For the love of balsamic vinegar

I have been trying to use cheaper cuts of meat to save some money so I bought some London Broil.  I don't love London Broil.  In the three years I've been living with SR I've developed a love for fatty, chewy and delicious cuts of meat.  London Broil isn't that.  Everyone else likes it, and it fits my budget, so I buy it when it's on sale.

What I DID do was make a really good sauce for it.  I followed a recipe I found on line but didn't add the cherries or cranberries, cause I didn't have any.  But let me tell you, it was delicious.

I have had oil and vinegar with bread and as salad dressing, but I've just started using it for cooking.  The sauce was sweet, and buttery and whatever the flavor vinegar gives you.  Vinegary?  I don't know, but it was delicious.

I think on better cut of meat it would be totally glorious.  As soon as our budget allows, I'm going to make it on a New York Steak. 

I also made some corn bread.  I was going to make it from scratch- the recipe is easy enough but when I went to the store to buy cornmeal, I saw this.

My mom used to make this.  And they were .59 for a small box.  Each box makes 6-8 muffins with just an egg and 1/3 cup of milk.  So I made two boxes and put it all in a 10 inch round pan and made cornbread.  Everyone loved it and we ate it all.

At that price, it's way cheaper to make it from the box and it was really good.  I guess that's why it's been around for so long. 

With butter and honey- along with the delicious sauce from the London Broil, dinner was warm and tasty and we are all satisfied and happy.

Margarita Steak Tacos

Instead of meatloaf I made steak tacos tonight.  While I was at the grocery store they had some thinly sliced ribeye and it was only like $6- dated in a few days.  I always scope the marked down meats, and then inspect them as closely as I can.  I have had a few bad picks- but most of the time it's great for eating that night or the next. 

My family loves tacos.  They are usually soft tacos, or burritos depending on the size of tortillas I buy.  I knew I had soft taco tortillas at home, because I usually do.  We eat soft taco's a LOT.  Personally I PREFER hard taco's but since I'm not going to fry up two corn tortillas for just myself, I reserve hard tacos for fast food and restaurants now.  It makes 2 for .99 Jack in the Box tacos a special treat for me!!     

So I came home and decided to cook up the steak.  I sliced it into strips and threw a little olive oil in the pan to brown it. Once browned I sprinkled it with a light coating of carne asada seasoning.  When making it with a packet this is where you add the seasoning and water.  But instead I added margarita mix. 

Last week I needed some lemon juice and I didn't have any- but I DID have margarita mix.  I tasted it and it tasted pretty lemon-limey to me, so I gave it a try and it worked.  So I added what I assumed to be about 1/3 of a cup.  Added more seasoning.  When there is a recipe I am following I am pretty meticulous about using the right mount of ingredients, but when I'm sort of making it up as I go along- I do it until it looks the right color or tastes right.  Most recipes have about 2-3 teaspoons of "seasonings" so I try to stay around there.  I don't know what most of the ingredients in my pantry actually TASTE LIKE except for salt, pepper and garlic.  I don't have a good tasting palate, so I wouldn't know what "savory" is.  I know what is sweet, bitter, salty and garlic. 

Then I let it boil off.  My bestie says it's called "reducing."  Ok whatever that water vapor magic is, it left the meat tender and citrusy with the right amount of spice.  Delicious, tangy and not too sweet.

 

 

 

 

I was just enough meat for 9 soft tacos.  No left overs.  Which is usually the goal.  Nobody eats lettuce on their tacos- so I don't buy it.  I would eat lettuce, but you can't buy one leaf of lettuce.  Unfortunately.

Meat and cheese for the boys.  Meat, cheese, sour cream and onion for SR.  Meat, cheese, sour cream and salsa for me. 

Dinner was a win tonight, like taco night usually is. 

Eventually I will buy some tequila and put that Margarita mix to proper use.  But until then, I won't have to buy lemon/ lime juice for a while.