Beef, corn and cheese bake

About two months ago, I posted a recipe for chicken and potatoes baked in cream and topped with grated cheese. It was such a hit with my family–and even with some of you readers–that I decided to create a variation of the dish–this time with slices of beef, cream-style corn and cheese. I won’t lie to you. My kids said that the chicken and potato dish was better. But the beef, corn and cheese bake has its positive points. First of all, this recipe uses less butter so there’s less fat. Second, it has cream-style corn in lieu of the cream, thus, making it friendlier to those who are cutting down on dairy and fat. Third, there are no bones to deal with–the slab of beef is pre-boiled until tender, cooled, chilled and thinly sliced. Sounds good? It tastes better than it sounds.

Ingredients :

To prepare the beef :

750 gram slab of beef batok (chuck), or choose a less fatty cut if you prefer
1 whole garlic
1 whole onion
peppercorns
salt

To complete the dish :

1/4 c. (or less if you’re using a non-stick pan) of butter or margarine (or whatever low-fat equivalent)
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cans of cream-style corn
1/2 cup of beef broth
chopped parsley
2 cups of grated cheese (you can even choose low-fat cheese)

Cooking procedure :

Place the beef in a large cooking pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, skimming off scum as it rises. Add the whole garlic, onion and peppercorns. Season with salt. Simmer for about 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Transfer the beef to a plate and cool. To make slicing easier, and to prevent the beef from crumbling, chill the meat for at least an hour.

Slice the beef thinly then cut the slices into bite-size pieces.

Heat the butter or margarine (or substitute) in a saute pan. Add the beef and cook over high heat until lightly browned. Add the onion slices and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking dish.

Combine the 2 cans of cream-style corn and dilute with the half cup of broth. Pour over the beef, spreading evenly. Spread the grated cheese on top and sprinkle with parsley.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve hot.

[tags]beef+recipe, meat+recipe, baked+beef+and+corn, Recipe, food+blog, Cooking, cooking+blog, Philippines, Filipina[/tags]