rice.