In a large bowl, mix together first six ingredients. Create 12 small hamburger patties from mixture. Place one slice of Pepper Jack cheese in between two small patties and form to make one larger patty, sealing edges completely. Repeat until there are six large hamburger patties. Grill or fry for four minutes on each side. Place grilled hamburger patty on a large lettuce leaf and fold in sides to make a pocket. Serves six.

Use enough olive oil to sauté the onions. Add peppers and cook slightly. Add meatballs and quickly toss with mustard to brown. Add French onion soup and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes. (These are a great “make-ahead,” the longer they simmer, the better they get.) Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (looks like snowflakes) and garnish with parsley.

Combine above ingredients and mix well. Shape into small balls and press into corn cob shaped pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. When the beef cobs are done, insert corn skewers into the end of each beef cob and put them onto a platter to serve. Makes 35 beef cobs.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat ¼ c. Crisco pure canola oil in a frying pan on medium-high for 3-4 minutes. Cut cubed beef steak into 1” strips. Dip both sides of beef strips in beaten egg mixture. Immediately roll in the finely crushed Doritos ™ crumbs. Press crumbs firmly into the beef strips. Fry strips on each side in hot oil for 3-4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray and lay strips evenly in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Place in a lined basket and serve with small dipping bowls filled with Famous Dave’s Rich and Sassy BBQ Sauce™ and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing™. ** Optional- Lay thin strips of mozzarella cheese on top of beef strips the last five minutes of baking time in the oven for even a cheesier taste! Serves 6-8.

Remove clear wrap and sleeve from package of beef. Leave bag of beef in tray; puncture top side of bag three times to ventilate. Cover tray with paper towel. Microwave on high for 5 minutes; let stand 2 minutes. Carefully open bag of beef and gravy; separate beef from gravy with a fork and place each into a small bowl. Stir ½ teaspoon taco seasoning mix into gravy and blend well. Pour into 2 small dipping dishes to serve as au jus with sandwiches. Set aside. Spray a medium non-stick frying pan with cooking oil, place over medium heat; add green onions and red pepper; stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender, remove from heat. Place mixture into a small bowl. Spray insides of each split hoagie bun with cooking oil and sprinkle each with ¼ teaspoon taco seasoning. Place cut side of buns down onto frying pan (same pan used for peppers and onions.) Heat buns over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until toasted golden. Remove from heat. With a fork divide and place roast beef into bottom half of each hoagie bun. Place a slice of cheese over beef on each sandwich; spoon half of onion and pepper mixture on top of each. Place top half of buns onto sandwiches and microwave for 10-15 seconds or until cheese melts. Cut each sandwich in half at a slant. Microwave 2 small dishes of au jus for 15-20 seconds or until hot. For garnish; place 1 stuffed jalapeno stuffed olive onto 4 frill or party picks. Secure each sandwich half with a garnished pick and serve with au jus.

BEEF AND SAUSAGE MEAT LOAF WITH MOZZARELLA

This Italian-inspired version is filled with sausage, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Makes 8 servings.

ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef (15 percent fat)
1 pound coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed, meat crumbled
2 cups chopped fresh basil
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce, divided
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 cup dry Nebraska red wine

preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine first 11 ingredients in large bowl. Gently mix in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, eggs, and wine. Place meat mixture on large rimmed baking sheet and shape into 16x4-inch loaf. Brush with remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Bake meat loaf until cooked through and thermometer inserted into center registers between 160°F and 170°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

ROAST PRIME RIBS OF BEEF WITH PINK AND GREEN PEPPERCORN CRUST AND RED-WINE PAN SAUCE

a 4-rib standing rib roast (about 7 1/2 to 8 pounds trimmed)

For crust
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries, crushed
3 tablespoons pink peppercorns*, crushed lightly
3 tablespoons freeze-dried green peppercorns, crushed lightly
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

*available at specialty foods shops

For sauce
2/3 cup dry Nebraska red wine Suggestion: James Arthur Vineyard's Frontenac wine
2 cups low-salt beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon water

Garnish: rosemary sprigs

Let rib roast stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Make crust:
In a small bowl combine crust ingredients, stirring to form a paste.

Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a roasting pan roast beef, ribs side down, 30 minutes. Transfer beef to a platter and discard remaining drippings.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Return beef to roasting pan, ribs side down, and spread with peppercorn paste. Roast beef 1 to 1 1/4 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy section registers 135°F. for medium-rare meat.

Transfer beef to a cutting board and discard strings if necessary. Let beef stand, covered loosely, at least 20 minutes and up to 30 minutes before carving.

Make sauce:
Skim fat from drippings in roasting pan. To pan add wine and deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil mixture until reduced by about half and transfer to a saucepan. Add broth and boil 5 minutes.

In a small bowl dissolve cornstarch in Worcestershire sauce and water and add to pan in a stream, whisking. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking, and boil 1 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Garnish rib roast and serve with sauce.

Serves 8.

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy Recipe

Ingredients
1 whole beef tenderloin roast (about 4 pounds), trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mushroom Gravy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry Nebraska Edelweiss wine
12 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sprigs of fresh rosemary for garnish (optional)

Instructions
Heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Rub the beef with the oil and sprinkle with the pepper. Place diagonally on a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2-inch jelly roll pan, tucking the thin end under for even cooking.

Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest part registers 135 degrees F. for rare.

