Meet Meat

Get ready to drool.  These are two of the most delicious meat recipes ever.  I cannot say that they're super healthy, but I can say that they are absolutely perfect for the occasional, hearty, cold winter's day, Sunday dinner.  They both are quite affordable and leave TONS of leftovers, if you don't plan to serve 15 people right off the bat.  Let us proceed with the more healthy of the two...

Delicious Meat Recipe #1:  My Grandma Carol's Italian Beef

5 lb. chuck roast (5 lbs. will make so much Italian beef that a smaller family might need to freeze some b/c they won't be able to eat it fast enough.  I usually get a 3 lb. roast to save our very limited freezer space.  Of course, venison [double yum] can be used in place of beef...and it. is. fantastic.)
1 T. oregano
1 T. garlic salt
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. cayenne pepper (I use less...This would make it VERY spicy.  Also, if you don't have cayenne pepper, you can substitute using some ground red pepper.)
5 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste
2 c. water

How simple is that ingredient list?  You may also want to add the buns of your choice.  Of course, the crusty, white hoagie is typically used, but you can use whole wheat of some kind to make it healthier.  Also, you can trim as much fat off the roast as possible to cut down on the fat content...If you're interested in such things.  I am not.  I really dislike handling raw meat, and I don't normally eat a lot of fat....So I splurge with this meal.

So here's what you do:
Put meat in slow cooker whole.  Add spices and water.  Cook on low until very tender (6-8 hrs.).  Take meat out of juice, and shred using 2 forks.  Remove bay leaves from juices/meat.  Return shredded meat to juices and cook 1 hour more.  Serve on crusty buns!

So easy.  Yes, it takes a long time to cook, but it only takes about 5 minutes total of your time in the morning and an hour before you serve it!  This is one of Oliver's favorites....Maybe Oliver's favorite favorite. 

Delicious Meat Recipe #2:  Pioneer Woman's Favorite Meatloaf

The Pioneer Woman is a [hilarious] blogger who is a city girl turned ranch wife with the most mouth-watering recipes I've ever run across.  The reason for this is probably because she doesn't spare the butter, the fat, the sugar, did I say the butter?  Her family runs a cattle ranch and they work....hard.  So, they eat the put-a-little-meat-on-your-bones food that most of us cannot afford to eat.  For each recipe, she posts step-by-step pictures of the process. (She is also a photographer, and a homeschooler [insert sigh of depression as I realize how little I am able to accomplish with my time compared to her, a mother of four])  And she is downright entertaining and funny!

Anyway, instead of posting the actual recipe here, click on this link to see this AMAZING recipe play out, picture by picture, on the Pioneer Woman blog:

-->CLICK HERE<--

This might be Oliver's favorite favorite favorite.  It involves bacon.  You're welcome.