Meanwhile, make the gravy. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 to 4 minutes, or until a dark golden color.
Slowly whisk in the broth and wine, then the mushrooms, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

Remove the meat from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for about 10 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 140 degrees F. The meat will continue cooking and the slicing will be easier.
Slice 1/4-inch thick and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve with the mushroom gravy.

Yield: 12 servings

Per serving: 295 calories, 32 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 94 mg cholesterol, 503 mg sodium

MAHOGANY BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE AND

HOISIN SAUCE

Hoisin adds complexity to the flavor of the sauce. . Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Nebraska DeChaunac
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
2 bay leaves

1 pound slender carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Note: Save time and tears by chopping onions in a food processor ( 2 batches )

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Push meat to sides of pot. Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix meat into onions. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirring occasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Aromatic Wine-braised Beef

SERVES: 8

ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 pounds beef chuck steak with bone, cut into 8 portions
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 bottles dry Nebraska red or Nebraska white wine
24 shallots, quartered
4 carrots, quartered
2 large onions, quartered
1 large bunch of fresh parsley and several fresh bay leaves, tied together with string
2 whole star anise
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

directions

Preheat the oven to 200°. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the meat in batches and brown it over moderate heat, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the meat as it's browned to a platter and immediately season it generously with salt and pepper.
Add 1/2 cup of the wine to the casserole and use a metal spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Return all the meat to the casserole and add the shallots, carrots, onions, herb bundle, star anise, peppercorns and remaining wine. Cover with a sheet of buttered wax paper and a lid and bring the wine to a boil.
Transfer the casserole to the oven and braise the beef for about 3 hours, or until very tender. Remove from the oven and transfer the meat to a platter. Strain the cooking juices, pressing on the solids; discard the solids.
Rinse out the casserole and return the cooking juices to it. Skim off the fat. Simmer the cooking juices over moderately high heat until reduced by about one-third, about 10 minutes. Return the meat to the casserole and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the meat with the cooking juices in rimmed plates.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

SERVE WITH Macaroni Gratin and Carrots with Cumin.

Drink the same wine you would use for braising the beef: an inexpensive Nebraska Edelweiss or LaCrosse. For a red wine, recommend a Nebraska St. Croix.

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH RED WINE SAUCE, CREAMED SPINACH, AND TRUFFLED FRENCH FRIES

The truffled fries are an inspired, luxurious accompaniment.

Red Wine Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 ounces shallots, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 6-ounce package sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 750-ml bottle Nebraska St. Croix
1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 14-ounce can beef broth
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 Turkish bay leaf

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Beef Tenderloin
1 2-pound beef tenderloin roast
1 tablespoon olive oil

Creamed Spinach
1 cup whipping cream
2 9-ounce packages fresh baby spinach leaves

Truffled French Fries

For red wine sauce:
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over; sauté until mixture is deep brown, about 4 minutes longer. Add vinegar; stir until liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Add both broths, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 35 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

Strain sauce through fine strainer into small saucepan; discard solids. Mix butter and flour in small bowl. Bring sauce to simmer over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in flour mixture. Cook until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium heat.)

For beef tenderloin:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place rack on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add beef to skillet and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer beef to rack on baking sheet. Roast in oven until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 120°F for medium-rare, about 35 minutes. Transfer beef to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare creamed spinach:
Boil whipping cream in heavy large pot until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add half of spinach to pot and toss just until spinach begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining spinach to pot; toss just until all spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut beef tenderloin crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Divide creamed spinach among 6 plates. Top with beef slices, dividing equally. Spoon sauce over and around beef. Divide Truffled French Fries among plates and serve.

Herb Pepper Crusted Beef Fillet

Ingredients
1 beef fillet (3 pounds), trimmed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Pat fillet dry with paper toweling. Place thyme, rosemary, peppercorns and salt in a small food processor or blender. Whirl to crush. Place mixture on waxed paper. Roll fillet in mixture until entirely coated. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle remaining herb mixture over top of fillet.

Roast fillet in heated 450-degree F. oven 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. for medium-rare. Remove from oven. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving. If serving cold, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. Serve with Herbed Mustard Sauce

Makes 8 servings

Herbed Mustard Sauce

Instructions
Chill 1/2 cup evaporated milk in freezer for 10 minutes. Combine 1 cup Nebraska DeChaunac wine, 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar and 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard in a blender.

Pour in chilled milk. With blender on, add 1/2 cup oil in a slow, steady stream until well blended.

Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, 1 finely chopped shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Blend to combine.

Yield: 1-1/4 cups

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy Recipe

Ingredients
1 whole beef tenderloin roast (about 4 pounds), trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mushroom Gravy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry Nebraska Edelweiss
12 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sprigs of fresh rosemary for garnish (optional)

Instructions
Heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Rub the beef with the oil and sprinkle with the pepper. Place diagonally on a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2-inch jelly roll pan, tucking the thin end under for even cooking.

Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest part registers 135 degrees F. for rare.

Meanwhile, make the gravy. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 to 4 minutes, or until a dark golden color.
Slowly whisk in the broth and wine, then the mushrooms, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

Remove the meat from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for about 10 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 140 degrees F. The meat will continue cooking and the slicing will be easier.
Slice 1/4-inch thick and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve with the mushroom gravy.

Yield: 12 servings

Per serving: 295 calories, 32 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 94 mg cholesterol, 503 mg sodium